With an understatement of historic proportions, Scottish Government minister Annabelle Ewing said should would “respect the will of [the Scottish]parliament” and set in motion the process to repeal the discredited Offensive Behaviour at Football Act. This is a new approach from a government which has ignored the will of the Scottish Parliament on each occasion on this very issue – despite acting like wounded fawns when others do the same.
The Act was the brainchild of Alex Salmond, who exploited a Celtic-Rangers match which saw two Rangers players ordered off and a brief but angry shouting match between Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist. The game, however, was remarkably free from crowd trouble.
For years Rangers fans were being arrested for offenses of a sectarian nature. Celtic fans had rid themselves of ‘offensive chanting’ but things changed when SNP Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill sat through a Celtic-Rangers cup final deafened by chanting of ‘The Billy Boys’, he congratulated spectators on their behaviour. This saw the return of political chanting from the Celtic support.
SNP minister Christine Grahame made clear the intentions of Salmond’s Bill when she told Justice Committee meeting this Act would allow police to “equalise” arrest figures between Celtic fans and Rangers fans.
It was an appalling piece of governance and sectarian in nature.
61 SNP MSPs voted to retain the act yesterday, as Holyrood heard the most ridiculous nonsense in attempts to justify its place, citing sectarian comments made well away from the football environment. The SNP seem to know there is a sectarian problem, but are blind to any of their own shortcomings.
Credit for this reversal goes in considerable volume to the Fans Against Criminalisation action group, and to James Kelly MSP (Lab), who sponsored yesterday’s vote. Ordinary men and women defeated a wilfully blind, Peronist, government.
We can only be grateful that government does not enjoy a majority in parliament. Its authoritarian tendencies are clear, they did not look at the evidence and reverse their view, they simply didn’t have the votes necessary to continue to ignore all the evidence.
Win 4 x Walfrid Restaurant Hospitality tickets for Celtic v Hearts on 30 Jan.
Help Celtic FC Foundation in the process.
Generally reflect in awe at the goodness of club sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing.
Intelligent Car Leasing have offered us 4 hospitality tickets for Tuesday’s league game against Hearts. Winners will eat at the magnificent Walfrid and enjoy a complimentary bar. I’ve done this, it is magnificent, a truly great way to watch Celtic with your nearest and dearest. Proceeds go to the Celtic FC Foundation.
The auction went online yesterday closes on Sunday, so you only have a couple of days to bid.
Good luck!!
Order Jim Craig’s new Lisbon Lion Diary – Right Back to 67 from CQNBookstore.co.uk and you will receive a signed copy from the man himself plus a FREE copy of That Season in Paradise – Ten Months of Celtic Heaven signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld! Simply order Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and the second book will be sent automatically. Stocks are running very low so hurry! THIS DEAL WILL END IN A FEW DAYS!
350 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- »
WITS , that’s what the fella said it will definitely win next time out .as I said he seemed genuine to me thanks for responding mate as you are definitely in the Know . Ps the fellas first name is Ralph if that’s any help . Will appreciate it if you post when it’s running. Thanks in advance mate
morning all
can’tgetbacktosleepcsc
Bloody hell. The last time I arrived here my five pound notes were out of date. Now it’s my pound coins.
Off to a friendly ATM.
My friends in Celtic,
A 3 o’clock ko , a full house, a lubricated happy support , many of whom have just been paid and non Baltic conditions.
For all you lucky Ghirls and bhoys lucky enough to attend Paradise, let’s make it a day to remember.
COYBIG.
ALMORE
Enjoy the game and get yourself some real beer tokens ! HH !
Morning all, another tuff game ahead with Lenny’s Hibees…
Charly Musonda, will be a great loan signing, especially, as in the case of Patrick Roberts, it’s an eighteen min the deal. Not bad feet, wee bit of pace;)
If we end up…
………………Moussa
Sinclair…..Mousonda…..Roberts or Forrest
I don’t care if we have a defense:)
Taking of which, I’m totally lost in this transfer window…
Where is Bishop Brennan when you need him…
The Shuffles from Brussels…
Celtic 3 – 0 Hibs
Hail Hail
Today’s game is likely to be a competitive one and Hibs are a good counter attacking team with real pace on both wings. It will be interesting to see Lustig tested against Barker as I do not expect Brendan to play 3 at the back. My guess is last week’s team plays with the probable exception of Griff for Odsonne.
Genuinely more excited about the prospect of a tight game against a potentially competitive team than a dour defensive team coming to CP where we have to wait till gaps emerge via tiredness.
