If you were sitting in the Cliftonville dressing room tonight, you would fancy your chances against Celtic. They are a team reportedly playing the best football in their club’s history and are packed with professionals who are focussed on the task in hand. Celtic have vastly greater resources, but the fact that we have a list of excuses ready for a below-par performance is concerning.
The plastic pitch, the departed Wanyama and possibly departing Hooper, the tactically non-existent preseason and the fact that the deciding game will take place in Glasgow next week, are all available excuses, and teams with ready-made excuses often take them.
None of the above hold water, though. I would be surprised if Celtic players didn’t spend more time working on a plastic pitch at Lennoxtown than they spend on Celtic Park. Wanyama and Hooper were each absent from substantial Champions League victories last season and whatever gave Celtic the blues in Germany is a consequence of poor form, not a reason for it. Celtic can draw or even lose tonight and will still be favourites to proceed in the tournament but this is a game of football, and deserves to be respected as such.
The momentum for last season’s triumphs started to build after a solid win in Helsinki. A win tonight in Belfast would take the pressure of next week, allowing Neil Lennon more freedom to prepare for future challenges.
No excuses, Celtic.
To kick off the new season we’re having an Internet Bampots session on Friday at the (always excellent) Columba Club in Blantyre. Paul McConville, Phil Mac Giolla Bhain and myself will be on stage for a Question and Answer session from 19:30.
Tickets are available at the door. See you there.
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Saint Stivs 15.42
No it was Chelsea fans!
Saint Stivs
Typical response from a Hun. It’s everyone elses fault. It always is.
LB
Celtic have won every European Cup where the final has been in Portugal.
This season’s final: Lisbon.
Celtic 250/1 to win it.
An absolute cert.
istanbulcelt @ 16 29 .
Don’t think I’ve ever asked the question . . Not my taste and therefore never paid much attention .
I remember seeing him play in a band called Rock Workshop at a Uni gig in @ 1970.. Absolutely not my thing [ to be fair most late 60s / early 70s Uni gigs were absolutely not my thing ]
Jon Barbuti@jonbarbuti15m
Papiss Cisse fined for refusing to wear club sponsor Wonga – initial £5,000 rising to £47,987,567,324 if he hasn’t paid by Friday
Looking forward to the game I’m gonna go for 3-1 to the hoops.
Why would anyone book a holiday to a place there is no pubs.
The Spirit of Arthur Lee
15:49 on 17 July, 2013
:)))
croppybhoy:
And don’t forget how the Scottish Government somehow destroyed so much evidence that, according to a lot of the informed, and promised to, but never deliver to, the concerned within the Catholic church, proved that a certain demographic in Scotland was being subjected to sectarian apartheid by a xenophobic gang. I don’t think that gangs name was Rangers ya bass.
Till later
I will settle for a scrappy 2-1 though expect more.
easypleasedcsc
Stepheboy1
It was All Inclusive.
Estadio – we’re 540/1 on Betfair.
Why do most posters on here believe we will lose a goal tonight?
fraserforstercsc
Stivs
I’ll put some pics on my twitter page @hamiltontim88
twitters fur the birdz.
lol, i dont do that stuff, never know whos watching.
phyllis dietrichson 15:53
Just shows what they know, nowt, utter mugs…..
EN
Croppybhoy:
“Those who think that CFC have not done enough publically to highlight the corruption in Scottish football…”
Never mind “have not done enough” can you tell me where Celtic Football Club has even mentioned, far less highlighted, the corruption in Scottish football?
a stor…,
Without knowing the religion, why do you think any non RC would care, remember Celtic is a club open to all, or to put it another way, they don’t care as long as you pay the price, the Plc honestly don’t give a fun keys much about the history of the club except as a weapon to use agianst Celtic supporters as a market strategy. The sanitisation of the support is aimed at attracting the hun corporate clientele.
Lets just wait and see how they respond to the AGM, that will tell us exactly what we need to know.
