PT Barnum may have been right 150 years ago, but The Greatest Show on Earth these days gets underway this afternoon, despite the shameful corruption displayed by Fifa. By comparison, the Olympics is a sideshow. My first experience of the World Cup was watching Scotland play Zaire in 1974. For 20-odd years the tournament had participation value for Scotland, even if the joy of being there was short lived.
These days the joy is all about being a neutral football fan and soaking up the drama and brilliance from the game.
Statistically it is difficult to look past Brazil, who will benefit enormously from home advantage. European teams have never won the tournament in the Americans, where Brazil and Argentina have won every competition since Uruguay triumphed in the last time the tournament was held in Brazil 64 years ago.
Leo Time
Lionel Messi was, until recent times, the undisputed best player on the planet, but his position in the all-time greatest list is in considerable dispute. Ask an older Barcelona fan, who has watched Cruyff, Maradona Ronaldo and Messi all do their stuff at the Camp Nou, and they are likely to tell you Leo is by far the better player. His stats as a striker bear this out, but ask an Argentinean, and he’ll scarcely get a mention in the same breath as Diego. There is not even a debate that Messi is the greatest Argentine.
After giving a spectacular display of goal-scoring prowess in 1982, then 25-year-old Diego Maradona singlehandedly led Argentina to their second World Cup in 1986 and back to the final four years later. By Comparison, 26-year-old Messi has looked comparatively pedestrian in his two previous tournaments. He’ll be 30 by the time of the next tournament, which will be held in the completely different environment of Russia. If Messi is to be considered an all-time great, he needs to take Argentina to the final. If his career ends without an outstanding World Cup, he’ll slip somewhere between Eusabio and Cruyff in the list.
I’d like Belgium to win. Belgian clubs and FA go about their business correctly and brought a remarkable bounty of talent to Brazil. It’s always been easy to back Brazil but I’m still not over the Neymar thing. The guy is an abomination in the Brazil No. 10 shirt, a vastly over-rated charlatan. Anyone but Neymar, please.
Bertie Auld live chat, tomorrow, 1pm, on CQN. Be there.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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McLeod got the players a send off from Hampden, near sell out I think.
and then came Peru
and Iran
bloody hell
bournesouprecipe
@15:13 on 12 June, 2014
Well said mate
and andy cameron
beatbhoy
13:58 on 12 June, 2014
Gordon
Having said all that, Scotland should have beaten Brazil, (did i just type that?) and should certainly have scored at least one more goal against Zaire, which would have put us through.
Big chance missed that year. Cruyff wouldn’t have got a look-in with Davie Hay about!!
Beatbhoy,Gordon,
That must have been the worst Brazil team ever. As I recall they practically kicked Scotland off the park.
Their 1982 team however is one of the best teams I’ve ever seen.
Even if the cheating hordes are promoted, no amount of cheating will help them stop us.
Their time is over. Even during their cheating days they couldn’t get 10 in a row over the line – that went to the wire.
The new version have played Dundee United twice who have toyed with them, clocking up a 6-1 aggregate.
They may get into the Prem but our challenge will eventually come from Aberdeen, Dundee Utd, Hearts and Hibs(in Hibs case none of us may be alive to see it but they’re more likely than Sevco)
HH
Sheik yerbouti
I’ m one of the guys on here who refer to them as the same club, i have been called a few names necause of this , the will /have struggled from one crisis to another but they will be back , more vile , more triumphant and will come out of it stronger , once they are in the top league they will attract more sponsorship , anf when they play thier part in preventing us winning the league or denying us a champions league place i for one will be filled with hurt and rage that this has been allowed to happen so easily ( as in no real challenges from outwith their club , all just my opinion Brazil 2 – 1 ;))
One of the main problems for Scotland in 1978 was the omission through injury of a certain world class right back.
As Rod said in his world cup ditty Ole Ola “only wish we had Danny McGrain”
eddieinkirkmichael
15:14 on
12 June, 2014
Auldheid
14:00 on
While I have the greatest of respect for Phil according to what he’s been telling us Sevco should have been put into admin ages ago.
A sale and leaseback should also have been agreed by now, so forgive me if I take this with a little pinch of salt.
=====================
Based on known cash input Phil was pretty spot on. It was unknows, like the promised £2.5m loan that got their accounts passed or the £1.5M loan they still have to pay back that have kept administration at bay.
Such is their mind-set I would not be surprised if other undeclared income was helping out. I see Phil says the cost of the North American visit is not being met by The Rangers.
I think it is right to be sceptical but not because of what is known and on which predictions are based but because of the unknowns.
ziggydoc1
in terms of vintage the 74 Brazil team was Blue Nun…..in fact they weren’t even as good as the Blue Brazil.
