Scottish football was waning in 2016. In the five years before then, Celtic won all league titles, while the Scottish and League Cups each saw five different winners – nine clubs won cups across both competitions. The ‘neutrals’ raved at this and fair play to the likes of Ross County and Hibs, (especially Hibs), but there was something missing.
Brendan Rodgers arrival gave Scottish football a team who were not just champions, but imperious champions. 18 trophies have been awarded since, 14 to Celtic. Those neutrals (yet to meet a neutral) bemoaned a lack of competition, but you and I know the truth. The value in even the League Cup has never been higher.
Other teams want to win it because so few sides apart from Celtic get to win anything. Celtic want to win it because we know the historic significance of these times. We are living in a period that 100 years from now football fans will look back at the records and marvel. This. Is. History! You and I know it and we kicked every ball.
When I think back on highlights from those 14 trophies, that magnificently-horrible League Cup win in December 2019 jumps out first. The thought of losing our run, history denied, was such, that the eventual relief was euphoric.
Next is the game we watched from home. We knew the run that led to the Quadruple Treble was over before the Scottish Cup Final against Hearts in 2020. An equally horrible performance before Kristoffer Ajer blasted his deciding penalty into the net brought a feeling no less joyful than beating Newco 5-0 to win the league.
When your status is as high as Celtic’s has been since 2016, historic significance is always on the line. This is Celtic’s gift to the rest of Scottish football. Every competition here has an importance other countries could only dream of, and I include the often-vaunted English game. There, their top clubs use the League (and increasingly FA) Cup as a development opportunity.
Even the second strongest team in Scotland is not robust enough to do that. They need the League Cup. A loss there, while miles behind in the league, would be a disaster. February is a bit early to have only the Scottish Cup to look forward to. Can you imagine looking at the months stretching out between February and August and thinking, ‘at most, three games in the Scottish Cup”? They cannot walk out of Hampden on Sunday muttering, “Bigger fish to fry”, it all goes on the line.
Celtic are playing so well, some of us are disconcertingly confident. Hatate, Kyogo, Jota and Maeda are on fire. The back line is rock solid, and Joe Hart looks ready for anything (except a back pass). McGregor and Mooy will move, block and pass their way through the game, while Ange will make changes that reinvigorate the second half.
Five League Cups out of six, you know the script, Celtic, Hampden is ours!
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Was watching the Newcastle fans on the news.
Is a stripe a vertical hoop? 🤪
HS- totally, but what would you expect to happen…
HOT SMOKED and MM re: De Grasse
Good stuff.
It’s my Looval lovers birthday today so she is of course my main focus.
*ahem
‘Mon the hoops. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, the men on VAR are an unknown unknown. If we can make them irrelevant, we’ll win.
Mornin all from a chilly northern MN. Was up very early due to the excitement and expectation of seeing the bhoys at Hampden. Looking forward to a fine day. We just have to play our game and we’ll win. Jota will be the man today.
MNCELT
HH brother. You still got the snow?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Looval lover 🥰❤️🇮🇪
H H. Mick
Happy Birthday Trish !
Yes Aipple – Snow and cold. Minus 5F right now. Need some sunshine !
Aipple 1.15pm
Tell your good lady not too be so selfish, she has a birthday every year around this time :-)
I wouldn’t be so brave if I wasn’t at the other end of the planet
Hope she has a great day and your team also wins :-)
MCCELT
Birthday wishes received with a smile from Trish. She seems pretty relaxed about today.
Gooood morning MNCELT
Isn’t it amazing, one part of the world talking to
another distant land, and guess what ?
We’re all Tim’s.
The Celtic Family eh ?
Wha’s like us ?
H H. Mick
GFTB
We are out in eastern(ish) Kentucky for a few days.
When she told me she had booked a cabin for the weekend I asked “Cup Final weekend?”
Had to make my own breakfast that day.
Happy Birthday, Trish…..I certainly hope it will be :-))
AIPPLE on 26TH FEBRUARY 2023 1:25 PM
:-))))))
Hot smoked,
you could try hesgoals dot top there may be a link to CTV
Happy hooooooopy birthday to trish.
May your day be extra blessed with a Celtic victory 🖖💚🩶🧡
SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM– Just to clarify that should today’s game go to extra time and even penalties you can include those extra periods when deciding on your top 3.
Melbourne Mick – Cheers buddy. Yes, no matter where you go in the world there’s always a friend in green :)
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 26TH FEBRUARY 2023 11:27 AM
Rangers won the right to home dressing room and first mention, but seriously, if you’re upset because the game is listed as Rangers v Celtic instead of Celtic v Rangers, maybe you should find another interest in life.
…………
I never claimed to be upset as it was just an ” Observation”.
Can YOU tell me ANY reason why it isnt being Billed as Celtic v Rangers…..considering that Celtic were in the Final BEFORE the Huns, as I have been reminded earlier today by others that Celtic WON their Semi Final BEFORE the Huns played theirs ?
LEFTCLICKTIC
Cheers! If I keep giving her birthday wishes from you all she’ll be asking “what bollocks are you posting online about me?”
Happy Hoopy Birthday to TRISH.
HH .
Aipple
Enjoy your few days break …
Am stuck in Coatbrig but got a wee days flexi leave tomorrow so canny complain too much
Cmon you bhoys in Green 🍀
FDR once said ” “Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself” well I don’t fear them no even the mitb, its that var that has me concerned
BIG JIMMY
She deserves it after me subjecting her to some of your jokes recently!
It’s this wee period leading up to the team sheet that always drags in.
The hour after the team gets put up flys in.
Aipple – Watching Spurs Chelsea to kill a bit of time
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 26TH FEBRUARY 2023 1:27 PM
Thanks but I`ll be more relaxed if I give it a miss then, if we have won, watch it more objectively later :-).
MNCELT
Turned it on, Sterling dive. Twas ever thus
Hart
Johnson CCV Starfelt Taylor
McGregor Mooy Hatate
Jota Kyogo Maeda
HH!
Mooy in …
The rest is the 10 everybody picked
CELTIC: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor, McGregor, Mooy, Hatate, Jota, Kyogo, Maeda.
Subs: Bain, Haksabanovic, Abada, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Oh, Iwata, O’Riley, Ralston
MissGFTB
Delighted as she was the 7th person to view the team on Celtic Twitter :-)
GFTB
Magnificent!
Aipple & Bognorbhoy probably in front of her :-)
G’Day Mick think I’ll be joining you on the rid biddy 🍷🍷🍷😎😎☘☘ Mon the Hoops 🍀🍀⚽️⚽️⚽️
BIG JIMMY
Rangers are the home team because their semi-final came out of the hat first. Anyway, does it really matter? Forget it and try and enjoy the game.
2-0 Celtic ☘️
Mon the hoops!
Can’t wait for this game.
We should stomp them into the Hampden dirt.
Let’s do it Celtic! 😃🇮🇪🍀🏆