My friends in Celtic, this is not a happy read. Not since Tony Mowbray was in charge 11 years ago have we been under pressure like this at the end of the year; second favourites for the title by a significant margin.
A 12 game period saw us eliminated from the Europa League at the group stage with only one win and one draw to our credit, our first defeat in the League Cup in almost five years and a number of grim performances in the league that sees us 16 points adrift with three games in hand.
Unaccustomed as we are to defeat, the shock drew protests against the manager and board and worse for players leaving Celtic Park after the Ross County defeat. Neil Lennon looked beleaguered as the board came under pressure to sack him but that campaign was itself undermined by an unexpected win against Lille, helped in no small way by the arrival of David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro in the starting line-up.
Crisis on the park added to pressures off it as the club had to cope without fans at Celtic Park since March. Whatever sporting advantage was lost due to this is nothing to the commercial consequences, that will see the club plunge into debt. Chasing their own Holy Grail, Celtic declined to sell their most saleable assets and pressed ahead with purchases in the summer. It was a gambler’s play we have not often seen from Celtic.
Champions League income was a potential salvation that Ferencvaros extinguished in a pitiful manner. Early season league form gave an indication of what was to come, then the music stopped with the visit of Newco. Celtic did not record an attempt on target and were relieved of the points by a superior opponent.
2020 was the year Celtic won 9-in-a-row for the second time. They started the year smarting from a home defeat to Newco but form after the break was imperious, while Newco did not have the legs for the race, or as their manager put it, did not have the “bottle”. The Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen was held over until November, the final, 11 days ago against Hearts, will live long in the memory.
It was a classic Celtic performance this season. Two goals ahead at halftime, Hearts bossed the second period and took the game to extra time. Again we took the lead, again Hearts levelled, but as Tommy Burns once said, “there is something about this club”. The Scottish Cup was won for the fourth consecutive time, a new record, also securing the fourth consecutive treble and Celtic’s seventh overall. We celebrated history in our homes.
That defeat to Ross County means another club will lift a trophy in 2021, the first apart from Celtic since 2016. More importantly, the record we have tracked for nine years is in trouble. Celtic’s form has improved significantly since that win over Lille, we are now back to playing the way we were early this year, but the gap at the top of the table is significant and we are up against an opponent that has lost only one game in all competitions this season.
You and I have seen Celtic come back from more difficult positions than this against original Rangers in 2007-8 and form at the corresponding stage of season 1978-9 gave no indication of how that title would be decided. But having read the story of each of our 51 league title wins, I don’t think any would match a league win in 2021 – and I include 1998 and 1966.
We are only here because we know there is something special about this club, so ‘hope in our hearts’ is not easy to extinguish, but we will find out more about our chances on Saturday.
I hope you each have a safe New Year and a healthy 2021. Take care, Paul67.
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mcclure.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1344740691830833154
Gallagher- all the best HH
Scullybhoy,
Nah but 16 Roads Ma&Da have a wonderful house we would go for weekend boozing sessions.
Just don’t expect to play Pool when the Horse Racing is on in the pub. Horse Racing is bigger than Anything.
Awesome place. So very Green in colour.
och man,
up on the embankment as a short cut ,
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqjNAKwXAAMteac?format=jpg&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqjNAeiW8AAfpro?format=jpg&name=medium
GM,
Spot on fella. Tomorrow is for discipline and ruthlessness. I anticipate goals and despite the warm glow of the last few weeks I fear this team has not got in it the ability to hold out against decent opposition, especially as we are now forced to accept the ill-fitting and probably lacking match-fitness Shane Duffy back into the fold.
Not a day for the bombing full backs, overly-hyped Broonie snarl or the shoot from anywhere Turnbull and Christie.
Know your plan A Neil, anticipate a change from them if going well for us and have a plan B, maximise your subs to the full (Scott on to close it out, Ajeti and Griff one half each, Mikey against their tiring legs, etc) and if leading late on, don’t bomb forward unnecessarily.
Lots of positives from us to worry their hairy hun arses – Goldson is terrified of Eddie, Turnbull and Soro will nullify Davis and a disciplined Laxalt and Frimpong will push back their essential full backs.
