Exactly one year ago today, just after lunchtime, one of the pivotal moments in Celtic history occurred. Neil Lennon took his Celtic team to Kilmarnock, who had lost their three previous league games, and for 73 minutes looked like surrendering their league title chances just as Tony Mowbray’s team collapsed at St Mirren Park seven months earlier.
The manager later admitted to thoughts of resignation. 3-0 down at half time while already in heavy deficit to Rangers, who were riding a wave of positivity under the reinvigorating ownership of Craig Whyte, events looked to have escaped Neil’s grasp.
It is tempting to write the narrative that a half time talk or tactical change turned things around but turnaround was more difficult to explain. Celtic were awful for the opening 28 minutes of the second half; like condemned men waiting for the inevitable.
Anthony Stokes started the recovery by exploiting Kilmarnock’s weaknesses. A free kick drifted over a wall which didn’t jump and into the net. Had the wall jumped, would history have been different? Three minutes later Stokes fired into the corner of the net from distance, Jaakkola in the Killie goal was not equal to the challenge. Suddenly, we were back in the game, back in the title race.
Charlie Mulgrew, who erred to gift Kilmarnock their third, equalised with 11 minutes remaining, surely there was only one winner now? Not so, images of Heffernan’s last minute header from inside the Celtic six yard box gliding over remain vivid.
We escaped with a draw but it felt like a stay of execution, not a pivotal moment. Neil didn’t resign, he stayed, beat Stade Rennes in the Europa League and never looked back. The imperious positivity which surrounded Craig Whyte was ultimately proven to be a charade, those of us who told you Rangers were in peril were proven correct.
It is impossible to calculate just how much football has changed since Anthony hit that free kick, although imperious positivity still surrounds a charade which is doomed to fail, leaving a lot of football fans out of pocket. If only the football authorities had a warning from recent history that light-touch regulation is dangerous, or had the mechanism to order a financial audit. They do, of course, but despite the traumas of 2012 I doubt they have the appetite to head-off potential problems. It’s easier (in the short term) to hope everything will turn out well.
Not that you need worry about any of this, you can chill and enjoy the season.
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dirtymac
21:38 on 15 October, 2012
Facebook ……..the nearest I ever got to facebook was when my wife threw a book at me ….can you clarify, please….?
Is everyone who supports the SNP and independence a halfwit, or is it just the ones on here?
dirtymac – point taken. I wonder what the attitude would be down South to one club doing similar as der Hun?
theweegreenman – I nearly brought my dinner back up there! Get yourself some Preparation H…!
T4
theweegreenman
21:43 on 15 October, 2012
Would you like jam on it …..????
Don`t live in Scotland,but have taken great interest in the debate.
My natural instinct is always to support the security,however flawed,that you know rather than the risk which you don`t.
Nevertheless I felt quite ambivalent about the different arguments until I read this.
The Moon Bhoys
19:21 on 15 October, 2012
No way would I ever vote for a party led by a guy who holds this view…
“Salmond told Sir David Frost, in an interview to be broadcast on Frost over the World on Al Jazeera English: “Obviously HMRC have got to pursue, in the public interest, taxation. Equally, they’ve got to have cognisance of the fact that we’re talking about a huge institution, part of the fabric of the Scottish nation, as well as Scottish football, and everybody realises that.
“The most diehard Celtic supporter understands that Celtic can’t prosper unless Rangers are there. The rest of the clubs understand that as well. Therefore you have to have cognisance of these things when you’re pursuing public policy.
“We’ve certainly been arguing to HMRC on one hand, and indeed to Rangers, to for goodness sake get a settlement, get a settlement and a structure over time whereby Rangers can continue because Rangers must continue for the future of Scottish football and for the fabric of the country.”
Under no circumstances could I vote for a party whose leader who claims to be able to speak for Celtic supporters.
Now,which word……Arrogance,effrontery,cheek….or simply stupidity.
Yeah,that`ll do.
