Aberdeen’s season fell off a cliff after they met Celtic in the League Cup semifinal in November. More recently, form has picked up. They have lost only one of their last 11 games, a 5-1 drubbing at Celtic Park, winning seven in that time. That puts them in reasonable form for the battle for European places, before attempting to deny Celtic a treble at Hampden next month.
The scale of St Johnstone’s collapse on Sunday suggests they are too fragile to mount a survival campaign. They are five points adrift of Dundee, but it’s Ross County and Kilmarnock (six ahead of St Johnstone) who are more likely to capitulate. Killie were equally poor a week earlier at Celtic Park. The prospect of making the top flight bigger by adding yet more cannon fodder is not appealing to fans of competitive sport, or TV broadcasters.
Our pal Conaire12, Fr Charlie Cavanagh, passed away yesterday – in good company! He recently retired from a parish in Greenock and was with the team in Lisbon in 67. A good pal to many here, he will be missed. Rest in Peace, Charlie.
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GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 21ST APRIL 2025 4:01 PM
TOSB@2.23
While I get what you are saying and agree it was a shambles, I think part of the problem was that a good number of the saints fans didn’t want to pay the £40 to sit in the south stand so bought the best seats in the Mount Florida end.
…………………..
I understand the point you’re making and I’m not one for favouring forcing football fans of any club to pay exorbitant prices to watch a game. I just wonder if they could have found another solution. I saw on a St. J message board that they didn’t like their fans being split into two distinct groups with such a large space between them.
Their group of fans in the South Stand could have been sold tickets over at the edges of the stand where it meets the West Stand. That would have brought their two groups closer together and helped them create a better atmosphere. It would have also freed up space in the South Stand that Celtic fans could have occupied.
On my way to the game the St. J fans formed a large Corteo to march from Mount Florida to Hampden. It was good natured with smiling, happy fans of all ages and family groups all enjoying the sunny weather.
GARRY @ 2.46
That was funny (your subtle reference to the different impact on our physiology that Pans People had/has on us.)
Fair brought a wee smile to my coupon.
Ave Ave
“bigbhoy on 22nd April 2025 12:05 pm
Concentration is required. Dundee United are next for a doing to mathematically clinch the League. ”
I don`t think mathematics comes in to it. If we get even a point at Tannadice, we are champions.
The scale of St Johnstone’s collapse on Sunday suggests they are too fragile to mount a survival campaign. They are five points adrift of Dundee, but it’s Ross County and Kilmarnock (six ahead of St Johnstone) who are more likely to capitulate. Killie were equally poor a week earlier at Celtic Park. The prospect of making the top flight bigger by adding yet more cannon fodder is not appealing to fans of competitive sport, or TV broadcasters.
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a real mis-remembering of the old 10 premier league.
every season,you will have 1 or 2, and on occassions 3 teams adrfit at the bottom.
a quick scan at the league tables from 75/76 and onwards confirms this. cannon fodder, every now and again can eat the champions elect, and it has always been so, with only one invincible season for us ever.
a 10 division can mean a cluster of clubs in the middle from 5th to 8th often with nothing to play for apart from placings. the current spilt and playoffs bring much more competativeness, and nearly every game brings a meaningful fixture (well apart from us).
when we look back at the old 10 sfl, there is a narrative that it was more competative, the reality, a very good Aberdeen and dundee united competed for 6 seasons, but i could argue they took the place of an absolutely basket case rangers team.
what the old league did was bring many many many drawn fixtures, teams played not to lose, they excelled at this.
we like to break records, i like to see us scoring lots of goals, we are as likely to beat aberdeen or hibs by 4 or 5, as we are kilmarnock or saint johnstone.
looking back to the old league tables,
89/90 – the beginning of the end for the old board in my opinion. Celtic finished 5th ffs. we only scored 37 goals, we had a ZERO goal difference, it really was purgatory, did we not have a run of 6 drwan games ?
but get this,Original Rangers won that league ………….. but only scored 48 GOALS IN A 36 GAME SEASON.
