Celtic’s primary job tonight is to defend properly, something we have singularly failed to do this season to anything like the levels achieved last term. This is not solely to do with the defence, and has nothing to do with the goalkeeper (who missed the Legia debacle), but is a function of the entire team.
Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen have the primary job of protecting the back four but most importantly, whoever plays wide midfield, has to partner with the corresponding full back. The full back positions have not been stable recently. Emilio looked to be back to his best at the weekend, but his form since returning from the World Cup has been erratic. We’ve had Efe Ambrose, Adam Matthews and Mikael Lustig at right back, leaving Callum McGregor little chance to establish a working relationship.
We have the speed, and Salzburg have the defensive record, to suggest we can score on the break, but focus should be on ensuring this is not an open, fluid, game of football.
The day has come
This is a unique time in our history and a CQN’er and academic has prepared a survey to record who we are, where we came from, our views and how closely our objectives align with the Club. You will be asked about the Referendum, faith, education, your heritage, the Offensive Behaviour Act and more, but you’ll be finished in around 5 minutes.
The objective is to identify why you support Celtic and whether these reasons are being recognised and served. You don’t sign up for anything, but the survey will record only your first visit. You’ll find it here.
I’ve never waved a blue and white – nor red, white and blue – flag in my life. Nationalism holds nothing for me, so I’ve found the political question of our time to be a difficult, technical, assessment, principally about jobs – Scotland’s real need.
This time tomorrow we will know the verdict and whether it’s Yes or No, we will come together behind green and white flags once more. In the event the polls are accurate, and No wins an unconvincing victory, use your voice in as many places you can, and let the chastened UK powers now that if they have any intention of Nation Building, they must use their influence to stop the exclusion of Scottish clubs from the dominant England-and-Wales football market.
Many people in Scotland feel culturally and economically excluded by this England-and-Wales legally permissible cartel. It suits the regions of England, it suits Wales, but it costs jobs and income in Scotland, is unjust and must end.
Allowing Scottish clubs to enter this market would bring tens of millions of £s into the east end of Glasgow every year. It would also establish emotional and cultural ties among groups in society who feel disenfranchised, and who the Westminster parties seem to have lost. In political terms, reaching out to football is a no-brainer.
Nation building is part art, part science, but it doesn’t work if you exclude people on what they hold dear.
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Rwe
The Gael Caliphate?
Snogged her. S4 Christmas disco. Bought her a nik Kershaw album.
Then she dumped me….
I won’t let the sun go down on me CSC……
….and can’t believe it’s only this moment I see the potential for innuendo in that lyric. I was very naive!
HH jamesgang
The biggest #YES! of the day has come from the Eurochamps household this afternoon.
Great news. Delighted for you big fellow.
T
Have helluva a lot of respect for Murray. Brave decision that completely flies in the face of his commercial viability in England, not to mention the personal abuse he’s being put under. And to think Cameron name dropped him in his speech to keep the UK :))
corkcelt
14:54 on 18 September, 2014
Jeepers, Just seen some of the abuse Andy Murray is getting on Twitter, genuinely shocking and unprintable. Really hope Plod picks up some of those on-line lunatics.
The No camp misbehaving? No that can’t be; not like them at all.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
A point over there would be a great result, I watched them a few times last season, decent outfit with players to hurt any kind of slackness or lack of concentration!
Mon the Hoops..
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon ….The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
14:42 on
18 September, 2014
On a serious note,
I’m, afraid as as an Irishman, I am unable to vote today. However, I am fascinated by the whole thing.
Let me say, when I first went to Scotland many years ago, it was simply to support Celtic, the team I had followed since I was a boy in the 60’s.
In my innocence, I did not realise just how huge the “Irish” connection was. It was amazing to hear 50,000 people singing Sean South (who I believe was no fan of the “foreign sport”) at a football match ! The pubs that night in the East End were wall to wall rebel songs.
Anyway, over the years my friends and I made long and endearing friendships with many, many Scottish Celts, of all political persuasions.
At that time the idea of an independent Scotland was anathema to most of them, as the union was considered the only chance of stopping total anti Catholic discrimination.
Although I would have favored independence, I took on board their fears, never having lived in such a situation.
