It will be off to Latvia to face Riga or, assuming they do not unexpectedly lose at home in the second round to Tre Fiori from San Marino. Riga lost their first round Champions League match away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv and went out at the same stage a year ago to Dundalk on penalties, before losing their Europa League play-off tie 3-2 on aggregate to Copenhagen, who went on to eliminate Celtic by a greater margin.
It is a tie we will win if we get everything right and will lose if there is anything remotely half-arsed going on. Riga are 17 games into their domestic season; be prepared, Celtic.
Watching the goals this morning from the 0-2 win at Ibrox a year ago today brought a reminder of where we were the morning of that game. Facing the perennial Summer Cup Champions [no, it’s not wartime] at their own place, having been turfed out of the Champions League by Cluj, we faced the longest odds for a league win in seven years.
That setup what may be become a fourth consecutive treble. Cluj hurt the bank balance but European credentials were restored with wins over Lazio and Rennes. We could do with a big game, a bit win, now.
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Latvia has not benefited greatly from membership of the EU. Mass privatisation of publicly owned industries, followed by by the inevitable asset stripping, (see locomotive, paper et al), leading to unemployment and export of young workers to Germany and elsewhere, public services now nearly all under private provision, including pharmacy and medical provision with the elderly left with limited pension coverage etc etc. That said they did achieve freedom of movement, ie freedom to find a better life elsewhere. Belarus next in the EU-USA firing line, and NATO to Russia’s borders. George (X) Kennan lives on despite being dead for years. Or, in other words, as good a draw as we could have hope for.
BIG WAVY
i PRESUME TAX PAYERS
but not legal expert try and avoid the courts winky eye thing
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BIG WAVY on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 1:13 PM
JC2
Who pays these comp bills as a matter of interest?
Just seen the crappy spfl team of the week and them’s goalie (not McShagger) gets in it for a game against accies. Accies had 5 shots at goal and only 2 on target. What a joke! Ye couldnae make it up…..
SCANIEL:
Lol I saw that and had a good laugh about it. Ridiculous.
Team of the week…..
Eff the goalie, I wanna know more about that Ambrose fella at Livi who played as a left sided CH.
Is he any good ?
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 1:28 PM
Riga – as opposed to Skonto Riga who are now deceased following ‘financial difficulties’
====================================
Surely you mean “Skinto” Riga. 😂
HH
HOT SMOKED on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 3:49 PM
ernie lynch
” Because he is so well remunerated for the job he does would be my guess.”
If so, that should aplly to well paid players…..but it doesn`t
###
There’s a constant churn among the squad with players joining and players leaving. As a consequence they get paid what they’re worth in the market.
That does’t apply to Peter Lawwell whose pay seems to be a little out of kilter for the role he has.
Really delighted with our signings this transfer window so far. Barkas, Elyounoussi, Turnbull, Ajeti and now Duffy. All we need is a left wing back and we are good to go, providing we don’t sell any of our big hitters.
Would like us to sell Bolingoli and Taylor. Neither are close to Celtic standard.
If I remember correctly, in the mid 90s or thereabouts Aberdeen metSkonto in the Eufa Cup. The first leg in Latvia was a 0-0 draw. What was amazing was that Skonto travelled for 3 days overland by coach and knocked Aberdeen out on the away goals rule after A 1-1 draw.
TEUCHTER ÁR LÁ on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 4:17 PM
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 1:28 PM
Surely you mean “Skinto” Riga. 😂
============
B’dum-tchhh ;-)
HH
BGFC
HH
This international break is torture already. Why can’t teams themselves just decide to schedule fixtures.
Ernie,
Your initial point was a suggestion that PL should perhaps get the sack if the team plays badly.
You’re now on about his pay as CEO, which may or may not be out of kilter, depending on your view of his Value / success in the CEO role
Two different things.
