Having the first leg of our Champions League qualifier against KR in Iceland instead of Scotland, as initially drawn, ticks boxes for both clubs. Without being disrespectful (well, maybe a bit), if the first leg was in Scotland KR could find themselves trying to sell a dead rubber second leg to TV companies. With their home tie starting level, this could be their biggest windfall of the season.
Despite KR’s lowly coefficient, Celtic are stepping into the unknown and would infinitely prefer the second leg at home, a week after competitive cobwebs are blown away. If we encounter a Karagandy-goat-sacrifice-type experience in Reykjavik, we would still have the chance to resolve things at Celtic Park Murrayfield. The only surprise is that it took the clubs this long to confirm the change.
Now all we need to worry about is the goat-sacrificing habits of Scotland’s rugby types.
News from Nyon that Celtic’s share of last season’s Champions League bounty was £14.1m, plus £1.8m for participating in the qualifying rounds, on top of ticket sales, reiterates how important the competition is to the club.
We’re now trying to qualify for the third consecutive season, a feat we’ve never achieved before. After the chastening experiences of last August, and the changing of the guard, I’m taking nothing for granted this season. By my reckoning we cope without reaching the group stage two years in five without significantly downsizing.
I got a bit of banter for saying I was still raw from Georgios Samaras penalty miss four seasons ago. Why shouldn’t we be raw, it was the last time Celtic failed to win a Scottish championship. Ever! Those who celebrate that miss will be clinging onto it as a highlight for the rest of their days.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
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Bobby, just as well Stefan Kuntz wasn’t Italian.
BMCUW
You just put me off my fish in parsley sauce.
Evenin’ all.
Not having read back and perhaps having missed some erudite commentary on the Germany/USA game, I’d like to say that JK has produced a successful team which in quality terms does not surpass what we have at Paradise. Given that, he has qualified out of a very difficult group for the last 16 of the World Cup.
Am hopeful that Ron & John can emulate that.
NextgenCSC?
DELANEYS DUNKY
LOL,that one made me laugh too.
Samaras & Commons transcend football, there is something inherently decent about them that lifts us up as a support. We are a better Club for having them aboard. No player will stay forever but these two will stay forever in my heart.
Nice to agree with you about something Cork. Fine post.
However I was perplexed that Novo made your list of hated people. I always found it embarrassing that he received so much hatred from Celtic supporters; afterall the man wasn’t actually very good, rather he was a chancer at best.
corkcelt: *thumbs up*
Corkcelt
My heart too, and my daughter’s. She said something similar about Sammi & Kris earlier. Nice post.
gordybhoy64
Thanks mhate. If it’s all you can eat beer I’ll be delighted!
HiccupCSC
HH jamesgang
****CQN World Cup predictor Update*****
2 games to go and it’s squeaky bum time….
Group A
BhoyWonder84 205
Republic of Fudgeland 196
jeez_I_thought_blinker_was_pants 195
Bayern Bru 181
BADA BING 149
Group B
jamabhoy 207
Murcia Super XI PaddyBhoy1888 206
FC Cortes 200
hmack 199
angelGabriel 151
Group C
Jonny The Tim 181
MurdochauldandHay 181
Touched, by the hand of God 172
Stpatricksbhoy 159
Marspapa Clique 132
Group D
The Kidd’s 207
Stevenage Bhoy 189
Evergreen 179
TLK Deilaghts 179
Angola CSC 164
Group E
BK Champion Elect 202
Celtic Rose 202
Lennybhoys Lions 202
Clueless89 196
Dr Mengele’s Brazilian Beavers 195
Group F
googybhoy 192
dim sam 183
Giffnock Past(it) Masters 158
Team Rocket 155
Beenies beach bums 151
Group G
Bognor hoops 179
celticrollercoaster 178
Sponsored by Cheetah 171
Ard Ri 152
Vmhan’s Dunderheids 151
Group H
Kolncelt 213
praecepta 210
Slabhoy – The only Way is Up 207
Dougies Donkeys 184
BringBackBoruc 177
Group I
Minx 1888 204
BlantyreKev 180
Bobby Evans Superstar 172
Celtic 1967 165
Martybhoy59 162
Group J
Kelvinbhoy’s EK Green and White Army 182
Setting Free the Bears 180
MrsCRC knows her place 177
GuyFawkesaforeverhero 157
bognors chosen few 150
Group K
Jobo Baldie 185
HT’s Heroes 181
TravelBhoys From Brazil 162
Token Tims Mwepu Illunga’s Free-kick Army 159
uruguayforme 156
Group L
Geordie Munro 196
Cowiebhoys A B E 194
Doc 176
Bradbhoy 169
Hearthan 122
JO’N Re Novo, I said detest, I never ever use the word hate. Some may equate detest with hate, personally I use it as an expression of utter contempt. Hope that clears that one up.
