Earlier this year I wrote that the pyrotechnics problem was one of the free rider. There are reputational and Uefa fine costs to Celtic, but the perpetrators hide among a crowd, so encounter no costs. Celtic pay the fines, Celtic fans, as a group, carry the reputational damage, those who create the problem act with impunity.
Two who set flares in Istanbul have been identified and banned by the club. This ban will prevent them attending away fixtures in Europe for a considerable time, but it will not prevent them walking through turnstiles at Celtic Park, or some other Scottish grounds. Celtic have announced that they are considering their position and may raise a civil action to recover fines imposed –aligning consequences with actions.
Whenever I hear someone ‘considering their position’ I don’t expect them to act. Those who act tend to only provide advanced notice when legally obliged to do so. There is a flip side to this, however. If Celtic raise an action the issue is dead – it will not happen again. If Celtic don’t raise an action it may well happen again. Steps to hide identities will be improved, perhaps making it impossible to identify another offender. The stock defence of football clubs, “We’ve done everything we could”, will not wash.
It’s only 12 years since 80,000 Celtic fans went to Seville and didn’t so much as spill a drink. What chance that now?
When they were at their peak, 1.2million miners went down the pits in Britain. Before the pits, the population of Lanarkshire was a fraction of what it is now. They build railways in the late 19th century, allowing coal to be taken to the cities and ports, and people were drawn to places like Bellshill, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Wishaw.
This subsequent years saw the greatest migration from Ireland to Scotland, and an enormous migration from rural to urban Scotland. People came to Lanarkshire to work in the coal industry, and to Glasgow and other surrounding towns to work related industries, like shipping and heavy engineering.
The work was almost always dirty, often dangerous and inevitably poorly paid. Poverty and its associated diseases, including social diseases, were difficult to escape. Even today, the twin towns of Hamilton (a market town established for centuries) and Motherwell (a 19th century town established by the coal and steel industries) are separated by a significant gap in employment opportunities, property values and wealth. Physically they are only two miles apart, you can walk between them in minutes.
Football was the real opium of the masses. They worked five and a half days a week, on their half day they went to a game. Entrance was cheap, even the poor could attend, all boys could play, all men could talk a good game (it remained a predominantly male pastime for decades).
Coal, and its by-products: railways and heavy industry, shaped the industrial towns of Scotland, Wales and much of England. Without it, cricket would be our national game (it was once popular even in Scotland). You wouldn’t have Celtic.
Today the last miner will emerge from a British pit, in Kellingley, North Yorkshire. The pits around Lanarkshire are long gone, and there are few bings left. Jobs now are cleaner and safer, but we’ve lost a link to something Celtic fans value more than most, our heritage.
Speaking of which, get to Celtic Park before 13:00 tomorrow. Wallow in the abundant heritage that is Billy McNeill!
We’re shipping same day from CQN Bookstore, but there’s not long left before Christmas!
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Jobo
You must pee like a horse!!! :-)
Answer to round 4
Jock Stein (2) v Neil Lennon (3)
Paul Lambert (14) v Stephen McManus (18)
Tommy Boyd (2) v Danny McGrain (4)
Roy Aitken (40) v Billy McNeill (21)
Bertie Peacock(32) v Paul McStay (57)
Jobo
Who says men cannae multi task?
CRC
Ghostie??
Kevin Bridges CSC
Scores after round 4
32 setting free the bears
23 Gary67
18 Jobo Balde ( spells of heavy rain in Jobo’s bathroom :-) )
18 Delaneys Dunky
18 Hamilton Tim
17 Saint Stivs
16 Praecepta
15 Celtic Mac
14.5 garygillespieshamstring
12 Margaret McGill
Has round 5 started?
Round 5
Hoops am I? ( Selected by Mrs CRC)
Remember: One guess only. Up to you when you want to guess? 5 bonus points for first correct answer
Clue 1 I was a product of Celtic Bhoys Club and signed an S-Form for the club in April 1986 (10 pts)
….. and checking LMS emails…..
