Going by the looks of the photographs coming out of Romania today Ronny Deila and his players will be going a culture shock; the Stadionul Marin Anastasovici isn’t the Camp Nou, our more familiar European haunt.
The industrial surroundings should set a tone for the players, though, and industrial performance is required tonight, where the attributes of effort, attention to detail and strength of character are required.
Astra surprised many of us at Celtic Park last month. After their capitulation to Dinamo Zagreb they were supposed to be the whipping boys of the group, but they can play and extended Celtic more than any domestic challenger would be able to.
A victory would be an enormous boost to our season, and to the development of Ronny’s first Celtic squad. Question is, are we ready yet?
Ignorance of causality
Sometime between when the link between tobacco and cancer was suggested, and when it was proven, cigarette manufacturers mocked the research by pointing to a study which linked dental hygiene with cancer.
A perfectly valid piece of research found that – in their sample – the group who brushed their teeth daily had less cancers. In any research you would expect random links, which is why the medical industry requires many studies before concluding on a linkage or treatment.
Yesterday Community Safety Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, told the Scottish Parliament that recent years has seen decreases in religious hatred crimes at football, which she attributes to the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act., which she informed us we spend £3m per year enforcing. That’s a lot of police overtime to pluck fans out of their beds at 4am.
I respectfully disagree. Ms Cunningham is blind to causality. Top flight football in Scotland these past few years is a completely different place than it was previously. The change had nothing to do with her government’s “horribly drafted” [Sherriff Richard Davidson] legislation.
She knows this, of course, but the landscape has changed over the last year. The Scottish Government received an independent report on the Act in December last year but refused to debate it in Parliament or at committee. This is unsurprising as the issue could have been toxic at a sensitive time.
Jim Murphy yesterday pledged to scrap the Act “right away”, adding “Sectarianism is a deep rooted and hate filled long-term problem in Scotland. It was allowed to fester and grow over many decades. Shamefully it was celebrated by a minority and silently tolerated by far too many”.
No other political party supported the Act, so it will not survive a change of government, but going by the polls that day could be a long way off. That £3m per year is lubricating a lot of wheels, but the real cost is the politically motivated criminalisation of the non-intolerant innocent in order to “equalise” them with the absolutely intolerant.
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K..O planned for 6 but may be suspended thereafter
at least uefa wont be able to see the green brigade banners
BT sports now saying game could be called off soon after starting.
Ruggyman………….we could also play badly…….and win. Now that would be nice
Make a ******* decision ref
So game off if advertising can’t be seen by cameras, apparently football has nothing to so with it then
Sack the boards!
Stupid to start if they think it won’t last long, better giving it till 6-30 (CPT) to see if it clears before starting
Ah Approve o’ Ronny’s Team Selection, for tonight.
Essspeshulleeee!
Young McCormick’s! (MCGREGOR!… MCGREGOR!!!!…ed)
Whitevah!
Watch this Lad.. Ah hiv done so.. n.. Ah Am beginning tae warm tae Him.
Ronny Knows.. Ye Know!
Yes.. Ah expect Young McGregor.. tae shine..in the Gloom.. tonicht!
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
(Ye didnae think that ye wid Get riidda Me.. So Easileeee?
Didya..?????????????????
excathedra44
17:11 on
6 November, 2014
Hearing now its off despite earlier optimism. Friday 11AM.
===============================================
Why do you post this unless you know its off?
I’m wondering whether to leave work or stay on and you’re not helping mate.
The game is off due to perfect condiction for Scottish referees training at the stadium. The SFA takes whole Astra stadium.
give it an hour after the official kick off time. if its still not playable then call it off and book me into the pub at 11am tomorrow!
Latest pictures live from the stadium: http://figsandivy.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/grey1.jpg
@CelticFC – officials checking conditions.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1xkM_IIEAAc6Bd.jpg
Polite notice,
Unless you know for sure…..stfu.
OK it wasn’t all that polite.
Any win Hankray and they can play as badly as they like.
This is going to be a tough week. Game up at Pittodrie after this…. Delia is either going to be a genius or a clown depending on a couple of results.
Maybe a genius clown
The game is
a bogey? SFACSC
Like many others I’m reflecting what came from the various media sources,in an effort to keep people without the benefit of TV,Twitter access up to date
Really Dis-appointed you choose to have a pop, but I guess there’s always one.
Very rare they cancel a uefa game
Last one I know of was juventus v galatasary
They played in the afternoon the next day
Rapper?
Ha ha I’m feeling more nerves just now than I will throughout the game (if on)
Michael Douglas film?
Set pieces will be very important tonight, VVD and Lustig to get a goal apiece
Looks like Guidetti won’t be mist tonight after all !
30mins to KO, and still nothing definitive on Celtic’s fishal twitter feed.
Stuart Slater first goal…..
Andy Payton with 92mins winner
Who knows if the game will go ahead.
I haven’t got the foggiest.
Oh dear
Kojo returns to lift the doom & gloom.
Kojo?
I see no Kojo
InaHoratioNelsonStylee
Zombies love staggering out of big banks of fog. (In movies, anyway)
Welcome back, Kojo.
JJ
PS Cheerio for now.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
17:18 on 6 November, 2014
I was just thinking of the UEFA game that went ahead last year for TV on a waterlogged park
that in normal conditions would have been abandoned.
lct
The cameras can show the waterlogged pitch. Fog is a bit less visual 0:-)
Corkcelt
Hiya~ Pally?
Great tae Greet.. ye.
Tonight, We Celebrate… No Doot. at awe.
Kojo
Still Laughin’… Like.. well.. HELL!
Jungle Jim
Thanks,palomine..
Anybuddy, Evah tellya..
That..
Ye ur a Nice Fellah?
Well..
Ah am Tellin’ ye Now!
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Haar! Haar! the Celts are here…………………….
or somewhere?
Fog ,is Still..
Very..well..
THREATENIN’…
Iffy.. ??
Definitely.
Kojo