Spartak Moscow will have considered Celtic’s history away from home in the Champions League and this afternoon will look each other in the eye and warn against complacency. There is nothing in 20 games in this competition proper to alarm them, but there is nothing in that 11 year history which will prepare them to meet this Celtic team.
Not since Martin O’Neill took his side to Turin in 2001 have we approached a Champions League away match with such enthusiasm. Celtic will approach this game knowing they have nothing to lose and everything to gain from imposing the team and personal development achieved over the last 18 months on Spartak.
The game also comes at a convenient window in our permanent injury crisis but with Spartak robbed of key players throughout the team.
At home against Benfica two weeks ago concentration was the important sentiment but tonight is a different game. The foreign environs will ensure Celtic players are always acutely of their surroundings but they also provide a platform, and a playing surface, for them to express themselves.
Although Celtic’s away record in this tournament has been poor the better performances have come against the bigger challenges: a draw in the Camp Nou, 0-0 after 90 minutes before losing in extra time in the San Siro, and it took ridiculous penalty decisions at the Stadio Dello Alpi and Old Trafford to deny us a point, so don’t be confused by the stats.
This one is there for us.
239 Comments- Pages:
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ASonOfDan
Sorry, Ferguson has a point. If Andy Murray ever wins Wimbledon would they ask Ferguson his thoughts about it on air? Maybe if they have the TV rights by then they would?!
HH
ps. During yesterdays press conference Lenny turned to the Uefa delegate and asked ‘is this guy a real journalist?’ !!!
HH
ASonOfDan
It’s not often i agree with Fergie but his comment about the Ryder Cup is spot on
I am glad to say i never watched one second of the jingoistic nonsense
lennon n mcmjallby- I didn’t realise at first he wa splayin’ the ole pedal steel.
I think they be more of a live than a studio experience.
I don’t always listen to Paul Jones but I’m glad I caught it last night, while I was peelin’ the ole spuds.
Good comment on the Hootsman’s article on Ogilvie. Scary reading for zombies!
Gilbert
8:58 AM on 02/10/2012
1. EBT’s are LEGAL … end of story.
2.EBT used as double contracts undeclared to the tax man or the SFA are ILLEGAL …. thats where the burning of emails and hiding of letters (now found) is made public Tick Tock
3. Mr Ogilvie is admitted recipient of such an EBT . Tick Tock
4. EBT’s appear to have been paid to individuals in power when they were no longer associated with Ibrox. Tick Tock
5. D and P now wrapping up books and will be gone. Taxman Team takes over. Tick Tock
6. £94 million theft admitted plus £25 million owed to Ticketus.
7. Taxman knows Ibrox, Murray Park and Albion were grossly undervalued when given to Mr. Green (if he indeed owns them). They will declare deal null and void and sell off all assets . Tick Tock
8. Referees have not been i n the spotlight yet, but the suit is ready along with details and will hit the fan by Christmas. Tick Tock.
9. Investigations under way that the alleged money laundering goes back over 20 years. Tick Tock
10. When all this is done, the criminal charges will be laid. Tick Tock
Nowhere to Walk Away to … Your nightmares have just begun.
Richie
Nice one – any info on the poster? Reputable?
HH
Does Dallas not do something with European refs…
HJK Helsinki, top of the Veikkausliiga with five games of the season remaining, travelled on Monday night to Haka who are bottom of the table but will plenty of hope of staying in the premier division in Finland.
Haka raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half and looked set to secure a huge win until the 57th minute when all hell broke loose.
An HJK attack down the left was cleared out for a throw. HJK subsequently took two throw-ins! One near the corner flag and the Haka goal, the other by the centre circle.
The camera on the main broadcast of the match, follows the throw by the halfway line, HJK meanwhile are also working a different ball further up the pitch and score.
Cue mass rage from Haka and confusion as the referee ignores all protests and awards a goal to league leaders HJK Helsinki.
The goal is officially awarded to Juho Makela and HJK subsequently equalise eight minutes later and the match ends 2-2, with this decision by referee Mikko Lehtola potentially having huge ramifications at the end of the season.
