The heat was suffocating, it was 35° and city was heaving. On the long walk out of town some enterprising locals were selling water or cola to the increasingly dehydrated caravan of people. I passed a few, not willing to succumb to extortionate opportunism, but soon gave in.
I walked into an orange tree earlier that day. Caught between taking directions from a policeman and setting off in a new direction I’d overlooked the towering obstacle a yard in front of me. There’d been a spring in my step, I must have bounced into the bark. Trees are hard. I fell.
The return journey was made in the cool of the night. For the first few miles we were a uniformed flow of humanity but eventually the crowd thinned. We walked through residential streets with locals at their doors and windows. They applauded as we passed. Few of us are ever part of something substantial enough that uninvolved observers openly applaud you. Such memories endure.
I’d an early rise and a long drive with a full car ahead the next day. The bedroom was packed, floor space was given over to spare bedding, the hotels must have shipped mattresses in from a hundred kilometres radius, so with the others in the bar, I took myself off for a shower.
I met a German couple in the elevator. “Are you disappointed?” the woman asked. “No, we played well and were beaten by a good team.” It was the perfect answer. These people must have been horrified when they noticed the throng which would dominate their trip, but they’d become part of the story, part of the throng. The answer was honestly given, although disappointment would come later. I went on, “We lost a minor cup final nine years ago, that was real disappointment”.
I surprised myself by what my memory spontaneously threw up when asked about disappointment. Looking back now, that minor cup final is no more than a touchstone, and indicator of where we were before the Generation of Domination got underway. It’s lost its power to inflict negative emotion. If I met the German couple once more I could again tell them I wasn’t disappointed with that day in the blistering heat. It’s one of my proudest memories, and we soon learned we were beaten, narrowly, by a great team.
This, my friends in Celtic, is what you call a journey.
I spoke to fan liaison manager John Paul Taylor yesterday and mentioned I’d not renewed my season ticket yet. I promised him I would today and that I’d pass the message on. Deadline is tomorrow, after that people can ask for a move into your seat. Consider yourself reminded! We walk the next mile of the journey soon, with hope in our hearts, as always.
Many thanks to those who donated to Mary’s Meals yesterday, and to Magners. The money raised in one day alone will feed over 30 of the world’s poorest school children for a year.
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Canamalar
Nah mate don’t see that.
Yes, there are things that annoy me and there are things that really grate.
To me those bad things are more than outweighed by the good .
We have a way of life to protect.
HH
Burghbhoy,
Of course you don’t cognitive dissonance is no easy to deal with, maybe when the polis come banging on your door at four in the morning you’ll see the light.
Oh I meant to add anyone got the direct phone number to Celtic ticket office?
0871226 1888
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
07:43 on 22 May, 2015
JAMES FORREST
Excellent article,mate.
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/dying-in-the-ditch/
———-
James I haven’t read all your articles. But I’ve read a good number.
And this one is up there with the best.
HH jamesgang
Back in the 80s and 90s, Celtic being champions and rangers liquidated would have made us deliriously happy. Why all the grumpiness? I blame the internet and too many MBAs.
I personally can’t wait for Sunday and renewed a while ago, easy online if you are not changing seat or payment method
Burghbhoy the only people who are posing are the Celtic board and they are pissing on the Celtic support. It’s clear that without radical action they won’t change. The only language they understand is money. Ergo no season ticket from me.
Well if you’ve not put anything in you can’t really demand that it’s spent in certain way. If the books have to balance and there’s less coming in from ticket money, we either spend less or generate more from other means, including transfers.
Comments on the relative quality would be fair enough obviously but crying that the club should spend more and sell less would be a little hypocritical surely.
Weeminger,
Does that include shareholders ?
Weeminger,
And who do you think you are telling anyone what they can comment on ?
Weeminger,
People who can’t afford season tickets ?
No right to comment eh, real nice family
Talk about hypocrite
Weeminger you do of course mean the lack of buying players and the selling of our best players?
Well not much comment will be passed cos it’s all very very predictable.
Weeminger are you happy to support corruption and racism?
The MSM saying Sunderland want to buy Nir Bitton for 5 Million I certainly hope we say no thanks and give the bhoy a new contract he is a superb player and he will only get better. H.H.
NegAnon2 are you giving up going to games or just buying a season ticket? H H Hebcelt
neganon2/Canamalar
Our club has many faults.
The Board of Directors are parasites, I agree.
Let’s protest, mobilise, buy them out but let’s protect and support the team we love.
HH
Thanks bawsman!
joe filippis haircut
1. Tell the makems to add a 1 at the start of that number.
2. Then tell them to beggar aff cos Bitttton is the fulcrum of the midfield.
Better still. Let’s skip option 1!
A summer of ‘want away Stars’ MSM bullsh1t awaits!
Later all
HH jamesgang
canamalar
08:33 on 22 May, 2015
What’s the latest on Res 12 ……. ? ….HH
Anyway Bhoys have a good morning.
Burghbhoy,
If everyone bought shares rather than season tickets this season that would maybe force a bit of change but you could pretty much guarantee there would be a new share release available to a few only
Bobby
Reading that story re Sky, a few years back I moved house and took advantage of the BT home move service for discontinuing my current phone line and broadband, and restarting it in my new house.
It all went as expected….I thought.
Over a year later I was scrolling through my bank account transactions online, looking for a particular payment, and it caught my attention that BT seemed to appear more frequently than I would have expected.
