Celtic’s valiant capitulation last night had a familiar feel to it. We took the game to Milan, bossed them in many areas while the tie was still close enough to be called a contest, created chances but had no cutting edge and lost heavily, at home, to what is clearly the weakest of four Milan teams we have faced in the last decade. It was a similar story when Juventus came to Glasgow last season.
Am I the only one who thought it was familiar from stirring European nights of the 80s? Take on one of the most experience teams in Europe with two out-and-out wingers, inspire for a time but only earn a lesson in how unforgiving the game can be at the top level. Or at least, hope we learned a lesson.
We loved it in the 80s, of course, but it was like going to school when Martin O’Neill arrived and taught us how to win in Europe. Despite the defeat, the 10 men got it right at home to Barca, and in the home win over Ajax, where we allowed the visitors the majority of possession and territory, but with four minutes on the clock and Celtic playing well last night, I noted the game was “worryingly open”.
In Europe, an open game means defeat. We don’t have the midfield or attack to win playing adventurously. When setup properly, we can defend as well as anyone in Europe, this is our irrefutable strength, play to it.
Paul McConville
The first thing I did when I met Paul McConville at the Columba Club on Friday was dig him up for not being in touch recently. This gave him an opportunity to wax enthusiastically about the consuming joy of being back on the tools as a solicitor in Glasgow. He was a man who had arrived exactly where he wanted to be in life.
He was so full of drive, clarity of vision and purpose that it was with utter disbelieve I heard the news of his sudden passing yesterday.
As anyone who read Random Thoughts Re Scots Law knew, he loved his family. He also loved practicing law and held Albion Rovers in high affection. He was not, as has been suggested, part of the Celtic family. Had the snake oil salesmen turned up at Celtic Park they would have endured the same forensic analysis from Paul as he applied elsewhere, but he was an important friend and resource to our community, and ultimately our club, during an historically important time.
To most of us he was a unique blogger. Cheerful, incisive and unrelenting. He charted the story of Rangers insolvency, administration and liquidation, then picked up the even more complicated events surrounding the phoenix.
When asked on Friday why he had been less industrious recently, specifically covering the leaks from Charlotte Fakes, he conceded he just didn’t have the time anymore; he was back litigating and loving it.
The personal cost of his blogging was often all too clear, he was out there, but Paul managed to retain his determination not to be browbeaten, while enduring the numptites with more good grace and humour than most of us could muster. Before taking up his new role in Glasgow he worked a few minutes walk from me. We collaborated on a number of matters in recent years and marked one auspicious afternoon last year by sharing a bottle of Champagne; a genuinely treasured memory.
The fragility of it all is breathtaking. Our condolences to the McConville family. May he rest in peace.
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Looks like the Queen Brigade are in their 16th Minute of Fame..
The Honest Mistake loves being first
Yes, that is possibly how they would argue it.
I guess it is about perspective and opinions. I find their apology to the fans in their statement quite telling, “we understand and sympathise fully with fans who may disagree with the timing of last night’s display”. They appreciate fellow fans are not happy about it but their agenda is of greater importance, I personally find that disrespectful.
kitalba
10:18 on 28 November, 2013,
I read most posts on here when I can find the time.
Your son to father posts showed your feelings for our club.
Like yourself in a post to auldhied yesterday which was the last post before a new article, my feelings on Celtic’s attitude in buying players had let the fans down badly.
Rolling the dice should not be the celtic way.
>>>>>>>>>>
auldhied
10:19 on 27 November, 2013
Maybe the problem is… Why buy so many mice in the first place?
Ye, we have landed a couple and made good coin off them, but there is only so many Mr Bogangles out there.
Thegreenmilecfc.
That was in reference to making coachmen out of mice.
No more wasting money, there is proven players in the market, yes we will pay big wages but no transfer fee…it equates and fill seats…the downward spiral has to stop or the rats won’t be far behind us on their inevitable return…thanks to a corrupt sfa.
