I thought it was the emerging influence of Nir Biton as a central midfield influence who transformed Celtic against Hearts on Sunday; he looked that good. If anything, Celtic were better in his absence last night, more fluid, more incisive, against a better team.
It’s all about shape. The correct shape gives players time on the ball when they need it, allows them to look industrious, not static, and makes them difficult to counteract. The only two questions are: can we maintain it, and when was the last time a Celtic team controlled the ball like this?
Forget about trying to maintain this in Barcelona, that’s far too risky, but if we can play like this at Tynecastle and Fir Park we can do so anywhere else in Scotland. Don’t think we’ve played like this since the Centenary Season.
It’s difficult to interpret the vandalism at Fir Park last night. As Celtic fans we don’t have a point of reference for this stuff. “Had enough. Won’t be back at another away game”, was the verdict of a friend I spoke to, who has probably missed no more than 40 domestic away games in the last 40 years. The proportion of Celtic fans who would never vandalise seats is well above 99%, but there’s a new and unwelcome phenomenon in British football and Celtic have the best views in the country.
Getting back to more familiar ground, The Kano Foundation asked me to pass on this message:
“The Kano Foundation World Cup 2014 Predictor
Friends,
2013 has been a world class year for The Kano Foundation. We’ve had our first ever bucket collection, held our 3rd annual dance, welcomed groups from across Scotland, England and Ireland, and last but by no means least we will welcome our 2000th child to Celtic Park. All this would not be possible without your unwavering support.
As we move towards the new year, The Kano Foundation are always keen to continue our work while bringing you the fans new and exciting ways to support us. The fabulous prizes on offer at our Golf Day in September are just one example.
To keep up this form, we are delighted to announce a very special competition ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
We will be running a predictor competition unlike many others. At first reading our two part predictor is very similar to others where you enter the scores and winners for the 72 games.
However, we are also offering an unbelievable bonus prize fund of £10,000 for anyone who can correctly predict the outcome of all 48 group games . Yes, that’s correct – £10,000 to be shared amongst all entrants who can correctly predict the general outcome (winner or draw) for the all the group games.
In order to run both competitions we are asking entrants to make a one-off donation of £10. From the funds raised 50% will go as a donation to TKF with the remaining 50% available for prizes.
With just 100 entrants, not only can we raise a £500 prize fund for the predictor, we can also take over 200 kids to a game at Celtic Park. A tidy reward for a just few minutes brain effort!
All you need to do to enter is register you interest by email at:
wcpredictor@thekanofoundation.com Please include TKFWCPred as the email/paypal subject and tell us your user/team name so we can verify your entry. If you’ve not got enough room, enter as much detail as you can and tell us what you’ve done so we help.
Then make your payment into The Kano Foundation bank account (30-13-01 00989961 through Paypal or by sms by texting KANO11 £10 to 70070 – remember to include your name/email address.
Visit our predictor webpage (coming soon) to find more details and follow your progress
Once again, we hope we can rely on your support to make this predictor a success for us in terms of fundraising and for potentially making one of you £10,000 richer!
Thank You
The Kano Foundation”
Congratulations to the Celtic fans who run and support The Kano Foundation, our community is rightly proud of the. Register your interest by emailing: wcpredictor@thekanofoundation.com.
Less than one day to bid on bid on the charity auction for lunch at Cinc Sentis in Barcelona. Another bounty from the excellent reputation Celtic fans have. If you’re going out next week, treat yourself………
Order your CQN Annual here:
Order Sean Fallon, Celtics’ Iron Man, here:
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Good morning friends from a damp, dark and drizzly East Kilbride.
Only 2 more sleeps until we complete our wee 3-date tour of away grounds. Our Scottish Cup and SPFL opponents colun’t resist our fine away form, 12-0 and counting. Now for Barca!
Jobo
Oh aye, sorry, very mild for December…
THE EXILED TIM-Free the Dam 5
00:35 on 9 December, 2013
a couple of big hitters not to miss
http://www.koyshunka.com/Koy_Shunka/home.html
http://www.alkimia.cat/
twists and turns
Good to hear from you!
