There was a four-week gap on the declaration of war, but 29 days after Hitler’s troops invaded Poland, Scottish clubs were back on the field. On New Year’s Day 1940, 40,000 watched Malcolm MacDonald grab a late equaliser for Celtic at Ibrox.
Games took place every weekend from August until May throughout the war years in competitions, such as the League Southern Division, the Glasgow Cup and the Summer Cup. Crowds attended in (frankly unbelievable, for the time) numbers; 90,000 attended a Southern League Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden.
Guest players came and went, as many regulars were at the front, although some found haven in adjacent shipyards. Without the threat from bombers, the Scottish Football League continued throughout the First War.
Since 28 May 1888, when Celtic’s first team took to the field, there has never been as long a period without a game as the one that ends this evening. Over four months without football ends with a friendly against Nice in front of a few hundred people.
There is no real hardship in any of this. Families across the world continue to endure challenges far greater than those of football fans, but I’m glad this part is over and I hope it never happens again.
Welcome back, Celtic.
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“The Celtic string vest does not shrink to fit inferior nipples”
– BlantyreTim
Good result for us yesterday in Switzerland, with Young Boys going 6 points ahead of Basel. St Gallen play tonight and could go 7 ahead of Basel. If Basel don’t win that league, we’ll be seeded for the four CL qualifying rounds (so I’m reliably informed). Just 5 games to go.
DONTB, @ 2:00 PM,
Many thanks, a great fillip for the town.
A few of the bhoys have often talked about getting down and taking a game – maybe a bit of glory hunting this coming season:)))
Hail Hail
http://www.celticfc.net/news/18324
A lot of caps in that Celtic article.
Who’s writing the statements these days? Kojo?
Paul67 et al
Pity about those Zeppelins Paul. Fact is Scotland was bombed from the air in April 1916. Nasty business too. Dozens killed in Leith and Edinburgh. Thing is April 2nd was a Sunday, and back in those days football wasn’t played on a Sunday. Now if it had happened on a Saturday…….
Important take aways from the above link to the VST service …
1 You CANNOT watch the Live Broadcast on more than one device at any one time. If you sign into an additional device while logged in on another, you will automatically be logged out of the first device. Likewise, if you share your details and someone tries to login at the same time as you, it will end your Live Broadcast.
2 IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE MATCH UNINTERUPTED, PLEASE KEEP YOUR PASSWORD SAFE AND DO NOT SHARE THESE DETAILS AS IT WILL AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO VIEW THE MATCHES. (The club’s capitals)
3 Please ensure that you are not using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or proxies as this can cause the Live Broadcast stream to not function.
Just back from the mother in laws helping young David66 build a few flat pack stuff.
Looking forward to meeting the 2 gents on Friday and as BJ said their is a spare seat if anyone fancies a couple of pints.
HH
D :)
Paul 67,
Remarkable crowds indeed, especially when you consider Scotland suffered over 500 bombing raids from 1940 onwards.
Is it fair or even responsible to compare the government responce to public gatherings then or for that matter 1918-20
Anyway, football with a purpose is back later today. It’s been sorely missed.
COYBIG.
EMBRAMIKE on 16TH JULY 2020 2:36 PM
Important take aways from the above link to the VST service
————–
Q. Will this work outside the UK & Ireland?
No. Your Pass to Paradise will only work in the UK and Ireland. In the same way that you have to be in the country to use your Season Ticket, you need to be in the territory of the UK and Ireland to access the Live Broadcast. This is a condition of our license with the SPFL and a condition of the league contract with Sky Sports. If you live outside the UK & Ireland the best way to watch the games is to subscribe to Celtic TV
Ziggydoc.
If a team who has already qualified for the up and coming Champions league, wins the one still to be completed ( which is the vast majority of them, still left in ) then Ajax automatically qualify, meaning Celtic will be seeded for all qualifiers.
So, as well as the Basle scenario, we have that scenario too.
Moravcik 67, should be credited with this, he explained it in great detail on Twitter.
Big Jimmy,
I believe the reason men have nipples is that the sex of a person isn’t decided until after so many weeks (6?) by which time the skin, with nipples, has already been formed.
