Their three most recent games, all on the road, have not been kind to Aberdeen. Defeats at Livingston and St Mirren, and a point at Ross County, took the air out of their sails after taking a point from Newco on their first outing after the winter break.
Their away form has been terrible. Since taking a point at Ibrox in October, they have lost four, drawn one and won once away. They are a different team at home, where they have not lost in three months. It is the latter stat that Ange Postecoglou will be most exercised with.
Tonight’s game at Pittodrie is one of the most important in what is left of our season. Win, and your confidence will receive an endorsement. Fortunately, Celtic are on their best form of the season and travel with as strong as squad as they have had in years.
My generation of football fans are probably more circumspect of our prospects at Pittodrie than younger fans, who were not conditioned through the 80s to celebrate a fighting draw. Be in no doubt, a win would be celebrated heartily.
I saw some confusion after Celtic’s correspondence to fans in the standing section yesterday. It is not Celtic who make the rules on flares. The stadium is licenced to open for football games subject to Health and Safety rules, which nationwide do not permit flares. Everyone should be aware of this. When rules are broken.
Flares provide Instagram-ready moments that are shared worldwide within moments. For some, this is a large part of their football experience. This debate is at least a decade old, it will continue for years, with sporadic outbreaks and consequences. I doubt anything will change soon.
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I’m against flares. Not just because of the risks or because I have Asthma but because of their impact on what the game is all about – actually watching the game. Kyogo’s opening goal in the LCF was virtually scored under a blanket of smoke. It took most of us several seconds to recognize that he had actually scored and I don’t believe the majesty of the finish has ever been truly appreciated.
Last Wednesday’s flares obliterated the kick off and the opening moments on TV. I wouldn’t have liked to have been a player having to run about in that.
To be fair to our players it probably accounts for why we didn’t score in the first three minutes! :-)
I remember going to Istanbul a few years ago when we played
Fernebahce and aswell as flares our fans were launching rockets
at the Fernebahce fans and on one occasion the rocket was fired
directly into the advertising board below their fans and if maybe a foot higher
the poor Fernebahce fan was dead
No excuses for doing this
On another matter the Fernebahce fans were the craziest fans I have
encountered on any european away trip and than god buses were arranged
by our SLO from the local irish pub direct to and away from the stadium as
carnage would have ensued
But no excuse for our fans firing a rocket into their fans
Some establishment figure must be coining it in somewhere along the flares production line, or flares would already be banned me thinks with my paranoid off the planet mind!
SAINT STIVS on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 3:26 PM
Although football is no longer frowned upon, I would imagine it is a Gaelic Football. The local Marist College always produce a decent team.
That statue is in St Mary’s Square. There used to be a sheep market in front of the church, the college is to the left and the Brothers Home is beside the Statue. Across the road was the Printing Works, burned to the ground by the British in the 1920’s for running pro-Irish sentiment in the Westmeath Independent.
Flares were a thing in 80’s as well, fans at Celtic end used to burn union jack flags, fans at the Rangers end would burn Irish tricolour’s that was in the 70’s, in the 80’s it all moved onto flares evolution I suppose.
All it will take will be wee greeting faced Greta to whine about flares and they’ll be banned, imho.
Then again Greta might be scared to show face in case some rebel journalist(remember them? Gerry McNee & James Sanderson? Now there’s nothing!) a rebel journalist might ask Greta what she thinks about the worldwide seabed being covered in billions of useless covv masks that don’t / didn’t work?
BILLYBHOY1967 on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 3:29 PM
I’m against flares. Not just because of the risks or because I have Asthma but because of their impact on what the game is all about – actually watching the game. Kyogo’s opening goal in the LCF was virtually scored under a blanket of smoke. It took most of us several seconds to recognize that he had actually scored and I don’t believe the majesty of the finish has ever been truly appreciated.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
BILLYBHOY1967
My point made earlier, those flares were set off by Hibs supporters after they scored, so are they banned from the stadium next time Hibs play at Hampden and if not, why not? Same Council, same H&S rules being cited surely?
To be clear I have no desire to use or see flares inside any stadium including Celtic Park, but unless I’m wrong then Celtic seems to be the only club to implement the rules and punish supporters, no one else does, do they?
CF @ 3.35
Last known story of CFC fans throwing flares at the opposition was ER vs Hibbees in Oct/Nov 87.
Seemingly it was our “casuals” out for some hot Aulkd Reekie action / street theatre.
Not sure is they travelled by taxi or tandem from the train station.
When the polis rescued them from the home end they had to be thrown out of the ground because the away support in those days did not take kindly to that sort of self indulgent / self centred trouser snakery and made their disgust clear by way of some anti casual chants and emptying their pockets of change in their general direction.