A ten team league doesnt make aberdeen and hibs any better,
The only was to close the gap is to go back to the old 2 points for a win………………….
ask peter if that sounds a solution
as a ps, crowds are up again, even this uncompetative league, crowds are up everywhere.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GpIn0l_WsAAIzmg?format=jpg&name=small
“Whoever created this image is a divine genius – pure brilliance from above.”
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 22nd April 2025 3:09 pm
i was in the south stand upper deck.
i took a walk to the west side at halftime, looking down on the saints fans. the two wedged thay had could have been accomodated in the way you say, the very end section of the mount florida side, and a sliver of the main stand next to it.
I would estimate there was less than 4,000 saints fans there.
I am sure if SFA could organise it better in how they allocate and sell the tickets, then celtic supporters would have filled up the stasdium, and a by the way, i thought they got the pricing wrong.
Their job and indeed the celtic ticket office should be to facilitate for supporters of any persuasion to actually attend matches.
unsold seats are an embarrasment to thepeople game.
another wee observation from sunday.
the queues for the south stand was caused by supporters being searched to enter the ground.
corparate seats, and complimentary badge wearers searched as well,
i take it the same happened for our ultras as we had no pyro at the game.
however, that was some display by the farmer boys, how did they get them in ? was only one group of supporters searched ? now the friendly cuddly blues got their red pyro (why red btw) in but were also able to thrown them onto the track, and indeed at least one was lobbed into the celtic supporters.
how was that allowed ? any arrests ?
Mgr. Charlie Kavanagh served as a priest in the Paisley diocese for over 50 years. His twin passions were, first the priesthood and second Glasgow Celtic. Charlie was very proud of his Irish roots and, in particular, that he came from a long line of Donegal fishermen. He had many friends both within his extended family and without. A particular friend with whom he exchanged visits was the Archbishop of Milan.
Saying Mass in Lisbon on the morning of that famous day was such an important memory for Charlie. In fact, Joe Clark, President of the Greenock CSC said that a conversation with Charlie could last at least 6 minutes without him mentioning Lisbon once.
Earth receive an honoured guest, Fr Charlie Kavanagh us laid to rest. RIP
and finally.
from high up in the south stand, i thought both the green brigade area, and the west terracing passageways looked overcrowded.
doubling up become even more wide spread ?
how else do you get in ?
btw, in the posh seats, plenty of people had paper tickets, i take it these are comps for the club . anyone in the know ?
In fact, Joe Clark, President of the Greenock CSC said that a conversation with Charlie could last at least 6 minutes without him mentioning Lisbon once.
that was very funny, and so true i was told.
Don’t always give Nardini’s in Free Largs much credit but I do today. All their flags at half mast,even the butchers apron.
Saint Stivs @ 3:37
We were in the West Stand , adjacent to the St. Johnstone support. We noticed that the St J fans were being rigorously searched.
Strangely we were not searched at all.
Which again seems strange that they managed to bring in so much pyro.
The number of, still burning, flares that were thrown onto the track was a concern. The stewards who were dodging them do not get paid enough to risk injury.
I would bet, and I am not a betting man, the hun tkaeover will not happen.
I was in business andwhen a business want a large capital investment, the question always arises, what is the pay back. Mostly always 2 years is the goal but sometimes 3. If the capex targets not possible, then no deal.
Ask, what would the payback time be for anyone buying them, never I’d reckon, so as I say I wpuold bet on it not happening.
KINGLuBo
The Onlooker on 22nd April 2025 3:55 pm
did you see the flare lobbed into the celtis supporters ?
Unique Angle: Celtic v St Johnstone | Celts book their place in Scottish Cup final (20/05/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_rrF19Ttg
Celtic Mac,
Yep, Hamilton are in deep trouble at the moment, so won’t be troubling the SPFL- restructured or otherwise – anytime soon.
I guess that my point was that, if & when they get themselves sorted out, that they & the other clubs I mentioned aren’t really inherently much smaller than half of the existing members.
Of course, it would be clubs who at the time of any restructuring have their act together much more than Hamilton, or to be fair ICT or Dunfermline, that would come into the top tier. Whichever teams came up, the6 wouldn’t reduce the overall quality by much, & we’d get the benefit of only playing the weaker sides in the division twice, as well as having 2 fewer domestic games.
