Commons, Hartson and some real Celtic heroes

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Had a great time at the Celtic Supporters Association Rally last night.  It was a great celebration of all that is good about our club, with thousands of pounds raised for the John Hartson Foundation.  Neil Lennon spoke warmly of John, about his courage and ability.  As well as recognising the great achievements of this season, CSA Player of the Year, Kris Commons, could not hide his disappointment that we are not going for a treble next week.  Hibs will have their hands full with him at Hampden next week.

I’ve never heard a footballer talk as John Hartson did.  He was clearly emotional as he took the microphone from the manager but soon go into his flow.  He told us about the three hours spent in the car before telling his family the diagnosis of his illness.  His achievements as a footballer are remarkable and John is very proud of them.  His absence through injury in Seville clearly hurt.  Did it pass a crucial advantage to Porto?  John thinks so.

His own failings were put out there with the disarming confidence that only someone who has climbed a few personal mountains can do.  The ‘hangers-on’, who filled his days a few years ago, had their cards marked.

Reamonn Gormley’s parents, Jim and Ann, were also guests of the Association.  Jim asked me to pass on a thank you from him and Ann to all Celtic fans for what they have done for them and the Thai Tims in the last two years.  Their world will never be the same again but the support they have received from the Celtic Family has overwhelmed them.  Your community has done very well, but there is nothing new in that.

With supporters like we have our club is in good hands.   Well done to all who carry out the thankless tasks running busses, organising fundraisers and keeping the moral compass pointing in the right direction.

Have you ordered your Willie Wallace autobiography yet? Signed copies available if you do so now……


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  1. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Kilbowie Kelt

     

     

    Roy Milne has a Celtic supporters bus named after him up in Alloa I believe.

     

     

    Did you manage to see Mr McGrory play for the Celtic ?

  2. prestonpans bhoys on

    Doc is Neil Lennon

     

    23:45 on

     

    18 May, 2013

     

     

    I got a lift from a supporters bus at Dover to Madrid, I recall it well because a bhoy had the runs and he needed to go so we stop on the road. Off he went into the bushes to a chorus of “old bum on the grass”

     

     

    Happy days………..

  3. Roy Milne bus is Alva, next to Alloa which has the Tommy Craig bus

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. Visitors gone, good night all the same.

     

     

    Emus

     

     

    I would be up for that.

     

     

    As for the msm saying they can’t comment, bollix, they say and print shite every day of the week.

     

    Had the roles been reversed………….aye, we all know what they would be saying, they have history, lying scum.

  5. Got the train from Madrid met some folks from Port Glasgow who had a tricolour with ‘PORT GLASGOW SMIRNOFF SQUAD’ on it…they were great fun.

  6. emusanorphan on

    3 of us in a double room in SOL Seville. Joined by Bro from family holiday in Algarve and mate from CA USA.

     

    My wee bro couldnt sleep in case he missed bus back to Algarve. Left about 4 am. Said a Smart bomb had hit Sevilla! Tic fans asleep in every nook and crannie!!!

  7. Doc is Neil Lennon

     

    23:45 on

     

    18 May, 2013

     

    Prestonpans Bhoys, I was at the Madrid game in 1980, home leg only, was only 13.

     

    ————————-

     

    Doc, one of my biggest regrets, my brothers CSC the Port Hibs decided to treat the game as a Glasgow derby, hence no youngsters. I started going up on the train when I could’nt get on the bus.

     

    St Stivs would be able to tell you tales about the crowds we had on them trains and the punch ups with the rotten mob.

     

     

    HH

  8. Had an overnight in Madrid and then a drive to Seville, mondeo upgraded to a BMW which was s good start. Amazingly met the cousins in an irish pub following phone directions. ..pure luck.

     

    Hh

  9. Anyone think it would be a good idea to get all the stories of Seville from all the CQNers and put it to print.

     

     

     

    HH

  10. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Cowiebhoy

     

     

    Thanks for the correction Alloa…Alva, suppose all you Fifers are the same anyway ;-)

  11. Celticbhoy

     

    23:53 on

     

    18 May, 2013

     

    Got the train from Madrid met some folks from Port Glasgow who had a tricolour with ‘PORT GLASGOW SMIRNOFF SQUAD’ on it…they were great fun.

     

     

    ———————–

     

     

    That would have been the Donnachies Port Emerald CSC, all good lads, Mick Dinning, Jim McNeil.

     

     

    HH

  12. When we arrived in Sevilla

     

    We remarked on the beauty of the place.

     

    The grandeur of the city.

     

    The ambiance of Andalucia.

     

    And the absolute quality of the

     

    greatest supporters in the world.

  13. Apologies to the owner of the soft top jeep but thanks for breaking my cousins fall as he tried to remove a huge uefa banner from a lamp post.