I’ve been way too busy to post for a long time now. My boy needs more and more of my time, the household bills need to be paid and my PhD studies ensure there’s fewer opportunities to watch Celtic games, fare less comment on them and other Celtic matters. Of course I miss the discussions and when I do get the chance to catch up with CQN, I find many of the posts are sentimental about how things used to be on here. But, this remains a great forum for people to have their say and influence the thinking of others. And the scale of the charity efforts simply blows my mind. I’ve never known an ‘organisation’ to be so well stocked with good-hearted and generous people – and I include some more obvious candidates in that observation. Are you around over Christmas? I’ll be home if you would like to catch up over a beer. Let me know by email.
I sense hypocrisy from some over 50s on the blog post Fir Park.
Theres a good chance that like me, you stood in the Jungle throughout the 70s, singing the rebel repertoire, wading in piss, occasionally so wrecked to have no memory of the game.
Like me, you may have been one of the 70000 strong Tartan army who invaded London, vandalising the tube (not guilty) shoplifting(ng), fighting(ng), legless (guilty) ripping up Wembley in 77 (guilty), various breaches including baring backsides to women and children in Trafalgar Sq (ng).
Our msm of the time ran headlines like…’ the TA are a bit over exuberant but in great spirits’. or..’the moaning English should remember how much we put into the London economy’. How would the smsm view those episodes now, given the hyperbole of last Friday?
Ask any local who was there at the time. I cringe.
Before castigating some 18 year olds, who did do wrong, some should reflect on the behaviour and actions of their fathers forty years previous.
Top of the morning to you all from a still darkish, windy, Fife.
See the numbers of seats are rising, 30 Sat, 80, Sun and now up to 200 in the DR.
Meanwhile only four days left to help prevent others going through what these grieving parents went through without finding closure:
Kenny MacAskill refuses to meet grieving Swedish mum. http://petercherbi.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/justice-secretary-macaskill-turns-his.html …
Kenny MacAskill refuses to meet stab victim’s parents http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/family-to-contest-cowdenbeath-by-election-as-victims-final-right-party-1.162504 …
Not being party political but time for Fatal Accident Inquiry law change
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/thevictimslastright …
Please consider signing for change, if we don’t complain they will think we are happy with things the way they are.
H.H.
ian_in_budapest…….
..if you’ve got the time get yourself along to Szekesfehervar and give us a scouting update on Nikolic… he’s been banging them in for fun!!
HH
Just back in to say….
iI’s encouraging to see that – Lawwell and Lennon have learned from their ‘different cheeks fae the same erse’ performance at Dens Park on Boxing day last year when, both these leaders of ‘our’ club couldny get in quick enough to condemn the GB after the riots(LOL) when THREE fans were arrested and, later released without charge.
Lawwell – I didny want at the club anyway but – for Neil to dive in the way that he did was all the confirmation needed to convince me that he’s being worked from the back.
Cap doffed to the manager for the last two performances on the pitch – let’s hope he disny revert to type and start awe his WGS(4th season) stuff.
Xavi – saying that Celtic shouldny sell their ‘big’ players if, they want to progress in europe.
But, hey, what does he know ? :)
___________________________
Marrakesh Express
07:47 on 9 December, 2013
_______________________
Following Scotland ?
Anybody knows that – the Scotland support in those days was 90% Rangers.
All that changed of course when the huns signed – Butcher / Roberts / Woods etc.
As for wading through the stuff you describe fae the Jungle – just a tad drama-queenesque ? :)
HH
il’s = It’s
typo
sorry
Marrakesh Express,
I remember being a seventeen year old at Wembley May 1979 in the stand and looking behind me as a few guys manhandled a terrified looking fan to the stand barrier and were waving the police up from the track side to arrest him. Apparently he’d hurled a bottle from the back – which could only have landed among his own fans in the terracing below. I remember the police shrugging their shoulders and lifting their hands to say “we can’t get up there”, whereupon the “unfortunate” was lowered down to the fans below in the terracing. I didn’t see or can’t remember what happened after that.
