I never met Jimmy McGrory, who died an elderly man when I was 15. I don’t if he was around Celtic Park much in the years immediately beforehand, but I never even saw him. We have many genuine greats but he is one of a handful of those who could put a claim on being our greatest ever.
I was fortunate enough to meet Jinky several times and have yet to meet Kenny Dalglish or Henrik but the Tier-1 Celtic great I’ve met most is Billy McNeill. Billy’s achievements as a player are legendary, his managerial achievements were none too shabby either, but the way he has represented himself, his family and our clu,b for over half a century, is incredible He must have shared thoughts and memories with well over 100,000 Celtic fans on a one-to-one basis.
Like many of the Lions, and unlike to many less decorated heroes, they never make you feel like you are imposing on them when you’re soaking up the rays of history which flow from them.
The renovations outside Celtic Park are nearing completion and the area will be opened by Billy at 13:00 this Saturday, before the Aberdeen game. While the façade of the stadium has changed greatly since Billy first stood out front as a fan, the school, car park and Kerrydale Street changed only by aging gradually, and the occasional resurfacing.
This renovation will change the way future Celtic fans view the ground in the decades ahead. As a club, we are privileged to have someone of the calibre of Billy McNeill there to celebrate our present and future.
Get along early to support him – and bring a camera.
We are holding a Four Lions CQN Night at the Greenock Celtic Supporters’ Club on Friday 6 June. Willie Wallace is back from Australia for the Lisbon final so we’ve nabbed him for a night, to join Bertie Auld, John Hughes and the one and only Tommy Gemmell. Tickets are genuinely scarce after a lot of local update, if you want to be there, this will be your first and last day to respond…..
The 70th Anniversary Supporters Association Dinner is THIS Friday at the Kerrydale Suite. Dinner, music (step away from the mic. Anthony) and entertainment among hundreds of friends. Tickets cost a mere £30. With the event being on Friday, and Fridays being synonimous with statements these days, I wonder if we’ll have another jelly and ice cream sweet. What a memorable CSA Rally that would be. See you there.
If you would like to attend either event, email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com
FYI, with the Big Cup final returning to Lisbon this month, CQN will be wallowing in unapologetic nostalgia for the next 31 days and beyond. We forget how lucky we are sometimes. Billy, Willie, John, Bertie and Big Tam, celebrate the way only Celtic fans can. Fill your boots.
Seville – The Celtic Movement:
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Lionroars
I’m taking a ticket this year, though it’s likely I’ll see 3 or 4 games at best. The Sunday kick offs make it too difficult for me to make the 600 mile round trip and get back at a reasonable hour to meet my other commitments.
I’ll leave the ticket in Scotland in the hope it gets used, but tbh, the last time I had my ticket, it lay in the drawer unused for pretty much the entire season so I decided it wasn’t worth my while having it. I’d rather give the money to charity than throw it away, but with my grand kids getting older, I think it may get used to better effect this coming season.
twists n turns
08:10 on
2 May, 2014
Swim the fishes me (Pisces) not sleep with the fishes like Luca Brasi (Godfather) not yet anyway
Enjoy your day CQN, very lucky bhoy today meeting up with some fine CQN folk tonight, looking forward to it
31003
I remember that Charlie George goal well, but my memory is still playing tricks on me. I was sure we thumped Hibs in the final that same day, ( a game I was at) but a google check tells me I’m a year out!!
Lionroars67
I think one of the things we miss now about the World Cup is the air of mystery it once had. In 1970, I had only ever seen some film of Pele playing before the tournament, but players like Gerson, Tostao etc were all new to me. This applied to so many great players in other teams too. Now, with the best players from South America playing in Europe, and all the tv coverage of them, there are going to be few surprises, certainly from the teams expected to reach the latter stages.
For me, there’s only been one other tournament that got close to 1970 for the quality of football, and that was ’82, with another great Brazilian team. ’86 had its moments, thanks mainly to Diego Armando, right up there with Pele.
31003
David Coleman. Great commentator.
Not only on football. Olympics…….commentating on Juantorena……” And the big Cuban opens his legs and shows his class”
Kwollity mhan……
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
08:13 on
2 May, 2014
L67
You just need to look at the lions to see what real football men are.
BT I was very lucky that is my boyhood team, my heros every one of them, recently got a new hoodie lol lisbon67 embroidered on it, team embroidered on my heart !
Morning all.
Kickinthenakas Happy Birthday
Also remember the Charlie George FA cup final goal.
For those meeting up for drinkies later today, I’m jealous.
Enjoy your day
HH
Beatbhoy
Quality players. Someone mentioned Colin Bell earlier.
Money or not, the current Man City team would have taken a beating of the era with Colin Bell. Rodney Marsh, Mike Summerbee, Tony Book, joe Corrigan, Fraany Lee. Brilliant side.
On Stokesy…
An Irish man that plays for Celtic went into an Irish pub on his day off. It looks like he enjoyed it and even went up on the stage.
More or less the same story as ‘reported’ by the Daily Record wouldn’t you say?
Hail Hail Stokesy,
KevinBhoy.
beatbhoy
08:21 on
2 May, 2014
What a forward line Jairzinho, Gerson, Pele, Tostao and Rivelino etched on my memory
Fantastic exotic names and wonderful talent, they had everything technique, passing, courage on the ball, they were the Brazilian lions, when football was real
Got to go CQN
beatbhoy
07:54 on 2 May, 2014
blantyretim:
The correlation crossed my mind…smart Alecs…:)
beatbhoy:
Thanks for spelling correction…Fibre Optic and not what I put.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Kickinthenakas:
Hoopy Birthday my Bhoy…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Travellerbhoy – KTF. The majority of lawyers will give you the first visit for free. Might be worth speaking to one of them re your land claim.