Don’t understand why so many of you are anti independence. Look at the mess we are in now. Can it get any worse? Would it not be better to get involved, have your say and try to change things for the better? I certainly think so.
As somebody once said (and he shall remain nameless!) you can carp and complain or you can contribute.
Now go on, vote for independence and be brave enough to help Scotland be a better nation.
Teuchter
That was what u call a Freudian slip (ha ha)
Where do u stand on matters of independence? U have been strangely silent!!!!
Hail Hail brother
MWD – I remember you put those stats up before in an effort to dispell all those ridiculous arguments put forward by bigots who were against Catholic schools.
It would be useful if you could marry the stats up to those pertaining to sectarianism in Ingurland, i.e. figures to prove that it is limited to areas where the OO exist. You know I’m talking about the greater Merseyside area….No Surrender!
T4
Just been paging down for the blog today and I see the old Unionist has been on more today than he is ever on talking about Celtic…. Ernie ive not even read your posts but let me guess. You have not answered a direct question but have insulted 80% of the folk who have asked you to answer a question and the other 20 % you have just ignored?
So what do you think should we go for the long ball next week in the Camp Nou (Nou Camp) or else defend deep….
Prince of goalkeepers.
There might not be 100,000 members of the orange order in Scotland but im sure there will at least that many who sway that way.hh
Ernie,
Sometimes you would be better off playing with yoursellf rather than a keyboard.
So let’s recap nuclear weapons are great?.
And it’s the nationalists that are halfwits?.
Who gave Paisley the knighthood again?
Who took us blindly into Iraq?
Afghanistan?
Aaah unionism cannae beat it.
Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.
21:44 on
15 October, 2012
250 Orange lodges in England.
182 Orange lodges in Scotland.
England’s Population Approx. 51M
Scotland Population approx 5.2M
For every 204,000 people of living in England there is an Orange Lodge.
For every 28,020 people living in Scotland there is an orange lodge.
2011
MWD
+++++
That doesn’t even come close to depicting the whole picture though – some of them lodges could be Super Lodges. Like the ‘Club Deck Loyal Orange Order’ which opened in 1992 with 5,000 members (by member, I mean well, whatever, either way works fine). Or the Gorgie Diet Fanta Loyal.
Facetious observation aside, I’d hazard a guess that the 30-50k numbers of the OO are not the same 30-50k wannabes in attendance at der orkencamp every other week and the tens of thousands of bright tertiary-tinted uruks in non-attendance (as ever), meaning there is certainly a healthy (sic) 100,000 OO and follow followers (of the worst kind).
Literally:-))
TTTT
Merseyside and Manchester. 1st OL in England was setup in Manchester by x-Military.
MWD
GL2 – thought you were the bingo caller tonight?!
T4
ernie lynch
21:45 on 15 October, 2012
….and here was me thinking you were ‘improving with age’ …..LOL
GL2
I think we should defend deep AND play the long ball.
I also think every player should sport an Independence for Catalonia T-shirt and display it every time we score.
I can foresee us getting away with a 5:5 draw using these tactics.
GL2 – On political abuse- it is a 2 way street here and the Nats are giving as good as they get.
I personally think we should seek political union with Sweden and vote Henrik in as President.
You mean this one TTTT
There are a total of 2722 schools currently in Scotland that are state funded.
Of these 2722 schools 389 are single faith schools.
That is 14.29%
Of the 389 schools 3 are Scottish Episcopal Schools and 1 is Jewish.
Therefor 14.14% of all state funded schools in Scotland are Catholic.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/FAQs
Let’s compare that with England.
(assuming my calcs are correct)
There are around 20,098 state funded schools in England.
6826 of these state funded schools are single faith based.
That is 35.2% of state funded schools in England that are faith schools.
There are 2012 Catholic state funded schools in England.
That is around 10% of English state funded schools that are Catholic.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/number_of_state_funded_faith_sch
So there you have it.