Always worth a watch. Only we could do 7/4 time en masse so well.
Mocking the zombie nation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuuO3JbY6Mc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Red Double Decker Bus parked in George Sq.
Along the side in large print…
‘Tax Dodging Hurts The Poor’
lol!!
traditionalist88
13:48 on
2 October, 2012
Richie
Nice one – any info on the poster? Reputable?
HH
———————————————-
No data but I though his comment no.8 was interesting. I take the suit to be PL
chasbhoy
10:13 on
2 October, 2012
Down in D&G today. Can embdy recommend a good pub in Newton Stewart or round about for the game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
Late 90s I overnighted twice a week down there,Wigton,tbh,and Newton Stewart ain’t REALLY Celtic friendly.
But coming off the A75,north,through the town,head for Creetown.
A wee village about four miles out……
WITH A CELTIC SUPPORTERS’ CLUB!
Altenatively,turn south for Wigton,a mile down the road you’ll find my favourite road sign.
It highlights two areas of interest.
BUTTERFLY WORLD
CARNIVEROUS PLANTS
Google CREETOWN CSC,they will give you the full details,mate.
Just don’t go in to NS town centre with a Cetic scarf-the world JUST isn’t ready for Wicker Man II…….
Pete the Down Beat
Oh ye of little faith.
A Hoopy Hail! Hail! to one and all. I don’t do predictions but hoping for a win. Presently sitting in Dortmund airport necking a Weißbier on my way to Munich for my 26th consecutive Oktoberfest. I arrive in Munich airport 70 mins before ko, so cutting it a bit fine for getting to the nearest pub showing the game. Come on you bhoys in green stick it to these Ruskies.
richie
Whoaft!
dbbia
Im currently listenin’ to Emerald on repeat.
ocdcsc
DBBIA
The ole pedal steel is a fantastic instrument!
Just listen to Ben Keith on some of Neil Young’s classics – if you are into that sort of thing that is!
Tonight’s the night…(He plays it on that.).
HH!!
traditionalist88
A lifetime of bad career choices and the like has made me more patient …… that and dragging it out is funny as long as the right result finally arives (death of a thousand cuts rather than a beheading)
SFTB and Mort
Thank you both.
I am no fan of Levein, neither as a man or as a manager,but I think he could argue that ,as players all have different styles, he is not actually rating Kris behind these other players.Forrest and Naismith, for example,offer something very different from that whic Commons does.
Personally, I would put Kris above all of Levein`s selections in that area but, as a Tim, I am quite happy that Kris will not be putting himself at risk of injury on Scotland “duty”.
Anyway, thanks again for your help,
JJ
Liked this comment…..
“It’s official. October 12th. 2012. Rangers will be finally wound up. Forget July 12th. and August 12th. surely this has to be THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH.”
“nor”. Good God!!!
Chasbhoy
Hot off the press vi Creetown csc
The Galloway in Newton Stewart
Black horse or caravan park in creetown
Larsson being linked with Blackburn Rovers job.
Curly
Stuck in Aberdeen , can you advise where to watch the game with a few like minded bhoys.
HH
Richie
That’d be sweet alright. Lets hope he’s right on points 7 & 9 in particular too:)
HH
RANGERS had an operating shortfall of over £4m during the period that the club was in administration, according to a report released by the club’s administrators.
The figure emerges in a concluding report to creditors ahead of the oldco Rangers’ proposed liquidation at the Court of Session on October 12.
During the period of 14 February 2012 to 25 September 2012 the club incurred a trading shortfall of £4,007, 635
Other key points include:
• The total amount owed by Rangers FC to HMRC is listed at £94,426,217.12. This figure takes into account monies owed in the ‘Big Tax Case’ emanating from payments to players through Employee Benefit Trusts, the ‘Wee Tax Case’ for the discounted options tax scheme amd money owed in unpaid PAYE tax incurred during Craig Whyte’s tenure.
A decision is expected on the ‘Big Tax Case’ later this month however Duff & Phelps have opted to include this debt in the final statement that will be voted upon by the club’s creditors prior to liquidation.
