Solitary consequential mistake in 8 games

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To be fair to St Mirren, despite losing by four goals at Celtic Park last month, they approached Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie in an equally expansive manner.  This resulted in another four-goal deficit, three of which came after they were reduced to 10 men.  In the league, they sit in a four-club group separated by three points, only three will make it into the top six.  If would be good for the league if they made it into the top half, more so if it is Livingston who drop to seventh.

Celtic did not look like Celtic until Reo Hatate replaced Aaron Mooy just after the hour.  Matt O’Riley and Oh came on at the same time but it was Reo who orchestrated play.  Celtic move so much quicker with him on the field.

Carl Starfelt will be annoyed with himself at the mistimed interception when led to the penalty St Mirren scored with.  It hardly merits analysis, but the moment stands out as the only consequential mistake the Celtic defence have made in 8 games.  For all our attacking prowess, defensive solidity is the bedrock this team is built on.  Defend well and trophies will follow.

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  1. Celtic defender, centre back, gives away 2 penalties in 50 games, dearie me.

     

     

    Jim Craig wouldnt have got another game after lisbon.

  2. Haha Coneybhoy, I remember that one, in the auld scrapbook.

     

    I didn’t even know what diminutive meant back then.

     

    Sean

  3. Really pleased how the Japanese bhoys are flourishing at the start of this year. The three of them are finding their way to goal and we won’t miss Giakou/Kyogo too much in the following games if Ho can play like a number 9 as well. Sad to see our big Greek depart, smashing big fellow.

     

     

    Disappointing to hear Chris Sutton, a great player for Celtic, advocating that Celtic prepare for their next manager. Because, according to Chris, Ange will go to manage in England soon. Namesake Kris Boyd, is of the same opinion in another article which I saw but didny read. Both singing from the anglican hymn sheet.

  4. So now onto some praise.

     

     

    Friday Night – Greenock Celtic 3rd Annual Tommy Burns Supper.

     

     

    The President kindly and most graciously invites me as a guest to his table.

     

     

    My partner in crime , a work mate, unable to make it as he is in Dublin taking his da for a christmas present.

     

    So I go solo, driving to make it all fit in.

     

     

    I know most of the table from previous events, have worked with two of them, and offcourse know others from the games and 50 years of being inverclyde celtic supporters, you get to meet then all over time.

     

     

    The Gourock emerald at one table, the duffy family at another, a port sinnfien and tiffin veterans at another,

     

    Its all good.

     

     

    Jonathon and Emma Burns, wonderful people hosted alongside the Celtic Foundation.

     

     

    A 5 course dinner of the traditonal fare, very very good, but too much to eat it all.

     

     

    Being sober allows to take it all in more, savour the event, all the older faces having a laugh, my first manager who made me a manager in IBM, my best pal from that time, my best friends bhoy whos wedding we went to a few summers ago, wonderful guy a credit to his parents.

     

     

    It really does feel like extended family.

     

     

    And to the event – poetry and story telling, as Gerry McDade says, in a Burns tradition, but without all that Mazonic shite.

     

     

    Kevin Graham of Northern Prose, a poem for Tommy that was just spine tingling, and the 1985 cup final

     

     

    https://anorthernprose.wordpress.com/category/football/

     

     

    Mick McLennan with a wonderful rendition of Mack The Knife whihc was pitch perfect and had all those older than me singing along.

     

     

    Andy Ritchie – my goodness, and then some.

     

    Him and Thomas taken on at the sametime, the boot room chores , cleaning the lions boots, Thomas calling the boss Jock one day, sunday matches at crown point calton with Thomas and all the Collins brothers, transfer to morton, hal stewart collusion with Thomas to get Andy to Stobo castle (good enogh for murdoch then good enough for andy). Andy says quite literally and honestly, Thomas Burns came back for me often and practiced his faith in words and deeds.

     

     

    Getting him fit for Morton, bringing him back as a cheif scout, the finds along the way, George, Paulo, Pierre, Andy Thom, Big andy really impressed with his football intelligence,

     

     

    If ever a man deserved time to grow old it was Thomas Burns,

     

     

    Not a dry eye in the house by this time.

