When I researched yesterday’s article (yes, research does happen sometimes) I was far from encouraged. Udinese had an impeccable home record and Snr Di Natale is one of Europe’s irresistible strikers at the moment.
We didn’t manage to resist Di Natale but he will remember Fraser Forster for a few years. We have been fortunate to see a few great goalkeeping performances in Europe in the last decade but last night Fraser was second perhaps only to David Marshall that night in Barcelona. That last minute penalty save against Hearts on Saturday has moved the player onto a new platform.
Udinese had a good 20 minute spell when they looked every inch the team joint top of the Italian league but they were on the rack in the closing stages of the game. Cha DuRi has had an eventful Europa League on the road this season. He was a bit unfortunate at the Udinese goal but completely out of luck when he twisted his body mid-air to volley off the post.
Watching Georgios Samaras last night was a lesson in how complex a game football can be. This is a player who could not hold down a place in the SPL last season, yet playing in a different position he had top-flight defenders throwing themselves at him in order to inhibit progress.
There is still work to be done, but the return of three first choice defenders will enhance the team considerably. The most pleasing thing about last night came after the game; Fraser Forster’s focus was immediately on St Johnstone. It’s all about Perth now.
Issue 5 of CQN Magazine will be out soon. Hard copies will be available direct, at a considerably reduced cost from our current Magcloud arrangement and with a fast delivery turnaround. Details soon.
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jhilday
Thanks for that info.
Hope you are well after your experience last week. Hope they get the muppet.
MWD
Moonbeams WD. \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. says:
17 December, 2011 at 09:51
jhilday
Thanks mate.
Hail Hail!
Good morning from a newspaper free house in West Lothian!
I dont care what the papers say,
Darn the hair do I care!
For I only know,
That there’s going to be a show.
AND THE GLASGOW CELTIC WILL BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
SydneyTim..
Re; Breakfast on the 29th for The Glasgow Derby..
Me Olde CamperVan blew a Head Gasket last week..Afraid ALL My Road trips have Been Cancelled..Could not have Happened at a Worse Time (School Summer Holidays)..My Wee Ghirl is Sad..
Looked at Flights..Will look again Monday..As l Really want to Watch a Game up there with You Bhoys..And Give You all Some of that Sammi Magic..:O)
Summa
WWC
Not this Bhoy. I’d never partake in such dreadful behaviour. Never.
Personally I would arrest all Celtic supporters who are at a game were such profanities take place.
Imagine Jack! Those terrible Bhoys.
MWD
timbhoy2.

‘As-live’ football from the Scottish Premier League continues on BBC ALBA this weekend with action from St Johnstone v Celtic.
Produced by mneTV, coverage of the full match from McDiarmid Park will start on Sunday at 5.30pm on BBC ALBA, which is available on Freeview channel 8, Virgin Media channel 188, Sky channel 168 and Freesat channel 110. The programme will be presented by Calum Macaulay with commentary courtesy of Hugh Dan MacLennan and Alex O’Henley.
Features at half time include an extended interview with Celtic manager Neil Lennon and the crew travelled to Bristol to interview former St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes. We’ll also have live reaction trackside at half time.
As the mid-season point approaches, both teams are sitting in healthy positions after a good run of recent form. Celtic currently sit in second position on 41 points, just four points behind leaders Rangers. St Johnstone are just two places further back in fourth place on 26 points, with the Perth side continuing their excellent form since the appointment of Steve Lomas as manager in November.
In recent head-to-head matches it has been Celtic who have the better record, winning four out of their last five encounters with St Johnstone.
However, their only match this season saw St Johnstone record a shock 1-0 win at Celtic Park in August. Celtic’s Kris Commons missed a penalty for the home side inside the first three minutes and it was to prove costly when St Johnstone defender Dave MacKay struck with a deflected shot in the 60th minute to give the Saints all three points.
Click on our video link to hear from new St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas. Lomas is a former Manchester City and Northern Ireland team mate of Neil Lennon.
Long May Your SAAB Reek….
I once saw MWD eat a mutten pie at Celtic park…shocking it was…
Don’t know if this has already been mentioned but tomorrow’s game is a deferred “live” transmission on BBC Alba at 5.30 p.m.
Mwd.
Seems the majority are happy that a guy that went all the way to Italy to support Celtic and held up a banner, that we don’t know if he even created, is now banned for life.
Still the best bit of news from yesterday is that we can always benchmark the tartan army for our self policing.
I saw MWD playing golf once.
His golf ball was screaming.
Shocking so it was.
MWD:
I am reassured for now but your status will be kept under review.