A win. Any win will do.
HH & a belated happy new year
Happy New Year CQN,
I don’t post very often but spend a lot/too much time reading and enjoying this magic site – the only Celtic site I frequent. Thank you to all who post.
All the best Paul67 and to all of CQN and to your families.
Gallagher, I hope your mum is ok 👍🏼
Incidentally, I loved 2020, it was one of my favourite years – I was furloughed for most of 2020 and spent most of it with my kids, keeping fit, and generally living a lovely relaxed life.
It was what I imagine a healthy retirement to be like – only 25 years to go…
Winning 9 in a row and the quadruple treble was the icing on the cake.
Hopefully 2021 can be as enjoyable and hopefully we win the league, starting by giving them a doing tomorrow.
I’d go with Gallagher’s team above and as I can see them scoring we have enough in that team going forward to out score them.
SAINT STIVS @ 1.54
In the top floor of the corner building facing the camera there was a hurtin’ hun that, every home game, had his windows open and the sash belting out as the Bhoys made their way up to London Road. Any time I was passing, instead of the fans hurling abuse at him, they mainly laughed and pointed and/or sung our songs even louder. His face was a picture. An ugly picture right enough.
Happy New Year to you, I hope you keep up your fascinating entertainment in 2021.
A happy, healthy and peaceful 2921 to our host Paul, all Celtic supporting posters and former posters who still lurk from time to time.
Let’s get that ten.
petec on 1st January 2021 1:51 pm
Scullybhoy,
Nah but 16 Roads Ma&Da have a wonderful house we would go for weekend boozing sessions.
Just don’t expect to play Pool when the Horse Racing is on in the pub. Horse Racing is bigger than Anything.
Awesome place. So very Green in colour.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lived there in my late teens – had some great mates. Yes, big betting culture in the Town.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 1ST JANUARY 2021 2:50 PM
A happy, healthy and peaceful 2921 to…..
—
Can you tell us a) if we won the 10 in 2021 and b) how you lived to over 900 years old?
:)
HH
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqk6oc4UUAAwbC8?format=jpg&name=4096×4096
Big Wavy :)
New year resolution: read the post before pressing the button.
If the 8 year old huns can claim to be approaching 150, surely it is ok for a guy in his 60s yo claim to be over 900 years old.
HH
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 1ST JANUARY 2021 3:20 PM
Ha ha. VG fella.
HH
GALLAGHER
Wee prayer said for yer Mammy!
Hope she gets well soon!
Take care.
Happy New Year everyone HH 🍀
Happy New Year to all.
In the not to distant past, this was Derby Day, they started early kick-offs to avoid folk getting drunk. In those days you could drink on the bus so arrived half pished anyway😂😂😱
GORDON64 on 1ST JANUARY 2021 3:41 PM
Happy New Year everyone HH 🍀
——————–
Was that you setting off they fekn fireworks at the back of 3 this morn ? :O(
Team for tomorrow –
Barkas (Because he’ll be selected)
Ajer
Duffy
Welsh
Laxalt
McGregor
Soro
Turnbull
Henderson
Griffiths
OE
Welsh offers more pace than Bitton and at 6′ 3″ he’s no shrinking violet and Henderson is mobile with some dig and good dead ball delivery.
Both players are also young and hungry.
The mankies would not be expecting these changes.
Bitton and Christie’s days are over. If these two are selected the manager is still not learning and we could be in trouble. We need every
The huns are overrated but have pace going forward and have some height at set pieces.
Shane to marshall the defence and score the opener.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need every jersey filled!
D66- Welsh will be lucky to get a seat on the bench IMO, very little experience, and NL rarely goes with youngsters. HH
I also don’t think the youngsters will be overawed as there will be no home crowd to intimidate them.
Hell , it’ll be like a kick about in the park.
Do it Celtic!!!!
That’s one of Lennon’s failings.
We are in the position we are in because he has trusted the old non performing brigade.
He needs to grow a pair.
IMO
The respective photos of Welsh and Ntcham after the last match were telling.
I’d have you on team picking duties Phil. Sadly I fear NFL will not! 😉
HH jg
JAMESGANG
Cheers Buddy!
