I remember getting annoyed at the grief Gordon Strachan took after David Fernandez inspired Dundee United to a draw at Celtic Park. It was disproportionate, despite the poor performance, and ignored the sporting reality that weaker teams can get it right and leave Celtic Park with a point. As well as a lot of credit for their efforts.
Positives first. Many things didn’t work for Celtic yesterday but James Forrest looked to be back to his best. There was only one occasion he didn’t get past the Killie fullback all day, and he recovered to dispossess two opponents and win the ball back.
For James, it’s all about fitness and confidence. Right now, he has both.
I looked at the clock: 3 minutes had gone, Jozo Simunovic was still on his feet. ‘We’re breaking new ground’, I thought. Kilmarnock defended their penalty area all day, so we were seldom troubled, but you and I have seen enough football to know that’s not the whole story. Jozo was immaculate, didn’t put a foot wrong, covered ground with pace and precision. Threw himself into tackles and won the ball.
The contrast with recent defensive performances could have scarcely been more marked.
Elsewhere it didn’t go so well. Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton were both inhibited. Stuart Armstrong prodded but seemed out of sync with his team-mates. Passes regularly found an opponent. From my seat, it looked like our movement and use of space was inefficient.
The last 30 minutes of the game saw Kilmarnock clear their lines and regroup under sustained pressure. During this period, I was confident the goal would come, it usually does. Maybe the extra dimension we hoped we’ve recruited in Carlton Cole, out ill yesterday, would have given our wing play more of a target.
Since writing on the subject on Friday night I’ve seen some of the sectarian abuse left on Facebook about our director, Ian Livingston, amid a diatribe against refugees and all sorts of people who are minorities in the UK.
Years ago I wrote that there are few values we can anchor the club to. Scotland is changing, as are peoples’ sense of identity, no more so than when it comes to religious identity. We can’t, nor should we, impose restrictions on who becomes a Celtic fan. Our demographic is largely left of centre, but a Lisbon Lion went on to become a Tory councillor, so there’s no political bar to supporting Celtic.
I also know an Ulster unionist, who for several years joined his family and friends as a Celtic season ticket holder. He was always made welcome, and didn’t find the celebration of Irish heritage at Celtic incompatible with his identity. As the generations pass, we’ll see more of this. People will care less about 20th century politics (not to mention 17th century) and your view on transubstantiation.
Our founding value is that we are open to all. You will find a welcome at Celtic irrespective of colour, race or religion, you don’t need to care about Scotland or Ireland, we have Poles, English, Norwegians, Americans, Aussies and many more. Few of them had an Irish grannie.
These values are under threat across Europe. We should take every opportunity to reinforce them.
I took some advice on whether to out those behind the racist abuse yesterday, but I’m glad Ian Livingston did so direct on the Affiliation site (and apologies for the direct quote appearing on a CQN article, I pulled it as soon as I saw it).
I was also challenged over the weekend for criticising the chairman’s right to use any available platform to call out racism. I don’t feel qualified to say that’s not allowed.
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Just up.
http://www.celtictrust.net/?func=d_home_article&id=519
Hankray,
I wasn’t afraid because I never expected it, but at one up I joined you, I was rattling.
It couldn’t happen, and it did, for me that’s my Celtic, don’t give me hope, give me dreams.
Bourne , seeing as no one relied to your earlier post about the picture of our 1982/83 squad.
From memory , other Graeme Sinclair, it was basically the same squad as that in championship winning 1981/82 season.
Goalies Bonner and Latchford
Defenders. Danny , Sinclair, Moyes , Aitken, McAdam and possibly Mark Reid
Midfield. Paul McStay, Tommy Burns, McLeod, Danny Crainie, Michael Conroy, Dom Sullivan
Forwards. John Halpin, Provan, Frank McGarvey, Nicholas and George McLuskey.
21-5-79
I need to get some more details from you so that I can block all the ads you are receiving. I need to know where you are, what network you are using, assume you are on 3G or 4G and get a list of URLs. These will be blocked from you and other users.
We are having some success doing this and fewer people are getting these spam ads. As someone mentioned they are an almighty pain in the neck for us aswell as those affected.
