I had a look at the story on the official site this morning about a compilation CD with various versions of the Celtic Song being released. After the initial pleasure of seeing Emilio Izaguirre and Scott Brown on their feet unaided, what struck me most was the apparent body mass of the two players we would normally consider our midfield enforcers, Scott and Beram Kayal.
Against Paddy McCourt, Joe Ledley and Emilio, not to mention men of considerable bulk, like Charlie Mulgrew, they are comparatively svelte and diminutive. The central midfield role is about mobility and football-intelligence more than anything else. How you use your weight against an opponent is as important as having the weight to begin with, but when the margins between winning and not winning are so tight, getting the physical balance right is important.
I don’t think I’ve been happy with a Celtic 4-4-2 line-up for years but playing Scott, Beram and a couple of wingers across midfield feels like an invitation for more limited opponents to bully this area, something the Highlanders did very effectively the last time we visited Inverness.
After mentioning tomorrow’s Fans Against Criminalisation meeting in yesterday’s blog I read Joe O’Rourke’s item on the Supporters’ Association site on the same subject with a mixture of horror and foreboding. The First Minister would be well advised to quickly reign-in whatever loose cannons he has roaming the corridors of power. Well done to Joe for bringing this to the attention of a wider audience.
The guys from the Alzheimer’s charity, FootballMemories,org.uk asked me to bring their site to your attention. They work with Alzheimer patients, using the universal platform football provides us all, to engage and invoke recollections. The site has lots of great Celtic stories, take a look and add your own.
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From the sun website
CELTIC are being probed by UEFA chiefs over claims of sectarian chanting at a Europa League game.
Bigwigs acted after a top cop flagged up alleged offensive behaviour by fans during the match against Rennes at Parkhead.
If the hate song claims are found to be true the Hoops could be fined or their fans banned from European ties.
Last night a club insider said: “Celtic could be in big trouble over this. UEFA can hand down heavy punishments. The club have already pleaded with fans to cut out IRA songs at matches but it looks like some won’t listen.”
It’s understood a senior Strathclyde officer working at the match earlier this month approached UEFA delegates with the chant claims.
A spokesman for the governing body said last night: “We have opened a disciplinary case against Celtic.” It will be heard on December 8. In April, Rangers were fined £35,500 and their fans banned from their next away Euro game after they were found guilty of discriminatory chanting in a Europa League tie.
Just read the latest from rangerstaxcase.
I’m not proud of all that chortling and manic hand-rubbing.
Had a wee glance at Marca there, think this is the Spain team for tonight:
Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Piqué, Monreal o Jordi Alba; Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Iniesta, Villa y Silva
Not been too good in friendllies recently but not too bad a bet at 10/11, David Silva 10/1 to score first a cert.
I was at that game and can’t remember any offensive chanting.
Maybe I don’t count as a, “reasonable person”.
It wont be sectarian songs -because we dont have any . It will be songs that certain peepol are offended by.
Have strathclyde police reported this to uefa??? Strange.
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eirecamper says:
12 November, 2011 at 08:57
Questions for Strathclyde Police if indeed this story has legs:
Why didnt the police officer have those fans arrested at Celtic park?
Has Strathclyde police ever interacted about sectarian, racist or hate songs/chants with UEFA concerning Scottish clubs in the past
Did Strathclyde police inform Celtic as a club or their respective supporters groups regarding the interaction with UEFA
Did this police officer act alone or it is part of a new strategy by Strathclyde police/SNP government
lots of questions for democratic tax paying electors to ask
So a Strathclyde Polis who was on duty at the game reports to Uefa rather than taking action at the time- I wonder why.
Could be very interesting if it is a little Irish ditty which could well be found to be not sectarian if analysed by a 3rd party.
Morning Celts.
Copying and pasting a long link – stretches the bloody page, making it difficult to read from a mobile.
Use the link creator!!!!!!!!
Moan over CSC
V
Morning bhoys, warmish, hun free.
Singing/chanting about the IRA is not sectarian.
Interesting story in the SNP supporting Sun..
Can’t help thinging what a wonderful country Scotland would be if we leave the UK.
Kitalba sorry to hear about your sad loss. I’ll say a wee prayer for your Mum. God Bless. Take care of yersel and yer family.
The police officer was probably wearing a poppy whilst he wrote his love letter to uefa
To commemorate britains who have died in conflict and war
While he wrote about how Celtic fans were singing in memory of the Irish who died in conflict and war
Scotland doesnt do irony…..
This will be about the police being made to look stupid at the Hibs game when they tried to
get in amoungst the green brigade to make arrests then chased them along the North stand…
Childish unwarrented behaviour my the Police…..
and don’t forget the orcs got banned after about their 4th time in front of Uefa
why let the facts ruin an anti Celtic story?
