Celtic will play KR Reykjavik in the Champions League second qualifying round with the first leg taking place on either 15or 16 July. Celtic are provisionally at home for the first let – but don’t book your flights until arrangements have been confirmed.
KR beat Glentoran 3-0 on aggregate in last season’s Europa League qualifying campaign before losing 1-3 home and away to Standard Liege. The Icelandic season continues throughout the summer, KR played a league game yesterday and have another three competitive games before meeting Celtic. Nine games into the league campaign they are three points off the pace.
From what I can tell, it looks like they have a grass pitch at their 3300 capacity stadium, which removes the big complaint from last season’s qualifiers.
This is a good tie for Celtic, who will be physically stretched by a mid-season team, but we’ll be strong favourites.
We were last in competitive action in Iceland against Valur in 1975, when a 0-2 win out there preceded a 7-0 victory at Celtic Park.
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As well as all of the footballing reason for summer football, we would be in a position for greater tv exposure (& therefore money) from Sky/BT who are desperate for live football during the summer months. Have you seen the regurgitated garbage they’re filling their schedules with just now??
Our summers are so comparable with our winters summer football would be pointless!
But in an Independent Scotland our winters will be so comparable with our summers that winter football would be pointless!
MWD says AYE
philcool
11:42 on 23 June, 2014
Zybszek
This is an easy one for you St. Pats not much better than Cliftonville ,if at all
HH
Phil
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St Pats are a good bit better than Cliftonville and majority of players are full time from memory – also in mid season now
Legia should still go through but will expect a game in Ireland – thinking of going down to it
Gary67
People are outside in the summer.
I don;t see a better TV deal. The English will watch cricket, tennis and various other sports in the summer. That market is going to provide little. St Johnstone v Dundee United or the world cup? It’s a no brainer. The TV deal will be less than now if not worse.
I don;t get the clamour for summer football. I will ask people again.
What do we do in the winter?
It’s a long, long winter with no football!
LB
MWD
I just hope that we don’t end up pointless in whatever league we play.
Summer football might be easier for some football associations to accept or ‘buy into’ if some facilitation monies were to become available to support winter football in warmer climes. Say in the middle east for example. Particularly if there was a plan to play a world cup in that kind of location. You could only do that in the winter really.
Summer is now the winter of our summer or winter football discontent.
when we progress to the next round is there a chance of drawing Lincoln FC ?
CELTIC won the Polar Bear Trophy the only time they have faced Icelandic opposition in Europe.
Legendary skipper Billy McNeill had just retired when they were drawn to play Valur in the opening round of the Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1975/76.
Hoops officials were taken aback when their opponents presented them with the model carved from stone of a polar bear eating a seal.
The teams met in Reykjavik on September 16 where goals from Paul Wilson, in the seventh minute, and Roddie McDonald (74) gave the Glasgow giants a 2-0 advantage.
New Bhoy Johannes Edvaldsson, who started his career at Valur before short stints with Metz, of France, and Denmark’s Holbek, had just signed two months earlier, missed a twice-taken penalty-kick.
Edvaldsson, in fact, lined up against his brother Atli, who was substituted at half-time by Albert Gudmundsson.
Goalkeeper Peter Latchford, signed from West Brom in July, also made his Euro debut for the club.
The Celtic line-up was: Latchford; Danny McGrain, McDonald, Pat McCluskey and Andy Lynch; Jackie McNamara Snr., Harry Hood (sub: Ronnie Glavin 80), Edvaldsson and Tommy Callaghan; Wilson and Kenny Dalglish.
Edvaldsson made up for his double spot-kick blunder at Parkhead two weeks’ later when he got the opening goal in the sixth minute of the second leg.
His brother Atli lasted the whole game on this occasion and was powerless as the Hoops raced to a 5-0 half-time lead with Dalglish (11), Pat McCluskey (30 pen), Hood (37) and Deans (42) piling on the misery.
Callaghan claimed No.6 four minutes after the turnaround and Hood claimed his second nine minutes from the end for an emphatic 9-0 aggregate triumph.
Celtic were the highest-scoring team in the Cup-Winners’ Cup that evening while Entracht Frankfurt hammered Coleraine 6-2 and French outfit Lens thumped Home Farm 6-0.