Good luck
Twists n turns
The key word is ‘team’. That’s how that City side played, while the present one has too many individuals playing for themselves rather than each other. Great players like Silva,Touree etc, but something lacking in attitude at times.
So, kikinthenakas and catman share the same birthday. But, one is sixty today and the other is seventy…………………………………..but which is which? It’s a tough one!!!
Hmmmmmmmmm?
Happy birthday to you both guys. Have a great day.
Acgr
Beatbhoy
They’re probably miffed at the amount of tax they’re paying:-). If only you could just decide to ignore paying tax eh, but that would be ridiculous. No right thinking, morally sound, fair minded individual or organisation wouldn’t pay their way. Too ridiculous for words.
Twists:
Also…
“That’s the fastest time ever run – but it’s not as fast as the world record.”
“A truly international field, no Britons involved.”
“The Republic of China – back in the Olympic Games for the first time.”
“Don’t tell those coming in the final result of that fantastic match, but let’s just have another look at Italy’s winning goal.”
He’s 31 this year – last year he was 30.”
“He just can’t believe what’s not happening to him.”
“In a moment we hope to see the pole vault over the satellite.”
“He is accelerating all the time. The last lap was run in 64 seconds and the one before that in 62.”
“It’s gold or nothing … and it’s nothing. He comes away with the silver medal.”
“There is Brendan Foster, by himself with 20,000 people.”
“Forest have now lost six matches without winning.”
“The front wheel crosses the finish line, closely followed by the back wheel.”
“And here’s Moses Kiptanui – the 19-year-old Kenyan who turned 20 a few weeks ago.”
If that had gone in, it would have been a goal.”
“This evening is a very different evening from the morning we had this morning.”
“I think there is no doubt, she’ll probably qualify for the final.”
“Nobody has ever won the title twice before. He (Roger Black) has already done that.”
“Both of the Villa scorers – Withe and Mortimer – were born in Liverpool as was the Villa manager Ron Saunders who was born in Birkenhead.”
“And the line-up for the final of the women’s 400 metres hurdles includes three Russians, two East Germans, a Pole, a Swede and a Frenchman.”
“We estimate, and this isn’t an estimation, that Greta Waltz is 80 seconds behind.”
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
08:41 on
2 May, 2014
So, kikinthenakas and catman share the same birthday. But, one is sixty today and the other is seventy…………………………………..but which is which? It’s a tough one!!!
Hmmmmmmmmm?
Happy birthday to you both guys. Have a great day.
Acgr
___________________________________________________
Thanks ACGR
You can take that 10 years back off me, I am just getting to grips with Hawaii five0
Hoooooooopy Birthday Kikinthenakas.
Have a good one mhate. Enjoy ole Espania.
Catman, did you get the details from BMCUWP for the hootenanny. Looking forward to seeing you. seems like…….hunners of years since the auld st tony’s days:-)
HH
Yes got the deatails
See you next Sat for a few shandies
Catman, Hoopy Birthday to you too.
Catman
Happy birthday. .
beatbhoy
08:38 on 2 May, 2014
“…… Great players like Silva,Touree etc, but something lacking in attitude at times.”
Personally, I hope you’re right in relation to the next 3 games but I doubt it somehow. Unfortunately, I think they will win all their remaining games. If only Everton hadn’t already blown 4th place
To my good pal, kikinthenakas, Happy Birthday P. enjoy the day.
ACGR
Catman must be 60 then….he went to school wi you :-)
Pedrocatchmeroonthebackofthecaravan67, Aye but he’s in denial:-)
Good morning fellow Celts
Happy 60th Catman:-) good to meet you last night. Maureen says thanks to Your lovely wife for lift home.
Pleasure to meet Pedro, BMCUW , Ayrshire Tim et al too
HH
Happy birthday KIK
*must have had a hard paper round* :)
ACGR ( sole)
Catman was a wee bit concerned he won’t recognise you, I told him to take a good look at me and try and imagine me wi less hair, 10 years older, less buff and not as handsome. Also said that he’ll know it’s you by yer crap patter ;-)
Saltires
Apologise to Maureen, I couldn’t remember her name, when I was posting from the train last night.
That was a happy wee pub.
Good luck with your new venture.
TravellerBhoy
Had the pleasure to sit at the same table as you and your son at CQteN. I have a photo of myself, you and your son from the evening I would love to pass onto you along with a few other photo’s from the evening.
I have to agree with KevinBhoy.
Your posts are unmissable in a very powerful way.
The way you write your posts is very eye catching and your style is to the point and thought provoking. You really should look into writing a book or some poetry. You have a real talent for words and putting them down in a way that is very intense but tells a story in very short and powerful sentences.
Give my best to your bhoy and hopefully we can meet up again soon.
KTF
LB
Pedro
No probs – great crowd in there.
Thanks, I will need it.
Morning
Did I miss anything, well done BMCUWP on holding that train..
Catman….Happy Birthday
Ayrshire is Green and White
Blantyre Tim
I left some Jura Glass with yer dad last week. Hope it was delivered intact. Not fit enough to get over to Blantyre yet.
Catman and Kickinthenakas
Enjoy your special days Bhoys. There’s a couple of guys on here who’ll help with putting out the candles.
hamiltontim is praying for oscar
09:30 on 2 May, 2014
Catman and Kickinthenakas
Happpy Borthday to two good Celtic men.
James Forrest to Everton ? Yes please. Never be injury free
Take the money, buy Anya – Great outball in Europe
IMHO
Pinta