How many times have we been here? Miles ahead in the league, League Cup in the bag – or as often, only a minnow to take care off in the final, when some bright spark realises we’re only a handful of wins away from an elusive treble.
Celtic have had more than three great teams in the last 70 years, but anyone with a grasp of history will tell you that trebles are hard to get, particularly for a Celtic team who occasionally have to play teams at Hampden where outfield players are granted goalkeeper rights.
The ’67 team won the League Cup and Scottish Cup before anyone knew where that season would end. Rangers were still very much in the hunt for the league, while only the hearts of Celtic fans believed they would win the European Cup.
By 1969 the league title had become the formality it is now, as had the League Cup – Jock Stein won his first five League Cups as Celtic manager. A Scottish Cup final against Rangers was all that stood in the way of Celtic’s second treble. Big Billy, George Connelly and our own John Fallon with a man of the match performance destroyed our old, old-enemy 4-0.
Only a fool or a liar would tell you Martin O’Neill would overcome a +20 deficit in the league and take both cups in his first season in charge of a rag-tag looking Celtic in season 2000- 2001. It wasn’t so much winning the treble that made this special, or, indeed, the football we played, but the incredible leap forward we made between Martin’s appointment in May and that Glorious Six in late August.
Everyone was stunned, including Celtic fans, although not as much as some others. In a unguarded moment that season, one Rangers fan said to me, “I don’t think I can take any more of this”. All the old certainties came crashing down. A domination, which for the financially blind looked like it would continue for decades, was over.
Martin had the Midas Touch, for a while, anyway, and the treble was secured, but although his team continued to improve for a few seasons, that would be our last full house.
Brendan and the players are new to this. With faith in each other they may well be prone to getting ahead of themselves. There is a lot of work to do to win the Scottish Cup. Should we get past Queen of the South or the Rovers, the trip to Pittodrie will be difficult. And if we cope there, Tynecastle will be equally hostile in the quarter final.
So spare me talk of trebles until May.
Every pantomime needs a baddie and this year’s is Ally McCoist, who, against all precedent, finds his secret ballot activities for a resolution at Newco’s AGM public knowledge. It’s astonishing that we know how McCoist did or didn’t vote. In any other country, ‘news’ like this it would be a story in itself. It’s something private that we just shouldn’t know.
But when the clarion call goes up in Scotland, “”Who are these people” who failed to support us?”, the answer surely follows. Whatever reservations McCoist has about the current regime are his business until he says differently. Behind the headlines, there is little analysis about why he would jeopradise his reputation in order to inhibit King.
There’s the story.
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TurkeyBhoy –
We get this rubbish every time Sevco are involved in one of the cup draws. Earlier this season, a plethora of CQNers were predicting that Rangers would be drawn at home to Alloa in the LC quarter-final. Not one of them were the least bit embarrassed when Alloa were drawn away to another Glasgow club.
As for the latest debacle, it takes breathtaking incompetence to organise a fix to ensure Sevco are drawn at home, and still pair them with a Premiership club.
I blame the third law of thermodynamics.
Auld Tam –
If someone wanted to rig a draw where there are 32 balls involved and live TV coverage then there’s only so much that could be done. 1 very hot, 1 very cold is just about as much that could be surruptitiously organised. “Get the cold one away and the hot one at home” wouldn’t be that difficult. BUt what WOULD be difficult would be to also fix their respective opponents.
As the sequence of ‘us away, them at home’ goes on, it does start to look highly improbable that it’s simply the luck of the draw.
What I’m more worried about is the criteria for us getting a ticket for the semi or final – if there are no home ties before then do those on the home ticket scheme (and I’m not one of them) still get preferential treatment??
AULD TAM
As for the latest debacle, it takes breathtaking incompetence to organise a fix to ensure Sevco are drawn at home, and still pair them with a Premiership club.
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Now where in the world could we find such a football organisation ?
http://img.youtube.com/vi/EcLdl4Nmwzg/0.jpg
If it’s Albion Rovers it might be moved to Airdrie as their capacity is less than 2000. Queen of the South have a capacity of just under 9000.
Jobo –
So if the fix is us away, them at home, that would require not 1 but 2 hot balls. How do they know which is us and which is them?
In any case, statistically speaking, there is really nothing dramatically unusual about the sequence of Sevco home draws. It’s only when a random event occurs a very large number of times that there has to be an equal split between the various possible permutations. Scottish Football hasn’t existed nearly long enough for that hypothesis.
Auld Tam –
30 ‘normal’ room temperature balls. 1 out the freezer and 1 out the microwave. Simples ;-)
HT- West End- Wonderful sporting gestures towards the Brazillian club.
Mike- very happy birthday sir, enjoy.
Auld Tam- aye we’ve never been cheated in this country….pffft..
I bet you didn’t have a problem with the computer drawn season fixtures either :-)
I was brought up to question everything as if you accept everything at face value, you will be ‘duped’, much like that Murray chap!
Hh
So what is the answer when its Celtic connected people making the draw?.I think the last 3 such people have pulled them out first.
