Where do we start discussing last night? Perhaps the end of the night. There was joy in abundance, not only inside Celtic Park, but in the streets surrounding the game and in a hundred thousand homes across the world. This joy manifest itself into a great sense of community. That performance brought tears, hugs, spontaneous jumping up and down, and not only from Celtic fans. Messages have poured in from fans of other SPL clubs and beyond.
This is what great sport can do for people.
Brother Walfrid has excellent timing. He managed to arrange our kick-off meeting to coincide with match day four of the Champions League group stage. Those of us who attended the anniversary celebrations on Tuesday were reminded what Celtic is all about, the best team in the world were in Glasgow waiting to play, the fairy tale script was written, but could it be delivered?
It’s the details which are most impressive. Mikael Lustig looked like he could play in any team in any league. He was comfortable and composed throughout. Adam Matthews, deputising for an injured former Player of the Year, played out of position flawlessly. I watched him struggle at left back on his Celtic Park debut in a friendly against Wolves last year; it defies explanation how far he has progressed.
Please forget about Victor’s goal, it will only detract from his incredible midfield performance. His composure, skill and assertiveness troubled Iniesta and Messi all game. This was all the more impressive given the absence of captain, Scott Brown.
Georgios Samaras was crucial for most of the evening. He was the one player Barca seemed afraid of, although a lack of training caught up with him before he was subbed.
I’ll not burden Tony Watt publicly with the comparison I made of him earlier in the season but he possesses an impressive array of attributes: upper body strength, pace-with-the-ball and a nose for goal. I’m tempted to say he will continue to improve but, to what level? Without injuries to Hooper, Lassad and Forrest it’s unlikely he would have enjoyed as much time last night. Sometimes Fortune Favours the Celtic.
All of Europe would have been impressed with Fraser Forster last night, dubbed La Grand Muralla, the Big Wall, by a Spanish newspaper. He will play for England, so too with Kelvin Wilson if he maintains this season’s form.
The only man with a problem today is Neil Lennon. Tactically the two games against Barcelona have been as accomplished as any I have witnessed. Neil needs to know how to follow that in Lisbon. I’ve no idea.
Happy Birthday Celtic!
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Who ever mentioned betting Anzi …thanks ..lifted a couple of bob there
Tony Watt – Thai Tims
I suggested in yesterday’s blog that if Neil used Tony Watt that he would have plenty of room to use his terrific pace playing against Barca rather than the packed defences of the SPL and sure enough when almost the entire Barca team were in our half he must have broken 10 seconds for the 100 meters to score that goal. Would Gary Hooper have put the same chance away? I doubt very much Gary would have had that kind of expolsive pace.
Greatest night since we beat Man Utd and Inter Milan here but neither of those teams were as talented as Barca.
Celtic squad and management – brilliant
Barcelona…………………………brilliant
Fans…………………………………..awesome
Just watched the Huddle, greetin’ all over again…
We are Celtic..
burnley 78 dont come on here and say bad things to me.im entitled to my opinion on here.i only wanted to know if anything could be done about watching a game in the front stand, if u were to have a seat in that section then you would know what what im talking about. i can assure you in your words i aint a half whit.
bournesouprecipe
19:30 on
8 November, 2012
Tony Watt – Thai Tims
Going global
Spot yourself in the crowd – last night
Havent managed to post yet. Ive read some of your comments guys and they deal with last nights amazing victory far better than I could.
What can I add – absolutely amazing and one of the best nights ever. Loved every minute.
Cannae even be negative in the slightest – what is the world coming to!!!!
All over in Stockholm (AIK Stockholm 1 – PSV Eindhoven 0). Mo Bangura’s first half goal (an absolute belter!) decisive. Enjoyed watching the match!
….PFayr-I thought 5/6 was good mate,enjoy.
Ch4 fantastic
Am greetin’ again!
bournesouprecipe
timbhoy2 is the guy in a large fluorescent jacket sitting on a wee stool at the front of the stand.
lol!
