Jock Stein won his first five League Cups as Celtic manager (no pressure, Ronny) but in the 43 years since we’ve won the trophy only eight times, including yesterday.
There has been a bit of chat that the Treble is a bit easier since Rangers were liquidated, but, if you know your history, you’ll know that’s not really borne out by the facts.
We’ve won three of the last 10 League Cups and lost to Rangers once but the six other defeats in that period have come at the hands of the likes of Morton, St Mirren and Kilmarnock. What’s more, Falkirk, Hearts (twice) and Morton all knocked us out at Celtic Park. We haven’t actually lost an away game in the League Cup for over a decade. 25 of our 35 defeats since Stein’s five-in-a-row have come to teams other than Rangers.
Here is a list of our eventual outcomes in the League Cup, winners or those who eliminated us:
2014-15 Winners
Morton
St Mirren
Kilmarnock
Rangers
Hearts
2008-09 Winners
Hearts
Falkirk
2005-06 Winners
Rangers (November 2004 Celtic’s last away defeat in the League Cup)
Hibs
Rangers
Rangers
2000-01 Winners
1999-00 Winners
Airdrie
1997-98 Winners
Hearts
Raith Rovers
Rangers
Aberdeen
Airdrie
Rangers
Aberdeen
Dundee United
Aberdeen
Rangers
Hibs
Dundee United
Rangers
1982-83 Winners
St Mirren
Dundee United
Aberdeen
Rangers
St Mirren
Aberdeen
Rangers
1974-75 Winners
Dundee
Hibs
Partick Thistle
Rangers
At the 40th anniversary of Lisbon I wrote about the 1965-66 until 1969-70 period. Jock Stein won 12 of the 15 domestic trophies available, five Leagues, five League Cups and two Scottish Cups. We also won and lost a European Cup Final, while beating champions from Italy, Portugal France and England.
That we went on to win nine-in-a-row disguised the fact that the real glory era ended in 1970. The last four title winning seasons were not characterised by beating anyone substantial in Europe (notwithstanding the fact that we reached two European Cup semis) and a series of capitulations in League Cup Finals. The downwards trajectory from beating Leeds at Hampden and finishing fifth in the league in 1978 is evident.
Two inferences can be drawn:
Winning trebles is incredibly difficult. One slip, one bad tackle leading to a red card, and you are up against it.
Teams who aspire to genuine historical greatness never switch off.
We have a ‘never switch off’ manager. No more Mortons, Falkirks or Raith Rovers’.
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cosy corner bhoy,
76 years of age.Fair play to you partner.
May God look after you and let you see many more trophies being hoisted by our glorious Hoops.
Take care buddy.
A very happy St Patrick’s Day to one and all.
Happy St Patrick’ s day everyone.
Asked the other day not sure if anyone answered or new maybe some of the Dublin based bhoys will know.
Is the city holding centenary celebrations of the uprising. If so will they be at Easter weekend next year or on the actual days of uprising. They are a month apart. Me and Mrs MT looking to be over and just wondering when would be the right time for the celebration.
HH
KTF
UTLR
A very happy birthday to my wee sister Susan who celebrates her birthday today.
I know she has a wee look on here now and again.
St Patrick’s Day.What a day to be born.
HOOPY ST. PATRICK’s DAY to one and all of the Celtic Family….!!!!!!!!
TRICOULORED RIBBON
I give mine a 66 hour break from Tuesday afternoon till Friday morning. That’s plenty,IMO. Holidays don’t count. Sometimes,neither do Wednesday mornings…
MIGHTYTIM
I think both will be celebrated!
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
09:03 on 17 March, 2015
TRICOULORED RIBBON
I give mine a 66 hour break from Tuesday afternoon till Friday morning. That’s plenty,IMO. Holidays don’t count. Sometimes,neither do Wednesday mornings…
………
Hahahaha.
Yer entitled to a nice pint of creamy stout today mate.Get it down yer thrapple.;-)
Happy patricks day everyone
First one iv ever worked and hopefully the last ha..starting to grow up sadly
Up the tic
Mighty Tim: the Irish government announced plans to celebrate the Easter Rising. Relatives of the 1916 participants criticised the plans. Sinn Féin has also put together a series of commemorative events. I would imagine that the main events will be at Easter not on the actual centenary dates. I will check it out later and post links to whatever I find.
justafan
07:33 on 17 March, 2015
You may be glad (or not) that Alfie has flounced off but he has posted an excellent comment on The Scotsman site in response to the tiresome claims of tainted titles. I assume there’s only one Alfie Noakes!!!
