Pot 4, decline of the Spanish empire

1020

A cursory look at our fellow pot 4 Champions League teams shows the extent of the challenge.  Six of the eight teams lost: Steaua Bucharest (3-0), Austrian Vienna (0-1), Celtic (2-0), Real Sociedad (0-2), Plzen (0-3), Anderlecht (2-0).

Copenhagen got one of the better results of the night, a 1-1 draw at home to Italian champions, Juventus, while Napoli, who split Juve and Milan in the Italian league last season, but are still a pot 4 team, recorded the only bottom tier win, a 2-1 victory over last season’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund.

Napoli are in a different category than the rest but Celtic are in with a decent chance of out-performing others from pot 4.

Sociedad’s home reversal to Shakhter Donetsk, who are going through a rebuilding process was a shock, but Valencia’s 0-3 Europa League defeat to Swansea indicates a worrying scenario for Spanish football below the uber-indebted Barca and Real Madrid.  As a general rule, anything which undermines one of the economically powerful football nations should be welcomed by those disenfranchised by the size of their TV market (that’s us).

Shakhtar Karagandy put in a credible performance before going down 2-1 in Greece, a far better showing than Elfsborg’s 4-0 collapse in Salzburg.  Best of luck to the Kazaks.

I’ve been going to the football long enough to remember black players being booed whenever they touched the ball.  The phenomenon seemed to arrive here in the late 70s and faded around a decade later, although such is human nature I don’t think complacency is appropriate.  Homophobia is a different matter.

‘Out’ gay footballers are so rare I don’t know what the reaction would be at a match but the crowd-bullying phenomenon which can exist in the game makes any minority vulnerable.  The first step is to explain to the hard-of-thinking what they are doing, and the error of their ways.

Can rainbow coloured laces change the world?  Stonewall have distributed rainbow coloured laces to every player in the UK, asking them to wear them this weekend.  We’ll not see the WAGs acronym become WAGSABAH overnight but it feels like an appropriate, colourful, first step.

Keep reaching for that rainbow, Celtic.

1254125 at The Great Scottish Run.

On Sunday 6 October there is a 10k and Half Marathon.  If that is beyond you. There are family events taking place the day before. This is your club, remind the world of what really counts and get involved in 1254125.

The first thing you need to do is sign up for the Great Scottish Run, or here for one of the family events.

Once you’ve done that, you can register for the 1254125 campaign here.

Then you can create a donations page here.  Click Start Fundraising, search for Celtic Charity, setup your My Donate account).

Email me and let me know if you are having trouble signing up or need any more help, celticquicknews@gmail.com.

To read the new issue of CQN Magazine click here (don’t try to read the graphic below).
[calameo code=000390171853d2bfc4f69 lang=en page=4 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,020 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. 14
  8. 15
  9. 16
  10. 17
  11. ...
  12. 27

  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Tbj.

     

    I am going but was due to work next Saturday. Need to ask for it off now..

  2. I wonder if the British Royal Society have any sort of Agenda?

     

     

    The Royal Society of Edinburgh?

     

     

    Their premises have an inexplicable twin towers that look so out of place to a normal architect, not an adept howevaah.

     

     

    The mindset of these Theosophists, is all about Destruction. I dinnae mind the Masons so much now, well I do, but these Theos are within our midst, they ALWAYS have been and Always Will be.

     

     

    My God, of the Bible, for those who are not sure, :) will expose all the lying cheating toerags when he decides, if he decides. It is Gods story after all. I don’t expect an explanation, I don’t want an explanation, I’m just Glad to be a part of Gods amazing story. My life is a story in itself.

     

     

    I notice the Greenspan Creative Destruction youtubes have been removed apart from one, so I’m certainly not going to link to that.

     

     

    HH to God, Family, Celtic and all the Honest guys in this World who are struggling but Keep the Faith Religiously.

  3. bt

     

     

    Santa will be at CP before malorbhoy buys a round:o)

     

     

    How is oldtim? He wisnae feeling too good at the Stan Petrov game.

