Billy McNeill and Davie Hay met the press at Celtic Park yesterday, along with Alex Gordon, who authored their time as managers of Celtic. It didn’t disappoint……
Billy was self-effacing as ever. For all purposes, today he is an ordinary Celtic fan, so much so you need to remind yourself that there is nothing in the club game he hasn’t done. Yesterday was about his days as Celtic manager but he made the point that Davie Hay was a profound influence on him as a team-mate.
The take-away thought I had on Davie Hay was about his range of knowledge and experience. He has done so much in the game which still pulses in his veins. Does Scotland still produce men of his calibre? If so, why are we not giving them a platform to flourish?
There is tons of great stuff in the book from both men:
“We were already a goal down nine minutes into the second-half when Johnny Doyle was ordered off. As he came off, I remember telling him he would be in serious trouble if we lost.
“I was furious, especially as we were in such a desperate situation at the time.
“Afterwards in the foyer, Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Mike Jackson, Paul Wilson, Pat McCluskey, Benny Rooney and a whole host of former players were dancing around in amazement.
“Jinky was as happy as I’ve seen him. That win meant so much to anyone with an affiliation with Celtic.”
– Billy McNeill on winning the league against Rangers in 1979.
“I arranged for someone to cut out the stories and pin them to the walls of our dressing room at Love Street.
“I said nothing, but I could see the players reading the clippings. It was having the desired effect. It’s never clever to dismiss Celtic.
“It’s history now that we won 5-0 and Hearts lost 2-0.
“I think I still owe [Albert Kidd] a pint!”
-Davie Hay on winning the league at Love St in 1986.
The book’s great, reading the step-by-step accounts of what happened from the managers’ view, you’ll love it. I know I’m biased but it’s the best thing CQN has done, a wee bit of our history set down on record.
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WITS
Coming from you, I’ll take that as a badge of honour Sir.
:¬)
NatKnow
19:11 on
9 December, 2014
Vespacide
19:09 on
9 December, 2014
You can’t separate the club and the company, they are one and the same.
Hail Hail.
—————————
In which case the new club is only due 2 years compo and the deid club is due the rest. Whatever way you cut it, the new celestial entity is not due the full amount.
Yep, it looks like extortion to me too. What are Utd’s choices ?
Hail Hail.
Wits
have they not suffered enough?
Naw, only had one Dub in their side…8))
Vespacide
19:15 on
9 December, 2014
NatKnow
19:11 on
9 December, 2014
Vespacide
19:09 on
9 December, 2014
You can’t separate the club and the company, they are one and the same.
Hail Hail.
—————————
In which case the new club is only due 2 years compo and the deid club is due the rest. Whatever way you cut it, the new celestial entity is not due the full amount.
Yep, it looks like extortion to me too. What are Utd’s choices ?
Hail Hail.
—————————————–
Hobson’s. If they ask the SFA who they should pay the cash to, they’ll be told Sevco. It’s a stitch up – just like anything else the SFA has a hand in. They make up their own rules. They are accountable to no-one except themselves.
TBB
Rarely do I read articles or posts on here which speak of the huns, they’re irrelevant to me, but I read yours.
Thanks for clarifying it.
Blantyre, I think you are letting that cork fella colour your judgement of us.
Battered bunnet,
Yes it was intended as a compliment of course. Too much weeping and wailing every time they are mentioned.
Tbb,
Great contribution as ever.
Wits,
Vewy vewy funny :)
TBB
Good man. I was thinking that if the £170m plus VAT related to his full time at Ibrox then part of the money was due to RFC and part to TRF 2012.
I’d be surprised if BDO did not take their pound of legal flesh. It would after all reflect the fault line between football’s attitude to debt and the rest of the world’s.
.
Hamiltontim
19:19 on
9 December, 2014
TBB
Rarely do I read articles or posts on here which speak of the huns, they’re irrelevant to me, but I read yours.
Thanks for clarifying it.
..
Ditto here..and l Understood it..Which could be a First..
Summa
To the tune of Jingle Bells.
The huns are deid, the huns are deid, the huns are effin deid. The huns are deid, the huns are deid, the Huns are effin deid.
Let them make all the statements their wee hearts desire.
Unless they’re a modern day Lazarus, they’re still deid.
Ohhhh, Jingle Bells, the Huns are deid, the Huns are effin deid……
Anyway, Liverpool, basle, coming up. Tempted by the 7/2 for basle
Bhoys the entity which currently runs out of the bigotdome is still a economic basket case and £200k will not help them.
