And, after a century, it happened again. On Saturday, 4 November 2017, Celtic set a new British football record, 63 games undefeated, eclipsing the 62 game record set by the same team in 1917, under its first manager, Willie Maley. A million Celtic fans lived and died, and didn’t see such overwhelming command of the game in Scotland.
Many of those saw nine-in-a-row and the European Cup, but they also saw the 50s, or the 90s, or both, when humbling defeat was a staple part of the Celtic diet.
The football has been scintillating with those 63 games packed with joy: the recent 0-3 at Pittodrie, the dramatic 3-4 at Fir Park, thrashing Newco 5-1 home and away, and the joy-of-joys, winning an Invincible treble with a last minute goal.
Brendan Rodgers has only been here for one title in our run of six-in-a-row, but go speak to those who were around when Jock Stein was bearing down on seven-in-a-row in 1972. The joie de vivre of yet another title, yet another run to the European Cup semi-final, was beginning to fade. Stein struggled to replace his Lions as the crown weighed increasingly heavily on the head of a new King.
What Brendan brings to the search for seven-in-a-row, and his second treble, is a freshness denied to Stein. Jock sailed straight for the sun after joining Celtic in March 1965, winning a treble, two League Cups, two (of three) Scottish Cups and that European title. We have a manager who works as though he has a point to prove and players battling for their place right across the team.
It is fitting that we reflect on breaking our own 100-year record today, the 130th anniversary of the meeting which took place in the parish hall of St Mary’s, Calton, where it was decided to establish a football club called Celtic, to raise funds to feed the impoverished children of the city.
Despite the timeless monuments to success Celtic have achieved throughout a glittering history, without that poverty, your football club would not have come into existence. If you are a Celtic supporter, your world, your very person, is a product of 19th century deprivation. Your responsibility as a fan is to nurture the substantial heritage you were given, to make our founding mission grander than anyone could imagine on 6 November 1887.
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Brendan Rodgers – The Road to Paradise The Official Autobiography is available now from CQNBookstore.com – the first 100 orders received will come with a free gift.
From a small village on the north-east coast of Ireland to the treble-winning manager of Celtic, Brendan Rodgers’ football journey has been a remarkable one of dedication, hard work, a desire to always keep improving and a determination to succeed at the highest level of the sport … and throughout his life there has always been a love of his team … Celtic Football Club.
In his own words, Brendan Rodgers tells his story – from a promising young footballer growing up in Carnlough and dreaming of playing for Celtic one day through to his professional career – as a player, a coach and now as one of football’s top managers. And Celtic supporters will also enjoy an insight into a remarkable season – from the first competitive game in Gibraltar through to the thrilling Scottish Cup final, with plenty of highlights in between, including the manager’s first trophy triumph and some unforgettable Glasgow derbies.
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Definitely the album [ not the catalogue].
DBBIA
Who won in the fight between the Gibson Flying V and the Gibson Les Paul?
Breithlá Shona Celtic.
Thought I’d drop this in here before Almore gets his head out of the books.
Hail Hail.
When ‘Ted Turner’s Wishbone Ash’ was touring in opposition to the [Continuity] Wishbone Ash, Ted’s bass guitar was in the style of the ole Gibson Explorer; as wielded by ole Allen Collins in the heyday of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Happy Birthday to Celtic FC.
HH
As we are all aware 130 years ago Marist Lay Brothers Sligo born Walfrid and his close friend Dundonian Dorothea attended a meeting called by master builder John Glass, a mhan allegedly blessed with the gift of the gab, also present were prominent business men within the local parishes of St. Mary’s, St Andrew’s and St Alphonsus’.
These great men shared the same political ideologies of equality, liberty, fraternity, integration and non-sectarianism.
Within less than 3 years, as a result of their astute business minds and vision, they were running the game; much tae the consternation of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) whose disdain for our great club has continued unabated since then and not necessarily for sectarian reasons either.
Organised football in Scotland began in 1873 with the formation of the SFA. During the next 15 years or so challenge matches were arranged between clubs as well as cup games including the Scottish, Glasgow and Glasgow Merchants Charity Cups, the latter’s name being shortened tae the Charity Cup which was initially open tae all local clubs and not just those from the Dear Green Place. NOTE BENE: ALL GAMES WERE PLAYED UNDER THE REGULATIONS OF THE SFA.
In response to the professionalization of the game down south The Football League was formed in 1888 with the regular diet of league fixtures replacing the chaotic arrangement of friendlies. Many Scottish players did what a lot of Scotsmen did, and still do, moved down south chasing the “big penny”.