Does anyone have a link to the 125th Anniversary display ….want to show it to someone who missed the game through illness …..ta !!
Thanks Brother Walfrid for the much needed soup. Thanks Mr Lennon for the jelly and ice cream.
ITV 4- Now Spurs v Maribor in something called the Europa League…….
Sandy Beaches,the DJ of Atlantic 252 fame.
I have to admit to being very drunk going into the match, after spending an hour with 3 Barca fans we bumped into in the pub and did not actually realise how tremendous the tifo from the Green Brigade was until I watched YouTube.
I am greetin now…
Bada Bing,
Hey dont knock it. That’s the old Seville cup;)
Just in, not sure if this article already posted. Had the pleasure of reading this on the DLR from the Tennis at the O2.
From tonight’s London Evening Standard –
Patrick Barclay: Why I’ll never forget this birthday party
There are times when the atmosphere at a football match is even more memorable than the score — and last night here at Parkhead was a case in point. I sat among a group of Barcelona fans and they spent the night gawping and capturing the scene on their smartphones as Celtic, resolve buttressed by the towering concrete of their 12th man, earned the result of the week.
For heaven’s sake, we had come to gawp at the visitors’ team. Tito Vilanova’s charges, through leadership of the Spanish league, are restored at least temporarily to the status of the world’s best and yet this was a reminder of the spirit that earned Celtic a claim to that title in 1967, when they became the first British club to win the competition now known as the Champions League.
It was 125 years and a day since Celtic’s foundation and Neil Lennon had asked his players simply to do the occasion justice. As he said afterwards, they did more than that. Asked to list the qualities that had contributed to a 2-1 triumph, he named first “teamwork” and then “discipline”. Once again the Celtic manager, whose tactics have been instrumental in the collection of seven points, had come up with the right answer.
But no one, least of all Victor Wanyama, the muscular young Kenyan who somehow contrived to overshadow Lionel Messi and a supporting firmament so dazzling that Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and David Villa could be thrown on as substitutes, was denying the contribution of the crowd.
When, shortly before kick-off, the announcer offered “an especially warm welcome to our visitors”, a round of applause testified to the esteem in which Barcelona are rightly held for their peerless exposition of the beautiful game but then came a relentless pageant of eardrum-numbing fervour that ignored the wiles of Messi and hailed every green-and-white interception as if it were the goal of the century.
Wanyama was central to it all. In a holding midfield role, the £900,000 bargain buy from the Belgian club Beerschot was often stationed just in front of the Celtic penalty spot, so deep did they defend, but he was alert to any rare opportunity to advance and midway through the first half he swept past Jordi Alba to force a corner, which he then headed resoundingly past keeper Victor Valdes. Messi hit the crossbar and Alexis Sanchez a post before another home hero emerged in Fraser Forster, the English goalkeeper plucked from Newcastle for £2 million. That he is already worth several times as much was emphasised by an astonishing double save from Sanchez and a flying one-hander to deny Messi.
But the most dramatic evidence of Celtic’s astuteness in the transfer market was yet to be delivered. Tony Watt is not yet 19 and played football just for fun until Airdrie United invited local youths for trials. He had hardly reached the first team when a queue including Liverpool formed but Celtic slapped down the necessary £80,000 plus bits and pieces. Lennon knew the striker would not be daunted by this occasion and he had been on for 12 minutes when he latched on to Forster’s long clearance and left Valdes helpless.
Messi’s reply made the rest of stoppage time agonising for the hooped hordes but Celtic got the present they deserved and no one was complaining about its being a day late. Happy birthday, dear Celtic, thanks for the memory and, if ever again I disparage the group stages of the Champions League, feel free to shoot me.
Picked this up from Twitter ….Brogan Rogan, no less ….!!!!!!!!
Strange Things Happen at Celtic Park
8
NOV
The November night was cold with more than a hint of damp. Yet that did not deter the thousands cramming into the east end of Glasgow to watch the spectacle of 22 men kick a ball about.
