I have to admit I thought some of the quotes to emerge on social media from the world’s greatest players about Celtic Park were perhaps apocryphal. That concern was laid to rest on Barcelona’s website today as the team boarded a flight from the rainy Catalan capital, Leonel Messi on-board, alas.
Their article, titled, “FC Barcelona players ‘just can’t get enough’ of Celtic Park”, reads like a fantasy piece typed on a green and white keyboard.
“Xavi Hernández once said: “I don’t think I have seen anything like the Celtic fans in all the stadiums I have played at. When you step out at Celtic Park, the atmosphere they create for their team is incredible. It doesn’t matter how many big games you have played in, walking out into that atmosphere is always intense.””
Messi added, “I’ve been fortunate to play in some great stadiums in Europe with Barcelona but none compare to Celtic” he said after the game in 2013. The Argentinian has also been quoted as admitting that “I have a Celtic jersey at home. The games against Celtic were special and I want to remember them.”
Playmaker Iniesta said, “They were amazing, not quiet for a single second! The Celtic fans are very special and the club and players can be very proud of them. They are the best I have ever heard.” While Pique wrote, “no words to describe the atmosphere at Celtic Park”.
The article concludes, “Whatever the outcome on Wednesday night, one thing is for sure. There’s going to be a show, and the Glasgow Celtic (and Barça) will be there.”
This kind of respect has been earned the hard way. The game which kicked it all off, Celtic’s 1-0 win in 2004, wasn’t a pleasant affair. Three men were red carded and Barcelona were bitter about the pitch, their treatment and the luck which fell their way, but when the sublime Ronaldinho was substituted with two minutes remaining the home support gave him a memorable reception.
We lost 1-3 to them the following year in a game which still rankles. After levelling we had them on the rack for a period, but two late moments of slackness allowed Barcelona to take the points.
When Barca returned in the Champions League knock-out rounds in 2008 we absolutely battered them for 45 minutes. Barry Robson had been a Dundee United player a few weeks earlier but scored peach of a header to give Celtic a 2-1 halftime lead. We’d peaked too soon and were caught out by our gung-ho approach.
The 2-1 win on our 125th birthday will live long in the memory. It was probably the most intense occasion Celtic Park had ever experienced. Arguably the greatest team to play the game applied suffocating pressure as they tried to overcome an 18th minute concession. I doubt any team has ever faced such a formidable foe who passed and prodded with such intensity.
Regrets also linger from our 0-1 defeat with 10 men three years ago when a rash moment from Scott Brown was exploited by the writhing Neymar. Charlie Mulgrew’s header from a corner kick came close to handing the 10 men a remarkable point.
We’re not in Barcelona’s league in any literal or metaphorical sense, but tomorrow’s another occasion to earn points the hard way.
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Celtic CL Group Stage home record
P 26
W 16
D 6
L 4
Very good by anyone’s standard
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/saw-doctors-forced-to-cancel-soldout-gigs-after-lead-singer-recovers-from-throat-surgery-35237366.html
A big, happy champions league day five, or if you’re a hun…………..Wednesday!
Good morning friends from a clear skied, Baltic, dry and frosty East Kilbride. A day that will start with ice scrapers and end with long johns and thermal vests. Can’t wait!
Neymar sleeps ;-)
Morning Bhoys.
A wasted day at work in prospect before an early finish and then on to Paradise.
I have a real good feeling about the game.
A pivotal week for the team.
Hopefully this time next week we will be favourites for Euro fitba in the New year and have the 1st trophy in Paradise.
Excellent
HH
Word of The Day (Inspired by a few people ………………….)
Captious /ˈkæpʃəs/
adjective
1. apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; fault finding; difficult to please; carping.
2. proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition:
3. apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument
Derived Forms
captiously, adverb
captiousness, noun
Word Origin
C14 (meaning: catching in error): from Latin captiōsus, from captiō a seizing
KTF
In daily ranker today front page, Keen Jacshun story of how Big Mike Ashley ( God bless him !) agreed contract with Sevco which allowed him to secure their mega store ( corner shop), for £1 per year over a 10 year lease , and that would enable him to sell their crap, tainted mercy from there.
They have published a copy of the contract etc.
They open the story with the following, ” the record has uncovered documents”, etc.
Now any shocking delegations about oldco and Sevco is most welcome, but is it just me or does Jackshun and his smsm colleagues have a ” selective ability” to only ” uncover” secret documents, whenever the mood takes them ?
