Being as celebrated as the Lions have been for the last 54 years must take its toll, but with Bertie Auld, it never showed. If you have only met one Lisbon Lion, it most probably was Bertie. The news, released by his family yesterday, that he is the latest Lion to suffer dementia, will be distressing to all who cherish him. This is not the time to share our fondest memories of him, but I know we all send him our best wishes.
I have enjoyed watching much of the Euros. The element of surprise and the hope of discovering an emerging force. Watching how weaker teams, like Sweden, successfully earn a point against feted opponents. Watching talents such as Ronaldo prance like a prized stallion; it’s sheer theatre. The best part: for me, it is stress free. I can watch the sport as entertainment.
It is different, of course, when you have skin in the game. I have watched great and not-so-great Celtic teams all my life and I often find myself less than entertained by Celtic teams at both ends of the ability spectrum. Celtic is a mood-altering phenomenon. The joy from wins can be merely satisfactory as the result was expected, or it can lift spirits beyond anything else I know. Defeats, well, you know about them.
The problem here is that I have no choice in the matter. For me, Celtic is an addictive mood-altering phenomenon, I would not have it any other way, of course. Fortunately, there is more sunshine than shadow.
I want Scotland to win tonight and it would be great for Ryan Christie to score a cracker (eye on the LSD, if I can confuse the metaphor). But this is Scotland, the pain-joy balance is not the same as with Celtic. My expectation is they will lose, there will be trauma and we will probably hear about it for the next quarter of a century.
Watching Scotland is also a mood-altering phenomenon. For me, though, it is not addictive. I can take or leave it; build a shield of indifference against inevitable disappointment. I might see if there’s a film on tonight, leave the intoxicant for others. Enjoy your night.
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callum must be a wee bit annoyed the number of times he gives the ball to robertson, goes beyond him into space, and doesnt get the ball back.
mon the broonie
Stuart Armstrong on, Scotland can win this
OMG Billy😏 subbed.
The diminutive and largely anonymous Gillmuuurrrr is replaced by the lavishly coiffed former Celtic legend Stuart Armstrong……………..
:))))))))))))))))))))
Gilmour did ok.
Had that been Leigh Griffiths it’s 1 – 0 Scotland. Watch England go up the park and score now.
Gilmour played very well. I’m glad he disnae play for the huns. I thought the Scotland midfield was too lightweight in size but their mobility has been excellent and we have a chance of winning this.
Armstrong to get the winner!!!!
OK is not quite good enough to be the saviour of the nation.
What was that all about from Armstrong? High looping corner ffs
Anybody But Celtic…………
Got to be honest…if hype were a team called Engerlung….they’d win Euros. For all the talent available to them…they really are bang average. Glad to admit I was wrong to think we wouldn’t be able to compete with them.
*hope I’ve not jinxed it ;-))
Football’s the real winner here……………….
:)
Well Done Scotland. FTSFA howevaah.
Well done Scotland
Well done Scotland excellent effort.
Now the golf.
First time I have watched 90 minutes of soccer (bar Celtic games) in a long, long time and really enjoyed it. Now forgive the childish engagement below:
Ernie Lynch –
I couldn’t be bothered finding the actual quote, but it was in the context of someone saying that the blog used to be about football and good craic and asked, ‘what happened?’ You and another poster both said, one after the other, ‘The Referendum’. I will apologize if that is either fantasy or wishful thinking.
Forgive me if this sounds like a pompous know-it-all, but – Top tip – take your own Top Tip: don’t construct an argument on fantasy or wishful thinking (winner of the Sixth Form Debate two years in a row).
HH
Now back to the football. The oft criticized Celtic academy has produced 5 (?) of the starting line up, and you also have wee Jamsie.
Scotland deserved to win that. Well done SNP.
there is no beauty like the beauty of an english commentators words
Well done Scotland.
Played close to their best.
And they all did a proper shift.
Credit to 2 guys I called out for their lack of quality previously.
Hanley & O’Donnell stuck to it very well.
Real shame a fit Leigh Griffiths not available.
Wonderboy got shown up for the raw youngster he is.
Good team effort , Calum did very well
O’Donnell worth a punt … did himself proud tonight pleased for the boy as They thought he was the weak link …
Probably a confidence thing now we just need to notch a goal at this level and we can push on
“SCULLYBHOY on 18TH JUNE 2021 9:52 PM
First time I have watched 90 minutes of soccer (bar Celtic games) in a long, long time and really enjoyed it.”
Same for me. I would say a draw was about right but 2-2 would have been a truer reflection of an entertaining game.
SIONNAIGH on 18TH JUNE 2021 9:52 PM
Scotland deserved to win that. Well done SNP.
hope that”s an acronym for Scotland Not Politics ;-))
H.H.
Great result great effort !
Calmac unsung hero, Hanley played very well.
“BTB
Wonderboy got shown up for the raw youngster he is.”
If you mean Gilmour, I thought he showed a lot of class. I also thought the same about Tierney.
lalalalalalala
kieran tierney
lalalalalalala
kieran tierney
By the end of tonight, wee Billy will have won the Game………….
:)))))))))))))
Kieran was easily my MOTM.
Well I have to admit that I expected to get humped, delighted for the Celtic bhoys, we didn’t deserve to lose that, for all that I HATE, and I do hate the SFA, it ain’t the players fault that masonic parasitic scum run the game in scotland.
We are a few players away from a decent team.
The brits don’t have the bottle.
There’s a few teams who are gonna spank them.
We have sold KT far too cheap – I just hope we put in a healthy sell on clause.
Hot Smoked
The lad has a good touch and will be a good footballer – no doubt.
Physically not there yet.
Four times tonight though English players (Mount x 3, Shaw) drifted off him comfortably to create danger.
SCULLYBHOY on 18TH JUNE 2021 9:52 PM
‘Ernie Lynch –
I couldn’t be bothered finding the actual quote, but it was in the context of someone saying that the blog used to be about football and good craic and asked, ‘what happened?’ You and another poster both said, one after the other, ‘The Referendum’. I will apologize if that is either fantasy or wishful thinking.’
###
And can you explain how that (accurate and factual) reply to a question amounts to ‘mocking the referendum’?
As I suggest earlier, don’t try to construct an argument based on wishful thinking.
You appear to have a heightened sense of grievance. It seems to be a common trait among cult members.
Saint Stivs on 18th June 2021 9:17PM
Well played Scotland. Didn’t see one second of the game, proud of all the players.
I can stand to be corrected here. KG family were Duntocher.
While I’m on the subject, I have fond memories of a matriarch of the Divers family, Annie Fullers Gate, Faifley. Connected to both Divers who played for Celtic in different generations, I’m not sure how. There’s no-one still alive I can ask.
Annie was a street warrior for the Labour Party, a female Fagin, me being one of her runners with my brother and sister running the tenement streets and closes through the 60s and 70s.
We’ll pass the winning post again.
Like WTF – Callum ‘what about Billy Gilmour’?
WTF is this?
Well done Scotland.
in the tactical battle Scotland(clarke) won hands down against England(pizza guy:-).A team performance. tonight.Good for Scotland.hope is a good thing.Onto Croatia.:-)
i feared ‘arry kane,at his substitution i felt he looked bit lost.
haii hail
THE EXILED TIM on 18TH JUNE 2021 10:05 PM
Which ones are ‘the brits’?
Scotland the better team by the end, indeed thought we could win it in the last 10-15 minutes. Calmac played a very disciplined game, O’Donnell very effective as pretty much the whole team. Good all round performance.
Well done Scotland, gives us a bit of a chance of going through if we beat Croatia.