NatKnow:
Correct.
So, what is wrong with having paid professionals fighting your corner, others do.
One of the saddest things to happen to football was the Sky EPPL deal. It poisoned minds, it paid 200k per week salaries to mediocre fitba players, while lifesaving doctors couldn’t earn that in a year. It cemented the haves and the have nots. It consigned teams that represented communities to the dustbin and replaced them with a few giants with corporate boxes.
Another thing is the UEFA seeding system that cements the haves and the have nots, For Celtic to win the CL next season, UEFA would fix a tie to draw us against a bigger team at almost every single round Conversely if I was sitting in the privileged shoes of Manutd or Real Madrid, it means I could be assured of drawing a smaller club at every round. It doesn’t sound fair. A look at the qualifying teams for the last 16 shows that the bulk of the CL cash ends up in mainly the same club coffers every season, thereby ensuring that the super clubs stay rich and the rest of us don’t.
For me UEFA is as corrupt and as morally bankrupt as FIFA and most of the other fitba authorities. They decide who Celtic will play against based on results from Scotland international games, or based or motherwells results in Europe three years ago and pay us money out of the CL kitty based on the size of Scotlands tiny population
We might be invited to the occasional CL wedding but we will never be invited to the top table and as long as we are happy to be second class citizens then that should be okay? However for those of us from the Grey Brigade who remember a more even playing field in the late 60S and early 70s we know what table we should be dining at
What we don’t understand, is why we cant.
Tamrabam from the Grey Brigade supporting the green brigade and definitely not a fan of UEFA
Or are you saying our board are fighting our corner from the heart of our creation?
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
11:11 on 28 November, 2013
“However, Celtic have chosen to go down the condemnation route — castigating both banner and Green Brigade citing the fact that they had been given assurances that any banner on display would be strictly football related and asserting that this banner broke that agreement and has damaged the club.
The Banner may well be viewed as breaking the agreement in the strictest terms as it is a political banner and not a football banner– with the argument that all football is political not cutting much mustard.
I believe that the club could have been much cleverer here– much more sensitive to the climate in which football fans– and in particular Celtic fans — live at the present time. It is a test that the board failed in my own humble opinion.”
The Club have already tried dialogue with the GB. It hasn’t worked. You can tell by the reaction that many in the Celtic support are bored of this now. We spend more time talking about banners and fines from UEFA than football. We are serial offenders due to a minority who think they are more Celtic than Celtic.
FAC is the umbrella organisation that was set up to oppose the Act and I sincerely hope it succeeds – it has my full support.The GB should concentrate their efforts supporting FAC and less time costing Celtic money and reputation. But somehow I think they prefer attention to actually doing something constructive.
kitalba
11:25 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow:
Correct.
So, what is wrong with having paid professionals fighting your corner, others do.
Nothing at all, Kit – we do have paid professionals fighting our corner. I trust Celtic to do that and to pick the right people to do that. My point was that, if the fight is against the Offensive Behavious bill, then Paul McBride is not the guy to pick – in his heart he was mightily supportive of the bill.
If it is so great to go to bed a Tim, regardless of a result, to wake up a Tim, regardless of a result, why do I feel so sad for Tims….
Ah, I’ve sussed, they’re going to work with no cheese on square sausage on toast.
When will they ever learn…
When will they ever learn….
NatKnow:
Nothing personal against any lawyer, but to coin a phrase: they are whores to the heaviest coin.
That is their job.
I wonder if they sell strait jackets at Slaters?
jeese oh, its holy willies season.
30 years from now, on a blog far far away, the Green Brigaders will be telling their stories of what it was like being a youth at Celtic Park, and as these saw it being in a long line of people who protested and called out whatever they felt passionate enough about.
I like that, its a voice, why not, I dont feel ashamed or outraged by it whatsoever.
Its been happening in our environment for 126 years, and it will happen as long as there is a place to meet at Celtic Park.
