I assume none of us knew Stuart Armstrong has been playing with a hernia problem? Stuart’s form has been below that of last season, but whereas others carrying an injury would raise the white flag, he’s made himself available to the manager.
Much was, therefore, said and written about him which was grossly unfair. As we know, footballers are not machines, even brilliant ones.
I know I’m not alone in being irritated by “the greatest league in the world” guff we so often have to endure, in particular from the (England and Wales) Premier League main broadcaster, Sky Sports. It was brought to my attention this morning that European Champions, Real Madrid, are three points closer to relegation than the top of the table.
Juventus are the only non-La Liga team to reach a Champions League final in the last four seasons, having done so twice. Even in current form, Real are one of the most dangerous teams in the history of the game, but the technical brilliance of La Liga is such that any vulnerabilities are exposed.
If only we were part of that guff to the south, but the game there is as relevant to football as pantomime is to the theatre (Oh yes it is). The game’s brilliance resides in Spain.
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW FEATURING TOMMY SHERIDAN
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 30th instalment of insightful discussion around the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning treble-winning Scottish champions.
Kevin Graham is joined by Scotty Alcroft to interview Scottish pro-independence politician, Tommy Sheridan, at The Penalty Spot in Glasgow.
The interview took place as part of A Celtic State of Mind’s first live event – Five-a-sides at The Penalty Spot – and, as such, there is some background noise (including mobile interference – apologies) from the audience.
The other voice you may hear throughout this episode is that of former Celtic striker, Frank McGarvey, who is a friend of Tommy’s, and who was also interviewed separately that day for a future show.
You are sure to enjoy Tommy’s eclectic input, as he discusses everything from Catalan independence to Coolio, with a constant undercurrent of that thing called Celtic.
Order Jim Craig’s new Lisbon Lion Diary – Right Back to 67 from CQNBookstore.co.uk and you will receive a signed copy from the man himself plus a FREE copy of That Season in Paradise – Ten Months of Celtic Heaven signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld! Simply order Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and the second book will be sent automatically. Stocks are running very low so hurry!
356 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- »
CCB at 12.32am
Thanks for the reply.
Since Easter 2016 we have been shown that our soccer is rigged and our Plc seem to be happy to put money ahead pf principals.
P67 provides a fantastic facility, I just cringe when I read what we are being asked to believe in articles at times.
The illusion of ‘The Invincibles’ was never acceptable to me. I was always consistent in that view. I have not attended any competitive games since BR took over and nor will I pay to attend any Celtic Plc event etc unless there begins to be some honest dialogue with the support.
On a few occasions I did attempt to get behind the team in anticipation of a statement from the Plc…but we were always let down.
It has always been my belief that unless there was real reform in the SFA and SPFL the cheating would very quickly catch up with us.
In brief, I haven’t changed, I have retained the same views, I am perhaps more disappointed by the apparent cynical disregard that the Plc have the Club and the support.
However, I have many family members (Clogher Jnr has a SB) that don’t agree with me. That’s perhaps why I live where I do.
Look after yourself. I was in the harbour yesterday and two of the Celtic Trawlers are home.
( I also believe that if Pearse and Connolly had led a Brigade of Happy Clappers in 1916 we’d still have a Union Jack flying over the GPO ;) )
HH to you and the family for 2018 :)
As a response to a few perfectly reasonable questions posed by SP…
KEVJUNGLE on 18TH JANUARY 2018 11:37 AM
…….zzzzzzzz
That was the first genuine “laugh out loud” moment I have had on here for a few weeks.
Aulheid I doff my hat to the eloquence of your writing,whether one agrees or disagrees your conclusions – I agree btw – your forensic examination is to applauded. You and BRTH are two of the most thoughtful contributors on the blog. Just my view. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Whitedoghunch.
If your still up for it I’ll be in the Blane Valley around 3.10 pm tomorrow, hopefully if the weather gets a bit better Blantyretim will also be there, he ‘s going to call me tomorrow if he can make it.
See you in there auld yin!!
