Boavista v Celtic, 24 April 2003, was one of the most frustrating games of football I’ve sat through. Needing to score, for 78 minutes Celtic were moribund; they made not a single attempt on goal. Instead, they did what most teams do away from home, condensed midfield and defended, while Boavista, who would qualify for the Uefa Cup final if the game ended goalless, did much the same.
The goal appeared to take place in slow motion. Henrik Larsson moved forward to the end of the D and tried to pass to John Hartson, but a defender intercepted. Unfortunately for Boavista the ball was returned from the interception to an unmarked Larsson on the edge of the box.
It spun from his preferred right foot onto his left but the shot gently arced inches away from the goalkeeper’s grasp. The goal was a deflection, although we didn’t see it at the time. The keeper was moving his weight from right to left as the ball drifted to his left.
It may have been a turgid game of football decided by a deflection but it was also one of the most intense sporting occasions in our 125 year history. The sheer release of tension when the goal went in was incredible. 15 minutes, and one generous refereeing decision later, Celtic were in a European final.
Since then we have become accustomed to our position as a credible European team but it was very different in season 2002-03. This was the first Christmas Celtic were in Europe since 1979; each milestone along the way, Blackburn Rovers (a far more credible team at the time), Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Liverpool, was celebrated with something close to astonishment.
The triumphs of this season, qualifying for the Champions League group stage instead of losing to Basel, then progressing to the knock out rounds, are greater than the achievements of April 2003, but they will never feel that way. That game, that season, trophy-less though it was, changed our entire landscape. Nothing would ever be the same again.
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Blantyretim 06:43
Hink we might struggle to pass the fitness test….
Getting a delivery of rolls tonight, from ‘Sajids’ apparently, Ive been out the roll hunting game a while, wheres ‘Sajids’? Im guessing as its my Mum bringing them its from up North in that High Blantyre/your old bit kind of area?
EN
31° Blatic.
Blow away the cobwebs!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oB_-Eq4CbAs
EN
not biting re HB ya chancer..
dull on the banks of the ole clyde
Morning Celts,
I asked last night, any Celtic/ Irish bars in Fiji?
It’s for a relative, thanks in advance.
V
Article from The Rangers ‘Standard’
Interesting if true (apologies if already posted)…
The Rangers Standard believes that Imran Ahmad, the Rangers Commercial Director and close associate of Charles Green has access to an account on the Rangers Media forum which has posted sensitive information on the club and the issues currently surrounding it. Ahmad is believed to have had access to two logins for the site, the current one being IamRangers. The username has posts on topics from Charles Green’s issues with the board to possible share purchases and views on Ally McCoist and Walter Smith.
IamRangers made his thoughts on Walter Smith and Ally McCoist clear when he posted about how they “are trying to take control of the club”. The poster claims that Green and Ahmad have the ability to call an EGM and sack the entire board if things do not go their way. The poster also claims that once the Craig Whyte claims have been dealt with, Charles Green will return as Chairman.
.
‘The Boy Has Got Skills’ – Chelsea’s Islam Feruz
Aged just six, Islam Feruz was forced to leave war-torn Somalia and fled to Scotland as an illegal immigrant.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I was six years old I only had two issues in my life that needed to be assessed.
One was whether my Dinosaur Tamagotchi was getting enough nutrients out of the vegetation I was feeding him, and the second was whether he’d had a nice day in the park.
I struggle to imagine the mindset of a child who has been forced from his home due to conflict, and is forced into a Country where realistically he’s not even allowed to be.
The reality of an impending deportation case loomed over the Feruz family, as they tried to block out painful memories of their war-torn homes.
What came next however, was like something out of a feel-good family movie.
The late great Tommy Burns, who was coaching Celtic at the time, apparently saw Feruz playing football in a Scottish park a few years later.
And It’s believed that Burns himself asked the Foreign Office to let the boy and his family stay in the Country.
Just four years later young Islam Feruz was again on the radars of the Scottish giants.
This time Celtic coach, John Simpson, invited 10-year old Feruz for a trial at the club after seeing him play at Castlemilk sports centre.
It was a chance that Feruz most certainly took in Glasgow as the youngster made quite the name for himself at Celtic U19 level.
So much so in fact that he even earned himself a call up to the Scottish U17 squad for their qualifier against Cyprus when he was aged just 14-years old.
It came as a shock to many, not because of the players ability, but because they were unaware that Feruz was eligible to play for Scotland.
It was later revealed that although he had no direct Scottish heritage, Feruz was able to play for the Tartan Army under the new qualification rule, which allows players with five years of compulsory education in a country to play for that country.
Despite the fact that Celtic had helped Feruz stay in the country, and had even put him up in an expensive flat during his time at the club, Celtic were set to be stabbed in the back by the player.
