Last night Manchester City became the ninth UK club to reach the European Cup/Champions League final, where they will face either Real Madrid or Chelsea. Of those who have reached this stage before them, only Leeds United and Arsenal are without a win in the tournament.
European football was more interesting in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Each of those decades saw four (90s), five (60s, 70s) or six (80s) clubs win their very their first European Cup. That trend of variety has stopped. Since Paul Lambert lifted the trophy with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 only Chelsea’s name has been added to the new winners’ list. The football peak seems to have effectively closed to new entrants.
City and last night’s losers, Paris Saint-Germain are the obvious omissions from the list. The petrodollars pouring into both of them, as well as Chelsea, makes their ascent to the top only a matter of time. If City do not win this season, they will continue to spend until they do. The same goes for PSG, both will win this decade.
Then, unless Uefa or the European Club Association can find some mettle, the door will finally close on new entrants. The European Super League may have died but its ghost will live on to haunt aspiring European clubs.
Can you name all 9 European clubs?
A note on the comments’ section. CQN is not the best place for anyone to demonstrate their inability to be respectful to others. I have a ton of email (yet to respond, sorry) on this subject, if you cannot leave off the personal abuse, your account will be pulled.
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GlasgowBhoy – I was just going to ask about that post…………
I’ve treated myself and the missus to a Trek Hybrid……………………..
We have an old Tow bar mounted affair but now looking for an alternative – if you can, remind me of the options discussed? Thanks, no worries, if not btw.
HH
Gene/Cornelius /Glasgowbhoy,
Couldn’t agree more with your comments. Here’s hoping things take a real turn for the better.
FAO Por Cierto/SFTB
Correspondence between Scot Gov/Celtic re: Dubai trip
https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/foi-eir-release/2021/04/foi-202100132886/documents/foi—202100132886—information-released/foi—202100132886—information-released/govscot%3Adocument/FOI%2B-%2B202100132886%2B-%2BInformation%2BReleased.pdf
There already is a esl in all but name; that’s the hilarious thing.
34 pages so heavily redacted as to remove much of their value.
I have no enthusiasm to wade through them and leave them for others to make comment.
Taa daaa
who’s the manager , who’s coming into the playing staff , who’s leaving the playing staff………when does the window shut 😒
Hailstones the size of hailstones in blantyre.
SQUIRE DANAHER @ 5.00pm
Likewise , redactions render them almost unintelligible .I gave up after a very short time .
Cornelius.
That was an excellent post.
Now my defence. As I expect to get pulled after.
It is not ok to throw personal insults to anyone here is what I am reading.
But it is ok to slander and abuse Celtic players and staff. Saying someone is rubbish at their profession is one thing but what I read on here particularly during games was abusive vitriolic and very dubious.
Some of the staff bravely seek help for issues and months later are abused by individuals for not doing what they wanted. He should resign. Any dignity blah blah blah.
Should the respect be for all or just selective.
We had the hailstones earlier.
Now we have a clap of thunder that had me out my seat.
That will be Neal taking it back.
MARSPAPA on 5TH MAY 2021 5:10 PM
who’s the manager , who’s coming into the playing staff , who’s leaving the playing staff………when does the window shut 😒
*I take it the windaes open since sevco signed a dedicated follow follower of fashion
I hope BDO are successful in their c£57m action against the Rangers FC administrators.
Such was the extent of the debt when going into liquidation, that the stadium should have been first on the list to sell. Green should have been sold only the football assets – he then could have, on behalf of Sevco Scotland, negotiated to lease of the stadium.
Bankiebhoy, itcwas deniabhoy who recommended the seasucker option, attaches to your car by suction which sounds scary but comes highly recommended! Clips on YouTube. There are similar alternatives too via you search on amazon you’ll see the others. I haven’t taken the plunge yet so can’t confirm. Good luck!
If they had sold the assetts separately I would have bid for the loving cup and one of the honours then I could add it to my name
Saint stivs scottish football league champions 1963
Gratuitous alienation
Bankiebhoy, Rockbros and Treefrog were the other two main contenders.
Hx2
The rangers new signing.
Sakala has been known as ‘Fashion’ since he was a lad, but his real name is Timothy. Not sure how that happened? Neither was he. “I’ll tell you a little secret. My name is actually Timothy,” he added. “For a long time I did not realise this myself, until I had to go to school and saw Timothy on my school books.
