Leo lots to do to match Diego

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Netherlands thumping Spain 5-1 seems like a season ago.  We’ve had 24 different World Cup-match days since then, during which time most of us have watched close to a season’s worth of football.  The dethroning of Spain, in such dramatic fashion, was an early portent of what we were in store for.  Brazil’s humiliation at the hands of Germany provided one of the most memorable football events of our times.

While everyone seems to have nominated the competition as the best ever, the football has been of variable quality.  Lots of strong football countries failed to show, including Spain, Italy and England.  Africa promised early on, then fell.  Russia gave no indication they were on-schedule to give the performance of a lifetime when they host the tournament in four years.

Brazil reached the semi-finals but this will surely be known as one of the worst Brazilian teams ever.  Argentina have reached their first final in 24 years ago, but I can’t figure out how they made it.  Performances against Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium and then Netherlands never convinced we were watching eventual winners.  The best they have achieved, so far, is a single goal victory.

Belgium’s golden generation were a mere shadow of their less-fancied Dutch neighbours, who under-promised and over-delivered, again.  Germany are the team who deserve to take the trophy, and although Lionel Messi finds himself in a World Cup Final this evening, on the basis of what we’ve seen over the last four weeks, he’s no Diego Maradona.

Enjoy the final, the real stuff starts in two days.

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  1. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    So there I am, on my own ,minding my own business, watching the game in my local with some beers because I don’t keep drink in the house.

     

     

    Two geezers stand in front of me. Black t-shirts, backs are top, middle, bottom – 2014, made-up 13th century portrait, what would Wallace do?

     

     

    Separately, I tap them to say, ” he’d put the ball in the net and Celtic would be 1 up”.

     

     

    Zilch.

     

     

    What, not even a smile?

  2. Drambowiecelt on

    @Tri if a wee band were doing this live tnite I’d say they

     

    were a big bhoys band ——— superb.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    H.H.

  3. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    thebhoywithmcgraininhisside

     

    01:32 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

    Just catching up.

     

    macjay1 for neil lennon

     

    23:04 on 13 July, 2014

     

    To steal liberally from Jeremy Hardy… a brit is a member of the occupying forces of northern ireland. Celtic are a football club;)

     

    ———————————————————————————————————–

     

    Jeremy Hardy……..the ultimate arbiter of English ( Oh,sheiz.Is that word acceptable or will it require further prolonged introverted introspective analysis ?) usage ?

  4. macjay

     

     

    I’m off to my bed now but, very quickly…

     

     

    You can select your atrocities to suit.

     

     

    Britain invented the concentration camp in our war against the Boer. Belgium, under Leopold, another Saxe-Coburg monarch, slaughtered in the Congo. Germany, prior to WW1 had far less blood on its hands but all of the monarchical empires wanted to invade elsewhere and exploit the natives and their raw goods.

     

     

    Britain was first in the field and wanted to protect its position. A wee bit of local conflict in the Balkans provided a straw to break the back of any diplomatic camel.

     

     

    WW1 was a continuation of several previous wars of expansion and territory during the heyday of the nation state. The Allied Powers of WW1 was just as guilty of atrocity but we got to write the official history as winners, thanks to the Yanks coming in when all other sides had exhausted their armies and their treasuries.

     

     

    Only WW2 had a moral cause. The other wars had the same morality as a gang fight.

  5. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    HT,

     

    Things are good pal.

     

    A few lads on here have lost their parents this last week.

     

    Now that’s tough.

     

    No grumbling from me mate.Take care chief.

  6. Margaret McGill on

    This was one of my favorite World Cups ever. Over and above all the great football and surprises

     

    International teams I love to see beat are

     

    Argentina

     

    Uruguay

     

    England

     

    Italy

     

    Portugal

     

    Hosts

     

     

    ………. What a World Cup!

  7. Travellerbhoy on

    tricoloured ribbon

     

     

    01:52 on 14 July, 2014

     

    After the media slaughtering people in the Catholic Church about child abuse and rightly so all of a sudden there is a blackout about the alleged peadophile ring in government circles,the BBC etc..

     

    Well surprise,surprise.

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28283480

     

     

     

     

    I speak from experience

     

    Although we are catholic

     

    Through the years they ‘changed ‘ us

     

    And moved us into their stream

     

    Any problems we had in care came under their banner

     

    And that is where the floodgates await

     

    I hope

     

    Although

     

    You know the media and their connections

     

    Hunter jail

     

    Smith jail

     

    Nicholson jail

     

    Sweeney jail

     

    The big dog

     

    Ramsey jail

     

    Most of the above

     

    Got jail after I left the home

     

    But believe me there are many others

     

    It was a vocation

     

    Don’t take no for an answer

     

    But also remember the local authorities in the enquiries

     

    Miss a hell of a lot of people if you do

     

    I should know

     

    And I’m waiting

     

    With names

  8. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    Travellerbhoy,

     

    Take the bull by the horns and seek justice.

     

    Tomorrow morning

  9. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Travellerbhoy

     

    01.31

     

     

    You’re not wrong.

     

     

    DM, Hampden Park 1980.

     

     

    No-one in any game I’ve witnessed, before or since, moved across the grass with the ball at his feet at the speed Diego did as a teenager that day.

     

     

    Mesmerising.

  10. Drambowiecelt on

    @Tri love that song,ma wee da is 80 in nov and wae all the world cup

     

    hoolah goin on he says today … right lets get doon tae real stuff on Tuesday.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    H.H.

