Dukla, the tragedy and opportunity of the east

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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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1,546 Comments

  1. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    Joe McBride 94 appearances, 86 goals.

     

    No wonder McGrory described him as the best.

  2. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    What would he be worth now ? And its some accolade coming from our best goalscorer ever. Funny though that he rarely gets a mention, my two boys ask about Chalmers, Wallace

     

    and Lennox but Joe seems to have skipped the folklore. He was nearly a goal a game and without the injury he would have definitely started in Lisbon

  3. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    T.R.

     

    Out for the rest of the season at the start of December.

     

    Leading goalscorer at the end of May.

     

     

    He had some back-up,mind you.:-)

  4. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    Twentyfirst,

     

    Absolutely blighted by a serious knee injury.Came back, was never the same.Goodnight pal.

  5. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Tricoulerd Ribbon

     

     

    Bloody shame mate, but he never went on about it and that says enough about the man he was. Goodnight and God Bless

     

     

    HH

  6. Margaret McGill on

    Once I used to join in

     

    Every boy and girl was my friend.

     

    Now there’s revolution, but they don’t know

     

    What they’re fighting.

     

    Let us close our eyes;

     

    Outside their lives go on much faster.

     

    Oh, we won’t give in,

     

    We’ll keep living in the past.

  7. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    Neustadt-Braw.

     

     

    Sorry to read the sad news about your oul fella mo chara.

     

     

    HH.

  8. I just might be able to take all the bleeding heart liberals on this site criticizing Israel for defending its citizens and it’s borders were it not for your silence on the death of 170,000 Syrians by Assad. Where is your outrage about that atrocity ? Not all Celtic fans share your barely concealed anti-semitism. Hamas hide their rockets in hospitals, schools. They care little about their civilians .

     

    The world is growing tired of them.

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    williamf

     

    06:24 on

     

    13 July, 2014

     

     

    Anti-semitism?

     

    The Palestinians are Semites.

     

    They are also the (ab)originals of Palestine.

     

    What in percentage terms was the Jewish population of Palestine at the end of the Ottoman Empire……..…circa 1918?

     

    The answer to that question might just explain to you why the Palestinians have a point.

     

    An unarguable point to those who are informed and have a basis for understanding.

  10. macjay1 for neil lennon

     

     

    06:51 on 13 July, 2014

     

    ……………

     

    Thumbs up and I’m largely with you, but!

     

     

    The rocket firing must stop as well as the Isreali shelling, both sides are commiting murder.

     

     

    V

  11. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    williamf

     

     

    06:24 on 13 July, 2014

     

     

    ————————————

     

     

    If Celtic supporters were pro-Israel…you would land in here defending the people of Palestine.

     

     

    Do you know what I mean?

     

     

    If we back black on a roulette wheel, you will automatically back red.

     

     

    It’s your stupid zombie instinct at play, all the time, illogical as it may seem to the sound of mind.

     

     

    Yous do not think sensibly, yous only react without reason.

     

     

    Think about it.

     

     

    It goes a long way to explaining why we are all over yous like a rash.

     

     

    Owned.

     

     

    Celtic supporters are against injustice, regardless…

     

     

    Please leave us alone, I understand that your entire purpose and existence is dependent on us…but ffs!

     

     

    Bloodsucking parasites, zombies by name, zombies by nature.

     

     

    That’s it all over for another year.

     

     

    There’s five oul tyres lying in my shed,ye can have them sure, they’ll do for next year.

     

     

    Pollute the atmosphere sure, poison the planet.

     

     

    Kulchar.

     

     

    Sad.

     

     

    GIRFUY’s.

     

     

    :D

  12. If that’s your test then America should immediately return all it’s land to native Indians and Australia all it’s land to the aborigines. There are many more examples throughout your history. I am afraid that it’s your selective application of principles that betrays your racism and prejudice.

  13. 16roads:

     

    Been a Celtic fan for 50 years , probably long before you were born.

     

    Spent my youth standing in the Jungle watching Jinky and the rest of them . Don’t jump to conclusions my friend.

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Vmhan – YNWA Wee Oscar

     

    06:56 on

     

    13 July, 2014

     

     

    Vincent.Good title for a song.

     

    “This world was never meant for one………”

     

    Aye.That`ll be shining bright.:-)

     

    I hold no candle for the atrocities committed by both sides.Over decades of years.

     

    Reminds me of conflicts nearer to home and hearth.

     

     

    I`m afraid that the firing of W.W.11 Katyusha rockets which are unable to be targeted and have to date caused no casualties,are just an excuse and an opportunity for the muscled up military of Israel to stick the boot in.

     

    David against a Goliath population.

     

    I fear that the day of reckoning will come.I don`t wish that on Israel,but it seems that they wish it on themselves.

