You don’t need to tell me. The biggest thing worrying you about tomorrow is the number of people (from both sides, but especially from the other side), who are saying Celtic are going to “batter them” tomorrow.
I have been going to Ibrox since John Greig was manager and Rangers were a midtable side. Greig endured several years of humiliating results and grief from those who were previously only disappointed in him for being so poor as a player against Celtic. “Greig must stay” was a popular Glasgow ditty for a while. “Martin must stay” has a ring to it too.
There is an anchor game which is often in my head I want to talk about, not long after Greig left the scene. The sides met at Ibrox in November 1985. Jock Wallace – the man who eventually stopped John Stein and won two trebles in three years- was back in charge. Celtic would go on to win the league that season, Rangers edged out Dundee on goal difference to finish fifth, with the same points gap between them and Celtic, as they had to bottom of the table Clydebank.
Celtic were buoyed by the arrival two days earlier of big money signing Mark McGhee from Hamburg. Everyone expected Celtic to breeze to the points but they lost the game 3-0. Good Celtic teams have lost to poor sides at Ibrox for as long as the place has stood.
The managerial titan that is Barry Ferguson took Newco to Celtic Park in March and left with the points. It has been an entire year since we have beaten them over 90 minutes (a penalty win in the League Cup Final being the exception), which for a Celtic team who win so much domestically, is not a good look.
I have indulged in watching them a few times this season. Russell Martin’s suggestion that they have players who do not have minds on the task is on the mark. Punches are being pulled. Does anyone think they will pull their punches against us? Expect Newco players to throw everything they have at us.
We are not without our worries. Kairat’s soft-press was all it took to eliminate Celtic from the Champions League. We struggled to progress the ball quickly enough into dangerous areas. And when we managed it, the cutting edge was gone. Who can we expect to get the goals tomorrow?
Brendan’s record against Newco managers has been very good, but Ferguson was one that got away. Russell Martin could do the same if we don’t find a cutting edge. This is why Brendan is the manager and you and me just fans. He needs to find a fix for what ails us.
Welcome to Celtic, Marcelo Saracchi. The 27-year-old Uruguayan left back joins on a season-long loan from Boca Juniors, allaying fears of an over-dependency on Kieran Tierney. It’s a tall ask but I expect to see him at some point tomorrow.
That game in 1985; two weeks before it I walked into the Celtic Shop in town (top of West Nile St, I think). Stevie Chalmers from behind the counter said, “How can I help you?” “Six tickets for Ibrox”, I replied. That’s how easy it was to meet a European Cup winner can get away tickets back then. Enjoy the game.
203 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- »
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 30th August 2025 2:01 pm
Did you catch any pies.
QUADROPHENIAN on 30TH AUGUST 2025 1:37 PM
On here, my impression is that about 70% think it’s the board that are stuffing our re-tooling up and about 30% who reckon Brendan is at fault for, largely, an inflexible game plan that’s easily rumbled.
—————————————————
More 90% – 10% on the bigger Blogs.
None of the usual Board acolytes on so far,but a few getting in wee sly digs in their posts involving Brendan in the farce we are witnessing.
Not Brendan selling players before we have replacements in,and I am sure he was told the CF would be signed.Why Idah travelled to Swansea.Sheer incompetence,and lack of planning by the higher ups.A re-run of the lead up to the qualifier.That was an embarrassment,this is just sheer ineptitude.
No excuses,and no one else shouldering the blame.This is the Board you are going to get with a “Yes man” managing.
I’d respectfully suggest, if Paul is talking to folk whose biggest worry is over confidence tomorrow, he should perhaps widen his circle.
Celtic cyber space is far less confident and far more concerned about the sh1t show that is our recruitment process
I have no interest in what the MSM say, so.no need to reply thus
TurkeyBhoy i agree 100%
Good podcast exploring far right from joe brolly
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4j0qGYDbC9Aos6D9v7mWTh?si=Uba2edI-RmSKm5a_AbYrKw
HH
Thanks for replies.
I’ve never seen a director, a faux-CEO nor an active manager take as shit penalties as were taken against Almaty.
Absolutely limp powder-puff efforts by players who really needed to show some composure and conviction.