  11. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    drambowiecelt,

     

    Cherish every day with yer parents pal.

     

    Both of mine are gone.Not a solitary day I don’t think about them.

     

    Time for the Celts to motor..

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox

     

    01:56 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

    Britain was first in the field and wanted to protect its position. A wee bit of local conflict in the Balkans provided a straw to break the back of any diplomatic camel.

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    The timeline.

     

    1914

     

    June 28 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary’s throne, and his wife, Sophie, are assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip while the couple were visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia.

     

    July 28 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

     

    August 1 — Germany declares war on Russia.

     

    August 3 – Germany declares war on France.

     

    August 4 – The United Kingdom declares war on Germany, after Germany invades Belgium.

     

    August 6 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia and Serbia declares war on Germany

  13. Margaret McGill on

    That’s right Maradonna was a class player and total cheating bastard

     

    BTW Argentina were beat today in a World Cup final. Great intit?

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Tricoloured Ribbon

     

    01:52 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

     

    A.B.C. OZ has a similar agenda.

     

    You would imagine that paedophilia is the exclusive preserve of the clergy of the Catholic Church.

  15. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Margaret McGill

     

    02:18 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

    That’s right Maradonna was a class player and total cheating bastard

     

    BTW Argentina were beat today in a World Cup final. Great intuit?

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————

     

    Great? Oh,yes.

  16. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    macjay1 for neil lennon

     

     

    02:23 on 14 July, 2014

     

    Tricoloured Ribbon

     

    01:52 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

     

    A.B.C. OZ has a similar agenda.

     

    You would imagine that paedophilia is the exclusive preserve of the clergy of the Catholic Church.

     

    ………..

     

    I believe our Pope will meet this head on.

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28282050

  17. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Margaret McGill

     

    02:18

     

     

    “…..Maradonna (sic) was a total cheating bastard. Great intit?….”

     

    ————————————————————————————–

     

     

    Sorry, you’re too smart for me. Couldn’t follow your brainy train of thought.

  18. Margaret McGill on

    drambowiecelt

     

     

    02:25 on 14 July, 2014

     

     

    Yup

     

    After reading on CQN for a month how Great Argentina were and how Messi was going to win it today is special for me

     

    Oh yes

  19. Margaret McGill on

    guyfawkesaforeverhero

     

     

    02:31 on 14 July, 2014

     

     

    Don’t worry about it

  20. Travellerbhoy on

    guyfawkesaforeverhero

     

     

    Mesmerising’s no the word

     

    Poetry

     

    At that time I played for Fair Muir boys club wi ma best pal

     

    He got scouted fae celtic boys club

     

    And I didnae

     

    I joined the army at. 16

     

    He signed

     

    Devastated

     

    My career went so so

     

    So did his

     

    He played for Dundee United in the top league

     

    Then Dundee

     

    Then Montrose

     

    He made a career out of the game

     

    I didn’t

     

    Although I played for the army

     

    I watched him on TV

     

    In a scottish cup semi

     

    United against Dundee

     

    The derby

     

    As Darren Jackson tore him a new one

     

    Lost 3 1

     

    Names mark craib

  21. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Travellerbhoy

     

    02.35

     

     

    All those years in our memories are, really, only yesterday.

     

     

    Dundee are back in the big time this season. You should ask Mark to sort you and your boy for a bit of hospitality when the Celts come calling.

  22. Travellerbhoy on

    guyfawkesaforeverhero

     

     

     

    Sadly my friend

     

    I lost touch with him

     

    He was my best friend at that time

     

    He had 2 wee bros

     

    Who were better than him

     

    Sadly they never made it

     

    I was a centre half

     

    He was a striker

     

    He played his professional career as a centre half

     

    He was pretty s..t

     

     

     

     

    His dad was a goalkeeper

     

    Played for Arbroath

     

    I’ve lost a lot of friends through the years

     

    Cos of my lifestyle

     

    He was my first real friend

     

    Big tim

     

     

    I thank him for his friendship

     

    I needed it at that time

     

    No confidence

     

    But quite good at fitba

     

    Gave me confidence

     

    His da was great with him

     

    I never had a mentor

     

    I had home folk telling me to take woodwork at school

     

    Cos I wouldn’t amount to much

     

    Even though I was always top of my classes

     

    When I joined the army in 1986

     

    The recruiting sergeant took me aside

     

    After the tests and said I should have went to officer training but they were still too much up the erse of snobby England that they couldn’t offer me it.

     

     

    Wouldn’t have conformed anyway

     

     

    So I went in the ranks.

     

     

    And had the best time of my life

     

     

    Met some fantastic people

     

    Non army

     

    Got promoted

     

    Got busted

     

    Got jailed

     

    Got out

  23. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Tricoloured Ribbon

     

    02:28 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

     

    I sincerely hope so.

  24. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    lymmbhoy

     

    03:59 on

     

    14 July, 2014

     

     

    Thanks,Lymm.

     

    Looks impressive.

     

    A credit to our negotiators.

  25. Travellerbhoy on

    BMCUP

     

     

    the last time I saw h was in 98 just before he was ripped a new one live on TV

     

    Darren Jackson

     

    Not my favourite player by a long chalk tuned him inside oot

     

    Selt tae Montrose the next day

     

    Great ghuy

     

    Sh. T player

     

    I wish him all the best

     

    Just checked u tube

     

    Cannae find it

     

    If anyone can

     

    It was a scottish cup semi

     

    United and Dundee replay 1992

     

    Thanks