Scaniel & James Forrest
You think the Scottish media & the Scottish establishment gives our 17% a raw deal now – the phrase “you ain’t seen nothing yet” would be tame in the extremely unlikely event of independence & separation from the UK.
Many of us, deprived of our Catholic education, one of the very first casualties, and a purposeful eroding of our culture by a bigger & stronger enemy in a much smaller population, will have probably decided that it’s “time to go home” – no serenading necessary, to what will probably be a united Ireland by that time.
When the “powers of darkness” dust themselves down after an independence defeat – they will re-group, organise, infiltrate & take the control of the country that their overwhelming majority demands. The SNP will be long-gone. They can’t run the country, build a ferry, open a hospital, or, improve education, with a multi-billion pound safety-net, they ain’t gonna front-up to the basket-case & bankrupt Scotland they have given birth to – a foster carer will be immediately required
The OO, the Masonic Lodge, the Wee Frees & their vast latent following, will form at least one DUP-styled party & seek power. If you think that the present-day SNP act like a cult…..
“You ain’t seen nothing yet”
St Stivs
Then why would we need the SPFL and the SFA? Wait, ……You may be on to something. 😂
Following up on yesterday’s debate which occurred while I was doing my Percy Thrower.
Celtic 5 Buddies 2 SC 2nd Replay, that morning my da woke me as he was leaving for work. “Meet me the night at the Estate Bridge, we’re going tae the game”, if it was on that is.
Due tae inclement weather it had been postponed on the Thursday night, this was following a 4-4 draw at Parkheid on the Wednesday night and the replay scheduled for the following night, WTF couldnae run a ménage right enough.
However this much postponed game was finally played on the Monday night, even though both clubs requested it be on the Saturday but were denied as some 3rd Round ties were being played.
The Monday night game was played in rain as the weather had broken and the frost relented and what a game it was, the “left back Neilly Mochan converted tae centre ala Ryan Christie” was actually a centre/inside forward who had also played as a left winger, 7-1 game, before temporarily filling in at left back, don’t forget that Tommy Burns played left back early in his career and cup winning left back Andy Lynch was signed as a left winger, good players tend tae dae that “if you know your history”.
Neilly had been playing at inside left in the games leading up tae the cup but was then switched to centre with Johnny Divers partnering him on his left. This move paid off as after being 1-3 down at Parkheid in the replay urged on by Neilly and Johnny we managed a 4-4 tie with both players grabbing a brace.
However that dreich windswept Monday night wee Neilly was the star with a nap hand ably assisted either side of him by the speedy John Colrain and Johnny Divers tearing the Buddies defence apart.
The highlight for a wee bhoy standing in the enclosure that night was the Celtic chorus in full voice chanting “oh when the saints go marching out”.
This was payback to 10 month earlier when the Buddies fans serenaded us with “oh when the saints go marching in” as we were well and truly skelped by a St Mirren side containing 2 players who should have been Celts, Gerry Baker and Tommy Bryceland put us to the sword that sunny afternoon at the national stadium, the latter would do so again a couple of years later, but that’s another story.
Arabs 4 Celtic 5, wisnae at that game as although still in school and it was still the middle of winter and a riot up at the city of discovery a couple of months earlier ensued I was never getting tae go there.
Seemingly a young Celtic supporter died while in police custody so the drink fueled and inflamed support lost the plot, well that’s how the SMSM saw it.
The following week a gym teacher who was anti-Celtic posted the front page of one of the tabloids highlighting Celtic hooliganism on the school message board at the front entrance, his family owned a holy shop in Dumbarton High Street so this wasn’t a sectarian gesture just didnae like us or any of the pupils wearing Celtic scarves, even though the school colours were green and gold.
Anyway, his boss, the head gym teacher, covered it with a poster of Johnny Divers labelled school hero much tae the delight of all us young Tims, the message seemed tae be try removing that.
