Let’s not be fooled by Barcelona’s home defeat to Alaves on Saturday. If they again rest Messi, Suarez, Iniesta and Jordi Alba, while contriving to miss the target with multiple chances from inside 10 yards, that result might stand as a guide, but I suspect we’ll see Leo, Luis, Andres and co. tonight. With a point to prove.
On the positive side, we’ve played away 26 games in the Champions League proper and avoided defeat only twice, including a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou. Barcelona also took until added time before scoring a winner against us there four years ago. They are formidable, but we appear to perform better when we know the enormity of the job.
We were back at Camp Nou for game six of the group stage in 2013. It was a dead rubber for Celtic and a must-win game for Barca. It did not go well. That experience is a marker for what can go wrong when you play one of the best teams ever to kick a spherical object.
When Brendan Rodgers perused our Champions League fixtures for opportunities to pick up points, he’ll not have invested too much hope in tonight’s game, but it will serve as the ultimate test for a group of players who look more and more like an impressive team with each passing week.
Let’s enjoy it.
Whoever thought that embarrassing yourself with a ludicrous statement was a wise response to a destabilising defeat should be told to walk away from the keyboard. Yesterday’s statement from across the city was cringe-worthy. Appealing to the lowest common denominator is easy, but you play to an ever-decreasing audience.
The alarm signs for Project Newco Rangers are blaring loud. It will not end well.
Celtic’s response reads like they were listening to the Champions League anthem when writing it. You don’t win a fight with an opponent who has nothing to lose. Don’t stoop to their level, it only contaminates you. There will be more nonsense before the Project ends. It won’t be pretty, but try to enjoy this spectacle too.
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14:00 SPFL Highlights BTSport3
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ArmchairfansCSC
Coolmore,
Sounds good to me….that was my plan before the boy said he wanted to go…but you know what teenagers are like…
“Stop it, you’re embarrassing.”
No fun.
MACEW
‘Bruce’s Well’ in Troon for the game tonight.
There should be a few Tims in. Plenty of screens.
I won’t be as I’m still in Italia.
You can ask for messrs Doyle and McKinley and say Carlo sent you.
HH!!
Sure it’s a mammoth task tonight and BR can only ask his troops to do their best.Im sure the bhoys will be ready for the challenge from a very strong outfit.Safe journey to all fans heading to the game.We will never stoop to their level.When we look back and see how many players wanted Celtic for testimonials that is a measure how much we are held in esteem.I know some of our fans have behaved badly,yeah we can’t have 100%’saints’ in our ranks.Some fans can look back and tell of selective police harassment and that irks them.The kettling,Janefield Street Calvary charge,and the treatment meted out to Celtic fans coming from Ireland,at the seaports and airports.We have every reason to feel aggrieved but we rose above that.They did not have any obstacles placed in their way,we did.So we will NEVER stoop to their level we are better than them.
I hope BR has had a word with SB about Naymar. The wee cheats main form of defence is to throw himself to the ground if anyone goes near him. As SB knows from the last meeting. It’s a tricky one, depends how the ref (whoever it is?) sees it. Maybe just clatter him once early and hard!
MACEW
Hmmmmm…
TALLYBHOY only invited me to The Lonsdale. I’m miffed.
I know it is the day of our big game cmon the bhoys but I thought I would post this revealing article about the anti-Christ and the association with the Pope.
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The antichrist is not a Protestant invention
How did a complaint to the Dean of St Patrick’s over rosaries lead to a debate on RTÉ? wonders Brian Kennaway.
The hour-long radio exchange last week between Wallace Thompson, secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society, and Joe Duffy was the stuff which makes live broadcasts compulsive listening.
While Duffy’s professionalism shone through and Thompson expressed his personal views, which he is entitled to hold, it was the reaction from listeners which proved the most enlightening.
Many failed to understand what their own churches actually believed, others clearly had no understanding of Christian faith, while some, including Thompson, misrepresented what other churches believed. Thompson, whose published letter to the editor of The Irish Times sparked the debate, told his radio audience, in reference to the pope being called the antichrist, “that is the position of the Church of Ireland and all the main [ Protestant] denominations”.
This is not true. Neither the Church of Ireland nor the Methodist Church has any such reference in their doctrinal standards. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, has subordinate standards, the Westminster Confession of Faith, which states (at Chapter 25, paragraph 6): “There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ: nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God.”
