We’ve been trailing the Ukraine-Russia Joint League plans, which was due to commence early next year, since they were first mooted in 2012. Political will, met commercial money, and a football desire to put the merger of two large national leagues into the schedule.
Needless to say, these plans are off the agenda, although it’s easy to look back now and see why the political will was so forthcoming. Note to Westminster, if you want to indulge in a bit of togetherness, put your shoulder behind building a relevant nationwide sporting infrastructure.
Instead of a Joint League, what the football authorities in Russia, Ukraine and Zurich are left with is a bit of a mess. Crimean clubs, Sevastopli and Tavriya are midway through a season in the Ukrainian Premier League. Russian minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko, said, “From the beginning of next season Sevastopol and Tavria wiil join the Russian Premier League”, which will expand to accommodate them.
He told Russian media he had received assurances from Fifa that they would accommodate the change, adding, “We want a friendly relationship with Ukraine and do not want to disrupt their current championship. When the season finishes in May we will be back in discussions to formulate the way forward.”
The Russian media report that Ukrainian FA are less interested in maintaining friendly relations with their eastern neighbours and have written to Fifa and Uefa asking them to ban Russian football if they take clubs from the Ukrainian FA without permission. This claim has not been mentioned in the Ukrainian press, or on the Ukraine FA website – despite this being cited as the source in Russia, so it cannot be verified.
Clubs moving between national associations is a common occurrence, happening every year somewhere in the world, but I’m unaware of it happening without the approval of both FAs. Notwithstanding that, there is zero chance Uefa or Fifa will block this transfer. Two member clubs are in a problematic situation, they have a league which wants to take them. Uefa will approve.
Conspiracy theorists everywhere were confounded this morning when one of Europe’s most connected clubs, Bayern Munich, were issued with a partial stadium closure for their home Champions League quarter final against Manchester United, after fans displayed an offensive banner against Arsenal in the last round. Homophobia was their offence of choice.
Seville – The Celtic Movement:
“After the game I asked a policeman the way to the station and he just pointed ahead…walked on to find myself in Porto Bus area…walked back – asked another Policeman and he pointed other way”.
Order here:
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bournesouprecipe
11:56 on 25 March, 2014
Favourite Away Strip – of all time
We would get booked as soon as the team entered the field of play for wearing that strip, I suppose it would be different for getting booked for leaving the field of play, another new rule for the SFA!
AR
MAESTRO NUMBER 8
My own personal favourite strip is the one that a certain CQNer sent me for Christmas.
Our original top,supplied by Penman Bros.
White,green trim,lovely big Celtic Cross on my heart.
Actually,I reckon the cheapskate bassa got me a replica,but I love it anyway!
HH
BMCUW……………brilliant !
No names and numbers back then !!
antipodean
That strip would bring the crowds back, and Mulgrew was booked on Saturday for less.
MAESTRO NUMBER 8
Without a word of a lie,bud-my eyes lit up when I opened the parcel on Christmas Day,in a way that I doubt they have done in 30-odd Christmases.
Though my sisters managed similar wi my Lisbon Lions mural,tbh.
But I canny wear it!
BSR 11.58.
:¬)))
That post is the epitomé of photosyntheticism.
A few posts today on the Leeds Utd match in 1970. I was born in 1978 and the only recollections I have of the game are on TV and through my dads memories of it.
My dad is a wonderful story teller. He tells many stories over and over again and I still laugh at them and I still listen intently to hear if he has missed any details or has changed it in any way. The game v Leeds Utd is probably one of his favourite Celtic games of all time. His hero throughout the period was Bobby Lennox. There is no doubt of that but all the Lions were held in high esteem. My dad thinks that Lions are the greatest football side the world has ever seen and will ever see. Every player was a complete player for him. He will not hear a bad word to say about them. In 1970 the team had evolved slightly. Some thought they were a better side. My dad would not hear of it. The Lions would never be bettered. he did say that Murdoch was the dinest midfielder he ever saw. Not surprising when the Lions are a team that can’t be bettered. My dad had a love for George Connelly though. He remembers this gangly lad doing keepie uppies around the track at Celtic Park during Half time or previous to a game. I think it may have been an evening match and he said to me that Connelly should have been one of the games greats. Alas it was not to be and George was lost to the game. I actually read his book and the man seemed to have confidence issues. A real shame and loss to not only Celtic and Scotland but the game as a whole.
Leeds Utd were lauded as the greatest team in Europe. I don’t need to educated anyone on here about that. There are better placed people than me to explain the media hype and fascination with Revie’s Leeds Utd side. Celtic dealt with them at Elland Road in what I believe was a reasonably straight forward 1-0 win with Connelly netting the only goal.
The game at Hampden was possibly the only match in European history that can be described as a true battle of Britain. A collosal crowd and two teams at the height of their powers. This was not a mismatch of high spending teams like we see in the modern game. This was as level as Scottish and English sides have ever been in a European cup semi final.