     

    Madness csc

  14. Ah, Seville.

     

     

    “Once in a generation” was my plea to Mrs Sabre when we dispatched Boavista. Truth be told, I was going irrespective, divorce or not!

     

     

    As it turned out, Mrs Sabre was the one who did most of the spadework in sorting the flight for me and 8 mates. I remember the wee screens at Glasgow Airport in the early hours of the morning read like this:

     

     

    Seville

     

    Seville

     

    Seville

     

    Seville

     

    Seville

     

    Malaga

     

    Seville

     

     

    Felt sorry for the guys on the Malaga flight.

     

     

    Having dumped our gear at some form of campsite about 5 miles from Seville we hailed a couple of taxis into the city around 10am.

     

     

    We pulled a few tables together outside a bar in beautiful sunshine, ordered large cold beers all round, waited until every single one of them was on the table – and raised our collective glasses in a toast. Nobody said a word. The sound of glasses going chink, chink, chink, we all took a drink and I broke the silence with exactly what was in my head – “never thought I’d see the day”.

     

     

    The start of a wonderful day. Hope I’m wrong about the once in a generation thing, but despite losing the match I wouldn’t swap that day for any day that has passed from that day til this. Even the win at Tannadice, and that was very, very sweet.

     

     

    Somehow, Seville was just that little bit special. The type of special that you cherish forever. And you can’t quite put your finger on it, it just was.

  15. RalphWaldoEllison remembers ALS victims Jimmy Jonstone & John Cushley on

    Watched in Milwaukee with elder son and both our spouses.

     

     

    His beloved (who is American) was new to it all, the Celtic thing etc.

     

     

    When Henrik scored the first goal we all went mental, leaping about the room & hugging one another. She just looked at us like we had.. well… gone mental. Her jaw literally dropped & I will never forget her expression.

     

     

    When Henrik scored the second goal, she’d got the message and was leaping about with us like a born Tim.

     

     

    Happy Days & making memories.

     

     

    HH

  16. wish they had won

     

     

    still cant get over it …..we were fab..

     

    like an ex wife cant get over it

     

    her faulf as i said…..

     

     

    its only a game

     

     

    as i said ex

     

     

    tic tic

  17. The absolute joy of seeing an entire city

     

    covered in green and white will live with me

     

    forever.

     

    That and the bloody heat.

  18. Thanks to the bar owner who drove us to the stadium through mental traffic and was delighted with a couple of Celtic badges and a scarf.

     

    Gentleman.

  19. Got to collect all these stories about seville and harness them together.

     

    Great post Sabre67

     

    HH

  20. fanadpatriot on

    My birthday is the 21st May,my family wanted to pay for me to go to Seville,I had been to Lisbon & Milan ,but as I did not have a ticket I didn’t want to go,my youngest son went with his mates,I stayed at home and had a great party with the rest of the family,the joy I had in sharing that occasion will live with me forever,we may have been beat on the football field but the joy of sharing family company overcame any disappointment.We are more than just a football club..

  21. 'crushed nuts?' 'Naw, Layringitis!' on

    hoopeddreams

     

     

    00:00 on 19 May, 2013

     

    Just read back.

     

     

    What’s wrong with free jazz?

     

    &&&&&

     

    It’s addictive!

  22. Had to laugh at a story a heard about a squad of my CSC at the time, Tom Williams from the Port. They all set off from their resort that morning of the game with a large carry out for the game. Some of the lads were on the hard stuff whereas the others stick to cases of the cheap local lager. Was’nt too long before they realised that the bottles said sin alcohol on the neck, a lot of angry Tims, but the funniest thing was one of the lads had been singing for the last hour and believed he was pissed!

     

     

    HH

  23. Sabre67

     

    That was the point,no one expected us to get there but we did.First and last time I ever bought a bottle of Bubbly on a plane in my life (I dont really like the stuff) It was an occasion that needed to be marked with something different for breakfast.

     

    Magical time.

  24. oot for a pint in toon

     

     

    he says to me 10 years we were in the city with a million of tims ,

     

     

    came home with a million of tears.

     

     

    so proud to be there ,

     

     

    tic tic

  25. I noticed some mentions of Seville tonight.

     

    I have very find memories of the few days in Andalucia with my Dad and 2 of my brothers, very fond memories indeed.

     

     

    Unknown at the time it was to be the final match I would be with my Dad, he’d been to every game on the road to Seville, including Basle, and I’d enjoyed many of the trips with him.

     

     

    At the age of 55 he died a few weeks after Seville, my world collapsed and it is only in the past couple of years I’ve managed to pick up the pieces and begin to live again.

     

    He is sorely missed and his guidance is also missed, but I was blessed and very lucky to spend so much time with a generous, genuine man with an unstinting strong faith, humanity which he managed to see and bring out in so many people, despite being a crabbit git ;-))

     

     

    RIP Joe

     

     

    bjmac