The sun is shining on the west of Scotland today, we are nine points clear at the top of the league with a home game ahead where a win would make the gap 12 points and allow the club to book event planners for the trophy presentation.
We are fortunate to follow a successful football club, but we are more fortunate to believe that Celtic is so much more. It is an institution with ethical standards and a social care mission as its founding principle.
Without standards adhered to by generations of supporters and without that sense that, collectively, we are about something more than football, I doubt any of us would care as much as we do. What else explains the call Celtic has on us, even when living thousands of miles from Parkhead, when we have not seen the team live for years, when we mix with friends who find your green and white merchandise perplexing.
Maintaining this call across 136 years takes hard work by impressive people. In recent weeks, I spoke to several Celtic fans like this, who have undertaken to cycle from Celtic Park to Seville next month in support of the Celtic FC Foundation, arriving in the Andalucian capital to commemorate the pilgrimage so many of us made there 20 years ago.
I recorded the meetings for a series of video podcasts, the first of which is available below. The participants shared the joy of Celtic, many of them lived far from Celtic Park, but they all regarded their roles as Celtic fans as something far more than passive. They want to live up to the spirit of Celtic – that thing you and I profess belief in. We are more than just the football, we have a social cause, a regard for those in need, and a responsibility to act.
Six years ago some of the participants completed the Road to Lisbon (started by our own Mouldy67). They booked to ride to Milan in 2020 before world events got in the way. Now the Road to Seville lies ahead, over 1,000 miles to travel through Scotland, Ireland and Spain.
What is most striking of the conversations I had, was how connected they all were to the Outcomes they hoped to achieve. It wasn’t reaching Seville, or even raising money, it was about helping the poor with a warm meal, extending sport facilities to Downs people, providing care and support to families coping with dementia.
It was humbling to listen to the work they have all put in and great to see such role models in being a better person and better Celtic fan. If like me, you have no big acts underway for what is the most important part of being a Celtic fan, we can financially support their efforts here.
You can follow them on Twitter here: @Road2Seville23 and keep in touch with the Foundation. First up is Paul Corrigan, I hope you enjoy watching and thank you for supporting their huge efforts.
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Morning all.
As Jobo would say, 2 more sleeps.
HH!
“I’ve always felt that to stay with Celtic for my entire career would be unbelievable. We’re still a long way away from that but I’m really enjoying it and, over the last few years, I’ve discovered that this club is bigger than even I had realised before.”
James Forrest (2019)
“I’ve spoken to more players than you might think who have left here and then wished that they hadn’t. Many would tell you themselves that they didn’t realise what a big club this is until after they’d gone.”
James Forrest (2019)
Good stuff Paul67
WwwooooOOOOFFFTT near miss! Now for the article.
Great call Paul.
It’s a monumental effort these guys are putting in. Sacrifice of time and money to do this. A really tough challenge as all our cyclist posters will testify.
scotland to ireland to spain , i guess so they avoid the ferry from the english ports.
more power to the peddelars.
bring back the corner flags.
look at the size of the crowd for a thistle game.
great angle on te old main stand and enclosure as well.
https://twitter.com/CollowWillie/status/1643175988359049216/photo/1
A wonderful endeavour, the very best of health and luck on the journey Bhoys!
Our founding Brother would be proud.
A tiny comment Paul67 they are not ‘Downs people’ but people with Down’s syndrome, sorry to be pedantic but it matters
Thanks for sharing Paul .
Big thumbs up to the cyclists .
Promising Mooy news, but growing concern over Hatate and Taylor after intense Celtic training footage
By Hamish Carton
3 hours ago
There were mixed findings with the likes of Aaron Mooy and Reo Hatate as Celtic posted footage from training on Wednesday.
Ange Postecoglou and his team are busy preparing for Saturday’s big Premiership derby against Rangers.
The Hoops know that victory will virtually end the title race as a contest, but it won’t be easy against a side who haven’t lost a league fixture since early November.
There are injury concerns over three starting XI players going in to the game: Reo Hatate, Aaron Mooy and Greg Taylor.
Ange shared some good news about Hatate, Mooy and Taylor at the weekend, with all three seemingly likely to feature at that stage.
In the Wednesday ‘Lennoxtown Unfiltered’ footage posted exclusively on Celtic TV, the team is seen training intensely.
Mooy is one of the first players to appear on to the pitch, with the Aussie looking fully fit and featuring in the entire session.
The likes of Liel Abada, Anthony Ralston and James Forrest are not involved, but that is no surprise with all certain to miss the weekend game.
What will be a concern to the Celtic support is that neither Hatate or Taylor were seen at all in the Wednesday session.
Hatate went off injured in our pre-break game against Hibernian while Taylor limped out of the Ross County clash on Sunday.
Of course, this could be an elaborate cover-up job from the Celtic media team, in a bid to unleash Hatate and Taylor as a surprise on Saturday.
We’re not ruling out either player at this stage, but it is definitely a worry to have neither in training a couple of days out from such a big match.
Also included in the session were a number of B team players, including Bosun Lawal, Rocco Vata and the returning Dane Murray. Great to see him back.