At the start of the 2011/2012 season there were rumours that Feruz was paving the way for a move away from the club, Chelsea set to be the intended destination.
Feruz later moved to Stamford Bridge on a deal said to be worth up to £2,500 per week, after rejecting a deal from the Scottish club.
Later on Neil Lennon voiced his disappointment over the move but blamed his agents for the situation rather than the player.
It wasn’t even a good move for Celtic in a financial sense, as a legal loophole allowed them to secure the signing of Feruz for just £300,000′s worth of compensation.
Since the move Feruz hasn’t looked back, and his explosive pace has seen him become a strong part of the Chelsea youth teams.
Arguably his best performance came when playing in the 2012 FA Youth Cup in April of last year.
The young striker notched himself a brace in the game and the club later went on to win the trophy for the second time in three years.
He also scored a brace in this seasons NextGen series against Molde.
His goals helped them beat the Norwegian side an impressive 6-0, with the Chelsea official website describing him as ‘short but sharp, with an electric turn of pace and an ability to get a shot in early’.
After overcoming some big hurdles in his life it seems that Islam Feruz has what it takes to become the latest in a long list of Premier League youngsters.
He’s even seemingly got a lack of loyalty, something that’s a pretty big issue in today’s game.
Summa
O’Reilly’s: Irish bar that’s really not that Irish
by ashley05p
This is supposed to be an Irish pub – although there is nothing too Irish about it, besides the name. They have big screens for sports and then whent he sports are over it becomes a nightclub. Good mucis and dancing. Nice dress required.
v for you.. struggled to find much more
Vmhan
similar to BT, O’Reillys was the only one I could find.
Along Victoria Parade, O’Reilly’s (5 Macartha Street, Suva, Fiji) is an Irish pub that has a great vibe. It can get rowdy on weekends, but not to the point of annoyance. One of the oldest and most adored clubs in Suva is Traps (305 Victoria Parade, Suva, Fiji) with five bars and four clubs for a thrilling night out. For an underground clubbing experience, Birdland (Carvanon Street, Suva City Center, Fiji) is Fiji’s number one spot.
Reading back, some suggest we move our focus away from the hun now and concentrate on all things CFC.
That’s exactly what everyone involved in the scandal wants.
We must stay on the case until justice is served..This saga has much more to give.
Well done to the I B’s for their sterling work to date.
Hh
Good morning CQNers,
There’s an honesty about Bomber Brown that comes from his straightforward approach and its probably the reason he’s not in Malcolm Murray’s clique.
Malcolm Murray intrigues me, he strikes me as a sly wee man, a kingmaker possibly.
He’s the link between the interlopers and the old Rangers ‘grandees’ and he and the ‘grandees’ have known for some time about how Green played fast and lose when ousting Whyte.
Malcolm and his friends are in front of the game presently but will they remain so? Probably if they can keep it within Scotland and within the remit of friends like Nimmo Smith.
Malcolm has been able to remain below the radar ( with some help from his friends) but will he become part of the story? I wonder if the 2 supporter complaints that Green used to side-line Murray had any substance?
Only questions.
BT, I wish you well.
Had a few drinks with a couple of Geordie nurses down here last night and they were very scathing of the care expected of them.
More of a business it appears.
Anyways, glad to hear ur getting out
P
Morning, I wonder what the Sevco pantomime will bring today.
“He’s behind you!!”
PABLOH. 0014
No reason to doubt your word as you have been on here long enough to be a respected poster.
So I expect that what you say will come to pass
So yet more hilarity,jelly and ice cream.
Lovely…..
archdeaconsbench
07:23 on 25 April, 2013
That wasn’t that lot at Sevco standard that found that info mate it was a Tim and that idiot tinfoil heed Chris Graham is trying to claim an exclusive on it.
Blantyretim 07:16
Ha, Im being serious, do you know where that shop is? I need to know their roll production form.
EN
Just about to flick back to listen to the comments of a manager of one Scottish club on the internal shenanigans of another.
Not expecting much-after all,had he said anything interesting,it would have been all over the papers.
Wouldn’t it?
EN
don’t know that shop buddy…
you back in G72?
ESTADIO NACIONAL
Monday lunchtime-four well fired rolls and skwerr
Smashing
No provenance required from me,I just got wellied in.
Good sense will go out the window when you set eyes on the golden nuggets yer Mum is bringing you!
The Irony of last nights car crash radio was John Brown is far superior in his profession as opposed to Tom English the journalist
BBC Radio 4 Today @BBCr4today 48m
Coming up at around 0740: Robert Redford on why politics and journalism is in a worse state than in the days of Watergate
Will we ever see Tom English “grill” in the arrogant supercilious manner he displayed last night to any of the following, David Murray, Walter Smith, Ally McCoist……………….
Have they started the demonisation of Bomber yet?
