Relax and you’re finished, Belfast awash with Seville spirit

655

The day after the opening Champions League qualifier of the season can get a bit tasty on the blog but business has been pedestrian since last night’s professional performance by the men in hoops.  If you wanted to be pushy, you could point to a couple of glimpses of goal which fell Cliftonville’s way as a result of Celtic defenders being dragged out of position, but that’s about the measure of an unfamiliar defence at any time.

Congratulations to Georgios Samaras, who scored in Celtic’s first five European away games last season and obliged again yesterday.  A remarkable record for a player who is never employed as a penalty box striker.

It would also be tardy not to congratulate Celtic and Cliftonville supporters on their exemplary behaviour throughout the day.  After recent disturbances in Belfast there were fears that a group of travelling Celtic supporters could find trouble in the city but the casual observer could be forgiven if he thought we were in Seville again.

Maybe Belfast council should invite us over every July to spread a bit of cheer. We do football very well, in all respects.

Neil Lennon can now kick back and relax with a formality of a second and the next round not for another…. 12 days!!  Maybe not.  12 days is not a lot of time to do anything in football, so every day, including match day against Cliftonville, will need to be meticulously planned to ensure we are ready to face an opponent who could well be midseason. Relax, and you’re finished in this business.
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655 Comments

  1. bt –

     

     

    full weight bearing crutches? Must be Irn Bru crutches! Will leave you to figure that out yersel!!!!! 8-)

     

     

    Ulryc

  2. blantyretim

     

     

    Try using one crutch in the house on the opposite side from your recovering leg, walk through as normally as possible, no short steps, to get the leg used to normal walking again. Then you can carry your own tea and the like.

     

     

    More about confidence at the beginning.

     

     

    Walking up and down stairs will get a bit of condition back into the knee, especially going downstairs.

     

     

    Good Luck!

  3. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    How come the draw for the next round is being made when the second legs of this round have not been played?

     

     

    Surely it should be next Friday?

  4. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    Gordon J- I shall remember that when I am compiling my Christmas book list ;/)

  5. Ole Ian Black loves the thitd division because of the number of

     

    homers he got…

     

    Painting railings etc

     

     

    Just about to lesve the furnace that is London

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    Sitting outside quaffing some foaming ale,I sent my hun mates a wee text

     

     

    “The good thing about this weather is I can watch bums in shorts,and I don’t even need a Rangers season-ticket”

  7. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Ian Black’s been sniffin his own paint thinners.

     

     

    Rangers urnay in the third division, they’re pushing up the daisy’s.

  8. Meant to say a big thanks to TSOAL for his help yesterday.

     

     

    BT- did you get a wee swally of cider from your crutch when you got on the train?:-)

     

     

    BMCUW- you’re right. Great company. Loads of wee tales and background stories that you just can’t convey on the ole blog.

     

     

    Need to keep an eye out for future meetings.

  9. The Spirit of Arthur Lee on

    blantyretim

     

     

     

    09:54 on 19 July, 2013

     

     

     

    Mighty Tim bringing me a programme tonight to help with rehab

     

     

     

    What with the drink

     

     

    Love

  10. AOW.

     

    Had the cheek to sit out the back garden and open a couple of cans of strongbow..

  11. Phyllis Dietrichson

     

    09:57 on

     

    19 July, 2013

     

    How come the draw for the next round is being made when the second legs of this round have not been played?

     

     

    Surely it should be next Friday?

     

     

     

    Made a week early to enable club and fans to make travel arrangements.

     

    If made next friday that would leave only 4 days until first leg. If off to Baku not enough time !

  12. BT, haha but it’s a long and thirsty journey to Blantyre…..as I’m sure you told the missus.

  13. Quantum

     

     

    Fair point but if other tie still in the balance, supporters can’t really make plans for travel if options are Baku or Finland for example.

     

     

    Mort

  14. paddybhoy1888 on

    Morning from a sunny and hot Murcia. Glad to see the weather in Glasgow is super for the kids on school hols.

     

     

    ACGR and BRTH I still have book for BRTH when I was given the task to hand over book I noticed BRTH was poncin aboot in Europe and upon his return I’m now ensconced in a golf tuition school trying to get on the pro bevvy tour.

     

    I shall be back next weekend and email BRTH for the book handover.

     

     

    Was a tad nervous re Ciiftonville but I thought Neil played a blinder even fooled Paul67 with his banana skin rhetoric.

     

     

    C’mon the hoops waiting for the draw at the 19th hole.

     

     

    Hail hail PB1888

  15. Is it normal for a chairman to do a press interview in a training top with his initials on it?

  16. Mort

     

    10:14 on

     

    19 July, 2013

     

    Quantum

     

     

    Fair point but if other tie still in the balance, supporters can’t really make plans for travel if options are Baku or Finland for example.

     

     

    Mort

     

     

     

    True ! mmm let me have another think!!