Ps – you forgot to mention public flogging…
Wonder what Standard and Poors would make of the huns credit rating.
Can I still say huns?
Lennybhoy- Cheers, bud.
WWC
Remember MWD could easily have been WMD!
:0)
I saw MWD at a football match dressed provocatively in green and white.
Shocking so it was…
any chance the banner bhoys could get some media training, the DR is loving this !I think we need to face up to a big problem that is endemic in our club, at least A fan, maybe A handful are behaving rudely. Wake up bhoys, this is not acceptable that 0.000000000001 % are like this .
Goldstar10
You still looking for a ticket for East End Park?
Top of the morning to you all from a frosty Fife.
After the tremendous display by the team on the pitch at Udine on Thursday it was a shame that the press chose instead to focus on a banner (or two) on the terraces which bluntly proclaimed “F**k Uefa”. Not nice and not very subtle. I admire those who have a view and feel strongly enough about it to protest but this should be done in a measured way, with dignity and if possible with humour.
Graphic illustration is better than words in some cases and “The Elephant at the SNP conference” with the COPFS shredder in the background is a classic. As was the recent Green Brigade one with the press hack writing his demonization of the GB portrayed cleverly in the devil’s shadow.
But talk of the actions of a few fans bringing the Celtic support and Scotland into disrepute by holding a banner up for a few minutes is pish. And the first impression in public of our new Chairman Ian Bankier is hardly reassuring. He came across as a pompous prat.
Isn’t it odd though that it is not Old Firm fans that shamed Scotland? That is what happens when the Hun hoards go on the rampage. Then Scotland’s reputation is in the gutter with hundreds injured and hospitals stretched to breaking point.
Some of us are old enough to remember this sort of thing:–
The Scotsman (Page one) May 22nd 1969
Rangers’ fans riot in night of violence: over 100 injured
Newcastle was under siege last night as violence erupted in all quarters of the city. Mobs of Rangers’ supporters—their team defeated 2-0—smashed their way through the streets. Police, ambulances and hospitals were swamped with calls for help. More than 100 people had been injured in a stadium melee which resulted in the Fairs Cities Cup-tie against Newcastle United being suspended for 17 minutes.
At midnight, Northumberland Police said that they had made 29 arrests: 24 were Glaswegians. Running fights had broken out from pub to pub. Bedlam came to the Central Station when hundreds of chanting supporters formed a human chain across the road blocking all traffic. As the Scots tumbled out of public-houses waving bottles and glasses in the air, calls for help were being flashed to the Central Police Station at the rate of one a minute. Even the police station was under siege at one time. Dog handlers were sent out to quell the riot.
In one incident, a seven-year-old boy with his father, Mr James Smith, of Nayworth Drive, Westerhope, was set upon by a gang as they waited at a bus stop. The boy was beaten to the ground and Mr Smith was struck about the head. He was left bleeding on the pavement.
The Newcastle hospitals — the General and Royal Victoria Infirmary—were so full patients were also taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead. One Rangers supporter was seriously ill with crushed ribs. Hospital staff were trying to discover his identity.
Frogmarched
There were just ten minutes to go in the semi-final at St James’s Park when the stadium became an arena. The referee stopped the game and players were sent to safety in the dressing room as police with dogs clashed with invading Scottish supporters.
Some were frogmarched off. Some had to be helped off. One was carried on a stretcher. St. John ambulance men were kept busy as the casualty list mounted. Two policemen were injured — one was detained in hospital with a neck injury.
The invasion began after New¬castle had taken a 2-0 lead. The Rangers crowd were clearly out to wreck the game and save their team from defeat.
Onslaught
Shortly before half-time about 100 supporters had dashed on to the pitch but were cleared by the police. Later, the referee announced over the loudspeaker system that players would be taken off if the crowd stampeded. That was just what he did when the onslaught came.
And after 17 minutes of chaos —quelled only when marauding fans were confronted by police dogs—the pitch was cleared and play restarted.
An ambulance spokesman said: “The trouble was all from the Rangers supporters, who were drunk before the match started. Most of the injured had cut heads from flying bottles,” he said.
One man had his artificial arm pulled off, it took several minutes before it was found and replaced. Several people had dog bites after they were chased back on to the terraces.
Many casualties were carried from the field, and when the pitch was eventually cleared there was a big heap of cans, bottles and torn national flags behind I one goal.
When the field was cleared police lined shoulder-to-shoulder along the by-lines facing the terracing where the trouble started. Police dogs formed a second line and the crowd applauded the return to order.