This statement has to be understood in terms of language and history. It is obvious from this extract that the reference to the antichrist is by way of parenthesis and not the substance of the chapter. Chapter 25 devotes itself to the reformed understanding of the church. Paragraph six simply states that only Christ is the head of the church.
The Westminster Confession is a human compilation. This one reference to an antichrist is based on the Biblical references in John’s Letters. In 1988 the Presbyterian Church in Ireland revised its understanding of the confession by declaring: “the historical interpretation of the pope of Rome as the personal and literal fulfilment of the Biblical figure of ‘the antichrist’ and ‘the man of sin’ is not manifestly evident from scripture”. Other churches have also clarified their understanding of the antichrist, in the confession. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church in America and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, of which Thompson is an elder, are two such churches.
The historical use of this term antichrist is worth noting. The first use of the term outside its use in the Bible (John’s letters) and in reference to the pope, was not by fundamentalist Protestants but by the popes themselves. This was a term in common use by Catholic writers long before the Protestant Reformation.
For example Pope Gregory I (590-604) stated: “Moreover, I say confidently that anyone calling himself universal bishop, or desires to be so called, shows himself, by this self-exaltation, to be the forerunner of the antichrist because by this display of pride he sets himself superior to others.” This was the same Gregory who, apparently, refused the title pope given to him in 604 by the Roman emperor Phocas. This was of course before the time of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, over the whole church.
Later in 991, Arnulf, Bishop of Orleans, mourned the state of the church declaring: “Reverend Fathers, who do you regard this man to be who sits on such a lofty throne? For there is no doubt that if he is destitute of charity, and if he is proud by virtue of his own intellect, then he is the antichrist sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
Eberhard, Bishop of Salzburg in 1242 made reference to Pope Gregory IX as: “That morally depraved man whom they are accustomed to call the antichrist, upon whose forehead is written the name of contempt. . . .” It was, therefore, natural that the writers of the Westminster Confession of 1643-1647 followed the language of their Roman theological predecessors. They did not intend any offence by the use of this term Antichrist. Nor did they regard it, in the words of the Dean of St Patrick’s, as “unhelpful name-calling”.
Those who adhere to reformed theology today and use this term, I am sure, equally intend no offence. Though I can understand how many Catholics find it offensive, when they are unaware of the general use of the term within their own church in the past. The term antichrista did not have its origins among the fundamentalist Protestants of the “black North”, or even the so-called heretics of the Protestant Reformation. Blame the popes – they started it.
Brian Kennaway is Presbyterian minister at Crumlin in Belfast and former education convenor of the Orange Order. He is author of The Orange Order: A Tradition Betrayed
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-antichrist-is-not-a-protestant-invention-1.933751
“Celtic are a very well worked team and they’ve signed great players like Dembele”.
Luis Enrique
BHOYJOEBELFAST
Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday wi yer latest questions,mate. Had to hit the hay,which is also now high on the agenda.
Surprised I got the JK one right,my memory has some dark recesses!
Pity you weren’t on here 18 months ago,we had a Hoot/dayoooot in yer town. Muddy blarvlis,it was.
As for your comment about the testimonials,my Dad and his pals went to a lot of them. Famously of course,Bobby Charlton scored his only goal for another club than Man Utd in his.
We played in loads back then. And the Real Madrid fans who came to honour one of the greats,di Stefanio,will never forget Jinky.
Nor will we…
Surprisingly flattering piece in Marca about us
http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2016/09/12/57d6b9ec22601d0e718b45a3.html
from http://www.barcablaugranes.com/
“Barcelona start their Champions League season on Tuesday at Camp Nou against Scotting champions Celtic, in what’s already a very important match for the Blaugrana. Being drawn into the Group of Death against Borussia Mönchengladbach and Manchester City forces Barça to win both matches against Celtic to secure six points before going to war with the other two teams in the group…”
There’s no doubt in my mind that we’d beat them hands down at scotting.
Tallybhoy, BMCUWP, thanks for the info, won’t be down in Troon myself, it’s once again for my son, who finds himself working in Troon for a few days. never seems to be off the phone long enough to do these things for himself.
Thanks again,
HH
MACEW
You coming to the Hoot on 1/10?
THINDIMEBHOY
‘It was, therefore, natural that the writers of the Westminster Confession of 1643-1647 followed the language of their Roman theological predecessors”
Following the logic there would have us conclude that there was no need for the Westminster Confession to be formulated at all.
And of course it’s “unhelpful name-calling” to refers one body that calls itself Christian as the Anti-Christ; a very disingenuous piece.
