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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Morning all, been looking at permutations in Group G.
Matchday 5 has FCB in Moskva. Early KO. If the favourites win, we will KO in Lisboa already guaranteed Europa League football. Heady stuff.
Should Spartak get a point, and we lose later on, then Spartak travel to CP knowing a win can put them through on GD, with Benfica also possibly tied on 7 points should they fall to Barca …
…I think…
All to play for. Of course Celtic would be clear top were it not for the late goal in Camp Nou.
Heady times…!
Kev
I assume (as there are only 4 west of scotland teams) thats Motherwell or Killie
Rather than looking at the current situation as Armageddon in Scottish football, the authorities, press, sevco apologists should embrace what’s happening as a new beginning. A new beginning where clubs who have spent beyond their means to try to buy success are cast to oblivion, or if someone wishes to start again with them start at the bottom rung of the footballing ladder. Embrace and encourage the clubs who have lived within their means and worked to a financial and social model that develops local talent. Teams like Ross County, St Mirren, Hibs, are well run clubs, in the top flight and developing and improving. There are man more in the SFL. Because a team has a history in Scottish football doesn’t mean its forever. All businesses and business sectors evelove and prosper, why shouldn’t Scottish football? Only the narrow minded custodians of the game and the succulent lamb munchers of the MSM stand in its way.
pfayr/greenjedi- Ah but that doesn’t fit Miller’s jaundiced view of Scottish top flight football without his beloved Rangers (IL).
Brazil did asked him to say a few words about the Barca game. His voice was noticibly quivering!
I’m surprised they didn’t slip out the Big Tax Case result in all of the excitement yesterday …
STILL buzzin’ !
Got the whole 4hrs.9mins. from SKY recorded and will be incommunicado while me and mrs. miki watch the whole glorious CeltFest.
I am now waiting for us to get whoever in the last 16……I dreamt that it was Barça again……..
and to make plans for my next choice of game.
The wife (and I concur) that it does me a power of good to spend a small fortune making pilgimages to Celtic Park and that I should make the effort more often.
Well……that’s that then. Here I go. Credit card meltdown and possible absconding when the bill comes due…..it’s worth it….I’ll do the time.
What is happenin’ in Scottish football is that at long last evolution is catching up.
An ole wind of change is blowin’ through the game, a lot of old , sick and infected trees will fall [ and have fallen] and healthy new growth will take their place.
DBBIA/Percy ThrowerCSC
SNP doing what they want once again. Welcome to Salmondland
‘The Scottish government is to confirm the wording of the question it plans to put to the people of Scotland in the independence referendum.
People will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” to the question: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?”
Scottish ministers first announced their preferred wording for the question in January.
They will confirm on Friday they have decided to stick to the wording and will formally submit it to the Electoral Commission.’
tootingtim
What a bonus that would be, starting the game in Portugal knowing Europe was guaranteed after New Year. An advantage I think we’ll take and finish 2nd.
ASonOfDan
You do know the SNP are the legally elected Scottish Government don’t you? Who would you prefer decided what question would be sent to the Electoral Commision for approval?
Q.
what was the official attendance at Celtic v Barca ?
and why is it being reported as 55,000 in the press ?
anyone ?
was there empty seats anywhere ? if yes why was it sold out on the website. Did Barca take up their full allocation ,
thanks in advance
Breakaway league. Honest teams with football at the core.
Leave the rest to a financial doping hell of their own making.
With clubs like ours and people like Turnbull Hutton making waves it could be done.
It’s a thought.
55,000? Shows the number of freeloaders that were there.
Saint Stivs- place was rammed
No empty seats; Barca application well used up [times are tough in Spain, as you know].
There are a few Barca supporters in my daughter’s lab who went to the game, came away stunned by the atmosphere and the whole experience.
I presume that the First Minister of Scotland has written to congratulate the Scottish champions on such a magnificent result?
Or is he too busy trying to save another bunch of bankrupts??
Tooting Tim, I don’t think Spartak can go through on 7 points with GD assuming they get a point versus Barca and Benfica then Spartak beat us. In that case Benfica would also have 7 points and would go through on head to head against Spartak.
St Stivs/Goldstar -do we have to give up seats for the ole official ECL sponsors advertising?