Wow! Sevco shares plummet to 45.00.
Someone on the inside know sh*t about to hit?
Great story LB. I will heed your advice:)
petethebeat
07:56 on 17 July, 2013
Wouldn’t Cliftonvile have to move the game if their pitch doesn’t make UEFA specifications in terms of size?
Hearts had to do it a few years ago.
—————————————————————————–
Whilst our stadium isn’t quite the Camp Nou in terms of capacity, our pitch does comply with the UEFA minimum dimension standards.
if Alex, Les or Maggie Bell were really Darnelistas their names would be dragged out to give them some cultural ballast.
Instead they have to stick with Wetwetwet and Shellsuit Bob.
Sevco shares down 9% on sale of 3 sets of 100000. Buy now Fergus
Fair do’s SOT, it’s not your thing, but thanks for the info. I’m now listening to the velvet underground ……..please tell me they have a Tim!!!!
Champions League Winners 2014 .
Sicilian bookies offering Celtic at 500 /1
Napoli are 66/1
Saint Stivs, 15:42
Of course it was – they’re obviously not good enough at doing it themselves.
The saddest thing about that statement is that it is the same line they were peddling more than 40 years ago. We heard it from our neighbours all the time – McGurks Bar, the Miami massacre, their heads getting ever deeper into the sand
Dontbrattbakkinanger 16:02 on 17 July, 2013
Don’t forget Mr Abie.
SRS – …and now Sammy the Seal, the Human Watercannonball.
canamalar1:
Mate, I’ve never ever brought our issues down to religion, I never would; my problem is about equality for all across the spectrum. Now I know Rangers got a nod and a wink in the past, I know they are receiving like favour today, that is not their fault, they’re not the ones doing the nodding and winking, they are just the quintessential victims motivating it.
Mate, I don’t want to be the one to pish on your parade, but I think you are wasting your time and life, I think your motion will be moot by collective connivance and precedential (and revolting lauded) acceptance of corrupt governance. The past that you have lived tells the only truth you’ll ever know.
Dbbia,
I doubt the water cannon had holy water but it might have been full of red bull
Dontbrattbakkinanger 16:12 on 17 July, 2013
Abie loyalty to the Ibrox outfit was such that he too refused to pay his taxes.
A ‘true blue’ right enough.
Mea Culpa
15:59 on
17 July, 2013
300k shares dumped.
Wear your colours
https://twitter.com/stephen_1788/status/357518339800694786/photo/1
An Fear Dearg
Thanks for the reply about the pitch.
Good to know that it’s a proper size.
Sir Paul
Ye jist wrote a Loata wize and Magical Things,kiddo,
And
Among ’em.. the Maist Magical.. Magical, in the sense that ..well.. those dem woids.. .. Lifted the pall of Doot.. which hid descended, like a Damp blanket.. an wiz in danger o’ stiflin’ the normal Revelry.. that permeats the Kojo Bunkhoose.
Which wans wur they?
Well.. These Wans…
“Wanyama and Hooper wur each ABSENT from SUBSTANTIAL . European League Victories last season…….”
After reading that remarkable remark.. Ah wuz instantly Uplifted..and Transported tae that Ninth Heaven ..where dwell a Lucky few folk.. such as … Lottery Winners, Picasso Owners.. and
New Mothers, Faithers… and Grand-Parents!”
Bless ye, Pal..
There is a Spot Reserved fur You an Yours.. In Paradise.
Thanks.
Kojo
Still Laughin;
drove up the falls road an hour ago, and past the rock bar, it has never looked so good. Great atmosphere on the road, look out tonight for my nephew , he is a six foot 14 year old mascot walking out with the teams, he should be playing centre half. Enjoy the game bhoys
croppybhoy,
Excellent post. Thank you.
Local team have a clock, on their website, counting down to the ko against the zombies. Must be the countdown to armegeddhun.
Celtic game is on Sky Channel 970 (BBC2 Scotland) tonight for viewers outside Scotland.