Some of the injured in New¬castle General Hospital last night were:—David Bell, Ardenly Street, Glasgow; John Smillie, Cumberland Place, Coatbridge, Lanark¬shire; Robert Cunnachie, of Glas¬gow; John Bell, Irvine Road, Kilmarnock; Andrew Rankine, Lloyd Street, Glasgow; David Cain, Glas¬gow; Alan Turner, Sutton Drive, Newcastle; and John Johnstone, Conston Place, Glasgow.
Tension had begun to build up in the afternoon as thousands of chanting Rangers’ supporters, some of them carrying Orange banners, flooded Newcastle. Two hours before the game three had been arrested—two for drunken¬ness and one for theft. A public-house window was smashed and two people were taken to hospital after a street brawl.
The tension erupted minutes before the kick-off when Rangers’ fans battered down a gate at the ground. Mounted police fought a fierce battle as supporters surged through the opening at the Gallowgate end.
Two policemen were injured and six ambulances ferried casualties to city hospitals.
Inside the ground six constables tried to stem the stampede without success. Three mounted officers struggled through the crowd to help them. After 15 minutes they managed to block the gate—but not before 300 had got in. Many people were injured as they were trampled under foot.
Ambulances sent to pick up the injured were unable to force a way through the thousands of people converging on the open gate. Within half an hour police had the situation under control.
Ugly incidents
Those fans who did gate-crash threw their tickets over the wall and more trouble developed when people without tickets started fighting for them. One mounted officer was confronted by 500 angry Rangers supporters. His appeals for order were greeted with jeers.
At the Gallowgate end dozens of Rangers supporters tried to clamber into the ground over the walls. One slipped on a spike and another fell on to an electric power wire and fused some lights at the ground.
The match itself was tense, with many fouls and ugly incidents.
More than a dozen policemen lined the platform at Waverley Station for the arrival of the Rangers special from Newcastle early today, but there was no trouble.
Police who travelled on the train for part of the journey said the first part of the trip had been noisy but the passengers had quietened down.
__________________________________________________________
Now that is what you call bringing a club and country’s reputation into the gutter!
the record (which i dont buy) is having an orgasm over this and without out doubt even the blind can see where their allegencies are.
for us, we have to keep together. cqn is has been fragmented and divided over the past few days, a ploy which will be welcomed by the press. i’ve not seen this kind of fever pitch by them since “thugs and thieves”. the banner was mindless and idiotic, we’re better than that…..this is just dragging us down to their level. everyone has the right to protest, but in this we bigotted country we have to be smart………the banner wasn’t.
on thursday night shortbread were beside themselves trying to make this major headlines rather than talk about a fine scottish performance……………they want to bring us down period we just cannot allow ourselves to get suckered in.
.
They May Take our Songs..
They May Take our Banners..
But,,
They Will Never take our FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMMM..of Speech..
Summa ft WispyWallaceCSC
Philbhoy: I’d never thought of that! More sinister by the second. The enemy within are everywhere. No wonder they couldn’t be found in Iraq…
Did anybody ever get to read the outcome of the inquiry?
Sunday Herald apology
by FFA – at 2008-04-20 01:08:13
IN AN article headlined ‘Fans fail to show Celtic class with Strachan slating’ for last week’s Sunday Herald, Kenny Hodgart used the following sentence: “Some fans would probably rather have a bead-rattling Hoopy the Huddle Hound in the dug-out.”
The use of the term “bead-rattling” is clearly unacceptable in a quality newspaper. Indeed, it is clearly unacceptable in any context and in any walk of life.
The Sunday Herald’s stance on bigotry and sectarianism is clear: as a newspaper we have consistently and systematically challenged prejudice wherever we have found it. We have written dozens of articles – in the sports section, in the news section, in opinion and debate and in the magazine – condemning those who continue to perpetuate sectarianism and praising the considerable efforts of both Celtic FC and Rangers FC, among others, to stamp it out.
Religious bigotry continues, however, to be a blot on the landscape of Scottish football and also in wider society. There has been huge progress in recent years, but there is still more to be done before we can consider ourselves a truly united society.
Kenny Hodgart will no longer write a column for the Sunday Herald. I have also instigated an investigation to discover how this unacceptable terminology was able to get through our production system.
The Sunday Herald would like to take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly for any offence caused by the use of this phrase and assure our readers that we are treating this matter extremely seriously.
Victor Wanyama getting abuse from some idiot on twitter.
Ghuys posted a request last night but got no response.
If anybody has a contact telephone number for The Lisbon Lions George Square, CSC can you text me if you have my number or e-mail me at lennybhoycfc@gmail.com
Need it to pass on to Bloke_109, thanks inadvance.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Beamishmypint
I thought that was a social network?