  17. Hope we are away for the first game. In saying that away games last year caused us no problems.

  18. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    quantum – apart from Mort’s point, I just worry that there’s scope for corruption, especially where an Abramovich-like character may have an interest in two teams achieving a certain result.

  19. ASonOfDan

     

     

    I agree. I always prefer to be away first. means you know what to do in the return leg. You turn them over in the first game then it’s sorted!

     

    Hope it’s not a journey too far into the unknown.

     

     

    LB

  20. Tomoblog Well, maybe Shakespeare was a bear as

     

    well as a bard. Maybe he too was watching

     

    the Rangers Big Tax Case in some time-

     

    warp when he talked about human

     

    existence dragging on in “its petty pace”

     

    and being “full of sound and fury” yet

     

    “signifying nothing”.

     

    There has certainly been a lot of sound and

     

    fury. The pace has been nothing if not

     

    petty. The significance of it all is still far

     

    from clear.

     

    Today, 19 July, is the date set in Edinburgh

     

    for the next round of what looks like an

     

    increasingly attritional contest.

     

    The second tier tax tribunal opens. It’s

     

    perhaps a rather recondite avenue of the

     

    civil law, but behind all this there is a war

     

    going on between two worlds, a war which

     

    creeps further up the political agenda with

     

    every week that passes, every cut that is

     

    imposed by the coalition.

     

    This does not, should not, impinge upon

     

    the process of the law one iota, but it does

     

    make it easier for HMRC to press their case

     

    in the background of this war of the worlds.

     

    Simply put, the concept of tax avoidance,

     

    the world of the Baxendale-Walkers and all

     

    the Rangers suits who took their “loans”,

     

    paid no tax, walked away and ensured

     

    HMRC would be all over Ibrox like ivy, all of

     

    that remains locked in trench warfare with

     

    Westminster, HMRC, the public accounts

     

    committee and increasingly public opinion,

     

    the world which says we are just not

     

    having this any longer in the age of

     

    austerity.

     

    In short, the tax-avoiding suits walked

     

    away from Rangers, the taxman ain’t

     

    walking away from them.

     

    This, my friends, is what it’s all about. Any

     

    accountant worth their invoice will tell you

     

    not to go within a thousand miles of any

     

    tax-avoiding trust or benefit schemes, not

     

    because they are illegal (though many now

     

    are and the Rangers one could yet end up

     

    being deemed so) but because if you do,

     

    you will never hear the end of the love and

     

    attention HMRC are going to give you.

     

    That’s what made Rangers unreliable after

     

    years of the Ibrox suits getting second

     

    homes in France and all the rest of it from

     

    the legal tax-avoidance programme.

     

    And that is why HMRC will not let go, why

     

    they have appealed to the second tier tax

     

    tribunal and why the whole culture and

     

    moral mood of the country makes it more

     

    and more conducive for them to do so.

     

    The nuts and bolts are that the trio of

     

    judge and sometimes lay figures hears

     

    second tier tribunal cases and then, yes,

     

    there can be further appeal to the court of

     

    appeal after this. The appeal comes on a

     

    point of law, that is, the interpretation of a

     

    statute principle.

     

    “Nobody has won,” said the erstwhile

     

    Rangers owner Sir David Murray, after the

     

    first tier tribunal. Never a truer word, Sir D,

     

    and it remains so and will do so until such

     

    time as this process of attrition is

     

    exhausted.

  21. Good morning from another glorious day in D-land. I wouldn’t mind a wee trip to Slovenia against Maribor and show those dead people how it should be done. I’ve been to Ljubljana and it is a lovely city, Maribor is the second city of Slovenia, I believe.

     

    IMHO second cities are often better than the capital, Brno in Czech Republic, Košice in Slovakia and of course Glasgow.

  22. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    I see Victor has gone and Gary. CL qaulification importance reduced. If we dont qaulify I expect Fraser to be sold and an Irish International loan signing. That always placates the Old Firmists amongst us. Majority rules erm no but it can be passed of as a democratic stance. Its important that we dont pull to far away from our integral business partners for their return into the Celtic bosom

     

     

    Well done to Lenny and the Bhoys negotiating a tricky tie.

     

     

    Oh and Kris for towing the party line

     

     

    HH

  23. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    Rangers FC: the taxman ain’t walking away by Alex Thomson

     

     

    Well, maybe Shakespeare was a bear as well as a bard. Maybe he too was watching the Rangers Big Tax Case in some time-warp when he talked about human existence dragging on in “its petty pace” and being “full of sound and fury” yet “signifying nothing”.

     

     

    There has certainly been a lot of sound and fury. The pace has been nothing if not petty. The significance of it all is still far from clear.

     

     

    Today, 19 July, is the date set in Edinburgh for the next round of what looks like an increasingly attritional contest.

     

     

    The second tier tax tribunal opens. It’s perhaps a rather recondite avenue of the civil law, but behind all this there is a war going on between two worlds, a war which creeps further up the political agenda with every week that passes, every cut that is imposed by the coalition.

