I’m not taking the SPFL- face recognition plan too seriously but that’s not to say the politics behind the suggestion should be ignored. Scottish football has no hooligan problems, compared England or the Continent our game is orderly and sedate. Until recent years there was no such thing as a flare problem, and offensive signing was a thing of the past.
All that changed when the SNP government got involved in 2011. Two managers shouted at each other after a game, three Rangers players were ordered off, and First Minister, Alex Salmond decided a summit was necessary to reign in the game’s wilder elements. What utter tosh.
Three weeks later, Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill congratulated fans on creating a great atmosphere at the League Cup Final, which was notable for the re-emergence of the previously eradicated Billy Boys song. At an instant MacAskill rebased what was acceptable behaviour at Scottish football.
Since then the game has been trying to put the genie back in the bottle. The arguments were rehearsed in the CQN comments pages and elsewhere, “They are congratulated by the Government for singing The Billy Boys and we can’t sing about nationalist politics”, or words to that effect. Songs which had disappeared from the Celtic support lexicon were soon back and remain. Incalculable damage done by two incompetent clowns.
Since then the Scottish Government and a very small number (very small indeed) of senior officers at Police Scotland decided to subject football fans to the kind of surveillance that would make a military junta of a banana republic blush.
It’s a mess. Officers on the ground readily complain in private, all other political parties pledge to repeal the Offensive Behaviour’ Act, while sheriffs line up to mock cases arising from the Act. Football has been left to pick up the pieces left from a Scottish Government created problem. The Government refuse to accept any liability, will not repeal the Act and having celebrated a new, low, standard for spectator behaviour, seem quite happy with the situation.
Scottish football was doing very well before the Government decided to rebase what is acceptable behaviour. No football authority will succeed in any endeavour if the government is working against it. What the SPFL did was make a clear, if clumsy, attempt to return the problem to sender – the newly disinterested in football Scottish Government.
When one becomes six
I’ve scoured the internet today but cannot see any complaints about Celtic’s alleged “one up front” tactics. This season hasn’t gone to plan, but we’re making an incredible number of chances and scoring a remarkable number of goals.
One up front leaves space for, what is in effect, two wingers on each flank, and an attacking mid able to work inside the box.
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Hamiltontim, ask him, he can still read.
Saint Stivs
My time haunted by special branch early 80’s catching up?
You got me paranoid now. :)
Sad to see some well-known posters quitting the blog in the face of some obnoxious postings from some unusual sources in addition to thr’normal’ ones. I just let any of that malarkey wash over me as at my age it is nothing to get excited about. Daft buggers acting even dafter than normal. Remember the old adage; Into each life a little rain must fall; don’t give ANYONE the chance to say ‘I saw him aft the blog’. ‘Deil tak’ the hindmost’. HH This old bugger keeps forgetting this machine doesn’t recognise the vernacular!! aft should be aff in case anyone thought it was the opposite of fore:)
1997-07-05: FC Beatrix 0-21 Celtic, Pre-Season FriendlyThis is a featured page
Match Pictures | Matches: 1997 – 1998 | 1997-1998 Pictures
Trivia
Pre-season Netherlands tour friendly.
Wim Jansen’s first game in charge.
Opposition were amateur side.
Review
Celtic ran riot in an embarrassingly one-sided encounter last night, hammering amateur side FC Beatrix 21-0 in the the opening game of their tour to Holland.
With head coach Wim Jansen taking charge for the first time, ex- Aston Villa striker Tommy Johnson helped himself to six goals, with the rest coming from Alan Stubbs (3), John Paul McBride (3), David Hannah (2), Simon Donnelly (2) Stuart Gray, Brian McLaughlin, Marc Anthony, Andy Thom and Tom Boyd.
Teams
FC Beatrix:
Woensdregal, Essenholam, Mulden, Fluit, Dros, Van Velikuiren, Van der Kay, Termaal, Nyman, Rablaal, Hevvel
Celtic:
Marshall, Annoni (Anthony, 36), Boyd, McNamara, MacKay, Stubbs, Donnelly (McBride, 62), Hannah, Johnson, Thom (McLaughlin, 28), Gray
Non Used Subs: Grant, Kerr
Scorers:
Hannah (1), Van Velikuiren (og 11), Johnson (16, 36, 52, 59, 64, 83), Stubbs (22, 60, 76), Thom (24), Boyd (26), Donnelly (34, 46), Gray (39), McBride (68, 75, 80), Anthony (73), McLaughlin (82)
Mike in T
Not been on here for months . I share your sentiments. It got really silly during the election and not much better since.
