Celtic went into the home first leg of their European Cup semi-final against Dukla Prague at 1-1. Two second half goals from Willie Wallace added to Jimmy Johnstone’s opener were enough to ensure a British team would eventually reach the final of Europe’s premier tournament. The return leg finished goalless.
The clubs met 14 years later in the Feyenoord Tournament, when two first half goals from Murdo McLeod secured a 2-1 win. Since then, European football has been robbed of its meritocratic principles, which allowed talented clubs a route to the top, no matter how rich or poor their domestic TV contract was. Nowhere has been so brutally robbed as east/central Europe.
The 1960s-through-80s saw teams from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland regularly dominate clubs from Scandinavia, south-eastern Europe, France, and occasionally, all comers. Eastern Europe remains one of the world’s most productive areas for developing talented footballers, but even the average ones are stolen for a pittance while still in their teens.
In the 60s, Dukla were a genuine leading light in the game, producing seven of the Czech team who collected runners-up medals to Pele’s Brazil in the 1962 World Cup, with peerless midfielder, Josef Masopust, picking up the European Player of the Year award that year. They would have fancied their chances against Celtic in ’67.
Where great tradition and sporting affection exists, so too does commercial opportunity. The people of east/central Europe just need to figure out how to harness it. Uefa are Europe’s maker of competitions. Their job is to establish the structures which allows great and successful sport to take place. A modern-day Jules Rimet is needed.
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Do any of the links for the pre season games work on the I Pad????
HH
Bada,
Aye mate.
Makes the £75m look a little less obscene.
Cadizzy,
That line still gets trotted oot in my house every time someone makes or eats pea and ham soup :)
Ah wull be disappointed if Ronny ,Is Content tae Play .. Lee, away oot oan the Right.
We hiv gone thru this kinda Stuff afore, under oor Gone, but no Furgoatten..Erstwhile Manager.
Playing a Genuine Twenty Four Carat Striker.. Way oota His Comfort zone.. Way oot oan the Left..
n..it Ended very Badly fur awe concerned..
Lee ,is a Snappy, Clever..n .. Pesky Striker.. We Need Him..
Up front n Center..which Is WHERE HE BALANGS!!
Ah know that we need a Right Winger, but.. Whit in the Name of the wee Man..
hiv ye No gien Young Paul McMullan a Lick at the Lollipop?
Hiz Big John Kennedy, no gien ye the Full Skivvy …oan.. Jist who we hiv in oor
Yoof System, who could dae a fair turn oan the Right wing..or..the Left???
Paul McMullan, Is ready ,willin’ n Able tae tak over the Right Wing Dooties.. until,Wee Jamesie, gets back intae shape.
C’mon Ronny Bhoy.. Gie Young Paul a Crack at the Supping the First Team Purridge.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Samaras?
B-)
Bhoylo83
at 14.33
Hiya,Pally?
Pleased tae Meet n Greet ye..
Na.. Ni Sammi..
Ah wiz Referrin tae..
Tony Watt.
Nice Chattin.. pal
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Kojo,
I cannae wait to see this bhoy Paul. DD was very excited last week talking about him.
His time will definitely come. Looking forward to seeing more of the Olde Beram tonight.
If Ronny Deeee, has him back to tip top shape and More, well, put 2017 in yer Diary.
auld
Nicholas
walker
mcavennie
Davidson
Lennox
maloney
Bertie
Buzz bomb
Champagne Charlie
Frankie Mac
Wee Shaunnie
Charlie Mulgrew
????
If Celtic sign free agent Georgious Samaras will he just be a continuation of the old Samaras or will he be a new guy?!
HH
Petec
Hiya, Ma Number Wan Sticker..
Don’t deny it… Fur Ye sure Ur..
N.. Ah appreciate it aloater!
Yes, D.D. is Correct.. Paul McMullan,is anither.. well
Let’s See…
How aboot..
Jimmy Delaney?
Yes, Paul Kin Run Lke Jimmy Could..
Paul ,is an the Kinda Auld Fashioned Wingers who.. NEVAH go oot o’ fashion
He jist.. Approached the Full Back.. n.. Distainfully.. Stabs the Ba’ Past Him.
n.. Leaves the Full Back. Peckin n Puffin.. in His Tracks as he Steam Away fur the bye Line..