What’s not to like??
I agree that there is no particular benefit, nor would it help increase the quality of the league, in relegating St Johnstone. Obviously if they go down, that’s life, but they are a reasonably progressive club, from a decent size town (I know, it’s technically a city, but it isn’t really) & with a manager who actually wants to play football.
Celtic Mac,
Yep, Hamilton are in deep trouble at the moment, so won’t be troubling the SPFL- restructured or otherwise – anytime soon.
I guess that my point was that, if & when they get themselves sorted out, that they & the other clubs I mentioned aren’t really inherently much smaller than half of the existing members.
Of course, it would be clubs who at the time of any restructuring have their act together much more than Hamilton, or to be fair ICT or Dunfermline, that would come into the top tier. Whichever teams came up, the6 wouldn’t reduce the overall quality by much, & we’d get the benefit of only playing the weaker sides in the division twice, as well as having 2 fewer domestic games.
What’s not to like??
I agree that there is no particular benefit, nor would it help increase the quality of the league, in relegating St Johnstone. Obviously if they go down, that’s life, but they are a reasonably progressive club, from a decent size town (I know, it’s technically a city, but it isn’t really) & with a manager who actually wants to play football.
Pans people…further proof that the seventies was a magical time …. Unfortunately never to be seen again 🤔
SAINT STIVS on 22ND APRIL 2025 3:31 PM
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 22nd April 2025 3:09 pm
i was in the south stand upper deck.
i took a walk to the west side at halftime, looking down on the saints fans. the two wedged thay had could have been accomodated in the way you say, the very end section of the mount florida side, and a sliver of the main stand next to it.
I would estimate there was less than 4,000 saints fans there.
I am sure if SFA could organise it better in how they allocate and sell the tickets, then celtic supporters would have filled up the stasdium, and a by the way, i thought they got the pricing wrong.
…………………
The SFA ought to give clubs strict guidelines on how they must sell their allocation of tickets with a section by section guide that clubs must adhere to or pay the price of lost income if through their actions any club is responsible for large empty gaps. Under Petrie Hibs used to abuse ticket allocation by ensuring that Celtic couldn’t have a large fan advantage by selling tickets for seats that were closest to the Celtic fans first. This meant that Hibs often failed to sell their allocation and there were thousands of tickets that were denied to our fans. It was sheer bloody mindedness and denied the SFA valuable income that could have been used to develop the game of football in Scotland.
Good afternoon all from the Brazen Head. Pans People? Good golly miss molly!😳
Penang_Bhoy
Of course the quality would be reduced. We would be taking away two games against the GOOD teams currently in the league and replacing them with two games against teams currently mid-table in the Championship.
I can think of one team who would be absolutely delighted with such a scenario.
Century Bhoy! ALL 100 of James Forrest’s Goals for Celtic! 💯
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70-OjM-Ap7c
Saint Stivs re Main Stand redevelopment feasibility ….
… genuine ask.
Can you enlighten us as to what that typically results in and how suggestive of a commitment to actually do something it might be?
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 22nd April 2025 4:39 pm
Depends on the scope you provide to the interested architechts and developers.
You could say for example
treat the main stand as greenfield that you can demolish and rebuild.
or
we want to continue to use the main stand and you build over and around it.
or
we want to increase capcaity by opening in stages, so build and occupy as we go.
you go to the market with agents and get several interested parties, then ask them for proposals.
you might not even say , at this opening stage, what can we get for x amoount of budget.
but instead you ask them for several options just to start the creative thinking.
better to ask the experts than purely decide for yourself.
I found it funny recently, listening to the celtic exchange podcast with tom grant, who was given the job to monitor the redevolment of ferguses celtic park. he said himself he knew nothing about it, but being the great grandson of the man who built the original Grant stand, well he could take the pictures and see the progress.
So anyways, the key is to Request for Proposals on what is actually feasible.
