Let’s be honest with each other, there’s a bit of a leap between our European performances in recent seasons and the standards of Champions League football. My expectations for this season’s tournament hasn’t seen me check out accommodation options in Cardiff in May.
With that in mind, if we’re going to fall short, let’s do it against genuine quality opposition, some of the best players and tactically organised teams in the business. Barcelona, Manchester City (think Pep, but with more money) and Borussia Monchengladbach will bring this to Glasgow over the next few months.
Over our 15 year Champions League lifespan, Celtic surprise on the upside more often against better teams than against relative minnows. The biggest disappointments came in Scandinavia, not Iberia.
When the group stage finishes in December, we will faced enormous challenges. Players will have stretched themselves to lengths they didn’t know existed. What we know for sure, is that none of the other three teams in our group will have wanted Celtic from Pot 4. This is a hard draw for everyone.
Huge game tomorrow. Anything less than 100% and we’ll drop points. Enjoy it.
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Turkeybhoy
Absolutely no problem mate. As I said I genuinely wasn’t sure what you meant.
GREENPINATA on 27TH AUGUST 2016 11:33 AM
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 27TH AUGUST 2016 11:18 AM
GERRYFAETHEBRIG on 27TH AUGUST 2016 11.11AM.
I was assured that this was a ” Pioneer ” site
——————–
The site is many things, but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely no offence intended to the Pioneers. A noble organisation of which I knew a few members, but even at an early age I knew it was not for me.
On a serious note , the last I heard it was struggling financially.
===========================================================
I am sorry to hear that.
They play a really important role.
Right,I’m done for the day. Need some sleep before I try to stream the match.
I hope everyone at Coia’s has a belter,including MilanDan who’s bringing his own bread from Canada,and VFR800A8 who’s meeting some right nutjobs but disnae realise it.
And I hope every Tim everywhere is grinning like a Cheshire Cat at 5pm.
From the MORNING STAR
Why Have Celtic Fans Showed Solidarity With Palestine?
AUG
2016 Saturday 27TH posted by Morning Star in Sport
Fans of the Scottish club have used football to highlight the Palestinian cause. Douglas Beattie explains why the club was uniquely placed to do so
We have learned this week that football still has the capacity to pleasantly surprise, regardless of the oligarchs, oil men and TV riches.
In the East End of Glasgow something remarkable happened; an off the scale act of generosity which reverberated around the world and doubtless shocked those at the top of this bloated old game.
In just 48 hours Celtic fans raised over £100,000 for two Palestinian charities, with the figure having now topped the £150,000 mark.
To the casual observer this may all seem a little odd. Why would a club in Scotland wish to wade into the complexities of politics in the Middle East?
Sure, Celtic were taking on Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel for a place in the Champions League group stage, a tie they won 5-4 on aggregate.
In the first leg, a 5-2 victory in Glasgow, a section of the home fans waved dozens of Palestinian flags despite Uefa forbidding gestures that are “of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature.”
These actions had nothing to do with goading the opposition but rather highlighting what the Celtic support views as an ongoing and historic injustice.
It was no shock that the game’s governing body quickly began disciplinary proceedings with a £15,000 fine expected. At that point the fans decided to act, setting up a GoFundMe account with the #MatchTheFineforPalestine hashtag.
Events snowballed from there, with donations pouring in and the Palestinian struggle getting a unexpected and rare burst of exposure via social media and its mainstream counterparts. Messages of support have been relayed from every quarter.
Many of these came from Gaza and the West Bank, with Children chanting: “Thank You” in the streets and Scottish saltires displayed all over the Palestinian territories during the second-leg against the Israeli champions.
Part of the money raised by the fans will go towards setting up and running the first ever football team from the Aida refugee camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem.
Aptly named Aida Celtic, it will enter the local youth league next year.
Those who know that history matters at the Parkhead club and that it is deeply rooted in social justice will understand how and why all this came about.
Celtic FC is, and always has been, the most politicised club in Britain, with a fanbase identifiably left-wing and, until very recent times at least, wedded to the Labour Party.
Many supporters look upon those living in the Palestinian territories as an oppressed people — something with which they strongly identify.
This is a club founded in 1888 amid terrible squalor by Irish migrants fleeing the fallout of An Gorta Mor, The Great Hunger of the potato famine.
In Scotland, cheaper to reach by boat than the United States, these people were barely tolerated and often openly despised by the indigenous population.
