Those not infected with the football bug often look on in a mixture of dismay and disgust at fans of the game. This is a benign form of intolerance, usually ill-informed and of no consequence to those of us hooked on the game.
Then you read things that makes you wonder. Real Madrid are in tonight’s’ Champions League semi-final, having eliminated Paris St Germain in the quarters. PSG fans were so upset with their one-time idols that game which delivered the 10th league title in the club’s history was scarcely celebrated with a round of applause.
PSG ultras left the game early, not wanting to share the moment with the players, the others left within 10 minutes of full time, not even affording players time to do a circuit of the pitch. There is being upset and a defeat, and there’s being spoiled.
Football supporting is a contract in delight and despair. You will see both, if you are very lucky, you will experience trophies in the quantity you and I have enjoyed this past decade or so, but most football fans across the major European leagues will never see their side win a major trophy. Supporting the game is mostly a harsh condition.
We always knew Celtic could not win everything, although there is a real possibility our Generation of Domination could replicate across many generations. For me, last season’s losses make the prospect of this season’s success all the sweeter. Would I celebrate 11-in-a-row as much as a mere one-in-a-row? No.
For PSG, the Qatari money will continue to pour in for a while, but the brand has lost some shine. We may look back on their league winning game against Lens as the beginning of the end.
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Prestonpans
Who were originally called Ferranti Thistle
I think!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 26TH APRIL 2022 1:22 PM
Paul67
Could be worse, they could be trashing the city square, and throwing glass because they’re toxic brand.
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I had a soft spot for West Ham as a kid right into my teens. I spent a lot of time in London as a bhoy, but had read a lot about them, a style of football, an east end location, work class docks with cranes and industry, founded in a christian spirit. at turn of century there was a huge irish population there, so not unlike home i suppose , then there was walfrid and saint annes, more and more i am convinced he must have been an inspiration to them at some point, too many coincidents, hopefully the guy connelly doing his phd to be published soon will have found out.
I didnt see them as the arch english ramsay world cup cheaters, sure I didnt even dislike Bobby Moore.
might have been reading about his testimonial, and a general ok occasion.
into the 70s and i liked their football, devonshire and brooking, their fa cups were “celtic like”.
then the real rise of the racists joining the firms, but still i was ok with them as a team, and mcavennie joining alongside half and half tammies, everton, mun united, and even west ham.
i had a set of hammers on my parka in 1980. but it actually said “f the mods”.
now onto today.
i see bloggers talking about the dream of a oldfirm/west ham final. taking over seville and having a big celebration of all things british while abroad, even to the point of travelling together, there will be no trouble because we are all brits together.
they must be stupid or delusional on both sides, no matter who wins, no matter who loses, there would be trouble on an epic scale.
In fact scrub that, reading up on the last four, perm any way, and seville will be destroyed.
Saint Stivs…I was also a fan of Ron Greenwood’s late 60s West Ham with Clyde Best leading the line.
Living in West London, Chelsea, QPR and Fulham were the teams I went to see but the Hammers were my ‘soft spot’ team.
“ Oh send for McGrory – Oh send for McGrory
Oh send for McGrory the pride of Parkhead “
they used to sing
West Ham 3 Celtic 3, Bobby Moore Testimonial Monday 16 November 1970.
Livingstone FC can properly lay out on their website their formation as a works team in the East of Scotland Welfare league as Ferranti Thistle in 1948, winning several leagues and community shields.
Playing in Edinburgh
On applying to join the Scottish Football league in 1974, they gazumped some Junior teams and Highland league teams much to the chagrin of said applicants. A condition of entry was a name change from Ferranti Thistle as this had commercial clashes for sponsors and the league themselves.
So 74/75 saw the newly titled MEADOWBANK THISTLE enter the league as the 38th team (I cant remember who went out of league or why).
Copy and paste below –
After years of rumours about a move east to Portobello or Musselburgh, Hunter secured a surprise deal to move Meadowbank twenty miles west to the West Lothian new town of Livingston.
The Livingston Development Corporation offered to provide a purpose built 4000 capacity stadium for the club, but the deal was dependent on a further change of identity, a move which infuriated much of Meadowbank’s small but committed core support.
Despite the protests, Meadowbank Thistle became Livingston FC in the summer of 1995 and in November moved into its current Almondvale Stadium home.
On the Livy website they list ever honour won by the club, right back to a welfare trophy as Ferranti, and promotions as Meadowbank, its name changes over time, and its highest honour of a league cup win under David Hay.