Polis decided against putting them in amongst the away support and just launched them outside to fend for themselves.
That night — and every other Saturday night afterwards — Stone Island gear was noticeable by its absence at the £5 dancin where once it had been popular with a certain strand of the young team.
The same muppets that organised the flare throwing were still acting the wido in the recent past although there last outing did not end well for both themselves and our general reputation.
Ultras — and casuals before them — are parasites that attach themselves onto football to give themselves an audience that they cannot generate by their own efforts.
In our spotty youth we all are stupid — just a case that most grow up.
Reading back re the granting of honours to dubious individuals, this is a great read, and a fascinating story. I would love Real Clear Investigations to do an analysis of the David Murray award.
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2022/02/08/famed_alzheimers_researcher_john_hardy_is_a_knight__but_not_in_shining_armor_813737.html?
mc_cid=90a270e8c3&mc_eid=fba478624c
TRUST THE SCIENCE! BUT MAYBE NOT THE SCIENTISTS? RealClearInvestigations: Famed Alzheimer’s Researcher John Hardy Is a Knight … but Not in Shining Armor.
The celebrated Alzheimer’s Disease researcher John Hardy was among the British doctors and medical researchers honored by Queen Elizabeth II with knighthoods at the dawn of the new year. It was just the latest on a long list of prestigious awards Hardy has collected, including the Potamkin Prize for his work identifying genetic aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, the MetLife Prize, the Thudichum medal, the Robert A. Pritzker Prize, and the Breakthrough Prize.
In 2018, Hardy added the Brain Prize to his list of accolades. Awarded by the Danish Lundbeck Foundation, it is regularly referred to as the “Nobel of neuroscience.” Winners are assumed to be on the short list for the Nobels themselves.
Missing among all the flattering kudos and attendant news coverage has been any mention of the geneticist’s leading role in a conspiracy that held Alzheimer’s research hostage to fraudulently acquired gene patents. The sordid affair mired efforts to find a cure in tangled, resource-sapping litigation. The last of the courthouse wrangling that began in 2003 wouldn’t be resolved for more than a decade – a resolution that came with a ringing rebuke from the bench expressing the judge’s outrage at the scheme, the schemers, and the damage they caused.
Yet until now the full details of the deceptions of Hardy and his accomplices have not been widely reported. Some of them are consigned to scholarly literature and other startling ones are found in overlooked testimony from the prolonged litigation, which documents one of the most celebrated scientists of our time admitting under oath that he lied and committed academic fraud, and confessing that he was ashamed.
The story – which also ensnared one of the world’s most prominent woman scientists, who admitted under oath that she too lied, pressured by Hardy – emerges at a time when the credibility of august scientific authorities is being sorely challenged on other fronts, not least during the coronavirus pandemic.
Scientists are humans, and are just as prone to selfishness and dishonesty as anyone else.
A very good article on David cattanach in Celtic star website.
In cluded are several photos of the squad in those days
There is also a photo ( I dont know the circumstances of it) which at my first glance looked like David was looking for a square go with someone but was being counselled by David hay to bide his time.
ON NOW…LIVE
FREEVIEW CHANNEL 13 ( E4)
That CHELSEA mob are playing a Saudi Club called AL HAL, in a World Club match ???
In Saudia Arabia.
MON The ARABS !
AL HALI
I remember the ole flares at the Burn’s Howff what a waste of time and money that was
© dbbia
Mad Mitch,
you once again have either false memories or were not at easter road and you just made it up.
The truth was very different from what you posted there.
Has absolutely nothing in common with our pyro waving bhoys today. The ones I know dont even go to st als
MCPHAIL BHOY @:3:54
To be clear I have no desire to use or see flares inside any stadium including Celtic Park, but unless I’m wrong then Celtic seems to be the only club to implement the rules and punish supporters, no one else does, do they?
—–
I don”t know what other clubs do, however Celtic are doing the right thing, irrespective. Any club who ignores what’s going on with pyrotechnics, will be held to account and hammered, should a serious incident occur. If it is ‘turning a blind-eye’, then they it is literally “playing with fire’ and gambling with peoples’ lives.
I am happy that Celtic are doing the right thing. It says much about our club, regardless of what the ‘yahoos’ say. If one of them tripped over a piece of loose-footing in the stadium and was injured, no doubt they would be running to a solicitor to sue Celtic.
There is no case, on any basis, for pyrotechnics in a closed area housing thousands of people – 99.9% of who have never, and would never, voluntarily go near one in their lives.
My favourite Flares were 28 INCHES WIDE, back in the good ole 1970’s.
I thought I looked as ” Cool as Feck” in my Flares, Tank Tops and Platform shoes ?????
