Kilmarnock remarkable defence and form

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And from nowhere, our return to Celtic Park is to play the league leaders: Kilmarnock.  Steve Clarke has a quiet demeanour but however he projects his ideas on the training field, he is vastly more effective than (arguably) any other manager in the country.  Our record against Kilmarnock under Clarke is two draws and two defeats.  For a club that spent half a century getting roundly spanked at Celtic Park, that is a remarkable stat.

Four wins in four games, all with clean sheets, means Killie will be confident of limiting Celtic to few genuine chances, especially when they review video from Wednesday’s game at Fir Park.  It is, therefore, more important that we move the ball quickly and our passing game as as crisp as possible.  This means a midfield with Christie, McGregor and Rogic.

Odsonne Eduard will lead the line on Thursday against Salzburg, but I am split on whether he or Leigh Griffiths will be best up front tomorrow.  I would be tempted to play Leigh but suspect the manager will go with Odsonne.

We held a halftime lead at Rugby Park earlier in the season before losing in the final seconds of the game.  Dropping three points from a winning position is always a sore one, the players will hopefully revisit that feeling tomorrow.

Celtic FC Foundation Christmas Appeal Bucket Collection

The Foundation undertakes work from Haiti to North Glasgow, but the Christmas Appeal concentrates on those in the UK and Ireland who need help at this time in particular.  The many homeless who need cover and will benefit from a warm meal.  The families with children without enough money to put food on the table and heat their home.

Those of us who live ‘normal’ economic lives will find extreme poverty is impossible to fully comprehend.  Because of the Foundation, some homeless will be warmer, some children will receive gifts and feel like a normal child for once.

As you enter Celtic Park tomorrow you will see people shaking a bucket to collect for the Foundation.  Bring some money along.  The magnificent work of the Foundation is yours, done in your name, fulfilling the cause of your club.

Be a part of it and tell your pals to do the same.  Thank you.

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326 Comments

  1. Last few AICSC calendars for sale. Makes a great stocking filler. £7 each. Leave a message and I’ll catch up at the corner at 2.30pm tomorrow.

  2. TET

     

    Yes it was a puzzle to me why all the talk of without fear or favour, those days are gone and the dossier disappeared quickly.

  3. Lots of posts about bad refereeing.Nothing about Brendan excusing them saying they have a hard job today.

     

    Sack The Board .

  4. Quick update on my young cousin…..

     

    He just text to say everything went well. WTF?

     

    Needlessly to say we’re in ‘67 having a wake for his kidney. ??????

     

    Hail Hail

  5. Delaneys Dunky on

    OneMalloy

     

    Can I offer my condolences.

     

    Prayed for your Uncle Davie and still will.

     

    YNWA

  6. Turkeybhoy,

     

     

    An excellent point that epitomises Brendan as being a Different Class.

     

     

    He is Genuinely trying to change Hearts and Minds behind the scenes.

     

     

    Whilst He wins Everything going Domestically.

  7. Delaneys Dunky on

    Pete

     

    Hope you are playing Natural Rebel, Richard Ashcroft’s new album in work. It’s a Belter

     

    YNWA

  8. Sipsini – thanks. I will post this up again.

     

    ——————————————————–

     

    Saturday 7th December 1968

     

     

    I was 9 years old.

     

     

    My Dad Joseph worked in Singers of Clydebank and often worked a Saturday morning in the factory as overtime to provide that little additional income. He would finish at 12.00 and be back home about 12.50. My Mum Margaret would have soup and a sandwich ready and she normally then went into Glasgow for afternoon shopping with me sometimes tagging along. My price was an Airfix model and a bag of chips for the way home. Other times, I stayed with my Dad to watch Grandstand or World of Sport and listen to the radio to hear the Scottish football commentary.

     

     

    This Saturday he came home to find me wittering excitedly about Celtic’s game with St. Mirren that afternoon. I had not yet been to a Celtic game as he had introduced me to football via local juniors Glasgow Perthshire and Ashfield and then Partick Thistle.

     

     

    Spur of the moment decision. You know what come next!

     

     

    Quick lunch for him; quick getting ready for me; bus from Lambhill to town; bus to Gallowgate.

     

     

    It was a typical dull, dark December day at a time when Glasgow was dull and dark with soot stained buildings everywhere. I remember nothing exceptional about the journey except that he told me that I may hear things sung that he would not want me to repeat. To this day, I have never engaged in songs about some topics which have been aired at Celtic Park and I never will.

     

     

    He guided me as we approached the Jungle/”Celtic End” turnstiles and the throngs of people until I got a lift over. The official crowd was 47,000 but the real attendance was 47,001.

     

     

    We went to the corner of the “Celtic End” just under front of the cover which went about 2/3rds of the way down the terracing. (I now sit in section 443 which is pretty much above that stance)

     

     

    We only got there a few minutes before kick-off so the atmosphere had already built up. I gazed around the crowds, just overwhelmed by them and listened to the singing and chanting every time it broke out.

     

     

    As the teams came out, I finally saw John Fallon, Jim Craig, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch, Billy McNeill, Jim Brogan, Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Lennox, Steve Chalmers, Tommy Callaghan and John Hughes. My favourite Willie Wallace came on later for Yogi which just completed my perfect day.