I can imagine that miss haunted Billy Bremner for the rest of his days. The worst Scotland miss until Iwulemo (which will never be beaten)
Funny how Neymar gets singled out as if he’s an exceptional cheat. He’s simply par for the course in Brazilian football. Brazilians have been getting away with this kind of thing for years simply because most people are still hypnotised by the reputation of truly great Brazil sides of the past (esp 1958-70 and, to a lesser extent, 1982.)
The strong Brazilian influence on Portuguese football is also clearly apparent and while someone like Derlei could probably only have come from Brazil, Portugal is the perfect place for the likes of him to prosper.
Diving Deco is another one who’s typical of the Brazilian thinking that opponents are supposed to stand back and admire them rather challenge them for the ball.
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine and antipodean red…
It was indeed Brazil who suffered as a result of Peru’s 0-6 capitualtion to Argentina.
Yet more suspicious World Cup goings on in that Argentina knew before the game (Brazil having already played their match earlier)that a 4 goal margin of victory would eliminate Brazil.
And of course the Peruvian goalkeeper was actually an Argentinian.
twists n turns – I see there’s some money for Mr Maynard.
Reminder to any hoops in Mayo:
Packie Bonner is doing a Question and Answer session on Celtic and Ireland in Gielty’s, Dooagh, Achill at 10th tonight.
antipodean red
Still think Cubillas goal from the free kick that night was one of the most underated of the competition.Lets not forget Arie Hanns against Italy too.
10pm – bloody predictive text!
Geordie Munro 14:02 on 12 June, 2014
I didn’t jinx it by sticking any cash on. So, it may happen…
Gordon
It was well dodgy. In fairness they had some great performances that year, Kempes and Luque banged in all sorts of goals but it always left a bad taste in the mouth
Anyone got an inside track on what is happening with RD’s management team being appointed ??
Got echos of the Stewart Baxter about it
beatbhoy…
I Agree that Scotland should have beaten Brazil in 1974 however 9-0 was a very suspicious scoreline equalling the previous worst margin of defeat in the final stages (Hungary 9 South Korea 0).
Ziggydoc1…
Certainly not the best Brazil side in 1974 yet they still had Rivelino and Jairzinho in their team.
Phyllis Dietrichson
What price Mr Maynard now ?
bournesouprecipe
15:13 on
12 June, 2014
I do not fear the return of The Rangers on their own, without financial steroids they will not be a match unless our ST sales fall below theirs and paradoxically their return is likely to see an upsurge in ours to at least match.
However I do fear the bias of an unreconstructed SFA who place The Rangers survival above fair play (something btw that I hope Res12 will demonstrate beyond doubt) and that is one of the reasons the SFA and SPFL must be called out and reorganised.
Everything that took place between the SFA and SPL in relationship to ebt and side letter knowledge from 2000 needs to be exposed and the guilty in both organisations removed from office as well as the means they used to put their bias into action.
But first we need to expose the length and depth of their cheating not only in the use of ebts but in the deliberate avoidance of the consequences since ebts became public knowledge in Feb 2012.
An HMRC victory at the UTT would make this task a lot easier.
Auldheid
15:28 on
12 June, 2014
Quick question. When the auditors signed off on the accounts and their status as a going concern it was on the proviso of increased ST sales and prices. That is now clearly not on the cards.
Does that not matter now? Or could they be reported as not being a viable going concern anymore?
PP odds on Celtic playing in EPL or English Football league by 2020/2021 cut from 14/1 to 8/1…
10 in a row – 5/2
hmmm
HH
In 1978 I was one of many who looked forward to Scotland’s appearance in the World Cup with a great deal of hope and confidence. It turned out badly but the amount of flak that Ally McLeod still gets for that tournament in completely disproportionate.
The Scotland team of that period was far and away the best I’ve ever seen. We eliminated the European Champions to qualify and we did it on merit and with room to spare. We tanned England at Wembley in 1977 and then went on a South American tour where we were playing Argentina off their own park in the very stadium where they lifted the trophy twelve months later. The Argentinians only secured a draw because of a bent ref who gave a red card to Willie Johnston for being spat on (the only time in Johnston’s career when he was unfairly sent off) and then, with Argentina still heading for a 1-0 defeat, awarded them a ridiculous penalty in the closing stages to give them a draw.
The Scotland team took such a kicking in that match that there only eleven players left in the squad who were fit to start the last match of the tour against Brazil. The squad was so stretched that Archie Gemmill played centre-forward! Even then, it took Brazil 70 minutes to open the scoring before winning 2-0.
There was every reason to believe that yon Scotland squad was capable of doing well at the World Cup but it came too late for us. By the time the tournament opened, only one of our regular, settled back four was available for selection and the team as a whole had gone past its peak. McGrain and McQueen didn’t kick a ball in the tournament. Despite that, I still believe that Masson’s penalty miss was the turning point in the match against Peru at the point where we had taken control of the match again.