The last sentence of their statement is a rally call to the hordes which they hope/gamble will not be legally challenged.
.
HamiltonTim..
Is that Tune Irrelevant to You..?
Summa
Summa
No only the words :-)
Wits,
Decent price but Basel are grim away from home.
Mindye Liverpool can be grim period.
Maybe the younger generation have it right. I picked my son up from 5 a sides last night. He had two mates from school with him. One had a Chelsea top on, the other Man United. After dropping them I asked if they support Celtic?
Answer “No, loads of lads don’t bother with Scottish football.”
I know the establishment hope that these lads will come back when the Zombie is in the top flight.
I’m not sure I’d be able to stomach Scottish football with that crowd back laughing at the rest of Scottish football, particularly the Celtic support.
Maybe the youngsters turning to English soccer and basketball etc will have the final say in this shambles.
Some of the posts on here ridiculous. How can Celtic supporters be immune from having being CHEATED out of a variety of honours by the financial doping that was going on down Ibrox way with the compliance of the national association. It beggars belief.
What’s the point in playing by the rules? If nothing is done we might as well just bend right over because as sure as eggs as eggs WHEN they reach the top division( for the first time) rest assured the brotherhood will do all in their power to ensure they win it.
This has and does impact upon my club and I want my club to do something about it.
Come January, if we sign Oddegard , Armstrong and Guidetti perminantly …. A centre half, and left back cover for izzy….. The game will be up… 10 in a row, going on 15
Johnnyrambo67 I can’t change the record cos nowt has changed. It’s not my fault it’s dos of people like you who won’t complain.
As for the McMurtry comparison. Really? How?
Ah well we might as well watch the wrestling. At least they don’t really kid on its real.
Unlike scottish football.
I understand Celtic’s policy of working in the background for the safety of their fans, not sure I believe it’s actually happening though.
This statement by Sevco today marks a turning point. It simply cannot remain unchallenged.
If no action is taken then the Club/Company fallacy becomes reality, and I talk not of Sevco I mean Celtic.
Celtic as a club will, in my opinion will be dead. Celtic PLC only would remain.
I do not make this statement lightly, I speak as a supporter of more than 50 years.
Gollum limbering up in the tunnel.
Not a pretty sight.
HH!!
TBB 18:44
Methinks Chairman Thompson might not be as foolish as first appears. He offered deidco £60K+ for Telfer and subsequently upped it to £100K (for a sort of out-of-court settlement).
Assumption deal done with deidco (who would have got more than their 2 year cut) and he then doesn’t have to deal with BDO? Would they as a non-football entity have the ‘rights’ to pursue development fees (£136K incl VAT)?
DU would have saved circa £104K – deidco would have got £32K extra and BDO would have whistled?
Sums-ing doesn’t quite add up!
Forget petitions to hmrc or adverts in papers or writing a letter to whoever it is…best thing to do is not go to the semi final. Two fingers up to the SFA, sponsors, sky etc. Too many sellick fans moan about the corruption……then blindly support it.
Could be some game with Basle win putting Liverpool out
Tomcourtney there are thousands on the edge like you. Celtic ignore us all at their peril.
.
Warning Cricket Post..
DIBBIA and SFTB (l think)..
I’m sure the both of You like the Cricket..David Warner the person that i would say seemed to be the most affected by Phil Hughes death..He stayed with him till the Paramedic took Hughes away..Warner broke down a couple of times at training this week..and some thought he might not play..
He Hit a Ton (143) in the First Test against India yesterday..
A Good wee moment in Sport methinks..
Summa
Surprised at reaction here, what else would the Huns say only that they are the same team and their history is intact, they are hardly going to say the opposite.
I’m genuinely fed up of all the blog space they use up. Forever we will say the old Rangers died, no matter whether its Sevco or Sevco2, they will say the opposite. So F*****g what.
Life goes on, I’m just interested in seeing Celtic prosper and to see them win matches and trophies.
Just came across this story by a Celtic blogger. Defo worth a read.
