The gift of focus for Ajax

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The last minute goal fell Celtic’s way at the weekend but Wednesday’s opponents, Ajax, were on the receiving end of the sucker punch, losing to a last minute goal at home to Vitesse, just a week after a goalless draw at home to joint bottom Waalwijk.  The Dutch champion’s only win in their last five games was at home to lower league opposition six days ago.

So what does this mean for Celtic?  It means Ajax have found various ways not to approach the Celtic game.  The last thing teams need ahead of a crucial game is an easy or flattering result, far better to show up your mistakes.

If Celtic take the lead, we might find Ajax confidence sinks rapidly, but they will approach the game full of focus, dangerous and with a point to prove.

It’s Christmas time…….

The Celtic FC Foundation (new name for Celtic Charity) Christmas Appeal has been launched.  The 125 Anniversary activities have considerably reenergised the Celtic Movement in getting back to where is all started – looking after those in need.

The Christmas Appeal aims to provide 150 local families who would otherwise go without, a Christmas meal, with gifts for younger kids.

The Celtic support will be helping people through Glasgow East Women’s Aid, Spirit Aid, the Glasgow Simon Community, Loaves and Fishes, The Wayside Club, Glasgow City Mission and Lodging House Mission.

Details of how to help online, and in person, are available here.

Offensive Behaviour Act

Scottish Parliament Justice Committee convenor, Christine Grahame, has agreed to discuss an Early Review of the Act on the agenda for tomorrow’s Justice Committee meeting.  Three members of the Committee are already committed to a Review, details on how to contact others on the committee – it has to be today, they meet tomorrow – are available here, on the Trust website.
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695 Comments

  1. Good Morning Timland.

     

     

    Off tae work……..good luck to all the tim’s travelling to the

     

    Dam,could you please bring back 3 point’s…..oh and nae

     

    hun draw today please.

  2. Good morning friends from a dry, cold and frosty East Kilbride.

     

     

    Good luck and safe journey to all of our travelling support. One more sleep ;-)

  3. twists n turns –

     

     

    Interesting reading the wisdom of Van der Sar.

     

     

    Whenever I think of him I smile as I recall the story of a confrontation between Sir Alex and Van der Sar in the away dressing room at Celtic Park after Celtic’s famous victory in the Champions League. Nakamura scored direct from free kicks in both encounters and Sir Alex said, “Are you buyin that wee Jap’s video at the end of the season?”

     

     

    “What do you mean?” said the puzzled Dutch keeper.

     

     

    “Ye feckin might as well,” said Sir Alex. “You’re in it twice!”

  4. channelislandcelt wee oscar has done it before and he'll do it again on

    Morning .

     

     

    Off to the Dam !

     

     

    Gonna try and catch Youth game later .

     

     

    Hope you all enjoy the match tomorrow .

     

     

    HH

  5. Summa of Sammi –

     

     

    Did you know big Chris is getting married?

     

     

    My two sons – his cousins – are with him in Barcolona just now for his stag do.

     

     

    They’re planning on watching the Ajax v Celtic game in the Michael Collins pub.

  6. channelislandcelt wee oscar has done it before and he'll do it again on

    Tom McLaughlin

     

     

    Cheers Mate.

     

     

    HH

  7. .

     

     

    Tom..

     

     

    No..I Did Not..Ryan (His best mate)..has a Wee boy 4 Month old..

     

     

    Cant believe that is the 2 of them Settling Down..Great..

     

     

    Tell him l will see Him in February..

     

     

    001

  8. Summa

     

     

    From the Celtic website

     

     

     

     

    Celtic has received 2600 tickets for this fixture. Celtic supporters are located in sectors 415,416 and 417 accessed via Entrance ‘K’ (Upper).

     

     

    The away turnstiles will open 2 hours prior to kick-off and Celtic fans are asked to arrive early.

     

     

    Ticket checks will be in place near the turnstiles and after this fans will be subject to search prior to entering the stadium.

     

     

    Parking for visiting support is available in area ‘Parking 2’ This is as short walk from the stadium and the metro station.

     

     

    Please do not travel to Amsterdam ArenA unless you have a ticket for this fixture in the area allocated to the Celtic support.

     

     

    Celtic fans in possession of a ticket for the home area of the stadium will not be permitted access to the ground.

     

     

    Fans are asked to carry identification with them as this may form part of checks prior to entering the ground.

     

     

    Fans will be held within the ground for a short period of time after the match.

     

     

    HH

  9. Morning, Not going down this road again…

     

     

    Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic are

     

    interested in signing Beijing Guoan midfielder

     

    Zhang Xizhe, according to Xinhua news agency

     

    reporter Zheng Daojin.

     

    Celtic currently have a delegation in China working

     

    on deals to capitalise on the club’s recent

     

    Champions League successes, as reported by the

     

    Daily Telegraph earlier this week.

     

    However, Zheng reports that the club’s chief

     

    executive Peter Lawwell confirmed that Celtic were

     

    at Beijing’s season finale encounter with Qingdao

     

    Jonoon on Sunday afternoon with the intention of

     

    intensively scouting Zhang—as they look to

     

    consolidate their plans in the country with the

     

    signing of a Chinese star.

     

    Zhang, 22, has forced his way into the country’s

     

    national team over the past year and is regarded

     

    as one of the few current Chinese players capable

     

    of making a real mark on European football.

     

    Indeed, there has been a growing sense in recent

     

    months that it will be difficult for Guoan to retain

     

    the youngster, who provided 11 goals this season

     

    and topped the Super League charts for assists

     

    with 12, appearing in all 30 league matches for

     

    the capital side.

     

    Reports have suggested that the attacking

     

    midfielder, who is often used from the left for his

     

    country, is keen to go abroad and that his

     

    contract will expire in December 2014, meaning

     

    Beijing may look to sell this winter.

