At his presidential inauguration in 1963, Lydon B. Johnson said, “I would give anything not to be standing here today”. It is with a similar sense of mourning that we look at tonight’s Europa League qualifier between two Baltic sides, Spartaks Jurmala and Suduva, to discover who we face in the play-off round. I wouldn’t give anything to be in the Champions League qualifier, but I’d happily concede a few league defeats.
Europa League group stage qualification can be worth up to £10m to Celtic, but even winning the trophy will not come near to closing the financial gap between this tournament and Champions League group stage money. Still, it is an important tournament for reasons other than money.
Accumulating Uefa coefficient points in the Champions League has proven very difficult for Celtic. Winning games in the Europa will be easier; we have to deliver on this target. It is also important to qualify from the group into the knockout stages. We have not faced genuine domestic competition in a very long time, and I see little change this year. As a consequence, we need European action after Christmas. Better teams that Celtic have licked their wounds and got on with life in the Europa League, we need to do the same and prepare for the tournament in a professional manner.
I don’t know if the intervening 16 years have been kind to Suduva since we last met 16 years ago, but they hold a special place in our folklore, so I hope they progress tonight. I also have a great wee story of one man pitching up in the North Stand for a few minutes at the home game, just to be there.
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Shite! Just got a message from my daughter in Caracas. On the bus home from work 5 guys pulled guns and robbed everyone on board…fortunately, no one tried to be a hero and nobody hurt…effin scary place…
Where are Lennybhoy and Catman when you need them?
I dare say that despite going through tonight the hun will be pillaging and raping again after the game. Will we hear anything about it in the SMSM? Of course not, what a stupid rhetorical question!
st. stivs….
from what I have seen, they are 10 times better than they were a few seasons ago …when they papped us out of the cup ….
WBC, as long as your daughter is ok, feckin Venezuelans.
TGBS
I met about 200 Dinamo Zagreb fans in Munich last October. They had travelled from Croatia to support us against Bayern. Magic, mental Croat Tims who knew all our Rebs tunes. They will destroy the hun off the pitch. Mad Mental Bassas :))
Pog…she’s Venezuelan as is my son and my wife :-) but I know what you mean…it’s a total shambles. A good friend got ill last year and they could not find any medicine for him. He struggled for months and finally passed away. Makes me so angry. Thanks for the thought…
WBC … awful news. but As long as no one was hurt, everything else can be fixed.
DD…is this the Morelos you know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ykdb8Zen-o
Delaney’s Dunky
We seem to have a big support in the Balkans, especially Croatia. Wish they would give us the heads up on their up and coming stars at a young age right enough, imagine modric had spent a few years in the hoops midfield!
I think the Hun would get routed on and off the park in Zagreb and taught a lesson they wouldn’t forget for a long time.
I see the daily disgrace has written about the poor Ranger fans being attacked by over zealous Police, witnessed by ex Pro ref Jeff Winters, that will be this year. Credit belongs with Scotzine.
Just days after Rangers were caught up in their very own sectarian storm after posing for photos with a loyalist flute band, former English referee and self-confessed Rangers fan Jeff Winter decided to sink back into the gutter with his own sectarian diatribe.
The whistler has been at the centre of several sectarian and anti-catholic comments on social media over the years, coming just a day before Rangers face Scottish champions Celtic at Parkhead.
When asked if he was going to the Glasgow derby, Winter replied with lyrics from a known sectarian loyalist song about the Young Citizen Volunteers – a youth loyalist group that was attached to the terror group, the UVF.
Yes Mike, but it won’t happen overnight. It happened to me twice. First time it was 14 year olds, second time it was an off-duty policeman. I later saw him in his uniform but would never have dared to approach him about it. Life is so cheap there. They kill for phones, shoes and fun. A photographer colleague of mine was murdered in front of his kid in 2015…ooof! Parent’s worst fear…
WBC,
It tragic how Venezuela has gone despite their previous massive oil reserves. I didn’t mean to offend you or your family as I was actually born in Cardon and had a Venezuelan passport up until I was 3 years old.
Politicians have ruined that country and the poor people are suffering because of it.
But as I said the most important thing is that your daughter is ok.
btw…Tallybhoy, that apostrophe is correct this time… :-)
TGBS
The guys I met felt that Prso was a disgrace to Croatia for playing for the huns. Think the tribute act have 2 Croatians in their team now?
WBC
Love Charlie Chaplin.
Prefer Laurel and Hardy for giggle factor. ?
Pog…both my kids have dual nationality. I lived there for 4 years in the 70s and 8 years in the 80s. It has always been dangerous, but so much more so now. Again, thanks for the thoughts…
DD…thumbs up…enjoy Manchester, and if you do meet up with big Packy make sure he has those dugs muzzled :-)
off to try and sleep now…good night…
Pog…Cardon?
rangers are not 10 times better,
they just got an organized defence and a better keeper.
wattanachio revisited.
i wonder who really is the manager.
WBC
Hope your daughter is not to traumatized.
Have been to Venezuela a few times and lots of lovely people.
I spent a few weeks in Caracas working on a movie and the producers would not let us go anywhere without armed bodyguards.
A country being ravaged by extreme politics and external interference.
WBC,
I was in Kuala Lumpur during Christmas with Mrs PMTYH and watched the Dundee game in Sebastian’s Venezuelan Bistro where KL CSC watch the games, The Token Tim pointed me there.
The barman was astounded that I was born in Venezuela and said he’d like to go back home for a visit but wouldn’t because of the way things were.
There are actually 2 Venezuelan restaurants in KL that I know of.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
WBC, Cardon?
