Falkirk played some good football at Hampden this afternoon and looked competitive with the bottom half if the Scottish Premier League, but Celtic scored three, hit the woodwork three times and had a good goal incorrectly disallowed for offside, emphasising how comfortable a day’s work it was for the SPL, Scottish Cup and League Cup favourites.
James Forrest reached the goal line and cut back to Scott Brown, whose shot was deflected onto the post before rebounding to Gary Hooper who made no mistake. The nearside linesman did nothing for the reputation of Scotland’s officials by raising his flag despite a second defender being inside the six yard box while the Celtic striker was 8 yards out.
Six minutes later Thomas Rogne got his head onto a Forrest corner but saw the effort rebound from the crossbar. Falkirk maintained parity for 27 minutes before conceding cheaply. Darren Dods, aware of Rogne’s potency at set pieces, hauled the Celtic defender to the ground inside the box from a Mulgrew corner. Scott Brown converted the resultant penalty.
Stokes could have made Celtic comfortable six minutes from half time when he connected with Hooper’s cutback but his shot was blocked. A minute later Falkirk were level. Victor Wanyama misplaced a cross-field pass to Cha in the middle of the field, Emilio Izaguirre had pushed forward while no one dropped back to cover.
Cha and Wanyama both had chances to get tight on breaking Falkirk players but Higgingbotham feigned a shot and rolled the ball into the path of 17-year-old Jay Fulton, who finished clinically.
Within a minute of the break Rogne had a chance to put Celtic ahead again but mistimed his header before Gary Hooper set James Forrest through with Falkirk keeper McGovern to beat but the winger was denied.
Falkirk’s best chance to win the tie arrived six minutes after then break when Fulton drifted in unattended at Celtic’s left but his half-volley from 7 yards flew over.
Thomas Rogne hit the cross bar for the second time with a deflected shot after another Mulgrew corner. A minute later Anthony Stokes put one foot in the final when he lifted a free kick over the Falkirk wall and into the side of the net. It wasn’t the hardest struck free kick but he caught McGovern mid-jump on his line, so the keeper was slow to move to his right.
Falkirk pushed forward whenever they could and Duffy got the better of Joe Ledley to setup Alston but the substitute couldn’t convert. 12 minutes from the end Fraser Forster made an impressive double save after a corner. He stopped the first from Darren Dods and then saved from Stuart Murdoch.
Ledley saw a shot from a Matthews cross deflected over before the Celtic full back cleared at the other end when Weatherston got behind Wanyama to cross.
Gary Hooper secured the win for Celtic when he collected outside the box after 85 minutes, turned his defender and headed for the bye-line. His cross was converted by Stokes with Ledley waiting if needed.
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Row z
8-0 + would be good
MWD
G64,
life’s one big debate my friend, and nobody wins – thats in a good way btw ;)
Ernie,
pleasure as always buddy, but I’ve got to cook swan for master Milliband in the mornin ;)
(Was it Philvis who said you’re better off with peacock, cos they can’t take a punch?)
night bhoys
HH
JQB
tommytwiststommyturns says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:22
UEFA don’t have the right to stop the SPL admitting a newco huns. It’s a decision for the SPL, no one else.
There’s nothing UEFA could do about it.
Ernie Lynch….
Never took ye for a scaredy cat!
Of course Scotland should be an independent country. What? you think it is beyond the Scottish peoples ability to govern themselves?
By the way as someone said earlier the SNP are Scottish tories in disguise and I agree.They may well walk Scotland down the independence path but…..
The first government in an independent Scotland won’t be an SNP one but a Scottish Labour one.
Paul67 and Barcabhoy have said that they have has assurences that the board will NOT vote for a newhunco, I believe them.
I also think we are getting a little ahead of ourselfs here as well.
They are still old hun co. and will be untill the season end by the looks of it.
Do you honestly think that they will liquidate [the only scenario for a newhunco] and they will be ready for the start of a new season, not a hope in hell.
Even if they do not make the end of the season, there still won’t be enough time for a newhunco to rise from the sewer.
If it’s admin, simple, if they enter and exit before the start of the new season, nothing will happen to them, if they enter admin and don’t exit before the start they are hit with a 10 point reduction.
Admin is not what they want.
Out worst case scenario is they are not hammered by HMRC and the GEF can offload the club, make himself a few bob, new investors come in and they carry on as per.
We have to win the league this year, and the chance of CL football and the riches that goes with it.
Do our suits know something and are backing Lenny so we do win the league ?
Kojo
“Frankly, They are needed..”
See, that’s mair o an assertion than an argument. You offer no evidence on what the need is and how this bunch supply that need. Which sporting outfit, outside of pro-celebrity wrestling, really needs a cheating adversary?
