When the Champions League draw was made, I feared we would face Anderlecht at home on the final game after five defeats. This would not necessarily have been the end of our interest in European football, but it would have damaged the momentum in the club in recent months.
You will remember, ahead of match day five, we discussed that the Anderlecht-Bayern Munich game was probably more important to our season than the PSG-Celtic game. As it transpired, Bayern’s second half winner made all the difference to the second half of our season.
News last night that Celtic are the only group stage qualifier from the Champions Pot to still be in European competition offer some comfort; outcomes could have been a lot worse.
While European football is the custard in our doughnut, all I hear from is Celtic fans who are grateful it is over for a couple of months. We have an unbeaten record to further and two games a week until the January break.
It can be pretty horrible, a huge club stuck in a minor league without competition, but it offers us respite, an opportunity to recharge, experiment and return afresh.
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I’ve missed the second part of the documentary , the Blitz , but the first episode , centred on East London , was ,like tonight’s well worth a watch . The second one was based on Hull. All will be available on the BBC IPlayer . Excellent series
ANGELGABRIEL
My nephew’s in Hull,moved down about six months ago.
His girlfriend isn’t,and that might be clouding his judgement. But he hates the place.
I was there about three times,short stays in the early 90s. I didn’t think it was that bad,quite liked it tbh.
Middlesbrough,now there’s a place that even I struggled to appreciate. Being attacked by armed police-about four carloads and two vans-probably didn’t help though.
Memo to self-don’t back your lorry up against an unmarked Brinks-mats depot of an evening and eff off to the pub for a few hours.
Lurkin
11/11 I meant was Remembrance Day.
9/11 and Freedom Tower? 9/11 planes were flown by the world’s biggest state sponsors of terror. Saudi Arabia. So the west invaded oil rich Iraq as a consequence.
Cynical, moi?
HH jamesgang
DD
Ha, my oul Grandad was born in Ballymote but raised in Ramelton.
After the war my old man did his (completely unnecessary because he was Irish) National Service in the RAF where he was placed in charge of signals during his stay at RAF Cirencester and other billets.
When asked, he would always declare that he was a citizen from the village of Dalmuir West, Clydebank.
BMCUWP
I agree totally. Celtic is a socio/political football club and there is absolutely nothing anyone can say which will persuade me otherwise.
There have been some brilliant books written in the past few years about the early years of the cub, the people (some not so well known or commemorated) who fought for and influenced those early years, and the politics of the time which greatly influenced the decision to start a club in the first place and ten take it forward.
I was discussing this today with my 85 year old mother and how we live in changed times. Times which sees many Celtic fans lifting the pen and openly writing about Glaswegians and others who were prominent and outspoken proponents of The Irish Land League, The Home Rule movement, and various other associations and societies all of which sought political and cultural reform in Ireland and in Scotland.
Much of the information on the bookshelves would never have seen the light of day in passed decades.
Celtic Football Club was born out of, surrounded by, was fed from, and was the motivation for, social change, and a means of ensuring the survival of the poorest who could not, and were not, being fed in the East End of Glasgow.
Celtic will always be a mixture of conscience, politics, faith, justice, social inclusion, and fun mixed with a desire for enetertaining football.
With that I am away to the bed. To sleep perchance to dream.
HH
BRTH
DD
Shipyards and factories up and down the Clyde – dispensable hordes of humanity, or family as we called them.
They, nor the greedy subhumans who profited from their pain, will ever be forgotten in my house.
THELURKINTIM
Bad memories of Braga, I take CSKA or Viktoria please Bob:))
Night all..
BRTH
My grandad came fae Sligo to lose his eyes at 30 for the British crown. Blindness never stopped him. He had sons to take him to Paradise and commentate. He used to get annoyed when they and the crowd became quiet.
Jamesgang,
oops 9/11 my apologies…..my comment was on the attack on financial institutions….who’s raisin d’être….was to enslave us all with debt…..calling it freedom tower…..the result being an oil grab….. shocker
FTSFA
DuneCSC
H.H.
BRT&H
You know I’ve loved your Strandsky tales,and shared them widely. And even though you don’t do it for the kudos,I’ve personally congratulated you now and again.
But even you rarely have written better than this.
“Celtic Football Club was born out of, surrounded by, was fed from, and was the motivation for, social change, and a means of ensuring the survival of the poorest who could not, and were not, being fed in the East End of Glasgow.
