The players would have had a light training session at Lennoxtown today as muscles continue to refill after Wednesday night’s exertions. Expectations of Celtic in the Champions League are not high, and were exceptionally low when this group was drawn, but even so, these games have a huge financial, physical and even emotional impact on every area of the club.
One argument suggests the last thing we need is a cup semi-final four days after a Champions League outing. An alternative thought is that this is the perfect game for Celtic right now. Memories linger of sitting stressfully at Fir Park days after Celtic beat the reigning European Champions, Milan, as (subsequently liquidated) Grenta held onto a lead until the 87th minute.
While playing (subsequently liquidated) Rangers away 64 hours after winning a Uefa Cup semi-final 1200 miles from home in 2003 proved to be the perfect game to instil steel into the legs.
With what passes as a fully fit squad, Brendan has choices to make for Sunday. Did Patrick Roberts do enough off the bench against Borussia to justify a start? Perhaps. He’s a player who owes us one at Hamden too.
Callum McGregor will also fancy his chances ahead of Nir Bitton, who didn’t have a great Scottish Cup semi-final against the same opponents in April.
It would be a huge surprise if Moussa Dembele didn’t start as the lone forward, despite Leigh Griffiths itching to get on alongside him. Brendan will not change formation for this game, while Moussa will fancy his chances against a defence he punished to ruthlessly last month.
For me, our two most important players on Sunday will be Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic. They are the epitome of the modern footballer, strong, skilful, intelligent and difficult to defend against. If we can get them on the ball often enough we’ll score a lot of goals.
Pretty much every Celtic fan I know expects Mark Warburton to have learned a lesson from his Celtic Park whipping and for him to deploy a more defensively-minded team this time. My Newco pals don’t expect this to happen. Warburton hasn’t varied his game-plan since arriving at the club and is apparently reluctant to start experimenting now.
He took his team to Hampden to face Celtic against similarly long odds last season. Within minutes we knew we were in a game, and despite the clear chasm between the teams, it was Newco who faced Hibs in the Scottish Cup final.
A repeat of the 5-1 win at Celtic Park is possible, but you’ve seen enough football to know that nothing can be taken for granted on Sunday. Remember that Newco came close to levelling that 5-1 game at 2-2 early in the second half, and the latter part of their collapse came after going down to 10 men.
I’m off later to meet those from the Tyneside No. 1 and friends, who have walked (yes, WALKED), from Merthyr Tydfil and will reach Doherty’s Bar in Hamilton this afternoon. They’ve pretty much walked a marathon a day for 13 days and will make the final journey to Celtic Park tomorrow.
This herculean effort has been made to mark the memory of Jonathan Thomas, who aged 30 lost his biggest fight one year ago tomorrow.
We’re lucky as Celtic fans that we get to meet and read about people who do these things in our name. It’ll take you 2 minutes to let them know how inspiring they are here.
It’s also worth marking the events in Aberfan, the village a few miles from Merthyr Tydfil which was visited by unimaginable tragedy 50 years ago today.
John Humphrys: What we owe the people of Aberfan 50 years after tragedy struck the village, and why it shows authority must be challenged. pic.twitter.com/OdjyaAGTsQ
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) October 21, 2016
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ALMORE on 21ST OCTOBER 2016 12:17 PM
VFR: I can meet up around noon if that suits.
In Coias?
FAC the Act
KTF
If that rotating screen is eventually erected where it is pinpointed on the planning permission map then that’s the end of the café, museum etc. as that is the area where they were to be built in the original plans in the Celtic triangle application, or am I wrong?
Pmarsh22 4:31
Many a pint I had in the dalriada HH
Parkheadcumsalford.
Time plays tricks sometimes, but I’m pretty sure about it being between Carntyne and Belgrove. The reason that it was a “junction” lay in the fact that it joined the line you mention.
As I say however age and fading memories sometimes are deceptive. Certainly there was a Parkhead Junction open on Match days.
The line you mention also has a niche in my memory.
European tickets would be in sale on a first come first served basis, (season tickets were a luxury for main stand glory hunters in those days) ,from the kerrydale street turnstiles at 10am on a Sunday morning.
To be sure of a ticket we would get in the queue at about 6am with many in front having been there since closing time on the Saturday.
At first people were given 4 per person, then 3….2…..
Those who got through first, would walk past us on high on that very railway line…waving their 4 tickets at us while we waited in the ever so slow queue.
We weren’t happy with them…..and then did the same when we got ours :)
Hail hail
Matt
I took a trip to Parkhead, to the dear old Paradise…..
Parkhead.
Any of the auld gits on here remember this, now deid, club?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkhead_F.C.
HH!!
Or,
I took a tram to Parkhead…
TURKEYBHOY on 21ST OCTOBER 2016 2:23 PM
HAMILTONTIM on 21ST OCTOBER 2016 2:12 PM
Philbhoy/Timhorton
Pretty sure the Masonic Arms in Condorrat is predominantly a Celtic leaning pub.
It is is or was,indeed.All the Condorrat No 1drank in it.
___________________________________________
Absolutely correct; the bus Condorrat No. 1 left across the road from the Masonic. It was a great pub till Brenda left it; she had it after Dougie.