The team was: Latchford; McGrain, McDonald, P. McCluskey and Lynch; Hood, Edvaldsson, and Callaghan (sub: J Casey 68); Wilson (sub G McCluskey 46), Deans and Dalglish.
Sean Fallon was in charge of the team for his Euro baptism as a manager while Jock Stein recovered from a car crash that summer.
Scot Joe Gilroy, a former striker with Clyde and Dundee, was the Valur boss.
Who would win in a fight between wee Judy Murray and Amélie Mauresmo?
The north of Iceland (LAke Myvatn) is like a mini Yellowstone.
Years ago, we got the bus through the interior (a huge gravel pit) on a road that is only open 6 weeks a year. By law, if you go by car, you must have another accompanying you in case of breakdown.
That may have changed now. Don’t bother doing a lot of boozing though – spend your money on experiences.
livibhoy
Firstly summer football doesn’t mean games will be in competition with World Cup or Euros. Look at the Scandanavian leagues, in WC/Euro years they play up till the week before the tournament, break for 3-4 weeks, then restart. The WC/Euros is an excuse by those who don’t want summer football, it can be worked around. March to November would give us a December break (when fans have least money) with January/February pre season, warm weather training abroad, friendlies against clubs from countries with winter breaks, summer seasons.
A freezing cold December Saturday, Celtic v Ross County, a lot of people will choose the pub and an EPL game than a trip to CP. Whereas the same game played in conditions like the last couple of weeks will attract a lot more supporters, particularly kids.
I don’t think British leagues can switch to summer football,down to an agreement with the Pools Companies,i didn’t think they were still big business but it still generates decent money for the clubs (not EPL obviously).Euros and World Cups too,major disruption every 2 years,not going to happen IMO
LiviBhoy
12:37 on
23 June, 2014
What do we do in the winter?
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Those of you with kids can take them out in the snow and teach them to throw snowballs at buses
Those of us without kids can just throw snowballs at buses
that’s winter sorted
Gary67
Agree to disagree here. I don;t see a kid wanting to go any more in the sumemr than the winter. Play outside on their bike, etc or sit at the fitba? Don;t see much choice there.
LB
Good draw
Hope Celtic hit the ground running
The time will not be long going in.
A big no to summer football from me.
Biggest reason would be a cultural change indicating long term decline just like scandinavia which is a shame to see.
HH
Thermalsinsummerherelol:-)
I don’t get the idea that more fans would turn out for summer football. I’d expect the opposite. Too many other things to do.
Bada Bing
I know it can be a rarity in EK but May June July includes 13 light Wednesday nights. Remove 3 to allow for WC ENC internationals and that still leaves 10 to make up for the 3 Saturday match days lost.
There is nothing to stop it bar the traditions that no longer have same currency.
It would fill a UK TV football content gap in summer months and let 3 to 5 Saturday blackout be removed to a time that suits us and not clubs in England.
It changes current constraints that are killing Scottish football given them up for the right to freeze to death.
Nice one WCs,
I was at that game actually, and the faithful actually started singing the away team’s name in the 2nd half to give them a bit of encouragement they were getting that badly pounded.
Too many actuallys, should read back before posting.
An tearman
If Scottish football is not now in long term terminal decline I don’t know how else to describe it.
Ernie Lynch
So supporters who follow their clubs through thick and thin regardless of weather and misgovernance would stop going because conditions were a bit more pleasant?
For anyone who thought that with FIFA being under a bit of pressure re corruption, Qatar, etc – think again. As others on here put it very succinctly, you couldn’t mark their necks with a blowtorch
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/sports/2014/06/22/New-revelations-Further-corruption-among-FIFA-s-execs.html
AR
BhoyfromSky
23:48 on
22 June, 2014
Yes she is having a wee giggly, she has a relative who played in goals for Celtic … Went by the name of Frank …. He took a penalty against Aberdeen when we were beating them 8-0 (I think it was) and he missed it.
*the keeper who saved the penalty was a young Dumbarton lad who lived less than 100 yards from Evan Williams. He now lives in Oz and I believe he is friendly with Wispy out there.
