I’ve been to a few non-Celtic games over the years and always found is striking the different reaction mid-table teams have to a defeat compared to how we react. There is simply not the expectation that every game has to be won. For most of the last 40-odd years Celtic have been nip-and-tuck with a direct opponent at the top of the league, so a single defeat can have a significant bearing on league title prospects.
Even when we were not involved in a close league race, the desire to win by an astonishing number of points provided an edge, whereas, back in the 90s, the chasm between Celtic and the top was made increasingly unbearable by each passing defeat.
This season is different. We’ve dropped 10 points in 10 games but substantial evidence exists that the team is making solid progress, a fact not disputed by the support, even as they left Celtic Park on Saturday. For most, the distress of defeat has tempered.
We’re two points ahead of three teams at the top of the league, with a game in hand, which makes this the most competitive SPL ever. The gap between second and second last is just six points, St Mirren who sit second bottom, would be level on points with joint-second St Johnstone had they won the game between these two earlier this month.
All this honest competition has resulted in a rise in average attendances for most clubs during “Armageddon”. It’s too easy to poke fun at the miscalculations of the SPL and SFA chief executives who believed the game needed a fatally flawed giant in the top flight. Instead, what it needed was genuine competition, which we have, to a degree.
Hibs, Aberdeen and St Johnstone are all two points from the top of the table while Inverness and Killie are only one win below them. Can you imagine how good a league this would be without the last remaining over-sized behemoth?
The SPL didn’t need Rangers, in fact, it is a better, more competitive league without them. The same goes for Celtic. We are not good for the league and do nothing for Aberdeen, United, Hibs or clubs who want nothing but a sporting chance in the game. Many of these clubs seem to have Stockholm Syndrome; locked into the belief that they need to be with their tormentors.
If I was writing a blog about any of these clubs I’d tell Celtic to go find themselves some fantasy football league and let the rest of the country get back to a proper sporting endeavour. They have nothing to lose but their loser labels.
The next issue of CQN Magazine is due out shortly, let me know if you would like to advertise, advert@cqnmagazine.co.uk.
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Philvis
Many posters on here have quite rightly criticised sevconian jokes re child abuse. Poor, mon ami. Very poor.
I sat next to Vic Davidson on the number 7A from Kings Park to St Enochs
Afternoon all
I sat beside Stevie Chalmers son, Stephen, in P4 at St Matthews’ Bishopbriggs
H x 2
Tenuous links
I once had a pee next to Henrik Larsson inside Hampden at half time during a League Cup final when he was still recovering from his leg break.
And no, I didn’t look.
Doctor SomeoneI’veneverseenbefore –
I didn’t make any jokes about child abuse.
Reading comprehension beckons. (thumbsup)
I played in the St Johns school team (Dundee) that included Albert Kidd + Bobby Glennie, David Narey was in the year above me, also played in that team too once.
Philvis
Still very poor, Mon etranger.(thumbs down)
I taught Anton Rogan, Raymond McStay, Cesar’s secretary and 4 Celtic View editors to drive!!
canuckbhoy
sausage bridge?
I met Harry Hood and Tom Callaghan at a Holyrood FP do
Necrophilia is dead boring
paulsatim…
….tell me, what do you do for a living?
:)
Tombola
Mr Divers was one of those teachers you wanted,he would never walk past us in the corridor, at the time me n a few of my pals were going up regular and he was always asking us how we got on,he used to wear the mad green suit like something out of Miami Vice lol aye he was ghood yin.
Doctor Whatfor – I thought it was pretty funny.
If you’re going to be offended at the mention of Sir Jimmy Savile’s name or joking about Charles Green being an irrepressible fabulist then good luck with your offendedness. (thumbsup)
to the game
I know hamilton ..tim
South Of Tunis – Watch out, that sort of joke might offend the internet police. Necrophilia is a grave matter. (thumbsup)
I met Tom Boyd snr on Sunday evening in Blantyre KSC.
philvisreturns
14:11 on 30 October, 2012
Dick Byrne – I LOLed :) (thumbsup)
thomthethim – Are they ever not inflamed? (thumbsup)
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! – Hmmm? (thumbsup)
******
My work here is done.
A Thumbsup from Philvis/
Thomthethumb CSC.
I see ol’ Chuckles has had another wee pop at Lord Nimmo Smith, questioning the validity of his Commission ahead of the Tax Case outcome being published.