It was a matter of queuing to get in Friday/Saturday/Sunday when it first opened.
FAC the Act
KTF
Try again!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkhead_F.C.
HH!!
It’s Friday it’s five to five it’s ………………
It was always Parkheid or the Holy Ground. I now call it Celtic Park.
Castle Greyskull is the home of the good guys (He-Man and She-Ra). Snake Mountain is the home of the baddies (Skeletor, Hordak and The Snake Men). ergo Ibrox is Snake Mountain.
FAC the Act
KTF
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 21ST OCTOBER 2016 4:56 PM
CRAKERJACK!
TALLYBHOY
I had an uncle that played for Parkhead juniors before moving on to Clyde,Third Lanark,Morton.
HH
Oops! Troll alert.
Remember the advice!!
Dear Mars,
If your Mars Bars get any smaller you’d be as well not bothering.
Hi Paul67,
Interesting thoughts on the Team for Sunday.
I hope Brendan plays our strongest team and we press high and often, play to our strengths.
We know this new Club has delusions of grandeur… it is important we inflict some reality on them.
Last time out was good and an equally impressive GD would suffice.
Interesting discussion on what the Dear Old Paradise was called.
For me like most Lanarkshire ghuys back in the day it was always Parkhead… reference to Paradise and The Holy Ground were numerous but if I said I hadn’t noticed references to Celtic Park until about 20+ year ago.
It would be interesting to look-up the aul song book… not that one… the other one…
Certainly can think of references in songs of old to… Parkhead… Paradise… The Holy Ground… Can’t recall one that referenced Celtic Park.
Still as an Anglophile what would I know.
Hail Hail
PMARSH22
I went to the Greg in 1961.
Stayed in N0 4 Binns Road.
Great memories!
Just dropped a steak bake in Sauchiehall St, – cos I had all my Greggs in the one basket
My dad referred to our ground as Parkhead, but I agree in the last 20 years or so Celtic Park has to my mind been the term. For me Paradise always works.
Celtic + 3 on Sunday for me.
HH
Philbhoy, are you in Leap???
LMCBHOY
Leap?
Celtic Park has been home since the redevelopment. I like it and I’m proud of it. Some great work has been carried out over the past few years and no doubt further developments are in the pipeline.
Also heard Brendan has requested an expansion to the indoor facilities at Lennoxtown.
BSR
Your recent posts are food for thought.
Aftrenoon All.
Just a note to say that the winner of the 2 cup semi final tickets which were raffled was Brian McDevitt from Simshill.
Thanks to all who entered. All proceeds going to the Celtic Charity Foundation via my sleepout fund.
Anyone else wanting to donate can do so here:
Anyone willing to take the Sevco Cup challenge and pledge £3/goal we score at Hampden?
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmcginley2?page=1#donationsList
Equally, there is a chance to buy a unique ACGR Whisky which is currently being auctioned.
http://www.ebid.net/uk/for-sale/extra-special-11-yr-old-single-malt-whisky-you-can-t-buy-this-anywhere-else-151872805.htm
Bloody Brilliant effort by St Martin’s Bhoy and the others on the Walk for Jonathon.
They even had Malorbhoy out walking with them during the week. Their ears must be in agony!
Near Skibereen, county Cork.
Obviously not,.
I have a pal that went to the Greg about that time, name Phil, just wondered!!
Big Georges
You around?
LMCBHOY
No me right enough!
Sounds a lovely place though!
Gary67 4.01
Re Clarkston Disaster
Thanks for that post mate.I remember being off school as a 9 year old, poorly and laid out on the couch.In the days before jez kyle and neighbours there was only ‘schools’ programmes to watch.these were interrupted by a newsflash about the explosion
You are correct once again no liability by the highheidyins even tho gas was
reported long before the explosion
HH
Stunning, worth a visit. Cheers
HH
THETIMREAPER
Always hungry at this time CSC
Could posters please indicate their preferences, or objections to the use of,
Parkhead/Celtic Park
and
Church/Chapel
as I wish to see if there is any correlation.
Thank you.
Awe_Naw no the ole Sellick Park / Parkheed debate.
“It’s like moving from the cemetery to paradise”
CSC
Meant to say that I remember the coverage of Aberfan and thinking it was shocking.
However, as someone who used to get the bus each morning from Glasgow’s West End to go to school on the South side, The Clarkston Toll disaster frightened me to the core.
I knew friends that stayed in the area (as I do now) and when the news came through you couldn’t help but think the worst.
In either case, there bit for the grace of God go us all. Count your blessings every day — and your boots of course.
Earnie — I have always said Celtic Park and Church though will admit to having told people I was off to “Pineapple” when I was younger.
VFR: Noon at Coia’s is braw.
The Lockerbie bombing in 1988 for me.
My wife had 14 relatives in Lockerbie at the time.
One of them was a nurse who tended the dead and injured on the scene.
All 14 survived, thank God.
Re my last post.
The husband of the nurse I mentioned was an ambulance man and tended Jock Stein and his colleagues when he was involved in that horrible crash.
Broxit
Ernie
Parkhead and Church.
Philbhoy
I was studying down there that year and should have been playing football in Lockerbie on the night the plane came down.