Sadly he lost 9 goals at Wembley and was never forgiven ….. Personally I blamed the two diddly full backs that day
*he was crucified between 2 thieves. Scotland’s best player that day was big Billy.
….. He soon emigrated to Australia and don’t know what happened to him after that…
*got into acting and singing on the cabaret circuit.
Morning all.
I have not been able to see any of the BBC Alba documentary on Jock Stein.
BBC iPlayer doesn’t work on my PC.
Is there any other way to access it or see it?
Thanks in advance.
HH
RWE
try this
http://vimeo.com/97800904
Auldheid
13:03 on 23 June, 2014
‘Ernie Lynch
So supporters who follow their clubs through thick and thin regardless of weather and misgovernance would stop going because conditions were a bit more pleasant?’
###
I seem to have misunderstood the proposition.
I thought the idea of moving to summer football was to attract more fans, not retain the existing ones.
But even then I’m pretty sure (and obviously I’m only talking for my own experience) a number of those who regularly attend at the moment would be going to fewer games in the summer. Wife and weans wanting to go to the beach, get the hoose painted, garden done etc etc etc.
auldheid- i would give it a try but Sky/BT are our paymasters,they promote rugby tests,cricket etc in summer.Wimbledon,Open Golf,i agree that diehards like us will go to CP, but i think with holidays,other attractions/ distractions,i think it would only mean we are going to games in better weather,not gaining more fans through the gate.HH
A few years back Cristian Ronaldo played in an exhibition game at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium. Toronto has a pretty large Portuguese community with a high percentage hailing from the Azores, where he comes from.
After the game CR ran off the park snubbing all the young fans who had come to see him. He repeated this on leaving the stadium.
A bit of J. Arthur Ranker.
Ernie
The woman would just need to find another man to cut their grass in the summer.
MWD says AYE
We could have had an easier draw.This looks more like a 3rd qualifier.Still,SHOULD not be a problem.
No statement yet from Celtic condemning Haughey and Reid using club’s name to not only further a political aim. but doing so in a denominational newspaper.
ernie lynch
13:09 on
23 June, 2014
But even then I’m pretty sure (and obviously I’m only talking for my own experience) a number of those who regularly attend at the moment would be going to fewer games in the summer. Wife and weans wanting to go to the beach, get the hoose painted, garden done etc etc etc.
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well as a part time completely non-qualified marriage guidance counselor, i think if you were to ask yourself the question what came first, your love for celtic or your wife/weans, then that will sort out your dilema about going to watch the hoops during the summer
Im sure you have big enough cahunas explain that to said wife, just dont tell her i suggested it :)
A summer football scenario.
Your smart ST provides the right to buy additional kids tickets either per match per kid or for say £50 per season or £5 per match that you can buy on line up to 1 hour before KO and be seated together.
It’s a lovely summer night, The Celtic Way has picnic tables under tents with barbecues ready( it’s a Scottish summer no Barbados after all).
Wimbledon is on the TV or maybe a test match. The wife is suggesting the grass needs cut.
You can
a) stay at home
b) bugger off to CP taking kids with you at reasonable cost.
What do you do and does wife qualify for an extra seat at kids price?
Tontine Tim
13:05 on
23 June, 2014
BhoyfromSky
23:48 on
22 June, 2014
Yup. Scottish media has always been reluctant to comment on Shearer and Caldow’s roles that day.
If I recall correctly, only a week or so earlier, they were part of a Rangers’ defence that shipped five or six goals to Aberdeen.
tontine tim,
Frank Haffey was a guest at the Southern Hemisphere convention here in Perth in 1999 along with Billy McNeill, Jim Craig and Willie Wallace, it was a great weekend with golf, dinner dance and a Q & A session. Frank provided a few anecdotal tales but mainly laughs and a bit of cabaret, a great Celtic weekend with Tims from all over Oz, NZ, South Africa, Singapore and beyond.
AR
Quanno
Do you think Celtic will prosper in an independent Scotland by removing the best argument we have for playing in a UK league ie Swansea with average gates of 20k?
I think that is the real question and the debate should be if we are Better Together then how come Swansea are getting a better deal?
Our new manager will get on well with the icelanders also whale murdering bastards
whitedoghunch
Thank you very much.
Settling down to watch it now.
HH