7 March 2020 – the last day fans gathered at Celtic Park to see their team in action. You don’t need to attend games to be a committed Celtic fan, many live far from Glasgow and others cannot get to games for a variety of reasons, but thousands of us will not have gone so long without seeing Celtic in the flesh since infancy. We are now all armchair fans.
There are parallels in our personal lives; we are armchair sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and parents, work from home colleagues. We are not all sociable creatures; I know some who are quite happy in their cocoon, but for many, this has been a trying time in their personal lives, even more so without the ceremonies of supporting Celtic.
For me, that means getting together with three generations of the family, it gives us a common currency we can spend in each other’s market. Truth is, nothing else allows us to bond in the same way. It is not the same by text, not even close.
The family thing is all good and well, but why do you and I bond, when do we bond as the Celtic Movement? For some, Celtic speaks to our ancestry, but that’s an influence that is significantly less than when I first stood at Celtic Park. I know there are some who found us through the Lisbon Lions all those years ago. This month I met a Syrian fan. He had worked various grounds as a steward and found a home for his sporting heart in the process. I also know a born contrarian, who from the age of 7 decided the team her (cherished) father despised was the one she would follow all her life.
Whatever brought you to Celtic, Celtic has an influence on our world view, almost without exception. We are a community, formed to help the starving. The more fans you meet, the more influenced you become in adopting this core value. There is not another club in the world (unless some outfit from Gibraltar claims otherwise) that has a call to action as noble as this.
In March, Celtic FC Foundation launched its Football for Good Fund. The world changed, which had two consequences for your Foundation, there would be no badge day, no bucket collection, no mountain top huddle or arctic trek, but the needy, the lonely, the isolated and the vulnerable would multiple.
The Fund raised over £1m, £250k of which came during the Christmas Appeal phase, how this was achieved in these circumstances is difficult to comprehend, unless you consider the values of those who cherish it.
Where was the money spent? You know the kids whose parents do not have a spare penny? 2,272 of them received Christmas gifts for their children and another 376 vulnerable families received ‘an envelope’ to help them through. Another £30k was distributed through 10 children and family charities.
11 homeless charities, four refugee charities, and three women’s aid charities were also given cash. Hampers were given to vulnerable elderly and families, and toys given to organisations who know where to find kids who go without.
The Welfare State is over 70 years old but like any massive apparatus, there are cracks and limits through which thousands fall. You need to be on the ground to find those who cannot be found by policy. The Celtic FC Foundation is a chain linking those of us who have with those who have not. It is relentless in pursuing the values we were founded upon. Staffed by people who endure the delight and turmoil of supporting Celtic, but who know too well the consequences when our community cannot gather, for those who count on us for a Christmas toy.
You can be proud of these values and the community you have fortified. It will outlast all of us and will benefit more lives than you will ever know. But next year, champions again or not, those of us who have, need to do more, because the metrics are not getting better.
With or without your loved ones, take care and have a happy Christmas.
389 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- »
LAMBERT14 on 26TH DECEMBER 2020 11:26 AM
WHAT IS THE STARS on 24TH DECEMBER 2020 12:12 PM
Happy Christmas to all.
Especially to Peter Lawwell God bless him
——————————————————————-
I don’t blame you for posting this as you and every hun now feels the same.
===================
Lambert 14
You should show a bit of care prior to lashin out bout posters whose view is different to that of yours.You slurred a good tim there with your own hun like behaviour.calm down
HH
PAUL67 on 26TH DECEMBER 2020 12:25 PM
AIPPLE, we started on Blogger without the domain name. Three days later I thought it might be worth the investment… I think we had around 50 comments in total at that point, most of the ‘incoming hostile’ manner.
———————–
Nice one! Remarkable achievement friend.
Very best wishes to all you splendid CQNers on this second day of Christmas.
I trust you are all Staying Safe.
Enjoy the match today. I’m away to sort out a couple of turtle doves for the missus.
Hibs should’ve scored in the first minute. Sevco controlling the possession and came close themselves.