Good to see that fat, ugly, conniving bassa Jabba getting it big time – wonder if he will have the balls to reply?
Going to finally try the famous CQN Tauranga Bhoy Square sausage recipe this week, the only thing that put me off over the years was I didnt know what the ” unit of measurement was and didnt want to ask CQN again….
Asked a mate last week who informed me the ” was ‘ditto’ for teaspoons, years of square sausage inspired emotional turmoil cured in one simple answer. Amazing
The recipe
“3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 ” pepper
1 ” nutmeg
2 ” coriander
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water (if needed to bind)
Mix all dry ingredients first.
Add meat a little at a time, mixing thoroughly.
Add 1 cup breadcrumbs at a time & mix thoroughly.
Add water only to bind. Shape into a long loaf.
Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until hard enough to slice
Freeze flat.
Fry and stick in a roll, a good roll.”
Blantyretim 08:20
Still here where I am, no in G72, no coming back til the two/three defensive midfielders carry on stops….
Getting bag of G72 rolls, football pies and Yeuongs of Coatbridge curry sauce pooder from the butchers delivered tonight. Today is Christmas, merry Christmas.
EN
Just dropped in to say…….
______________________________________________________________
Big Georges Fan Club
00:39 on 25 April, 2013
blantyretim – I’m presuming you are from Blantyre, and are a Tim (no sh!t Sherlock) – do you know any of the Donnelly’s from High BT?
BGFC
____________________________________________________________________
I used to be a – paper bhoy along with Bernard Donnelly from the same family.
There were(I think) ten paper bhoys and three were Tims.
Myself, Bernard and big Gerard Phairs.
This was in the late 70’s – early 80’s in – Wullie Pates on Glasgow Road
just a couple of blocks away from where the best Celtic supporters bus I’ve ever
been on – ran from…John Fallon’s Bar.
Mo auld mhan used to know the Donnelly’s very well – especially old Matt
They are guid fholk.
Anyway….Off oot.
So BBC Scotland air a programme where a manager of one Scottish club makes extraordinary claims about the goings on at another Scottish football club.
In addition, the manager also claims that the other clubs manager and a respected (sic) member of the other teams board were made aware of the concerns but chose to ignore them.
Just went on to the BBC website and not a mention of any of the above. Has war been declared??
“The answer is we dont know Gerry”……classic BFDJ
tim malone will tell
08:24 on 25 April, 2013
Remember the argument with Jabba and Chick young about Alistair no surrender Johnston about administration ? that will be his reply he needed proof.
ESTORIL BHOY
Seems all concerned are doing their level best to pretend that the interview,like so much of this saga,just didnae happen.
Fingers in ears,lalalala,canny hear you….
Which is how they got into such a mess in the first place.
Shocking so it is….
So,carry on,yer all doing great!!!!
Estadio Nacional – your recipe mentions meat, but doesn’t say how much or what type. Don’t fancy trying it without the meat…..
Vmhan
I know loads of Fijians through my job. Football is not big in Fiji they are massively into rugby and I mean massively. Most of them are enormous feckers, even their muscles have muscles! They are, however, lovely people and extremely friendly. I think your relative might have trouble finding a pub that shows football never mind Celtic matches. Tell your relative to try the Kava when they are out there ;-)
Kava
Dominant Forces 08:58
Ha, meat is vital to it, Ive always assumed its pork sausage meat.
EN
I suppose Chris Graham needed to troll the forums and get info from the tims to get his followers back on side.
He made up stories about Celtic fans singing about Gazza and Celtic fans carrying knifes
Aamer Anwar proved him wrong about the knife story.
BMCUW,
I continue to be amazed at the shenanigans over Govan way.
The toxic brand at Ibrokes is now so rancid I would be surprised if the corporate sponsors ( excluding Ashley ) are not looking at the contracts to see if they can disengage from the pollutant and pull out of their sponsorship commitments. Do C&C really want to be associated with this company?
The great news is this is going to rumble on for months/years to come ( delete as appropriate ) and any recovery in Govan is not yet even on the horizon :))
Hail! Hail!
Shortbread is corrupt and biased when it comes to their club.
I suspect the blog may break today. Hope the new servers can handle the traffic.
There is something in the air and it ain’t good for Sevco.
LB
Burghbhoy
06:57 on 25 April, 2013
Exactly 10 years ago this morning I woke up with the hangover from hell.
Was happy but
Happy Birthday por cierto.
morning cqn..
livibhoy whats the latest m8??h.h
por cierto
09:27 on 25 April, 2013
Burghbhoy
06:57 on 25 April, 2013
Exactly 10 years ago this morning I woke up with the hangover from hell.
Was happy but
Happy Birthday por cierto.
If I remember rightly no sleep was taken that night by the Milton Bhoys in Porto.
Happy Birthday PC
HH