Enjoy your pints tomorrow
JIMMYNOTPAUL on 16TH JULY 2020 3:49 PM
_______
Even better. Just need to make sure we play to our seeding status potential. CL money will be even more critical this year. Like many, I like being able to compete better in the Europa, but really want into the champions league (which in turn should strengthen us on the home front).
team news anyone ?
Today’s official starting line up v Nice ……
Bain; Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Taylor; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi, Edouard
Subs: Doohan Hazard Bitton Klimala Soro Ntcham Bolingoli Connell Robertson Henderson McInroy ElHamed Welsh Karamoko
SCANIEL on 16TH JULY 2020 1:11 PM
Majestic- KT has impressed Arteta in many ways, not least his appetite and attitude. He lasted 90 minutes last night, so the temptation to substitute him is becoming less. And, yes, those passing stats would result in Bolingoli getting slaughtered on here but, hey, he doesn’t need to have poor passing stats for that to happen.
I’m hoping Bolongoli, along with Soro, Klimala,Taylor, Johnson, O’Connor and a few of the youngsters can step up to the plate this year
KT done well last night with Arsenal keeping their shape well throughout the said match. Liverpool
had about 74% of pocession throughout the whole match Liverpool where handing out early
Christmas presents down Holloway Road which is unchararistic of Liverpool this Season however
I’m sure Jorgen Klopp will remind them not to be too casual & careless in Defence in future
Said result two-one to the Gunners was a more needed result for them to push for a European
Spot in other words Liverpool can afford to take the negative result on the chin no big deal
As for the young Bolongoli? lets be honest here is past performances in a Hoops shirt has not
exactly set the heather on fire more like leaves a lot to be desired a ppp rating a piss poor
performances (hence ppp) however @ present the Jury is still out on a young Mr Bolongoli
so he needs to start pulling his weight so to speak make a difference show us what he can
bring to the Team or he will end up as another JH no longer required & does not fill the void
Hail Hail & COYBIG Get It In There
‘Life-long’ Hearts supporting MP call for review of Scottish football governance.
‘”This Covid crisis has shone a very bright light on the governance of Scottish football’.
Where were these people in 2012?
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
JIMMYNOTPAUL Ziggydoc.
Moravcik does a great job of putting words to Bert Kassies statistics especially as UEFA are starting this year’s qualifying rounds for next year’s CL before this year’s CL is finished.
The ramifications and ifs, buts. and maybes take some working through as the whole rationale is overly complex at the best of times and really needs simplifying.Funny I’ve not seen Moravcik and Bert K in the same room at the same time !
Was trying to ignore the ‘Ajax qualifying automatically” scenario as it’s been a long time since I wanted a team to win or lose and the Swiss league provided a little edge for a few weeks.I
But regardless , we really have to qualify this year – no more excuses. I don’t want that “Cluj” feeling again.
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 16TH JULY 2020 4:22 PM
‘Life-long’ Hearts supporting MP call for review of Scottish football governance.
‘”This Covid crisis has shone a very bright light on the governance of Scottish football’.
Where were these people in 2012?
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Surely you mean life long Heart of Midlothian MSP Fan
The said MSP can moan/gripe all he wants the Club he is a fan of have tried to
pull a stroke which has backfired on them end of Hearts performances during
the course of last Season was mainly ppp apart from against Sevco where Sevco
where handing out early Christmas presents down The Gorgie Road namely in
the Scottish Cup & Premier League Matches @ Tynecastle if they would have
shown that grit & determination during the course of last Season then they
would not have been relegated that’s for sure as for that pain in the you know
where region Virus well more stringent health & safety checks need to be carried
out in China in future that is for sure what a cluster f*ck & nightmare & look @
how much inconvience & hardship said Virus has brought no good infact really
bad & depressing news which will take time to eventually come to pass that’s
for sure anyway Folks lets all hope it’s sooner rather than later as regards to
a better normality than what it is @ present
live updates up
EMBRAMIKE
Lets be honest here European Footy to us is a bonus its a not the end of the
World scenario facing Club’s who have more financial clout than ourselves
the most important issue this coming Season (2020/21) without a shadow
of doubt is 10IAR now that is really putting down a marker in the History
of Scottish Football that is for sure Hail Hail & We will NWA & COYBIG