Anyone got a spare ticket for the Hibs game due to a mix up we are short of 1ticket (mine). With the train booked I would be grateful in anyone sort me out thanks in advance.
PS these injuries are causing me a bit of concern. I hope they are back soon We miss Roberts and Rogic big time. Also Armstrong is a key player when fully fit
Richie.
See you there around 3;10 pm.It’ll be nice to meet you again
BT.
If Richie can make it, so can you. It’ll be nice to meet you again
BARNEY67 on 18TH JANUARY 2018 12:36 PM
————————————
Where do Pirates hate to be kicked?
In the arrrrrse.
HH
BGFC
Coat.
Have to say Davie, the block and a half walk I have to make between my flat and the Blane might be increased from 2 minutes to 3 or more if we have any more of this snow pish :-)
Richie.
If it’s still snowing in Glasgow I better put on my boots rather than shoes ,can’t handle walking on snow at my age, Hope Stephen makes the right decision and come to the BV eff the snow.
CABERFEIGH on 18TH JANUARY 2018 2:15 PM
@celticspares has just tweeted with 3 spare for Hibs
A wee question to the doctors on the Blog,I’ve been reading a lot about plastic lately,could anyone tell me if medicine capsules contain plastic.
I take 3 capsules per day and sometimes more,depending on how I feel,they say that Plastic takes years to disappear, my innards could be full of plastic capsules.
Oldtim I’ll need to play it by ear, Met office has sleet and ice warnings for both here and city tmrw
Ice free see you at 3.
Oldtim
Didn’t want to tell you yesterday but I have alternative arrangements for tomorrow
Maybe next week
The injury crisis at the club is disappointing as we head into the business end of the league and Cup campaigns and the experts will tell us this is what happens when players return after a very short close season. The news of the injury to the new lad Compper is probably the last straw – yet another central defender laid low.
Surprised that Liam Henderson is for the off, I thought this lad had a great furure at Celtic Park. A hugely skillful player and goalscorer of course he can still make it and the move to Italy will do him no harm. Erik always looked the part in his early days at Celtic. A hard-tackling no-nonsense defender with a long career ahead of him at Celtic but something apart from injury seems to have gone wrong for the player at the club in recent times – hope things work out for him and he can make the Danish squad for the World Cup with a return to regular football.
Any news on the nags front?
I’m wondering if Paul’s leader is a clue that we are going to sign a player from La Liga?
TT
I see that our newest nag took a hit in the stables
stephen
If you have arrangement you have to fill it, but you’ll miss Richie, He’s coming into the BV.
Big Jimmy
your welcome to join us.
Bryan.
If you come in the Taxi you won’t have far to slip,there will be plenty of assistants to get you in the door of the BV.
hebcelt on 18th January 2018 2:11 pm
Aulheid I doff my hat to the eloquence of your writing,whether one agrees or disagrees your conclusions – I agree btw – your forensic examination is to applauded. You and BRTH are two of the most thoughtful contributors on the blog. Just my view. Hail Hail Hebcelt
========================
Thanks for the appreciation and I’m going to use a point in there to provoke further thinking.
You said “thoughtful” and that is a two edged sword.
To be thoughtful we have to think for ourselves and we have to look into what we think and why we think it. What influences our thinking? Facts or beliefs?
CQN and social media generally provides that opportunity for the thoughtful to be thoughtful!
Having done so, if we chose to put those thoughts out there, they become thought provoking, if the reader wants to use those aired thoughts to examine their own and perhaps be persuaded by them to rethink their own thoughts.
Here is the critical bit in the sense of its importance and not a judgement on any individual
In his book The Road Less Travelled
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009EQG80W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
which provoked my thinking, the author M Scott Peck a trained psychiatrist puts forward the thought/idea that the original sin of the bible was not concupiscence but laziness.
Scott’ s interpretation of Genesis was that the warning not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was a metaphor for not allowing inexperienced uninformed judgement to get in the way of the reality of paradise as in The Garden of Eden not Celtic Park :)
That is to let experience, based on a reality of being immortal (which takes away the rush to judge since being immortal means no biological clock is ticking ) be the guide to real knowledge or knowledge of reality.