Shell refinery, my old man was chief Smith in the Blacksmith shop. Left school when he was 15 and had travelled half way round the world by the time he was 35 including Burma and Singapore and stayed in Raffles hotel when it was something.
Not bad for a wee working class Fenian who served his time in John Brown’s shipyard.
This is good
http://bobsmithwalker.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-four-headlines-of-apocalypse.html?m=1
The Four Headlines of the Apocalypse
Downfall is an excellent read. What has happened after it shames Scottish football.
Reading back I see the game on Sept 2nd is to be a formality.
I watched Sevco tonight,no great shakes,but with a goalkeeper who has always carried a lot of luck,and a few defenders who are average at best,they will “compete,”and be allowed to do so.
This luck was evident tonight when the striker struck him from close range with 30 plus minutes to go, and then was denied from the penalty spot as McGregor dived to the side,the ball striking his legs.
Last year we blew a lot of points at home, and at one stage in the run in to the season, I was worried as we had to travel to Aberdeen then Ibrox, fortunately we prevailed but it could have been within 2 points if I recall.
We have inexplicably allowed the gap to be closed and it is nothing short of a disgrace that this has happened,add to that a fracture of the ” Invincibility ” of the Board and Manager and we have a scenario where we have a challenge from a rag tag outfit who are barely keeping open.
So pardon me if I am not as confident as some others, as it appears the supports optimism is not backed by the Board,not necessarily in finance for signings,but for me they are not crying foul,when blatant abuses are occurring,such as the 5WA,LNS enquiry,awarding of licenses,etc.
Tonight. reporting of more violence should prompt our Board to declare we will not handle the 800 Ibrox tickets as our supporters are at risk.
Put the ball in the hands of the SFA and Police Scotland who can then explain to Sky.
Only a gesture of this sort will serve to consolidate relationships between the Board and fans.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 16TH AUGUST 2018 8:11 PM
I’ll drive Denayer to the airport before he arrives…
——
Utterly brilliant!
HH jg
(PS I’ll pay the boundary charge!)
I can’t tell you the way I’m feeling.
‘cos the way I’m feeling is oh so new to me.
Oasis CSC
Ex
Not only do I pardon you, I’m completely with you.
HH jg
Pog…wee working class fenian? A bit like myself. :-) Took the same path…always came in the back door whilst others were queueing at the front…
Jamesgang :-)
Fan-a-tic…any details on your movie? Just in case I’m talking to my wife lol…
Excathedra44
Wouldn’t be one of the 800 if you paid me. No way they’re going to be secure at Ibrox. Their bloodlust is up, as we’ve seen on numerous occasions already this season. To be avoided at all costs.
WBC
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371939/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_30
THE GLORIOUS BALANCE SHEET on 16TH AUGUST 2018 10:08 PM
Auldheid 9.29pm
I’m absolutely not advocating that we spend more money than we earn and stiff creditors and the taxman (and taxpayer) like Rangers did. That is immoral and makes a mockery of sport.
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I know you weren’t. I just took the opportunity to remind folk about how reckless they were and still are. :)
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incidentally the only people who raise a peep about Rangers cheating their way to CL/ UEFA monies in those years 2009 to 2011are the fans, the Celtic board keep shtum even when confronted with irrefutable evidence of false declarations and SFA chicanery re taxes being due at UEFA licence deadlines.
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Is there any proof of that or are you applying info that came out in 2013 to 2011? I know they challenged the SFA on the decisions that always favored Rangers but I have seen nothing to suggest they knew about the UEFA Licence and it was only the arrival of Sherriff Officers at Ibrox in August 2011 that alerted everyone that something was amiss. I know Celtic asked SFA questions late in 2011 and received a reply I would class with hindsight as disingenous.
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Indeed they even didn’t object to the “heavily conflicted” Campbell ogilvie being reelected SFA top man after the Huns cheating and SFA complicity in same became public knowledge. Despite Peter Lawwell being on the SFA professional game board at time of ogilvie’s re-election.
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Ogilvie was appointed SFA President in June 2011 and given my previous point I don’t see on what grounds Celtic could have objected.
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And every spurious reason under the sun has been trotted out on these pages over the last 5 years to justify that silence.
The keeping the powder dry. The fear of reprisals against employees. The working away quietly in the background. The never interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake etc. It doesn’t wash any more.
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Having had my own details posted on line I am not so sure the fear of reprisals was unfounded however I agree that it doesn’t wash any more.
Everything that happened in 2011 iro the UEFA licence is now known and there are only two possibilities.
a) the licence was granted and retained correctly under the rules or
b) it wasn’t.
All evidence and understanding of the rules point to b) but that needs confirming by Celtic.
If a) applies then an explanation can be provided to shareholders.
if b) applies then Celtic have decisions to make.
God bless Peter Lawwell
Where would we be without him
Ah well last night in Tenerife not sure if I will come back, Celtic lose two games on the bounce and Hunny Gees mob don’t lose a goal in two games ….
The Sevs protect their goal from Moreloss backwards and we don’t …. give me Brendan every minute of every day
Roll on Partick
WIYS
“God bless Peter Lawwell
Where would we be without him”
Making travel plans to go to Hungary, apparently :-)
Given Brendan’s A list of transfer targets has been torn up, do we have a credible plan B based on quality, extensively scouted players for key positions? Who really believes we do, even in the unlikely event the Board approves the funding? The risk of poor, panic buys is high. Like in previous years we lived to regret.
Beat them on the 2nd and their bravado is gone…simple as that.
Hail Hail.