======================================================
Loud and Proud – you say “*tainted due to no serious competition”
Are you seriously saying that if the Ibrox shambles had been in the Premiership, they would have been serious opposition?
Your lot chose to cheat, lie, administrate, liquidate and start a new club in the bottom tier – meanwhile we kept paying our way, playing in Europe, winning trophies and turning in profits.
Even Hibs and Hearts, who have had their trials, can run their affairs in an honest and professional manner.
There is one one thing ‘tainted’ in Scottish football – that’s the ‘big hoose’ and all who inhabit it.
####
Well that’s an interesting turn of events.
I’d like to think that it might give some posters cause for reflection, but it probably won’t.
Happy Birthday to Donald Findlay..
greenyin
08:25 on 17 March, 2015
I am sad to say it is the very one, a brilliant big guy, I only knew him vaguely through other friends but always had a chat or two with him, even if a game was on the telly the cameras would hone in on him, “keeping the faith” posted it around 00.36 the big man was a true gent
Happy St Patrick’s Day from the Daniel O’Connell in North Adelaide.
Sunny and hot way way down under.
S
HOOPY BIRTHDAY
PATRICE ( Miss DELANEYSDUNKY. )
MICK TT Jr
SUSAN ( TRICOLOURED RIBBON’S WEE SISTER )
The Wolfe Tones – Far Away in Australia (Live and Rare): https://youtu.be/0T6KTP-WfVs
For proudbhoy
Happy St Patrick’s Day bhoys and ghirls
I know that this site is about football but I cannot let this pass:
On BT News page this this morning a headline states: “Comedian Patrick Kielty reveals true story about IRA murdering his father .” He says nothing of the sort.
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21 June 2009
A loyalist killer who was sentenced to life for the brutal murder of TV funnyman Patrick Kielty’s father is believed to be dying of cancer.
Notorious loyalist Delbert Watson was given a life sentence for his part in the killing of Dundrum businessman Jack Kielty, but was freed under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement in 1999.
Now living in Newcastle with his family, Sunday Life understands Watson is suffering from terminal liver cancer and may not have long to live.
Jack Kielty, a leading GAA official, was gunned down in his home town by a loyalist gang as he sat behind his desk in the building firm where he was a director in 1988.
Ex-UDR man Watson was one of three men, including a former Royal Marine, who received life sentences for the horrific killing. Watson was also charged with 18 other paramilitary offences, including attempted murder, possession of guns and membership of the UVF.
Delbert’s brother Charles, a former UDR man and prison officer, was shot dead by the IRA at his home in Clough in 1987 while his wife and children slept in adjoining rooms.
Charles Watson’s widow Doreen was also charged in connection with the Kielty murder for letting the killers use her home as a bolthole and driving them to Belfast after the shooting. She was convicted of manslaughter but set free with a five-year recorded sentence.
News of Delbert Watson’s illness comes just weeks after a GAA ground in Jack Kielty’s native |Dundrum was named in his honour as part of the Association’s 125th birthday celebrations.
TV star Patrick, one of Jack’s three sons, was just 17 at the time of his father’s murder and studying for his A levels.
In one interview he spoke about his dad’s murder, saying: “I don’t concentrate on how it happened — only on how he’s simply not there. Of course I miss my dad.
“The reason I do not like talking about my father’s murder is because there are 3,000 other families in Northern Ireland exactly like ours. “There are so many other people who have got on with their lives so much better than I have.”
Sydneytim
By the time Forster left, we had already been unceremoniously turfed out the CL by Legia – or so we thought.
We got turfed out again with Gordon – arguably a better keeper than Forster – in goal.
In summary: Celtic lost two ties in a row to teams on a lot less money.
But now we’re beating SPL minnows to the cups, everything is rosy in the garden.
Managing flat track bullies makes you the new Stein these days.
Happy St Patricks Day Everyone
Great to see the smsm in full hurting mode I can see a campaign to strip him of
the Scotland Captaincy underway
Pedro67 Count me in for the 19th
CRC/jobo email sent
Anthony Stokes has taken a fair bit of stick from the Celtic support recently.