To deny that many of the founders of the club had a political leaning , and indeed belong to many of the radical societies of that time, is just silly. The proof is out there, if anyone bothers to read it. When reading the Celtic graves society pamphlets about our founders, a central thread for some is their politics, its stamped on several on them.
If the offended want to be “Celtic, just a club”, then Im afraid you ignore the very essence of being human.
ps. the sterotyping of the Green Brigade as some University student types is great, see how far a group of people have come , that will be because some of their fathers and grandfathers fought back, and sat doon the front of the bus.
pps, I know a Green Brigader who is near 60. I hope he likes the “youth of today” tag.
.
Read 3 Posts by Friends Today who l would say are IRA BHOYS
GB GTF..
Oh Dear..
Crucial mistake made by ole GB on Tuesday was not to have this W.Wallace on the ole banner.
.
kitalba
11:37 on
28 November, 2013
NatKnow:
Nothing personal against any lawyer, but to coin a phrase: they are whores to the heaviest coin.
That is their job.
..
*Presses Like Button*
001
Watching the game on Tuesday was a bittersweet experience for me as , while the game was heartbreaking, it reminded me that the next time I am in Scotland, I will have to take my Canadian wife to see the standing stones of Callanish.
Teuchter ár lá
Is their a lack of apathy towards the team now ?
or
is it just frustration ?
Saint Stivs- fair enough, but is the only way the Club and its Support can show their pride in their Irish roots is to show undying allegiance to the IRA?
My Irish history is a bit shaky but I’m sure Association Football is on the list of garrison games.
kitalba
11:06 on
28 November, 2013
Hey Would UEFA be getting on our case if the Green Brigade had championed Mr. Mandela. Wasn’t he too a terrorist in the eyes of certain Brits.
Are UEFA being racist?
————————————-
if the brits had caught GEORGE WASHINGTON they would have hanged him.!!!!!!
if NELSON MANDELA had done what he did in BRITISH COLONY he would have been hanged.
kitalba
11:37 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow:
Nothing personal against any lawyer, but to coin a phrase: they are whores to the heaviest coin.
That is their job.
Oh, they’ll all take your money – but will they all fight with the same heart? If I was up in court for singing Republican songs at Celtic Park, would I select Donald Findlay to represent me in court? Possibly not..
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar
11:47 on 28 November, 2013
kitalba
11:37 on 28 November, 2013
‘If I was up in court for singing Republican songs at Celtic Park, would I select Donald Findlay to represent me in court? Possibly not..’
####
Curiously enough he’d probably be about the best you could get for the job.
ernie lynch
11:52 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar
11:47 on 28 November, 2013
kitalba
11:37 on 28 November, 2013
‘If I was up in court for singing Republican songs at Celtic Park, would I select Donald Findlay to represent me in court? Possibly not..’
####
Curiously enough he’d probably be about the best you could get for the job.
:-)
FAVOURITE UNCLE
11:47 on
28 November, 2013
I beg to differ. Menachem Begin engineered the deadliest single terrorist attack on a specifically British target to date and we helped support him as a Prime Minister.
The Govts condemnation of terrorists is always dependent on political gain.
Imagine, hammered three nil at home by an average Milan team and all the after match talk is of banners, the GB, and our board. Next to no comment on an abject team performance where the team has progressively gone backward from Matchday 1 to 5.
Maybe Neil Lennon is indeed a lucky manager!
For the record ban the GB now. They crossed a line on Tuesday.
ernie lynch
11:52 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar
11:47 on 28 November, 2013
kitalba
11:37 on 28 November, 2013
‘If I was up in court for singing Republican songs at Celtic Park, would I select Donald Findlay to represent me in court? Possibly not..’
####
Curiously enough he’d probably be about the best you could get for the job.
Not so sure Ernie – he failed to defend his own singing at a provate function and was fined £3500. What chance of his argument succeeding in a court? So not only would he lack the emotional empathy to represent me passionately, his flawed logic would lead to my conviction. And he’d still pick up his fee.