Cqn doesn’t make money from these rogue ads.
BRTH 3:07
Fine post sir, totally agree with you regarding our so called PR department. Against the backdrop of the hostile MSM in Scotland the club continually gives these sharks unnecessary ammunition against us. Surely these so called professional men and women can come up with some sort of strategy to fight back against the MSM in Scotland.
Also thank you for your posts regarding how the PLC works in relation to Celtic. Was very educational, and in some aspects paints a bleak picture ahead for the ordinary fans, and the direction the club is going in.
In the years ahead we might well be heading down the same road as in the 90’s to wrestle the club from the money men back to the fans. Depends if the fans realise what is happening in time and can come together like in 1994.
HH Dan
Eddie…,
Problem is, for most of our own imperialists that swallow the daily record events, there are no accreditations, problem being if the accreditations are not the, Record, mail or express then they are not reliable, it’s a pointless exercise, I was waiting for an independent source, iI know it was not going to happen. That’s why I preferred to wait.
You have mow provided a datum they can counter from yank, Al Jazeera and other gobshite liars that want ambiguity to excuse their own lies.
Wonder where in America the game against Dundee will be ?
Keep politics out of paradise
That should include politicians aswel.
Couldn’t care less if he is Jewish , most people know their is plenty of good outspoken Jews who don’t support what the Israelis are doing to the people of Palestine.
Lord livi could be one of those, thou I doubt it.
Should Margaret thatcher also have been welcomed onto the Celtic board ? I doubt Liverpool fans would have welcomed her into theirs , would they have been branded racist aswel?
Our board is a mess, no doubt about it and couldn’t give a toss about our fans .
Lovin Russia banning Scientology as a religion, how v
Can you be a religion if you have a trademark ? :)
Excellent compelling statement from The Celtic Trust. This anti semetic stuff is a red herring. Nobody in their right mind could support the online racist tweets, but these fools were not at the AGM and had nothing to do with the proposals being made. Bankier was totally out of order in dragging this stuff into the AGM, He comes across as an arrogant self centred man, he should get the hell out of our Club.
Head of PR at Celtic is Hearts fan Ian Jamieson.
Proudbhoy,
Can’t see how politics is kept out of Celtic park, IST always been a hot bed, should we just play dumb now ?
Why should we ?
Who said we should ?
Celtic park has always been a hotbed, stop the thinking and you kill the souls.
Let’s go out to the ball game, honest, is that all you want ?
Think I read a couple of posts wrong :)
No be the first time, come ahead :oD))))
I know it’s been asked a few times, but does anyone know for sure that the posts made about “His Lordship” were made by Celtic supporters ?
Have the polis made any arrests yet ?
I would have thot that they would relish getting a few Tims for something like this, right up their agenda street.
Howler in the Palace defence allows Sunderland to take the lead
Bourne , the photo of the squad from the 1982/83, John Halpin isnt in it.
Ten of the players in that squad came through our ranks.
Changed days indeed.
Canamalar
No I’m repeating what our board always tell us, keep politics out etc then sneak a anti working class Tory onto the board .
Any wonder a lot of of our bread and butter fans don’t go any more . People who followed club for years .
I think scientology was invented by a science fiction writer . It is a cult and its amazing how many people have fallen under its spell. Some Hollywood stars seem keen on it. Another case of the great brainwashed.
Proudbhoy,
As TET said, make some arrests and we will believe you mean business across the board, do you think that will happen ?
Bankier did not call the support racist. In fact, when the person who made the original intervention came back with the claim that Bankier had inferred that he was a racist, Bankier specifically said he had not. He was referring to some on social media.
I have no idea how many have acted “criminally racist” but judging by some of those who comment on here, ad hominem attacks regularly take the place of proper argument . CQN has been full of it today. Shameful.
And I voted against Livingstone, as I can’t reconcile his voting to do down tax credits with being a member of the Celtic Board. Personally, I think Br Walfrid lived the spirit of the Gospel, not some passing political mindset. It was this that inspired him to found our Club. All of us might do well to remember to live up to his ideals, if we aspire to speak for what’s best for Celtic.