Interesting wee article for you all from The Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/26/-sp-ballymurphy-shootings-36-hours-west-belfast-northern-ireland-10-dead
Captain Beefheart
Novo caught a dose of rangersitis and set out to wind up Celtic fans in order to ingratiate himself with the basest element of ra berrz.
He was a nuisance on the park but nothing special. Not worth hating.
That group E in the predictor is some group.
Last place points tally would win a good few other groups. Fair play.
Good evening all.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
For those of you heading for Orlando this week, looks like some EK weather..
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=28.431258804000435&lon=-81.30843779699967&site=all&smap=1
The Parachute Regiment?
…or to be more precise – the death squad who would have been more at home in El Salvador round about the same time.
HH!!
Corkcelt
Lived close to Novo when he lived in Knightswood Glasgow. Slug like and ignorant was the local impression of him. Stan Petrov was the total opposite. Those two living in my area told me all I need to know about The Difference.
Greeninbingley,
There is absolutely nothing wrong with emotion, in the right place….and your emotions are definitely in the right place.
corkcelt,
You too.Excellent sentiments, well expressed.
Two fine examples of humanity, which does them great credit.
However, for every season, there is a time.
As I posted recently, it is always hard to see our heroes move on, but after having done it with the Lions, it is not as hard today.
Sammi may soon leave the club, but the club will never leave him.
I hope his abiding memory of the fans is of appreciation and not of the numpties who frequently derided him at the games and online.
Ok Cork.
Exactly Ger57. Ironically the hatred actually made him more money.
BMCUW@18.32
re Your Christine Graham Link
You need to keep listening to the debate right through to the part between 8m 50 secs and the end where Tom Devine, for the 3rd time in the debate, tries to educate Christine Graham on her spurious distinction where she tries to bring political chanting into the broad category of “offensive behaviour” rather than “religious hatred” which was the old standard of the pre-SNP Act, and she says she wants to do this “because it is not even”.
She obviously sees this as a good thing because she wants to bring in a new Act where the uneven prosecution stats, which her party were so keen to bury and sideline, were embarrassing for the face that the SNP wants to present which is that both sides are at fault and they are being even handed. By bringing more prosecutions against Celtic fans, they could sustain the fiction that ones as bad as the other, and they would have the evidence to prove it.
That outcome would go down well with the Tartan Army crowd that supports the SNP. So long as they are not interfered with when they call each other Arab Bassas, Sheep worrying Bassas, Teuchter Bassas or Jambo/Hibee Bassas, then they will rejoice in people being arrested for calling each other Fenian or Orange Bassas. Her mindset is quite clearly exposed in this exchange and frankly, Tom Devine gives up in frustration at attempts to educate her out of her idiocy.
She was not alone in her party. On James Forrest’s site you will find a link to your drinking Buddy, Campbell Martin’s spirited defence of those precise qualities in the new OBaF Act. The SNP wanted to put its tartan stamp on this legislation. They wanted to hammer both Celtic and Rangers fans evenly and were concerned that previous legislation was a) not doing this and b) was not instituted by the SNP.
Thankfully, a few brave sheriffs have resisted the efforts of the SNP and Frank Mulholland (may black burning shame fall upon him) to make offences out of behaviours they cannot define, outline or describe coherently.
DD Thanks for that, glad my perceptions were shared by those closer to the action. Hope your Mam is recovering, CQN prayers are a powerful medicine.
Luke Shaw to Man U,£30 Million for an 18 year old
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
19:53 on
26 June, 2014
Interesting wee article for you all from The Guardian.
thanks for posting that.
more than interesting, it captures all the terrible terrible forces both loyalist and british army that results in the killings of innocent people.
remembering that the army were sent to protect the nationalist communites, but their bitter own soldiers, what can you say, its all there in the article.
god bless them who perished.
and they wonder why the youths flocked to the republican army.
BMCUW @ 7.53
Thanks for posting that. Harrowing stuff. I thank God I wasn’t born into that time and place cos I don’t see how you could fail to have been sucked into it all.
Peace big ghuy.
HH jamesgang
After a very rare sojourn for several after work pints of stout i have remembered my status asvan unrepentant socialist (and fenian) b#%&%rd.
Feels good.
Greeninbingley
Your uncle sounds like a Lion to me.
Which makes me think, maybe we should refer to all Celts that were in Lisbon that day as “Lions”.
I was 12 and watched it live, black and white on the box.
Maybe that makes me a “Lion Cub”?
Gardez la Foi
Saint stivs,
You didn’t mention all the innocents killed by Republican murderers.
Be fair. May those victims also be remembered.
On the Ballymurphy story
Now we know why Gerry Adams was taken in for questioning earlier in the year -the establishment know that there is a huge amount of stuff to come out about state killings and state collusion in killings and they want to come to a deal or compromise over all this!
The best way would a truth and reconciliation commission like the one in South Africa but it needs all parties to face up to what was done and the British and Irish governments would stand to lose most from such disclosures IMHO
Prayers and thoughts for those affected and all those affected by the troubles from all sides!