     

     

    This does not, should not, impinge upon the process of the law one iota, but it does make it easier for HMRC to press their case in the background of this war of the worlds.

     

     

    Simply put, the concept of tax avoidance, the world of the Baxendale-Walkers and all the Rangers suits who took their “loans”, paid no tax, walked away and ensured HMRC would be all over Ibrox like ivy, all of that remains locked in trench warfare with Westminster, HMRC, the public accounts committee and increasingly public opinion, the world which says we are just not having this any longer in the age of austerity.

     

    In short, the tax-avoiding suits walked away from Rangers, the taxman ain’t walking away from them.

     

     

    This, my friends, is what it’s all about. Any accountant worth their invoice will tell you not to go within a thousand miles of any tax-avoiding trust or benefit schemes, not because they are illegal (though many now are and the Rangers one could yet end up being deemed so) but because if you do, you will never hear the end of the love and attention HMRC are going to give you.

     

     

    That’s what made Rangers unreliable after years of the Ibrox suits getting second homes in France and all the rest of it from the legal tax-avoidance programme.

     

    And that is why HMRC will not let go, why they have appealed to the second tier tax tribunal and why the whole culture and moral mood of the country makes it more and more conducive for them to do so.

     

     

    The nuts and bolts are that the trio of judge and sometimes lay figures hears second tier tribunal cases and then, yes, there can be further appeal to the court of appeal after this. The appeal comes on a point of law, that is, the interpretation of a statute principle.

     

    “Nobody has won,” said the erstwhile Rangers owner Sir David Murray, after the first tier tribunal. Never a truer word, Sir D, and it remains so and will do so until such time as this process of attrition is exhausted.

  24. Marrakesh Express on

    Re Davie White.

     

    One of my oldest pals told me a story before he died.

     

    A diehard Rangers fan, honest to a fault on all matters Rfc, he used to admit that when Jinky got the ball their whole end would look away, terrified, and somebody would shout ‘has he still effn goat it?’

     

    Anyway the night Gornik ko’d them at Ibrox ( Lubanski ran riot)

     

    Michael was stood at his usual perch at the tunnel. He gave White so much abuse that the soon to be sacked manager offered him a square go outside.

     

    35 years later Michael spots Davie White in a Glasgow pub. He approaches the now 77 yr old,

     

    …’do you remember me Davie’.

     

    ‘Give me a clue’ White says.

     

    Michael jogs his memory…White grabs him by the throat (in jest) Ive been looking for you for years ya wee b….you got me my books that night.

     

    They had a good drink and laugh together.

     

    Michael died soon after, aged 54.

     

    He was one guy who would’nt have had anything to do with the lies and denial which came out of Ibrox 3 years later.

     

     

    hh

  25. So we have the Mr Smith as the only Manager of Rangers to have become The chairman of said Club.

     

     

    Not for the first time a RFC. news report has got me confused.

     

     

    Now it is reported that Walter Smith was the only one to hold both postition in the clubs 140 year history.

     

     

    Now all well and good except I pretty sure WS walked away from the club after he was finished as the Manager.

     

     

    Also if this was the case as Rangers were lliquidated held be unreliable for the board of Newco

  26. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    Meant to ask, who is going to pay the legal bills the dead huns are stacking up? And If Alex Thomson is correct and it goes to a further appeal regardless of judgement, then who is gonna pay for that too?

  27. 67 European Cup Winners on

    Phyllis Dietrichson

     

    09:57 on

     

    19 July, 2013

     

     

    To allow the clubs time for travel preperations ??

     

    Games to be played 30/31 July (week after 2nd leg v Clftonville) and 6/7 August

     

    So if draw was made Friday after Cliftonville game it would only allow 3 or4 days before game is to be played !!

     

     

    In Celtic’s case its probably OK to start making arrangements before 2nd leg is played as result looks safe – but difficult if 1st leg was 0-0

     

     

    67 ECW

  28. celticrollercoaster on

    Morning Bhoys

     

     

    Sun is hiding this morning in Playa Blanca. First time on since Wed game. Good to meet up with lurker Cheerio 10, again and his family.

     

     

    Also well done to the Hoops. Good result on a potential banana skin. First goal gave us confidence, third goal finished the tie. Of course forgetting the second goal from Sammi and his celebration. Perhaps this is Sammi’s year to rise to the top and stay there.

     

     

    What time ko is the Brentford game tomorrow and is it on tv?

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  29. Marrakesh Express

     

     

    Bizarrely I attended that Rangers v Gornik match. Thoroughly enjoyed it of course and Lubanski certainly tore them apart.

     

     

    Might have been the night after we’d beaten Benfica on the toss of a coin.

  30. Notice how the false narrative of club and company being separate has now disappeared.

     

     

    If the MSM was being consistent then Sir Walter would be described as Chairman of the company that owns the club, rather than of the club itself.