You name call your opponents as fearties but you are coming across as NEEDY. Why do YOU need Rangers, Kojo? Are you an enthusiast of Sado-masochism?
THE EXILED TIM says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:26
‘Paul67 and Barcabhoy have said that they have has assurences that the board will NOT vote for a newhunco, I believe them.’
Paul67 has also said that the SPL and ‘a Scottish football club’ believe that it’s a decision for the board of the SPL, not the members, so if that’s correct (I’m yet to be convinced) Celtic wouldn’t have a vote, so it doesn’t really matter what the Celtic board want.
Neganon2
They passed the bill to even things up. We all know it and it was wrong.
There is anti-Catholicism in Scotland but away from football how bad is it really? I think it is crystallized in football and the worst aspects of it are now going. I think we on here can be guilty of exaggeration.
I’m sorry you don’t feel the same.
I don’t live in Scotland as you know. I don’t see what that has to do with it anyway. I’m from there and I have an opinion on it. I’ve always been a Nationalist. I consider myself Scottish and always have.
You have nothing to worry about. They won’t win because of the same bigotry you are afraid of. The animals will never ditch their Union – it is their identity they need it. I find that sad but unfortunately it is very likely.
Night Bhoys
Ernie – so now you’re saying that UEFA will just stand back and let the SPL make a mockery of their FFP rules?
You don’t think that they would put pressure on the SFA to exert some influence on the SPL decision? It’s an easy one for them compared to taking on a Chelsea or a Man City!
T4
Celtic bid for Dundee United’s Russell ?
MWD
The answer is I don’t know.
And for those shorter journeys £18.88 please :O).
Job done today, never ever under any real pressure.
I have had worse trips to Hampden, to say the least.
jqb
fear of the unknown was only one of my points thank you very much…40% of the people who ATOS (tory lapdogs set up to decide whether folk deserved incapacity benefit) recently classed as capable of working have since had their benefit reinstated (via independent orgs) on appeal…the UK government are evil…plain and simple…it is only going to get worse when the cuts really begin to bite…separation from them at the earliest opportunity is in all our interests…embrace your fear
bbg
ernie
I’m yet to be convinced as well.
Anyways, there will not be enough time for a newhunco.
tommytwiststommyturns says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:31
UEFA have no say on the matter, neither do the SFA.
The SPL is a private limited company. Its members (the clubs) decide what it does, no one else.
Kojo
I can understand why the Board might think that the need Der Hun in order to balance the books. I can understand why people think we need Der Hun in order to have a decent challenge and push us on. I can understand why some people think we wouldn’t attract players.
However, I don’t accept any of these propositions. The demise of Der Hun offers new opportunities. It offers more stability in Europe for us. It offers opportunity for challenge to emerge from elsewhere. It offers a goodly number of seasons without the bile of Der Hun, which personally I would enjoy very much.
If Der Hun is given free passage having cheated so badly, then I’d prefer playing in the SFL than the tainted SPL.
Celtic will always be Celtic. We could and can play anywhere. If the Scottish set up is corrupted we should be allowed to play elsewhere and UEFA should assist in that.
If we exist in a UK (which many have supported on here tonight) then legally we can still be within a national boundary whilst playing in a different league.
Frankly, if we never played them again I’d be delighted.
If a newco is parachuted into the SPL I will not renew my season ticket. I am not alone. If Celtic instead chose to compete in the SFL I would still buy my ticket. That applies to most other leagues I can think of.
HH
Snake Plissken says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:30
There is anti-Catholicism in Scotland but away from football how bad is it really?
Wooooooosh, such a ridiculous statement, honestly where do you want me to start……..
I think there are pro’s and cons of having Huns still in the league…end of the day only Celtic matters?
Funny how when a political slant is being mooted on the blog, mysterious new posters emerge.
bubblegum says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:34
‘Any notion that an independent Scotland would be a left wing country is delusional nonsense.’
Jim Mather SNP MSP and cabinet member.
‘We didn’t mind the economic side so much’
Alec Salmond (an economist, allegedly) on Thatcherism.
My dear,dear,dear,friend… Setting Free the Bears
Hiya, Pally..
Nice tae greet and meet..
Sure, we Need the G.A.
Everybuddy,needs a Counterpart.. Right?
Adam.. needed.. Evie.. Right?
Cain Needed Able? … Right?(Tae Murder..that is!)
even
Godot.. needs.. Satan!
Pal..
A Fitba’ Game.. is best watched..
As a CONTEST..
No..as a .. “nice and easy.. Easy Peasy.. go as ye Pleasey!!!”
Right?
Sorry,that Ye hiv bin unaware of awe o’ whit Ah
jist Revealed tae ye..
But,
as the say..
Ye live and Loin..
