Sublime Celtic could break records, our DNA, spend to catch St Johnstone

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Auldheid did an article for us over the summer contesting the notion that this season’s Premiership race would be more closely contested than recent seasons’. Seven weeks in it looks prescient. It’s not only that we’re four points clear with a game in hand, it’s the manner of most of our victories which is the most telling.

We’ve scored six, five and four twice in six league games, rendering the lack of a league clean sheet an irrelevant detail. On that subject, having watched Coulibaly’s goal for Kilmarnock over again I don’t think there’s much blame to attach anywhere. As Brendan Rodgers said after the game, Dorus de Vries was as far of his line as he should have been when play was >40 yards from goal. It was a Black Swan strike.

It’s difficult to say if we’ve missed Leigh Griffiths or not. We passed up a barrel load of chances at Inverness, which he may have been able to do something about, but the squad is so strong at the moment it’s impossible to say if Leigh would have been able to augment what we got from Moussa. Great to have both fit and ready, though.

Some of the football on show on Saturday was sublime. The passing speed and accuracy gave us time and space to open up Kilmarnock. It will be a different task no Wednesday but we have to challenge ourselves at this level.

I watched the Aberdeen-Newco game yesterday. For all Aberdeen took the points this game supplied more evidence that they are well short of the form which saw them as genuine contenders for most of last season. A catalogue of unforced errors saw them concede possession and momentum throughout the game.

They will still probably win Best of the Rest title, thought, as Hearts don’t seem to be able to put a run of performances together, Motherwell are far from the team who finished second three years ago, and Newco don’t seem to be able to score or defend to any acceptable standard.  Loved Souness suggesting they need to spend more money – a team already spending more than they earn!  And to what end, catching St Johnstone?  Ponder the facts behind your EBT, Graeme, then you might reassess what spending money chasing a football dream leads to.

As Auldheid suggested, these teams will take points off each other more than off Celtic. Records could be broken this season.

It’s in our DNA

74 Celtic fans have signed up to Sleep Out at Celtic Park on 12 November. Sleeping out in Glasgow in November is a non-trivial matter, but it’s being done to raise money to tackle the “torment of homelessness” for the winter ahead. Respect to all involved.

I’m not sleeping out but on Sunday I’m running the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon through Glasgow for the Foundation. The prospect feels non-trivial at the moment (though less onerous than sleeping out in November). Dozens of Celtic fans are also running for the Foundation.

The engagement right across the support to put something back in the tradition that started with Brother Walfrid in November 1887 is remarkable. We get it.

Not all of us can sleep out, or pound the streets for months in preparation, but if you can support any of these efforts please so. My MyDonate page is here.  Thank you.

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476 Comments

  1. Magnificentseven on

    THE EXILED TIM on 26th September 2016 9:12 pm

     

    M7

     

     

     

    Do you honestly think he is a plant ?

     

     

     

    Serious question btw.

     

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Yes. Serious answer by the way, I tend to lurk and read these days, some people only appear to disrupt

  2. channelislandcelt on

    VP .

     

    Ol Carzo is lording it down on the med as we speak . He is doin alright for a ruglen rebel .

     

    HH

  3. channelislandcelt on

    The Lurking Tim .

     

    Aye Right u are ,,hope AV got my dates right as I fly back wed afternoon :(

     

    HH

  4. Mags

     

     

    Aye. ‘Discussions’ have taken much longer than we’d hoped and expected especially considering it’s us that need to get the required number of signatures. The sooner the better however mate.

  5. Hun hospitality from Sevco Media….

     

     

     

     

    ——

     

    The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium Welcomes City Fans on Wednesday

     

     

    The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium Welcomes City Fans on Wednesday

     

     

     

     

    We are delighted to be open from 11am on Wednesday to host the fans of Manchester City who are travelling up to Glasgow to watch their team.

     

     

     

     

    The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium is situated on 111 Copland Road, Ibrox, G51 2SL – Opposite Ibrox Subway Station with easy access to and from the city centre via the underground. For Coaches the nearby motorway provides a direct route to Celtic Park, normally a 14 minute Journey without traffic congestion (under 6 miles).

     

     

     

     

    We will have City themed Music, Videos and even a couple of former City players coming in to see the fans – Gordon Smith and Jim Melrose. We have been contacted by a number of supporters’ buses who will be coming in.

     

     

     

     

    We are a well-known Rangers Supporters Pub who used to catering for football supporters. A large pub, we have twelve 60” TV’s and will be showing the match in HD for those coming up who were unfortunate in not being able to obtain a ticket. We also have a large beer garden and smoking area that has covers. We are providing 600 free ham rolls and 300 free Scotch Pies for our guests.

     

     

     

     

    For those attending the game via supporters bus, we have liaised with police to provide supporters buses with a route to the match. For those looking to use public transport we recommend utilising the Underground Station opposite the pub and heading into Buchanan Street where you can get a Hackney Cab easily to the game for little cost (the journey should be about a tenner and you can fit 5 people in the taxi).

     

     

     

     

    We have also approached Rangers about providing extra tours to accommodate the City fans who wish to take a tour of The Magnificent Ibrox Stadium (well worth a visit). The Supporters Liaison Officer Jim Hannah can be contacted on 0141 580 8670 or at jhannah@rangers.co.uk to arrange a tour.

     

     

     

     

    We hope that you can give us a visit while you are up! But even if you can’t enjoy your trip and be assured The Rangers Support wish you nothing but success and hope that you get a better result than Barcelona got against them…

     

     

    If you questions, queries, or if there is any way we can help please get in contact:

     

     

     

     

    Email: info@thelouden.co.uk

     

     

    Twitter: @theloudentavern

     

     

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theloudentavern

     

     

     

     

    Thanks very much!