Catholic schooling is obviously the cause of sectarianism and bigotry in Scotland. (that’s sarcasm BTW – just in case)
MWD
Neilbhoy – oh it can get a lot worse
Dirtymac
If you average it out at 280 members per lodge you are talking 50K
MWD
theweegreenman
21:52 on 15 October, 2012
You’ve done it now……..I’m continuing from behind the couch …..LOL
How about Larsson for first President of an independent Scotland?
Lubo for chacellor?
Sally for the food ministry?
I find myself reading anti catholic posts on here so Scotland being independent would be nothing worse than the posts on here from time to time..
I am Scottish and catholic…proud of both…
Still not sure how I will vote in 2 years time..
sipsini
21:51 on 15 October, 2012
You’re not wrong there, bhoy…..
There is some good arguements on here tonight and well balanced however if it was a Friday then “CQN fight night” would begin
fridaytoomuchdrink.csc
MWD
From The Dynamics of Orangeism in Scotland:
“the Scottish OMD (Orange Membership Density) has generally been little more than one percent, and averaged barely two percent in its Clydeside heartland during its membership peak. Even in its highest concentrations (Govan and Rutherglen in the greater Glasgow area), Scottish OMD rarely exceeded ten percent.”
and if I could spell arguments…………..
setting free the bears
20:13 on
15 October, 2012
Great summary of that day at Kilmarnock.
* Only 2 years til the Referendum *
I am Scottish, a Protestant , a Celtic Fan and a Nationalist.
Proud of all of them bar being a Protestant – just because I simply don’t have a religious bone in my body. Would never criticise anybody for the religion they were born into but it is just not for me.
Against Barca
I would play big Sammi in the spoiler role similar to Droghba’s in the last final, defend deep and try and hit them on the break.
Set pieces are also high up in the list as we do have a height advantage if nothing else.
tommytwiststommyturns
21:45 on
15 October, 2012
dirtymac – point taken. I wonder what the attitude would be down South to one club doing similar as der Hun?
T4
+++++
Interesting question.
A small club which ran up a fraction of that tax debt, but a similar overall debt – much of it to previous owners, but also horrendous local debts – were absolutely and utterly vilified in the press and by pretty much every fan of every other club.
In fact, I can’t recall a single positive word stated by anyone with any relevant (or often irrelevant) input re football with regards to that club. People rightly pointed out the tens of millions of pounds that club had previously ‘won’ whilst stiffing creditors.
Strange that in a different land with a, erm, different ‘set’ of pundits, that a different club, who’ve lorded it over others for the past two decades aren’t similarly vilified, except by football supporters who genuinely feel cheated (because we were cheated).
In fact, regarding winnings accrued wrongfully, the only time mention is made in the press of this, has quite astonishingly been with regards that different club wanting bloody more of it (tainted winnings) with nary a piece of counter argument; in fact no counter argument at all.
TTTT im the race night Lioness is Bingo
SFTB 28/1 in willie hills…most of the CQN couponers are feart to touch it so it should be a sure thing…Long ball for me..
easiest bet in the world is Ernie never tells us what he actually supports ..o kthe only easiest bet better is what Ernie tells you he does not think is right….
neganon2
21:56 on
15 October, 2012
Neilbhoy – oh it can get a lot worse
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
….and anyone who thinks otherwise is beyond naive ?…… I was brought up right in amongst them, and they are truly EVIL…
MWD – yup, but I wonder if the figures actually exist in England & Wales for religiously motivated crimes. Obviously, I’m talking about Christian sectarianism and not cimes involving Islam, etc.
T4
ernie lynch
21:23 on
15 October, 2012
Salmond wouldn’t have let the huns go bust in an independent Scotland.
—————–
NAIL HEAD
Goodnight all
“Oscar Knox celtic warrior YNWA”
Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.
21:57 on
15 October, 2012
Dirtymac
If you average it out at 280 members per lodge you are talking 50K
MWD
+++++
Aye, I reckoned there would be about that; my point was with regards those who weren’t, but would be (I know a few – unsmiley face)
neilbhoy
22:05 on 15 October, 2012
well said ……. Wonder what God thinks of the bigots..?