A draw in with Sheriff in Moldova, a draw away to Olympiakos to stop them reaching their sixth consecutive group stage qualification, a win against Inter in the San Siro, a two goal defeat in Prague and a draw in Southampton. That’s a stunning European away record for a team of no-hopers from Israel. Or so we thought.
In the middle of that run Hapoel Be’re Shiva lost 5-2 at Celtic Park before giving us a fright in the return leg. Olympiakos are seven clear in Greece and join Be’er Shiva in the Europa League knock-out rounds. Inter and Southampton are out.
What do we learn from this? The principle lesson is that there are no guarantees in football. Even good teams can be dumped out of Europe by a team they’ve never previously heard of (I’d no prior knowledge of Be’er Shiva).
The Israelis went 2-0 ahead against Celtic in the return leg three minutes into the second half. Brendan Rodgers put his team into lockdown mode and got the result but, final outcome aside, it was a horrible night’s football. Not for the first time last summer, this season’s project looked shaky.
If Celtic got out of jail, Olympiakos were shocked. We could afford some respect towards a team who came close, but the Greeks were devastated their club was derailed by apparent nonentities.
Celtic, like Olympiakos, have a development plan which is delivering, but even if we had the budget of Southampton or Inter we’re still going to lose out to a team none of us rate in our annual summer lottery. That wee bit of jeopardy is why we enjoy European football so much.
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KITALBA
Thanks for posting that story. Very poignant, especially at this time of year. So many people in unfortunate situations ignored or shunned by society.
HH
Also borrowed from Don’t Let it be Forgot:
Ordinary angels
When I was a boy my mum moved us into a long gone and extremely run down tenement building in Edmund Street in Glasgow’s east end. It sat beside Tennents brewery and the smell of fermenting beer pervaded the area. As a woman on her own with six children she couldn’t afford to be choosy about where to live and I recall walking around this musty, dingy old flat thinking even then that it was pretty much the bottom of the heap. We helped move our meagre possessions into the flat before heading over to my Granny’s house for our usual Sunday lunch with her. Sadly on that day she was out and we trooped back to Edmund Street in the drizzle to spend a long and to be honest, hungry Sunday. There was no food in the house and no money until the following day to buy any.
That evening as we sat around the old coal fire the door was knocked and I answered it. A man stood there holding a large box and handed it to me saying, ‘Could you give this to your mother?’ before he turned and headed down the dark stairs. I could barely hold the box as it was so heavy in my young arms. I staggered into the living room and bumped it down onto the floor as my mystified mother and curious siblings looked on. My Mother opened it and to our delight it was full of food; from tins of fruit to cakes, from chicken to tuna and how we feasted on that dark, rainy night long ago. It was as if an angel had arrived at our hour of need. My Mother used to tell me about those good folk she called ‘ordinary angels’ who do good things and restore our faith in humanity. This ordinary angel was from the St Vincent de Paul Society and to this day if I see them collecting I always make a donation. That good deed all those years ago made a huge impression on my young mind.
Flash forward to last night’s sleep-out organised by the Celtic Charity Foundation. I got into conversation with one of the members of the Foundation who told me that while he was delivering envelopes containing some money to families struggling in one of our poorer areas, he knocked on a door and it was opened by a burly man dressed in a Rangers top. As per instruction he said quietly and simply, ‘This is from the Celtic charity Foundation.’ The man looked mystified and opened the envelope and realising what was happening, his face softened and tears filled his eyes. It was, my friend told me, a very emotional moment as the man realised that in a harsh world some people still cared.
Those two examples of the good that our ‘ordinary angels’ do in life are separated by four decades but both have made lasting impressions. The work of the Celtic FC Foundation in supporting community based projects in the areas of Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty (HELP) is impressive and has seen over £10m raised over the years to help those less fortunate. Much of this has been raised by ordinary Celtic supporters, many of them far from wealthy, who see clearly that their club was founded on decent principles and wish to stay true to them.
Last night’s sleep-out demonstrated to all who were there some of the harsh realities of homelessness. Of course we all had warm beds to return home to when it was over but even the hardiest there could feel the bitter cold and imagine the reality of facing that each night. It was suggested that those at the event might consider leaving their sleeping bags so that they might be utilised by the Invisibles charity which works hard with the homeless in Glasgow. As I left Celtic Park I put mine on the huge pile which was testimony to the decency of those at the event. One friend left hers despite only buying it the day before for the sleep-out.
