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.
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Happy Christmas everyone may you have a great 12 days with your family if you can.
Hail, hail!
Good Christ-mas morning to all from a frosty Garngad ☃️
I hope everyone has a peaceful Christmas.
Big Jimmy -God bless you and wee Rocky bhoy and thank you, I cannot wait to get a swally with you.
HH
D :)
AULDHEID, FRIESDORFER, HAMILTONTIM, NORRIEM et al:
Ba humbug time I’m afraid…
I’m aware there have been posts about what RES12 and CST may or may not have done or promised to do. Both sides have posted their views, those posts will be left up. Going forward, this is not the forum for such a debate, any future posts will be deleted, please take your debate elsewhere.
PS: Merry Christmas to you all and your families.
Scroogefc…
Mod 2
I’ve had my say, God Bless and I hope you and your family have a fantastic day! Merry Christmas mate.
Merry Christmas to all on the blog.
Just reading back following the Mods post and while I personally don’t know any of the posters referred to, I do know from lurking on here for years that they are all decent, honest, caring individuals with one thing in common, a passion and love for Celtic.
On this day of all days I hope that they can unite around the message that the birth of Jesus brings, forgiveness, peace, hope and love!
HH
Good morning CQN…
Just popped on to wish you all and your families a holy and peaceful Christmas from me, Mrs. LB and our 22 year-old Bhoy.
Remember today as always but especially today those of our loved ones who we have not woken up beside. They may not have been beside you when you awoke but they were in your hearts…and remember this; you will meet again.
Now stuff your faces and drink plenty.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Merry Christmas to you Lennybhoy.Give Coatbridge a wee wave for me.
TURKEYBHOY on 25TH DECEMBER 2020 9:35 AM
I will mate, cold and frosty, a bit like where you are…NOT…:)
11:30 Mass pick up my Father-in-Law for a wonderful day in County Coatbridge where we will stuff our faces and have a few drinks.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Pau67 et al
First and foremost Paul let me take the opportunity to wish you and yours a Happy Christmas Day, and to thank you once again for creating and maintaining this Dear Green Place that is CQN. Best and lasting wishes to all those connected to the site in any way, especially at the end of a year which has brought additional, particular and personal difficulties to us all, and hope that this Christmas begins to bring a little more light to the days ahead.
🙋♂️ Good morning from a cold (0°C) but clear blue skied ❄️☃️🌞North Hampshire ! 😊 ☕🥐
To our host and Admin and all who frequent CQN, I wish you a Blessed, Peaceful, Harmonious, Happy, Healthy and a Wonderful Christmas!
😊 ❤️ 🎅🎄🎁🍲🥗🍨🎂🍾🥃🍬🌞🎆🎇
Take Care, Keep Safe, God Bless and Hail Hail,
Yours in Celtic, 😊 🧣 🍀
TB&F. 😊
Happy Christmas to everyone who contributes to these hallowed pages.
A happy and peaceful Christmas to Paul67 ,CQNers and Tims around the World.
p.s A happy birthday baby Jesus and Gordon64 .hh
;-D
Merry Christmas….Happy Holidsys….,;-))
I only asked for Santa to give me TWO Presents…Celtic to win their upcoming games ( and Beyond) including the one at IpoX….I’ll have to wait and see…?
As for the other present, I asked him to get the PUBS Open…………He left me a wee note saying…FECK AFF !…
I hope that he had a puncture on his sleigh…..
LOL
Merry Christmas to all the Good Guys on here including PAUL67….and even The MODS.
LOL.
Its gonna be a ” Dry” Christmas and New Year, and its all that Chump Santas fault…..I used to love him.
HH and Keep the faith.
Happy and Peaceful Christmas Paul and to you all and your families. Keep safe and enjoy your day.
stpatricksbhoy.🎄
Happy Christmas to all on CQN.
Been a long time since I boarded the auld Iron Horse.
Missing Paradise.
Hail Hail.
Merry Christmas to all in Timdom.
Have a great day, with you’re loved ones, if possible, stay safe and have some fun.