Thought he was terrific on Sunday.
`This is what the Scotsman says today.
“Brown’s conduct is a national failing”.
That headline was brought to you by Aidan Smith.`
I have not read the article but is Smith saying that it is a national failing that we are incredibly fit, eat an excellent diet and once in a blue moon are perceived to have a `rest day` from our very healthy regime?
JJ
i am so sad to hear this. was speakin of him recently to another ex-ambies. if there wer more like him in the world it would be a better place.
stephen glen RIP
Top of the morning and a happy St Pat’s to you all from the Auld Grey Toon.
My happiness is complete after reading Aidan Smith’s article in the Hootsman.
Remember Aidan, the intrepid hack who crawled under the damaged seats at Fir Park to find graffiti relating to the IRA?
Well Aidan is still waiting on the Pulitzer Prize for that one but he’s having another go with the great Pizzagate/Brooniegate scandal.
They are hurting big time! H.H.
#####################################
Aidan Smith: Brown’s conduct is a national failing
AIDAN SMITH
00:00Tuesday 17 March 2015
TWO club captains who also lead their countries. Two front-page stories showing them in controversial downtime mode. Back on the pitch, two performances which demonstrated no obvious ill-effects from the downtime, helping bring about two victories. Two celebrations mocking the tabloid pictures. Two sets of team-mates defending their skippers and emphasising how much they inspire their teams. And one complaint about a footballer being entitled to a bit of “privacy” being echoed by another.
It’s astonishing how much Scott Brown and Wayne Rooney have in common right now. Brown hits the town with some mates, visits lapdancing bars, consumes takeaway pizza, has a wee lie doon. Rooney gets the boys round to his place, mucks about with boxing gloves, takes a punch, has a wee (involuntary) lie doon. The captains struck these contemplative poses, which were captured on fuzzy cameraphones, within 48 hours of each other. Their games were on Sunday and might well have ended with the same 3-0 scoreline if Brown had responded to the Celtic fans urging him to take the penalty-kick which was ultimately missed. But is the debate about what players do in their spare time really done and dusted?
The Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, thought it should never have started. That he was even asked his views on Rooney being decked by his chum and fellow footballer Phil Bardsley was “twisted,” he said. “I think it is a ridiculous world where we live that I have to answer questions. I don’t have any comment.” Meanwhile, Brown’s team-mate Kris Commons thought it “disgusting” that the photos of the Edinburgh night out should by published two days before the League Cup final and “outrageous” that the guy couldn’t relax with friends without being spied on.
These were the stout defences you expect of football folk. Team success is built on everyone sticking together, after all. But surely those of us who watch British and Scottish sportsmen make their way in the competition arena, often struggling to do so, are entitled to wonder about this behaviour. Not to think it “disgusting” or “outrageous” or even “ridiculous” that footballers engage in such malarkey, but be disappointed by it, maybe disillusioned too. Scotland, in particular, has significant health problems. A small nation which loves its bevvy and its fatty food needs to shape up. Sportsmen and women can give a lead and inspire. I know that some will claim in Brown’s defence that he’s just a daft laddie from the Hill o’ Beath who’s stayed true to his roots and being Celtic captain and Scotland captain are big enough asks without having to be a role model as well. Well, the player has indeed gone far in his career, which is down to his talent and steel. But the role model bit: I’m afraid it comes with the territory.
With the pressures of these roles being so huge, shouldn’t he have the opportunity to let off steam? Okay, but does that have to be done so conspicuously? No one goes for a quiet drink in the district of our fair capital known as The Pubic Triangle. And you could reasonably ask: Should a top sportsman be touching any alcohol so close to competition?
Other athletes don’t. In the run-up to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scores of competitors spoke of the sacrifices they’d made, in living well and only eating and drinking the right things, as they trained like demons for two years or more. Other footballers don’t. You look at Alexi Sanchez, Chile’s Duracell bunny and surely England’s player of the year for his exuberant displays for Arsenal, and as you remember what he helped his small nation achieve at the World Cup you wonder how many benders he’s ever allowed himself in his life.
Where does a bender figure in the teachings of the sports scientists? If football has developed to the extent that the body is scrutinised inside and out in such infinitesimal detail, how come some players still treat theirs like it’s still the good old, bad old 1970s?