I get the feeling however that maybe…just maybe the smsm are slowly being forced to write stories and reveal the shenanigans of this hun mob ( old and new), in a way that IF the whole truth comes out about res 12 etc in their rag, they will then ” take credit” for being somehow constantly on the ball, and fearless in pursuit of the truth behind numerous issues regarding that nut dome ?
If so, I’ve no doubt that they would attempt to take credit for their ” investigative journalism” over a long period of time. I can imagine headlines such as, ” we told you back in 2013 etc, etc”, and due to a concerted efforts to find the truth we can now also reveal etc” ?
I find it highly amusing and somewhat ironic, that around 2007/2008 I took up a weekly challenge in their rag, whereby you ” challenged” keech Jacshun to predict the correct scores of the 6 SPL matches on a particular weekend ?
I took up this ” challenge”, and in doing so Jacshun named me in his column as being the ” next challenger”, but he also stated that he was determined that “I won’t allow Big Jimmy to get his grubby mitts on MY £50″ ?
The £50 being the prize of course for whoever guessed most correctly .
Now, if I remember correctly I predicted 3/4 out of the 6 matches absolutely correctly ( I had also placed a permed bet with the bookies).
After some 6/7 ( maybe more) weeks, Keech Jacshun STILL hadn’t stumped up the £50 winnings, despite my sending 2/3 emails reminding him if HIS debt !
In two email responses to me, Jacshun claimed that the delay in sending the £50 cheque to me was the fault of the daily rankers ” financial dept”, and he was unable to donanything as it was out of HIS hands ?
Now normally, I would have expected some delay in such matters, however I was FIRCED to remind Mr Jacshun of what he stated in print at the time if the challenge that ” he wasn’t going to allow me to get my grubby mitts on HIS £50″ ?
I asked him by email, why should there be any delay as according to you, this £50 prize that was up for grabs, was YOUR money” !
Despite reminding him of what he had originally printed, he offered no explanation as to why I was being forced to deal with their financial dept rather than HIM alone, as after all he had claimed it was HIS MONEY that was at stake ?
I did put up a copy of his ” challenge” in my local pub ( his face also imposed), with a wee note above it on the pub wall which said, ” This barsteward STILL owes me £50″ !
Or words to that effect .
The irony being of course that he we have a so called intrepid reporter from the smsm who clearly lies, but when caught out blames another for not paying HIS debts…..sounds rather familiar , dont you think ?
COYBIG.
Oh nearly forgot, whilst waiting for my £50 from Scotland’s best football journalist, I also collected a good profit from my local bookies, due to placing my correct score predictions in a permed bet !
BMCUWP,
Assuming that your just finishing a night shift mate, just to let you that THAI TIM JIM has been in touch by email last night and things hopefully looking good in relation to his seat at CP for maybe some games ?
Talk/email soon mate, cheers.
HH
Morning all.
VERY cold and VERY frosty down here at the moment (and looks like all day). Still, the thought of a packed Celtic Park this evening and a game against some of the best players on the planet does brighten the mood.
Another wee win would be great…………….
Delegations ? = revelations !
Must be worth a £1 e/w
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/racecards/23-11-2016/hereford/racecard/753675/bet365-novices-hurdle-div-2
HH
“Celtic, like Barcelona, are more than a football club. Our clubs are a symbol of a culture and community that has not always been made welcome in their respective countries.”
Xavi (Barcelona midfielder)
Go to work Celtic
Hail Hail
A cracking wee day to home the day, funny how things work out when yer a Tim:))
Good morning to the Worldwide Celtic Family!
Come on you Bhoys In Green.
Big jimmy
You buy and read Deadpash rekkkord?
Its full of guff (bein pojlite mods)
Dont buy it, dont click it and why give a flower ?(bein polite there mods)
You just need to retrain that need to give rhe mythbuilding kack talking loo roll your money, then there will be more for you to spend ypur dosh on.
Kleenex or Andrex, sun or record
All bog rolls.
:-)
HH
Cannae wait to get to Paradise tonight !! COYBIG !!!
Gooooooood morning CQN
I’m just thinking/dreaming :-) in under 12hrs we’ve reached halftime
Bhoys 1-0 up
Jobo – thermals in the northern curve. ? Your not doing enough to warrant a place in there :-)))
Hail Hail
Celtic now available at 12/1 for a win and 21/4 to get a point tonight against Barca.
The head knows just what those odds mean but it does not give a toss because we have beaten better teams than this.
