Let’s be clear: Dundee are in their best form in years and are more than capable of taking something from Celtic tonight. They also have the incentive of catching Dundee United, who have collapsed since Celtic dismantled them recently. If there is any sort of Hampden hangover, we’ll not win the game.
What I expect is the cup-tied pair of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong to return to the side and give fresh impetus. I also expect Dundee to suffer the most outrageously unfair refereeing decision seen outside of Hampden in years; proof (cough), if it was needed, that referees don’t only make mistakes against Celtic.
If Leigh Griffiths collides with Scott Brown inside the Dundee box, Celtic will be awarded a penalty. These are our expectations of the Scottish game.
I bear no ill-feeling towards Josh Meekings. He stuck his hand up to stop a ball instinctively. I’ve done the same, a moment later you’re looking at your hand wondering, ‘Why did I do that?’ So I felt the player being suspended was a bit harsh. Then I saw him posing with his ‘trophy’ hand. Stuff him.
My only dispute with the SFA is that their rules allow retrospective action when a referee has not seen an incident. Mr McLean saw everything, but was persuaded not to act.
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Meekings- no sympathy. The problem though with the one game suspension thing is that the team who were ‘offended against” are not the team who benefit from the players suspension.
Resolution 12 new- sounds good to me
Summa,- i sent a donation
mickbhoy
its a new because of the fullah who went up a hill and came down a mountain
I’ll jist get ma jaikit
Paul
Despite the benefits of the WWW I have not seen the offending player pose with his offending limb. Glad I didn’t.
As you said, during the game Meekings did what came instinctively to him, and the officials apparently did what came instinctively to them. Fifa listed referee McLean was recently featured in an interview with the BBC in Scotland where he gave handball 101.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/scotland/26159324
After the game he did what came naturally, as did Fleming, Clark et al. They waffled, denied, justified and excused McLean.
John Hughes managed to command the moral high-ground simply because he chose to be honest in his post match comments.
The SFA did what came instinctively after the game, which was to assume their “headmaster talking to naughty child” demeanour. Recognizing that they had initially reacted without any real appreciation of the absolute shambles that they had engineered, they colluded with the media to launch their rescue mission – and the retrospective banning of Meekings was the sticking plaster.
ICT reacted predictably but with no integrity (what happened to the ‘they are good people up there’ description given by Kris Commons after the game) , and Meekings quickly overcame his devastation at missing the Final by following his club’s dignity free outburst, posing with his match winning fist for the tabloids.
Scottish football is an integrity-free zone.
Celtic have work to do on their own “product” off the field and on the field, but Scottish football reflects Scottish society. It presents itself as inclusive with a smiley face, but it is not remotely inclusive and the smiley face masks some truly medieval mindsets. When the mask slips we can all see the real face of modern Scotland. Perhaps not the only face, but it is the predominant one in many circumstances.
Good luck to Auldheid and his campaign of education and reform.
Joined the Celtic Trust yesterday.
HH
a bit of light relief
big headline on the daily records website
“Kermit the Frog doppelganger found in Costa Rica is spitting image of green Muppets star”
so they have ran a story about a frog looking like a ,err, frog
still, more factual than any of their soccerball stories.
sky news on the non penalty on sunday.SO WHO DO YOU THINK IS ON GIVING HIS OPINION.NONE OTHER THAN MISTER FAIRPLAY MR GORDON SMITH.HE OF THE FAMOUS HAIR AND ROLLED UP TROOSERS………..I got BT and sky news is free otherwise I would not watch.embdy that keeps paying for sky wants their HEED LOOKED AT.
rant over going to pick up the grand kids.
Geordie Munro 13:32 on 22 April, 2015
Tosh McKinley on radio Scotland at lunchtime….
“It’s a scandal that the boy (Meekings) will miss the final because of incompetent refereeing. because they missed it, he’ll be banned!”
Deary me Tosh.
Gid player though
…………………
He was a decent fullback for Celtic, but I agree with you – only I will not be so circumspect.