I can’t say I’m sorry Zenden isn’t signing for us. We need the money we spend to be on the pitch (cue Sammi debate). Do we need
1. Zenden gets no games
2. Zenden gets the odd game, doesn’t impress
3. Zenden gets games, is ok-good, doesn’t play after the summer
nah!
Morning all from a bright and breezy North Ayrshire. Looks like we’ll see the sun today.
Right who blessed themselves at the Rennes game. Anyone ??, polish accent ,crucifix around the neck, wearing green. What is superintendant Mason Boyne playing at. Its been a while since I’ve been to a live huns game but its really is hunbelievable that they ignore the vile songs sung by the majority of the rangers support and try to pin something on us. Pathetic. It is a dillussional Scotland in this century. You would think that the politicians would be aware of any official complaint from a top cop went to Europe. That means they would need to be in on it. If they are not then they need to do something about this. I can only think that if it is not just another rag lie that Celtic will get this sorted before our name gets muddied.
blantyretim says:
12 November, 2011 at 09:19
A wee story, I was in my studio last night as we have a joint exhibition going on this weekend and I open up the place to the public.
So I am talking to this guy and his wife while my computer flicks up random photos when Neil Lennon pops up in the Hoops clearing a header and the guy says,
Celtic Glasgow, they are great and shakes my hand!!
No matter how ra peepil try to sully our name we are known worlwide and with affection, this guy told me how when we played in Basel it was the drunkest he had ever been after the game with some Hoops supporters.
We are remembered for all the right reasons.
Keep up the good fight..
Regarding Strathclyde police, the press today are leading with a story that their incompetence allowed a convicted paedophile free to torture, rape and murder a ten year old girl and her mother.
Still, so long as they’re dealing with the important things.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/edinburgh-east-fife/police_failures_left_sex_predator_to_kill_twice_1_1961679
Zenden . Reminds me of the eighties. I know lubo was a joy to watch in his twilight but he is the exception. Sick of seeing old timers getting a last pay check at Celtic. Give the under nineteen bhoys a chance, or get some big young dutch enforcers.
Starry Plough great story , the truth can’t be destoyed.
Whats a joint exhibition. Are you in Amsterdam
I am NL in NZ Tauranga says:
12 November, 2011 at 09:31
Too auld for Amsterdam noo!!
Art and crafts more my bag now!!
SP
we know that we are well liked throughout the world..
so do they and it makes then hate us even more…
KTF my friend..
I’ve been trying to remember what might have passed as sectarian singing at the Rennes game (where the attendance was poor and the atmosphere brilliant). The only song I can come up with is Paddy McCourt’s Fenian Army. Mind you, Strathclyde’s finest are made up of reasonable people, I imagine; so, whatever they deem offensive is enough (although that isn’t law yet). Curiouser and curiouser….
Okay Celts have a great day off back to the gallery to spread the word!!
Don’t forget, he is a, “Top Cop”.
re songs…
hmmm… only a matter of time before this happened. interesting to hear what the offensive song was.
the giveaway for me was that the alleged incident took place at Celtic Park. So why not just arrest the perpetrator?
Why go to UEFA?
Obviously motivated by malice, I expect nothing will come of it.
Starry hope it was a big success. I like how you take Celtic with you on your travels. Not our best season and the team are not performing on the park. Time to stand behind your team and remember that the horizon keeps moving. I can see good times , good tims ahead. This season is not even halfway done yet. Until its mathematically impossible we can be champions. At the very least we are Celtic supporters and that is something to be proud of.
ernie lynch says:
12 November, 2011 at 09:14
Interesting story in the SNP supporting Sun..
Can’t help thinging what a wonderful country Scotland would be if we leave the UK.
——————————————————————————————————————-
To be fair Ernie, all of these things and more have happened WITHIN the UK. The Westminster government doesn’t make one bit of difference to the way strathclyde’s finest act, the SFA act, any of them in fact. I honestly think the idea that an independent Scotland would be a ‘cold house for Catholics’ is wrong. There are certainly strongly anti-Catholic elements, sentiments and perhaps even instincts in many people but those same people will be bigoted toward poles, lithuanians, travellers – anyone who isn’t died in the wool shortbread box Scottish. And they will be like that if they are in the UK or in an independent Scotland.
Scotland already controls education, so withdrawing from the UK is no greater threat to Catholic Schools. The police are already locally managed and have been for years. Again, nothing changes in an independent Scotland. The Polis who has reported Celtic to UEFA for example, has acted within the UK. The murderous thugs who have killed Celtic supporters have done so within the UK. The westminster government did nothing to combat a sectarian employer in Kinning Park for nigh on a century, has done zilch about Orange Walks, said not a peep about the litany of sectarian offences committed by the Orcish hoardes. Indeed it was in the westminster Parliament that Gregory Campbell MP gallantly stood up for religious tolerance everywhere when he condemned Artur Boruc for wearing a T-Shirt with the Pope’s image on it!