Squire D
Thanks for the PDF
I had a cursory read through earlier and the only potentially incriminating bit I saw was that the Govr. had sought assurances from Celtic that they would respect their own social bubble whilst in Dubai.
I may be missing something here but I cannot see where it serves Celtic’s interest for this FOI info to be leaked
!!BADA BING!! on 5TH MAY 2021 4:11 PM
Bada – Im sure he was on Radio Scotland a couple of weeks back salivating about how good the huns are. Found out for what he is. RACIST
HH
Cornelius
fine post
Hope all good and things settlin down after your friend NC Tims loss.
heres hopin we can win back the league for his memory
hh
‘A note on the comments’ section. CQN is not the best place for anyone to demonstrate their inability to be respectful to others. I have a ton of email (yet to respond, sorry) on this subject, if you cannot leave off the personal abuse, your account will be pulled.’
Our esteemed host clearly channelling his inner ‘Sturgeon’ with that yellow card warning to the ‘personal’ abusers.
Curious that some on here welcoming Paul’s ‘warning’ possess such little self awareness that they fail to recognise their own culpability. Maybe safer to start adding a disclaimer to our posts from now on…
Nothing in the above post should be construed as abuse, nor is it aimed personally at any member of the blog.
I judge our loan players by how well they do while on loan. It is a testament to their character that they go away and come back better. Callum did this at Notts County and Ajer did it at Killie.
However Ralston did not shine at St. Johnstone, Henderson did not shine at Ross County (Ross Doohan’s performance there is excused because they played their own keeper and he was only back up), and he needs to be more dominant at Dunfermline, as does Kerr McInroy. Scott Robertson did well at Gillingham but has dropped out of the picture at Doncaster (injured??). Afolabi looks fast and physical but is only getting 10 minute sub slots at Dundee. Shved has shown better recently at Mechelen but his early attitude issues there suggest he needs to return to a comfort (war) zone in Ukraine. Hendry has done well in Belgium but his buy out agreement means it is unlikely he will return. Bayo has continued to score regularly- he has a future in the game but, maybe, is falling a wee bit below Celtic’s footballing standards ( I know, I know). Bolingoli has shown himself to be a good player in Turkey but he is tainted for us and needs to be sold (as do other LBs at the club). Ntcham has failed at Marseilles but is still a good technical player who cannot thrive in Scotland- should be able to get money for him if sold or part exchanged to England.
Many of our other loanees (Etoo, Mullen, Paterson, Wylie and Coffey) are too young to transition back into our first team squad and need further development and loans.
So, by my standards, only 3 of our loanees are definite for return- Hjelde at Ross County who has nailed down a place in a team fighting for its life, O’Connor at Tranmere who reached a Wembley final with his team playing at DM rather than RB or CB, and Lee Connell at Queens Park who has scored regularly and been MOTM with his team.
The Jury is out on Robertson, Henderson and Bayo , and maybe Doohan if he gets another chance to play regularly.
However, the only one who can break into the team,as opposed to the squad, in my opinion, is Hjelde.
SAINT STIVS on 5TH MAY 2021 5:31 PM
Just to say that I personally like nearly all of your posts – especially the old Glasgow ones, so keep on truckin 👍
Like most of my sporting friends I have little empathy or interest in any of the teams contesting the final stages of this so-called Champions League and the prima donnas earning up to 400 grand a week when some of us may not even have a job after this pandemic, if and when it finishes.
Even the the press have finally got the message with such comments as ‘El Cashico’ or the Quatar V Abu Dabi derby. Other suggesting that if last night’s tie was settled by the number of human rights abuses and war crimes committed by the states of the respective owners, there would have been no winners at all.
TONTINE TIM
And he’s a TIM tae ….😂😂
Hankray
Is it ethically cleaner tonight with Putin’s Proxies pitted against Franco’s 11
SFTB,
Why is Bolingoli tainted. ?
As a club we jumped through hoops to appease the SFA , SPL and the Scottish government.
What good did it do us. ? The huns launch staunch defence of their players who were far more guilty than Bolingoli.
I have not heard Bolingoli’s version of events. He did wrong, but was it worse than Paterson et al. ?
He has been scapegoated by weak feeble custodians who have had their appeasement flung back in their faces.
Maybe if he was a promising Scottish international player or just liked birthday parties during lockdown.