This prompted Scottish clubs into thinking about forming their own league and in March 1890, the secretary of World Champions Renton Peter Fairly wrote to thirteen other clubs inviting them to discuss the organisation of a league.
All of the clubs accepted the invitation, except Queen’s Park and Clyde. The latter would join a year later but amateur club Queen’s Park, who were the oldest organised club in Scotland and had played a key role in the development of the game, were opposed to the league because it would lead to professionalism and eliminate many of the smaller clubs and if the truth be told remove their influence on the game.
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was inaugurated on 30 April 1890 with future Celtic Vice-President and Chairman John H. McLaughlin (the Peter Lawwell of his day) on being recognised as one of the prime movers of the League head hunted by the management team; this included a certain baillie ure-primrose, as Secretary.
Of the 11 clubs involved only 2, us and the jambos, remain in the top league, while Dumbarton and St Mirren are in the Championship with the Vale of Leven in the juniors. The rest are deid.
Edinburgh club St Bernard’s who were involved in the early discussions on forming the SFL were not invited and were actually expelled by them from membership for concealed professionalism. However, they soon found a way around this and the members immediately formed another club called “Edinburgh Saints” and arranged to play a friendly against the Renton.
The SFA, who were to retain its supremacy over football in Scotland, refused permission for the match to proceed, and rightly so, but the clubs went ahead regardless. This challenged the authority of the SFA, who expelled the two clubs from membership and suspended their players for the rest of the 1890–91 season, KEEP THIS IN MIND!!!!
We are talking about Renton here who initially sent out the call for the formation of the SPL and who 2 years earlier were World Champions and supplied us with two of our initial team, captain James Kelly and first goalscorer Neilly McCallum.
Renton only played one game in the first season of the SFL, it was a surprising 4-1 away win over the up and coming east end club, however, as stated above this result was voided.
Our next game, officially our first in the SFL, was through in Edinburgh where we defeated the home jambo side comfortably 5-0, however, it was determined that our goalie Bell who was signed after the loss the week before when we had international wing half James McLaren, a member of the great Hibbees Scottish Cup winning side of 1887 in goal, he would revert back tae his original left half position for this game, was deemed ineligible as his clearance was not as yet completed a fortnight after his last match at his previous club Dumbarton, must have been a lost pigeon as opposed tae a faulty fax machine 106 years later. THE SFA AGAIN BACK THEN.
Although it was only 2 points for a win we were deducted 4, even with the mhan that coined the phrase “Paradise” as the Secretary of the SFL, however so were 3rd LRV and Cowlairs for the same reason, RULES ARE RULES!!!!, the latter as a result finished bottom of the League and as there was no relegation, re-election to compete in the League for the next season was required, they failed. Now this was an SFL ruling and not the SFA.
It should be noted here that although we were deducted 4 points we were still allowed to keep our goals scored and the points weren’t awarded to the opposition.
One consolation that inaugural season is that even though we had finished 6 points behind joint winners Dumbarton and deidco, meaning our 4 point deduction was now irrelevant, we had the pleasure of defeating the latter away 2-1 in the penultimate game thus ensuring they would only share the title, after a drawn play-off, with the Super Sons even though the Rock had a superior goal difference, that didn’t come into play until the following season, so much for going for 55.
Scottish football was anti-Celtic until 1920 at least as a result of the hostility felt by the SFA on our involvement and running of the SFL, we as a “Johnny” or should I say “Seannie Come Lately” came to the forefront, at the request of the other clubs including a wee Kinning Park based one as a result of our board’s professional expertise, of the game.
This continued especially when the one eyed widow’s sons took over at Govan, and on through the years culminating in the staffing of the games ruling bodies and the assistance of the smsm by the mendacious and narcissistic Ayrshire rag and bone man.
Forget about Livi, Dundee Utd, Spartans etc who have all been punished in some form by the SFA, take at look at St Bernards who at one time were as powerful in Edinburgh as both Hibs and Hearts and were one of the initial proponents of the SFL after they appealed their suspension and allowed tae join the SFL they were never the same again
Similarly World Champions Renton who as a result of the suspension lost their captain Andrew Hannah who moved to and starred in Everton’s 1891 championship team and on the split in the Toffee ranks which resulted in the formation of Liverpool FC joined the Anfield club along with 4 other members of that all conquering Tontine Park side who incidentally are joint holders of the record breaking 6-1 SC Final score along with that plucky wee team who they met in the first SFL game. Both James Kelly and Neilly McCallum played in that 1888 final 3 months before turning out in our opening game with the latter scoring in both.