Tootingtim
To go thro on GD Spartak would have to win by two clear goals or by the odd goal but by scoring four ….ie a 1-0,2-1 win for them would see us thro on away goals scored
Dilemma -buy 2 anniversary tops from Celtic Shop on line for £100 or £80.50 from Kitbag ( who send out the Celtic on line stuff) ?
Tootingtim
That is of course if they manage to take a point from FCB and we get hee haw in Lisbon
My prediction for Lisbon is 0-0 …based on empirical evidence
DBBIA- Would imagine there was a huge demand for sponsor’s seats, plus a good few hundred empty for safety reasons or whatever.
DBBIA
I’m sure Lenny will be grateful for the extra days rest
I feel sorry for the bhoys to have to travel great distances to the games
The fourth tier outfit should defer to the SPL champs all times ….they need to learn their place
northbhoy at 9:21
re the name of the strategy to combat the ole tiki taki, how about tic tac doh ?
I’ll get ma coat.
not posted much since the game. stock in coventry
stuck in coventry where I lost my voice sometime about 9 pm on wednesday.
what a night.
ha il
sannabhoy
don’t worry we’ll talk to you
Chairbhoy
09:05 on 9 November, 2012
”RFC yes, their drop to the for the top tier has had dire effects on Scottish Football, attendances amongst other things.”
SPL attendance figures for each club for each year are available here.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/attendance/_/league/sco.1/scottish-premier-league?cc=5739
An admittedly cursory look at the figures shows that while the ‘Scotland – Unofficial Average Attendance’ figure is down dramatically since the huns went bust that’s only because their own attendance figure is not included. The removal of their attendance figure from the calculation of the overall average affects no other SPL club and of course the current world breaking zombie hun attendance figure will show up in the stats for Div 3.
Comparing the attendance figures for each club against previous years is a bit of a mixed bag. Some are down, some are up and some are consistent. Where the figures are down this season it seems to be the continuation of a long term decline that started when the huns were still in the SPL in all their tax evading glory so the continuing decline is presumably cause by something other than the absence of the huns.
Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.
08:59 on
9 November, 2012
3 pics taken by me in paradise on Wednesday night.
Great photos, wish I could have been there.
Poor wee sevcovians…..denial is a hard row to hoe.
The death of their beloved criminal organisation will soon overwhelm them, and that’ll be that.
Permanent.
It will sink in. Non-existence. Nothingness. An absence of light. Eternal darkness.
Where they belong. Lost in futility. Abandoned to their wasteland of thought. A spiritual void.
Dead.
Excellent!
gabn,
thanks
greenjedi
10:09 on 9 November, 2012
‘You do know the SNP are the legally elected Scottish Government don’t you? Who would you prefer decided what question would be sent to the Electoral Commision for approval?’
I think the point is that the SNP have said that while it has sent the question to the Electoral Commission they will be using the wording whatever the Electoral Commission say.
So that’s not exactly ‘approval’ is it?
Obviously the SNP have selected the particular choice of words after extensive research with focus groups etc with a view to delivering their own desired outcome.
Fair enough.
I’d prefer that because then the SNP have no excuses, nowhere to hide, when they get stuffed in the referendum.
They’ll have chosen the date of the referendum, the wording of the question, and they’ll even have had adolescents voting.
Ernie
If some clubs are run so poorly that they are dependent on circa 10,000 travelling Huns for survival then they have only themselves to blame for their plight
Also the continued use of average SPL figures by the doom merchants is disingenuous at best ….as you correctly state the Hun home attendances are of no consequence to any other SPL club
Victor Wanyama – Wiki ArticleSTRONG>
Did anybody know if there were any local ‘tourists’ at CP?
Not in a derogatory sense but people that came primarily to see Messi, Xavi etc and would not be Celts (but not TFOD either)?
Have to say have just listened to BBC Scotland’s radio coverage and fair play to Richard Gordon and co.
Mind you if I were Liam Macleod I would be thinking my job’s on a shaky peg. He was so enthusiastic as the goals were scored.
I was genuinely surprised but, at the same time, pleased.
Petethebeat- BBC Shortbread?
Tony Watts’ goal in SSN goal of the week, Goal H, get voting bhoys and ghirls.
Hail! Hail!
PFAYR,
Good point. I’ll use that one next time.
“With all these amazing home attendances, getting the full home gate money, how how did they manage to bankrup themselves?”
jimmci
I agree listened to the after match analysis etc and credit where it’s due – thought Macleod was going to burst a blood vessel