Tomorrow’s game won’t define our season…our inaction in the transfer market most definitely will.
Pains me to say that I won’t watch tomorrow’s game, and I will not spend a penny more on any Celtic merchandise or put any of my hard earned cash into Celtic. We are getting taken for granted by the board…no more faithful through and through from me..in my 55 years, I’ve never been more disappointed and dissolutioned by the goings on at our club….Someone is managing this decline internally and intentionally…Yes its great winning all these trophies…but with our advantage, we should have swept up every…and I mean every trophy up for grabs in Scotland since 2013…..so yes..let’s thank the board when we win….but we weren’t up against much…..Our Club is eating itself away from within…and that is shameful
QUADROPHENIAN on 30TH AUGUST 2025 2:16 PM
Thanks for replies.
I’ve never seen a director, a faux-CEO nor an active manager take as shit penalties as were taken against Almaty.
Absolutely limp powder-puff efforts by players who really needed to show some composure and conviction.
Out penalties are up there with our corners and throw ins….Amateurs would and could do better…Do we coach set pieces…
“And when we managed it, the cutting edge was gone”
———-
It’s almost as if the cutting edge players have gone…….
Not getting the relevance of all the Rangers stuff – probably just me being a bit thick!
Can’t say I know anything about Saracchi, although you have to wonder if he will end up in future years as being most famous for having a window named after him!
The board are delighted the tribute act are in the Europa league with us. It means we can finish 2md bottom and it will be deemed a success if they are last
TICTASTIC – Fair point, the players were indeed poor beyond belief. As well as the penalties, I think back to Tony taking about two minutes to take a throw in and he then threw it straight to one of their players. Then there were the various Nygren and Engels corner kicks – neither were capable of getting it past the first man in the box.
It is hard to envisage a worse Celtic performance in a must win game against one of the poorest teams in Europe.
The shit show going on in the background should not be allowed to absolve the players from their share of the blame.
Interested in Bristol city striker ….value £2 million
There we have it ….that’s celtic to a T
Fact: No-one has ever seen Marco Silva and Emmanual Macron in the same room at the same time.
Night fholks.
Can you imagine, if we had just replaced what we had lost, Kyogo, Kuhn, Jota, Taylor, not even strengthen from a position of strength (which we’ve never done), how good it would be going there tomorrow. If only 🤔. I thought we would go out in Almaty and I don’t think we’ll win tomorrow. Given our financial strength, way beyond anything we could dream of years ago, this is the most disillusioned I’ve felt as a supporter. I keep swinging between apathy and anger. I won’t be buying a Euro ticket and am seriously considering chucking my season book.
Meanwhile the Govanites have supposedly agreed to buy Chermiti from Everton. 8 million according to reports. That is on top of the Miovski signing.
So they sell Igamane and use the money to buy two strikers within a few days.
Their manager, regardless of how bad he is, at least can’t say he is not being backed.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 30th August 2025 2:01 pm
You brought that season back to mind so vividly. I was there at Tannadice to see Paul Sturrock score in the game of his life against our centre-half, McCormick – I think. At Pittodrie we went 1-0 down quickly. But Celtic battered Aberdeen for the rest of the half, equalising through Willie McStay just on half-time. McDougall then brought us back to earth with his three second half goals.
Our season was finished or so I thought. But huge kudos to David Hay and that team for clinching the title at Love Street on the last day of the season. And Celtic played great football.
Fritzsong on 30th August 2025 2:57 pm
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 30th August 2025 2:01 pm
You brought that season back to mind so vividly. I was there at Tannadice to see Paul Sturrock score in the game of his life against our centre-half, McCormick – I think. At Pittodrie we went 1-0 down quickly. But Celtic battered Aberdeen for the rest of the half, equalising through Willie McStay just on half-time. McDougall then brought us back to earth with his three second half goals.
Our season was finished or so I thought. But huge kudos to David Hay and that team for clinching the title at Love Street on the last day of the season. And Celtic played great football.
—-
It might be my age but I can’t remember a McCormick.
I think it was McGugan.