Yes. That Describes.Young Paul.. very well..
n..Paul is Well Built.. Pocket Battleship Style.. which is Fine wi me..
Fur he has a Low Center of Gravity.. which is a Big Help.. fur he Is No easily Brushed Aff the Ba’..like a Taller or Ganglies guy is..
N he kin cross a Very Nice Gentle Floater..of a Cross…Which is Tailor Made fur a guy in the Middle tae Nod Intae the net..
Ah like Paul.. as Ye musta Hiv gathered..
that is why Ah am extremely Puzzled as tae why Ronny Seems tae be unaware of whit Paul His tae Offer..in this time of Need..
Ach.. who Know?
No Me.. That’s fur Sure.
Nice Chatting,pal.. as Evah
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
***The host who is loast has docked himself two coconuts for typing seven when I should have said nine. Maybe I should write the number in brackets BBC-stylie as our brains seem not to function after 6 without a number in brackets to re-affirm***
Two coconuts to Bada Bing and Dontbrattbakkinanger. Great team work bhoys.
In chronological order:
Willie Fernie (48-58 and 60-61)
Bertie Auld (57-61 and 65-71)
Bobby Lennox (61-78 and 78-81)
Victor Davidson (70-74 and mar-nov 79)
Charlie Nicholas (80-83 and 90-95)
Andy Walker (87-91 and 94-96)
Frank McAvennie (87-89 and 93-94)
Shaun Malone (99-07 and 08-11)
Charlie Mulgrew (02-06 and 10-present)
I take it Tony Watt is now fit
If that is the case and he doesnt play any part tonight then maybe Ronny doesnt see in him what a lot of Celtic fans do
Il trust the manager
Petec
tae Continue..
Beram Kayal,is Back..
The Auld n Much Lamented wan..No ..the Beram ,that Elbows McCulloch … left us wi… after he inflicted that Horrendous Tackle.. that fateful Day.. on the Poor Israeli.
Yes, Beram,is Back..n.. If He is..
Well.. Look oot Mr. Broonie.. ye may hiv a task n a Hauf.. getting Back.. when ye ur ready
Yes, Broonie,noo that we hiv Beram.. Ye wullnae be Missed..
Sorry Aboot that.. but that’s Life in the big Leagues..
Things ur Tuff awe over.
Nice chatting wi Ye ,palomino. as Usual
Kojo
Still,Laughin
Kojo
Pre-season, Leigh has been very effective coming in off the right wing, both making goals and scoring. I think all our forwards need to be capable of playing anywhere across the line. LG can easily play thro the middle or wide left and even behind a front one or two etc. He is quite a one footed player though, but against Linz I saw him being forced onto his right foot – and he swung in a decent cross with his right. Playing wide right in these games will only make him a better player.
Don’t know much about Paul McMullan. Under RD, I’m pretty certain he’ll get a chance to show his stuff. I honestly can’t remember a pre-season where so many youngsters got games time. Having said that with how my memory is today, someone will no prove me wrong.
HH
IGC
Instead of a wooden spoon, can you award a memory enhancing pill?
Whourye CSC
if Kayal is back to pre assault form it will be welcome news, but I trust RD (we have to) with whatever team he puts out , time will tell. keep the faith . This oss season seems to have dragged for me roll on the new season
excitedcsc
HH
GEORDIE MUNRO
Left a message for your daughter at the top of page twelve on the previous article.
Just in case you missed it,and if her birthday really is tomorrow,nae luck!
oss =off
ooopppsss
HH
Guess who was chief architect of the present money mad Champions League set up which ensures that smaller clubs can never win it.
Step for a hint.
His initials are RCO and he has a cushy number in the south side of Glasgow.
Shaun Malone?!
Who he?!
:-)
HH!!
In chronological order:
Bertie Auld (57-61 and 65-71)
*In a pedantic mood the day as that should read:
Bertie Auld (55-56) (57-61) and (65-71)
Yes wee ten thirty signed for Celtic 3 times, the only player to do so, he actually told me that himself. When he originally signed from Maryhill Harp he was loaned out to Dumbarton. Loans in those days meant he had to have his registration with Celtic cancelled and he signed for the Super Sons.