Isn’t it interesting that Charles Green’s Sevco investors were able to buy “the Club and its honours” but were able to kindly decline the club’s dishonours.
Paraphrasing: “This magnificent debt free club with the world’s greatest most intimidating supporters won the 2009/10 SPL title fair and square. It was another club entirely that fielded inelgible players in all of its games that season. Nowt t’do with me or mine.”
Gene’s a Bhoys name
14:12 on 30 October, 2012
I sat next to Vic Davidson on the number 7A from Kings Park to St Enochs
__________________________________
…& I used to collect his mammy’s insurance premiums at her flat in Sunnybank Street.
You can’t get much more tenuous than that.
I’ve met BT!
Do I win?
Modren Modern Studies is rubbage.
I was in The Mint with Gerry Creaney after we got beat by the huns when he got dogs abuse for not trying hard enough.
i once told STEVE CHALMERS daughter that STEVE caused the biggest hangover in the history of the world after THE MARRIAGE FEAST AT CANAI.
Huh, I had Lenny, Charlie, and Thommo, in my taxi, the day we skelped the huns 3-0 @ Paradise last season. Got my photo taken to prove it. (Son deleted it from my phone by mistake). Erryarr, beat that!
Hail hail.
Dick Byrne
NewBearculosis. Belter. It sounds like a classic Embrocation forced rhyme, like Cerebral and Sir Theobald on the Commissurotomy Daze album. You sure you attributed it correctly?
I live on the same planet as every player that ever played for celtic was born
Shaun Maloney had a flat upstairs from me in Bothwell. He’s bigger than you’d think. Mind you, I’m a dwarf.
Marrakesh, it is a concrete narrow bridge in the woods between fernhill Rd. and Croftfoot Dv.
Right, any speculation why new article is so late today?
When I was between 7 – 10, I lived up the same block of flats in Ibrox as Kenny Dalglish.
Even though he became my boyhood hero due to hus ecploits in the hoops, I don’t remember him at all as a neighbour.
Roll on 30 years later and I almost literally bumped into King Kenny while he was polishing his golf shoes at Hillside Golf Club.
It was just me, Kenny and a tin of black cherry blossom – but I was too shy and embarassed to speak to him.
How tenuous is that?
Jonny
hope that wasny Charlie Nic? o))
philbhoy
you are always a winner ;unlike old WDH and ulcry
Bit off topic … But I will not have had any alcohol for three weeks tomorrow!
Being 41 this will be the first time in 20 years I’ve lasted this long :)
Pity my work are less than understanding at having a week on the panel :(
Feck them !!!
Mon the hoops
canuckbhoy
13:52 on
30 October, 2012
I didn’t know what a bike was…….LOL …… And if I had seen a sausage bridge, I would have eaten it………was that the bridge down at the Lake, over to Machrie ?
Can’t resist getting in on the Celtic name dropping thing….
As kids we used to see and speak to Packy Bonner quite regularly during his playing days outside the Golden Sea chippy on Cathcart rd. I even found out I’m distantly related to him on my mothers side when my Donegal granda told me to mention his name to Packy the next time we saw him in the chippy.
Also, my pals and I went to school and ran about with Mike Jackson’s daughters and Big Billy’s daughter. We would often see and speak to their fathers, especially Mr Jackson. Jim Brogan’s son was also a school pal then, and another guy whose name escapes me right now went on to sign for the Hoops and make a first team appearance (under Brady I think), was also in my year.
My pals and I would be playing football almost constantly back then on a new fitba pitch that was built outside our old primary school, Holy Cross. Among the other kids who played their with or against us were two boys a year or two younger than us, Paul McGrillen and Jamie McQuilken. The later making an appearance or two for the Hoops. We actually saw Kenny Dalglish outside McGrillen’s close one day having just left his house and we found out later he had signed some sort of deal with Liverpool. He would have been around 11 or 12 years old then.
One or two other school day opportunities for the auld name drap game but I feel I’m pushing it as it is!
BroonSauce
i played a trial game for Dundee reserves in 1979 against the Hoops at Dens Park
Tommy Gemmell was managing Dundee :)
in the Celtic line up there was Tommy Burns, Big Shuggie and Mike Conroy
and i scored a gooooaaaaaal :)
BT
I feel old today with all these powercuts in G72
I bought my Fitba Gear from Ronnie Glavin