Just how has Westminster/ the UK ever prevented sectarianism/ anti-Catholic/ anti-Irish behaviour in Scotland? It didn’t do it in the north of Ireland. In fact it waded in clad in jack boots and armed to the teeth and gave the victims a damned good kicking for daring to get up off their knees.
Did the EPL or the FA look north to the corrupt refereeing and make a cavalry charge for fair play in Scotland? Did the authorities demand full monetary reparation from Rangers for the damage caused to Manchester by the Ibrox branch of the Chelsea Head hunters? Nope
And apart from anything else – Westminster is as riddled with funny hand shakes as Holyrood.
Tims in Scotland are already on their own. Have been for years. But through education they have been able to learn to defend themselves. Much work to be done still but I cannot see how remaining in the UK makes one tiny bit of difference.
ItaliaBhoy says:
12 November, 2011 at 09:41
Irrespective of UEFA taking action or not, Celtic and its Supporters groups have justifiable questions to ask why this senior police officer interacted with a UEFA observer.
ernie lynch says:
12 November, 2011 at 09:14
It is a frightening prospect in more ways than one.
Reading the article, it does not add up at all.
RT
A very sad but acurate post
Perhaps we can send a typical song list to Uefa or a recording of the songs during a 90 min spell (I have the recordings).
When ok’d, as it will be, then it’ll make a mockery of the polis.
This cop may be doing us a favour, acceptable in Uefa but unacceptable in Scotlands shame!
V
HH
Yesterday Strathclyde Police featured in two national news stories:-
1. Police apology to the family of the lady and daughter murdered by a convicted sex offender. Strathclyde Police admitted failing in their duty to “manage” this offender.
2. The Strathclyde WPC that refused to arrest a would be burglar caught in the act of breaking and entering because she was too busy delivering letters to another police station was released from prison.
These events would suggest that the police in Scotland are either under-resourced to deal with criminals or contain elements who cant be bothered dealing with your average crook.
If there are not enough police to adequately deal with the sex offenders/burglars/violent nutters at large in Scotland, why do police officers have the time to write letters to UEFA?
Why are there a team of police officers with cameras stalking football fans all over the length and breadth of the country but burglars caught in the act have free reign to go on their way and take their crowbar somewhere else?
Some people need to get their “House” in order, I think.
At least UEFA will be considering if songs sung were sectarian, not whether this reasonable person would be offended. Although I have a feeling they don’t like political songs either – although what they class as political could be a difficult discussion
There is something quite unsettling about this Police/UEFA thing.
If it is true, and that is by no means a given, it is both very clever and hugely controversial.
Clever insofar as if you can’t get the ball, get the man type tactics.
Controversial because this is a statement from the Scottish Legal Establishment that they have no power to act against the behaviour that they find offensive, so please gonnae yous UEFA guys sort it out.
Usettling because I am somewhat reminded of the dialogue between Pilate and the Jews in Luke 23.
Looking at the issue internally, I didn’t make the Rennes game, although I watched it on the TV. I’m going to assume (cautiously) that the complaint relates to the Graffiti on the Walls crap in the Celtic Symphony.
There are around 400 guys who belt this out to the beat of the Green Brigade’s drum. It dies out after about 2 choruses these days. The crowd simply does not join in.
Celtic have repeatedly asked for the fans to stop singing songs that reference post 1969 terrorist groups. The GB, Celtic Trust, CSA and AICSC attended a meeting with Ronnie Hawthorn at Celtic Park in Feb/March this year, where it was AGREED that such songs would not be sung.
The line Ooh Ah Up the ‘Ra is lifted from the chorus of a 1979 hit by the Gap Band, and used in the Wolftones’ song first recorded in 1987, almost 25 years ago. I’ll leave the reader to decide on whether the graffiti in the walls references an organisation pre or post 1969.
Whichever way you look at it, there is a small group of supporters at Celtic Park, representing less than 1% of the crowd, who have been asked not to sing this stuff, who have agreed not to sing this stuff, and yet here we are.
Over to you UTLR. Until The Last Rebelsong I suppose, eh.
Boys just got a text from a hun with pic aying best fans in the world eh getting investigated bu UEFA..
I am telling you they are trying to even this up and people need to take this seriously and watch what they’re doing.
A while ago i posted a story on here about a local copper who plays golf at my local course and i finished work about 10 and wen’t into the chinese and he was just back from game it was utd game and i think they won 6-1 or 7-1 last year but you could see he was acting like a clown with the chinese owner.
Anyway he asked me if if had a car i said yes and he asked for a lift so i said yes and after he got out the car he shook my hand and said fuck the pope so there you go guys if clowns like this is saying stuff like this wit chance do we have….