His lack of intelligence, self-awareness and his enthusiastic embrace of cognitive dissonance are worthy of the SFA or the Referees Supervisor when he nominates Steven McLean for the Ref of the Year award at their Christmas do.
WhenIseeacameraoramicrophoneIjusttalkmince CSC
My team for tonight
. Gordon
Ambrose VVD Denayer Izzy
. Brown Armstrong
GMS Johansen Stokes
. Griffiths
BRTH,
Great news on resolution 12. I hope it brings the entire SFA structure to its knees.
One question though leading on from Kitalbas posts. Why aren’t Celtics lawyers running with this? Is there a legal reason or did the club ask for the action to be independent of the board?
cv
Art of War
13:54 on
22 April, 2015
In a recording studio, somewhere in the bowels of Hamdump..
Campbell on the tape deck – “FFS that’s three days we’ve been stuck in here trying to get the timings right. The ootside world will think we are it..”
MIB Mclean – “But we are it! You told us to…”
CO – “SHUT IT YOU, this things recording! Right c’mon brothers one last time, when i point at you Muir, you say “Face, face, it’s hit his face!” Then when i point at you Stevie you say “Did you say it hit his face? So that’s no penalty then?” Once he has says that Alan you seal the deal and say “Aye Steve, it hit his face, no penalty!”
Five minutes later….
CO- “That’s a take, about feckin time anaw. We’ll just say that the other guys mic’s were broken by the Celtic fans fenian chanting and the jobs done. Pity about Meekings, but it was him or youse. Now makes yirselves scarce, Jabbas comin in to pick up the tape for the press!”
itcouldbetruecsc……to be continued
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With the kind of information vacuum we get with the SFA, right now I’m accepting your version of events as the most convincing account. :-)
im sitting in a pub in G74 land.
theres only 2 other people in it at opposite sides of the bar.
they start ranting about the meekings final ban, their first comment isnt about the sfa for bringing the charge up, but giving celtic abuse for it.
and thats the reason why the sfa brought the charge up
because they knew the tabloids and the one brain cell brigade would immediately turn on celtic for it, even though it has nothing to do with us
it deflects attention from the sfa themselves which is what they want
Rwe,
Ha!
I did have a wee chuckle at his comments if I’m honest.
That is after shouting ‘either him or his entire team would be missing it had it been noticed ya dunderheid!!”
HH
Betfair Sportsbook have a Celtic penalty anytime @ 7/2 ;-}
foghorn leghorn
14:41 on
22 April, 2015
im sitting in a pub in G74 land.
theres only 2 other people in it at opposite sides of the bar.
they start ranting about the meekings final ban, their first comment isnt about the sfa for bringing the charge up, but giving celtic abuse for it.
and thats the reason why the sfa brought the charge up
because they knew the tabloids and the one brain cell brigade would immediately turn on celtic for it, even though it has nothing to do with us
it deflects attention from the sfa themselves which is what they want
—————————————-
100% correct – a point I also made yesterday.
The maestro,
Similar to what I posted earlier but with Gms in for Tony Stokes
HH
Havent had chance to log in since celtic released statement ..
Have the sfa replied yet or what is the latest ?
Mon The Hoops!
14:44 on
22 April, 2015
Davidopoulos 12:48 on 22 April, 2015
I agree that a howler in our favour is a stick on.
Paddy Power offering 5/2 for a penalty to be awarded…
Betfair Sportsbook have a Celtic penalty anytime @ 7/2 ;-}
———————————————————————-
It’s like printing money!
Not that I advocate gambling or printing your own money…no…not at all…
and i have to say i dont want to see meekings banned for the final for that
at the time it is a penalty and a red card
but i would only feel comfortable with a retrospective ban if a player does a goalkeeper style dive to save the ball
thats not really what happened here, i know its sounds like a bit of cognitive dissonnence from me to quote a cqn phrase
but in saying that, it is covered under the rules and all we ever ask is for the rules to be applied. and if people dont like the rules then get the rules changed
geordie munro
HH
I’ve got GMS and Stokes on, I would drop Bitton for Armstrong, it was him or Johansen as they look knackered
honest question.
any bhoys know of catholics who are in the masons.?