Pat Bonner
Peter Grant
Tommy Burns
Roy Aitken
Paul McGugan
Murdo MacLeod
Brian McClair
Paul McStay
Mark McGhee
Maurice Johnston
Owen Archdeacon
I might have the wrong game, as Bannon was the scorer (penalty).
that ibrox game.
we had a 1/3 of the main stand, half the enclosure, and a bit of the govan. 18000 celtic supporters in a 44,000 crowd.
i was in the ewnclosure near the front at the tunnel. a clear memory of the rangers executives taking their seats, including several ministers and the famous one who was on late call all the time.
but a grace brothers type fellow, easily in his 80s , was being helped up the stairs to take his seat, when he stopped shuffled to the front of the directors box, all spick and span, well dressed , well groomed, tie, suit, crombie coat with the diffrent coloured colour, he looked frai but still had that superiority complex look about him,
so he leans over the tv gantry part, and lets rip with a torrent of abuse
“ya shower of effin effin fenian bassa” spit and venom from his auld gub,”
he got a big cheer from the huns side, i thought he must do that all the time.
the other thing from that game, continuos throwing of glass bottles between both sides, it was really mental that day.
Oh dear the hunterlopers are out in force the day, wonder if they’ll be there the morra at this time
Tictastic on 30th August 2025 2:25 pm
QUADROPHENIAN on 30TH AUGUST 2025 2:16 PM
Out penalties are up there with our corners and throw ins….Amateurs would and could do better…Do we coach set pieces…
*I remember my da moaning about our corners so I asked him about Charles Patrick at Brockville and Big Billy’s against the Pars and Vojvodina, his response was they were probably the last good ones we took and that why we remember them
From yesterday:
yorkbhoy on 29th August 2025 6:28 pm
Several posts about the difficulty of getting decent players in to Scotland… Celtic are a stepping stone to richer leagues, and we have to accept that. We all know this, so we should have someone whose job is to consistently have a list of 2 or 3 possible replacements for all first team players. And when a player on the list goes over our budget or moves to a bigger team they are replaced on the list. Even to the extent of having possible loans to cover serious injuries.
*and there are none so blind that they just don’t want tae see, anyway Celtic have always been a selling club going back to the days of Tommy McInally who Wullie Maley sold and then brought back, but in his later years when asked who was the best player he ever had answered “Tom McInally of course”.
Then there was James Edward as we needed the money to build a new stand, going in fact to take him to Lourdes and stopping of both ways at Highbury until he himself said “Jimmy McGrory of Celtic sounds better than Jimmy McGrory of Arsenal”, he was punished for that by having his wages cut but he still stayed even in the managers seat where his record was better than has been said.
Next up is William Ralston Murry Buchan, Willie Maley it is said to have dashed by car to Grangemouth before the huns could themselves do so to sign him up, he was a key player for us in the league winning season of 1935-36, our first league title for ten years, he had an excellent scoring record, but it was his support play which saw him create goals for fellow players such as Jimmy Delaney and Jimmy McGrory who terrorised goals with their efforts.
He ran the show in the 1937 Scottish Cup final in front of a record 146,433 crowd as we took on the sheep, Willie dictated play from the off and after playing a part in our first goal he was on hand to score the winner, it was stated that he was a player ahead of his time, a player in which “the team could build around to become a constant force again”.
Sadly, it was not to be as he had been summoned to The Bank Restaurant owned by Maley where he was met not only by the Celtic boss but also his Blackpool counterpart, shades of Wullie and Herbert Chapman, Willie recalled: “the way things were put to me it seemed I had no choice in the matter, it was a great disappointment as I was enjoying playing for Celtic as he was sold for what was then a record sum involving a Scottish club of £10,000, the switch to Lancashire was a lucrative deal for the club but for Willie Buchan it was a move he had neither instigated or welcomed.
Moreover, on the onset of WWII he returned to Glasgow in the hope that he could entice Celtic to take him on, he would play once more for the Bhoys as a ‘guest’ but sadly the club wasn’t interested in a longer term arrangement it wasn’t necessarily personal against Willie Buchan as the board said no to many others such as Matt Busby, this poor management cost Celtic dear for a long time to come.
