The decision to play both League Cup semi-finals on the same day lies with Police Scotland. The SPFL’s contract to use Hampden stipulates these games must take place there, unless the police object. The broadcasting contract with BT Sport also stipulates the games must be scheduled to take place that specific weekend, so delaying one game is not an option, as it would clash with other fixtures.
The police initially declined to authorise to Celtic’s Champions League qualification game with Arsenal, as U2 were at Hampden on the same evening. The “What kind of outfit cannot police two events in the same city on the same day” line won the day on that occasion, as pressure was brought to bear. I suspect the police anticipated the same reaction if they objected to the semi-final times.
No one really wants this, but it was always on the cards.
Aberdeen were pretty shocking against Hibs on Tuesday night, not that this is any consolation. They withheld 120 minutes of pressure without conceding – perfect practice for tomorrow’s visit to Celtic Park. If we are off our game, we will struggle.
I wish I knew what took place in the dressing room at halftime on Wednesday. From second half kick-off Celtic were a transformed team, chances flowed and the goal eventually came. If it was a tactical change I didn’t detect it. Was it really as simple as a change of attitude?
Whatever it was, it needs to be replicated, not just when the tea cups are flying. Ahead of Newco’s visit to Celtic Park we were in considerable trauma on and off the field, but there was a correct belief that this game was ideal, as it would focus minds on what they were best at.
It has been left to Aberdeen to deliver a title challenge for the last four years. They are our most accomplished opponent, so we can hope for a performance matching the one against Newco.
At the Great Scottish Run on Sunday one group of us will do the 10k and another the Half Marathon. We will on the streets of Glasgow with the Celtic FC Foundation logo on our chest, to support the work of the Foundation as it prepares for the winter. It is a great thing to be a part of, but the hard work of the Foundation starts when the fundraising ends on Sunday.
If you can offer support, please do so here.
Thank you.
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Great news about James Forrest.
I know a sizeable proportion of our support like to look at his admitted weaknesses and feel they overwhelm his many strengths but, thankfully the manager amd players have a true appreciation of James’s worth.
Lewis Morgan is looking good too and will help to reduce our anxiety about Scott Sinclair’s continuing run of unimposing performances.
If we can get them both to employ a bit of Tony Watt’s directness and head for the goal more often, we will get back to unsettling the massed ranlks of bus-parkers that we face regularly in Scotland.
Police Scotland could ensure public safety and amuse me no end if they announced a Hun curfew for semi-final day.
No Huns (bar constables…) on the streets of the city after 3pm, any blue/orange colours lifted on sight.
‘Mon the Polis- you know it makes sense.
Boycotts rarely work, and can be self destructive.
However there is really only one way to highlight the lunacy.
HH.
Cup match ticket allocations spark debates every year.
When we played the Mothers in recent cup matches at the National Disgrace they sold as many tickets as they could to their own fans They started selling from the tunnel and workers their way around the stadium. ….
they then returned the rest, to be sold to us.
However each time we play Hertz at Hamdump,when they fail to sell all of their tickets, they deliberately hold back sections in the midst of Hun end it in such a way, that the unsold sections can not be sold to us. (ie. not wanting to give us an advantage with extra support)
Simple solution would be make them liable for unsold allocation.
Nobody seems to call them out on this ,so they continue to do it.
The Onlooker
Sandman- the ‘kettling’ is only for the pesky fenians…
would not surprise me if we both get to the final, the sfa will want the game played at ibrox.hh.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens if, Celtic and Hearts supporters enter the stadium for the 2nd semi final, only to find that their seat has been broken ?
Anywye, the authorities couldn’t prevent the safety of Celtic customer’s being put at risk on the 2nd of September, why should Celtic PLC trust the authorities to look after the Celtic customer’s this time ?
This is the same authorities who have still to make an arrest concerning all of the incidents at recent matches involving Rangers FC.
Big Levine might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he is displaying the necessary spine, that is sadly absent from any link on the chain of command at Celtic Park.
Who’s fault is it that, a spineless chain of command is continually voted back into office, at Celtic Park, year in, year out ?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Kev, Can you explain to me why you think that anyone on here can change the vote at any AGM? Surely DD holds the largest share of the votes and the Board members have enough shares to out vote the ordinary share holder? But then if you really wished to move things in another direction perhaps you could encourage your friends to buy out DD…
Desmond is the largest shareholder but I seem to recall that he doesn’t own the majority shares in voting terms. The majority being held by the supporters.
However, so far Desmond has been able to attract enough support from the Financial institutions to vote down any motion he wants. That might not always be the case but has been up to now.
Connaire
Sadly, Kev is correct.
There are very limited circumstances where one can actually force a shareholder to sell his/her shares, and I dont see any of those exceptions applying here. If the shareholders dont want to sell, they dont have to.
So, the key is to making them want to sell. If people say ‘i’m not going to renew unless A or B happens, and are prepared to do so, actions will happen. Either the intended consequence will occur, or people fail to renew. If enough people fail to renew, it will get the attention of the Board, who will have to act. Because, money is what is important to the Board… and sadly it is the one tool available to fans (withhold money), but we choose not to use it.
Conversely, if people continue on with the present course … and not using the one tool available to us (now that we have left it too late to use the courts for most of the issues), then nothing will ever change.
Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that a great many Celtic fans do not want any change.
Kev you make some good points there.
How refreshing it is to not hear you call Celtic supporters Gullibillys , fools and other derogatory names.