However rather than wait and work at increasing knowledge through immortal experience Adam and Eve were to lazy or even impatient to think about a reality that should lead them to godliness and were encouraged by the serpent to take a short cut and get to that state without doing the hard work of thinking how they think, what they think and why they think it.
It is an interesting idea and I offer it only from a thought provoking motivation not to proselytize on the subject, after all that would be encouraging laziness if Peck is correct.
Celtarella
You are awful….
But I like you
Bryan.
I’ll bring a bag of Salt and spread it about before you get to the BV.
SFTB at 00.54
Thanks for the reply.
The question mark after Clogher Celt.
How would you like to see the term ‘Celt’ defined…>
I am happy to include everyone provided each ‘Celt’ doesn’t discriminate and welcomes every person regardless of their ethnicity, creed, sexuality, gender etc. The Celtic Family represents a wide welcoming archway to all.
Especially the Poor, marginalised and socially excluded.
Celts should also be able to state honestly held opinions and public forums. Without fear of having their Celtic identity questioned.
If we are truly Celts there is nothing to fear from a committed Celts honest contribution. Diversity should be embraced..IMO.
As a minor point I think your inclusion of a line about wife beating is unhelpful and undermines your case.
Life presents few real opportunities to make a difference. The shambles at Ibrox was the Plc’s opportunity to address some of the toxic inequalities in Scottish Society.
They failed us.
They didn’t try.
They perhaps colluded and possibly even deceived us.
We appear to have failed to take the opportunity of a lifetime. That is unacceptable and no short term SFA concessions or distractions in the form of pieces of silverware, should conceal the failure to reform the game. I will not be bought.
Peter Lawwell and the Plc’s failings in respect of Sevco and the SFA are an insult to the generations of Celtic Supporters who paid hard earned cash to watch a corrupt game and had to make their way home as cheated Second Class Citizens.
The demise of Rangers presented the opportunity to start to erase the stain of sectarianism and bigotry from the administration of Scottish Football. The Plc ‘blue it’. Our grandchildren, if they choose to attend a Celtic v Sevco game, still do so as knowing that the system discriminates against them.
You have been clearly thinking about how you will deal with Sevco winning the SPFL for a while. Given how events are unfolding it will be a tough gig for many, especially those who bought ‘The Generation of Domination’ soundbite. No doubt many will take it on the chin and continue to attend. To be honest some of your arguments read like justifications and rationalisations attending irrespective of the tragic reality.
The Betting Odds you describe simply serve to highlight the structural advantages that the Plc have benefited from. If they (the Plc) had lost the League at any stage since the death of Oldco it would have been a catastrophe.
Our ancestors might not of shared in some of our material gains but possibly the truth set them free. Maybe many of them enjoyed a simple spiritual life that embraced a loving kindness that made their lives much more fulfilling than the Plc’s thankless pursuit of mammon.
On my trips home I can still look the Sevconian in the eye and tell him I wasn’t bought and laugh.
HH
(Q Mark not working)
Clogher Celt: Might not get to end of this properly as on holiday with Mrs CCB.
You make a few good points re your ‘stance’ but your ‘beef’ would appear to be with the Board and their perceived inaction On matters Sevco.
I care not a jot about the board of any organisation as by law they are assumed to be acting in the best interests of the shareholders though that’s debatable sometimes e.g. I voted against and spoke out against the splitting up of ICI Pharmaceuticals and the rest of ICI but the board went ahead and now ‘there’s ICI no more ,no more… I support the team wearing the hoops(or many variations) when they run onto the park and makes no odds to me who we are playing.Probably an age thing.
The invincibles is an of the times description and anyway should only have applied to the one season.
I absutely hate the 10 in a row chant as it is derogaatory to others and demeaning to us though I would like it to happen.
I don’t see Sevco winning a league anytime soon but I also don’t think they will never win it again though I would also like that to happen.