Hope ye did.
Kojo
Yer pal.. who likes ye aloater.
Me and my mate had our first visit to Hampden today since Big Pierre’s debut game v. Ra EdinburgHuns. Very unimpressed with the prices of goods, the toilets at half time and the general surrounds. Scotland’s national stadium? Scotland’s national disgrace!
el
point?
bbg
THE EXILED TIM says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:34
‘ernie
I’m yet to be convinced as well.
Anyways, there will not be enough time for a newhunco’
It’s the urgency factor that might conceivably give the SPL board, rather than the members, the authority to deal with the matter. That’s the only thing in the SPL’s articles I can see that would support Paul67’s view.
As an aside, any newhunco would be at the level of the Bairns team we were playing today.
The independence vote is 2 years away.
Hopefully we’ll have won a couple of titles by then.
Many more nights to discuss this subject.
Goodnight.
Especially you Ernie.
HH.
EmeraldBee\o/ says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:37
Yeah the toilets: 2 of Strathclyde’s finest on each such a good use of public money.
Ernie – You’re not long after saying….”And their big policy idea, their big vision for European football, the FFP rules?
What happens to those when UEFA refuse to back us over a blatant and flagrant move to circumvent the rules?
Where’s UEFA’s credibility then?”, but UEFA have no say in the SPL decision.
What do you expect them to do? Give us immediate access to the EPL? It’s just not going to happen!
If UEFA/FIFA can’t affect the SPL decision, they can impose sanctions on Scottish football, e.g. no Euro licenses and ban the national team. Hmmmm!
T4
bubblegum says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:34
Recycled crap. Thats going to change under independence how? My Ma and Da are classed as vulnerable adults for reasons I won’t go into here. I’ve written to SNP councillors and MP’s to try and get something done… guess what the result was? They’ve taken nothin from the state all of their lives, and I can watch junkies getting housing accommodation ahead of them – they’re both in their late seventies and live up four flights of stairs, no lifts. Don’t talk to me about benefits.
I’m the first critic of the UK government, but evil?… crass and puerile.
Embrace my fear?
Numpty
EmeraldBee\o/,
Must admit a don’t like the place at all.
That season we had there scunnered me.
Always feels like a cold heartless place.
ernie
I understand that, but time is not on the side of the hun here.
Players contracts will have to be sold on to the highest bidder, new players will have to come in, receivers will not conclude matters within a couple of months, any liquidation could take years, it certainly won’t be done for the start of the new season.
IMO it bodes well for the future.
If they are allowed into the spl, I would bet my last cent that there will be a legal challenge from somewhere.
Ah I see that the possible despair of the Newco reality is being assimilated into the future Celtic paradigm. The fact that their existence is the antipathy of true Celtic supporters and the antithesis of a true Celtic’s supporters soul is now being factored into financial and practical compromises. A bit like justifying attending away games in the current anti Celtic climate that permeates Scotland. If I see it in my lifetime it will be a sad day. For me. For Celtic.
BTW Treble on. Maybe that will make Newco all the more palpable.
Not for me.
My dear,dear,dear,friend .. Row Z
Pal.
Ah respect yer Opinion.. which happens tae be
Diametrically Opposed tae the wan,which Ah Haud in
Ma Sweaty Hauns..
Howevann..
Ah dinna believe a woid o’ yer Threat..tae no
renew yer Celtic Season Ticket ,if the G.A. are
allowed tae carryoan.. regardless.
That Threat o’ yours is… as HOLLOW.. as that Victory, that auld
Pyrrhus Won.. awe those long years ago..
Yep..
Ah firmly believe the G.A. will Return.. like the Invisible Man..
and Dracula and Frankenstein… and… the Flies,manage tae dae..in spite, o a Frigid Winter!
Kojo
yer pal..who likes ye aloater
Night bhoys
Been a good day, reached another cup final.
Top of the league, hun in disaray, signing players.
Take care and god bless.
Mucho trabajo the morra, TBO wants a new shower, and she always gets what she wants.
Kojo
The GA as you call them are an insidious organisation with
effects on society here outwith football.
would it not be better to see the end of them and allow new competition
to step up and replace,
life here would be better methinks, but not a loater
HH
Mike
tet
if you refer to me…i take mysterious as a compliment (thankfully i’ve never been called the ‘h’ word)…yet…however, i’ve been lurking around this blog for 3-4 yrs now under various guises
bbg
BTW sumbdy oan here asked me retrospectively If I’d buy the huns if mah bhoaat came in. Damn right ah would. Howevvah ah wid sell tickets for dynamite Ibrokes day as I have alooded tae many times here. Aye. 10k a pop and take subsequent losses. Except Kojo and away supporters to whom ah wid soitenly sell shares.