In an ideal world Celtic would publish their findings rather than the secrecy that comes along with being on our board – the fans survey anyone.
I favour a Cystal Palce type development, we have a huge footprint in front of the maiin stand that we could be utilising.
but beyond Phil saying 2feasability stidy being done2, that is 3 other people in the industry telling me the same.
FRED COLON on 22ND APRIL 2025 2:17 PM
OMG , the old ticker can’t take too much of this – Pan’s People –
*reminds me of an episode of Porridge when ronnie barker was talking about them and mentioned Big Babs then continued that he couldnae remember her name
offcourse, the fans survey and us wanting a bigger capacity stadium might also not be justified,
the board could come back and say, well on match day regularly 2000 people do not turn u, but our hospitality is sold out every game, so what we are going to do is replace tha main stand roof and add lots more corporate boxes.
that brings the best returns on the investment spening.
they could do that.
i was just looking at the roof structures last week because timbhoy193 mentioned it, but i thought again, in a easier/cheaper installation, why not hang a full widthe skybox extension under the main stand roof ? maybe even a temporary installation until you build up and over.
This is quite interesting.
I was suprised Everton didnt go bigger, I am sure they would fill the place, I mean who knew West Ham or Tottenham would fill 60,000 stadiums.
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https://www.livpost.co.uk/hello-bramley-moore-dock/
oh and another by the way from hampden.
i was up ealry sunday, and parked on the area in front of the main stand, only a couple of streets walking and the closest i have been to there in ages. i was suprised though to see “only permit holders parking during hampden events” but the streets were empty, and it is a sunday. so off oi waddled.
got to the main driveway when a min van pulled up and depostied 8 traffic wardens.
i swear this council just wants making attending events as difficult as possible.
i expect a ticket letter any day now.
GlassRpTwoThirdsFull,
Of course? I admire your certainty;-)
But I do wonder which of the current SPFL teams you consider to be good ?
Anyhow, whilst I am less sure of my position, I really don’t think that losing a couple of games against the weaker teams in the league would make it any less likely that the best team in the SPFL, in other words us, would win the thing.
When I was a young player, I would walk through those doors every day in awe of the people behind them, and especially Mr. McNeill. He was a giant of a man in more ways than one. he walked and held himself so high with that chest sticking out. My first ever preseason at barrowfield we were all working together and we would pass the ball to the gaffer and he would lay it off and we had to warm up the keepers. I passed the ball to him and as I went for the return he said so softly ” Chip him , chip him”, so I dinked the ball over big packie who went nucking futs, and screamed at me. I was a wee 16 yr old bhoy and I was terrified. Mr. McNeill screamed at him and told him I was only doing what I was told. Big Packie Wilted like a dying flower. Mr. McNeill took me up to Tannadice that season and we lost 1-0, to a mistake by big Mick McCarthy. We drove on the bus up to the hotel for the prematch meal and the gaffer told me to go pick a seat. I sat with Packie, Big Mick, and Roy Aitken. As the game was about to start and we were walking to the dugout, the gaffer put his arm around me and said this is what it’s about, and the abuse being spouted from the side as we were walking was pretty intense and he just smiled at them. After the game, I asked Neillie Mochan if I should stay outside till the gaffer finished speaking. Neillie told me I was just as much a Celtic player as them and to come in and listen. There was a lot of tension in the dressing room and a lot of big characters, but they all shut their mouths when Mr. McNeill talked and they listened. 3 and a 1/2 years later Mr. McNeill took me into his office and let me know he was letting me go, a month after I was told I would be signing a new 2 year deal, but that was fitba. I had been out for a year with a torn hamstring more or less. I held out my hand and thanked him for the best time of my life. He used to call me Mr. Celtic, as I would sing all the songs as I cleaned up the gear and would walk around to the Jungle when I was helping the first team and then walk back at halftime and the end of the game to do my duties. The Gaffer was fired that summer, but he called me to ask if I would be interested in moving to America. He didn’t have to do that but he did and I always appreciated him looking out for me. I would eventually move 3 years later. My auld man would tell me that every now and again Mr. McNeill would reach out to him to find out how I was doing. Again, I was just a reserve, nothing else, but to him I was a part of a family. And look at our family today. I hope I do not bore you with my long posts but what a man he was. Celtic is more than a football club to us. Look at the friendships that have developed here on this platform. I never knew or met Connaire, but with every member that passes away, we all feel sadness. To me that is amazing. We are all over the world, but people wouldn’t hesitate to meet up with a stranger coming home to welcome them and talk Celtic.