  15. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    williamf

     

     

    07:04 on 13 July, 2014

     

     

    ————————————

     

     

    Happy days.

     

     

    God bless the Orange Order and the KKK, pride of the Hillbillies and the Shankill Road.

     

     

    Marvellous.

     

     

    Be prepared though, aye ready aye.

     

     

    Another decade of Celtic dominance.

     

     

    A wee bit mainstream/cheesy… but sure.

     

     

    Ronny Deila.

     

     

    John Collins.

     

     

    John Kennedy.

     

     

    Magic:

     

     

    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1PvBc2TOpE4

  16. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Vmhan – YNWA Wee Oscar

     

    06:59 on

     

    13 July, 2014

     

    A wee cup of Rosie lea might help ☕️

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————

     

    Prevention,mate.

     

    A pint of watter afore ye pit yer heid doon.

     

    Reduces the dehydration.

  17. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    williamf

     

    07:04 on

     

    13 July, 2014

     

     

    Excellent point.

     

    It underlines the fact that native indians (sic) and aborigines do indeed have rights in their homeland,which cannot be said of Palestinians in “Israel”.

     

    They have no rights and are totally disenfranchised.

     

    I`ll ignore your silly reference to racism and prejudice in the same way as you ignore the hun references.

  18. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    williamf

     

     

    07:09 on 13 July, 2014

     

     

    —————————————–

     

     

    So, you wade in through here and blame us because of what exactly?

     

     

    It’s the fault of Celtic supporters that the apartheid state is massacring hundreds of women and children?

     

     

    Is that it?

     

     

    Me personally, I am neutral, but I’m big and ugly enough to know right from wrong.

     

     

    Get a life.

  19. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    Deutschland Vs Argentina.

     

     

    The finale of the righteous.

     

     

    May the best team win.

     

     

    Tuesday night is of more importance though.

     

     

    COME ON CELTIC!

     

     

    Over & out.

     

     

    HH.

  20. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    16 roads – Celtic über alles…

     

    07:38 on

     

    13 July, 2014

     

    Deutschland Vs Argentina.

     

    ————————————————————————————————————-

     

    Hun V micro hun.

     

     

    Just joking,pal.

     

    Tuesday night.Agreed.

  21. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    Lol no worries macjay1.

     

     

    Those two teams deserve to be in the final, no cheating, no nothing.

     

     

    They are there on merit alone.

     

     

    I’m sure that Tommy Burns would agree.

     

     

    Definitely gone now.

     

     

    HH.

  22. Thunder Road on

    Cannae wait for the final tonight.

     

     

    It is 1 of those games that i will be happy to see either team win…..although perhaps a bit happier if it is Germany.

     

    They have been great to watch.

     

     

    Is this Messi’s time to place himself alongside Pele and Maradona though?

  23. Gene's a Bhoy's name on

    Good morning from a wet north staffs

     

     

    neustadt braw

     

    Sincere condolences – will say a prayer for your dad at mass this morning

  24. 16 roads

     

    If you are looking for David and Goliath analogies how about 6 million Jews surrounded by hundreds of millions of Arabs intent on its destruction. Where were you and your like when Jews were dying by the millions in WWII ? David and Goliath didn’t seem to matter then.

     

    The countries of the world granted Israel the right to be a nation in 1948.

     

    Grant it the right now to defend its citizens.

     

    If tomorrow Israel laid down its arms how long would it be till the Arabs destroyed it. If the Arabs laid down their arms their would be peace tomorrow. Methinks you need a history lesson or two. But what really ticks me off is your sanctimonious assumption that in your pro Arab positions you speak for Celtic or all Celtic supporters .Celtic has been a big tent , a tolerant club for generations and I resent you hijacking its good name for your own personal political positions . You do not speak for me, the club, or many of its supporters. I am sure we share a footballing philosophy of the way the game should be played and our love of the club . But Our politics, domestic and world views are likely black and white. Leave them outside my club.

  25. Is the Scottish Football Monitor site dead?

     

     

    By that I mean, does anyone bother reading it any more? The number of posts seems to have fallen dramatically, and each article is really just another way of saying the same as the last one – that RFC cheated.

     

     

    There’s seldom any revelations or breaking news on it, and none of the incisive, inside info that you got on the RTC blog.

     

     

    Seems to me it’s moment has passed…

  26. williamf

     

     

    08:35 on 13 July, 2014

     

     

    ‘Where were you and your like when Jews were dying by the millions in WWII ?’

     

     

     

    ####

     

     

     

    Same place you were I imagine.

     

     

    Not yet born.

     

     

    It’s a shame for the Palestinians though that they have to suffer to assuage Western guilt over the Holocaust, which they had no part in.