A better man than me once said, ‘The poor will always be with you,’ and perhaps there is some truth in that. However, that doesn’t mean they should be ignored and become invisible. We live in a wealthy country and the inequalities we see around us are man-made and as such can be rectified if we choose. Those less fortunate deserve justice not charity but while we await a more just society many do what they can to help others.
129 years after Celtic Football Club was founded to help alleviate poverty and hunger in the east end of Glasgow we are still struggling to eradicate it. There is food bank a few hundred yards from Celtic Park and any walk around the area will demonstrate that the poor are indeed still with us but so too is the spirit of the founding fathers (and mothers) of Celtic. As long as there are ordinary angels who care enough to act there will always be hope.
A long time ago a good man wrote… ‘A football club will be formed for the maintenance of dinner tables for the children and the unemployed.’ As we left Celtic Park in the dark of a Scottish winter morning we passed his statue. I’m sure he would have smiled and nodded approvingly knowing that his people haven’t forgotten his values and still keep faith with the past.
Well done and thank you to all who took part in the sleep out and to all who supported them. You are the ordinary angels this old world needs so badly.
AN TEACH SOLAIS on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 4:32 PM
WEEMAN67
Some of us would rather judge Donald Trump in a year or so’s time and see which of his many promises to his electorate he acctually achieves. HH
I am waiting to judge him too, We all wait with baited breath but need to keep our sense of humor.
I wonder if the Canadian Bhoys have seen any of the Hollywood crowd house hunting…….??
Enjoy the game tonight………HH
Phil’s up
Well I think Jonny Hayes is a decent player,but it seems on here,if you want another player to replace one of the favourite players,you are treated with contempt,and cheek,but that seems to be norm on here,
i was just saying to a guy in the work today jonny hayes is the only player in scotland i would sign
3 and one half hours long film on this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature recipient, BBC4, 21:00 hours.
Directed by some Oscar winner, apparently.
Good few years since it was first aired.
http://www.mojo4music.com/24874/bbc-re-show-no-direction-home-dylan-nobel-tribute/
If Phil’s informant(s) is/are correct about safety issues at Ibrox then hopefully Glasgow City Council will address the issues with all due haste.
While I’m not going to comment on the abhorred scandal that has rocked the game I did recently but only in the context of the singing and chanting point scoring which is prevalent at grounds where CFC are playing and my comments were along the line of the ongoing scandal over here in relation to minor ice hockey and how the country is dealing with it. Believe me it was hushed up for a long time until one poor unfortunate young man jumped off the Hogs Hollow Bridge on Highway 401, the second busiest highway in North America BTW, at the leniency of the sentence given his abuser. Nobody sings and chants about any abuse over here even though it also occurred in the then arena of one of the NHL’s iconic teams.
If anyone has any doubt over cover ups of personalities or high ranking officials they should read Big Nan’s excellent missive over Dunblane and a residential school in the area. It’s not just grubby wee men who hang about public lavvies that carry out these distasteful acts.
HT
I’m sure H wouldn’t want to give up a potential cup final and treble…☘️☘️
tonydonnelly67 on 9th December 2016 12:16 pm
TONYDONNELLY67 on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 12:15 PM
JJ upset Goughie! Wonder what happened? :)
https://johnjamessite.com/author/sitonfence/
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I’ve curiously found myself humming ‘Camptown Races’ all afternoon….
i can see young Ryan and Liam having a kick tonight
CELTIC FC is pleased to announce that is has appointed Sharon Brown as a non-executive director of the company with immediate effect.
Sharon, aged 48, is currently a non-executive director at McColl’s Retail Group plc, Fidelity Special Values Plc and F&C Capital & Income Investment Trust plc. Between 1998 and 2013, Sharon was Finance Director and Company Secretary of Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd, and between 1991 and 1998, she held a senior financial position within the retail division of John Menzies plc.
Celtic chairman, Ian Bankier, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sharon to the board of Celtic. Sharon brings a wealth of expertise and business acumen, especially from the retail sector, which will further enhance the skill-set of the board.”
Hopefully we can take our chances early doors and allow some of the bhoys who hve not been featuring getting game time. Heavy schedule ahead. HH
my memory is aided neither by a soft madeline or firm macaroon but were we not once handed red cards going into the jungle politely asking that some derogatory songs be no more ?
i wonder if sharons pay and pension are being totally screwed like 90 percent of populace
by people like, err, sharon
On my many visits to Glasgow I have often been asked why as an Irishman I don’t drink Guinness. Indeed one or two told me because of their liking for the black stuff they were more Irish than me.My late father occasionally worked as a sub contracted painter in the Guinness brewery in Dublin the early years of the 20th century. He grew to despise everything about the company.