BT get back on. I need your constant reminders to “Logon by” when dealing with the eejits here.
Philbhoy
Prayers said.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 20TH JANUARY 2016 11:24 PM
Saint Stivs
My time haunted by special branch early 80’s catching up?
You got me paranoid now. :)
——————————————————-
och, who wisnae, i laugh at some peoples perception of green brigaders, style mile vandals etc etc.
back in 77ish to 1987 at least, most ordinary fans on the busses from the port were supporting , contributing, collecting, selling , marching, protesting, sitting in, striking out, boycotting, …….. and more, to some colourful em, debating societies.
Prayers said for wee Archie. Sad that BT and MiT are having a break they are 2 genuine good hearted Celtic supporters who make this site a better place. If you read a tabloid you can work out the journos who lay bait and want people to bite my advice to some on here is to ignore the bait layers who want an argument , ignoring them is the best way to annoy them . Last night I was so happy as we played so well and created a feel good factor keep the faith . HH
sipsini on 20th January 2016 9:27 pm
Just watched Billy Connolly there, he doesn’t look to good, hope he’s ok.
*saw him late last year in the Massey hall in TO. He was good, but that’s about it. Several others remarked the same.
shortly it will only be the loonies on the blog. pity it has gone this far.
that whitehill welfare game ……………… and a blast from the past refree LOUIS THOW from Prestwick
———————–
1996-01-28: Celtic 3-0 Whitehill Wefare, Scottish CupThis is a featured page
Match Pictures | Matches:1995 – 1996 | 1995-1996 Pictures
Trivia
The tie was staged at Hibernian’s Easter Road ground in freezing conditions.
The day before Rangers had hit 10 against non-league opposition in the shape of Keith FC.
Whitehill Welfare had been unbeaten in ‘East of Scotland’ competition for several months, until they crashed to defeat against Civil Service Strollers the week prior to the Celtic match.
Their squad included many players with League experience, including veteran midfielder Derek Steel (ex-Raith Rovers, East Stirlingshire and Arbroath).
They also included Jamie O’Rourke among their substitutes, son of Hibernian legend Jimmy O’Rourke.
Diminutive left-sided attacker Ross Middlemist found himself in direct competition with Jackie McNamara, a former schoolboy teammate. The former Edinburgh University student had cancelled a trip to Australia in order to play in the game and cross swords with Jackie.
Review
The undoubted star of the show was Scott Cantley, a goalkeeping postman who enjoyed a long spell with Whitehill before moving onto the Junior circuit with Musselburgh and Whitburn. He was playing for Bonnyrigg Rose as recently as 2008. As Tommy Burns’ swashbuckling Celtic liberally peppered his goal throughout the match he produced save after save during what the Not the View fanzine described as “a performance beyond belief”. John Hughes and Pierre van Hooijdonk in particular were thwarted before the big Dutchman finally broke Cantley’s resistance to vouchsafe the Celts a slender lead five minutes before the break.
The second half continued in much the same vein although not before Celtic were given an almighty fright around the hour mark. Tricky midfielder John Bird led McNamara a merry dance down the right hand side and unleashed a looping cross from which substitute Ricky Smith – a pizza franchise supervisor from Dalkeith – thumped a meaty header off the base of Gordon Marshall’s post.
After this ‘hearts in mouths’ moment, the match remained alive until fifteen minutes from time when Donnelly inelegantly bundled in a Morten Wieghorst knockdown.
Five minutes later van Hooijdonk belatedly added sheen to the scoreline, nodding in his second of the match with Wieghorst again the architect.
Celtic progressed to the fourth round, where opposition awaited them in the irksome shape of Raith Rovers.
Teams
Whitehill Welfare:
Scott Cantley,
Stewart Purves,
Ian Brown,
Derek Steel,
Raleigh Gowrie (Darren Cameron 80);
Ross Middlemist (Ricky Smith 62),
Davie Millar,
Willie Bennett,
John Bird;
Mike Sneddon,
Ian Tulloch (Jamie O’Rourke 82).