On return the same scenario occurred in reverse.
Seemingly according to wiki he played 15 games for the Rock scoring 8 goals, no wonder the ‘tic brought him back so quickly.
I actually saw him playing at Boghead, Johnny Bonnar too but not at the same time.
Interesting article Paul.
But weren’t Dukla Prague the Soviet-Bloc Czech military side, and as such the recipients of heavy favouritism in terms of money, cherry-picking the country’s best players etc?
Political doping – financial doping – it’s still doping imo.
Still, good luck to them on what seems now to be a level playing field these days.
I only wish we played on one of those.
It’s Friday it’s five to five it’s ……….
RWE
Hiya,Pally?
Pleased tae Meetcha..
Ah am No in favor o’ Playin a Guy Oota His Favoured Poseeshun.
N.. A Guy, Like Lee.. Needs tae be .. a Happy WANDERER..
If he is, Strictly, Playin the Role of A Right Winger..
That.. in Ma Opinion..
Blunts hiz Worth.. Considerablely..
fur.. A Winger is a Winger..
Whereas, as a Player Who Excels in the Role of a Free Roaming STRIKER.. such as Lee Is.. Playing Him as a Stolid Right Winger is tantamount tae Expecting a Blunt Pencil. tae get ye thru yer Exam whitoot.. Letting ye doon..
Na.. Lee Wull NO be ,at all, as Effective.. if Ronny Instists of Playing Hin as a Winger.
Of Course, Ah know why Ronny is Forced tae Try an Figger a way tae Come up wi a Right wing Threat..
It is Because..
We JIST DON’T HIV A Capable Right Wing Replacement fur the Injured.. Forrest.
Ah understaun Ronny’s Plight in this..
Howevahhhhhh..
Whit Puzzles Me..is Why Ronny Disnae gie.. Young Paul a Chance tae solve his Right Winger ..Dilemma..
Hmmmmmm
Nice Chattin’,pal.
Kojo
Still,Laughin
Just for you RWE…
http://www.nesta.org.uk/event/miracle-pill
Am I alone in thinking that Sevco are not a shoe in to come up?
Let’s be honest, beating Alloa, Stenhousemuir and Stirling is one thing, but I honestly think it shan’t be straightforward against Hibs, Hearts Falkirk etc.
opinionscsc
Aw cheers Bobby.
Aye it’s defo today.
The main swaa-reee is tomorrow though.
Sweltering here today. I bet it pours tomorrow. Lol
Som mes que un club- have you forgotten Supercoisty will still be there, unless he takes the Holland job after LVH?
Som mes,
I don’t think they’ll find it so easy this season either.
More debt required methinks.
DBBIA
Exactly my reasoning for thems to stay put.
He is hopeless.
Absholootly hopeless.
My condolences to the Kev j family on their loss.
A p67 blog which mentions his hero and he hasn’t commented leads me to believe he’s deided. ;)
Kojo
Whit Puzzles Me..is Why Ronny Disnae gie.. Young Paul a Chance tae solve his Right Winger ..Dilemma..
perhaps Ronny doesnt see Paul as the solution to his problem
HH
Best Wishes Mick… TBM
Ole Birley Shassey on the radio there…. she’s coming up so you better get the party started.
quantum
14:05 on
11 July, 2014
-Tojo-
12:39 on 11 July, 2014
Twice in your post you state “and that cost Neil his job”
Its like reading a headline from the DR. For your information , Neil Lennon, if indeed you are referring to Neil Lennon and not some other Neil did not get sacked.
Confidentiality clauses will ensure that it will be may a long day before the ordinary fan gets to know the full truth about NL’s departure.
Sacked or resigned who knows. What we do know is that there are many ways to skin a cat.And traditionally Celtic has never been found wanting when it comes to making employees unhappy.
Even fools are toadily entitled to their opinion.
I Believe In Karma by Billy No’Well:
http://billynowell.com/2014/07/11/i-believe-in-karma-by-billy-nowell/
ole Shirley Bassey has crammed a lot of livin’ into her life.
She won’t die wonderin’, that’s for sure.