     

     

    The Celtic team was rampant. Constant attacking; constant shots at goal. The man of the match was Dennis Connaghan, the St. Mirren goalkeeper. He kept the score down to 5 (Chalmers 2, Johnstone, Hughes and Gemmell)

     

     

    To a small boy, it looked easy. (How I thought back to that day in the nineties).

     

     

    That was it for me – confirmation that I would be hooked for life (as if anything other could have been pre-ordained).

     

     

    I went home very happy and wanted Monday morning to come so that I could finally let my pals know that I had been to a Celtic match.

     

     

    So, a great memory of 50 years ago today and I will re-live the experience tomorrow as I walk the last part of the journey to Celtic Park for the game with high-flying Kilmarnock.

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    CT

     

    Looking for a standing section ticket for Travis at Hydro on Friday 21st December.

     

    Your man was a star for RA at Barrowlands.

     

    Thanks pal Magical

     

    YNWA

  10. Garry,

     

     

    I’ll have a lot of his tracks on the playlist when I go back to work in 2019, gonnae leave 2018 with my current playlist.

     

     

    I hope we get that Magical 8 Titles Garry. I really hope we do.

     

     

    SBTJ.CSC

  11. i'vehadtochangemymind on

    Extreme hun alert -sorry but the tory party internecine dynamics are raising old demons. The eternal scum Cromwell came to old Ireland to use ‘Colonel Hunger’ against anything Catholic. Still alive and well Priti! may you join Thatcher roasting the shi* out of the medieval ass of Oliver

     

     

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46488479

  12. MiT

     

    Thanks very much for that. Most illuminating.I look forward to the possibility of you taking on the SFA becoming a reality.

     

    Thanks again.

     

     

    JJ

  13. prestonpans bhoys on

    Killie mates asked me if we should go for a pint before the game, was going to take them to the Turnstilles?

  14. MiT

     

    `Monopsony` a market situation in which there is only one buyer.`

     

     

    I`ve been in a few pub situations where that has occurred !

     

    Cheerio for now.

     

    JJ

  15. Only empty seats get respect.

     

    Sinn Fein emptied the Stormont seats and, brought the, bigoted, corrupt house down.

     

    Two years later, a united Ireland is within their grasp!

     

    Magical. √

     

    Thats what “real” rebels do.

     

    None of this, paying yer money to a corrupt entity who’ll, jump into bed with another corrupt entity, then they’ll conspire to mugg you off.

     

    Sinn Fein are the bench mark, that Celtic supporters have to ascribe to.

     

    Better to have no Scoattish football, than to have a Scoattish football, that you pay into to keep afloat on one hand, then on the other hand, it is stacked against you and criminalize’s your fellow supporters.

     

    Ye know, I’ve often wondered how all of this jiggery poakery will end, and where it will leave Celtic and its supporters. I’ve come to the conclusion that, within the next, let’s say, five 5 years, brexit will have happened, Ireland will be unified at last, leading to 000’s of dangerous Ulster-Scots making their way to live in Scotland, making Scoatlind, a very dangerous place for Celtic FC, Celtic Park, the Celtic Way, and all of it’s trappings, but, most important of all, what would the future look like, for Celtic supporters in Scoatlind ?

     

    Well, the answer is, I don’t know!

     

    But, here’s the thing, some of you, or all of you, might think that what I’m about to say is a little bit crazy, or just normal from me.

     

    Well, its like this, I’ve always loved the Wolfetones, for me, their my, educating, guiding light’s, in all Irish matters. The Wolfetones, are my ultimate counsellors, I’ll be guided by their light, till I can see no more.

     

    For me, the Wolfetones aren’t just musicians, no, their not. The Wolfetones are Irish prophet’s, mapping out the future, and cradling the past. I’m an old fogey who canny do, links and things, but, if any of you can spare five minutes, there is one of my favorites from the Wolfetone’s, it is called – “The Flight Of The Earl’s.” In that song, there is bit of a lyric, that goes —

     

     

    “….and if we see better day’s, those big aeroplanes go both ways, and we’ll all be coming home to you, again.”

     

     

    Its a song that’s been reappearing at the back of my mind lately, making me wonder why, its like, one of my old aunties or, uncles is playing that song on their old record players up in heaven, to try to catch attention and give a hint that, that scenario from that song, is what is about to happen to all Celtic supporters in the, not too distant future, again, I don’t know how it will work, but, its like, someone from up above, is trying to explain, the full ramifications of, brexit!

     

    United Ireland. √

     

    Ulster-Scots back to Scotland. √

     

    Irish-Scots back to Ireland, including, Celtic supporters, Celtic FC, Celtic Park, the Celtic Way and all of its trappings. √

     

    If all of the above is going to happen, maybe there is someone waiting in the wing’s to make a movie.

     

    Anywye,…….. HH

     

     

    Nurse! Nurse!

     

     

     

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  16. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Jimmynotpaul, thanks for the update on thr Junior cup draw.

     

     

    I just messaged the hippo there telling him I hope he does not enjoy himself too much tomorrow.

     

     

    It could be our toughest league game so far this season against Kilmarnock .

  17. mike in toronto on

    Hot Smoked @8:40

     

     

    … it takes a keen mind to make law (and particularly competition law) humorous …well done!

  18. Dallas.

     

    You’re welcome.

     

    Did you see Sandy being interviewed by Luke Stanley on Sky, the piece was over 3 minutes.

     

    Hail Hail