     

     

    Gerry to Andy, you must be the only one who calls him Thomas, aye well I knew him the longest, and he was always Thomas to me.

  5. St.Stivs

     

     

    Great👍 nowt like a meeting of tims hh

     

     

    Glad you had a good night

     

     

    Hail Hail

  6. And on to Archie McPherson

     

     

    Archie was born in 1937. He is 86 years old. He entered the hall to a standing ovation. Sprightly , fit, lean, not stooped , he came in like the school heidie he used to be. Well dressed.

     

     

    Now at my table, there are 4 morton supporters (more later) , they reminisc on Arthur Montford being the better commentator and broadcaster, local pride trumping that Archie knew Mr Stein as his confidant.

     

     

    Some grudgingly say Archie is a rangers supporter, he himself say not, when on stage, shettleston juniors (where his father played) was as far as alliegiences goes, and back then in scottish football better to have a boot in both camps, and indeed partick and clyde and thirds as they were all sources of stories and intrigue. and stein had his network of which archie felt he was just a moving part.

     

    He joked, it was easier to get into the masons than it was to get the trust of Jock.

     

     

    Archie tells the Tommy Burns story beautifully, the triumphs on the park, the early challenges of being in a celtic team in the biggest transition, the boss car crash, the transfer of Kenny, the injury to Danny, celbrating on the pitch at the 4-2 game without even being in the team, the centeneray double, the prophetic they are there and they are always there, the visit to the kid in maryhill to whom he dedicated the cup.

     

     

    First hand up for a visit to any other celtic supporter in need, and a big contribution at Kilmarnock, that should not be forgotten, taking rangers on in a cup semi final, which should have been his day but a contensious decision in their favour means they win 2-1.

     

     

    With one grudge held onto, he never forgave big jock for spain 82. Not for leaving him out, but for not having told him on his own, but annoucing it to the whole deressing room, your all going to spain except tommy burns and ray stewart.

     

     

    Archie tried to defend Jock, as not being able to deliver bad news face to face, he hated hurting them, but he did, Murdoch, Jinky, letting them down, but not being able to say it face to face, and that is why he did it that way.

     

     

    Tommy was having none if it, and siad he was hurt deeply, and given that jock signed him he thought he deserved better.

     

     

    Archie expanded on tommy as a boss, the move from kilmarnock, the call home that cant be turned down, the loyalty to those he loves, Billy Stark and Andy, later Gordon Strachan, and a story of the two redheads punching lumps out of each other in the tunnel one time.

     

     

    Archie himself

  7. SAINT STIVS

     

     

    Sounds like a great Celtic night.

     

     

    I used to attend the original Tommy Burns suppers which were held annually by the Heriot Watt & Edinburgh Universities CSC back in the early 90s.

     

     

    I was a member of the club. It ran a bus from the International Bar.

     

     

    Tommy himself was a regular guest at these events along with various celebrities over the years.

     

     

    Great events and wonderful memories.

  8. Archie himself quivering a bit, a little tremble of the the voice, a moments breath, he says Tommy said himself that Jinky was the greatest ever celtic player, but that Tommy himself, the Calton Bhoy with St Marys round the corner, and walking across the roads that the founding fathers came along to 67 east rose street, and sitting in the pews that Walfrid had been in, playing football at crown point in view of the floodlights, well that Bhoy was always going to play for Celtic, his faith, his family for you the support.

     

     

    Archie did this referring to his notes only twince in a 30 minute monologue.

     

     

    Hat doffed.

     

     

    Best night I have even had in the Celtic club.

  9. Its not just a couple of penalties.Carl usually has one howler per game.Usually.passing.Terrific,no nonsense defender,but has to have 100% concentration all the time.Not always the case.

  10. ST.STIVS.,..

     

    GREAT stuff Mate.

     

    My DA had an auld mate who lived in the next close to a young Tommy Burns in The CALTON ( Was it in SOHO STREET ?).

     

    I met my DAs auld mate several times, and he used to tell me about Tommy Burns STILL playing a wee game of Fitba in the back court, despite being a Celtic player.

     

    HH Mate.