• Duff & Phelps received a total of £2,457, 420 in payments for their work in the administration of the Ibrox club
• Legal costs of £966,329 were paid to law firm Taylor Wessing for dealing with legal matters in English law including legal action regarding Collyer Bristow.
Fees of £358, 650 were also paid to law firm Biggart Baillie for placing the company in administration and for negotiations with Ticketus.
• Duff & Phelps say Ticketus’s claim of £26, 711, 857 against the club is unenforceable in a court of law.
• The report confirms that although the newly-formed Rangers was unable to gain SPL membership, negotiations with the SFA and SFL mean that it will honour transfer debts to Scottish clubs including Celtic, Hearts and Dundee United,
• The club has started proceedings against Collyer Bristow solicitors for £25m however this action will not be completed by Duff & Phelps before they leave office as administrators of the club. The litigation against Collyer Bristow, who acted as solicitors for previous owner Craig Whyte, is expected to be continued by the club’s liquidators.
• Rangers are still owned two payments of £975,000 for the transfer of Nikica Jelavic to Everton which falls due in May 2013 and May 2014. The administrators say that these amounts will continue to be pursued.
• Duff & Phelps say that taking part in the SPL Commission on Employee Benefit Trusts is not in the interest of creditors as Rangers FC is no longer part of the SPL
• A total of £112,500 was paid to PR firm Media House for “media consultancy” services with £28,941 also paid to media firm Spreckley for the PR services while the company was in administration.
Just a random thought on Kris Commons predicament.
As someone who still supports the national team of the country I live in, where my children were born, and where I pay my taxes, it is not the SFA skulduggery and the Rangers favouritism that does for me and makes me doubt my choice. Those only make me doubly determined to fight for my country.
Ireland was my parents home and I am very fond of it but I lived and worked and will, most probably, die here.
What makes me wary of wholly committing to Scotland is the “racial purity” argument attached to national team selection. It is the flip side of the Aiden Mcgeady coin that Kris Commons is suffering for, as the Tartan Army view is that his non-selection is no great miss. Although, being English and playing for Celtic is kind of a double whammy, do not imagine that there is no expression of racial purity doubts expressed against James Morrison, Danny Fox, Jamie Mackie, Matt Gilks or any other “adopted” Scot in the squad. We can be a sniffy, parochial race at times and it is not all an anti-Celtic connection that produces that.
Kris Commons qualifies to play for Scotland because his father’s mother was born here and that’s good enough for me. Islam Feruz qualifies for Scotland because of his player development here and that is good enough for me too. If he chooses to play for England later because he lived there from age 16, I’d accept that too if the rules allowed it. But, once you choose your sporting nationality as an adult, you should stick with it and not transfer your loyalties.
Bigger countries than us can take an inclusive view towards successful immigrants regardless of their birthplace. Germany, a country with more recent experience of racial purity matters has managed to accommodate Polish born players like Podolski and Klose plus as well as Khedira, who has a Tunisian father and Boateng, Ghanaian father, and Gundogan and Ozil from Turkish parentage.
So, I will dissociate myself from any banter about the racial purity of our backgrounds. Most of us are mongrels and mongrels are more intelligent dogs than the “pure” (in) breeds.
Paul’s article reminds us that some clubs just get all the help that’s going. Man Utd being the prime example.
Now I have to own up to a deep admiration of Sir Alex. A wonderful manager and a great Scot who gives much of himself for deserving causes.
However…..
His team get more breaks and good luck than any team I have ever seen . Look at Utd’s CL record. Look at the sections they get drawn in. Never anywhere near a group of death. Look at the multitude of ludicrous decisions that go their way.
Against us alone, not just one but 2 penalties awarded that were so badly wrong that you had to wonder about the motives of the officials. Thanks to Artur one of them never counted, however the other one robbed us.
The seeding system in the CL has done more favors, in my view, for Man Utd than any other club. Even their very best team was well behind the peers of the modern era. Yet they are lauded in England as if they are on a par with Barca, which takes delusion to a new level. Yet they alway remain a Pot 1 team, thanks in large measure to the easiest of sections and help from referee’s
Thankfully we are not playing a team from England tonight. That should mean , hopefully, that its in our own hands.