Stevie McNally stood in the chill December air looking in the window of the Celtic shop on Argyle Street. His breath was visible in the cold Glasgow air and he was shivering a little as he peered through the glass. Christmas shoppers flowed around him like a stream around a rock. A few passers-by looked at him with disdain and one muttered audibly, ‘Oot the way Jakie.’ A small manikin wearing the child sized Celtic strip had the word ‘Sale’ written on a red label stuck to the chest and a shop assistant was about to stick on a price tag. He so wanted to buy his Celtic mad son a strip for Christmas but unless it went below £25 he simply couldn’t afford it. It hurt him that he did so little for Patrick these days. It also hurt him that his son’s mother now lived with another man who got to play with him every day while Stevie barely saw him. It terrified him that he’d drop out of his son’s life completely and be forgotten by him. Stevie had seen the other man in Pollok Park with Patrick and it tore at his heart when he saw how his son seemed so attached to him. He wanted to give wee Patrick a present he’d enjoy for Christmas and perhaps on a deeper level remind his boy that his Dad still existed. The young assistant glanced briefly at him through the glass as she attached a label which read £25. Stevie walked to the door and pushed it open before stepping into the warmth of the shop. As the door closed behind him, cutting out the chill and noise of the street Stevie looked around and soon located the sale section.
The same young assistant who had stuck the sale label onto the manikin sized him up as he approached the window display. He knew he looked rough. He had been unemployed for what seemed forever and since parting company with Patrick’s mother he had spiralled down and now called a grim room in a hostel by the Clyde, home. A fight with an un-medicated schizophrenic in another hostel the year before had left him with an angry red scar which ran the length of his check. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror and quickly looked away. Wrong choices, wrong friends and the wrong attitude had seen his life fall apart after he parted with Annie. Booze and drugs fuelled much of his downfall although he was now making a real effort to stay clean and sober. He looked at the smart young shop assistant in her neat Celtic Polo shirt, her smart pony tailed hair freshly cut, ‘Aw right hen, is that boy’s Celik strip in the windae twenty five bar?’ She glanced almost imperceptibly over Stevie’s shoulder towards a male shop assistant as if reassuring herself that he was watching, before focussing on Stevie, ‘No, the top is £25. The full strip is £45 in the sale.’ Stevie’s heart sank a little, ‘Jeez Brother Walfrid widnae like that.’ His pointed little joke met a blank stare so he continued, Ye goat it tae fit a seven year auld?’ She nodded, ‘Yes,’ and fetched a shirt from a pile on a nearby display shelf. ‘I’ll take it to the till for you.’ Stevie was used to this. Poor looking people were considered potential shoplifters by some and not to be trusted with the merchandise till the money was handed over. She handed the strip to a burly male colleague who looked at Stevie without bothering to put the hooped shirt in a bag as if doubting that he could pay for it. ‘Twenty five pounds please?’ he barked at Stevie who took the money from his tracksuit pocket and counted it out onto the counter. Two wrinkled tenners and five pound coins. All that remained of his Jobseekers allowance. The assistant took the money with his fingertips as if it might be infectious and placed it in the till. He then bagged Stevie’s purchase and handed it to him. ‘Thank you, Merry Christmas.’ His less than friendly expression rather undermined his festive wishes.
Stevie walked through the bustling streets noticing the excited children gaping at the Christmas lights and generally enjoying being in town at this time of year. Music, which sounded like Peruvian pan pipes drifted down from Buchanan Street and the sparkling Christmas decorations lifted the whole scene. Stevie caught glimpses of that other Glasgow too, the one few bothered to notice. He spotted Eddie, a long term homeless friend of his begging outside Argos. He was sitting on a piece of cardboard and had his dog Jinky with him. Eddie had been hospitalised the year before when some drunks turned on him. For some, homeless also meant worthless but Eddie was the most kind-hearted and decent guy Stevie had ever met. He shared whatever he made begging with the other ‘invisibles’ of the Glasgow homeless scene who crossed his path. Stevie smiled at Eddie as he passed, ‘You still no goat a job ya chancer?’ Eddie grinned his toothless grin back at him and replied in his gravelly Glaswegian voice, ‘Waitin oan a call fae Selik, hear they need a striker!’ Stevie laughed, ‘Striker? You couldnae strike a match ya auld bam.’ The friends smiled at each other and Eddie gave Stevie a small clench fisted salute as he walked on.