DELANEYS DUNKY on 18TH DECEMBER 2015 9:51 PM
Saint Stivs
Used to love taking shots in against Alan Rough on the Knightswood Park red gravel pitches.
==============================================================
Amazin`.
Used to do the same with Ally Hunter in Victoria Park.
Round 5
Hoops am I? ( Selected by Mrs CRC)
Remember: One guess only. Up to you when you want to guess? 5 bonus points for first correct answer)
Clue 1 I was a product of Celtic Bhoys Club and signed an S-Form for the club in April 1986
Clue 2 I signed professionally for Celtic in May 1987 and made by competitive first team debut as a sub in a 3-1 defeat at Dundee United in December 8th 1990. 7pts
gerry crainey
Gerry Creaney
Derek Whyte
Derek Whyte
Round 5
Hoops am I? ( Selected by Mrs CRC)
Remember: One guess only. Up to you when you want to guess? 5 bonus points for first correct answer)
Clue 1 I was a product of Celtic Bhoys Club and signed an S-Form for the club in April 1986
Clue 2 I signed professionally for Celtic in May 1987 and made by competitive first team debut as a sub in a 3-1 defeat at Dundee United in December 8th 1990.
Clue 3 I scored an impressive 122 goals from 196 appearances with Celtic reserves 5pts
Creaney
Tony shepherd
Gerry Creaney
Not shepherd then.
Gerry Creaney
Round 5
Hoops am I? ( Selected by Mrs CRC)
Remember: One guess only. Up to you when you want to guess? 5 bonus points for first correct answer)
Clue 1 I was a product of Celtic Bhoys Club and signed an S-Form for the club in April 1986
Clue 2 I signed professionally for Celtic in May 1987 and made by competitive first team debut as a sub in a 3-1 defeat at Dundee United in December 8th 1990.
Clue 3 I scored an impressive 122 goals from 196 appearances with Celtic reserves
Clue 4 As a qualified lawyer, I represented some of the Green Brigade members who were charged for using the term ‘Hun’ on a banner. 2pts
It’s not Cranaey I’m sure I was at his debut and it was at East End Park.
Know it now
derek whyte ?
derek whyte ?
part of the centeneray team and played in the league run in to win in 1985,
that derek wyte ?
so he didnt sing an s form till after that.
i begin to wonder if some people on here know who celtic are
-))))))))))
Gerry Britton
Wrong Gerry!!
It must be Gerry Britton.
Not Creaney – only scored 50 odd goals.
Cannae believe that I had him giving a talk in my class about a month ago!!!!
Round 5
Hoops am I? ( Selected by Mrs CRC)
Remember: One guess only. Up to you when you want to guess? 5 bonus points for first correct answer)
Clue 1 I was a product of Celtic Bhoys Club and signed an S-Form for the club in April 1986
Clue 2 I signed professionally for Celtic in May 1987 and made by competitive first team debut as a sub in a 3-1 defeat at Dundee United in December 8th 1990.
Clue 3 I scored an impressive 122 goals from 196 appearances with Celtic reserves
Clue 4 As a qualified lawyer, I represented some of the Green Brigade members who were charged for using the term ‘Hun’ on a banner.
Clue 5 I left Celtic for Partick Thistle and have been involved with the Jags in a number of playing, coaching & managerial roles 1pt
Always read the whole question before answering.g
Praecepta
For the reserves????
Answer: Gerry Britton
Andy Walker
Did they get a not guilty verdict?
CRC
If you had went with clue 5 first I would’ve got it (pal is one of his youth coaches).
Drat!!
Ok Bhoys, final table and its close for the Europe League places
39 setting free the bears
23 Gary67
18 Jobo Balde
18 Delaneys Dunky
18 Hamilton Tim
17 Saint Stivs
16 Praecepta
15 Celtic Mac
12 Margaret McGill
Stivs
Yep, I’m a Hun :-)