Here’s a wee story which might explain our attitude
Guinness’s – ‘Steadfast in their loyalty to the British crown …
http://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/23408
Our new Director – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbrown2311 – good to have a woman on the board.
I see Mr Bankier has made a new signing to get bigger slice of your wallet…
For balance, the ethos of the founder of our club…
“…Therefore, following in the footsteps of their Mother, let them above all be far removed from any worldly spirit, and from all greed for earthly goods, and completely emptied of all self-interest….Living simply, unselfishly, and compassionately like Mary and to stand against the forces of greed, pride, and violence”
Jean-Claude Colin
Society of Mary
Marist Fathers and Brothers
i also wonder how many redundacies sharon has presided over in her days
to make sure the cash in her and her fellow directors pot is overflowing
welcome aboard, sharon
Wonder if Sharon is a Tory as well eh
HH
They are obviously not raking in as much as they hoped due to the Brendan effect.
ffs, give the woman a break; she works her way up in a male-dominated environment to become a finance director at established reknowned retail companies then lands a prestigious position with the country’s premier sporting institution and all she gets on here is sleekit aspersions cast upon her professional practices.
Very inclusive.
Celtic are a plc. Celtic require directors of varying abilities to execute the legal expectations of running a plc. People like Sharon Brown; In order to keep thre thriving, successful Celtic we are enjoying despite the antithetical financial environemt we operate in.
I think she deserves a better welcome than a, ‘f#ckn Tories, man’ growl.
Sandman
Im sure Sharons extravagant salary will cushion the blow of the contempt.
Meanwhile thousands are forced to go to foodbanks.
You know…poor people trying to survive Tory policies.
TGM
Dearie Me, she will be on a zero hours contract, won’t she :-)
HH
………………………………………
Sandman
That’s no like you.
HH
Re Sharon Brown
Maybe let her speak before she is summarily executed?
Sharon Brown has beauty as well as brains…WOW !
She’s a babe., a very handsome Ghirl .
Sharon , I fancy you !
You can contact me on here at cqn anytime !
This site is rapidly going UPHILL !
COYBIG
SANDMAN
Well said sir, some amount of zoomers on here.
its not their salary that pisses me off
its the fact that the whole concept of a plc is for the people (apparantly men AND women) that run it is to award themselves disgusting pay rises, bonuses and pensions.
so because there is only a finite amount of cash in the company, they do it by laying people off and shafting their pay and pensions.
much fat cattery
“…stand against the forces of greed, pride, and violence”
Some Celtic supporters want to know is what the PLC stand for? Some don’t believe in the auction of the soul of our club for the profit of a few, others seem to?
This is addressed the ‘alchemists’ of the PLC, nothing to do with any individual.
Houl Yer Wheest
I remember when I was a wean my Da reckoned that Guinness were the best on the planet at selling it’s product.
Always preferred the Beamish masel, but even when living in the free state it was hard to find, as was the Murphy’s, so it was the Guinness or something else, the something else would have been as equally as politically incorrect as the Guinness, sometimes we do swallow our pride :-)
Fair play to your Da and you for sticking by your principals.
HH
I wonder has our new NE been appointed to oversee some interesting new developments or simply wring out more from what we already have.
Bonne chance Sharon
BIG JIMMY on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 6:29 PM
Jimmy, you might have got your Sharon Browns mixed up… :)
I suspect our Sharon Brown is not the Harlem NY-born singer.
Although hope springs eternal.
Greed is bad for you.
But why worry about anybody else eh
As long as the gravy train is running there will be plenty noses in the trough.
Poor People ….who needs them eh…as long as the PLC bonuses keep coming.
And how dare i be critical of millionaires….shocking:)
Boak
HH
I’m still trying to shake the picture of blantyrekev as an altar boy out my head !!
Celtic starting line up v Patrick Thistle
Gordon; Gamboa, Lustig, Sviatchenko, Izaguirre; Brown, Armstrong; Roberts, Rogic, Mackay-Stevens; Griffiths;
Subs: De Vries, Christie, Toure, Bitton, McGregor, Boyata, Dembele
Aye…I will worry about Sharon we she has to go to a food-bank.
Mind you…theres a few on the PLC who fully support starving the poor
I make no apologies for telling it like it is