My dad went to the game on the supporters bus from OHR in Clydebank. He was a regular attender at mass and had been working for a few years. He would have been around 17. He gave all his wages to his mother and she allotted him his pocket money. He had been working since the age of 14 having been removed from St Pats in Dumbarton by his mother who had told the headmaster that he had a start in the shipyards where she worked on the ships being built as a cleaner. Alas the job was not guaranteed but merely a line of men and my dad complete with piece box was not selected. The foreman asked why he was there and my dad explained the situation. He was taken into a huge boat by the man and his mother was in the bowels of it sat on a bucket playing cards with a group of fellow workers. This your Bhoy? Aye. Give him a start will ye? He was in. The boat was the QE2.
My dad has told me many times about the crowd there. There must have been 150,000 he explained. You coudln’t breathe. he said the noise was defeaning but would have been louder if half the crowd were able to get there breath. He told me that Billy Bremner scored one of the greatest goals he ever saw. He wasn’t worried. This was Celtic. This team did not give in. They were certainly not going to give in to a team from down the road who were over hyped. Celtic were better than this team. Leeds Utd did not play the Celtic way. They were a nasty team. Cynical and dirty. Celtic driven on by their huge support won over the Leeds side. They outplayed them. Out fought them. Victory was secured my dad said that the lap of honour after the match was somewhat premature. he felt it was as if the European Cup was already won AGAIN. I have no idea what it felt like to be there. Celtic were going for the European cup for the 2nd time in 3 years. Not only did my dad win the bus sweep with Bremner but Celtic had won through and would be going to Milan. During the crushing in the first half a guy had peed down my dad’s leg but that was only a miniscule blow compared to the thought that Celtic would be going to Milan and many of his friends would be going and he would not. He was too young for Lisbon. In any event he was in the hospital have his apendix removed and didn;t even see the whole game. To be in employment though and be unable to go to the final in Milan was crushing for him. he hadn’t a home European match in about 3 years. He attended games home and away every week in the league and cup. This was a devastating situation to be in. It’s like not being able for me to go to Seville except 100 times worse. I can imagine how he felt. He must have been distraught.
During the next week or so the build up was in full swing. The church were running a trip to Milan. They would be flying there. My dad had never even been on a plane. The only time he had been abroad was to Ireland in his youth to visit relatives in Donegal. It was to him like going to the moon to travel to Milan for the final. He couldn’t afford it even if he wanted to go. It was breaking his heart. The team he loved would probably go on to lift the European cup and he would not be there. Many of his friends and people he knew were going. It was all they spoke about. It was depressing him. People who had gone to a handful of Celtic matches were going. He was in abject misery. A friend of his asked him to accompany him to the meeting at the church for the final details of the trip and then take him for a pint afterwards to wish him well on his way for his journey. My dad explained to his friend that hearing the details of the trip would be too much for him. he would meet him in the pub afterwards. His friend insisted he should come along he had to be there to wish the Bhoys well for their trip. My dad decided that he should attend. He had many friends and people he knew to be going and wanted to wish them well for their journey and maybe pick him up a souvenir. The priest I believe it to be Fr Cairns read out the details of the trip and my dad sat in the pew in abject misery hearing rhe details of the trip of a lifetime to see Celtic in the most exotic of destinations in the most prestigious game in world football. He said the meeting lasted a lifetime and he just wanted it to be over. Every detail felt like a stabbing pain to his heart. Eventually and much to his relief the meeting was drawing to a close. The priest in a way only they can was just about to say a closing prayer when he said there is one more thing. My dads heart sank. What is he going to say now? I want out of here. ‘There is one lad here who deserves this trip more than anyone in this church this evening but for reasons outwith his control won’t be able to go to Milan’ My dads face was now reddening slightly with embarrassment. ‘The young man is here this evening and I would like him to come forward and collect his ticket and travel details for the trip to Milan’ My dad was confused and pinching himself. Could this lad be me? Am I dreaming? What is happening here? Is this an elaborate wind up? The priest then read out my dads name. he said he must have floated to the front to shake the priests hand and collect his details. I think he cried all his way home. To this day He can;t really remember much of what happened after his name was read out.
The details are sketchy about how this all came about. It was very secretive. He reckons his auntie who was Celtic daft paid for his trip but wanted it to remain a secret.
My dad was going to Milan. It’s all he cared about. I believe he boarded the plane with little more than pennies in his pocket and was under the supervision of the priest who preceded to take them to every church in Milan. The result didn’t go our way. Perhaps we underestimated Feyenoord. I think that may have been the case. After the highs and lows of the previous weeks my dad was just happy to be there. He was in Seville too and is now banned from attending the next European final we reach. He has a terrible record.
It’s an incredible story and one I have been going to share for a while but never really got round to it. I had some spare time today and thought I would get it down on here.
LB
bournesouprecipe
11:30 on
25 March, 2014
Away strip you hated most?
—
Are you a mind reader? :)))))))))
Weeminger @ 11.05
“When the SFA ‘block’ his investment they’ll ‘go to war’ and buy season books again”
One reason why that won’t happen. Campbell Ogilvie. There is no chance of the SFA blocking anything. Assisting, smoothing the passage, co-operating – Yes definitely.
That away strip would have benefited from a wee dash of GOLD somewhere …….. :)
Oh aye! Cough! Cough!