Both sides were expelled from the game for “BREAKING THE RULES”. Both are now lost to the game.
Then there was us, 3rd LRV founder members of the SFA and Cowlairs founded in 1876 who actually participated in the FA Cup. All 3 were deducted points for allegedly “BREAKING THE RULES”; in fact as stated above the latter was also denied re-election to the SPL.
Of the 5 clubs mentioned who suffered punishment we are the only one still playing and have been there ever since no matter how hard they tried to undermine us.
In 1988 another “Johnny Come Lately” arrived on the scene and within a couple of years tried tae form his own League. He had the colours and emblem already chosen as he approached all the other major clubs to break away from the SFL and join him, he required 100% approval though, he almost got there until one club saw through this ruse for personal gain, the same club that was approached around 100 years previous to form the existing professional body that ran the League and stated this as there rationale for refusing to destroy a viable concern that produced some of the best teams and players in Scottish football history .
As a result it all fell through and at the time I thought “we’ll pay for this”, we nearly did almost a year later when with the backing of his “brithers” at the bank we almost went to the wall for a debt of 5.2 million while the same bank 6 years earlier had given this individual, who had previously been hunted by the board of Ayr United FC as untrustworthy (no wonder they call them the Honest Men), 6 million to buy the club he eventually destroyed.
However, they underestimated the faithful through and through including a wee mhan fae Croy and another fae Mayo who ensured our club will never die.
3rd LRV who would later be renamed Third Lanark continued and were one of our top clubs until an unprincipled board in 1967, when Scottish club football was at the height of its power three days after we had qualified for the final of the European Cup, a week previous deidco had won through to the Cup-Winners Cup final and Kilmarnock were about to take on the mighty Leeds United in the Fair Cities Cup semi-final, drove the club into liquidation with debts of £40,000, around £500,000 today, a trifling sum even then.
A subsequent Board of Trade enquiry described the disastrous operation under their Chairman as an “inefficient and unscrupulous one-man business”. Four fellow directors were convicted of breaches of the Companies Acts and fined; the major culprit’s death in November 1967 prevented the Chairman being the fifth.
And yet less than 5 miles away another one man show operation that has also seen another club driven into liquidation has seen the culprit knighted and no custodial sentences for his partners in crime.
Breaking the rules and yet as lifelong Jags supporter Ian Archer once said “As a Scottish Football club they are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace, this country would be a better place if they did not exist”, they still do and are even accommodated for doing so.
Scottish football once a threat in Europe and not that long ago, well pre 1988, is 3rd world now and rapidly descending.
So there we have it, a precedent has been set over 100 years before badergate. The old SFL and NOT the SFA punished the clubs for playing unregistered players by invoking a points deduction.
Why is this not possible now with deidco, or are the Speculative Society and Ayrshire’s Harold Steptoe to powerful for the tenants at hunden park and the rest of the game or does the latter have the proverbial photies.
We as a club were at the forefront of the working man’s game and helped rescue it from the amateurish body of middle class gentleman at the SFA; we also helped stop it falling into the hands of a deceitful charlatan, no matter how hard he tried, and we now have the opportunity to restore this wee country of around 5.4 million that has given the world so much in engineering, science, culture and sport to its place once again in the people’s game, if only we could shed it of its “billy or a dan or an oul tin can” mentality.
Leonard Skinner is the only teacher of PE known to have had a rock band named after him.
It is unrecorded whether he preferred a Les Paul or SG.
Sevco’s Accounts
Wee Bobby, DBBIA.
Many thanks for the info re Hazel. These Chinese whispers what are they like?
HH
Firstly, Happy Birthday to Celtic and during these giddy times of being a Celtic supporter, it’s good that Paul pointed out why all started int he first place! Sobering thought!
Secondly, looking for some advice on where to watch the LC Final on the 26th in Benalmadena? Some of the Dresden CSC will be getting some sun before the Siberian winter visits eastern Germany!!
Thanks in advance.
BSR
Ian Crockashit. Can never remember him having a good word to say about us. Yet when the “different shite” scores the decibels are so high only dogs (or zombies) can hear him. An unusual occurrence thankfully. Dreadful excuse for a commentator.
BT ChrissuttonCsc
Ps
Tontine
Yet another masterpiece
HH
Dresdencsc Auldheid is your mhan for info, I believe the John Lemmon pud is the place to watch our games in that neck of the woods. HH Hebbcelt
TWC.
No problems with ads at the moment using an android device.
Cheers.