Stevie’s Celtic store green bag was inside his tracksuit top close to his heart, ‘Patrick will love it,’ he mumbled to himself as he headed towards Clyde Street and his bed for the night. He skipped up the stairs into the hostel and noticed a group of the residents had gathered at some sort of meeting in the TV room. He entered and sat just as a stout man in a tidy suit was finishing speaking. ‘So basically, the Foundation gives tickets to those who couldn’t otherwise afford to go to a game. I’m leaving 20 with the hostel manager and I hope to see some of you at Celtic Park next week.’ It seemed to Stevie that he’d timed his arrival to perfection. As the man turned to leave, he noticed Stevie’s Celtic shop bag now in his hand. ‘I hope you can make it pal, you’re obviously a fan.’ Stevie nodded and chanced his arm, ‘Can I take my boy?’ The man smiled, ‘Of course you can.’ Stevie looked at the Hostel manager who held a white envelope stuffed with tickets. The man, a life-long blue nose called Ian, had a soft spot for Stevie and caught his eye, ‘Don’t you worry Stevie boy, goat your name oan two already.’ Stevie was elated. He could take Patrick to the match. His son had never been to Celtic Park and perhaps they could share a good time together. Make a memory Patrick would treasure.
Stevie used the office phone in the hostel to phone Annie. It was his first call to her in six weeks. ‘I want tae gie Patrick a Christmas present and take him tae the match oan Saturday.’ She responded in the curt, dry manner she adopted when he called these days. ‘You can meet me at my ma’s and I’ll check ye oot first. If yer drunk or smellin’ of hash yer no getting near him.’ Stevie felt a surge of anger but controlled it, ‘I’m aff the drink and don’t touch any other stuff, Annie. Ye need tae trust me mer.’ She cut across him, ‘Stevie, you’ve let me doon so often, I canny trust ye. Wan o’cloak at my Ma’s and nae ay yer nonsense or ye kin forget it.’ With that the phone went dead. Ian entered the room at that point, ‘Stevie, ye need tae square yerself up before goin’ tae get yer boy on Saturday. I got some gear aff a guy who left the hostel last month. He wiz aboot your size.’ He handed Stevie a black bin bag. Stevie glanced inside at clothing he knew was a cut above anything he owned. He smiled at the middle aged hostel manager, ‘Cheers Ian, yer no a bad guy for a zombie.’ Ian laughed. ‘Just you and yer boy have a good time son. They grow fast and it’s important he knows who his auld man is.’ Later, at Stevie tried on the nearly new clothes he found piece of paper in the pocket of a pair of jeans. It was a receipt with Ian’s name on it. He had obviously given him some of his own clothes. Stevie mumbled to himself with a wry smile, ‘Aye, no a bad guy for a Zombie right enough, Cheers Ian.’
Stevie McNally felt a little nervous as he walked up towards Annie’s mother’s house. It was here he had finally blown his relationship with Annie three years before. Annie was waiting by the close, looking to Stevie as beautiful as she had when he had first got up the nerve to ask her out when they were 16. Now as they both approached 30, the affection they once felt had melted like April snow. There was not a day which passed without him regretting losing her but accepted he had blown it and wouldn’t get another chance. He smiled nervously at her, ‘Aw right Annie, yer looking well, doll.’ She sized him up, noticing the smart clothes which had replaced his usual track suit. ‘So are you. Glad tae see yer sorting yourself oot.’ He nodded, ‘Done some bad stuff Annie, I know that but I’m on the right road noo and I just want tae see the wee man for a while, you know.’ He handed her the bag from the Celtic shop, ‘Here’s a wee present for him for Christmas.’ She took the bag, ‘Get him back here for six, Stevie.’ With that she turned and nodded at the first floor window where her mother was watching the scene below from behind the net curtains. After a moment, the close door opened and six year old Patrick stepped out into the bright chill of the day. He seemed bigger than the last time Stevie had seen him and his tousled dark hair needed a trim. Annie zipped his warm jacket and gave him a hug, ‘See you at supper time Patrick. Stay wrapped up.’ As she headed back into the close Stevie called to her, ‘Annie!’ She turned her head as he continued, ‘I really am sorry ye know.’ She pursed her lips and turning, headed into the close without replying. Stevie smiled at his son who regarded him with amused interest, ‘We really gone tae the match Da?’ Stevie took his hand, ‘Of course we are but first we’ve going tae see the statues at the front of Celtic Park and the walkway. It’s brilliant, Patrick.’ They set off hand in hand, Stevie’s spirits lifted by simply being with his boy.