Rooney at least confined his boxing to home. Everything took place in the privacy of his mansion. “It’s what friends do,” he explained, although he might now wonder how much he should trust these friends, if the footage can then find its way to the newsdesk of a tabloid. This player is frequently indulged, with a successfully haggled mega-contract often being followed by an underwhelming performance at an international tournament, but I’m less concerned with him than I am with Scotland’s captain.
There’s been a general acceptance of Brown’s behaviour and almost the sense that this is Scotland, the football culture, and it’s never really going to change. I don’t blame him for that acceptance and nor do I blame him for our failure to qualify for major tournaments. But the story and the photographs of his “day off” did nothing for Scotland’s sporting image, or indeed that of the country itself. These are weighty concerns to have on your shoulders, I agree, but he’s got himself a fabulous career, one many young boys dream about. He must view what he does, what he is, as an immense privilege.
Most days I’m sure he does. I like Brown, his guts and his pawky humour (paraphrasing slightly, his take on the midfield battle for supremacy is: “Cement, or you will be cemented”). And I loved it two years ago, before the revival of the Scotland-England fixture, when he challenged the English press: “I bet yooz lot couldn’t name even one Kilmarnock player.”
Priceless moments like that suggested he was growing into the role of shaven-headed statesman. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, you’d hope the events of last Wednesday amounted to an off day, as opposed to what a footballer really thinks constitutes a day off. But he must realise he’s been a fortunate fellow. Lucky not to have been sent off in the Scottish Cup tie with Dundee United, lucky not to have conceded a penalty on Sunday – and lucky that Ronny Deila has been so lenient with him when the Celtic manager bangs on about “24-hour athletes” as much as he does.
Yes, the League Cup can apparently be won on pizza and lapdancers, but doesn’t Broony want to aim higher than that? And, indeed, doesn’t Scotland?
SCULLYBHOY
That is ridiculous!
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
09:23 on 17 March, 2015
SCULLYBHOY
That is ridiculous!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
How do I complain to BT or do you know anyone here who has a bit of clout that can get BT to apologise????? The murder actually highlights the extent of security force collusion that went on.
I would rather we brought our own youngsters through to the first team than continue to waste millions on dud transfers.We are poor in youth development we appear to have good youth teams but very rarely see youngsters in our first team.I think big Peter is in the main doing a good job however,this is one area of the club he should be working on in my opinion.H.H.
Scully,
Beyond belief mate.
http://spfl.co.uk/reserve-and-youth/development-league/development-league-table/
Joe,
A look at that table suggests you are right and we should be having a serious look at our scouting department.
SCULLYBHOY
The article is by an Alex Fletcher,but I can find no way of contacting him.
I didn’t know Patrick Kielty was married to Cat Deeley.
Well, there you go.
Big Nan
Had we not posted simultaneously, I might have realised that Mr Smith was actually greatly concerned about the health of the Scotland and simply used an amazingly fit and healthy public figure to make his point. Surely an overweight gardener would have been a more suitable candidate?
JJ
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
09:38 on 17 March, 2015
SCULLYBHOY
The article is by an Alex Fletcher,but I can find no way of contacting him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Cheers – currently trying to see how I can put an official complaint to BT. I will be off to Mass soon but please get someone to do something about this.
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY to
PATRICE ( Miss DELANEYSDUNKY. )
MICK TT Jr
SUSAN ( TRICOLOURED RIBBON’S WEE SISTER )
LazymhanCSC:))))))
A happy birthday to all those celebrating one today!
HH!!
I realise this site encourages all sort of opinions but some leave me nonplussed.
I often read of how we `should have` spent money in the transfer market. This seems to contradict the other much lamented point that we have `spent millions on duds.`.
Similarly, we are told by many that developing our own talent and giving them a chance is the way forward only to then read that our development of young players is a waste of time as they are not good enough!
Finally. I often read of wonderful `servants to the Club` . I hadn`t realised servants were so highly paid! Of course, when some of these servants are over critical of our Club, they are suddenly trashed by the same people who put them on their pedestals in the first place!!
Ah, CQN, don`t you just love it?
I certainly do but am off out cycling now on a very calm (weather wise!) day.
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Happy St Patricks Day