D. :)
From the Herald article …
Q. Why couldn’t the Aberdeen game have been chosen for the 7:45pm kick-off?
A. This was agreed following input from Police Scotland who advised they wished the Aberdeen vs Rangers game to be played first.
Most likely reason for this Police decision is to allow officers to support their team v Aberdeen and still have time to get changed for duty to harass fans at the evening game ?
Delaneys Dunky
Tosh is no fool and in many discussions he has impressed me with the depth of his knowledge. I often wondered why he didn’t go into coaching. Craig Brown rated him and tried to get him involved in Coaching.
Tosh has a great love of our club and I have spent many evenings with him at Celtic functions. I didn’t know he was involved again. When he started out as a pundit he quickly ran out of jobs as he wouldn’t play the game and go down the same road as McLeod, Walker, Nicholas, Provan and Wilson and criticise Celtic.
I hope and pray that the whole Celtic support bhoycott this semi v the cousins of William.
Come all you young rebels.
Nae Tims in Hampden.
YNWA
Bigbhoy
Tosh is a proud Saint Tams Partick bhoy.
He is immune to corruption. His dad Thomas taught him well. Fenian through and through
Tiochfaidh ar la
Evening everyone, been away all week and the Lhads ticket for tomorrow’s game has been promised elsewhere So I am currently ticketless for tomorrow.
Any offers of help would be appreciated, full face value paid of course. HH
Paul67 et al
Neil Doncaster is the man who bestowed both League titles and League Cups to RIFC. He leads an organisation that refused to investigate the actions of Rangers FC, even after the decision of the Supreme Court re unpaid taxes. He is still in charge, and still making decisions which, (sanctioned by PoliceScotland) not only go against cup draw rules, but favour only one club, that playing out of Ayebrokes. Stuart Regan leads an organisation which similarly ignores SC decisions, but which also deems itself not competent (use French accent there) to investigate complaints flagged up by its’ own officers. Complaints, which RIFC argued should be decided at CAS level. Trust me they will never ever see the light of day in Switzerland. Res 12 notwithstanding. Time now surely for the Celtic Board to stop talking about the “spectacle”, to stop pretending, and to look forward to the next Old Firm game. It’s the only show in town.
Doncaster on shortbread trying to pass the blame for the contract to the SFL. Hmmmmm. Are you really saying you had no involvement at all in this? A tournament that SPL clubs competed in?
Is this the same Doncaster who managed to attend a meeting of SFL clubs to determine which division Sevco should go into? When you were CEO of the SPL and had nothing to do with you?
Oh, and weren’t the semi finals and final in 2014 not at Celtic Park? Hmmmm, some unbreakable contract!
They must think we are all mugs.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL
We are all mugs, we will fill the stadiums, we will throw our hard earned into a corrupt charade, of course we are mugs, to think anything else is delusional.
J McCormick
Thanks for ticket for Rugby Park last week. Enjoyed my dayoot in Ayrshire. Enjoyed the result less so.
Hear anything, I will phone you.
YNWA
4 Year Quiff
Were the Strong Rangers Association ever really going to move from Hampden?
Did Murrayfield think they were played? They would have spent a fair few quid on their bid. Were they trying to make it back here?
SFTB. 5.28…
Young Morgan looks the part, as you say he will pull players out of the midfield like Forrest does.
Leaving gaps for our midfield to utilise like we did in the past with Roberts and Sinclair when he was on form.
Hoping to see more of the fire and desire we showed in the second half tomorrow. HH
okay a bit of fun now as its Friday night tontine tim will hopefully get involved ,name the 3 sevco players when you went to parkhead or ibrox that used to frighten you when they had the ball I will start, but if you are under sixty you might not have heard of these players, I apologise in advance here goes,sven person,willie Henderson and willie Johnston.hh.
Jmccormick
I have a spare for tomorrow.
Its Almore ticket.
I am sure he wouldn’t mind me passing it on.
Cqn corner 2.30 ??
Jim Forrest brand Millar and Wilson…..I know that’s four.
Big packy.
They are all ugly.
That’s the scary part.
Who cares anyways.
Try this quiz question.
Who scored for rangers when Celtic beat them seven wan
BP
The only 2 hun players I have ever feared were Davie Cooper and Paul Gascoigne. Two of my favourite ever players to watch.
Davie Cooper RIP
The scorer for Rangers in the 7:1 game was:-
a) W.E.L.L. Beaton
b) Irrelevant
c) The ref
d) Whit? Did they score when I was pishing massel
Silly bimpson. Will that do?
BP1
Who is sven person ?
Willie Henderson was a poor mans JJ and Willie Johnstone was a drug cheat, didn’t like thon Laudrup fella, he could play a bit.
Billy Simpson scored for der hun in the record breaking 7-1 57 Hampden in the sun final.
BIG PACKY 1 – 7:53 PM
“okay a bit of fun now as its Friday night tontine tim will hopefully get involved ,name the 3 sevco players when you went to parkhead or ibrox that used to frighten you when they had the ball”
Peep peep, all preceding answers null and void and off -side an aw as Sevco have only been in existence since 2012.
I see CQN is overwhelmed by the news Forrest has signed a 4 year deal.
Yes, me too.
I’m sure he was courted by multi million pound offers from the EPL so delighted he chose Celtic.
WITS
Thanks very much. I will be hanging about around that time. Tall, dapper gent with a rakish air. Only one of them is true. Much appreciated HH
Who would win in a fight between James Forrest and Marmite?
Setting Free The Bears
Forrest or Marmite, 50/50 by the looks of it.
https://www.nature.com/news/2004/040920/full/news040920-2.html