Celtic will always be a mixture of conscience, politics, faith, justice, social inclusion, and fun mixed with a desire for enetertaining football.”
Aye. I wish I’d said that.
Interesting to read comments re the shipyards and factories in Clydebank.I just found out from a good friend of mine out here in OZ that he has cancer.The specialist has told him his work environment was the cause. His name is Frank McAleer.He was also a footballer in the 60s and played againt Celtic at Celtic Park.Wee Jinky nutmegged him a couple of times to his complete embarrassment .He laughs about it now,is a member of our wee club here in the Peninsula.Im sure you good Celtic People at home will wish Frank all the best.Have a nice Xmas everyone.God Bless and HAIL HAIL
BRTH,
sometimes yer a long-winded bassa…..but this is a simple truth…..
” Celtic Football Club was born out of, surrounded by, was fed from, and was the motivation for, social change, and a means of ensuring the survival of the poorest who could not, and were not, being fed in the East End of Glasgow.
Celtic will always be a mixture of conscience, politics, faith, justice, social inclusion, and fun mixed with a desire for entertaining football.”
Well said that mhan
H.H.
Almore – I watched Bus Ghlaschú earlier on TG4. It really was an excellent documentary featuring some excellent interviews with Packie Bonnar amongst others. Well worth a watch.
HH
BWCUWP,
A resonating truth….is ;-))
H.H.
DELANEYSDUNKY
That’s the question you ask yourself and your friends as you get older,and see other older friends struggling with hearing loss,a wheelchair,a back which struggles wi a decent bag of shopping.
Why would be the worst sense or capability to lose?
I’ve always thought blindness would be the worst. Lose my hearing,I can lipread. Worked in bars often enough to be quite good at tit,and no-one makes good music anymore-I can survive on my memories there.
Smell and taste-the amount I drink and smoke,plus my penchant for a powerful curry-those senses are on life support
Lose my powers of speech,I would probably have more friends!
No,that was for me the worst that your grandad lost. But hey he coped. He’s a big big man in my opinion,for that alone. My eyes have gone,my life hasn’t,it goes on.
Kudos,pal.
Hey guys
I know it’s late , and sorry to just butt in but I’ve just read this brilliant article on newsnow Celtic and thought it well worth sharing…..
http://twohundredpercent.net/celtic-party-champions-league/
BMCUW
I printed off Jim’s tale of the Clydebank Blitz 13 and 14 March 1941. My niece used his work in a project in Saint Eunan’s school Clydebank. Her teachers were impressed wit BRTH’s work.
PADDYMACOZ on 8TH DECEMBER 2017 12:25 AM
Interesting to read comments re the shipyards and factories in Clydebank.I just found out from a good friend of mine out here in OZ that he has cancer.The specialist has told him his work environment was the cause. His name is Frank McAleer.He was also a footballer in the 60s and played againt Celtic at Celtic Park.Wee Jinky nutmegged him a couple of times to his complete embarrassment .He laughs about it now,is a member of our wee club here in the Peninsula.Im sure you good Celtic People at home will wish Frank all the best.Have a nice Xmas everyone.God Bless and HAIL HAIL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frank has my very best wishes,P. I’ll be on the hotline tonight-I tend not to bother wi worldly men as a conduit-and ask for intercession.
Tell him that Wee Jimmy had long retired the one time I met him,and I got nutmegged wi a pint glass,so he has nothing to be ashamed of.
Just glad he didnae hit me with it!
BMCUW
You know 2 of my grandads daughters. He went on to father another 3 children after losing his eyes. As my granny Delaney said,” He lost his eyes but gained in his sense of touch.” ;)
BRTH, BMCUWP, DD et al; the talk about the working class struggle and the devastation of the Blitz this evening has been heartwarming.
This IS how it feels to be Celtic.
We are bound together by a humanity and an empathy for our fellow human beings who have suffered as we and our families have. We each can tell our tales of how poverty, disease, war and desolation have affected us and those we hold dear; we can also juxtapose that against the love, warmth, humour and charity that we also display. It’s part of our psyche and in our DNA.
That is why, as part of the Celtic Family, we will never walk alone. We truly are a cub like no other. That is why we were born as an institution.
My father (and my older brothers) engendered my love for Celtic by taking me to Celtic Park in the mid ’60’s and I’ve never been far away since.
For that (and many other reasons), I will always love them!
KTF
Bobbio
He writes it cos he’s the articulate one. That’s important.
We live it and love it. That’s even more important.