So, on we go to Jimmy Walsh, the Bobby Lennox of his day, among his achievements was scoring the second and “insurance goal” as they call it over here in the “said lizzie tae filup” cup final, he also played his part in securing the 1954 league title, being a regular for much of the season, an injury meant he would miss the Scottish Cup triumph over Aberdeen that same season, but he still secured himself a double league & cup medal, our first in 40 years, having played in the quarter finals.
After 144 competitive appearances and an excellent 59 goals Jimmy Walsh departed Celtic Park for Leicester City in November 1956 aged only 25, he left with League, League Cup, Coronation Cup and St Mungos Cup winning medals, and went on to play for Leicester in their FA Cup final loss of 1961 and made a big name for himself becoming one of their top ten highest scorers of all time.
When he left along with club and national “trainer” Alec Dowdells, I recall my da and uncle being dismayed at this which is when I first started to take an interest in the Foxes.
Moving on now too 2 of our 7-1 heroes, Bobby Collins aka the Wee Barra and Wullie Fernie aka the Juggler.
Bobby as quoted by future team mate Eddie Gray “Bobby was five foot three, he took a size four boot, but he would have fought King Kong and won, he was just a hell of a player, and a man”, he also quoted “in my opinion, Bobby Collins was probably the most influential player in the history of Leeds United”, while wee ten thirty said “Bobby Collins could have graced a team in any era; he was one of British football’s greatest stars.”
After the relegation scare of 1948 the much maligned James Edward set on rebuilding the side, one of his first was wee Bobby, soon became an automatic choice, winning rave reviews after his first League goal, the winner in a 3-2 victory over Hearts. John Jessiman of the Sunday Express:
“Little Bobby Collins, game as a pebble, built like a Bren carrier, and in his element at inside-right, crashed home a picture opportunist goal, fired first time, away up on the terracing behind the goals, out flew the green scarves, he brings back to Celtic, this boy, the immortal fire of Patsy Gallagher, his idea of progress is the shortest way through … the technique of the electric drill!, when he was not hurling himself at the entire Hearts defence he was back defending, that was Patsy’s way, after the Collins winner, the roar from the Parkhead faithful went on for five minutes. No wonder!”
He was also an ever present when we won our first trophy since the 1938 Empire Exhibition Cup, as we captured the Scottish Cup helping us beat Motherwell 1-0 in the final before a 132,000 capacity crowd, that was followed up that autumn or as we call it over here the fall lol, in winning the St Mungo Cup beating Aberdeen in a Hampden Park final 3-2 after twice being behind, incidentally Jimmy Walsh scored the winner
Although Bobby didnae play in the double final against the sheep he still gained 2 medals that season as well as the Coronation Cup one the season before, but in typical Bob Kelly fashion he was dropped for the replay against Clyde the following season for having the audacity to charge Clyde’s goalkeeper, who was at least a foot taller than him, we consequently lost the replay.
11 months after “oh hampden in the sun” he was transferred to Everton, a transfer he seemingly was not happy with, it was never made public why he was sold but the club likely sold him for financial reasons to fund the new floodlights system, will get to that later
It was a blow for the support, like my da, and many from the generation who grew up watching him play, passed on their tales of love to their dying days of their affection for Bobby Collins on the pitch and his impact on the support.
Moving on tae the Juggler, another of the 7-1 heroes as well as countless other games, he was another of James Edwards visionary signings along with Charles Patrick and Bertie Peacock, as Big Billy once said, “in the early 1950s we were all fans of Willie Fernie, so to eventually get to play in the same team as him as a youngster and then go on to be coached by him was terrific.”
The brilliance of Willie Fernie led us to the 1953 Coronation Cup victory, 1954 League and Cup double and the back-to-back League Cup triumphs, including “oh Hamden in the sun” where his last minute penalty cemented that victory would simply not have been possible, but it was his astonishing run in the ’54 Cup Final where he slalomed his way though the sheep defence hammering it across the face of the goal for Sean Fallon tae bundle it home, as my da and fil once told me only Sean could have done that but it was the juggler’s brilliance that laid it on.
Willie like the wee barra left us 14 months after “there is Fenie headed heaven he has made it number 7” with the rumours that his transfer also paid for the floodlights, you know the ones that guided the Luftwaffe to Clydebank, WTF.