Give the bhoy a break, and give him a second chance.
HH.
SFTB
I suspect the gap in standards between Celtic and Bayo has narrowed significantly in recent months and may continue to do so!
😱
HH jg
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on 5th May 2021 6:12 pm
Hankray
Is it ethically cleaner tonight with Putin’s Proxies pitted against Franco’s 11
You must be joking the stench has become unbearable.
GNP was fairly ‘tainted’ by many, including myself, as a decent attacking addition but a complete defensive bomb scare. We’ve got that last bit all too well catered for thanks!
HH jg
GREENPINATA
Totally agree , give him another chance .
I think the press had his photo for a couple of days before releasing it once he mingled with his fellow pros at training .
Another reason for banning the rags ( i know your against this action )
Paul67 et al
Caught Danny Kelly on TalkSport earlier talking about an interview with Alan Mullery which was broadcast back in 2014. Part of the discussion featured the background to Mullery walking out on Brighton in 1981, a story in itself, but what followed was perhaps even more relevant to where we are now. Ron Atkinson was leaving WBA for Man United, and applications were invited to replace him. Alan Mullery went up North, did well on the provisionals, and made the final cut, of two, the other being Ronnie Allen, who not only had played for but had managed WBA previously. Both Mullery and Allen were interviewed again, this time by the Board, in that order and whilst waiting for the decision Allen came out and told Mullery he had been given a real grilling, and thought that the job was Mullery’s. A short time later, the Club Secretary, came out and said “Ronnie you’ve got it”. Disappointed Mullery drove back to the South Coast, whereupon his wife told him that a WBA Board member had been phoning all day. Mullery phones him up, to be told that there had been a mix up, that the Board had opted for him and the Chairman had said to the Club Secr. to tell Alan the job was his, the Secr. picked it up as Allen and instead informed Ronnie he was replacing Big Ron. So, Alan Mullery asks, so what now, do I start, to which the reply was no, the Chairman’s out on the pitch having photos taking with Ronnie, so you miss out. Now that is the kind of professionalism we need at Celtic….
No wait a minute..
bobbyewingcsc
Greenpinata
I meant in the eyes of our own support.
Boli visited a country he should not have been in and lied to Celtic about it.
Football has flexible ethics and, if he was a superstar talent, we’d be quick to offer the 2nd chance.
Unfortunately for us and him he is not such a talent and he will be associated by many as part-responsible for the lost 10
SFTB,
We have never head Bolingoli’s side of the story. Did he lie to Celtic,? why did Celtic not have his passport ?, did Celtic not know what their player was up to, did we fail in our duty of care to him ?
Maybe he told someone and they simply forgot, maybe he had verbal permission.
Who knows.
What we do know is that our team and indeed club seems to have been run so unprofessionally that nothing would surprise me.
What we also know is that Bolingoli has not be tainted by the feeble, larargic and dire ” performances” this season.
Cheers and HH.
PS : How much punishment did the England internationalists get for breaking rules abroad. Did their clubs bin them ?
SFTB
My memory is poor , why was there a break in the first place ?
Yes he was wrong , a bad choice indeed .
The Dubai fiasco cost us more imo.
SAINT STIVS on 5TH MAY 2021 5:21 PM
Personally, I found it quite upsetting that that particular member of staff was subjected to such abuse.
Abusing people is just plain wrong, regardless of any alleged provocation.
I have never & could never boo a Celtic player or official – no matter what.
Others do & it saddens me, from Kenny Dalglish to Fergus – it always made me ashamed of other fans
Respect isn’t or shouldn’t just be reserved for those we know or admire or are family.
I’ve never been offended by your posts although I’m on here less frequently these days.
I know there some online fracas yesterday but I haven’t & wont read back to see who was involved.
There’s a spill over on to this site from other social media platforms. The smart arsed, offensive abuse that goes unchallenged on other these platforms seeps onto here & the lines between banter & abuse become fudged. The self regulation that used to occur on here had to be replaced by Paul appointing moderators.
Respect must be for all, including when breaches occur. Posters are the lifeblood of the site but serial abusers should be warned and then sin binned & repeated breaches should lead to a ban – in my opinion.
It’s not my site though & I respect the owner’s right to do what he wishes, while he accepts my right to only lurk.
HH
CORNELIUS on 5TH MAY 2021 7:05 PM
Well said that man .