A young Celtic side more than matched the league leaders and potential champions that afternoon but eventually lost to a late Alan Gilzean goal. The only consolation that week was the signing of a young Motherwell supporting centre half fae Coltness United although it was as a left back where he would make a name for us.
So that afternoon watching Grandstand we were shocked tae here we had led 3-1 at the half, just after the HT results were given out a wee newsflash came through, it was now 4-1, back came David Coleman on the hour mark with 5-1.
This was a Celtic defence of Haffey, Mackay and Kennedy, Crerand, McNeil and Price, 5 internationals, and yet we only managed tae hold on at the end. Only comment fae my da was “mugs nearly let us down”.
BTW a wee bit of useless trivia here, Tarbolton born Billy Price was at one time sine died fae the game, this I believe was due tae some transfer irregularity, although nothing tae do with us. He is also credited with inspiring the Celtic chant “Cel-tic! Cel-tic! Cha-Cha-Cha!”
The club actually did let us down a couple of month later when after gubbin St Mirren, again, at Love Street on the Monday night 5-0 the semi was lost after about half an hour when we went 3 down, chief architects of this Buddies victory were, Tommy Bryceland and the Juggler who we had just released 4 month earlier. Incidentally Willie’s debut for the bhoys was also against St Mirren in a 1-0 win from the bhoys at Love Street.
Hibs 3 Celtic 5, the Joe McGoals show ably abetted by the wee mhan against a wonderful Hibbee side containing Pat Stanton, former Dundee European hero Alan Cousin first Scotsman tae score at the San Siro, Jimmy O’Rourke, peter cormack who turned us down, alan mcgraw who did the same, jim scott brother of hun winger alice and “we don’t need yer colin stein, we’ve got Harry Harry Hood, hauf the money and twice as good”.
After going one down in 10 minutes we led 4-2 at the half and before Hibs grabbed their 3rd we were 5-2 up.
Dunfermline 4 Celtic 5, six weeks later and we’re at East End Park, 6 of our team had played for the national side on the Wednesday night against the black north in an EC qualifying match.
Again this was a very good Pars side containing former Celt Bent Martin, Willie Callaghan, Roy Barry, Pat Delaney and Sir Furious.
After less than 40 minutes we are 1-3 down before the wee mhan grabbed us a lifeline 2 minutes from the half. But shortly intae the second half Sir Furious put them back in the 2 goal lead.
However this was Jock’s Celtic who never gave up and pummeled them as they visibly tired with wee ten thirty and Joe McGoals tying the game and then with a minute to goal big Tiny gives us a penalty, actually it would have been rather difficult if he hadn’t as Roy Kevin Barry pushed a Stevie goal bound header over the bar, probably be seen as an honest mistake today, up steps Joe tae give us all 2 points and the Tims head back down the one road singing along, singing a Soldiers Song.
There’s a constant dripping noise in my head but no visible evidence of water dripping, then it dawned on me that it’s The BBC’s Hun tears I continually hear. Check out the report on our European draw, how many snide comments can you find.
JHB:
Lol I love how you turned that into a political point when I wasn’t making one!
But since you ask, let me just say this.
I’ve heard that shabby, tired argument a million and one times in the last ten years. It never gets less amusing. Because it has so many fundamental misjudgements in it, but none bigger than this:
Why do you believe that the Peepul who couldn’t save the foremost institution in their world, who let Whyte buy them for a quid, who let Green walk in and grab the assets, who bought into the Survival and Victim Lies and who fall for scams like MyGers and believed Castore would deliver quality and without a hitch … who do you believe that these folk have it in them to snatch control of an independent Scotland?
If we get that we’ll run the table my friend. We are smarter, better educated, more sophisticated, we have guts and vision and stamina. What was it Jack Nicholson’s character says in The Departed?” Twenty years after an Irishman couldn’t get a job we had the Presidency …”
And it was true over there and it’s just as true here.