As time went by, I noticed how some had changed and now believed that the further north from London one was, the bigger the unemployment, the worse the education and health services.
I have followed the debates and am still not sure of all the answers,but !
I think it is grossly insulting to Scots to say that they would be unable to make it as a single nation.
In Ireland, there is no doubt that an independent Scotland would be a serious competitor for inward investment from multi nationals, but we could become firm comrades in Europe.
I know I would vote Yes, and I have no doubt whatsoever that Scotland would be a huge success as an independent country, but, I think the No’s will win.
As in the Australian referendum on becoming a Republic, the powers that be, the establishment, the funny hand shakers, will use all methods, particularly miss-information in the media, to insure the status quo remains. Think Sevco.
On why a case for a UK League will look attractive to a better together cause from the political angle.
1. Scottish football is in industry in decline because it operates on a small customer base in wage competition with a larger neighbour who has marketed it’s football incredibly well to the rest of the world.
2. Football does play an important part in the warp and woof of the fabric of society.
3. Add the tartan thread to that warp and woof and you bring that society closer than ever.
4. Reverse the downward cycle in Scottish football by enriching not impoverish in clubs.
5. Show the country as a whole that you are determined to work on unfairness that better together cannot countenance if it believes what it says.
6. Get folk thinking better together ( which is why I’m using lower case to denote a mindset not a poltical platform) because of the positive evidence of what it can bring not what might be lost.
From a political angle, if you really want a United Kingdom, it’s a no brainer.
Madra Rua
The KKK was not born an anti-catholic unit but anti-catholicism undoubtedly evolved quickly. They remain a primarily anti-black organisation with strong traces of anti-semitism but with reduced emphasis on anti-catholicism nowadays. they pride themselves on their Gaelic and Scots-Irish ancestry and invented most of their traditions from Sir Walter Scott’s mythologies of the Highlands.
The confederacy was never anti-catholic. Pierre Beauregard became a general within it as did Longstreet, who converted. It was a Catholic priest who mediated with Sherman on behalf of Atlanta’s citizens. The anti-catholic Know Nothing/Nativist movement was just as strong in the North as the South. Catholics rioted against the Republican Party’s “Rich Man’s War: Poor Man’s fight” strategy and killed many Black Americans in their riot.
The interface with religion, Gaeldom (which now includes a large majority of Wee Frees) and politics is complex. It cannot be reduced to a Jacobite re-writing of history.
Pedro I felt very bad for letting ACGR down again. But life is conspiring against me. I had a very specific reason why I didnt contact him via the means I had. Lets just say my regularly absence from home is causing some stife at home……..
TBB
What’s the news re Eurochamps please.
It sure sounds good!
TBB
If that is what I think it is then that is the best news of today.
Well Done, Eurochamps, Big Fella!
If anyone deserves a celebration today, then you do.
Fair cheered me up that has.
Sorry, none of my business.
Good luck anyway Eurochamps!
Nae idea what the deal is with euro champs.
But if Tbb & Sftb says it’s good it must be.
Well done!!
Cillian Sheridan playing for Apoel of Nicosia in the Champions League last night.. Did well to hold Barcelona to a solitary goal in the the Nou Camp. The former Celt notched up four goals in the qualifiers. Interesting that Portugal have two sides, Porto and Sporting Lisbon in the group stages both of whom lose most of their best players in the transfer market but always seem to rebuild in quick time to reach the Champions League every season probably due to their easy access to the South American market.
Before we worry about Celtic moving to England why does Scottish football not sort itself out we have to many clubs for the size of our population.Amalgamate many of the clubs to allow them to have a decent area to draw support from. We should also have a maximum of 3 leagues resell a new football package to TV to many small time and small thinking chairman are stopping progress and they have to be compensated to allow them to walk away.H.H.
I hope all you guys who have been on here awe day hiv bin postin’ fae yer hooses.
And not your places of employment.
Unless you work for yourself, like me.
gitoanwiyerwurkcsc
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
15:08 on
18 September, 2014
I was writing somewhat tongue in cheek, mo chara.