I looked a right Feckin MESS when I see some old Photos….but somehow I STILL managed to pull the Burds, including my 1st wife who was a wee Stunner…
I BINNED Her in 1981.
Maybe it was my Cheese Cloth Shirts that helped me pull the Burds back then…Aide and Abetted by some good lines in The Glesga Patter ?
I STILL get Burds in my local Pub telling me that I am a Feckin Patter Merchant…I love it !
HH.
its the stat an do be do be do be do.
99.9% , did you do a survey.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 4:10 PM
I remember the ole flares at the Burn’s Howff what a waste of time and money that was
© dbbia
………..
I was in The Burns Howff most Friday and Saturday nights during the 1970’s with my ” Bride to Be”…and my FLARES of course and the Cheese Cloth Shirts.
Great days, although the Beer in THAT Pub was Crap.
HH.
The difference between Celtic Park and Hampden or Ibrox when it comes to flares is that Celtic applied to GCC for permission to open a safe-standing section. This was eventually granted under specific Health & Safety guidelines and regulations.
If Celtic refuse to listen to representations from the council re breaches, the licence for a safe standing area could be rescinded.
3 points and another clean sheet tonight.
2-0 Celtic.
Reading the debate on flares, I was reminded of the time 4 mates and I had a holiday in Rome. We booked tickets for a Roma-Lazio game at the Stadia Olimpico, had quite a few beers, boarded the subway at the Colosseo station, and set forth.
On entering the stadium we were searched ( we did not carry drink in ). We were thoroughly and professionally frisked and proceeded to our seats, about halfway up the tiers, and in line with the goalmouth at the Roma end. 30 minutes before kickoff, huge flares and rockets were emanating from both ends of the stadium. I remember wondering how on earth they managed to smuggle them in? Uniformed firemen on the olympic track instantly doused any inflammables landing on the track.
I was sitting next to an aisle of concrete steps with my mates sitting to my right. Just before kickoff, a tall young man with a long trench coat came down the steps, stopped beside me, and removed a large cylinder, about 18 in high and 6 in in diameter, from underneath his coat. It had a long fuse, and reminded me of a large Roman Candle firework. He carefully placed it in the centre of the step, and at this point I remember the fans on the opposite side of the aisle from me retreating away from the aisle. Then I heard my mates calling me. I turned to my right, and the fans on my side of the aisle had all done the same! I retreated as far as I could, and by the time I turned back to look at the aisle, the young man was gone. We watched and waited. There then followed an enormous explosion, which unprepared as we were, deafened us for the entire first half. The device spewed flames and coloured smoke high into the night sky, with the residue falling towards the Olympic track, where the firemen, hoses running, were ready for it. It was certainly spectacular and was being repeated elsewhere in the stadium, but concentrated in 2 sectors.
The pyrotechnics and the noise were my abiding memories from that night, along with the mystery – if I couldn’t smuggle in a beer bottle, how were these guys able to bring in these massive flares?
mad mitch
i have to agree with st stivs – you’re talkin mince about the easter road game and any matches after that involving the so called casuals
same applies to the dancin
For the first time in a long time I’m actually struggling to pick a starting eleven for tonight. Subject to change I think I’d go with…. Hart, Taylor, Starfelt, CCV, Jura, McGregor, Hatate, Rogic, Jota, Abada, Maeda. That said, I wouldn’t be in the least bit unhappy to see GG, O’Riley or Bitton in the starting eleven!
INIQUITOUSIV @ 4:26
I couldn’t smuggle in a beer bottle, how were these guys able to bring in these massive flares?
—–
Interesting post – you describe things vividly.
Just a flippant note : maybe the massive flares were actually hidden in their massive flares – which at that time were probably called ‘loon pants’….still got a pair somewhere!!!
Can I break away from the flair debate to enquire if there are any sausages for tonight’s game .
Jimtim
Hesgoal.com
Look above 30 minutes before kick-off and it should be there
JIMTIM on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 4:50 PM
I’m sure hesgoal will pick up a feed closer to kick off time…
Many thanks for reply bhoys
Oh and turn off notifications on your device as its about 3 minutes behind real time. Nothing worse than knowing a goal is about to go in😱😵
INIQUITOUSIV on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 4:26 PM
The Lazio ultras have a peculiar relationship with the owner. They’ve gone entire seasons boycotting games, they receive special privileges from the club, they consistently go out of their way to embarrass the owner. There’s also an organized crime element at the top of the organization, one of the capo’s was murdered in a gang land hit not long ago. But probably most importantly is their relationship with the police, who are seen as bigger enemies than even Roma. I was at a derby where there was a big fight with the police on one of the concourses at half time when they tried to face off against the hard core ultras.