They were a large and impoverished minority with their own culture and religion — Roman Catholicism. In staunchly Protestant Scotland, the divide between the communities could not have been more marked.
The Old Firm rivalry with Rangers — a club which for much of the 20th century defined itself as a bastion of Protestantism — was the result.
The exclusion felt by members of the Catholic community in the west of Scotland is by no means ancient history; prejudice extended into all walks of life, notably the workplace, and has really only began to loosen in the last quarter of a century.
Those who founded Celtic did so for clear charitable purposes, to feed the starving children of the East End of the city and down the decades Celtic and charity have remained amiable bedfellows. Today the club even has its own official charitable foundation.
However it must not be overlooked that others, such as John Glass, were intent on forming a club which would reflect a radical political position; perhaps best summed up as Irish nationalist (or Home Rule).
Those politics have never left Celtic and the support has maintained links to the old country and today is still largely favourable to the idea of a united Ireland.
This is perhaps no more so than among the Celtic ultras — the Green Brigade — who were behind the pro-Palestinian flag display and subsequent funding drive.
Socialist, anti-violence and actively anti-racist, they best represent the strain of inclusivity which has long been a feature of Celtic.
The club’s greatest manager, Jock Stein, himself a Protestant, was fond of winding up Rangers over their signing policy, saying: “We are a football team who will play anyone from anywhere, from any walk of life, from any religion and any creed.”
My feeling is it may take some time for the dust to settle after the extraordinary events of the last few days.
I’d expect fans of other clubs to act in copycat style, inspired by the Green Brigade to make their feelings known about the Palestinians.
Indeed this is already happening at St Etienne, Bursaspor and Genoa.
However, we should remember that many ordinary people in Israel also strongly feel that the Jewish people are an oppressed minority in the region they too call home.
This is complicated stuff and peace is badly needed just as it was for so long in Ireland.
Celtic will be fined, of that there is no doubt. Yet all involved with the club may well think it a price worth paying in this instance.
HT
Many thanks for the offer, if it was a pensioners ticket it would not be a risk, honestly.
However there are more deserving cases than I so feel free to offer it around, I am happy to take my chances near the ground.
Thanks
OHITS on 27TH AUGUST 2016 10:48 AM
TD67
Gie us a break FFS , we all know your OPINION as you like to remind us on a very regular basis . Its the same for you as everyone else on here if you dont like someone elses OPINION you can always just scroll on by . Its now getting very tedious .
HH
My answer to you is in your post. HH
MURDOCHAULDANDHAY & WEE OSCAR
Let the people sing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&feature=related&v=zhkdy0AOpaM
Any leaks about the team yet? I’m interested in seeing how br respond to Tuesday’s poor performance.
Feels like i’m going to a cup final today….
“My brother-in-law is a Jehova’s Witness”. That’s actually true, but since the first time I said it to a JW, it has been my get out of jail card. They assume that you know everything, and they leave you alone. Even the ones who make it up to my village of 600 people in the foothills of the Maritime Alps.
A fair bit of discussion this morning about HT !
His adherents and detractors could and should learn from his dealings with, well, his adherents and detractors.
Anyone who has dealt with HT will bear testimony to why I wrote that.
Detractors and adherents; different cheeks of the same ar$e.
Nice to see turkeybhoy back posting again…….
Lee Wallace is a Jehova’s Witness………
for the prosecution.
NEGANON2
Where have you been then matey ? Holidays, sabbatical, work or what ?
On my bus to Glasgow but the damn things heater is stuck on and its roastin!
Going to need another shower by the time i get off!
Will need to skip that but a few cold beers are definitely required now!
Anybody going to be about?
Promise im not smelly!
Victor Wanyama is a fantastic player and I still miss him bossing our midfield to this day but it’s galling to see him profess his love for Celtic when he couldn’t wait to get out of Paradise as fast as he could. Save your love for Spurs Victor, you have zero loyalty.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 27TH AUGUST 2016 11:05 AM
TONYDONNELLY67 on 27TH AUGUST 2016 10:01 AM
Very unfortunate.
H.T. went out of his way , literally , to assist my family and myself when we were last over.
Anyway.
Hey! I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, I’m just reminding him he/they doesent speak for me at meetings with CFC
And to others please stop telling me what and what not to post, it just isn’t happening don’t get that yet?
Do yourself a favour and scroll by HH mon the hoops ?