If you think about it logically, who would go out on a cold damp night — leaving the warmth and coziness of your own home to watch others knock a sphere around in the rain? Yet come they did.
I was with my 12 year old son — someone whom I had told repeatedly “Strange things happen at Celtic Park”. Yet despite the many tellings, he continued with that look in his eyes which more than hinted at doubt in that statement– in truth his look said “I simply don’t believe you– but you’re my dad so……….”.
Of course the opposition were favourites. They had a team which contained the mass ranks of world superstardom in footballing terms. Recent winners of the Champions league. Always in and around the mix at the conclusion of the tournament and always a tip to win outright, and here they were…… at Celtic Park.
They retained possession, knocked the ball around, prodded and probed towards the Celtic Goal, yet they did not manage to force the ball in the net.
Then came the moment.
I often wonder if other people get those moments– that split second when you know– when you feel something within, that comes over you and almost slows everything down to super slow motion.
I turned to the twelve year old and said ” Stand on your seat , and hold your scarf in the air- we are going to score!” Yet again he looked at me in disbelief.
” The People behind me will be annoyed!”
” No they won’t- they will be going mental in a moment”
” They will be mad!”
“If you want to see the goal, stand on your seat- if not just be ready for the eruption because it is coming”
Again he looked– unsure– wanting to believe but not daring to actually believe………
And within ten seconds or less Shunske Nakamura sent the ball in a super slow mo bending, curling arc which went up, round and down into the top right hand corner of the net!
My twelve year old looked– wide mouthed– smiling– no laughing– yet still disbelieving as all around him went berserk.
400 Miles away a friend of mine was in a Maternity ward with his wife. She was in labour after they had spent years of trying to have a child without success. There was no soothing music to calm the mood. Instead, the live match commentary was on 5 live. Things were getting to the business end when the free kick was awarded and as Nakamura placed the ball, their new arrival announced she was ready to make her debut into this world…. it was time to switch the radio off just as the wee man was about to step forward with his left foot. Off went the radio– it wasn’t needed really– because something– some unknown force– had already told all in that Maternity room that it was a goal.
Radio off, Baby delivered… and a feeling… followed by a comment…. ” Bet you Celtic will have scored”.
Strange things happen at Celtic Park.
Yet, let’s say, dear reader, that you do not believe me- that you are sitting in a chair in some part of this world and that you have come upon this internet page by sheer accident and you have started to read. You are disbelieving, yet slightly intrigued.
Well I invite you to be an anorak– a geek– an internet sleuth using all the tools available from the web to either check facts or calculate odds or whatever.
See if you can find another football club where the fans built a stadium 125 years ago where they would have no idea who would play for their team and indeed their club fielded their very first team with a selection of borrowed players!
Can you imagine witnessing the building of that stadium with a non footballing friend?
“What are they doing?”
“Building a football stadium.”
“What for?”
“A new team”
“Who’ll be in it?”
“Don’t know!”
“Do they know?”
“No”
“What?”
“They don’t know who will play– they only know that… well the team will be called Celtic!”
“…but they don’t know who will play? Seems a big stadium to be building when you don’t have a team?”
” They believe people will come… it’s for charity!”
“Are they mad? Why not build a pitch or a wee stadium and grow from there?”
“They believe they will attract crowds”
“WHO? who is or are they? THEY have no players!” So how are THEY going to get a crowd? Magic………?”
“They just believe a crowd will come…..”
and the crowds came… and came…. and came.
Strange things happen at Celtic Park.
I could write forever on the strange ”coincidences” that have happened to people and teams at Celtic Park– centre Halves with dodgy knees who turn out to be great managers– players spotted in bounce games in a public park— players who have been persuaded to turn up and who say that they “feel” something strange with this club… there are legions of stories that are just…… odd and in many ways inexplicable. A series of let’s say strange coincidences …. or something.