And I think you will find that I did not labour on the anti Catholic side of the Confederacy. Nonetheless, the KKK and the Knights of the White Camelia were modeled on the orange order, who instilled an anti catholic slant to it.
There is little doubt that there was virtually no support for the Union in it’s fight to free slaves, by the Irish Catholics in Boston and New York. The riots in New York showed a brutality against free blacks by some Irish, that is still not forgotten.
jamesgang
Whisper it… but I liked Nik Kershaw’s music, when I was a Wide Bhoy.
Now watching him was like listening to the The Riddle.
Wouldn’t it be Good (to win today) CSC
I have a mate who lives in Troon, supports Arbroath and never misses a home game.
It’s a vocation.
SFTB
Ernie stated to me in a previous debate a couple of months ago that he resided somewhere around London as a basis for a discussion we had at the time.
You can believe that or disbelieve it. I don’t particularly care as I have no reason to lie.
Hence my constant jibes at huis residential status.
I don’t particulary care that my jibes are pissing you or anyone else off either.
I happy in the knowledge that he will change his status dependant on a debate with a view to enforcing his position. In other words – lie for greater effect.
I don’t particularly care where he stays or whether he has a vote. However when he states one place of residence as being close to London, to me directly previously, and then goes on to have a go at Irvine Welsh for having an opinion different to his own because Welsh is not a resident of Scotland, at the same time stating to me again he has a new residency from that he previously detailed he can only be responsible for the, in the main, humourous jibes at his expense. I’m sure he is capable of dealing with them.
MWD said AYE
Jfh,
Great idea. And when we’ve finished joining up wee clubs we can join ourselves with Sevco. Make a super duper Glasgow club ;)
I agree that there are too many senior clubs for the size of population but I don’t fancy any more of them disappearing.
Rwe
The Gael Caliphate?
Mmmm, maybe, but only if there is a return to Druidism and Brehon laws
and of course plenty of drunken naked dancing around the oul Stone Circles.
Philboy
Its unfortunate that one of us on here is the result of downsizing ;-))
keepinthehedupCSC
SFTB- round the corner from the hotel we stayed in in Nashville [ ‘the Protestant Vatican’] is the Catholic church which was used as a field hospital by the ole Confederates during the ole war between the states.
In the US election which A.Lincoln won, before war broke out, there were parties standing on both sides of the ole Mason-Dixon Line on an anti-Catholic ticket.
bamboo
14:49 on
18 September, 2014
OK, but only the Picts.
MWD
We will never know if Ernie is big enough and ugly enough to fight his own battles as noone has ever seen him/her/it.
Hope you and yours are good my friend!
Hopefully this one passes the censor, if not, my apologies ;
If Scotland gains its independence in the forthcoming referendum, the remainder of the United Kingdom will be known as the “Former United Kingdom” ….or FUK .
In a bid to discourage the Scots from voting ‘YES’ in the referendum, the Government have now begun to campaign with the slogan “Vote NO, for FUK’s sake”
They feel the Scottish voters will be able to relate to this
Great programme on BBC4 at the weekend on Chas and Dave probably my favourite Englishmen and two brilliant musicians.
Or ” goes a joab ”
yosserhughesCSC
Evening News @edinburghpaper 35m
Turnout so far close to 80 per cent. Polling station in Muirhouse ‘exceeding its 2010 turnout by 9.30 this morning’
I voted around 7.45 am this morning, i know the lady who is in charge of my local polling station, large queue at door for opening at 7am, the polling station had been consistently busy since opening, whilst i voted everyone was civilised, despite MSM reports
Predictions for 80% + turnout are going to be accurate
*gies
slipothetongueCSC
Geordie Munro.As I see it its the way to bring some element of competition into the Scottish game. I would also limit the number of foreign players each club is allowed to three in order to give young Scots a better chance to progress.There has to be some sort of change or I genuinely believe that within 5 years Celtic will be playing in front of 20,000 at Parkhead.H.H.
There has been a concerted effort on the part of the Better Together campaign to characterise the Yes movement as aggressive, hostile and threatening: The stereotypical Nasty Nat stuff that Ernie’s been peddling here for 3 years.
You can see this on here with some of the folk trying to extrapolate group behaviour from individual boorishness.