The final comment to be made from a look at the session is just how intense it all seemed to be.
We know that training is hard under Ange, but it’s incredible to see such energy being expended ahead of a huge game.
The team look up for it. Let’s hope Hatate and Taylor are confirmed fit when Ange speaks to the media tomorrow.
Nice to see Dane Murray again. A top bhoy prospect.
St Stivs from previous blog.
Thanks for the reply. I thought that Dr John had played for us. Bob and his son Benny, I’m quite certain they didn’t.
Delighted that Dane Murray is well on the road to recovery now. He’s been our a very long time. Looked a decent prospect in the early glimpses we had.
Scullybhoy, Dane is a great prospect in my view.
Paul67
My daughter and me attended the charity night in the Admiral to raise funds for the cyclists…. A great bunch and good luck to them….
A great laugh and a few quid raised too.
SCULLYBHOY on 6TH APRIL 2023 12:35 PM
I think everyone will be concerned. However:
They still have 2 full training days before the game
We have more than adequate cover
It could easily be a head feint from Ange. See his big wink
The huns are crap
BRRB,
your right to correct me, Benny offcourse being Bobs son.
Benny was on the books at celtic park but never made the breakthrough.
For all those with a Rutherglen and south east glasgow surrounds here is something I did not know (lifted from thecelticwiki)
———————————————-
Benny began playing at Our Lady’s High, where he formed a formidable half-back line with John Cushley and Bobby Murdoch.
————————————————-
and one that I am sure you know
Benny later ran the Queens Park Cafe pub on Glasgow’s South side. His son Kevin became an actor and featured in the cult MTV sitcom ‘top buzzer’.
https://www.thecelticwiki.com/rooney-benny/
For those of you who keep these kind of statistics king charles 3rd has just been driven out TADCASTER RD YORK towards TESCO. A neighbour phoned to tell me.
File under i do not have a ………………. to give. Another thing .I will not be going to any coronation party.so there that’s you awe telt.
I am a pessimist at heart, and I would love a full strength panel to pick from. Anyway, in Ange we trust. Do expect a few red cards.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1b/8e/df/1b8edf9d1656dedfc08063614a25989d.jpg
And King Kenny has just scored.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/ea/40/28ea40b933c3d0e50064595781bc204c.jpg
I posted the other day,Sky are part of the problem, obviously on cahoots with the SFA and the huns,current score of us kicking off before thems is 17-6 for example.
https://theshamrockglasgow.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/kenny-dalglish-celebrates-v-rangers-at-cp.jpg?w=2000&h=&crop=1
https://the-shamrock.net/2014/11/13/celtic-moments/#jp-carousel-3668
https://the-shamrock.net/2014/11/13/celtic-moments/#jp-carousel-3845
Talking of Red Cards.
https://theshamrockglasgow.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/celtic-fans-red-cards-at-hunnery.jpg?w=2000&h=&crop=1
Seville stories.
We lived in Beijing at the time and had trip back to Scotland planned anyway, for a family wedding.
My wife and I left our young son (21 now), with his grandparents and flew over with the other grandparents to Seville. Got our tickets 3 hours before the game; still haven’t quite forgiven Jose for his gamesmanship tactics – the disappointment after the game is still palpable today.
My second son (now 19 and 6’2″) was also at the game, but not born yet!
Kenny and Marina Dalglish once attended four funerals in one day at the time of the Hillsborough disaster.
BADA
Paranoia police
Favorite Uncle.
Did he get the train up?
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/f3/5c/f3f35cb05af21d72eb581a77e8aa4b21.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3e/32/db/3e32db48bc56193e2a60ce57425adc11.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/d9/b4/b3d9b4ff99ad1d9d70fdce0892b40073.jpg
A LONG SHOT………
IF anyone is considering giving up their Season Book/Card for WHATEVER reasons ( Maybe Health etc ?) from the beginning of Next Season onwards will you PLEASE let me know on here, if you havent got my phone Number etc ?
Due to my own Health issues, I can really only consider the MAIN STAND, and/or The Lower North Stand IF a Seat becomes available. I MAY consider the Lower Seats in The Jock Stein and/or Lisbon Lion Stands also.
It would ONLY require YOU to KEEP your Season Card/Book, in YOUR Name and Address etc, but obviously I would pay the Full Cost of the Seat, whenever the RENEWAL Times come up ?
IF such a scenario arises, I will gladly MEET You and provide the Cost in CASH ?
Its impossible to get on the Waiting List at this time, and even IF I DID get on it….by the time I get considered I may be long DEAD ?
Thanks in advance.
P.S. I am NOT a Celtic CASUAL…….and I know how to behave at a Fitba match !
LOL.
HH
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/ca/20/7aca20bd1df8c73856a73af760fd205d.jpg
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/239eb75263b43cf459c6af7ec2ac4ca8
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/92384dc8ea1759615cb04ea463cdfdd6
All great photos SCULLYBHOY
I don’t do politics on here, but I think Police Scotland have found the new Fred and Rosemary West on the outskirts of Glasgow………Mone- £29 million, I don’t see a gazebo at her front door.