How come english referees in the EPL allow more stoppage time than our mibs do when Celtics involved anyway?
Celtic mostly get 2or 3mins while in england its 4-5 or 6mins. 5 in this Crystal Palace game.
I never understand antisemitism – Jesus was a Jew, followed the law of Moses and adapted it for the times He was in.
Lord livi
I would like to think that if he was Gerry Adams and was invocled in cuts against the poor the GB , CT and other fans would speak out.
I’m pretty sure they would , being Tory isn’t ideal but if he separated his Tory polices with park head policies and was seen to implement living wage and other good things then I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be this much up roar about him
Corkcelt, I’m probably going to avoid the blog tomorrow , as those who don’t like the Celtic Trust will be involved in a slanging match about their statement tonight.
Not that I’m taking sides in who is right or wrong but as others have posted, the past two hours reading the nightshift posts and today’s , but it was a hard slog.
We have never had the unity we had in our support as we did in Neil’s first two seasons.
I found out from one of those involved in the collection on Saturday, the foodbanks which received deliveries , were taken aback , in a good way, with how much was donated.
JJHS @ 8.40
I’m sure there is merit in what you say.
Maybe fans who simply aren’t as great supporters as they would have us believe.
Dallas Dallas @ 9.40
I looked at that team and thought, if it were somehow possible that they could play
Maribor, Malmo, and Molde.
They would have hammered all three.
Parkheadcunpmsalford,
Want to share that source ?
Hopefully the video recording you watched.
If not, qualification and recommendations for you source.
Interpretation is always the issue, now there’s no use asking the likes of Tony Donnelly but you,
You are a true source of integrity.
Did you personally witness all the statements ?
Did you understand why the accusations needed to be raised at the AGM as oppose to with the police ?
Is there any reason you would agree that those responsible for sectarianism should not be charged ?
In my lifetime being welcomed into the Celtic family has never been about your race or religion but only on your ability to pay.
Read the Celtic Trust statement and it clearly sets out what Bankier said. His half hearted excuse for an apology cuts no ice. Most of us in our working lives have had to deal with the Bankiers of this world. We had to then coz we needed the job to feed our kids, We don’t have to put up with it now particularly at a Football Club we support & fund. Bankier had all the proxy votes he needed, all he had to do was to let proposal go to a vote without saying anything and he would have won by 99% plus.
However the truth is he considered the proposers as a nuisance and took the opportunity to “put them in their place”, it was a classic croppies lie down attitude.
He shouldn’t be allowed get away with it, Bankier out.
Ivehadtochangemyname,
Good shout, can you remember when he told us Christians when it was Kosher to eat bacon sandwiches ?
Mags,
Come on, talking shit has always been up there if others opinion really mattered
Bourne, they certainly would have, four regular scorers in that squad, McCluskey, MCGarvey , Nicholas and Mcleod. Creativity with Davie Provan, Paul McStay and Tommy Burns.
Danny apart our defence was not great . I always thought Tom McAdam was a better defender than Roy Aitken.
Big Sinky got a hard time from fans but he will forever have my gratitude for his performance against Ajax, his blocking of BFDJ in our 3 2 win against the deidsters and the following season, he played in midfield against Simpson and Cooper at Pittodrie , dishing out the treatment to them which they gave to our players.
Where did all the Syrian haters go ?
Come on boys, you were seriously justifying murder, what happened to you, timaloy29 your a Bourne leader wtf, one simple question, give me an alternative ? Go on go on go on, cup of tea ?
Graeme Sinclair now owns a wee newsagent in Paisley about 100 yards up from what was the Wig & Pen Tim boozer.
Mags,
That’s more about what you were willing to accept than anything else, after all it was your experience, no ?
Sadam said it like it is.
” You may not like me, but you will like the alternative even less ”
How right he was.
Parkheadcumsalford,
What happened ?
Cat got yer tongue ?
Canamalar
There are no Syrian haters per se, that I have experienced on here, certainly there are ISIS haters but that’s understandable.
Ecumenical question ? Maybe jack eh