The club and the police let them do what they want, at least to a point. It really isn’t worth them trying to stop them unless it’s something serious.
It doesn’t explain why they’d let people let off fireworks in the more expensive seats but in Italy, from what I know, the police do very little once the fans are in.
In The Commons TODAY, during Prime Minsters Question Time…Labour MP told Dopey Bassa Boris that there was yet ANOTHER photo doing the rounds of a FURTHER PARTY at No.10 on 15th December 2020 and Dopey Boris is IN the Pic next to Booze and staff wearing Tinsel etc.
The Labour MP also asked ” Why THIS PIC was NOT amongst the other pics and Evidence that the MET Police are investigating” ?
Boris replied that this was “UNTRUE”…an Answer that left many CONFUSED…As did he mean that it wasnt a Party…or did it mean that THIS Particular Photo evidence IS indeed part of the Police Investigation ?
A few minutes later, another MP REITERATED the SAME Question to Dopey Boris about THIS Particular Photo NOT being part of the Police investigation ?
Dopey Boris then got back to his feet and CLAIMED at the Despatch Box, that ” The Particular Pic of a Further Party IS INDEED part of the Police Investigation.
At the end and back in the BBC Studio is was CONFIRMED by the TV HOST JO COCKBURN….That THIS particular Photo is NOT part of the Police investigation.
So it looks as though Dopey Boris has LIED yet again to Parliament and the UK Public.
….
Furthermore..
For Boris Johnson, PMQs today was supposed to be about the big reset of his government.
BRITAIN-POLITICS© UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag BRITAIN-POLITICS
We had the big announcements at the weekend of changes to his top team in No10. Yesterday we had the mini reshuffle and then today Boris Johnson came to PMQs armed with a big announcement – that all remaining COVID restrictions in England COULD come to an end a month earlier than expected.
That announcement was aimed squarely at those Conservative backbenchers who have long been lockdown sceptics and who have long called for the lifting of remaining COVID restrictions in England.
Some of these MPs have been very vocal in their criticism of Boris Johnson and his leadership over the past few weeks and months, particularly around partygate. So this was designed to try and bring them back on board as he faces questions about his leadership.
But really, the big news happened away from the chamber, halfway through PMQs. Shortly after an exchange between Boris Johnson and the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over the cost of living the Daily Mirror revealed a picture of a virtual quiz which Boris Johnson attended on December 15 2020.
Video: Related video: Alastair Campbell calls Boris Johnson ‘worst prime minister we have ever had’ (Indy 10
A picture of the Prime Minister near an open bottle of champagne and an open packet of Crisps, a colleague of his wearing tinsel. This event interestingly is not among the 12 parties which the Met Police are investigating following the Sue Gray report which was published in part last week.
So there will now be questions as to why perhaps the Met aren’t investigating this particular event. Immediately Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former senior aide in No 10 tweeted that there are “way better pics” raising the possibility that there are going to be more revelations and more damaging claims about parties in Downing Street.
And that’s the concern for Tory MPs – that for all this talk of Boris Johnson’s reset for all his attempts to get back on the front foot and convince them that he is changing and that he is listening to their demands to reform the way that government runs, he just isn’t in control of this story.
The Met Police are obviously investigating these 12 parties. And we might just get a drip, drip, drip of revelation After revelation. Their fear is that the worst is still to come.
Good ole Dominic Cummings…dont ya just love him ?
LOL
HH
I was in the expensive seats for that game too, but still too scared to go fir it when Ntcham scored :)
Surely its only a matter of time before Boris is ” Collecting HIS GIRO! ?
Dopey Boris on the Bru and signing ON…Now wouldnt that be just superb ?
I KNOW that GIROs are maybe NOT used anymore.
LOL
HH
What do you call a loony in loon pants?
MACCARGO on 9TH FEBRUARY 2022 4:37 PM
For the first time in a long time I’m actually struggling to pick a starting eleven for tonight. Subject to change I think I’d go with…. Hart, Taylor, Starfelt, CCV, Jura, McGregor, Hatate, Rogic, Jota, Abada, Maeda. That said, I wouldn’t be in the least bit unhappy to see GG, O’Riley or Bitton in the starting eleven!
—————-
it’s a great feeling though isn’t it 😎
I think i would go with your choice but have GG starting
I’m off to Echo and the Bunnymen tonight so will nip into Bad Ass cafe in Dublin to see if it is on. if so, 1st half and then gig
BIG JIMMY
I’ve still got a full range of the ole cheesecloth shirts. (thumbs up)
That awkward moment when you’ve to give £13.99 to an Aberdonian ?
“Supposed team” news…..
Hart
Ralston
CCV
Starfelt
Taylor
Calmac
Hatate
Rogic
Jota
GG
Abada
HH