Fantastic stuff Tontine Tim, thank you – excellent reading.
Tontine Tim – Thank- you
Les Paul
DBBIA@2.48
Genuine lol moment there.
Thank you and HH
Word of The Day
contumacious /ˌkɒntjʊˈmeɪʃəs/
adjective
1. stubbornly resistant to authority
2. stubbornly perverse or rebellious
3. wilfully and obstinately disobedient.
Word Origin and History for contumacious
adj.
c.1600, from Latin contumaci, stem of contumax “haughty, insolent, obstinate” (see contumely ) + -ous.
KTF
Hebbcelt
Thanks for that and John Lemon pub it is :-)
A very Hoopy birthday to the mighty Celts!
HH
Just a wee reminder to al that on the 130th anniversary dreary of the Founding of Celtic Football Club, this will be celebrated by the Brother Walfrid Mass in St Mary’s tonight at 7:00PM.
It would be fantastic to have a few CQN’ers in attendance.
If you can manage along, say hello: I’m the one wi’ the beard!
KTF
Great Tits
Paul67 et al
Yeh that’s right Paul, Stein was struggling, the joie de vivre beginning to fade…..
Is that some kind of magic realism you’re talking, or should that be taking?
Celtic break Willy Maley’s six in a row, win the the Scottish Cup 6-1, (with four Lions on the pitch and one on the bench), in the final and reach the European Cup semi-final. Players like Murdoch, Johnstone, Connelly, Macari and Dalglish on the pitch at Hampden, and players like McGrain, Hay, Quinn and Hood off it, not much joie de vivre was there?
I guess you had to be there.
VFR800…I thought all the apostles had beards… :-)
BSR…how many expected to see Christina…?
There are currently 15 recognised subspecies of great tit
‘One explanation for the great tit’s wide [vocal] repertoire is the Beau Geste theory. The eponymous hero of the novel propped dead soldiers against the battlements to give the impression that his fort was better defended than was really the case. Similarly, the multiplicity of calls gives the impression that the tit’s territory is more densely occupied than it actually is. Whether the theory is correct or not, those birds with large vocabularies are socially dominant and breed more successfully’
-from Wiki/EWLM/EWTB
Ole Michael Michael “Beau” Geste left Englandshire in disgrace to join the infamous French Foreign Legion, by the time he got there he’d morphed in Gary Cooper.
TONTINE TIM on 6TH NOVEMBER 2017 1:59 PM,
Cracking Post,
Little Addendum – The Three Parishes were St Michael’s, Sacred Heart & St Mary’s and, St Michael’s Hall was booked, Sacred Heart didn’t have one so, the Meeting was held in St Mary’s.
NotalotofpeopleknowthatCSC
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 6TH NOVEMBER 2017 3:15 PM
Not all actually; St John and St Matthew are oft depicted clean-shaven.
Mines, I am informed, is in the ilk of St Peter!
KTF
Watched the highlights of Saturday earlier today.
It is tempting fate but I genuinely wonder how long this run could go on. Even if we drop the unbeaten record..we don’t look like losing the league any time soon. I say this about Celtic in its current form and composition. What must be disheartening for other teams and especially Huns is that this current team is not the benchmark for next season..or the season after. This team will improve, both individuals currently playing and by attracting and recruiting better players.
We have a fair kitty that allows us to deflect interest and self only at daft prices should we choose. Also the longer we sustain entry to CL not only does it increase our war chest but it makes recruitment easier presumably.
Does it get any better?
Large Vocabularies
Yes, that’s all very well but don’t judge a book by the cover….
TheFourFeathersCSC
It’s been one of those days at work when you hear that cup final tickets are on sale, but you cannot get away for the eight minutes you know the call to the ticket line will take (at 13p a minute, an aw!)
So you finally get through, to find that the only tickets available are:
A) In the very front worms-eye-view rows
Or
B) Next to the opposition supporters
Or
C) and I still can’t believe this, in the middle of the Celtic end.
I’ll have two in the middle of the Celtic end, madam, and thank you for making my day a good one.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 6TH NOVEMBER 2017 3:18 PM
BSR…how many expected to see Christina…?
Emmmmmmmmmm……
Bada…that’s two then…
CALTONTONGUES,
I never knew the original St Michael’s had a Hall, unless it was the building we called “The Hall” which was where we went after infant school in Elba Lane. Thinking about it, it may well have been, as it was across the street from Chapel and the rest of the school.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 6TH NOVEMBER 2017 4:20 PM
Only from what I was told, I’m not that old:-)))