Hope the new year for you, your, family and your charity are awesome!
Take care.
🥰
I’m away tae peel the totties.
Conversation
Scotland Epistles Football Magazine
@davstu11
One for
@Stephen4_2
from the Football Champions book of 1970.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqg_maNW4AobJBx?format=jpg&name=large
MELBOURNE MICK on 1ST JANUARY 2021 11:48 AM
Cheers pal. means a lot.
NEIL LENNON & MCCARTNEY on 31ST DECEMBER 2020 8:58 AM
TURKEYBHOY on 30TH DECEMBER 2020 9:45 PM
“Wee Jeremy still frustrates the hell out of me. If he had the nous to finish off all his brilliant turbo charged, build up play, he would be right up there. Instead he has me screaming at him, far too often.”
My dear old dad used to the say exactly that about Jinky!
*the wee mhan was initially pretty much an enigma as he was seen for a while as a poor man’s wullie henderson.
I used tae deliver the Evening times and page 3 had a Junior section and Jimmy while at Blantyre was seen as possibly the new wullie, we were all dying for him tae be called up.
However, this was a misfiring Celtic and unfortunately he fell intae that malaise as well as having a short fuse.
Season 64/65 started off with a lot of promise although we tied our home opener LC tie with the harry wraggs in what was a very poor fare for both sets of fans, however with the other 2 sides in the section, calvinists and templars also drawing there was nothing lost, nor nothing gained either.
We did somehow take off with comfortable wins at swinecastle and Firhill in the LC and Fir Park in the League opener with high scoring wins at home against the templars and calvinist, the latter ensuring we had won our section being 3 points ahead of kilmasonic with 18 goals for and 2 conceded, we were in scintillating form, the wee mhan especially tormenting the opposing defenses.
So on the Wednesday night we headed down tae the land that time forgot, for a final LC sectional game, a dead rubber at the aptly named rugby park.
This is a game often spoke about where with nothing at stake both Chopper and big Billy were rushed tae hospital by taxi within 5 minutes of the 2nd half this was just after the home side converted fae the penalty spot.
We were down tae 9 men now with the President at centre half , the Bear and Jinky running amok only brave goal keeping by Plean born national team goalie campbell forsyth stopped us fae not only equalising but actually going ahead. As it was a last minute goal against the run of play gave a score line that flattered the home side.
Questions were asked the following day by the smsm why with nothing at stake and 2 teams capable of playing the game the way it should, the templars, who would finish the season as champions and also come back fae 4 goals down in the 2nd leg of the Fairs Cup around a month later tae win 5-4on agg against the then mighty Eintracht Frankfurt, would resort tae thuggish fitba
IMHO the answer lies not with their manager waddell who was over in the Fatherland scouting Eintracht but trainer mccrae who was in charge that night, the same hun who when with the national side asked the wee mhan tae run the line at a training session down at Largs.
So we entered our next game on the 33rd anniversary of John Thomson last game for us, only my 3rd game against them, one draw on ironically the first hades disaster, and one loss at the same venue in Paddy Crerand’s last game in the hoops and now this one.
Our team was decimated, it was said at the time our dressing room was like “Emergency Ward 10” an ITV hospital series at the time.
With Billy and Bobby out as well as Luggy who had played at rugby park but was still carrying an injury so big Cush and Brogie were drafted in.
It was a dreich day, bucketing down through the night and also the rest of the day, as we all said en-route tae the game, perfect weather for the Bear.
I’ve told this story countless times but we were magnificent that day, 3-1 going on 6 or 7, we had a Charlie Gallagher penalty hit the inside of the post and an excellent Yogi goal where he rampaged down the left wing before planting it home only for it to be called back for a foul tae us.
Brogie, Cush and the President snuffed out the threat of mclean, forrest, who had been a thorn in big Billy’s side up till then and brand, while John Divers totally outplayed the Hill O’Beaths 2nd best player who was the hun stand in captain that afternoon.
Make no mistake this was a very good hun side that had been treble winners the season before, in fact this was seen as our finest day playing them since October 19, 1957.