Happy Clappers can fight as hard as the next man when push comes to shove so we would probably been shoulder to shoulder in 1916 :) and I never sat at the back of the bus.
Despite his normal unflappable demeanor,I sensed BR was getting a little annoyed at the Press conference.
I feel he realises that a run of injuries,to key players, combined with poor timing re releases of Henderson and Eric, leaves us a little short in my view.
Despite sticking to date to his methods of playing,now is the time to give consideration to changing the total football method to a more direct approach, given that several of the creative players,Roberts,Armstrong,and Rogic are missing.
If the defence is suspect then protect it by bolstering the midfield, bearing in mind the terrific service we got from Hartley and Robson,I would sign McGinn and Shinnie to play alongside Broonie ,thus protecting the back four.
BR should also make the tough decision re Dembele,his “will I stay or go “attitude is unsettling and despite what anyone thinks he has lost effectiveness as the team is not as effective without Griffiths.
In my view he is not performing at 100 % as he is still nursing his hamstring,and the place to do that is NOT on the park.
Make no mistake Sevco are bolstering with a lot of loan journeymen with nothing to lose,the like of Jack,Halliday,Holt,etc will kick all before them,and, as was evident against Hearts we were incapable of handling the Works League approach.
Time for some steel.
Clogher Celt @ 15.12 hrs.
Excellent post. Whether we agree or disagree.
Personally I agree with most but not all.
HH.
CLOGHER CELT on 18TH JANUARY 2018 3:12 PM
Peter Lawwell and the Plc’s failings in respect of Sevco and the SFA are an insult to the generations of Celtic Supporters who paid hard earned cash to watch a corrupt game and had to make their way home as cheated Second Class Citizens.
——————————-
Clogher
I am not looking for confrontation or in any way trying to undermine your point of view. I just wanted to pick up on this point as I read similar often on here, but no one seems to be clear on what exactly would have defined “Success” for Peter lawwell and the The PLC in respect of Sevco and the SFA.
So I don’t mean to single you out in this question, the answer is open to anyone.
What exactly would have defined “Success” for Peter lawwell and the The PLC in respect of Sevco and the SFA? and how is this likely to have been achieved?
are we hawking MD around the english premier lower league teams to sell him to , prior to us spending?
CCB,
Grand we are agreed. Best you enjoy your holiday with Mrs CCB and leave all of this endless posting to those fed up in work or in between horse races:)
Maybe one day the truth will out.
In the interim I’m glad to have so few real problems that I can waste time typing about the Plc. You and I know that the same thing will happen here as happened with ICI.
It’s only a matter of time and that’s a valuable commodity.
Enjoy the break.
HH
Zenit spies on Celtic training machines
AULDHEID…
Excellent contributions again today…
On your reply to Hence it…
I first read The Road Less Travelled over 25 years ago, it was one of those profound life changing reads. I read it a few times afterwards and Further Along The Road Less Travelled. Used to keep them close by for reference.
His concept of original sin I found very congruent and very useful ~ it certainly hit a chord with me.
A few Epiphanies in his writings I must say…
Keep up the grand work…
Hail Hail
Hence = Hebcelt
Hi Bhoys,
Have there been any horse tips today or have the puritans won?
HH
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR
Do you know anymore Pirate jokes? No?
Neither do ayyye.
BALORNOCK BHOY on 18TH JANUARY 2018 1:18 AM
JIMMYNOTPAUL on 17TH JANUARY 2018 8:27 PM
cant believe in the same week it was on the BBC News page we forgot about Scotland’s most successful export to Italy
B.B.
I’m just reading back. Very true and obviously remiss of me.
Hail Hail
I too am a bit surprised and disappointed that Hendo is being released at this time, especially given our lack of availability in midfield owing to injuries.
I don’t generally attend away games but I was at 5-2 win in Perth last season and Liam was the MOTM for me that day. He also did really well during his spell with Hibs.
I wish him well for this next stage of his career.
What kind of phones do pirates use?
An ayephone!