By Tom English
BBC Scotland at Rugby Park
As Rangers pressed hard and their supporters periodically screamed what is euphemistically called their ‘songbook’ – ‘The Billy Boys’ and more were trotted out.
BCW all of the above. Work is all consuming and will be for the next while. Was at the green man festival in Wales last weekend. I have posted occasionally particularly after the game on Tuesday when I could come back out from behind the couch.
OMG,on the back of the revelation that BOURNESOUPRECIPE is
a hun we now know HAMILTONTIM is a Jehovah’s witness,yees
will be telling me Mags is actually a fhella next.
Catch yees after the game when I’ll be on with my in depth
excellent post match report…..running at the co’s tail.
I am happy enough in the short-term with the new UEFA deal. There is real pressure being exerted now by the “big boys’ – they seem to have been placated for the moment. Of course the extra local bonus is a further depletion of any coefficient that can be claimed by the occupants of Ibrox – if they did manage to get into the EL qualifying, I think I”m right in saying that they will start at the level Hearts did this year.
With four automatic qualifiers from the top four,i.e. sixteen clubs, and the new individual coefficients coming into play, how far away are we from the CL morphing into a European Super League, based on the the top twenty leading clubs?
What we have seen agreed upon in the last couple of days is I believe the thin end of a wedge that will eventually split UEFA and deliver what the rich clubs/leagues desire – it is only a matter of time.
Scullybhoy I heard a rousing rendition of “no Pope of Rome” last night. Isn’t it marvellous how effective the OB has been?
QF on 27TH AUGUST 2016 11:17 AM
Tony
it’s ok having opinions – but if offer your opinion and it’s wrong. eventually you lose credibility. you called me a hurting Hun recently – I know that’s crap and as a result you lose credibility with me. You look reactionary. I now view your posts that way.
It is possible that many on here think the same way!
anyway what about rogic? He has, in bursts, been our best player but he can often disappear. looking forward to seeing if he’s picked and which rogic turns up. town, beer, walk and game. up for it today!!
Seriously? It’s a blog ffs, you honestly think I give a flying fart, I post my opinion, like it or lump it, what’s next? I’m grounded?
Great to see the old liberation theology debate back on the blog!!! It will give us something to get heated about before the poppy debate starts in a few weeks time!!!
It really is a far cry from rangers media and follow follow, the former of which is currently sporting the delightfully titled thread:
‘Taigs V Rangers’
Don’t feed the troll!
So who was the Phantom ?
I’ll be Standing up for the Green Brigade on 15mins…..
Sunny in Scotland….what’s happening to this place?
TONYDONNELLY67 on 27TH AUGUST 2016 12:06 PM
Fair enough , Tony.
Any word on Bursaspor, St Etienne and Genoa being sanctioned for waving Palestinian flags.
I can see this catching on.
Uefa will have to employ another couple of dozen secretaries.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rio-2016-olympics/team-ireland/irish-rowing-sensation-paul-odonovan-adds-world-gold-to-olympic-silver-35000058.html
BCW
“The Phantom is a fictional, costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional country of Bangalla. The character was created by Lee Falk for the adventure comic strip The Phantom, which debuted in newspapers on February 17, 1936.”
“In the jungles of the fictional African country of Bangalla,[20] there is a myth featuring The Ghost Who Walks, a powerful and indestructible guardian of the innocent and fighter of all types of injustice. Because he seems to have existed for generations, many believe him to be immortal. In reality, the Phantom is a legacy hero, descended from 20 previous generations of crimefighters who all adopt the same persona. When a new Phantom takes the task from his dying father, he swears the Oath of the Skull: “I swear to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms, and my sons and their sons shall follow me”. The first Phantom married Christina, the daughter of a Scandinavian sea captain, Eric the Rover. The second Phantom married Marabella, the granddaughter of Christopher Columbus”
“The present Phantom is the 21st in the line. Unlike most costumed heroes, he has no superhuman powers, relying only on his wits, physical strength, skill with his weapons, and fearsome reputation to fight crime. His real name is Kit Walker. References to “Mr. Walker” are in the strip often accompanied by a footnote saying “For ‘The Ghost Who Walks'”, although some versions of the Phantom’s history suggest that Walker was actually the original surname of the man who became the first Phantom.”
I am spotting some similarities there.