KevJungle,
My memory of the Scotland support in the eighties was anyone hinting at club allegiances was quickly shouted down and put in their place.
Pétition signed.
ah well……..
.. Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és boldog új évet
A huge number of CQN Annuals should be arriving at Celtic homes this morning and we have another large bundle going out just after lunchtime. If you want a copy posted to your address – or sent somewhere else as a Christmas gift complete with a personalised CQN Christmas card – then please let us know. You xcan order from below Paul’s blog or you can email me and I will assist – david@CQNMagazine.com
We are working on the next edition of the magazine and with so much going on at the moment – some of which both overshadows the team performances and brings shame on the support – there is plenty to write about. If you fancy contributing an article please drop us an email.
Finally CQTEN numbers are approaching 300 of the 450 tickets available. If you want to reserve some tickets please email celticquicknews@gmail.com – this event will sell out early in the new year and the best way to avoid disappointment is to reserve now – no deposits being taken as we will sort out payments at end if January.
Can’t argue with that.
Ah the end game is becoming apparent; deduction of points.
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous hillbillies the day?
Zimmerman, thanks.
HH
BMCUWP you heard right, occasionally get a bone and a pat on the heid for good behaviour. I’ll be trying hard to get off the leash and on the lash over chrimbo.
Alasdair MacLean
08:28 on 9 December, 2013
_______________________
I went to the Auld Enemy game at Hampdump in 1982 just before the WCF’s in Spain and, I think Scotland lost 0-1 to a goal from Paul Mariner ?
Now, here’s thing…some of the fans we went with were huns and we went to the huns end of the stadium – that didny last long.
Davie Provan(Celtic winger) was playing and – every time DP touched the ball, the ‘vast’ majority chanted for Wullie Johnston(Junky) to be brought on ?
Anyway – we Tims among oor crowd were made to feel like a collection of ‘sore-thumbs’ as the entire huns-end chanted for WJ and, filled the air with groans when the best fullback in world football, imo, Daniel Fergus McGrain touched the ball ?
We climbed the fence and, as we made oor way roon to the Cellic end, we encountered some ‘bands-men’ still in uniform – that was the get off-oot call for us and we were glad when we heard ootside that Mariner had scored for England.
Off oot tae help wi the school-run….laters
Morning Timland from a cold hun free mountain valley.
Big Nan
Take it as given that I sign all petitions that are posted on here, keep it lit.
HH
………………………….
Big Georges
The reason I despair is the people who are doing the medias work for them.
Take the banner against Milan, nothing on here or any other blog, the media get involved, feckin uproar.
This is the main is from posters who profess not to read or pay attention to the media, that I despair at.
The vandalism has to stop, nobody has said otherwise.
The over reaction is way, way over the top.
Enjoy Barca.
HH
I am fully behind criticism of the yobs who damaged seats on Friday night. However,Motherwell like other clubs pay both the police and there own stewards to police the ground so where were they when the vandalism was taking place ? I think Motherwell are being short changed by the police and the stewards and they should asking why no action was taken by either of these costly but in my opinion lazy groups at the time.H.H.
Good Morning Timland.
Kevj….went to a Scotland v England in the mid 70’s,me and a
pal were in the hun end, King Kenny nutmeged Clemence for
the winner,but we both could not believe the abuse the tims
we’re getting……..both of us have never been back,hope your
fine and dandy pal.
Big Nan,
Petition signed.
From a cloudy and dry Tayport.
Kevjung…
I also went to Hampden from mid to late 70s in company of bears. Sometimes we were in their end sometimes ours, with one exception never had any grief or heard any comments specific to Celtic players!
Actually I was more guilty in being over supportive of Danny and the king!!!