Celtic:
Gordon Marshall,
Jackie McNamara,
Tom Boyd (Brian O’Neil 82),
John Hughes,
Tosh McKinlay;
Morten Wieghorst,
Paul McStay,
Peter Grant,
John Collins (Brian McLaughlin 82);
Pierre van Hooijdonk,
Andy Walker (Simon Donnelly 57).
Referee: L Thow (Prestwick).
Attendance: 13,100.
i was there, 13,000 attendance, 12,500 of them tims.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/iKFgBNKZbrnJFeuv7l926w35284/GW510H285
Philbhoy prayers said for your wee pal Archie.
Sad times on the blog when good guys are quitting for the sake of some real clowns who wouldn’t say to your face what they say on a blog.
HH
KTF
UTLR
Mighty Tim
Well said pal. Hope you and the family are well.
just seen SOTs post at 10.58
.
yet another one packing it in.
Paul
you have a serious problem developing here.
Or is it already too late
50 years ago, one day from today.
whatever happened to the AER LINGUS , CELTIC MASCOT , IRISH WOLFHOUND ?
off to bed.
=====================
1966-01-22: Celtic 1-0 Motherwell, League Division 1This is a featured page
Match Pictures | Matches: 1965 – 1966 | 1965-66 Pictures
Trivia
The second leg of the European Cup Winners Cup was finally set for the 26th with flight plans all squared away.
John Hughes had injured a knee in the defeat at Pittodrie but he recovered during the week and duly took his place. Bobby Lennox came in for Charlie Gallacher at inside right.
A week of freezing conditions again in Scotland saw the pitch protected with its blanket ofg hay again. The team trained for much of the week at Seamills.
The club paraded an Irish Wolfhound pup given to the club as a mascot by Aer Lingus, with whom Celtic hade made the charter to fly to Tbilisi. (It would be interesting to know the fate of this wolfhound).
On the previous night Celtic drew 1-1 with Motherwell in a Reserve League match at Fir Park. The Celtic team was Martin, Halpin, McCarron, Henderson, McNeil, Brogan, Connelly, Sweeney, J. Quinn, Auld, Taylor. The Celtic scorer was Auld.
Review
The new mascot appeared to be lucky for Celtic with Joe McBride scoring the only goal of the game on the quarter hour. Before that Jimmy Johnstone had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.
Celtic took the initiative from the start and after McBride’s goal, which came after a Lennox shot was palmed out, Motherwell concentrated on the Celtic wingers through whom much of the play was passing. This meant they moved more into the middle causing the middle of the park to become congested and play bogged down. Motherwell appeared content to defend and rarely ventured forward leaving only McLaughlin up. Despite close calls by McBride and Lennox neither side could add to the single goal though Celtic’s superiority was evident throughout the game.
Teams
Celtic:
Simpson; Craig, Gemmell; Murdoch, Cushley, Clark; Johnstone, Lennox, McBride, Chalmers, Hughes
Scorers: McBride (15)
Motherwell :
McCloy, Delaney, R. McCallum, W. McCallum, Martis, Murray, Hunter, Campbell, McLaughlin, L.Thomson, Weir
Scorers:
Referee: J.P. Barclay (Kirkcaldy)
Attendance: 27,000
the girvin shitehoose
beaten by mcbride
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/1966-01-22%3A+Celtic+1-0+Motherwell%2C+League+Division+1+-+Pictures
Clink, I’ve not had monitor the blog for a while. Intend to pair things back.
celtic 1 liverpool 0.
facial recognition is it.
the tim in the quequ, with the quiff and his hauns in his pockets, recognises that the polis sergeant has a big nose.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/XKmteH1Sa7fp-fuQ5L3O1A102585
Delaneys Dunky all good G hope things are good with you. Might catch you at the game on Saturday. Want to catch up with Hamiltontim for CT form.
HH
KTF
HENKE
TA FOR SPEED UP MY LAP TOP LINK. SEEMS TO BE WORKING!!!! H H
I SEE YOUNG PADDY CONNELLY HAS BEEN FREED BY D UTD MMMM????/
was going to bed, but got engrossed in the celticwiki,
whoever were the founders of this wonderful webspace take a bow.
definately last for the night –
back to celtic 1 liverpool 0 , 1966, ecwc , semi final first leg, 75,000 as celtic park ………….
look at the height difference between Big Billy, Ron Yeats and Ian St John,
A MUST SEE.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/uXuoBScmpwNRX0tgi3Vo3g56043
CQN’s chickens have come home to roost.