Mare like anti-social, if ye ask me.
West Wales Celt says:
17 December, 2011 at 10:03
I saw MWD at a football match dressed provocatively in green and white.
Shocking so it was…
WWC –
As long as he wisnae in lycra. . . . . .
Oops, have to go, I have just been sick in my mouth
Yurcl
Re – Shortbread.
No change in official status.
Updates as required.
From the Herald, some sensible commentary:
“This dumb, unjust law is Salmond’s first own goal
Iain MacWhirter
Columnist
LIKE most people concerned about freedom of speech, I’ve been watching the progress of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill with mounting alarm.
Outlawing the singing of songs at football matches seemed such a ridiculous proposition that initially I thought the Scottish Government weren’t serious. That Alex Salmond just wanted to “send a message”, and that the loopier parts of this unnecessary legislation would be dropped. And if not, MSPs would realise that such a law is as unworkable as it is objectionable. Surely, reason would prevail. It hasn’t.
Yesterday, MSPs in Holyrood passed a law that could make the singing of the national anthem punishable by a five-year prison sentence if it is associated with “offensive or threatening behaviour” in any context that involves football. No-one knows exactly what “offensive and threatening behaviour” is, and anyway, because of the Catch-22 drafting, the very singing of “sectarian” songs is itself deemed offensive. There is no list of proscribed songs because to compile one would invite ridicule – Give Ireland Back to the Irish – Paul McCartney? This dumb law could also make the carrying of flags, colours or religious symbols illegal at football matches, in the trains going to football matches or in pubs or any public place where football is being shown. It could make singing The Sash illegal in a pub, but not in the street outside it. This is utter madness.
Anyway, there are worse things than singing Up the ‘Ra at a football match. Using the law for political purposes is one of them. This legislation is otiose, contradictory, authoritarian, subjective, illiberal, anti-democratic and contrary to internationally accepted definitions of basic human rights. It is threatening and offensive to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of thought and to personal liberty. It hands discretionary powers to the police that are wholly inappropraite in any civilised society, effectively giving individual officers the power to deprive people of their liberty if they don’t like the way they are behaving.
It also offends against the most fundamental principle of the law: that there should be equality before it. The singing of Flower of Scotland, for example, which celebrates violent behaviour against English people, will be illegal at Hampden but not at Murrayfield simply because they play rugby there. Why on earth should a song be offensive at one sporting event and not another? And don’t tell me that people don’t engage in offensive and threatening behaviour at rugby matches. Just look at what happens on the pitch.
Behaviour liable to lead to public disorder is already illegal. Section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act 2010 outlaws “threatening or abusive” behaviour “likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm”. The Offensive Behaviour Bill takes the law into an entirely different realm altogether, into subjective hate crime. It will criminalise thought and behaviour that other groups might find offensive. Well, someone should tell the FM and his MSP clones that the right to offend people is the most basic right in any democracy.
Now that this law will be applied in football stadiums, there will inevitably be pressure to extend it to workplaces, public spaces, parks, meetings, concert halls, theatres, cinemas. schools – indeed anywhere where “offensive” ideas might be ventilated. For if they are illegal in one public setting how can they possibly be legal in another? How could films like Michael Collins, about the IRA leader, be shown in Glasgow cinemas? Should Scottish Nationalists be allowed to chant the bloody anti-English dirge, Scots Wha Hae, at Bannockburn? That’s threatening and offensive. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will become a playground for litigants claiming to be offended and threatened by productions like Singing I’m No A Billy I’m a Tim.
The Government has tagged a feeble “freedom of speech” clause to the Bill which only underlines the extent to which this is in violation of it. The Lord Advocate insists that jokes and satire will not be actionable. But who is to decide? The law has a notoriously tin ear when it comes to irony, and is incapable of distinguishing between banter and abuse. Yet now, calling someone a “Hun”, a “Fenian” or a “bluenose” could lead to imprisonment and a hefty fine if the words are uttered while footie is on the TV. Well, if my experience is anything to go by the police will be prosecuting workplaces and homes throughout Scotland. One of the ways in which people have sought to defuse sectarianism is by lampooning it, parodying it, satirising it. Many Celtic supporters call themselves Tims. Are they now to be prosecuted if someone overhearing these remarks feels threatened? Pity the publicans who are required to enforce this nonsense.
Worse, the Government has attempted to curb freedom of speech on the internet by saying that “threatening communications” will also be punishable by five years in jail.
Leave aside the virtual impossibility of enforcing this law on social media sites like Facebook which has 800 million users, who on earth is to rule what is and is not threatening?