On the Scotland topic. There can be no dubiety about this issue. Going along to see Scotland play in the 1950/1960/1970s but especially the first two was like going to see Rangers. Trips to Wembley by train frequently have flute playing bluenoses singing their songs. They were the people. Many wore Rangers scarves to these games in the 1960s ( I have vivid recollections of this ) and the shameful booing of a whole range of Celtic players is a matter of fact- not opinion. If you were a Celtic man you felt marginalised supporting Scotland. It was the old cricket test and many Celtic people didn’t even apply to take it. Throughout my years at Holyrood school in Glasgow there was this constant theme amongst my peer group. Why support Scotland? Times have changed.
Moving on from the broken seats debate I see that Blackburns dj Campbell arrested for match fixing! Any wonder it’s so hard to get football coupons up! What chance have ye if players are up to that carry on!
First post and no i am definately not a currant.
Cast your mind back to when Rangers went into liquidation and prominant ex players and directors vowed if they were going to die then they were bringing Scottish football with them. They have died wether they, the SFA and the media like it or not so that vow is still in place.
The negative press shows this to be the case but the thing that is hurting with me is they must have been wondering how they could get clubs to lose finance they could not afford to lose.
Paying fines, paying compensation, supporters having enough and not going back, getting stadiums or part of stadiums closed down or banned from european football would do the trick so well done to any so called celtic supporter for doing their dirty work for them.
They are trying to rewrite history and this will help them do it because as we (all scottish football fans) should be concentrating on fighting against all the theft (HMRC, charities & people) & cheating that has taken place this nonsense deflects from all that.
Motherwell fans stood with celtic supporters at George Square last year along with other teams supporters do you think they will do it again in the future – think about it, i wouldn’t.
What sort of music does DJ Campbell play?
TET, Dharma Bam \o/ stands up for Neil Lennon, many thanks it is a good cause and it is significant that in England in 2011 there were over 30,000 Inquests while in Scotland there was just over 50.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/thevictimslastright
I know that the Swedish ladies were treated very badly.
I complained to the BBC after SevcoFC played Falkirk the other week.
The match commentator said that the last time the two teams had met was four years ago.
How could this be since SevcoFC were only formed in 2012?
This is the reply.
“Thank you for your correspondence. We will continue to refer to Rangers as the same football club. Where we may make distinctions about periods of time is when we are looking at the business story and the various holding companies which have run the football club in recent times.
This is in line with a ruling from the BBC Trust in response to complaints about some of the definitions and clarity of language which had been deployed in this territory.
Thank you, once again, for taking the time to contact us”.
”Various holding companies which have run the club in recent times”?????
So, there you have it. Never mind UEFA, it’s the narrative out of Ibrox which holds sway with the BBC.
~SPF~
Googybhoy
Kenny Rogers ‘the gambler’ is his favourite song!
googy….
you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em…..
big nan…. signed, as usual.
Big Nan, I don’t think I was expecting a reply from you, however I am grateful to receive one!
It must be heartbreaking for people to feel that the authorities are unsympathetic at a time like that.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Dundee United boss Peter Houston to scout for #Celtic in Scotland and abroad http://t.co/QYLuQ8ntx5 #DailyMail
No ,me neither.
Dharma Bam \o/ stands up for Neil Lennon
09:51 on 9 December, 2013
Big Nan, I don’t think I was expecting a reply from you, however I am grateful to receive one!
It must be heartbreaking for people to feel that the authorities are unsympathetic at a time like that.
………………………………….
Exactly and that is why I have befriended Guje Borgesson, Annie’s mother and Maria Jansson her best friend. I felt ashamed at how my country had treated them and in some small way wanted to make amends.
Guje’s health has been pretty much destroyed by 8 years of struggle and travelling backwards and forwards.
I marched with her down the Royal Mile and she was devastated when her petition was handed in and only a juniour assistant to MacAskill came out to receive it. See http://petercherbi.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/justice-secretary-macaskill-turns-his.html …
She was trecking over Scotland trying to investigate her daughter’s last moments, sleeping in cheap hostels and boarding houses and he couldn’t get off his fat arse and step out of his office to meet her. In fairness to Salmond he invited her in to Bute House after she mounted a vigil outside.
Anyway pass on the link to anyone you think might sign to get the numbers up to 1000