Really do need them to start dropping points. Hibs are one of the best teams in the league….if Hibs don’t do it, it’ll be concerning.
Is the Sky Channel where our game today is being shown available on Freeview somewhere?
The old Referee/Tavpen partnership will always kick in if required .
Huns 1 up
Hibs hit thebpost
Huns are here to be got at
HS- Sky 1
So Gogic gets booked for persistent fouling on 40 mins but against us he committed numerous fouls and received a booking about 80 mins. Feckin Hunbeilavable
D :)
Half Time one nil to Huns.
If Hibs can just keep it at that for net 30 minutes & have a go last quarter they could take something here,l
Corkcelt @12.02
Just back from shopping with the ‘gaffer’.Belfast Celtic ply their trade in the Ballymena district league as a stepping stone to Irish league entry,wish them well.Happy New Year cork celt to you and to those close to you and to all CQN contributors.
Lambert14: The fact that you are the only poster to comment on WITS post the way you did should be an indication to you of how badly you have interpreted his posting style.
WITS is a top TIm and great company.
Bada
Thanks but I don`t see a Sky 1 in my list of available channels on Freeview.
Hibs have played well but Rangers are on top of them.
Impressed with the eforts of Paul McGinn, Joe Newell, Gogic and young Doig the left back.
But captain Hanlon was sleeping to let Hagi in in front of him to score.
Having seen the ball swerve in the air at Ibrox, I hope we are gonna play a few of our bigger lumps at Hamilton today.
If the Huns don`t drop points today, I think I`ll be conceding the title in my mind if not my hopes.
ALMORE
Thanks for the link to The Busk cheers 👍
wonder if the game is in danger
this is no weather to be playing football and the winds are due to get stronger
SFTB
` I hope we are gonna play a few of our bigger lumps at Hamilton today.`
You mentioned something similar earlier but I would be inclined towards the close control players eg Johnston,Edouard, Griffiths and Frimpong along with defenders who bring the ball out –Ajer,Taylor –.for example.
Regardless, I am sure Neil Lennon knows more about it than I do.
Hot Smoked, if they don’t drop points today & we fail to beat them Jan 2nd, I’ll be joining you
AS long as Title is in our own hands we ‘ve got to believe,
HS
Have you ever seen a close control dribble work at Hamilton?
Most goals are scored there by snap shots as the ball breaks to you off a mishit clearance or a bustling Centre forward barging through challenges or from set pieces.
Even on a dry windless day, I would avoid too many fancy dancers on that surface.
PR67: Glad you liked it. Never sure if RTÉ links will work outside the island. I used to get BBC Alba and enjoyed some of their programmes but links no longer work for me. I know I could use a VPN but wouldn’t have a clue where to start.
Hope all is well with you. My New Year’s wish will obviously be to get over for a game ASAP.
SFTB
` Have you ever seen a close control dribble work at Hamilton?`
I don`t recall if I have . I was basing my view on my own experience of playing on Artificial Turf but I accept that the professional game is a different matter…..especially witht he wind as it is.
Penalty must be due
So far, Adi reffing has been fair.
Fouls against Hibs players being ignored by Willie Collum and the commentary team.
Corkcelt
Plenty of time. Its Collumn – the ref they requested didnt do any of thei games.
Ffd Gagi kicks Hibs player in head at 6fg in box no penalty
Hibs denied a penalty
High Hun boot in the box ignored,
@CelticFC line up v Hamilton …
Hazard Frimpong Ajer Bitton Taylor Christie Soro McGregor Turnbull Griffiths Edouard
Subs: Barkas Duffy Brown Laxalt Rogic Ajeti Johnston Elyounoussi Klimala
If that was us “defending” ref gives a pen. A clear penalty.
Pass back missed, then penalty missed, game stopped for injury to hun player.
Aye of course the ref has been doing well
No Julian,
Referees decisions NOT to award clear penalties to huns opponents are just as important to them as the dodgy ones they get . It’s a win-win partnership .
Jim McLean RIP
Up to penalty incident, thought he was doing OK