Austria Wien have played three league games this season, won one, drew one, lost one. Scored six conceded eight. Stuffed 5-1 by Salzburg two weeks ago. They have only had to play one round of Champions League qualifiers so far, which they won 1-0 on aggregate against the Icelandic champions-cum-day-job-professionals. Send them over, please, Uefa.
Ludogorets Razgrad, from Bulgaria, knocked Dinamo Zagreb out of the Champions League qualifiers last season before going down to Slovan Bratislava in the play-off round. They’ve won two, lost one, of their three league games this season. Beat Partizan Belgrade home and away in last round, beat Slovan Bratislava on aggregate in round before that. They also have to play their home game for the next round at an alternate venue to due to a date clash with a concert. Happy to take this lot.
Legia Warsaw, won all three league games this season, scoring 12, conceding one. Eliminated Molde, after drawing both games, in last round, took care of The New Saints (Wales) home and away in earlier round. Would be a great European tie though not sure if Zbyszek can arrange the result for us.
Maribor, from Slovenia, have won all three league games this season, scored 11, conceded two. Eliminated APOEL Nicosia after two draws in last round. APOEL got to the last eight of the Champions League in 2012, so this team are no pushover. Maribor also have the distinction of being the last team to knock Rangers out of Europe. Ever!
Shakhtyor Karaganda, 12 points off the pace after 22 games in Kazakhstan. Beat Albanians, Korce, in last round and Bate Borisov (who recorded Champions League wins against Bayern Munich and Lille in 2012) in the earlier round. The travel would be an issue; Karaganda is farther east that eastern Afghanistan. If I can paraphrase an Ibrox legend, define Europe. The fact they are midseason and, like Celtic, they’ve won through two rounds already, makes this a less attractive tie, but they are surely not a Champions League team.
Preferences: Shakhtyor Karaganda are the easiest possible opponents but a trip to Austria or Bulgaria would be best.
Would rather avoid: Legia will be the most difficult draw. Maribor will be a similar challenge as Elfsborg.
Lots more to blog about: last night’s performance, Kelvin, Honest Dave King… maybe later.
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Blantyre Kev
Thanks for that. Even for someone who is very much a tv viewer these days I find these times ridiculous. 12.30 and similar times for away matches in Inverness and the like are a scandal and would have very much tested my resolve if they had been around in the days I went to away games.
“Without fans the game is nothing” So true but who listens?
I thought the plural of walrus was kookookachooo?
Surely if we pushed ahead for a specific standing area behind each goal we could accomodate all the GB any any other lateral movers & shakers at least in domestic competition. Not a huge drawback having to re-locate to a smaller seated area in European games surely.
With countries such as Germany & Sweden having free standing area’s I wouldn’t think even Glasgow City Council could object. Obviously season ticket prices would have to be adjusted – being in a small area should be easier to steward properly.
or is that a collective noun like a murder of kojos?
Johnny Russell.
Catanese media claimed that Catania made 3 bids for Johnny Russell .
First bid amount was undisclosed .
Second bid was 400 k euros
Third [ and final bid ] was 600 k euros .
Owner of Catania publicly stated he would not pay more for a player he regarded as a ” prospect ”
Catania blogs had the heebie geebies re the prospect of Catania signing a Scottish player.
79 caps
E-mail each time. Sent enquiries to Celtic TV same day. They replied to my follow up e-mail answered the question that referred to them and said they’d passed the enquiry to the Ticket Office.
Twitter.
Don’t forget, Sevconians, @ScotCharityReg confirmed Rangers diverted £220k charity cash (plus costs) to itself irrespective of “good faith”
If the GB are posing such a safety risk, was it not negligence on the part of Celtic to allow them to do so for such an extended period of time?
HH
On Finbogosson:
Anyone remember this guy?
Afonso Alves
Scored goals for fun for Heerenveen, indeed, greater than a goal a game ratio, sold to ‘boro for 20 Million Euros, fell on his @rse, now plays in Qatar.
I promise, I can’t arrange good result for Celtic. If it’s Legia vs Celtic I’ll be on Legia side :-)
Neganon2 @13-23
Well said
croppy boy…………..just a wee question…………….if the green b did not sing roll of h , Aiden Mc , boys of old b etc , very hostile to poppies , ….and were gen well behaved (in the eyes of authority) apart from lateral movement…………in otherwords lateral movement the only iffy thing they did……………….do you honestly believe 111 would be shut??
