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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I was quite enjoying today’s lead article, until I realised it was a sale pitch.
Damn good sales pitch though.
Burgas hoops
That makes more sense. Cheers
Henke
I thought that was Ed Miliband’s dog.
BontyBhoy
18:54 on 21 May, 2015
__________________
Aye….follow the yella brick road.
It’s zoomer night tonight on snyde -) alex fhkn rae !!!!
MacIntyre – “King speaks very well”. Eh???
ruggygman
18:25 on
21 May, 2015
Aye 30 million to scratch the surface on their debts….
Debts. For feck sake. Rinse your mouth out with caustic soda.
Tonight’s Little Big Shot #YouthCupFinal 2015 is being streamed live on the Scottish FA’s YouTube page, KO is 7.30pm. Click the link to watch http://scotfa.co/YouthCup
braw
COYBIG
Count down to kick off on this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg9G…ature=youtu.be
Neustadt-Braw
Where are you finding all this time to watch the fitba?
Get back to work -)))
I see sevco are playing a gig at oran mor on December 8th.another way to raise money for a new club.
I saw a picture of kenny misser celebrating with the fans on the touchline after he scored yesterday,I then went to the match report to see if he was given a yellow card,you all know the answer to that one. I am off to watch the young bhoys
cheers
Mon the wee Hoops rattle them for 7
Celtic in the Youth Cup Final Live Now!
https://youtu.be/jg9GUooV-ww
Why are the yoots playing in an empty stadium?
Syd Negakev
19:24 on
21 May, 2015
Why are the yoots playing in an empty stadium?
Huns cant behave.
I notice they were playing hun songs over the tannoy, anyone know if they also played Celtic songs prior to that?
eddieinkirkmichael
They did -)))
Mon The Yoof
There’s a hun wearing a Henke wig?
Youth final – 25 seconds in and we have the first mention of OF.
And I don’t mean that odious act of the Scottish Parliament.
Ughaye.
He got a yellow card
Already the bozzos commentating show their laziness and grasp of the cliché handbook.
Burgas Hoops
19:11 on
21 May, 2015
Neustadt-Braw
Where are you finding all this time to watch the fitba?
Get back to work -)))
……………….Neighbours got married yesterday …was a late wan last night stroke today ….awfy braw …..I did the food and they got me foo…..
off to the new auld hoose the morra though …
maybe ..
braw
ughAye
Actually KM got a yellow – according to the live online coverage anyway.
The only thing Sevco have in common with Real Madrid and barca is none of them want to pay their bills
Good start for the young bhoys
I think the bozzos just said Nosferatu is playing for the zombies ..
Natural choice and first name on their sheet I suppose.
feck sake that wis Ian Durant ….hahahaha is he still helping the Hun….no wonder they are deader than deid….
braw
What a carry on over at the Ashleydome, just saw edited highlights of the press conference. Murray and King were poorly rehearsed , looking at each other for help on a few occasions.
Anyway as we waited on the second liquidation, on QOS and then Hibs beating them then Ashley pulling the plug, then SFA sending King back etc.. Once again the untouchables are soon back amongst us as I always knew and feared they would be, quite simply we have slept on this….anyone who thinks he is giving that lot £20m is a fool.
He is after his money back, plain and simple. In the meantime he will spend on what he has to to get the Orcs on side then hope against history they will buy £20m worth of shares? Not once did anyone ask him at the press conference when did he expcect to turn over a profit, not once was he asked will he want a return on his investment, the feeling of smug superiority is permeating throughout the MSM. It’s almost like ,” wait till my Dad gets back , he’ll sort you out!” They are in the first stages of orgasm at the moment, their guard will be down…( no pun intended) Maybe another on field twist to come?
Never fear the MIB card will play soon.
On another matter, earlier I mentioned we have been sleeping. As we have witnessed season after season of downsizing, it scares me as to how easily we won the league with an experimental team for the first part of the season. After Xmas we improved domestically but even then we were popped out of Europe by an average Serie A side. That is what worries me , our obsession of staying just ahead of the Orcs whilst spending bugger all has left us kings of our own midden but very much poor in comparison to mid ranking Euro opposition we have faced.
I hope I am being pessimistic , would not be the first time, but I cannot see us being feared in any forthcoming European draw.
Ashley loanee laying for zombie youth
tictaewin
18:24 on 21 May, 2015
King on the telly there.
£30 million required.
He has already lost £ 20 million.
—————
Interesting that he said he invested in the CLUB and lost it. Not sure why this would be, as the CLUB still exists. Doesn’t it…..?
There’s a young lad plying his trade for Schalke 04 called Leroy Sane, the guy is good, young and I see a lot of dear Henrik in him. Don’t know how much he’d cost but, come on have a look, not too many spondooliks methinks
KINGLuBO
SPFL appointed commentators showing unseemingly positivity towards the team in blue.
Celtic keeper a bag of nerves, also were not winning many headers, maybe trying to hard to play total football
Apparently, sevco have had quarter chances – a new phenomenon for coaches to work on.
We can’t even have neutral commentary in the Youth Cup final.
One wonders how many more of these pointless pressers King and Murray will have. Big build up, blue room, club ties, marble staircase yadda yadda … then… nothing
How much you gonna invest?: Dunno
When you gonna pay back Ashley?: Dunno. Mibbe never.
Will the Three Bears keep paying the wages?: Probs….
In all seriousness, there is no point having these pressers if you don’t have any answers. Either get some answers or stay away, and play the Mysterious-Mr-Big, all enigmatic like…
I genuinely don’t think King has any idea what he’s doing, and his attitude towards Ashley seems designed to insult and antagonise him.
As for the Three Bears – it seems to me they are being royally shafted by King, expected to pony up wage-run after wage-run while he and his potless mate sit back and do hee haw.