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/269338-under-20s-old-firm-closed-doors-rangers/
Maestro
Thats the one henriks last match..
B-(
Livi
The Strip Celtic Wore Once
the strip that launched a thousand quips
Me thinks there’s more to my last post than it reads, as I said last night, skint team, need money, 20,000 crowd and maybe more, and they are stopping the paying public, naaaaaaaaaa am no havin that, business is business , somedays at it here, thems MUST have an unpaid police bill, has to be.
Tohelp with picking faourite ki
http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Celtic/Celtic.htm
ine
Home 72 -76
Away 64-65 66 67 :))
Ohhhh and our 1888 kit:))
Which is fantastic for striking up conversaton with interested stangers.
bournesouprecipe
That link isn’t working for me.
I prefer us to wear the Hoops in all games. I thought the white 125 strip was a cracker though. I wouldn’t mind all our away strips adorning the Celtic cross and keeping the official 4 leaf clover emblem for our Hoops.
LB
LB
Another of your finest posts – up there with the best of them and your best is the standard to reach for all of us. Pure Celtic.
ianinascoli @ 11.56
You just can’t get the staff anymore ;-) definite Stein trick.
Hrvatski Jim
I actually re-read it and spotted a few typos and missed words. Must proof read in future. I’m a perfectionist!
Typing as fast as I can while eating my lunch at work to be fair. A very slow day today for me.
LB
Flippin keyboard :)))Thats my excuse anyway.
favourite kit.
Just been to get blood taken
I think I was her 1st patient! EVER:((
new article posted.
Livibhoy
Blog-saving post :-)
Rock Tree Bhoy
12:21 on
25 March, 2014
I’m not confident, but I think precedents being set down South and elsewhere would leave the SFA not wanting to be out of step with other European FAs.
To be honest I think it’s the other shareholders that will block his moves. CO and the rest knowing this, might be happy to be seen as scapegoats if it encourages ST sales thus helping Rangers. After all that’s the main thing for them.
LIVIBHOY
It was,as has been said,well up to your usual high standards.
However,I thought that a perfectionist such as yourself would know that proofread is all one word.
Smiley thingy….
Livibhoy
Yet again a cracking post and brought back wonderful memories of the Leeds game
setting free the bears supports res. 12 & oscar knox
14:38 on 24 March, 2014
Billy Bhoy 05
As promised please see below my response to your post of yesterday afternoon. I understand your position and this is not an attempt to get you to change your mind, but is an appeal to other potential No voters to consider their position.
Although I disagree with you I remain a fellow Tim and I appreciate your, at times, excellent contributions to this site. Also I wish you all the best.
I would ask that we don’t go down the tit for tat route and I would rather determine this posting as a response. However if you or any other poster requires clarification I would be delighted to attempt an answer.
Before I address your points I would argue the the Referendum is the greatest event in public affairs in Scotland for 300 years.
It is not about £10 on your mortgage or £10 off your mortgage. We should not be afraid to trust our people with unpleasant facts: on the economy in particular. For a nation that us too feart to let it’s people know the truth is a nation that’s feart of it’s people. By nurturing self-respect, democratic empowerment and chasing the aspirations of our own and fellow Scots then Scotland will flourish.
Human rights, human freedom and human dignity can be beyond perception, but as of now it is almost palpable to my fellow Yes voters and me.
Now that the question has been framed without any “when did you stop beating your wife?” overtones, I am happy to repeat my position.
I will vote no because producing another nation state will, I believe, make no material benefit to my life or the lives of those who live here. It will be a deckchair re-arrangement which will have little effect on global market forces where I live. It will just produce uncertainty and cost with neither an oil-rich paradise nor an impoverished small country at the end of it.
I am happy to see countries make alliances, Unionism if you like, at the level of Common Markets, without us breaking down into smaller and smaller units with Cornwall seeking to depart England and Shetland & Orkney seeking to depart Scotland so they could get the LIberal Democrat Government that the rest of the country denies to them.
The current referendum offers me a Scotland in Europe rather than the 4 statelets being in Europe. It offers me a Scottish monarchy with an English Queen or Quine instead of a UK monarchy. It offers some the pig in a poke hope that we will be a left leaning republic after we achieve our SNP run first monarchical government.
It does not offer me any attractions other than a change for change’s sake, the kind of thinking I hate in regards to football subs.
But, regardless of the outcome, I am staying here in a place where I grew up. A Glaswegian more than a Scot, I am willing to share my nationality with anyone who’ll have me. I worry about being asked to justify my identity to blood and soil nationalist thinking anywhere.
In essence, if it was, like Ireland, about freeing ourselves from English tyranny, then I’d be for it. But we have not been oppressed since Flodden and the Darien Scheme so I have nothing to shake off.
None of these views are new or earth shattering. I have stated them, in parts, at various times here. Today I have told you nothing new.
bmcuw
Very witty indeed from ole charliebhoy – thank you for that.
*sometimesfeelshe’sinherehisself*
LiviBhoy
Does Bowser have a copy of this photograph?
OHR bhoys in Milan – http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/strunc/Milan1970_zpsc8ca071f.jpg
The one and only Father Joe (RIP) in white poloneck.