SAOR ULADH on 27TH AUGUST 2016 12:20 PM
I’ll be Standing up for the Green Brigade on 15mins…
Oh wow! There’s a surprise eh? Ppphhhhfffftttttt
Right, about to take the dogs out for another walk before heading over to CP and CQNC…but I only want to meet and say ‘hello’…I don’t want to be in the clique…otherwise I’ll never be accepted in the Brazen Heid…(s’awright Tony, I’m just going to spy on them and I’ll report back later)…
as the bold KevJ (I hope you’re well sir) says, ‘aff oot’…
More similarities
“Kit was born in the Skull Cave, and spent his first years in the jungle of Bengalla. His mother, Maud Thorne McPatrick, who had previously worked as Rita Hayworth’s stunt double, was born in Mississippi, where Kit went to study when he was 12 years old, living with his aunt Lucy and uncle Jasper in the town of Clarksville, Missouri.
Here he met his wife-to-be, Diana Palmer. Kit was an extremely talented sportsman and was predicted to become the world champion of many different events (even knocking out the world heavyweight boxing champion in a sparring match when the champion visited Clarksville). Despite the opportunity to choose practically any career he wanted, Kit faithfully returned to Bengalla to take over the role of the Phantom when he received word from Guran that his father was dying from a knife-wound.
One of Kit’s first missions as the Phantom was to find his father’s killer, Rama Singh, who had betrayed and murdered the 20th Phantom by first helping him to blow up a fleet of ships owned by the Singh Brotherhood, only to then stab him in the back, stealing his special gunbelt in the process. The 21st Phantom eventually found him and reclaimed the belt at the island of Gullique, but before he could avenge his father and bring the killer to jail, the desperate Rama blew up his lair, killing himself and his henchmen in the process.
The Phantom has two helpers, a mountain wolf named Devil and a horse named Hero. He also has a trained falcon named Fraka. From 1962 on, The Phantom raised an orphan named Rex King, who was later on revealed to be the prince of the kingdom of Baronkhan. He also has two dolphins named Solomon and Nefertiti, and numerous other animals kept on the island of Eden.
In 1978, he married his sweetheart, Diana Palmer, who works at the United Nations. The Phantom and Diana have two children, Kit and Heloise. Another character who has aided the modern-day Phantom is Guran, chief of the local pygmy Bandar tribe, who are the only tribe to know the Phantom’s true nature. Guran is the Phantom’s best friend since childhood and a supporter of his cause. Other allies of the 21st Phantom include Doctor Axel, a Scandinavian doctor working in Bangalla, and Miss Tagama, the African teacher of Rex, Kit and Heloise.”
tonydonnelly67 on 27th August 2016 12:27 pm
Glad that irritates you tony, i’ll be the guy in the main stand with the Palestine flag.
You should call over we can have a chat if you’re nearby – i’d be more than happy to buy you some Bitter.
£155,796 of £160k goal
Just learned that St etienne fans followed the lead of the standing section at Celtic and displayed Palestinian flags when they played beitar Jerusalem during the week.
I think this is going to be a recurring theme across euro football.
CLYDESIDER on 27TH AUGUST 2016 12:05 PM
Why should any player show loyalty to Celtic(or any club for that matter)?
Loyalty is a two way street. Look at the abuse Forrest, McGregor, Ambrose, Johansen and many others receive on here and at games. Look how many posts say ‘player X’ can GTF.
Wanyama was on a relative pittance, he could have signed a new deal to put his wages up for 10 months and still forced a move. Very few players view Celtic as a step up from playing at any level in the Premiership. The idea that they would prefer to win trophies and play in the Champions League doesn’t hold water. People in England sneer at our domestic trophies just as we sneered at the Petrofac Training Cup. And we are all too aware that those 6 Champions League games are far from guaranteed.
It’s a simple fact of life now that for the vast majority of players, the likes of Hull and Burnley are a step up from Celtic. They get much more money and a higher profile playing in England. Yes that hurts, but that’s just our place in the food chain. The club just has to try and stay relevant until greed consumes the elite and they force a super league, all we can do is pray we’re involved.
As for the disgusting songbook from Sevco, nothing will ever be done whilst our away support continue singing IRA songs. It’s an endless cycle of whataboutery. It’s 2016, most decent people in Northern Ireland have moved on. We should too.
Saor Uladh – posting similar themed stuff at the same time! We will be getting accused of being the same person using multi accounts!
Enjoy the game.
Free Palestine!