HH jamesgang
BMCUW
My grandad Delaney taught himself music by ear. He was good on the piano. Self taught and he was the entertainment at family gatherings. He loved his piano that Saint Vincent de Paul gifted him.
Is it true McInnes was told that succulent lamb had nothing to do with young dons and jabba having the wool pulled over his ewes?
ewes==eyes obv.
DELANEYSDUNKY
A wee pal of mine worked in The Oxford Mail,our sister newspaper,about the time that Jim posted that. I knew that Corrine’s Dad was a Clydebank lad-about the same age as my Dad,late 70’s-as I’d gone up to Witney a few times on a Saturday for an awayday from Swindon.
Hadn’t really talked about Clydebank,why would you? I certainly didnae want to talk about Kilwinning! We just traded well stuff. Corrine had been down here from an early age,she knew nor cared really much for Celtic,why should she.
We kinda hit it off,he just opened up. And not just about Celtic,not just about football. He explained to his daughter why he came down here,for instance. And that was an eye-opener for her.
I wasn’t sure if it was right for me to go to Witney after that. I liked old Pat,but I didn’t like much telling Corrine what he did.
And she’d only introduced me as a pal,a guy that he might like because of Celtic,a wee throwback to the past. No romantic involvement at all.
Anyway,I mailed the poppycock article to her. She read it herself,and printed it off for her Dad.
She gets it after that,we’ve been ok since then. And I really must gomup to Witney and have a wee hauf and hauf wi the oul’ fella.
It’s worth every penny for the stories he tells.
DELANEYSDUNKY1241
Well,there’s an LOL moment if ever there was one!!!!
PADDYMACOZ on 8TH DECEMBER 2017 12:25 AM
Interesting to read comments re the shipyards and factories in Clydebank.I just found out from a good friend of mine out here in OZ that he has cancer.The specialist has told him his work environment was the cause. His name is Frank McAleer.He was also a footballer in the 60s and played againt Celtic at Celtic Park.Wee Jinky nutmegged him a couple of times to his complete embarrassment .He laughs about it now,is a member of our wee club here in the Peninsula.Im sure you good Celtic People at home will wish Frank all the best.Have a nice Xmas everyone.God Bless and HAIL HAIL
————————————————-
PADDYMACOZ
Can you email me please re this post?
Hopefully the email address will give you a clue…..
SJMCA1970@outlook.com
Celtarella,
That’s the nicest thing you’ve sed….are u a pod people ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
BILLY BHOY on 8TH DECEMBER 2017 12:31 AM
Hey guys
I know it’s late , and sorry to just butt in but I’ve just read this brilliant article on newsnow Celtic and thought it well worth sharing…..
http://twohundredpercent.net/celtic-party-champions-league/
———
V v glad I read it.
100% spot on
HH jamesgang
BMCUW
Aye it is not a story I expected to hear fae my devout Catholic granny. Her true story was truth though. :)
JAMESGANG
Always a pleasure to have you back on here,mate. You should have tipped us all off in advance,we could have mailed our female friends and relatives.
How’s trix,old bean? Haven’t seen you since July 2016,so obviously I’m hoping that’s the reason why!!!!
2 shite statements in quick order, Jim Traynor and Jimtim.
I got the huns statement a couple of hours ago, i seriously thought it was a mock up…
BB
Mmmmmmm. You may be on to something.
My paranoid radar felt it too.
BWCUWP,
Whit’s a POD watch?….whit’s it counting….solar power would stop a battery replacement…..
Jeebus….are u a Jamesgang sycophant….or pimpin
JAMESGANG on 8TH DECEMBER 2017 12:45 AM
Bobbio
He writes it cos he’s the articulate one. That’s important.
We live it and love it. That’s even more important.
HH jamesgang
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s a lawyer,he’s trying to figure out who to charge it to.
But…
He puts it very well,Miguel. Jim might be wordy,he is. But rarely wasted. He knows where the dagger is. And that’s rarely wasted either.
Btw,Julius Caesar. How far into the play was that before he got killed? Wordsmiths know their stuff.
All good bobbio.
Was very sorry I couldn’t make the Hoot but I had the wee mhan.
Your Cupid antics from last summer did the trick inasmuch as in 3 weeks today we get married!!!
So I’d better get some much needed beauty sleep.
HH big stuff. Luv ya
THELURKINTIM
I’ll give you a call in a few minutes. Need to roll a smoke. I’ll explain that.
Land line ;-))