Bom dia,
Apologies if this has been discussed to death before, but can somebody edu-ma-kate me about the in’s and out’s of this Naka image rights farrago the foe malign are burbling on about………
Stevo
I like your thinking – the fact the zombie huns convinced themselves they’re over the worst of it is going to make it even better.
HH
I hope we are a bit tighter between full backs and centre backs tonight,we have been caught out in previous games this season,and rode our luck a wee bit.
Looking forward to tonight and if we put out a strong midfield instead of playing two wingers I can see us not conceding, and maybe sneaking one through a quick break.
HighhopesCSC
The msm have been bad enough regards 5 titles and the zombies not getting to play in the spl,imagine what they would be like if the huns 9iar came under threat?
Its a certainty there were financial shenanigans.
Blinkin’ flip-SSN speak to three Chelsea fans in Copenhagen-and they’re all Scottish!
THOUGHT THERE WERE NAE HUNS IN EUROPE?
now that Hooper has had his ‘wake up call’, I hope he’s got his shooting boots on tonight, we will not get as many chances as we got against Murderwell, they will be scarce, but hopefully not as scarce as against Benfica. They need to be taken though, thats the difference between the ordinary, and the last 16.
THE EXILED TIM .
Not an addiction for me . I bung notes in a tin on the 1st of January and never spend /lose more than is in the tin . Been doing the same since the late 60s. The profit goes into a bank account. Money used to buy books / choons /dvds and occasionally -holidays
Been a good year [ so far ] I was convinced that Chelsea would win the Champion’s League. . . The Euros were real good —– Poland / Ireland/ England. Italy were consistently overpriced /underrated [ I didn’t bet on them in the final .] .
I like the Champion’s League ——- usually good free money or high priced loose cannons like Apoel and Cluj .. Have a feeling PSG / Juve might do well.
Yet to decide re this week but currently thinking — Zenit / PSG / Cluj .
Good luck ! [ Porto excepted if I plump for PSG]
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby 14:13
They feel hard done by now? Just wait…
From a long entry in Wikipedia: a long history of ratbaggery :-
On July 27, 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany gave the order to act ruthlessly towards the rebels: “Mercy will not be shown, prisoners will not be taken. Just as a thousand years ago, the Huns under Attila won a reputation of might that lives on in legends, so may the name of Germany in China, such that no Chinese will even again dare so much as to look askance at a German.”[60]
The term “Hun” from this speech was later used for the Germans by British propaganda during World War I. The comparison was helped by the Pickelhaube or spiked helmet worn by German forces until 1916, which would be reminiscent of images depicting ancient Hun helmets, some British found. This usage, emphasising the idea that the Germans were barbarians, was reinforced by Allied propaganda throughout the war. The French songwriter Theodore Botrel described the Kaiser as “an Attila, without remorse”, launching “cannibal hordes”.[61]
The usage of the term “Hun” to describe a German resurfaced during World War II. For example Winston Churchill 1941 said in a broadcast speech: “There are less than 70,000,000 malignant Huns, some of whom are curable and others killable, most of whom are already engaged in holding down Austrians, Czechs, Poles and the many other ancient races they now bully and pillage.”[62] Later that year Churchill referred to the invasion of the Soviet Union as “the dull, drilled, docile brutish masses of the Hun soldiery, plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts.”[63] During this time American President Franklin D. Roosevelt also referred to the German people in this way, saying that an Allied invasion into the South of France would surely “be successful and of great assistance to Eisenhower in driving the Huns from France.”[64] Nevertheless, its use was less widespread than in the previous war. British and American WWII troops more often used the term “Jerry” or “Kraut” for their German opponents.
The term “Hun” is also used by Catholics in Northern Ireland as a derogatory term to refer to Northern Irish Protestants, most of whom are descended from English and Lowland Scottish settlers, who historically spoke English and Scots respectively; both Germanic languages.
>>>>
“cannibal hordes” : proper Zombies, then.
Thanks to Mike67 and the Lonesome Boat Link,
One goose bump or two…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3cl7Q2GI50&feature=related
O.G Rafferty
…you are a tease!!!