Paul,
Champions don’t do hangovers. Let’s just get on with winning the title.
I’ll read the article now.
And scroll back……
BRTH
I’m off to Rome on Sunday for a week, staying in Trastevere. Discovered that part of Rome 7 years ago on my last and only visit. Was wondering if you knew of a place to watch the two Hoops games I may miss…..the good lady will be surprised when I drop this into the conversation…
The maestro,
Aw ffs. That’s what I get for cracking open the Top Deck at work.
‘UTD’ guys in for kc and jaimsie, is what I selected earlier. And Efe returning.
HH
kikinthenakas
14:11 on
22 April, 2015
Sunning myself in the Costas..anyone know if the game is on Celtic TV or any other station?
__________________________
Live on CTV
Celtic pub in Rome?
http://www.finneganpub.com/
Good pub that shows our games.
foghorn leghorn
I agree with both your points Sir.
Said to my Dad last night ( who has zero access to Internet Bampot news n views) that it was a clever ‘next move’ by the SFA in the chess match of Hunnery pokery but would hopefully lead to them losing the longer game.
HH jamesgang
@BRTH…….Thank You Sir.
H.H.
livibhoy
12:30 on 22 April, 2015
If Celtic receive an unmerited or unfair penalty I would hope we would put it wide and make it obvious we are doing so.
If we want fairness we have to show it as well.
LB
~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~
Automatic yellow for ungentlemanly conduct.
Cited by the beaks.
Sine died.
This isnae Robbie Fowler lala land,you know.
Our world,our rules,Timmy.
If Keetings calls on the refereeing team as witness,and they did not see anything?
what chances he gets a not proven on appeal?
Is TV now the final arbiter instead of the referee?
HH
foghorn leghorn
14:53 on
22 April, 2015
and i have to say i dont want to see meekings banned for the final for that
at the time it is a penalty and a red card
but i would only feel comfortable with a retrospective ban if a player does a goalkeeper style dive to save the ball
thats not really what happened here, i know its sounds like a bit of cognitive dissonnence from me to quote a cqn phrase
but in saying that, it is covered under the rules and all we ever ask is for the rules to be applied. and if people dont like the rules then get the rules changed
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The retrospective application of rules, punishments etc. is (like everything else the SFA does) random, opaque and irrational. There’s a reason for that. The reason is that the SFA does whatever it likes and applies rules on an ad-hoc basis depending on what suits their agenda.
JMcC
Try Finnegans on Via Leonina.
Near Colosseum/Santa Maria Maggiore. Home of the Rome csc I think.
Tosh is no the brightest but his heart is in the right place.
Am I right in thinking there was an argument made earlier, in defense of the OB act, that more of the deid team’s supporters have been charged under it than Celtic supporters? That may well be true but the act was brought in by the SNP specifically because they couldn’t get at us under the existing legislation. The fact that there is no pressure on the SNP to end it speaks volumes,imo, about the real Scotland.
Paul67 and all.
I think it’s time to record the conversations between all referee officials.
These conversations can then be made available in times like these or even better sell the live feed to fans at the game or on Sky sports red button.
They should have nothing to hide and it could generate income. No brainer.
Have the SFA/SPFL not learned anything from McCurry.
No reply from sfa i take it then
Cheers
i think the ict player is on easy street here
the instinctive reaction/too close to the attacker card will be played
and i wouldnt be too upset if that got him off with it
new wee partnership in India announced.
http://t.co/peSosBgeuR
HH
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
The Huns are inherently offensive,it’s in their DNA. Naturally they will fall foul of the new rules more than we do. It would be the same under the old rules.
Difference is that we are being done for behaviour which is acceptable in every other modern society. And increasingly so.
tosh mckinley reminded me of that table football game where you skelpt the players head and his foot flew out to hit the ball!
good tim though…