Patrick talked incessantly about Christmas and his Primary one class at the local school as they joined the stream of people heading for the stadium. ‘Miss Brown said Christmas is when magic things happen da, ye need tae see a big star first though. That’s the sign something really good is gonnae happen. A long time ago a baby was born and Miss Brown said there was a big star o’er his wee hoose and Miss Brown knows everything!’ As Stevie listened to his son’s rambling innocence, part of him was aching at having missed so much of his son’s journey through life while another part of him just basked in being with him on this bright winter’s day. God how he loved this boy, he was the one bright light in his life. ‘Miss Brown sounds like a good teacher, son.’ Patrick nodded, ‘She said the Romans came here a long time ago. Did you see them Da?’ Stevie laughed at his son’s utter innocence, ‘Naw Son, before my time, I think yer Grandad John did though.’ They turned off the London Road onto the Celtic walkway. ‘Look Da!’ cried Patrick, ‘It says Celtic on the ground’ Stevie stopped with his son in the middle of the huge club crest emblazoned on the walkway. His son knelt and traced part of it with his hand, spellbound. Stevie had forgotten how children could be amazed by things adults took for granted. ‘Aye but look at the stadium son…’ Patrick glanced up at the huge bulk of Celtic Park. The Celtic way was lined on both sides with green and silver Christmas lights and this drew they eye to the stadium itself at the other end of it. Christmas lights glinted from the walls above the main entrance and two large Christmas trees sparkled by the statues of three Celtic Legends. Patrick’s eyes widened, ‘It’s magic Da, it’s Christmas magic!’ Stevie smiled, ‘I know, they did a good job wi aw these lights.’ Young Patrick shook his head and pointed high above the ground to the very top of the main stand. ‘Naw, look a star! A Christmas star! Miss Brown said that means that something good is goin’ tae happen!’ Stevie followed his son’s gaze and his eyes came to rest on a huge white star which glinted above the red brick façade of the south stand. ‘Jesus,’ he whispered to himself, ‘it is a star.’ He fought back a tear as he took his son’s hand, ‘C’mon let’s go see the Celts, see if that Miss Brown was right.’ They walked to the stadium together each in their own way amazed at what the day had brought.
Be gob now there’s a first. I find myself agreeing with a cork man
Gearoid 1988
Spot on. Scottish football was corrupt to the core. And nobody in Scottish football called it. That’s because Scottish football was a homage act to RFC. It still is to the ghost team.
Evident already that Basel are Salzburg like.
Quick, sharp passing and good movement.
The way ahead for RD. Need to be very fit though.
So because we should have expected them to say they are the same team that makes it alright then. Jeez
That statement is about so much more than that. That statement is saying that we cheated you at every opportunity you did nothing about it then and we know you will do nothing about it now. As I said just bend over guys you know what’s coming.
Hamilton Tim, very schmaltzy, however you left out the ending. Dermot Desmond arrived in a chauffeur driven limousine and took the pair for a sumptuous meal and then arranged for steve to do an accountancy course, he is due to take over from lawwell when he graduates
NegAnon2 @ 18:45
‘Ah well I am surprised you are all surprised.
The great cover up continues and moves into a new level. Celtic remain silent.
Cheated for years, called paranoid, robbed of trophies.
And what do celtic do? Nothing. And then tell us we need compeittion.
In a year or two they will be cheating and you will be called paranoid.
Plus de change…..’
Yip! We all have witnessed Celtic’s silence on issues they should not have been silent on and we’ve all witnessed the lack of action from Celtic.
Well I am putting no more money into this corruption.
Being shafted by SevcoFA hurt but I’m not accepting and paying for complicity from Celtic.
Looks like a change to the wording of the Sevco statement ….
Hamiltontim. Corny, but nice.
.
Il Padrino
19:44 on
9 December, 2014
Forget petitions to hmrc or adverts in papers or writing a letter to whoever it is…best thing to do is not go to the semi final. Two fingers up to the SFA, sponsors, sky etc. Too many sellick fans moan about the corruption……then blindly support it.
..
Me Personally..l will Support Celtic (The Eleven Football Players on the Park with Green and White Hooped tops on).. NO MATTER What any other Team..Association..Sponsor..other Fans Etc Etc do..and will still support the 11 Players on the Park NO MATTER What any Present or Future Celtic employee or Owner does or does Not do..
l Support Celtic Unconditionally..
It took me a Long time to be a Celtic Supporter..
Summa of BlindinglySupportingGlasgowCelticSince1961CSC