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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BT
I remember the first time I met Billy, was dumbstruck, wanted to ask him so much, couldn’t get anything out, but he was a proper gentleman, he started asking me stuff, sure broke the ice, couldn’t shut me up once I started :-)
HH
BKev
Your haverin, nothing on Cqn from Jobo at 7.04
Quonno
I sadly agree.
50shades
Crimewatch? :))))
TeT
Sat with him for couple of hours one afternoon in his home just blethering about Celtic and matches from 57 right through to current
He was immense and always will be in my eyes
Of course Liz is and was a lady
Some managers and players of Celtic have absolutely no connection or understanding how we feel cheated.
http://plzsoccer.com/news/131941/rangers-return-will-ease-celtic-crisis-says-oneill/
http://plzsoccer.com/news/112112/exclusive-ive-never-forgiven-mourinho-says-oneill/
Know how you feel Martin.
There is only one king billy & that is Cesar what carisma & a true Hoops legend
that has our Club @ heart hail hail Billy McNeill
Delaneys D, yes mate .
Looking to go for a few pints after the game if you’re about?
Martin, Martin, Martin …. (sighing and shaking head sadly) … disappointed if he has been quoted accurately … always thought he was a bit sharper than that.
Winning Captains my books arrived yesterday many thanks for your prompt delivery it’s great to see so many good Celtic men on Here.
So sad to see so many Celtic haters on here who say they are Celtic supporters I just don’t get it .
Sandman hope you are well we need to met up for a drink and a spinning of some Frankie knuckles tunes dude
50 shades of green
naw!
Evening lads
Speaking of Big Billy.
I like many thousands grew up watching Billy and the lions and what memories they gave us.
Anyway I was working as an apprentice electrician in ’73 and one of my journeyman was a wee hun called Willie. He was one of the ones that was not really interested about football in the Lions era, you all know the type, they stopped going to the crumble dome when the bhoy’s were sweeping all before them.
Anyway, he told me one day that he could not stand Billy.
I asked why that was as he was not into fitba.
His reply was that Billy was a big f****** poser and he could not stand it when he strutted about with his chest stuck out as though he was billy big b***.
If I had any doubt about what the big man meant to us, then his opinion reinforced why I held Billy as the greatest.
Eddie
See you tomorrow pal. I am in Jock Stein stand tomorrow. Couple of post match beers sounds good.
Eddie/DD
Off 2 West after game for 1, then into town with a couple of CQN lurkers.
May catch you for a beer?
HH
CRC
BlantyreKev it was a pleasure meeting you yesterday.
Just for the record..daily record…readers
I have nothing to do with McGills buses
I have nothing to do with McGill university and its famous literary CQN alumni
nor did my daddy die drunk and leave me no will.
C sounds like a and I’ll be able to pay my LMS money etc.
DD
Are you sure, I thought it was
“Americas next top model ”
UTLR
:-)
CRC
West is the best! See you tomorrow bud.
Mr Mags
Aye it is
M McGill
Were you a member of The Doors?
Just under 60 minutes to the quiz Bhoys and Ghirls. See you all soon.
MrsCRC picked the Celtic player for the “Hoops am I?” round , so you can blame her :-)
HH
CRC
50shades
Haha. Like yer style amigo!
Hail Hail
So you read the daily retard Mags?
baaaad baad people……..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82xV8Rmel4c
how’s the buses running tonight Mags are they
on book (time-table) or do you have to send out
Inspector Blakey to move some buts?
Been having a look at the Morton Raith game, Morton playing some good stuff under Jim Duffy.
Sorry folks, nae battery left.
And my phones the same.
You
UTLR
wishaw emeraldcsc @wishaw_emerald Wishaw, Scotland
It is with deep sadness that our president Sean Sweeny has passed away tonight God bless our Mr Presidente
does anyone know how you join lms6 ?
BT
Your dad will always be a Celtic legend. Exactly what a Celtic man should be. Played a number of great games for celtic, waited on the bench or in the reserves without any moaning to the press or petulant behaviour and happy to spend time with supporters.
Will always remember standing outside the old stand as a wee boy waiting for autographs. One Saturday after a reserve game, a crowd of wee bhoys were standing outside waiting for the players to emerge. Your da came out, smoking a plain cigarette, and stood in the pissing rain signing everyone’s book or bit of paper. It was a proper signature too, not a wee scribble. Other lesser lights were not so obliging.
I still have the book forty odd years later. My da thought really highly of your dad and he said what your dad did was typical of the likes of him, Stevie Chalmers, John Clark and Big Billy. True celtic legends imo.
where’s RC?
a bit of music to get us warmed up for the quiz … the bhoy with the thorn in his side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYp2LGKOF_M
Jack- Its full up! You’ll need to get a zimmer and be faster :-)
class MIT absolute class
it canny be filled up, o was wanting to be last in
MiT
Good tune bud.
Where’s oor Stephen Patrick Morrissey this weather?
Saint Stivs
Email us on cqnpredictor@gmail.com
HH
CRC