Equally, there are inevitably folk who have misbehaved and who have given material to the opposite side of the debate.
You can see that here too.
My experience of this campaign is almost entirely a positive one at a personal level. I’ve agreed and disagreed with folk, sympathised, gurned sometimes and laughed more.
In terms of violence, there has to my knowledge been two incident: One where a SDL speaker kicked a pregnant #Yes supporter in the stomach; and one where a pavement creever drawing a Yes motif was kicked in the face.
Of course, poor Jim Murphy had an egg cracked on his shoulder, costing him £2.50 in 1 hour dry cleaning, but gaining him more political capital than any omelette had any right to.
More recently, politicians taking to the streets have been shouted down, Ed Miliband this week for example.
Folk have maybe forgotten what street campaigning is all about, both campaigners and public, but to characterise such heckling as anything other than within normal expectation is to exaggerate its nature.
I made up my mind to vote #Yes over the course of the summer, and this crystallised when comparing the messages and tones of voice of each campaign recently.
Whereas Better Together literature almost exclusively concentrated around warnings, risks, threats, the lower orders of the human psyche, the Yes material was overwhelmingly positive, forward looking, aspirational.
Yes were saying: “What can we become”
While the No message was “What will become of us”.
I was drawn to the positive, aspirational message as opposed to the safety and security of Better Together.
I have though, as many have, noticed that not all folk supporting Yes express this view as concisely as perhaps we would like, and I’ve been aghast at some of the name calling, particularly the stuff that comes wrapped in faux-nationalism. Words like “traitor” and “quisling” have been used to describe folk who were doing no more than represent a valid point of view, one perhaps that will win the day.
My view is that these people either don’t understand the social movement for Yes, or simply don’t have the experience to rationalise and articulate it. The referendum is no more about Wallace and the Declaration of Arbroath than it is about fly in the air, or midge for that matter.
Above all though, the thing that most disturbed me during the past 2 or 3 weeks was not the actions – innocent or malevolent – of individuals, it was the mobilisation of the entire UK apparatus to defeat a social movement, culminating (for me) in the hijacking of the BBC last weekend.
Individuals are apt to stupidity and sometimes offence, but public services are for the public at large, created to serve the interests of the UK as a whole, not one, small, powerful and corrupt part of it.
If I have given offence to any of you wonderful CQNers during my infrequent posts on the referendum, I apologise wholeheartedly.
I’m not sure much offence could be taken from my few words on the topic in any event, but I prefer beers to tears, so pints are on me regardless of the outcome.
to sign off: When you see the turnout, when you grasp the scale of what has happened here in Scotland over the summer, and you consider that there has not been a single incident of street unrest, you will come to see the campaign in a different light.
People are talking about Scotland as an example to Democracy the world over.
Whether Yes or No, Scotland has won.
TBB
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
FreudianCSC
Just scrolled back on the Ernie Lynch soap opera blog
Will tune into next episode later, difficult to keep up with it though so many episodes
Auldheid,
The best chance for improving the lot of Scottish football lies with the “YES” vote.
The English league structure is and will remain impervious to any pleas from Scotland or Scottish teams.
That route is CLOSED. It surely is. Regardless of the result of the referendum.
Government interference in football under any guise won’t be tolerated by FIFA.
However, in-country control of television media could be used to leverage better TV deals.
Celtic’s away record in Europe is appalling.
I’d take a draw of any description tonight.
But reallistically, to progress from the group we’ll need to win at least one of our away matches.
Several times over the last few weeks, various CQNers have posted the thought that, no matter the outcome of the referendum, we will all wake up still Celtic supporters on the 19th.
Such a pity Neganon2 has blown that right out of the water.
MWD
Fair enough.
I am of no doubt that ernie is big enough and rude enough to respond.
I still fear that he gets most of this for a No voting position and that someone from a Yes background who had lied, if they did, about their residential status, would get a lot less hassle.
DBBIA
Agree on the anti-catholicism always being there. The place was founded by them.
Was Nashville worth a visit? I thought Austin was the happening music scene now. Of course, the greatest C & W exponent was born in England and lives in California, Mr. Albert Lee.