After that it was a complete disaster. However, it should not be forgotten that Scotland were taken very seriously as a genuine force in World football at that time and had achieved some very good results against top class sides before the tournament, e.g. Scotland 6 Yugoslavia 0.
That was a very, very good Scotland side.
Don’t see how they will be challenging us when they get to the premiership.
Talk of more sponsorship etc,etc they will get stronger no doubt.
But we have more season ticket holders ,bigger stadium,better players ,no debt.
We have invested in our stadium their stadium is falling down.
If we do things properly it will take years for them to even get near us.
The 74 World Cup showed the other side of Brazil on the big stage for the first time, and I think it damaged their reputation somewhat.
Brazil’s best players from 1970 were past their best and they resorted to thuggery. They were a disgrace against the Dutch, who played them off the park. All Brazil could resort to was kicking the shit out of them.
Thankfully, they lost 2-0 – and I think they may have had a couple of players sent-off.
Good World Cup that. Poland were a revelation, and very unlucky not to go all the way.
Steinreignedsupreme
Poland were brilliant back then, always remember we Lato, great we striker
Another Ally MacLeod myth to dispel:
It was NOT MacLeod who arranged for the hysterical send-off at Hampden.
It was the police.
They were concerned that thousands of supporters descending on Glasgow Airport to see the squad departing would lead to chaos and disruption. The police suggested that there should be an “official” send-off event at Hampden and the SFA complied with the request. The manager and the players actually found the whole thing a bit embarrassing but, recognising the danger of bedlam at the airport, they reluctantly went along with it.
Rioting in Sao Paulo ahead of tonight’s game
Aoden bhoy
Clearly their stadium is’nt falling down , the great and the good at the SFA (lol) have just santioned an International to be played there , 10 in a row , starting to sound like them methinks , we’ve been downgrading the past few years , luckily it has’nt backfired , i’m looking forward to this season even if it does’nt all go our way …..lifes good :)
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine – generally 7/1 now.
Watched the John Hartson prog there. Great stuff
Aiden bhoy !!apols spelling , i’ve spelt a few things wrong today …BMCUWP
Must be sleeping !! ;))
Auldheid 15:44 on 12 June, 2014
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=15461&cpage=3#comment-2200560
bournesouprecipe
15:13 on
12 June, 2014
I do not fear the return of The Rangers on their own, without financial steroids they will not be a match unless our ST sales fall below theirs and paradoxically their return is likely to see an upsurge in ours to at least match.
However I do fear the bias of an unreconstructed SFA who place The Rangers survival above fair play (something btw that I hope Res12 will demonstrate beyond doubt) and that is one of the reasons the SFA and SPFL must be called out and reorganised.
Everything that took place between the SFA and SPL in relationship to ebt and side letter knowledge from 2000 needs to be exposed and the guilty in both organisations removed from office as well as the means they used to put their bias into action.
But first we need to expose the length and depth of their cheating not only in the use of ebts but in the deliberate avoidance of the consequences since ebts became public knowledge in Feb 2012.
An HMRC victory at the UTT would make this task a lot easier.
________________________________________________
Absolutely.
This is the minimum that is required.
Without full exposure of the corruption that led to this point, there is no hope whatsoever of repairing the damage that resulted.
The 1978 World Cup Final…
“Ruud Krol insists the Argentinians were blatantly cheating in everything.
We were in a hotel outside Buenos Aires and before the game they took us a very long way round to the stadium. The bus stopped in a village and people were banging on the windows, really banging and shoutiing ‘Argentina, Argentina, Argentina!’
We couldn’t go back or forwards. We were trapped.
For twenty minutes we stood in the village like this and some players were really frightened because the crowd were really banging and pushing on the windows of the bus.”
…from “Brilliant Orange” by David Winner.
Then of course there were the shenanigans before the start of the game. The Dutch were made to wait on the Argentinians
to appear only then to complain about Van de Kerkhof’s protective cast on his arm which he had been wearing for most of the tournament.
It was a great pity that Rensenbrink’s last minute effort struck the post.
Henry Clarson
When I mentioned MacLeod getting a full house for a send ofF at Hampden I was alluding more to the fact that there was that kind of enthusiasm back then. Definitely dont think we’ll see it again. i’d take him again as opposed to Leiven/eck
HH
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine 15:57 on 12 June, 2014
Aye. Lato, Deyna and Szarmach were all brilliant in that tournament.
weeminger
15:44 on
12 June, 2014
Good question but matter to whom?
That is the real question, followed by why prevarication and procrastination is allowed.
It is the reason how they have been able to survive, no body in football authority says “do this or else.”
I’m not sure if that is because the authority does not exist or does exist but is not being exercised. This is why reconstruction is necessary, there is no one in charge.