Big Jimmy – thank you 🙏 Same to you and everyone on CQN.
May you and your best friend Rocky have a lovely day. 💚
Over the years I was asked to play ” Santa”, with all the gear on for Kids in the north of Glasgow, when I lived in Bishopbriggs. I probably had more fun than the weans LOL.
However,
The very first time was around 1992, and while I was working part time in a local Disco in the West End of Glasgow.
It was a ” Private Function” that was a Womens Christmas Works night out. As the “Ladies” drank and danced the night away with each other, as there were only THREE Men in the Disco that night working…My Boss, Disc Jockey and ME.
Halfway through the evening my Boss told me that the ” Ladies” were DEMANDING a Visit from Santa, and it just so happened that he had some Santa gear in the back storeroom. He ” suggested” that I should get dressed up as Santa, and make their wishes come true ?
I was of course very reluctant, but eventually I was persuaded.
There around 70/80 Wummin at the night out, and I was sitting on a hardback chair in front of the Disco on the dance Floor. Now at that time I was nearly 30 years younger and had all my Hair, and was reasonably ” Fit”.
About 50/60 of these so called ” Ladies” young and old, lined up in a long Queue to sit on Santa’s Knee…MY Feckin knee !
Given that these ” Ladies” had already consumed some Alcohol and were in a right Party mood, they were determined to tell Santa ” What they wanted for Christmas” whilst sitting on my knee ?
I could NOT possibly Repeat some of those ” Christmas Requests” on here, that many of they Mad Wummin asked me for that Night…but lets just say, that although I am not usually easily embarrassed ….Thank God the lighting was too bright, just some small Disco lights…as My Face must have been the same colour as my Santa Outfit !
LOL.
HH.
Merry Christmas to all CQN’s.
Have a great day
Great start to the day ….no satellite signal…phone sky..result,engineer will be with me on 31st Dec.Complained with girl who took my call,bottom line
bank Holidays blah! blah! blah! Anyone else on cqn have to wait so long?
A very Happy Christmas to Celtic fans and their families all over the world and especially to those who post on CelticQuickNews. A very special Christmas greeting to our host, Paul 67 and his family for providing us with this magnificent forum to read about, praise and criticise all things Celtic and to learn about a host of other topics. My apologies Paul, for the couple of times I’ve criticised your articles – borne out of frustration at our form. I hope you will forgive me.
Hail! Hail!
Merry Christmas Quick News…………………
CQN CSC
( The Judean People’s Popular Front -Provisional Wing )
;)
:))))))))))))))))))))))))
Merry Yuletide Greetings from a frosty and freezing D&G.
Wesotych Swiat to Delaney’s Dunky if you’re lurking
Big Jimmy – your namesake got a can of Mackeson Stout in his feed this morning. It’s a sad state of affairs when he can have a drink on Xmas morning and you can’t 😡😡😡
Thanks Paul 67…………
And to those boul’ as brass, beery, sleekits that wipe their dirty feet on your fine doormat………
GIRUY!
:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
HH
Best Christmas wishes to all who post on CQN and and their family’s too!
I will say a wee prayer for all.
Hope you all have a great day!
DENIABHOY
Get well soon mate, best wishes to you and your good lady!
Happy birthday GORDON64, hope you have a great day!
(yer no 64, ur ye?)
Merry Christmas to all,and your families HH
`I hope that he had a puncture on his sleigh….`
If laughter is a manifestation of the happiness being wished by so many to all, then Big Jimmy`s line above has , in my case,ensured those wishes came true :-)))
Connaire 12
Thank you very much for your prayers. They are very much appreciated during this pandemic. I hope you have a very Happy Christmas and manage to put your feet up and enjoy a well deserved rest.
GORDON 64
Hoopy Birthday 🍾🍾🍾🎉🎉
A happy Christmas to all CQN’rs , and to Paul 67 , thanks for the blog which means so much to so many . Despite those who would hijack it and chase away so many good posters/lurkers , don’t ever stop blogging .
Jesus has tested positive for Covid
So has Walker
bad day for man city