     

    While Chinese players have a mixed record of

     

    success in Europe, Celtic have previously

     

    benefitted from the presence of several East Asian

     

    players—with Shunsuke Nakamura the most

     

    prominent.

     

    The club also briefly played host to China captain

     

    Zheng Zhi, before his return to Guangzhou

     

    Evergrande, and central defender Du Wei, who

     

    spent a year on loan with the Parkhead side in

     

    2005-06, although he failed to appear for the club

  10. A Chinese take away?

     

     

    Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic are interested in signing Beijing Guoan midfielder Zhang Xizhe, according to Xinhua news agency reporter Zheng Daojin.

     

     

    Celtic currently have a delegation in China working on deals to capitalise on the club’s recent Champions League successes, as reported by the Daily Telegraph earlier this week.

     

     

    However, Zheng reports that the club’s chief executive Peter Lawwell confirmed that Celtic were at Beijing’s season finale encounter with Qingdao Jonoon on Sunday afternoon with the intention of intensively scouting Zhang—as they look to consolidate their plans in the country with the signing of a Chinese star.

     

     

    Zhang, 22, has forced his way into the country’s national team over the past year and is regarded as one of the few current Chinese players capable of making a real mark on European football.

     

     

    Indeed, there has been a growing sense in recent months that it will be difficult for Guoan to retain the youngster, who provided 11 goals this season and topped the Super League charts for assists with 12, appearing in all 30 league matches for the capital side.

     

     

    Reports have suggested that the attacking midfielder, who is often used from the left for his country, is keen to go abroad and that his contract will expire in December 2014, meaning Beijing may look to sell this winter.

     

     

    While Chinese players have a mixed record of success in Europe, Celtic have previously benefitted from the presence of several East Asian players—with Shunsuke Nakamura the most prominent.

     

     

    The club also briefly played host to China captain Zheng Zhi, before his return to Guangzhou Evergrande, and central defender Du Wei, who spent a year on loan with the Parkhead side in 2005-06, although he failed to appear for the club.

  11. tomtheleedstim on

    Quick question for the well travelled amongst you. I phoned an hotel in Amsterdam last night but was told it was fully booked.

     

    Then a few hours ago I managed to book a room there via lastminute.com (been up all feckin night!!)

     

    I have confirmation from lastminute but don’t want to turn today to be told there’s no room at the inn.

     

    Any reason to think my booking is on wobbly ground?

     

    Thanks in advance.

     

    P.s. Any meeting points tonight from CQNrs?

  12. Favourite Uncle

     

     

    Sacred Heart chapel was attached to the Primary School which was partly in Reid street. Two parts to the school. Infants 5-7 and 7-12. The chapel was in Old Dalmarnock Road

  13. tomtheleedstim

     

    07:43 on 5 November, 2013

     

    ————————————–

     

    Accommodation in Amsterdam has been at a premium for weeks now but if you have booked with lastminute.com your booking should be fine. I don’t know where everybody is meeting but I have found a wee Irish bar 5 minutes walk from my hotel called Cafe Hoopman ;-)

  14. Alasdair MacLean on

    Best wishes for Amsterdam – more than hope you come back with 3 points…… but perhaps the exertions will prove too much for being ready for Ross County in Dingwall at 12:45 on Saturday.

  15. A safe trip to everyone going to to the Dam,especially the Coatbridge bhoys sharing an overnight cabin on the ferry. Good luck with that. Hail Hail

  16. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    Looking forward to watching game on the telly tomorrow. Hope all travelling Tims have an excellent time in Amsterdam and bring back the points. Don’t get isolated and stay safe.

  17. tomtheleedstim on

    Pogmathonyahun – cheers mate,hope you’re right.

     

    Might see you in there later then!!

     

    HH

  18. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Malorbhoy.

     

    Why not the bar?

     

    Enjoy the trip all who are going..

  19. tomtheleedstim

     

    08:09 on 5 November, 2013

     

    —————————————–

     

    I had wee look last night there was still rooms available. It’s like everything else some people give it rave reviews others don’t it’ll be your bog standard Irish European pub. Safe journey.

     

    Got my CQN badge packed anyway.

  20. .

     

     

    tomtheleedstim

     

     

    Last minute.com probably pre purchase rooms or buy Cancelations..

     

     

    A few of the Bhoys are heading to Jam in the Dam tonight.. Think tickets still available..

     

     

    Summa

  21. tomtheleedstim

     

     

    I think how it works is that these sites have their own allocation of rooms,separate from the hotels. This works the same with flights as well the airline website may say no seats but third party handlers will show. You will be fine.Enjoy the trip.

  22. antipodean red on

    Kolncelt

     

     

    Are you the fellow that I met in Barney Vallely’s in Cologne last year when we watched the Aberdeen game at Pittodrie, I was in town with my bhoy and heading onto Leverkusen later that day.

     

     

    If you are, good luck in Amsterdam, if you are not then good luck in Amsterdam all the same!

     

     

    AR

  23. The Comfortable Collective on

    From the article in previous page “Du Wei, who spent a year on loan with the Parkhead side in 2005-06, although he failed to appear for the club.”

     

     

    (Don’t mention Clyde)

  24. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    Billy Bhoy 05 ..7.44.

     

     

    thanks for that info.i knew VIC D’S uncle from the GORBALS and i was wondering where the connection was.

  25. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    andy corr

     

    08:01 on

     

    5 November, 2013

     

    A safe trip to everyone going to to the Dam,especially the Coatbridge bhoys sharing an overnight cabin on the ferry. Good luck with that. Hail Hail

     

     

     

    are they travelling to hull today.?????