Kikinthenakas @ 14;30,
You are of course correct.
With the transfer fees coming in and guarateed European Football, we can afford to make our weakest position our strongest and improve the team immeasurably at one stroke.
Hail Hail
fan-a-tic
14:53 on 8 August, 2013
Neganon2 @13-23
Well said
Seconded!
traditionalist88
14:46 on 8 August, 2013
Were warnings not issued this year and last?
CFC and the GB and ordinary supporters have to come up with a solution without getting their backs up and being antagonistic. Should we not have a supporters liaison group as a buffer between the GB and CFC?
gsu
Samaras played really well at Heerenveen . That got him a move to Manchester City.
Steinreignedsupreme
14:04 on
8 August, 2013
NegAnon2 13:23 on 8 August, 2013
I didn’t read what you posted last night so I can’t specifically comment on that.
Name calling is generally desperate behaviour – but sometimes people get a wee bit passionate and state things they later regret.
The way I see the blog is we all like giving our opinions – therefore it’s silly to be over-critical of people who give opposing opinions.
If you disagree with someone that’s all it is.
________________________________________________________________________
Its not that simple on here tho as you have the regular naysayers on here that round up & attack like a pack of Hyena’s when somebody criticizes the team, the management or the board. To put it simply, its cringeworthy to say the least. Not to mention that it only ever is huns that voice their concerns on here!
derbyshirebhoy
I have dealt with : janemaguire@celticfc.co.uk
and
AForbes@celticfc.co.uk
(Angela Forbes)
and found both very helpful. You could try it.
Greensideup is also Neil Lennon, I believe so, in which case if the behaviour was so dangerous it makes it all the more concerning it was allowed to go on for so long?!
vinniethedog, none of those songs are illegal. Read the statement from Celtic – the issue is the ‘lateral movement’ and the door is open if assurances could be given from the GB on this.
I agree it is in the interest of Celtic, the Green Brigade and the wider support to find a solution here.
HH
Choppy hoy
We definitely need players in certain positions.
But realistically we need better coaching.
A playing system that embraces all areas of the field and encourages movement and creativity.
We are so lacking in the fundamentals of modern football.
We are hard to beat due to our cautious style but have very little room for creativity.
Our sideways and backwards passing is generally ineffective .
We do need a creative midfielder but where would they play in a system that tends to restrict our central mids to 2/3rd’s of the field?
Who would they pass to with zero movement in front of them?
We are a team who’s system is poorly implemented and that leaves us lacking any cutting edge and a lot of empty spaces for good teams to exploit.
Ruud van Nistelrooy also scored goals for fun for Heerenveen. Whatever happened to him….?
Forster left out by Roy again.
Feel sorry for the big man.
Wee story about “Simply Depressed”, it’s Saturday May 9 and I’m over hame as my wee mammy has had a wee stroke, flying back the next day so it’s going tae be a busy one.
Up early and the sun is splitting the trees, turn the wireless on and Tina’s belting away the as then current hun anthem. FFS is that an omen or no.
Walk up tae St Kessogs for 9:00 Mass, slip in at the back, when the wee Father offers the sign of peace 2 lhads in front of me turn roon tae shake ma haun, the late Phil O’Donnell and big Malky Mackay who had been with the team up at the Cameron House. Naw I thought that’s an omen.
The rest they say is Henke and Harrald history.
BTW the next morning Glasgow Airport was bouncing early doors on another sparkling morning, I passed a good looking young bhoy with a T-Shirt that said “Never Be Ten-In-Row”.
I hope we have a back up left back waiting in the wings. I thought Izzy’s performance was dreadful last night, but so were a few others. The passing was absolutely atrocious, I think most would agree.
I also think that UEFA should end this plastic pitch experiment too, 3G or 4G should not be the question, they should wake up and smell the grass.
gsu
Campbell Ogilvie is a disgrace and not fit for purpose and our board are just as bad voting him back in.
Just remember everyone our club split the GB up while they are sitting back and allowing this corruption in our game.#notfitforpurpose
Peter A Smith@PeterAdamSmith1h
SFA’s Campbell Ogilvie says Paul Murray could pass Fit & Proper Person test despite being director at Rangers within 5 years of insolvency.
———————–
@PeterAdamSmith @stevendoyle75 Insolvency law, anyone? Besides, thought CO had declared conflict of interest; no comment on RFC?