Good morning, friends and Happy Matchday 24. Can’t wait to get back up to my wee bit of 3 foot square concrete and to sing and cheer The Bhoys on to victory. 14 points clear of the tam that’s currently in 2nd place would be nice.
ALMORE
I blame BREXIT. Hope you enjoy yourself today.
Gooooooooood Morning CQN
YES, it’s back to Celtic day today :-)))
( I don’t do Sevco or FtSFA games, so been over a month)
Can I say, I don’t think Odsonne was that bad on Tues night, not worth €8m though, with the transfermarket website putting a value of €1.35m on him.
If Moussa staying, he needs to being better than his last 2 appearances, again a young striker, who is going to have a wee dip in form, though ? And for me, our best striker.
Over to you Brendan Bhoy :-)
See you at 3
Hail Hail
A question, is Christian Gamboa injured ?
SFTB @ 8:33 AM,
Yes, will be interesting to see if Brendan starts with Lusting, I think he will.
Might be controversial but I think he might stick with Edouard at the beginning. He’s praised him after every match and I think he likes the bhoys potential.
Of course Leigh will have to come on to win us the match;)
Noticed your question last night, Jack Hendry’s worth?
Also someone asked (apologies) why are we interested in him if we only buy better?
Well my feeling would be, maybe Brendan thinks he’s better than what we have at the Academy and is planning for the future…
Think that’s the way Gary Caldwell looked at it when he took him to Wigan.
The other thing was, with the Sviatcheko, Simunovic situation at impasse a quality young back up would provide insurance at SPL level.
So on that basis if Brendan could have got him and taken him to Dubia maybe 500K – 750K is a good figure.
I’m sure I remember reading about our interest last year, we must have been speaking to Dundee and had a ballpark figure, we got our bid in early doors.
Of course folk in England know Brendan has a good eye for a young player. So I’m sure they were alerted.
Seems to me Dundee got greedy…
Walking away in such a scenario is the Celtic way…
Hail Hail
Park Road/Bobby: Cheers. Just having breakfast in Leith. No sunshine though.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the Scottish football league
They come from bonnie Scotland, they come from county Cork,
They come from dear old Donegal and even from New York,
From every street in Glasgow they proudly make their way,
To a place called dear old paradise and this is what they say.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the Scottish football league.
There’s Fallon, Young and Gemmell who proudly wear the green,
There’s Clark, McNeill and Kennedy the best there;s ever been,
Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes,
And sixty thousand Celtic fans who proudly shout the news.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the Scottish football league.
Repeat to Fade CSC
ALMORE
Leith?
Home game today,bud!
Only kidding. No sunshine in bliddy Swindon either.
LENNYBHOY.
I’ve got your message. My mobile isn’t working and I haven’t your house phone number, but I received your message Yesterday.
He’d be great in the Hoops
Call me an old cynic but Charly Musonda on an eighteen month loan with no option to buy doesn’t do it for me. Developing another clubs player like we have done with Patrick Roberts.
Are there no more layers that we can BUY to strengthen the team in Europe? One crocked defender who’s hardly kicked a ball for at least a year and a bit and loan back project doesn’t a successful transfer window make.
Having watched 4 teams live in the Australian A league this morning it struck me that any of them would present us with a more robust challenge than anything we face in Scotland just now. We really do operate in a world football backwater.
Anyway another 2 each draw today.
Mickybhoy
I think we will get plenty of robust stuff today coupled to pace in attack , so this is no gimme today at all, we do not have all our best players available and have not been taking chances,would love a win for Celtic, that would be a great result today.
Quiet here,so have a guid wee read.
http://tirnaog09.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/hampden-is-burning.html?m=1
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Nakaesque!
My friends in Celtic,
Odsonne Edouard is a dilemma for us. This boy has had a glittering youth career. It is no secret his personal life to date has been somewhat problematic.
That is precisely why his value is cira €8m.
As far as I am aware he has buckled down at Parkhead and is concentrating on his football.
I can totally understand BR trying to evaluate if he is worth becoming our record signing. The only real way of doing that is to play him.
If this boy could even partially fulfil his anticipated potential then his price would be a snip, and we would acquire a player we could never dream of having.
Many other teams will be watching with interest as many would not even blink at the asking price for such potential.
As I said, it’s a dilemma.
HH.
ROBINBHOY
Musonda joining on loan will benefit the player and his club in the long-term. Great move for them.
For us,the benefit is an exciting addition to the squad. Maybe the type of player who can fire up the fans-and his team mates.