He did return briefly to help a young Celtic side and actually played in the 1961 final and replay against the Pars but left for the Buddies 7 months later when he came back to haunt us 4 month after that with the opening goal in the 7th aye 7thminute at hades in a shocking 1-3 loss just 6 days after we had walloped them 5-0 at Love Street
The Big Mhan appointed him reserve team coach in June 1967, a measure of how highly Willie Fernie was held, he helped to bring along the careers of the Quality Street Gang
Willie Fernie made 317 Celtic league & senior cup appearances and scored 74 goals and is fondly remembered by those who knew him well at Celtic.
I could go on here about Bobby Evans, Bertie Auld, Paddy Crerand etc 3 other admirable Celts who we let go only allegedly on the whim of Bob Kelly who seemingly they had fell foul of, luckily for us Jock brought 2 of them back, as I said at the start of this, we have always been a selling club
There have been others sold for any number of reasons but since we almost went breest up due to owing Sheffield Unted the remaining transfer fee for Willie Falconer and the wee mhan fae Croy came in we have revamped our signing policy and no one leaves on a de facto owner’s whim, as yorkbhoy said on 29th August 2025 6:28 pm we are but a stepping stone to the richer leagues where they do play fitba and no clugger ball and have to accept that or try in vain tae get out.
Russell won’t set his team up like the previous managers, we will get plenty of space in behind tomorrow.
We should win. I’d probably take a draw now.
If we do lose, make no mistake about it, it will be indicative of a Celtic squad driven off the cliff.
Yeah paul67 – I’m worried about tomorrow –
we’re very easily quashed – sit on calmac and run a lot
we are in transition in the top third of the team – we score goals but we don’t have a settled frontline
In fact I couldn’t get close to naming the first 11
We perform consistently well when you can name the first 11
The you know whats know they can beat us
mon livi
I thought the Almaty game on Tuesday was 50/50 despite the odds from the bookies, tomorrow I see it likewise.
JACKIEMAC on 30TH AUGUST 2025 3:50 PM
I would be more than worried about tomorrow’s match. I would not be confident going into the Europe League or the leage campaign with two players (Yang & Idah) who are not wanted by the club and no replacements have been lined up.
Only team I can see tomorrow is,
Kasper,Tony,CCV,Trusty( Quicker than Scales)KT
Engels Calmac Hatate
Nygren,Maeda,Balikwisha.
Even if we sign the striker,won’t play tomorrow.
Why were, the striker and winger not signed before the qualifier?.Why this madness now?.Makes no sense whatsoever.Unless someone can enlighten me.
Saint Stivs on 30th August 2025 3:19 pm
that ibrox game.
I was in that enclosure too, correct absolutely mental, enjoyed it though 😂🤣😅
Kenny shouldn’t see any minutes tomorrow. He’s a league of Ireland or English league one/two striker. Yang and Forrest shouldn’t be starting either.
RESTONPANS BHOYS on 30TH AUGUST 2025 4:09 PM
….
We were in the enclosure in line with the 18 yard line but under the roof thingy , brilliant day out , bloke in front had a handheld radio what do you need that for ? He opened up the back to reveal a half finished 1/4 bottle of vodka.
Got a bit tense when the Huns pelted us with coins , pretty entertaining when the money got collected and flung back at them.
A few mad Huns leaning over and starting to gob off , some tall young fellas formed a sort of drunken pyramid with one bloke climbing over his pals to get to the gobby Huns …. this seemed to attract Glasgow finest into action …..
What was the score again ?
HH
TURKEYBHOY on 30TH AUGUST 2025 4:09 PM
Trusty is confirmed out. Scales will play but that’s the team otherwise.
An Dún on 30th August 2025 4:10 pm
Kenny shouldn’t see any minutes tomorrow. He’s a league of Ireland or English league one/two striker. Yang and Forrest shouldn’t be starting either.
*and Scottish fitba is any better, watch for the national side getting walloped next week, no that I care anyway
View from a pleb,
We are shite, but thems are even shiter. Myoski is a threat though, but their defence is wicked
kingLubo