We went on a wee run stringing together a few good results that culminated in the wee mhan making his international debut on the midweek before the LC Final against them when I can truly say honest mistakes were once more to the fore.
Ironically that would be their only trophy of the season. We however went on a downward slide losing 4 out of the next 9 games; we were now 5th in the table 8 points behind the joint leaders from swinecastle and rugby park and a point ahead of deidco who had a game in hand.
So it was at hunden on New Year’s Day against a hun side missing baxter, brand and henderson while we were practically at full strength with only Stevie out with a broken ankle and Charlie G being preferred tae the Buzz Bomb.
As it was in a poor game, Billy’s nemesis forrest again scored the winner, we again failed tae capitalise on a poor hun side with the wee mhan getting sent off just on the stroke of half time for lunging at Icelander tottie beck, allegedly in retaliation, who they had surprisingly signed earlier in the season.
I say surprisingly as rumour had it he was on a huge wedge at Love Street and in an effort tae get him off the wage bill a deal was arranged whereby lawrence housing would get zoning by law restrictions removed by the Renfrewshire Council if the owner’s club would take him off the Buddies hands.
He only played 14 games scoring 2 goals for them and this was his only appearance against us, he was gone a year or so later, in other words he was a breest.
Booby Murdoch also skied a penalty with about 5 minutes left yet even with 10 men we were still better than them but as usual came up empty handed.
They truly were a poor side and finished the season in 5th place 14 points (2 for a win) behind the eventual champions and runners up and 13 behind the side we would beat in the SC Final.
Although we were 3 places and a further 7 points behind them the main change in management had been made and we won the SC.
Unfortunately for the wee mhan he was seen as persona no grata by his holiness Bob especially after receiving a 2 week suspension so was destined tae leave.
It looked as if he was going down the same route as Jim Sharkey, Pat Crerand and Bertie Auld in failing to adhere to Bob’s Corinthian policy.
Ironically the latter would be re-signed and while the wee mhan played in his debut and the following game, a loss and a tie, he was dropped for the next one being replaced by Stevie who had recovered from an ankle break and had played on the right wing earlier in his career, he was actually selected for a WC playoff as a back up in that position.
This was the famous sanny game in which the Bear had a nap hand with wee ten thirty, Chopper and the Buzz Bomb finishing off the scoring against the sheep, it was also our first win of the year having played 6 games and it still was only January. What we didnae know is that the next day the Latter Day Christ would agree tae return.
Jimmy even at that young age was an icon with the support, he was part of the “Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes” side, yet he only appeared in a handful of games after his 14 day, not games back then, suspension including some horrendous defeats as Stevie cemented his place on the right wing including Billy’s Bumper Final.
The arrival of the Big Mhan couldnae stop the rumours he was for the off along with the Bear and the Buzz Bomb, Jock curtailed the latter two’s leaving but it seems Jimmy’s Celtic career was over.
After Spurs put a bid in he had a heart tae heart with Jock and tae paraphrase James Edward “Jimmy Johnstone of Celtic sounds better than Jimmy Johnstone of Tottenham”.
As the say the rest is history and we were the beneficiaries, “Jimmy Jimmy “Johnstone on the wing” sounds better than “Stevie Stevie Chalmers”.
This evening will be a festival of programme reading, a mixture of my own and my dads. Starting with Wednesday 18th October 1967 World championship against Racing😄
The away game is via; Paris>Madrid>Dakar>Rio de Janeiro only takes 20 hours😱 oh and flight tickets were still available from McGinley of Holiday Enterprises😂😂😂
Happy Hoopy New Year to one and all. Let’s hope that 2021 proves a better year all round, starting with a result in our favour tomorrow.
HH
A search for McGinleys Holiday Enterprises broguth this gem up.
Memories on every page.
“we shall all be moved”
https://celticmatchday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SEPTEMBER-2-1972.pdf
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWcBZbfWsAMGjbH.jpg
Paul 67 et al,
A Happy New year to all associated with CQN.
Cheers and HH to all.
Gallagher
Hope your Mum has a full and speedy recovery.
HH
Stivs………and Tontine………….
great readin’ as ever……….
Thanks
HNY
HH.