Do you really believe that those of us who’ve made it and done well in this country in spite of the institutional bigotry would roll over if we won that biggest battle of all and seperated it from the flag and the crown and all the other paraphenalia that they cling to?
Not a chance in Hell. Have more faith in us than that.
JHB
Not plausible at all.I keep going back to the words of the immortal Catain Mainwaring,of Dads Army
“Quite frankly Jones,you are entering the realms of fantasy there”.
JHB on 1st September 2020 4:43 pm
Big Bare Bums.
So Duffy hasn’t signed yet and Tom Rogic hasn’t left – have I missed anything.
JHB on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 4:43 PM
Piss off back to your alt right grief hole you low life Tory troll.
JHB
“I ain’t read nothing yet”in your incessant posts on politics that would make me blink an eye.
Give it a rest.
JF
Not wishing to get involved with the independence debate – however as I understand it the SNP want to keep the monarchy as head of state.
As I live in England I haven’t got a dog in the fight.
31003 on 31ST AUGUST 2020 10:42 PM
First team for league and Euro duties only
____________________________________________-
This would give sevco a free run at both cups – almost certainly leading to a display of triumphalism the likes of which you will never have seen before.🙁
No, that would not cheer me up.
NB Who are these ‘CHUMPS’ the blog has been slandering?
GENE:
The SNP will not be a factor in that lol.
That’ll be up to the People of Scotland at a later date.
The SNP are a means to an end.
They’ll get the referendum, and help get us over the line.
But I don’t expect them to be the foremost party in an independent Scotland for long.
With proportional representation we really are going to run the table.
DELANEYS DONKEY,
Nope,sorry,not having that about Taylor.Next year maybe.At this moment,boy doing very well.Long may it continue.Can only see him get better.
TT that 5-2 game was my first ever game at Celtic Park. I was nine at the time so don’t remember too much detail except being amazes at how tall the Celtic goalie ,Frank Haffey?, was.
James Forrest.
Take a bow.👍
GENE on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 5:03 PM]
I genuinely feel sorry for you mate. The UK is heading towards a Putin style ‘democracy’ but at least Scotland has a chance to escape. I know that already thousands of the more educated/talented are leaving England in their droves and I would do the same if I lived there (not that I am especially talented but I can see the writing on the wall). Maybe you should consider it? A no deal brexit edged closer again today which means another step towards the destruction of the NHS.
@ 4.51. Sorry
JF
Good luck with that – I’d love to see the labour party in England take more of a open republican stance. But won’t happen the firm is back in control – Megan sidelined and Andrew tucked away.
ERNIE,
Who is this Peter Lawell you speak of? How much does he get paid ?
International football should have been parked for at least 12 months,travel,leagues all over the place etc
Jhb. I agree. After independence we will be living in a bigger version of the six counties. The biggest difference is that we are a very small minority. We live in the most anti catholic country in the world and the bigotry and sectarianism will only get worse. There are hundreds of anti catholic parades (please don’t call them orange walks) in scotland every year. This is the country we inhabit in the year 2020.
BADA,
Was thinking that myself.Absolute farce players trekking all over Europe.The same people rearranged the CL Europa,into a viable,successful,conclusion,yet go all out against the ideas that permitted that to happen.
Madness.Money.
Oh dear.
The British Unionist troll is on.
Time to log off.
Cap doffer Quick News.
Cowardly Quick News.
“That’ll be up to <the People of Scotland at a later date”
have always found that term alarming,
no offence to James Forrest, its a widely used phrase,
it has a very ominous ring to it, maybe its just me 😐
Go tell the Spartim @ 4:50pm:
Acting on your recommendation, I did check out that BBC report. This bit in particular caught my eye:
`Celtic were beaten 2-0 away, but scraped through 5-4 on aggregate.`
We won 5-2 at Home and that was scraping through?
What about: Celtic were beaten 2-0 Away but showed their superiority a week later in a resounding 5-2 Home victory.