I havn’t read the statement from the club but going from the comments on here that the problem isn’t really the lateral movement but more to do with overcrowding in section 111. If that is the case then surely the closure of section 111 is uncalled for (unless the club is showing the Green Brigade who is boss?) but instead there should be a punishment meted out to those who do not belong in the section with random ticket checks – or this too much to ask for?
Am I missin’ something?
Croppybhoy
iPad autocorrect error above.Apologies.
Section 111 has seen the migration of fans from other areas of the stadium to 111.
The police and stewards are getting the blame for allowing this to happen.
I had seen during last season, complaints from the section 111 that they were the victims of extra checks and were being harrassed by stewards and the police when entering the stadium and when in their seats.
On occasions they blocked and stopped stewarts from entering their section, indeed with the amount of fans on the stairwells any determined move by the police or stewarts to check season tickets would have resulted in trouble.
If the fans in section 111 or other fans trying to get to section 111 get upset or dont allow stewards or the police to check their tickets without causing ‘trouble’ who’s fault is it that fans without tickets for that section get in there?
Should CFC ban all movement of Fans during the game and at half-time?
Vinnie
The song debate is one that has run and run
If the board wanted rid of the GB and are just using the lateral movement card – why did the GB not call their bluff and give it up ?
Instead on Saturday the went at it with gusto – now to me that was a pretty blatant GIRUY to the board
On songs – like many I have sung all the songs in the past but now feel that some have had their day
I posted previously that Cliftonville’s excellent Red Army did not join in with the RoH but did sing the Fields with great gusto
These are people who actually live in the north not spectators from a distance
Again if the club ask people not to sing certain songs inside the ground – then I think fans should take that on board
The poppy thing was another instance where I believe the GB were silly to fall in to a trap set by the MSM – probably at the behest of MH/ Deid Huns to make the club look bad!
It seems that on some issues people do listen and respond to a media that we know have an agenda against us!
I have the pleasure of working in education and know for a fact that there are thousands of really great young people who are a credit to themselves,their families and their communities
I am also very aware that there are a very small minority of kids who despite being asked repeatedly not to do certain things – will just go merrily along on their own sweet way and say
“Feck you pal – no-one tells ME what to do”
The GB cannot have things both ways either they abide by the rules like everyone else or they want to be martyrs !
Like most I will miss their noise,colour and excitement but I support CFC first and last
Not the GB
HH
en1rik
15:19 on
8 August, 2013
Campbell Ogilvie is a disgrace and not fit for purpose and our board are just as bad voting him back in.
Just remember everyone our club split the GB up while they are sitting back and allowing this corruption in our game.#notfitforpurpose
Exactly the kind of matters I believe the Board should be concerning themselves. Are they victims of these matters or part of the problem?
leftclicktic
It seems the SFA only issue guidelines and it will be up to an individual board to decide-despite the fact he was a director of oldco with 5yrs of an insolvency event…surprise, surprise!
Let him on I say after the brilliant job he did last time.
HH
Hope we play Austria or Maribor, would be a chance for me to be in the stadium.
Just heard if we draw PFC Ludogrets they will use PSFC Chernomorets (Burgas) for their home tie……………..A HOME GAME…………………..
Nice stadium and i watch them when i can (normally when the 2 Sofia clubs visit)
http://www.chernomoretz.bg/
On The Huns rumours site, re the charity theft, one zombie states…….
==================================================
” Whatever way u look at it, it’s a f*cking disgrace and Its shameful.
You wonder what comes next in this satirical shanfest.
This is the kind of thing that can tarnish a clubs reputation for a long time ”
=====================================================
err, methinks your clubs reputation was tarnished a long long time ago, probably circa 1872
leftclicktic / roy croppie
No surprise there then!
Agreed – let him on. This is the guy who thinks they were in perfect shape until Craig Whyte went in!
croppybhoy
Why use the term ‘shadowy’ when describing the Green Brigade?
The club have their names and addresses and the cameras inside C.P. have the ability to take a close up of every seat. The Chairman even said after the ‘pyro’ incident: ‘We know who these people are…’
HH
player32
15:26 on 8 August, 2013
I’m just delighted we are in the draw……Euro football until at least Xmas is very good news .. Hope some of the signings prove to be as good as most of our signings under Neil….. !!!!!!!!