Years of slack moderation have brought the blog to where it is at tonight.
Once people came on here wearing other than their Celtic hat, we were guaranteed strife and dissension.
Every political , religious, or non religious post was argued with the zeal of the righteous, with no quarter given.
Celtic is our club. It is a football club. It is not the UN, UNICEF or our mammies and daddies, who can sort out all the worlds problems.
The Victorians who espoused the theory that religion, politics and the ladies should never be discussed in polite company, knew what they were talking about.
CQN, when it began, was an influential and respected blog.
Now, it is akin to the Kneejerkers and Punters Social Club.
Paul, you should never have let your baby fall into other hands.
HOW TO BEAT FACIAL RECOGNITION.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/-18Ct26cueCf_GyZSeoLow88197/GW1079H645
Mighty Tim
Will be about on Saturday before the match. Hope to catchye pal.
Hail Hail
LAST POST.
quite wonderful picture, I would guess one of those Gorbals 1960 Mazzoli ones, anyone recognise anyone.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/D-sSCp7-Pks3l81NhuyJrg257164/GW1066H1227
Saint Stivs
John Lydon far right? ;))
mit
i know where you’re coming from i’ve been mainly reading seldom posting, for me the bad feeling
between certain posters and the language used is not what the majority want to hear on paul’s
blog, a few years ago i mentioned the taking of the lords name in vane, i was instantly told where to go,
bt & (wait for it) kogo backed me up anyway mit hurry back soon i’ve enjoyed your posts over the
years thanks and all the best
St stivs 12.35.
Reminded me of when I was a kid living in the tenements in Orr street in Bridgeton.
We used to jump or dreep from those landing Windows .
Thinking about it none of them had windows in them just like the photo
MIKE IN TORONTO
Will be disappointed if your fine self calls time on this blog.
I have had the pleasure of corresponding with you on the tactics and styles of our team and coaches.
For the most part we have similar views but on topics we have disagreed it has always been civil.
Unfortunately this has become rare on here.
I have been part of this blog for many years but tend to post on match days .
There are many brilliant posters on here with far more knowledge and intelligence than i.
Some bore me though and i scroll past despite my admiration for.
The agitators are harder to ignore but for the most part i also ignore them.
Perhaps the blog is a mirror of the political climate of our times were tolerance as seen as weakness and the divide and conquer brigade shout the loudest.
Our support is not united at this time and for that our custodians share some responsibility
Haste ye back.
St Stivs
The book Gorbals children by Joseph Mckenzie has the most fantastic pictures i have seen of the tenements and their denizens.
GERRY123
I see your point,mate. I’ve started scrolling and ignoring recently-not so much to avoid certain posters,more to prevent lapses of judgement in my replies!
The blog tonight,even without certain deleted comments,bears little resemblance to its heyday. I’m sure there are a multitude of reasons for that,but IMO a lack of tolerance for contrary opinions is uppermost. Next is probably a corresponding dearth of humour.
Can CQN regain its dizzy heights? I dunno,but I’ll stick around to find out.
I can only hope that MIKE IN TORONTO and BLANTYRE TIM do the same,and that a few other much-missed purveyors of quality items return.
Why cant we all get along?
Rodney King
I have never understood the Iowa caucus.
Larry King
The time is always right to do what is right
Martin Luther King
15-Luv
Billie jean King
In you I’ve found a story
I want to keep hearing
In you I see all colours
Not just black or white
In you I find a reason
And hope for all dreamers
King
You say you want a resolution
Well, you know
Ive got twelve to give away
You tell me that it’s devolution
Well, you know
the SNP went down that way
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Pete
You ain’t going to make it with anyone except the Cheats!
Don’t you know it’s gonna be alright
Alright, alright
Come on ! Cheer up!
here is some happy news to cheer you all up.
What if you were only one of the 3 remaining Giant Yangtze Softshell turtles left ?
huh?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35358979
I like reading books.
I love reading books with epigrams.
These gems, be they rhymes, quotes, lyrics or sayings make me think oftentimes longer than the book I see them in.
My current favourite is from a book I read in 2014, In the Light of what We Know by Zia Haider Rahman, a conversation novel about what ordinary muslims think about people like me.
It’s a wonderful quote from Leo Tolstoy’s What is Art? (or supporting Celtic, says me)
“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.”
Sleep in peace, Celts everywhere.
http://youtu.be/DCoFc661GZU
Stunning.