But,as you say,it is short-term. Celtic have always had a strategy,even though what may not be obvious to us laymen who know nothing about the game!
Sticking to a flawed strategy is dogmatic and suicidal. But…
Changing strategy from one minute to the next is never good.
I’m genuinely concerned that they’re making it up as they go along.
Oooops,meant to ask-you back on your feet yet?
BMCUW
In Singapore just arrived to start our vacation in Asia. Not quite 100% but getting there. If we can stay awake we’ll go to Clarke Quay tonight to watch the Hoops
ROBINBHOY @ 9:46 AM,
It’s been an interesting window, for what hasn’t happened… guess no change there…
On the Charly Musonda loan…
This is a great bit of business. If a Teir one Club are prepared to let us Coach there best and a World Class prospect is prepared to come to Celtic Park, what does it say to the other young talent out there.
Chelsea, Man City, PSG etc Academies are burgeoning with young talent. A fraction are going to make it with their Clubs.
If Celtic Park becomes the goto place for these lads to develop their careers we can have a stream of young talent coming into Lennoxtown.
Also what does it say to Moussa, imagine the service he’s going to get from that lad…
He must see his star rising again…
Great move…
Might even get my nephew more interested in Scottish Football and his heritage Club:)
Hail Hail
ROBINBHOY
You’re an old cynic.
GREENPINATA
Seems PSG had problems with his personal life,as did previous clubs he was loaned to.
He’s consistently rated in football magazines as a youngster to watch out for,based on ability and performances alone.
This is a good article,worth a read.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/jan/26/ross-barkley-stumbling-start-chelsea-antonio-conte
But it contains one very pertinent para near the end-
*
“And yet somehow it seems possible to ignore the variables in all this, the thrillingly high margins of his profession and portray Barkley as yet another lazily grasped moral fable, the old football story of squandered talent, excessive material rewards and all the rest.
There are two things worth saying about this. Firstly, the levels of anger directed at a poor performance or a duff season or a stalled career are laughably misplaced, an indication of a complete misunderstanding of what sport is really about, the dizzying human mystery involved in translating talent and graft into tangible achievement. Nobody coasts through this, or doesn’t care. The people who coast and don’t care – you’ve never heard of them. They dropped out years ago.”
*
I’m not 100% sure he met Mark Viduka,but he makes a good point. And if Edouard has knuckled down,and the magazine ratings are accurate,we have a player.
I said before he’ll cost the same as Boerrigter,Amido Balde and Pukki. So,sign him.
Or end up losing the money anyway to Hector.
From @GrahamSpiers
My interview with @HibsOfficial CEO Leeann Dempster, once a Rangers season ticket holder for 20 years. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-agreed-with-neil-lennon-about-hibs-being-a-boy-band-he-has-brought-grit-and-determination-gkhhwk0fp
There you go Hibs fans & you wonder why we’re paranoid.
Now we know why they turned a blind eye to cheating.
A CEO now at Hibs and an ex season ticket holder for 20 years at grey skull.
ROBINBHOY
That’s great news,mate. And I hope you have a great time.
Staying in your usual suite in Raffles,perchance?
HENR1K
Ffs!!!!!
BMCUW
Shangri La :-0)
Donald Findlay QC at the loving cup ceremony. Does my eyes deceive me ? The man that defended Craig Whyte. Honestly what a corrupt little bigoted country we truly live in. Do these clowns think we’re buttoned up the back. https://twitter.com/hen1rik/status/957195964846141445/photo/1
HENR1K
To echo BMCUW’S thoughts FFS !!!
Looking forward to this game nearing the end of a torturous Blog winter break with window to boot. Hibs with Alan Stubbs, is a memory and a fifferent proposition when Neil Francis is a at the helm.
Still expect Celtic to dominate the news despite deflection and the preoccupation of SMSM, where a draw is now the only Sevconian success.
Celtic looked refreshed when we faced Thistles’s bus who were fortunate to benefit from Mikael Lustig’s poorly time challenge on the one occasion they broke.
We need to decide on the next Celtic line up where I agree with others we should see Odsonne Edouard continue his trial at Celtic from the bench, leaving
Brendan to choose between Griffiths or Dembele or both.
The rest because of injury will select themselves.
ROBINBHOY,
Greetings from Brunei and welcome to SE Asia. Nae Hubba Bubba or any other chewggy when you’re in Singapore and definitely do not eat outside food in the station, big fine apparently.
Enjoy tonight’s game and hopefully we’ll get a good win.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
HEN1RIK on 27TH JANUARY 2018 10:18 AM
I’m pretty sure thats an old photo mate.