Transpired they were still taking money from my account from my old address. Over £400 I had been stiffed for.
Though I was annoyed, especially at my own lax attention to my attention to detail, I wasn’t too perturbed thinking that at least I had a few extra quid I didn’t realise I had.
Ha. You wouldn’t believe the hassle I had getting refunded. They accepted, eventually, that since they I had used their relocation service, they should have cancelled the original arrangement, however, they offered me a credit which would be used against my future phone bills until cleared.
After what must have been 3 months of me tearing my hair out, awaiting promised callbacks etc, I got my money back, but the whole experience was an eye opener in respect of how atrocious these big companies can be when it comes to customer service.
NegAnon2 looked up the meaning of one of your buzz words. Give me your definition of corruption and explain who or what is corrupt at CFC and do you think if so proved legal action should be taken against them/CFC? H H Hebcelt
kevjungle
12:47 on 21 May, 2015
Back to completely ignoring your posts….they get more silly by the week
67heaven..,
As previously advised, getting professionals involved is and has slowed things down, we do not have the resources of the board and the board refuse to resource this, can’t be that important eh.
Congratulations to the young bhoys on winning the Scottish Cup. No doubt, they will part of the celebrations on Sunday. Just ask that all you ghals and bhoys who will be fortunate enough to be part of the celebrations will give a cheer and great applause on my behalf. I will be in Lourdes from Saturday onwards. This was arranged last November. Will remember everyone on here, believer or non-believer at the Grotto, especially those who lost loved ones this year.
Please remember to sign the petition against the OB Act. Remember it could be you that is deemed by a cop to have committed an offence. Be warned.A recently reply from my MSP suggests that they have only requested statements about the ACT from those in favour. Please let them know that thousands disagree. Remember what happened in other places when people forgot to stand up for justice.
Of course I’m not suggesting that people should be barred from commenting on what they please. I’m a proponent of free speech.
However. I’ll stop winding people up.
I think this is showing how critical this is. People are at the point of withdrawing completely from the whole notion of Celtic and whether it should exist at all within the current environment we’re forced to operate in.
Neganon2 asks a pertinent question – do I support corruption and racism and the answer is wholeheartedly no. Beyond a little bit of ticket skullduggery that certianly used to go on in the past with some of the CSCs. I wouldn’t say Celtic are corrupt as an organisation. They certainly can’t be accused of racism.
They do however have to take part with an organisation that has certainly been shown to be corrupt in the past and had a rule book that is amateurish at best and administered by incompetents.
The current situation is this. If we withdraw from that immediately, or all supporters withdraw financial support the club will in my opinion cease to exist. Unless we have a new place to play – even if that involves a start at the bottom, we have no choice but to engage with the SFA/SPFL.
Everybody is doing what they think is best in dealing with this. I will not criticise anybody for doing that. Never.
In all honesty I’m swithering myself. I’ve plenty of other ways to spend my Saturday afternoons (or Sunday lunchtimes as is more often the case). The acid test (and I’ve always said this) will be the Sevco allocation. I can understand the ticket price stuff. It’s a commercial decision supported by historical precedent of the number of people upgrading child STs for those games.
Having just a second ago claimed I wouldn’t criticise people I will say this. The one group of our fans that I would raise any level of ire for are those that don’t attend at all but clamour for a Sevco ticket, and those that go to no other away games but suddenly demand an Ibrox ticket forcing our demand up – thus making it more likely we’ll need to come to an arrangement with Sevco – or make it easy for the club to justify it. For me they help legitimise the same club myth as much as any press man or official.
Busy work day again. There’s much to think about my friends. Go with your heart.
connaire12
Have a safe trip and a great time sir.
Football fans not criminals.
Just been on the phone to the ticket office. On hold for 15 mins. Just as bad as the DWP, only the choons are a bit better. The ticketing operation is outsourced, so these will be the folk getting less than the Living Wage.
Not very impressed.
Weeminger,
But hypocrites
D i CK has reportedly claimed that sevco have one of the strongest balance sheet.s in word football ……….still in the ‘denial’ stage, I see….!!!!
Actually, his conclusion is more sad than silly…….if that’s his level of spin, he needs to employ a better PR company……like his team, they are rank rotten…
…and I see he has gone from intending to invest £30m, to £20m, to £15 (half of his originally quoted amount) …….but, he hasn’t told us where he will get the other £15m needed …… I trust he doesn’t expect it from a share issue….hahahahahahaha….that would be his expectations / credibility / spin AIM-ing too high ….!!!!!!!!!!
What will happen if PL discovers that THEIR return doesn’t generate thon lost 10,000,000?
Does anyone know why the tickets for last night’s game were limited by the clubs to c.2000 each (or whatever it was)?
Quonno,
It will matter not a jot, it will be job done and the support will live with the consequences
This is on my bucket list for Vegas in three weeks time.
https://www.facebook.com/henry.severeide.3/posts/10207024171632858
TWISTSNTURNS
I had the same problem when I last moved about six years ago.
With Southern Electric AND the council.
Both had a go about me not coughing up at the new address,and both were still billing me for the old address. Fortunately by then I was recently mailed up,and could prove they were in the wrong.
It got worse. SSE
Oops.
SSE got it right. The council cancelled the payments then took me to court for non-payment!
I attended,but it didn’t get as far as the courtroom when I showed the officials my raft of mails. And pointed out that my employer,the local paper,was rather interested in their incompetence.
Heyho. I blame Direct Debit.