Two years ago, Paul Chambers, a 27-year-old accountant, lost his job and was fined thousands of pounds for a joke tweet that read: “Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s*** together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”. Alex is going to have to hire a lot more police. No wonder they’re about the only people who support it.
This is an unjust law which has been criticised by almost every legal body that has reviewed it. It has achieved the impossible: uniting Rangers and Celtic, the Church of Scotland and the Church of Rome, lawyers, civil liberties organisations, the Conservative Party and the Greens – in opposition to it.
It has been frog-marched through Parliament by an act of elective dictatorship. This is Alex Salmond’s first own goal, if you’ll excuse the pun. He should have listened to Parliament and dumped it last summer when he had the chance. The only hope now is that courts and juries will treat it with the contempt it deserves.”
Morning all from gay Paree: temps du jour: glorious day, sun and blue skies, bit cold, lovely.
As en exiled Celt, it’s often hard for me to understand why the media (or at least the so called “qwality” press and national broadcasters) go into overdrive for incidents such as the now infamous banner and flare.
Surely most of the readers and viewers must stop and wonder what is going on? Surely?
Or am I to assume that there are few level-headed people out there?
Do most folk just see black and white, with no big grey area in between?
Where is the perspective?
As others have pointed out, when foreign cities and towns are ransacked and their inhabitants are assaulted and/or insulted (nazi salutes in Israel!?!), THAT is news worthy.
The rest just highlights a very obvious agenda, which surely anybody can see through? Surely?
Gary Hooper read to commit his long term future to Celtic, good news…
Paul67
The internal affairs team will have to be let loose,
this news of previously respectable CQNers being quoted in the currant bun is an outrage, obviously they are undercover hunfiltrators.
I propose a banner.
Any suggestions as to the wording?
So our new Chairman wants us to be like the TA?
Is that the same people who booed the Liechtenstein national anthem?
Morning bhoys.
Really disappointed at how we wrote the headlines from the anti Celtic red top newspapers.
I understand Lawwell had to come out and condemn the banner in as strong terms as possible to create as much distance between club and those responsible – however it should have been left to those who run the club, not our manager.
He gave the quotes they have used and abused and twisted the point the banner has supposedly tarnished the best performance since Liverpool.
He has said his piece – we know his opinions.
However, should a meeting between Lennon and Green Brigade now take place – do you think it will be anywhere near as construction or will it be more confrontational with 2 camps setting up their stalls.
Really disappointed we have allowed the scottish media to side step the fact an SPL club went to Italy and took on one of Italys current best and could or should have beaten them – all because that club wasnt Rangers in which we would be talking about the performance for years to come.
2 or 3 of the current panel would probably become columnists when they retire on the basis they constantly make reference to ‘that night when David took on Goliath’.
Good morning from slushy Manchester.
Just heard Sky ad for various Xmas games. They have a montage of various clubs fans including the Bhoys singing JCGE. I am sure Jim White has not seen it yet.
Between then and now… what has changed?
In late 2006, the then UEFA head of communications William Gaillard held a press briefing in Hampden at which he was asked why it was that Rangers fans had been pursued for “discriminatory” singing – in the form of the sectarian The Billy Boys – but UEFA have never investigated Celtic over their IRA chants. Gaillard described these as two separate issues and said Celtic could be bracketed with many clubs whose supporters championed nationalist causes and who UEFA did not see as meriting disiplinary procedures. Only when it came to the Balkan countries was the situation different, with clubs in those nations handed sanctions for their chanting for political organisations who, in pursuing ethnic cleansing, were by their nature discriminatory. That did not apply to the IRA, he stated.
Some are being deceiptful and others are being insiduous and others just want to see Timmy brought down. The worst of them all are the ones from within who are being deceiptful and who are prepared to see -gullible at worst – Celtic Supporters brought before a court and convicted. Did Celtic have so much to say when Celtic Supporters died in the streets?
Che
we know he’s a hun
we know he’s a hunnnnn
What I find difficult to understand is how uefa can take action against a club because 1 person displayed a provocative banner. ( Which was wrong )
But can’t take action against another club who had hundreds of fans rioting,looting,smashing up a
City and nearly killing a policeman amongst other things.
Although 1 incident happened in a stadium, surely what the animals done in Manchester was a bigger F**k uefa than any banner could ever be.
There was a reason they couldn’t be punished, but I can’t remember.
Chaps………need some help please……
Tryin’ to put together a banner. The thing is, creative juices have dried……keep drawin’ a blank…….
I’m thinkin’ ” Down With The SNP” ??????
Now, the details are correct – as is the speeeelin… but the sentiment? Hmmmm…… somewhat lacking.
Any ideas?
HHH.