“Football will survive because of teams like Celtic and its fans.”
Age Hareide
Call me mad but I think we’ll gub Barca 1-0 and I’ve got the courage of my convictions.
Got a fiver on it!!
HH
For the benefit of any of the lurking outraged.
The hangings were in exceptionally poor taste.
Now for the whitabootery.
Just what ecumenical sentiments emanating from the Rangers official and prawn sandwich areas in the aftermath of the Cup Semi, caused the normally Timothy Tighthole DD, to loosen the purse strings.
Too much manufactured, for manufactured it is, outrage, might just make him loosen them even more.
BMCUW
Howdy bud!
‘Bruce’s Well’ in Troon is now the preferred boozer to watch Celtic games, even ‘tho the owner is a hun!
You would like it as it’s near the station!
:-)
HH!!
Al McLean
It is bad getting to the bigot dome but it’s even worse getting back. Best advice is taxi there and go to a friendly pub in Govan for a couple of beers first. Then once the subway is clear get on it back to west end.
BMCUWP,
Will eventually manage to one of these hoots. Going to a sixtieth party on that date, not that I am anywhere near those number of decades myself!
Pinocchio CSC.
Just turned BT on to watch the U19’s game with Barca and they are showing clips of this weekends Bundesliga action with a song playing with the repeating lyrics of ‘Miles Apart’….grand :)
TALLYBHOY
I’d still turn left instead of right. Cost me a few quid that night.
MACEW
Hopefully there will be more. I hope you all have a grand time.
HH
Is there an uncle christ?
Celtic have only beaten Barça once in a Champions League game, a 2-1 win in 2012 – thus crowning an amazing week in which the Scottish club was celebrating its 125th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta posed with the famous hooped jersey, and the Barça directors attended the ceremony at St Mary’s Church, where Brother Walfrid formed the Glasgow club as a charity institution way back in 1887.
@barca
BABASONICOS71
;-). V good.
So if the huns keep the ticket money and ban us from Ibrox that’s a 750k saving right there. Enough to keep going until the January transfer window. anyway f*** em
Really looking forward to tonight. Watching the game in Thailand with my in laws. All decked out in various hoops given to them over the years. Kids want to stay up. Mothes have relented. No school tomorrow. Rest of the town coming along in their. Messi replicas. I am supplying the drink. I am hoping. for a 0.0
HH
C’mon the young Hoops
HH
Linked this of the comments page in the Scotsman, I’m not condoning the actions of a few by any means….
12/09/2016 Zombees and irony http://i66.tinypic.com/2dik0mx.jpg 1 reply
Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/rangers-supporters-group-calls-for-club-to-ban-celtic-fans-1-4227960#comments-area
SIPSINI on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 1:58 PM
DESERTBHOY on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 1:23 PM
I’ll see what I can do ticket wise. HH
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Cheers bud, let me know.
Have mailed Angela at TO, as o/s ST but she hasn’t replied yet and the 3 game package is no good to me.
Possibly too late.
SIPSINI…
Love they way the combat1872 statement shows the word scum as ‘s***’.Precious wee souls so they are. ;))
Hi Paul67,
Very good piece today, the respect Barca are showing us is very welcome, if somewhat daunting.
Of course I don’t for one moment believe we have them shaking in there boots… the main reason for resting the personnel shows how important EVERY point is to any Club from our group hoping to play UCL Football after Christmas.
None the less, the way we have equiped ourselves in the past and our improvement under BR would be factored in.
– Just an aside on that point… how come Barca have noticed this yet New Rangers who play in the same City and are in the same League as us (not metaphorically speaking – obviously) don’t get that!?
Every point we get in this group will be hard prised from a top, commited, professional Club.
Barca 2-2 Celtic
First Prise goes to Dembele.
Hail Hail
DontFightWithACoalmanCSC
*the way
You have to give them credit where credit is due.
Thick as shit in the neck of two bottles, THEY may be.
But THEY do a great line in offended outrage.
Is the faux outrage eminating from Sevconia an orange mock?
Young Hoops are clawing themselves into the game.
Ajer shot just wide
Still 1 nil Barca
HT 1-0
Ajer went close not long before halftime……the Barca had a 2nd disallowed just on halftime.
HH
I’ve just stopped rearranging the furniture to afford more room for my wife and grand children to hide behind the suite.
And a question occurred to me.
Does anyone know what David Weir is being charged with for his early dismissal on Saturday?
I hear a rumour of offensive language to a match official.
Can anyone confirm?