If any possible scenario for fixing a cup draw requires 2 hot balls, surely it would be very simple to have one of those hot balls in this case say as representing Sevco, ” a slightly different shape, not quite round” ?
Perhaps a different ” material ” to all other balls ?
Perhaps the number on the ball ” slightly protuding on the surface ?
Perhaps a ” centre seam” not visible on a TV screen ?
I realise that whatever suggestions are made that draws are ” rigged” to suit the Hun maybe appear far fetched ?
However, given past and present events from oldco/Sevco and the SFA lead me to seriously doubt that these people have an ounce of integrity on any plain, therefore whilst I may be angered by their old and new skullduggery ( cheating), nothing would surprise whatsoever !
HH
Turkeybhoy, ok so 3 out of the last 22 drawn by Celtic ‘connected’ men.
That leaves 18 place-men by your rationale! :-)
ARTOF WAR,
How did the big wedding go, were you sober enough the next day to watch the Celts great victory?
HH
MIT – Happy birthday big fella; remember to pick a night so we can go and have some good scoff, salads and stuff like that (in case KT is looking in).
For those yet to meet Mike he’s a smashing big fella, especially for a lawyer:)
slainte
tony
Big Jimmy, it was smashing thanks for asking.
Got home very late and slept thru to an hour before ko. Quick shower and straight to nearest pub….Esquire and watched game there with family.
Crackin weekend, had Monday off fir a lie-in……that was until a builder arrived to start work on house at 8.15 am groaànnnnn!!
3 of the
Last 22 at home for sevco and I’m informed that we haven’t done so well
But does any “statto” out there know how many the rest have had is there any club comparably as lucky as the hun
Talk of McCarthy coming on loan deal would rather have snodgrass only 6 months left on contract could pick him up on cheap
Wow where did my post ?
Alloa was toughest game we had
:-)
Feliz Cumpleanos Mike.
HH
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It was only a few short years ago some draws were made behind closed doors.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of present day draws, the placing of cheats with whistles takes place week in week out, the game is still run on behalf of one club, that mi amigos is a stone cold FACT.
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Sad, sad news about the plane crash in Colombia, may they RIP.
MILD MANNERED PEDRO DELGADO
Yeah, Hearts have had nearly as many as their Glasgow cousin’s. Does that help ?
B c w
How many from how many
Thanks in anticipation
Frankskerretcsc
Celtic 3- 19
Sheep 10- 12
Hearts 15 – 7
Ragers/Sevco 160 – 6
Then there’s the penalty count…………………
Good Evening.
I hear Warbo may have the chequebook taken away.
“What chequebook?” I hear you ask…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/11/29/confiscating-the-chequebook/
Pedro that’s in the SC.
CLUNKS
“Can someone get the data for 30-40 different FA’s and put together a comparison???? Is that even possible?”
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I nominate you mate, only 4 weeks to Christmas, so plenty of time
BCW
However as I seem unable to just cut and paste a post I might disqualify my ass!
CLUNKS
LOL :-)
CLUNKS on 29TH NOVEMBER 2016 7:35 PM
BCW
However as I seem unable to just cut and paste a post I might disqualify my ass!
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It`s happened to the best of us , mate .
:-)
Art of War, it’s good everything went well for you and your family at the weekend only for the builders to interfere with your recuperation day on Monday.
I’m sure being back at work improved your outlook.
You wouldn’t have got the chance today to see sleekit and ask him if he saw the game on Sunday.
Happy birthday mike, have a good one.. Ps…leave FF with a bang like I did a while ago ;))
Just home from an enjoyable day out and I read of the horrible events involving the Chapecoense team from Brasil.
Emotions will be raw in South America tonight.
Boy playing for Liverpool tonight, joined youth set up when he was 6
Happy Birthday MiT.
Definitely one of the good ghuys on CQN ( even though you cannot see just how important Scot Brown is to our team !).
JJ
Albion Rovers 1 up
Dallas- the buggers were a month late….grrrrr.
Sleekit is getting a hard time apparently…lots of complaints flying in.
Do you know that there is a hair gel….called…..’Sleek-it’? Saw it in Clydebank lol
Dallas.
I see young Lee scored for Sunderland at the weekend again.
He’s had some start to the season. Fingers crossed for him
Art of War.
Delighted all had an enjoyable day at the weekend.
A good weekend all round for you.
Hail Hail
Anyway,regarding the SC draw,I would bet my house that Warbs would have preferred some non league club away,than Motherwell at home.Well no world beaters,but as we know can be totally unpredictable somedays.Huns fluked a win against them last time.Good debate on Hun Media about Rossiter.Injured again.
Quite a few numbskulls pondering why this is.No,they really were.
One slightly less numb of the skull says”Thats why we got him so cheap from Liverpool,always injured”
“Get aff the blog ya Fenian bassa”
Art of War.
Apologies should read enjoyable day at the wedding. I’m trying to do this and talk to a six year old at the same time and obviously failing.