Celtic Football Club is undoubtedly a romantic club. The founding fathers and volunteers really did build a field of dreams and from the very outset the odd and inexplicable would follow. Take the first kick off. Borrowed centre forward Johnny Madden kicks off that very first game for Celtic on 28th May 1888 while on loan from Dumbarton. He works in the shipyards by day and supplements his income with football. He resists all attempts to persuade him to sign for Celtic on a permanent basis until late 1889 and stays for a number of years. Celtic tour Europe in 1905– and in the same year Madden- who is now retired from playing– just happens to be appointed manager of Slavia Prague and stays as manager for 30 years or so. He becomes the grandfather of all Czech football– known as Dudek— and has a major influence on continental football for decades.
Go on– call the bookies, do a calculation– what are the odds of a Dumbarton Shipyard worker in the early part of the century making such a transformation… and all because he played at Celtic Park.
Strange things happen at Celtic Park
I won’t go over the list of great teams who have come to the east end of Glasgow and found themselves leaving with a result that was perhaps not expected.
What I will say is that last night Marca– the Spanish footballing magazine ran a brief artcile on the Celtic v Barcelona match and showed a picture of the pre match display under the heading “Celtic’s 12th Man”
The opening line of the article reads as follows:
“There is perhaps no greater home pitch advantage in all of football than a Celtic home match at Celtic Park as Barcelona learned the hard way in their Wednesday night Champions League defeat 2-1.”
I had a problem before last night’s match in that I was short of a ticket.
You see yesterday that 12 year old turned 18 and he now has his own season ticket. However, he has two brothers 16 and 13– both of whom wanted to go to the game and somehow between myself and Celtic we had contrived to mess up the tickets with the result that we could not all go.
My youngest son was desperate to go and so I had resigned myself to driving them to the stadium, seeing the boys in and then heading back to the car where yours truly would listen on the radio.
However, I avoided that fate thanks to Napoleon! Now Napoleon is the twitter moniker for a fellow called Iain Tarbet whom I had never met until last night. He had contacted me and advised that he had a spare ticket which allowed me to get into the ground with my sons– so I am greatly indebted to Napoleon!
As we walked to the ground I met someone I know and his son, and to be honest I had a jaunt in my step. I had that “feeling”.
“What do think Danny?” Says I ” Feeling confident?”
” No not really– I don’t think we will get much out of this. I would love to think so but doubt it!”
” How about you, Andrew. What do you think?”
” Can’t see it I’m afraid– what about you?”
” Well” says I ” I am the eternal optimist. Stranger things have happened at Celtic Park!”
and at that point we parted company.
My two oldest boys went to their seats and I sat with my 13 year old who was familiar with all the Barcelona players from endless hours on FIFA.
Xavi was the little generalissimo as Barca probed and probed, but when Celtic got a corner in the first half– there was that feeling again– This is a goal– and so it proved.
When Young Tony Watt calmly slotted away the second the place went berserk once again and the magnificent Messi’s late consolation only put the result in doubt for a few brief seconds. Me and my boy beside me… and everyone else in the ground were buzzing!
Many reports will say that Celtic played with Spirit. I believe they are wrong. Celtic on certain nights do not play with Spirit… they play with SPIRITS…. plural.
I genuinely believe that there are times at Celtic Park where the spirits of the past are present. The Maleys, McGrorys, Gallaghers, Delaneys, Doyles, McNairs, McDonalds Tullys, Thomsons, Johnstones Murdochs and hundreds of thousands of unknown others from all of those 125 years are in the ether. You can feel it– more importantly the players can feel it– the spirit of Celtic past come to help the spirit of Celtic present…. and future. It is a magical feeling. An inexplicable feeling.
As the crowd spilled out afterwards I went to collect the two older boys;
My sixteen year old was sporting a huge grin– as much laughing at the daft smile on my face as anything else. As for my newly 18 year old son?
Well, I greeted him with a big smile and said ” Happy Birthday Declan” before I noticed he was on his mobile arranging to meet his pals and go out in celebration.
