After writing a piece on our European season for the forthcoming CQN Magazine I read the excellent contribution from SFTB this morning. It is only natural that we live in the moment but for the last 70 years of the 20th century Celtic fans, more than anyone else, viewed each day in its historical context.
Older generations would have had little choice but to keep their history alive during the lost decades between the mid-20s and mid-60s. 7-1 and the Coronation Cup, each magnificent and modest in their own way, were the highlights, while the legend of Jimmy McGrory more than anyone established what was known as the Celtic Way.
Then came Lisbon. In an instant, all that history was eclipsed. New heroes, one of whom recalled to me he was told Celtic would amount to nothing with him in the team by a ‘fan’ a few years earlier, changed everything, but for this most historical of clubs, the inheritance was not all positive.
If Jimmy McGrory established Celtic as a remarkable goal-scoring team, the incessant attacking that afternoon in Lisbon cast an unattainable shadow. It proved Celtic could win the European Cup by playing fabulous football but set a template we were cursed to attempt to follow.
The rules of the off-field game have changed often since those days, no more so than this season, when Celtic grew from a team who were penned into their own penalty box by HJK Helsinki, who needed a goal to knock us out of Europe in August, from a team the Turin media were joyous when Juventus beat home and away. Thoughts of ‘Maybe we could win this” have since emerged in Turin.
I’ve loved every minute of this season, from the last minute header in Moscow to the last minute header in Dingwall. Adding context to it is a joy for one of our tomorrows.
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This ref is less a homer more a sideshow bob
Possibly the best 20 minutes of football I’ve seen since the 6-2 game. Yet still only 1 goal…
Schalke 1 up
Dubaibhoy-
I see some of the less endearing parts of Islam are rubbing off.
You know what I like about Barca – when they take a throw-in they always find their own man!
Schalke 1-0 and Schalke fans singing “Just can’t get enough”
TSFM well worth a look. Appeal to FIFA re LNS verdict.
Great stuff in Nou Camp. Think Barca will need to score 4 to progress. Milan still favourites but game on, and what a goal.
Dubaibhoy – I couldn’t care less about his supposed sexuality…..he’s an Uncle Tim of the highest order and deserves all the stick he gets from Hoops fans.
I’ll never forget his part in the BBC Scotland stitch up at the Scottish Cup final….scrote that he is!
T4
Dubaibhoy – who cares its totally irrelevant to his skills (or lack of) as a pundit.
uly mghee@17.08
“I’ve often found it strange on this blog that to want Celtic to have played better when they play poorly can end up being described as poor supporting behaviour.”
I think you’ve created a straw argument there for, if anyone ever posted something so stupid as you have asserted they did, then I must have missed it.
The corollary to your straw argument would read that those who say we should adopt some perspective in our criticism are supporters who do not want Celtic to improve or are happy to lap up mediocrity. I know no one with such views. I know no one who does not criticise or think that it is valuable to criticise.
I think a central point was missed that, just as in WGS’s days, we are currently failing to appreciate our good fortune, and to revel in and celebrate our achievements, because we mistake it for mediocrity and chose to virulently belittle it.
I do not trust subjective impressions. When someone says this is the worst Celtic team ever I smell hyperbole. It is not. It is no more than the team that is currently annoying you and causing you angst.
Similarly when I hear praise for the teams of Nicholas, Aitken, McLeod, McStay and McAvennie (fine players all), I smell rose tinted nostalgia and a regret for your past youth, rather than a fair evaluation of the merits of that team vs the present one, in terms of European achievement.
I look for the supportive evidence. How did those players and the team of that era contest against their European contemporaries?
The team from 74 to 79 got knocked out of the EC in the 1st round twice, the 2nd round once, the ECWC at q-f stage to an East German team, and did not qualify for Europe in 78/9.
The team from 81 to 88 made the EC 4 times going out at the 1st round once and the 2nd round 3 times. It made the ECWC three times falling at the 1st round twice and the 2nd round once . It made the UEFA Cup twice going out at the 1st round and the q-f of that diddy cup.
And we’ll draw a veil over the long list of 90’s European triumphs while we’re here.
In all that period, 1975 to 2001, our one achieving season was the 1980 EC quarter final stage where we blew a 2:0 home win.
So, I have little sympathy for our lack of perspective, but a bit of understanding, of how we like to vent. I understand that recent poor performances lend themselves to complaint and analysis for improvement. But, on CQN, for every one post of genuine constructive criticism that I read, I am seeing 20 of venting, cliched knee jerk phrases learned from MOTD, demands for entitlement, hyperbolic veneration of the favoured past and virulent denouncing of today’s players.
We ARE the guys who are telling the modern day approximations of Bobby Lennox, that “you’ll never make it, son”.
No one can censor complaint on CQN and few are calling for it. But I reserve the right to point out any illogicalities and lack of constructivity (is that a word?) in the criticism.
For the more thin-skinned mineshafters (not you, Uly), I would say that, if you make a critical comment you invite counter-criticism. You cannot hit out and then say stop bullying me by disagreeing.
praecepta
I don’t know what age you are but trust me our throw-ins were no better under Big Jock.
It’s something that has followed Celtic teams down through decades.
hope it works out for messi tonight, bar kris boyd he’s the best goalscorer the world’s seen for a while
SFTB –
always love your posts mate but you should have saved that one for half time! ;-)
Away with your stirring, dubaibhoy
VP-VG
dubaibhoy
Married with kids and really don’t care. I hate him due to his Uncle Tom, hun apologist, Celtic bashing pash.
jackie mac
Who’s knows where Boydy would have ended up if he had laid off the monster munch?
Still it’s hard to find another God forsaken masonic league .
Milan coming into it more now!
McCoist: “…Longmuir is exempt from criticism. He said: “I have sympathy for David.” http://t.co/teMeqC5L3u
Hmmmm.
ElDiegoBhoy
It’s something that has followed Celtic teams down through decades.
I know – for 6 on my part! :-)
Never understand those who have a go at WGS teams. Nakamura and McGeady. Enough said…
Meelan.
Ministry of stupid haircuts and dabbities
Sometimes it’s ok to dream, like when your playing monopoly and someone childishly says ‘imagine all this money was real’? Well here goes, ‘imagine we had a team like Barcelona’. If only.
Anyway spare a few moments for the scottish saint, who’s feast day was there. St. John Ogilvie. Worth a wee quick look if you can spare the time to Wikipedia him.
My mother used to be upset because they didn’t let him sleep. When I think about it now, how spoiled I am. An early night whenever I want, no questions asked.
Euan Norris has been dropped from this weekend’s SPL card. On Saturday Norris will referee the First Division relegation battle between Cowdenbeath and Airdrie United while Whyte the linesman who also missed Hibs goal, runs the line at East Stirling v Berwick Rangers.
vp – hahahahahaha
hazlett and monster munch sandwiches- drooooool
barca let off the hook
Milan hit the post, nyang should have scored
Joe Jordan’s Meeeeeelan hit the post
No Tony Watt finish!
Just got this not sure if true-Didn’t Barry Mckay just sign a 5 year deal with The Rangers? Now caught singing Irish Rebel songs? Impressive. Hun tweet .
–
Tony watt would have buried thst.
messssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Ole!!!!!!!!!!
2-0 guess who
2 …….yeeeeeeeessssssssss…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Messi again yes
Thats how you do it.
Messi 2-0