We let them off last time. Moussa won’t miss his penalty tonight :-)
Morning all. Looking forward to skelping the greatest, financially doped team in the world tonight…provided the bhoys have all had their Ready Brek…
Good morning all. Looking a bit of help if possible. The wife’s school has disposed of a lot of children’s VHS tapes, and the local charity shops don’t want them (for obvious reasons). Does anyone know of any charities that could make use of them? There’s 3 bin bags full of childrens videos and seems a sin to just dump them.
Green Brigade and other denizens of the North Curve, have some Ready Brek too.
it’s ridiculous that aberdeen were allocated half the tickets for sunday
the fact they still have some left shows what a media-driven sham this was
i would bet that had they been playing sevco they would have got their normal allocation
as for the poster overnight who said that killie nearly got it right for once by giving us 8000 tickets…
im afraid slagging killie off for this is misplaced
killie have always given us that allocation
its just that apart from the 2 last day of the season league decider games, we have never sold it out since martin o’neil days
so you should aim your barb at those who stayed away all those years instead of killie
Morning all from a frosty Edinburgo.
Two quality pork sausages and Dijon mustard for brekkie – it’s that kinda day.
‘Mon the Hoops!
#CQNBreakfastClub
WWW(GBWO) on 23RD NOVEMBER 2016 8:12 AM
Must be worth a £1 e/w
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An omen for later perhaps!! Bet duly placed :)
HH
BIG JIMMY
Emailed you my number in case you happen to be in the vicinity later.
Brilliant, can’t see CQN as 2 large banner adverts from M&S take over
Morning from a freezing Troon. Would love to be there tonight but recovery from knee surgery keeping me at home. Tickets have gone to a mate and his young lhad who will have the time of his life!
Mibbaes no’ a bad idea to watch in 22C heat with my feet up in Ultra HD but ye’ canny whack Celtic Park on nights like tonight.
Mon the Hoops!
NatKnow
Have you had that mustard before?? Must have been a bit like Dijon vu…
Davidopoulos on 23rd November 2016 9:18 am
NatKnow
Have you had that mustard before?? Must have been a bit like Dijon vu…
______________________________________________
That joke just disnae
cut the mustardit!KTF
Scotrail are as usual hopeless so any fans coming into town inntrains from Clydebank Dumbarton etc should check if trains are running
Taxi, train then bus for me this morning my knees are louping and sciatica is a freeking pain in the ass and all the way down both legs:-((
VFR800 is now a Monster 821
I am senf-ing you don’t relish condiment puns…
Darlington Nagbe who is he you may ask ? It seems he has been invited over from the USA to watch tonights game according to the Dailymail Nagbe currently plays for Portland Timbers
Oneforjanuarywindow csc
Good luck to the bhoys tonight massive effort required & they might just pull it off & ole Nagbe will be sign
DAVIDOPOULOS on 23RD NOVEMBER 2016 9:18 AM
NatKnow
Have you had that mustard before?? Must have been a bit like Dijon vu…
————————————————-
It’s the first time I’ve tried this delicious brand – may have to buy some Meaux…. :-)
Natknow
Meaux and not Maille? You like to go against the grain clearly.
Darlington Nagbe scored this peach a few years ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOoxdp6u5EE
John Spencer coached him at Portland. Maybe Kris Boyd can rubbish him given his glorious sojourn in MLS???
THAI TIM JIM,
I got your email and number.
Cheers my Hoopy friend.
COYBIG.
I’ve staked a few bets tonight v Barca.
First goalscorer etc, Correct Score etc.
3-2 Celts and 2-1 Celts ?
Then again maybe it will end up 8-4 to Celts ?
After all, anything that Dortmund can do, we can surely match ? Lol.
Good morning from Calderbank it’s perishing oot here
Roll on the night Come on you Celts
DAVIDOPOULOS on 23RD NOVEMBER 2016 9:36 AM
Natknow
Meaux and not Maille? You like to go against the grain clearly.
———————————
I used to use Maille – and I mayo go back to it
ANTEARMANN 8.25
I obviously know where your coming from, but I saw an opportunity back then to take money from the Chump !
Also, I was very young and deeply impressionable and needed the money, likewise that adult home movie that I was once paid for……oops ! Lol.
I do have some other startling revelations regarding the daily ranger, but they are for a later date, perhaps once I get to meet up with some of you Bhoys for a swally on our way to Celtic Park very soon ?
HH
PS, It is very easy to read the smsm without actually buying or clicking on it online .
There are ways my friend !