You guys are the best and long may we continue to argue, agree, disagree, but support this wonderful club.
Hail Hail
Sean
Paul67 does not speak for the fan base. He maybe speaks for thr Celtic board.
We could have a 6 team league or a 24 team league, it still wouldn’t be competitive at the top end.
To assume that “competitive” is only important for those in positions 1 and 2 is ignorant of the rest of the league.
The current set up (or worse if less teams) provides too much jepordy for relegation, with no huge (if any) upside; hampering player development, long term projects or out the box thinking. All of which could imprive the league. That’s not to mention how stale it is to play the same teams over and over again.
More teams, more playoff positions. Allow teams to breathe, develop and sell young players to England, the only competitive opportunity we have in Scotland.
Perhaps conscious of UNESCO scapegoating, Everton says it spent £55 million on preserving, restoring and refitting heritage assets.
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just a quirky thing that I would do.
I would build a replica of our original Pavilion somewhere on the footprint, and use it for Almores cafe.
I wonder if the original plans are anywhere in the city archives at the Mitchell, I feel a search coming on.
The pavilion which stood a little to the North-west of the stand, was a comparatively small building. being only 40 feet by 30 feet and two storeys in height.
It included the rooms of the club, a billiard room, in which was a table which cost £75, retiring rooms for the players, bathrooms, and other apartments. In the pavilion was a large quantity of what in football parlance is described as “stock”, consisting of players clothing, hurdles and other athletic apparatus, and seats for the track, to the value of about £500. when erected 10 years ago the stand and pavilion cost about £6000. The erections, however, have from time to time been strengthened and improved to meet the requirements of the Dean of Guild court.
So recently as the International match. which was played on the 9th of last month. The stand was completely renovated, and having been officially inspected by the Master of Works the liners of the Courts declared it to be safe and sound in every respect
sean, never ever ever boring, your memories are fantastic shares, so insightful, you got to play and train with many of the legends, i persoally love it when you tell them.
keep it lit.
https://www.thecelticwiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/F0HE4JzXsAIyWL01.jpg
penang bhoy
I tend to agree with you. Problem is folks like Paul (NewCo) 67 et al would rather we played the likes of Killie, Hamilton AsWas, Livvy etc 4,5,6 times a season as long as we can have four Old Firm SPL matches every season, as opposed to playing say Falkirk, Dunfermline, Partick Thistle etc twice a season. It’s that Old Firm mentality that prevails and the special “atmosphere” of course. I suggested a wee while back that if I was investing in Scottish football, I would not invest in a club, but rather in a new SFL, (as now permitted following ECJ rulings) would invite 16-18 clubs that met certain criteria, but would not invite the Old Firm. I would leave that to the Paul67s of this world and his Old Firm fellow travellers. In their own little sectarian world they can play each other every week……a genuine bona fide two horse race.
I have one real dream for 2nd Rangers, I would love if they had a disasterous season some time and fail to make the top 6.
I would find it hilarious to not have a 4th fixture.
They say they need that 4th fixture for the tv. But they have it now in a diluted form in as much as the fixture is not allowed to be the title winning day, they dont want the hassle.
I just read that Everton will have a walkway at Brmley Dock called THE EVERTON WAY.
who was the toffee tim and the other guy who used to post on here ? did they not claim everton sang grand old team to play for before we did ?
SAINT STIVS on 22ND APRIL 2025 6:14 PM
I just read that Everton will have a walkway at Brmley Dock called THE EVERTON WAY, who was the toffee tim and the other guy who used to post on here ? did they not claim everton sang grand old team to play for before we did ?
*They could have as it was originally a Belfast Celtic song and the toffees were one of their english sides