  11. Sean McBride aka BOONDOCK SAINT on 13TH FEBRUARY 2023 2:12 PM

     

     

    Your story reminded of one about Davie Cattanach as you know a tough uncompromising player who spent the majority of his career with us, 9 years, in the reserves where he captained the side and was more than eager and willing to step up to the first team when required.

     

     

    Anyway one afternoon he almost decapitated a deidco player in the first half of a reserve fixture and at the half in the dressing room the Big Mhan had a go at him telling om tae calm down, just at oul Sean wandered in and said tae Davie “great tackle Cat”.

     

     

    Now Sean had been no shrinking violet and according tae my da and fil after watching the thug shearer playing at right back for them running across the park and humphin the injury prone but highly talented right winger John Higgins who eventually had tae prematurely retire, later on Sean enacted revenge when he put the same thug on the gravel touchline much tae the jubilation of the Tims there.

  12. Back to the Morton and Celtic connections wrt Andy Ritchie.

     

     

    At our table we got chewin the fat on players who had played with both clubs.

     

     

    I mentioned Bobby Collins famous goal at Ibrox and one of the assembled was there and saw it live, the wee barra blasting the ball on the goal line into the empty net, while laughing.

     

     

    There was comment about Bob and Benny Rooney, friendships in the 50s and 60s, and Celtic players going there at end of careers being a way for several. I cant recall but Clark and Collins , who else ?

     

     

    But another comment was about the sectarian nature of matches in the 20s, 30s, Harland Wolf coming to Greenock, the Cappielow riot, when Morton the new cup holders , in frotn of a record crowd, hosted celtic who win the league if they win. Fighting between known orangemen from the yards, and local Irish descendants from wee dublin, and port glasgow bay street gangs.

  13. Big Jimmy,

     

     

    aye SOHO street for Tommy, I went looking on a map, I kinda recall passing it on the shammy bus and an uncle saying thats Tommy Burns old hoose, but I dont think it is still there, the street i think is renamed, moght be wrong

  14. SAINT STIVS…

     

     

    Where was Soho street in Glasgow?

     

    Soho Street, which ran between Gallowgate and Crownpoint Road, has long vanished to redevelopment, but, apart from the farm, it also boasted its own stables, pubs, a swingpark, a bookshop, and its own fire station, the East Fire Station, which has long been demolished.

     

    HH Mate.

  15. Is Canamalar still banned? I saw Tom back on and Ernie not, which chimes with the cards given out but I thought Canamalar was a 24hr like Tom

  16. Some really good posts here today, nothing like a bit of reminiscing.

     

    Getting back to the Starfelt penalty I would hope that our defenders become more aware in their own box. That’s quite a few penalties over the past few seasons where opposing players nick the ball if our defenders hesitate even a split second and then throw themselves to the ground. Of course Scottish Referees are never slow in giving a penalty against us when they get half a chance.

  17. Saint Stivs

     

     

     

    ” I cant recall but Clark and Collins , who else ?” Stevie Chalmers went there.

     

     

    After a roundabout route my schoolmate Frank Welsh (who was thought a better prospect than Roddie McDonald) went there too

     

     

    *Frank Brogan who was at one time, well according to my maths teacher a member of the Vale of Leven CSC, rated a better prospect than the wee mhan and he could play both wings, I have always said if he had his wee brother’s determination we would have won more Big Cups.

  18. lets all do the huddle on

    can everyone get their moans about the kick off time out of the way just now?

     

     

    its not going to be 3pm on the saturday!

  19. Probably the toughest draw we could have got but there will be no complacency and I’m confident we will beat them.

  20. Hot Smoked on 13th February 2023 5:46 pm

     

     

    Hearts at Tynecastle….what a surprise.

     

     

    ………………………………………………………………..

     

     

    Bring it on.

  21. Prestonpans bhoys on

    And will Neilson do the same to us as he did to the huns and play a new formation . Even their own fans are questioning his tactics.

  22. The cup final and tynecastle will see some particularly curious decisions go against us,of that I’m sure. Stop the treble will be the cry.

     

     

    Onwards, Celtic, into battle.

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