I caught just a short part of his conversation on the phone… ” Yes the atmosphere was amazing.. it was mental at the goals and the end… yes I know… Barcelona, Messi and all…… yes… but strange things happen at Celtic Park– that is just the way it is!”
It seems that he no longer has doubt…………….. I wonder why!
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby
19:58 on
8 November, 2012
Sandy Beaches,the DJ of Atlantic 252 fame.
Don’t forget Dusty Rhodes mate!!
bhoycillian
19:53 on 8 November, 2012
Thanks Brother Walfrid for the much needed soup. Thanks Mr Lennon for the jelly and ice cream.
Another belter…..what a CQn day this has been. Well seen am on the sick
Still glowing like a big shiny balloon, now starting to smile at how much hurt the manky mob will be feeling. Just loving it…….
Awe Naw
In possession of a poisoned system.
That makes a crackin’ lyric ma mhan.
thetimrieper at 18:18
whats the chances of spartak getting draw
with barca. They gave them a good game at barca. With the cold
and plastic pitch in their favour . a draw possible
First of all, it’s myth that Spartak Moscow was close to Barca class in that away game. They were close to get a draw but lucky.
Before yesterday I thought a draw in the game Spartak vs. Barca was possible. I changed my opinion after I read reports in Russia on their game against Benfica.
You are right, the conditions of the game in Moscow will be tough – cold probably close to minus 10 C and plastic pitch but I can’t see Spartak getting anything but another defeat.
Before the game in Lisbon they won 5:0 to Krasnodar. They were confident of good result in Portugal and lost 2:0. Why?
1.They are not a team. They are a group of players who get huge wages, who have nothing to do with the spirit of the club, who don’t care much about final results.
Different culture and no stability in the club. What I read yesterday?
a. Good striker Dzuba is not happy and want to change the club.
b. They bought the striker from Sweden (many articles on him)
c. They are interested in keeper from Russian club X?
d. They are in talks with the Argentinean who plays for Spanish club Y?
e. Aiden McGeady will be sold in January
f. Ari, the Brasilian striker is not happy, wants to go back to Brasil.
g. Both strikers Emenike and Welliton are injured, out of play. (new injuries in the team)
h. Etc, etc, all in one day
2. Unai Emeri is probably good coach but novice in Russia. I can imagine Spanish player playing well for Russian team, but it’s hard to imagine coach from Spain doing good job, who controls 25 players from ten different countries, working close with club owners, doing well in strange city, far from his family.
3. There is very bad atmosphere around the club now. Some call for Unai Emeri head. Nothing worse than undermine coaching staff before important games.
Robin Banks……
lennon n mc….mjallby
19:58 on 8 November, 2012
Sandy Beaches,the DJ of Atlantic 252 fame.
As he intros, “sand in the vaseline” by the Smiths
bournesouprecipe
Can you change the photo of me it makes me look ..well stocky
and I am only 16 1/2 stone : > )
bigbhoysCSC
NatKnow
Haha aye I remember him now youve said,that was some radio station btw.
Sorry for asking again but does anyone have two spare tckts for Christy tomorrow at the Barras?
Ta
Robin Banks anaw haha
can I
You remember it well bud.
bournesouprecipe – that’s quality … i can see myself and son – close to the barca fans
what can you say ?
the magic that is Glasgow Celtic ….. in every respect, never felt so proud to be a tim
There is a pic on FB of Tony Watt going out before the match whistling Celtic song, the looks on Barca players is funny..
Neganon2
Joy buffer cache on CQN server reset to normal. :) (it overflowed between 8.30 and 9.30 this morning, brought the server down and had to be set to max.)
Johann Murdoch 19.14
Sorry pal but I know exactly where Timbhoy2 is coming from. My card is FS5 and if the play is down in the left hand corner and there is no screen coverage we do have to stand up to see what is happening. So he is certainly no dimwit!!!
Geordie Munro-Ironic that we would have a good chance again the way we are playing