:-)
provate = private
The rush to condemn the green Brigade
A few years ago there was a similar rush from the “outraged” about the blood stained poppy banner. Following the huns recent poppy day celebrations at ibrox, I wonder if the strength of feeling for supporting injured British soldiers is just as high as it was.
For me Celtic have often differed from mainstream. We were Irish, we catholic, we were poor, we were a minority. We were underclass. When we got a success it was against the odds. It was a success for underdogs.
If a section of our fans opinion is different from UEFA then so be it.
You know I can understand but not necessarily support the clamour to remove “politics” from fitba
But isn’t having a minutes silence for a public figure, politics? isn’t poppy day, politics? isn’t the offensive behaviour bill itself politically motivated? Isnt UEFAs rule about CL payouts based on population size politics?
Im not sure that its practical or common sense. We don’t all have the same opnion, why should we pretend to?
Someone on here said,if they close a stand I hope they put it to a vote.
I vote for the main stand,the guys in the leather suits have let our club down more than the GB
Give us a striker and pay a living wage.and when are they going to speak out about the corruption in Scottish football.
Suits- seats
NatKnow
A Provo function…….surely not :-)
May I say that if there had been an internet blog available in the 80s the same anonymous wee men would be on here defending the casuals stating that they were only defending the honour of the club
fanadpatriot
12:05 on 28 November, 2013
Someone on here said,if they close a stand I hope they put it to a vote.
I vote for the main stand,the guys in the leather suits have let our club down more than the GB
Give us a striker and pay a living wage.and when are they going to speak out about the corruption in Scottish football.
It was me that said that. I think it’s democratic. It won’t happen. But I’d be interested to see the outcome. Perhaps an online poll could be set up to measure fan reaction? I wouldn’t know how to do that, but the blog is full of clever-clogses as another eminent poster has previously pointed out.
Just in to say….
_____________
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)
12:02 on 28 November, 2013
________________________
Agreed 100% sir.
Toomanytoffeenosedsnootsamongsttodayscellicsupport – CSC
Away off oot tae talk tae the swans…laters
Teuchter ár lá
12:07 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow
A Provo function…….surely not :-)
:-)
South Of Tunis@09:13
“I think you are right .
I made a point clearly defined as relating to Juve , you responded with a point relating to Milan.”
Sorry, SoT, it was not as clear to me, as a reader, as it is to you in your own mind. And you are still being needlessly cryptic as if you do not want to fully engage.
You were posting about repeating a pattern and not learning from mistakes. Now you say that is referencing the Juve game. So that begs the question for me:-
Was the Juve game an instance where the pattern started and was repeated in the AC game? Or was the Juve game a repeat of an error you had noted in an earlier, unspecified game.
I am not particularly thick but I do not possess any mind reading powers either. It would help to shorten this exchange if you just spell out what you mean to say.
Teuchter ár lá
12:07 on 28 November, 2013
NatKnow
A Provo function…….surely not :-)
Yeah – the Say Hello, Hello Function..!
Sipsini
Give me players names and a costing to support your point and its bippity bobitty boo.
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)
12:02 on
28 November, 2013
When was the last time the team had a poppy on the shirt? I would say this is one political issue where the club have listened to the fans. There’s no overt displays in the stadium, as the club know that that upsets a lot of fans. However at the same time they donate to Poppy Scotland for educational purposes, so they can show support and that also pleases another group of fans.
They’ve struck a decent balance on that issue as far as I’m concerned.
Everything about UEFA and ‘politics’ is about appeasing sponsors.
People talk about crowds dwindling to 20k if the GB are barred. Imagine the club said ‘We are withdrawing from UEFA competitions in support of the GB and their right to make political statements, the team will need downsized but we accept that as a consequence”. Do you think the support would rally around the club and maintain current levels of attendance as the quality shrank even faster? I suspect not.
I think the GB comment is a reasonable one, and I support it but they need to pick and choose their occasions better.