     

     

     

     

    The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium – More Than A Pub

     

     

    http://www.thelouden.co.uk

     

     

    111 Copland Road

     

     

    Ibrox

     

     

    G51 2SL

     

     

     

     

    ———–

     

     

     

     

    Can everyone share this with any City fans they know?

  6. M7

     

    I don’t, it has been known that I have been wrong before tho, not often mind you, I might need to give the hundar a service, naw, me thinks it’s doing Ok :-)

     

    HH

  7. M7

     

     

    Good to see you on. Hope you and yours are well.

     

    Just back fae our old stomping ground of Lincoln Ave.

     

    My mam was saying she remembered the high rise being built in 1964, and she is pleased to outlive 2 of the tower blocks she watched being built. :)

  8. The Red Telephone on

    St Stivs, re your post about a wheelchair platform, there’s a great facility in the Jock Stein below the the top tier. Great view, plenty toilets, snack bar and a wee TV lounge. I’m up there with my wheelchair bound mate, used to be down the front of the North Stand, many a soaking.

     

     

    Doesn’t accommodate all our wheelchair supporters and the lift is an issue but it’s pretty good.

  9. Magnificentseven on

    Delaneys Dunky on 26th September 2016 9:57 pm

     

    M7

     

     

     

     

     

    Good to see you on. Hope you and yours are well.

     

     

     

    Just back fae our old stomping ground of Lincoln Ave.

     

     

     

    My mam was saying she remembered the high rise being built in 1964, and she is pleased to outlive 2 of the tower blocks she watched being built. :)

     

     

    Hi DD, yes, I am not on much these days, we arrived in Knightswood as the flats were being built, now they are knocking them down. Our downstairs neighbours when we moved in left shortly after and moved into the flats, helped create a less polluted atmosphere in the Avenue:-) I was 4 and moved in on the back of an open top lorry, health and safety didn’t exist in those days:-)

  10. Floating

     

     

    I know one City fan. My mate Brendan fae Moss Side. Born in Sligo. He declines your invite.

     

    Are you the Louden owner?

  11. What is the Stars on

    I see Nicola Rizzoli mentioned as being the ref for wednesdays game against City.

     

     

    At least he will be clear on the offside rule

     

     

    You see he reffed the Ireland Scotland game in Dublin last year and afterwards myself and Mrs Witella De Ville ( as she is known to her close friends) met him and the other officials in an Italian restaurant in Dublin ( we happened to know the FAI guy who was looking after them)

     

    Anyway after a few drinks my good lady had to explain a few footballing facts to the bould Nicola ( who reffed the 2014 world cup final by the way) ,so any misunderstandings of the offside rule that he may have had are now cleared up.

     

    Nice guy by the way

  12. prestonpans bhoys on

    Floating,

     

     

    Love the bit about touring the magnificent stadium wonder if preferential treatment are given to roofers !

  13. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s , my granny and my dad’s only sister lived in one of the high rises on Lincoln Avenue, moving in there from Great Western Road, just after the flats were built.

     

     

    They lived in the second block in from the Archerhill Road side. I think this was one of the two demolished. That would explain why the first two blocks were not modernised like the other four overlooking Lincoln Avenue.

     

     

    I read on either e tims or celtic underground twitter last night, there is a bucket collection towards the cost of a statue in honour of the buzzbomb , in his home town of Saltcoats.

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    FLOATING on 26TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:54 PM

     

    Hun hospitality from Sevco Media….

     

    ==============================================

     

     

    It`s all gone full circle.

     

     

    As a student in the `60s , I used to be criticised for failing to support Rangers when they played in Europe.

     

     

    The apartheid argument hadn`t occurred to me at that stage.

  15. M7

     

     

    Hahaha, we moved from Partick to Knightswood in 1972. Our flitting was done on the back of my da’s pals coal lorry. Everything was black when we moved in. My mam never forgave him for organising the transport. Coupla halfs in the Smiddy. :)

  16. What is the Stars on

    TET

     

     

    Actually Irelands goal that day was offside,thats how the conversation started

     

     

    Oh and I told him he should always send off Scott Brown ( when he plays against Ireland i meant) so I hope Mr Rizzoli doesnt remember that

  17. CHANNELISLANDCELT on 26TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:53 PM

     

     

    Good on him,hope you and new Tim have a great time .hh

  18. i'vehadtochangemyname on

    ‘Looking forward to Rangers v Ross County. Great to see a club who’ve never been in the top flight before, playing Ross County.’

     

     

    Mr F Boyle on twitter

  19. Macjay

     

     

    Apologies but I went to bed last night. Were you claiming that you had issues with previous links? Interested because I’ve never heard of this, in the past or now.

  20. Floating- a load of Man City casuals were put back on the train they arrived on for the Derby Match a couple of weeks ago, mixed in with the vermin, they will cause bother on Wednesday.

  21. What is the Stars on

    Maggie

     

     

    Too deep for me,I am a simple working class guy,

     

     

    TET

     

     

    Dermot Gallagher the ex premiership ref was in the company that night,lovely guy,some good yarns,Loves Celtic ( actually a very devout catholic)

  22. Mags

     

    When David Silva arrived in england I said that imo he was the best player in england, and imo he still is today, the answer to your question is to take him out, I know that is not the way it should be, but as we are playing in scotland it should be fine, Oh wait, it’s no a scottish ref and we are no the huns…..back to the drawing board then.

     

    HH

  23. Anyone else thinking that contrary to reports

     

     

    after Linfield game that this Rangers team aren’t

     

     

    magnificent (7 – 0)

  24. Stars

     

    Met DG in Muldownies in Rathcoole, he came in with Ronny Whelan who is was a friend of the owners, who you were always gonna find out what happened at the Submarine if I recall :-)

     

    He was a really nice bloke IIRC.

     

    HH