HH
Billy Bhoy
“Total rubbish and nastiness, and so unlike you as you are definitely of the most intellegent posters on this blog”
It was meant to be nasty. These people have caused young men to be arrested at the crack of dawn in front of their neighbours with press present and on return from holidays at the Airport. They have been arrested for singing songs about the IRA, songs that you and I can sing anywhere other than on my way to and from the football. Songs that you and I can buy from Amazon and see on You Tube. Songs that have featured in popular TV shows and films.
These people deserve to be called out for inventing new offences and trying to proscribe thoughts they do not agree with. It reveals a totalitarian side to their thinking that they can make us all twee middle class Scots via legislation. The Compulsory Shortbread, Tartan Shawl and The Broons Act will be the follow up. Damn right I am angry about what they have done.
Your side are quite happy to throw out the jibe that being in favour of the NO vote puts you on the same standing as the Orange Order, BNP, and Paisleyites. You, yourself, have posted that same jibe. Yet, you adopt a tone of outrage when you find the accusation thrown back at you.
“Blessing yourself becoming illegal is an appalling lie!”
I only wish that were true. Nobody claimed (or nobody should have claimed) that the Act wanted to include that as a specific example, but, unfortunately for you, it is on record that Roseanne Cunningham did say that, in certain circumstances, blessing yourself could be deemed as offensive and would be an example of behaviour that could be prosecuted under this Act. You should listen to the representatives of your party; they are trying to tell you the truth about their way of thinking and looking at the world. You are keen not to listen so that you can exonerate them of their stated intentions. The Edinburgh Jury that acquited Mr. Wilson also chose to ignore what he himself said.
As it happens, I believe Roseanne Cunningham has a point. There are circumstances where people will use the act of blessing as a wind up. I find that offensive but the difference between Roseanne and me is that I do not want them charged for causing offence. She does, because she thinks it might win a few votes from fans of the Ibrox club if they treat their Boruc-related complaints more seriously.
Pishin’ doon at Wimbers.
Shockerooney!
HH!!
Re Lisbon, I was 19 watched it live, black and white on the box in a lodging house in a very small town called Killorglin Co. Kerry. Its come on a bit since but then all twas famous for was an event called Puck Fair. The two things that made Puck Fair a bit different from most festivals was one, the locals went out caught a Puck Goat, crowned him King of the Festival. The Goat complete with Crown was hoisted on a high platform where he oversaw all the festivities for 3 days. He was well fed during his reign and released back to the wilds when his time was up. The second feature was back then the pibs remained open for the full 3 days, 24 hours per day. I remember one night going to bed drunk around 1am waking up for a pish around 4 and hearing the singing and the craic going on in the pub across the road. I dressed and went back and the exact same crowd I was with a few hours previous were still singing and dancing so I just rejoined the craic and thats how it was for 72 hours. You just dropped out periodically for a bit of a kip and then rejoined. I have absolutely no idea why I told this story, its something I had long forgotten but just “where were you when the Lions won the big Cup” triggered the story in my mind. Sorry for boring ye all.
Greeninbingley, please come back on in two weeks and let us know your uncles reaction to TG’s message. A heartwarming wee tale there.
HH to you and your family.
Well another hopeful for us off to Hull.£7 million !!!!!!!.In the bloated world of the EPL,that is a good deal for Hull,but far too rich for our blood.
Think we could be doing with signing a left back.Izzy had a woeful WC,and I cant see him getting over it quickly.We can hope,but we have needed real cover there for a long time.
Watching USA tonight.I like the boy Bradley.Dont know who he plays for,but a very clever no.10.Great passer of the ball.
Michael Bradley
Soccer player
Michael Sheehan Bradley is an American soccer player who currently plays as a midfielder for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. Bradley also plays for the United States national team. Wikipedia
Born: July 31, 1987 (age 26), Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Height: 1.86 m
Spouse: Amanda Barletta (m. 2011)
Salary: 6.5 million CAD (2014)
Parents: Lindsay Bradley, Bob Bradley
Current teams: United States men’s national soccer team (#4 / Midfielder), Toronto FC (#4 / Midfielder)
Just looked him up.Bit of a “Tim”name that,is it not.6,5 million Canadian Dollars,his salary.
Interesting mention of Willie Johnston earlier. My grandfather was close to members of the Celtic management, and I remember that he told me that Jock Stein was looking at signing WJ from West Brom. Seems he rated him as a player (which was correct) and thought that he could keep him under control (which probably wasn’t correct). Anyway, it never came to anything. I guess this would have been around 1975-6.
screen73
You asked earlier if the Ghana keeper was the boy Ronny Deila had at Stromgodset.
It was not. That keeper, Adam Kawarasey played in Ghana’s first game but was dropped afterwards.
Bada Bing
I posted a couple of weeks back that the new owners of Southampton were in a position to be one of the few, owners that is, who, with TV and transfer money, could make some serious money from fitba. No brainer re Shaw, and even more so if they mange to offload Lallian into the bargain. Maybe even Victor too.