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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SOAL
Sorry to hear that, condolences to his family and all who knew him.
TSOAL
Sad news. May his soul rest in peace.
TSOAL
LOVE and respect to the family
HH
CRC
GGH
Thank you sir
I am extremely proud of my dad and his ongoing love for Celtic
For years we have been paying for tickets for away matches despite of having them being offered for nothing
He is and always will be a Celtic fan who was fortunate enough to be part of the team when we had our greatest period
DD … heard that Morrissey was Robbie Keane’s cousin …never sure if it was true or not.
Soal
I’ll light a candle in st Joseph’s Blantyre
Goodnight Timland.
Off tae pick up Mrs Nye fae her Christmas shopping
trip.
I will always remember big Billy the manager more
than the player,when took over the reins in 78 we
were in the grubber a real bad lot, he signed Proven
and MacLeod and somehow we wrestled the title fae
the hun,that magical Monday night is right up there
wae any of my best Celtic nights,he then gave us a
proper side that played the Celtic way in a golden
era for the game in Scotland,we didnae always win
but wae a young Paul McStay and Charlie Nicholas
in the side on a going day we were a joy tae watch.
Big Billy can back tae lead us in our centenary season
and win us the double,that side was filled wae real
tims who never gave up,how many late winners did
we score the blessed season?…….legend is a over
used word these day’s,but it disnae go near enough
for Billy McNeill.
wtf is this candy crush pish?
CRC
Not joining after last LMS but I’ll drop a tenner in your account for wee jay
and if you liked that last one, you’ll love this one …
love will tear us apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuuObGsB0No
the first time I met Billy M was when I was having a pee in a motorway service station and a giant of a man stepped up to the trough to have a pee next to me. The one time and place where you just feel it’s too awkward to say anything. I thought a handshake would be out too!
BT
When I speak to your father, I feel he is just an ordinary Celtic supporter despite his great achievements for our club. Would hate to have taken a backhauner fae his huge hands though. :))
If Billy was our manager nowadays and didn’t win trebles and fair very well in Europe how would he be judged on here?
Just a thought.
MiT
Urban myth methinks.
Is this Manchester night? :)
MIT @ 6.05
“I’m perhaps oversimplifying it, but to apply this to your issue, the ‘evidence’ that the Club has not rejected a claim that it was involved in the 5WA may, if unchallenged, be proof of same.”
I was thinking of it more in terms of scientific proof (i.e. being disprovable) than of what lawyers call “proof”. I was also referring to the belief in the hypothesis that Celtic want the Ibrox club “back” unpunished rather than in the belief that they were complicit in the 5 way agreement.
If Awe Naw was thinking along the same lines as yourself then it is no wonder we are debating at cross purposes.
P.S. I accept that our club messed up around the time of the 5 Way agreement. I am not at all convinced that they actively wanted them to remain in the top division unpunished- I find that a bizarre interpretation.
BT Cheers. Rhymes with Jay :-)
We can help you with the rules you know.
P-I-C-K A D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T T-E-A-M E-A-C-H W-E-E-K. N-O-T T-H-E S-A-M-E O-N-E
Any good? :-)
HH
CRC
DD
Why do you think I’m always at his back:))
CRC
Aye and I’m the only one to have picked the same team
Shay …
Red wine taking over
Enjoy the quiz bhoys
BT – would be good to have you aboard. Go wan, go wan, go wan, go wan…..
Jobo
I’m father jack tonight :-))
Drink drink drink
Put we down for the hoops if on list if not u choose
BT
You were not the first to do this and I guarantee you that you will not be the last. There has been a few nuggets, so get your team in :-)
We have already had a CQNer in LMS6 predicting correct scores for all the games for week 1.
HH
CRC
CRC
See my reply to Jobo now get quiz started pleeeeeeese
Hail Hail
Kitalba
Thanks for the earlier response, I’m just back in.
I’d pretty much be in agreement with all of that. However, I’ll respond in more detail at another time mate.
CRC, my comp is playing up tonit again you mderstanmy answers b I assue you there al
DD … not sure about an urban myth, but how about a bit of Urban Hymns … Bittersweet Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74
SFTB … fair enough, pal. I have said on here before, a lot of the argument and disagreement is not disagreement as such … just misunderstanding. At least, I like to think so.
Rank Xerox appears
That’s it
I’m not and never have been into candy crush and I also have add blocker on and still get this pish
Quiz starts in 15 mins
BT – thank you, you’re in.
BT
Staying sober for the quiz tonight. Hope to make up for it tomorrow post match. :)
DD … staying sober for the quiz?! surely that has to be against the rules?!
SOAL
Really sorry to hear of the big man’s passing.
BT
Had a wee chat with your da outside the ground at Perth. A true Celtic legend.
The Minx and I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Billy and Liz McNeil and Willie and Mary McStay at a function last year. Like your da, they epitomise our club.
Wee bit of First Aid before the quiz
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9gDUZejkARU
MiT
The Divine Richard Ashcroft is always welcome in my life.
What an album Urban Hymns is.
Paul67
What damage to Celtic’s reputation is being done by a few daft boys letting off flares?
Right switched to IPhone for quiz . Let the battle commence
Light sabres at the ready.
DD
Not tomorrow bud
Hope to meet up during the break
BT
Keep me in the loop bud. Look forward to a wee bevvy n blether.