  4. petec –

     

     

    ’twill be a last minute decision but hope to be there. I’ve saved well over £8.55 already and there’s still a week to go.

  5. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    CT

     

    Hope you are on the good meds..

     

    You home yet?..

     

     

    Edb

     

    Indeed. Spoke to him today. Seemed in good form..

  6. minx1888 praying for Wee Oscar on

    EDB – Glad to hear you are back to work hopefully see you soon!

     

     

     

    CT – Leave those poor Nurses alone, you don’t get bed baths every time you get a pain killer!

  7. Bobby Murdochs Ankle supportin Oscar Knox on

    Edb, you know Malorbhoy is very generous of spirit, he just hides it well.

     

    Glad to hear your doing well, hope to see yo tomorrow.

     

     

    Bma

  8. Blindlemonchitlin on

    Genesis are a grand old band to play for and let no one tell you different.

     

     

    There are , of course, like our cash strapped former rivals from the Soo’ side, several incarnations.

     

     

    The line would be that the later versions bought the assets and history of the earlier ones.

     

     

    Me, I know what I like. This is from the Apollo in 1976 and was the best line up.

     

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTa-wMTElHQ

  9. House to myself so time, in fact the umpteenth time, to delight in The Rutles “All You Need Is Cash”.

     

     

    Have a nice evening and be nice, now…

  10. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Minx

     

    Cowiebhoy was looking for a photographer for a wedding next year.

     

    Told him our pals daughter could give him a price.

  11. minx1888 praying for Wee Oscar on

    petec – Can’t make it next week, I know the singalong won’t be the same without me … it will be a good one :-)

     

     

    CT – I am sure you will work your charm :-)

     

     

    BT – he has been in touch will get details to him! How are you? How is the leg?

  12. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Minx

     

    Getting there pal.

     

    Taxi from central to office every morning..

  13. Blindlemonchitlin on

    Eclecticism is the very fellow on Friday Night is Music Night.

     

     

    Genesis or Harry Chapin?

     

     

    Catholic, with a small ‘c’ taste ( inclusive and open to all) is the Dee Jay Gig on a Vendredi.

     

     

    Check out Charlie Watts in his home Town Strip in this from Milan in 1970.

     

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AN5qpPiTHI

  14. fergus slayed the blues on

    RWE

     

    My memory ain’t what it used to be ,I first noticed this when I went up the jiggin in Glasgow and kept forgetting I was merried . LOL

     

    Do you see JI as a future CB or midfielder for the bhoys .

     

    I thought seeing more of the young bhoys getting their chance as a plus point (among all others ) of our oldest rivals death .

     

    Our trouble is CL aspirations and it is no slight on us believing these are the circles we should be mixing in but whilst we are condemned to the Scottish corruption league we have to make the most of what we have .Not to do so would hurt us as a club .

     

    IMO many people slate the board for what is unfolding at the moment but I believe we are stuck here and the board know it ,let’s face it DD and any suits with a Celtic investment would know it would be worth at least 10 fold if they could find anyway of getting us out of the Scottish game .

     

    The mob over the water have had over 100 yrs to dig their trenches and it will take a lot to root them oot .

     

    Until European football adapts ,we are stuck with the tribute act and IMO the board at Celtic will use them as much as possible as a selling point .

     

    The trouble with this is that a lot of supporters will see this as playing to the old firm tag ,so they are in a lose ,lose situation IMO

     

    I thought the death of Ragers would have given us the chance to blood and encourage the bhoys coming through to find their feet and get us off our seats but alas CL expectations put paid to that and I don’t mean that as a criticism of our support but more a criticism of football in general .

     

    One thing I will say is that how does it look when we shut the top tier of the LL stand a season after that mob died ,who do we think that helps ,our board distance us from them or the MSM case to fast track the tribute act into the sfpl .

     

    The financial climate has played it’s part but I have heard comments like I don’t go now because we have no challenge ,I cannot post my thoughts on that mindset .

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. 14
  8. 15
  9. 16
  10. 17
  11. ...
  12. 27