What an honest, straight forward and accurate statement of facts. Never catch on in scottish football.
AN unbroken history if you like.
I wonder if anyone that supported Meadowbank take the twenty mile drive west to keep supporting them as Livvy ?
Paul67 et al
Or reading between the lines……
Better the Dermot you know
I went and reread the CelticWiki review of the McGrory book.
It had me thinking of seeing him often at Celtic park, in the early 70s onwards, always getting him pointed out, guess who that is Stivs, see that man over there, do you know who that is. Still a broad man, not tall but not wee, dapper, hat on, big glasses, a pipe. Outside the front door.
A few wee quirky facts popped out so let me ask the quizzers …………… OBSCURE BUT TRUE, GET YOUR THINKING CAPS ON ………
————————————————————————————-
Jimmy’s last League match was on 16th October 1937 versus Queen’s Park at Celtic Park. He got a goal with a flick of his head in Celtic’s 4-2 win.
Who was in goal for Queens Park that day ?
Ronnie Simpsons Dad.
Or Jack Harkness. 🤔
🎼 It’s still the same old story
A hat trick for McGrory🎼🎹🎹🎹
⚽️⚽️⚽️
Play It Again, Jimmy!
SS
I used to pop into Meadowbank games since I lived just opposite the stadium. Remember a Partick game, they brought about 1500, Meadowbank had about 50😱. Can’t recall any thinking a round trip to Livingston was a grand day oot😵BTW
Can’t see past this eleven for Sunday…
Hart, Taylor, Starfelt, Carter-Vickers, Ralston, Hatate, McGregor, O’Riley, Maeda, Kyogo, Jota
If we score first we win…BIG!
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 26TH APRIL 2022 5:26 PM
Ronnie Simpsons Dad.
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 26TH APRIL 2022 5:29 PM
Or Jack Harkness.
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2 good guesses give away your soo-sider fitba knowledge, close but no cigar.
Ronnies football journey is another tale all of its own an awe.
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 26TH APRIL 2022 5:30 PM
would Portobello or Musselburgh have supported a league side ?
Is it Hibees or Hertz strongholds or just a mix ?
We stopped on the road to Berwick that trip back in 81 mibbies, the pub was defiantely a Hibs pub.
St Stivs, hellfire and damnation but I refuse to Google it. Last chance for Johnny- Bob Crampseys Dad.
Ronnie Simpson’s da was a Centre Half for the Huns
SFTB, aye but I always thought that was his uncle.
BRRB,
Think of a Celtic connection
SS
Naw can’t see any level of support for that. Prestonpans hertz club took two full busses and a mini bus to the semi-final for example. My reply to my hertz neighbour was, you should support your local team anyway I.e. Hibs, love doing that to them😂
BRRB,
your mention of Jack Harkness, strikes a chord for another McGrory story so I think that might be why your thinking that way, let me go search, something stirring in the memory banks.
SS
Based on age and Celtic connection; is it Bob Kelly?
St Stivs, my pretensions to being a quiz champion blown out the water. I may take to the drink.
CONEYBHOY on 26TH APRIL 2022 5:45 PM
SS
Based on age and Celtic connection; is it Bob Kelly?
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brilliant thought process, brilliant powers of deduction, and yet, and yet, its the wrong anti-hero, but another yin.
i like your thinking.
Desmond White!!
pick a prize from the very top shelf, exceptional knowledge. Desmond “abacus” White
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/Ew9tZtt9qQHv5awLgtKfDA1265397
St Stivs only took 4 guesses, 2 pints, vodka and coke and 2 paracetamol. Cheers!
I see Liel Abada is not included in the shortlist for the writers (haha, writers) young Scottish player of the year. Unless only Scottish players are considered, I’d suggest this is a major oversight 🤔. Stephen Welsh and the departed Nathan Patterson are on the list.
When Jim McCann says in the prologue to singing Grace “and thats how close we are to that bit of history right there” I think to Jimmy McGrory. So at the age of 56, I can say to the youngest in the family, I once got told to say hello to a man who had played football for Willie Maley.
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 26TH APRIL 2022 5:58 PM
good though to test the old grey matter and come up with an answer.
St Stivs, I met him twice in 1975, at a book signing with Gerry McNee and at Paradise. “A lifetime in Paradise” was the book. A lovely gentleman, he told me stories about his playing days. Tough wee fella.
Next chairman, Peter Lawwell. Watch this space.
Vicious rumour time…
That Harkness story, and the long read that contained it, give yourself 15 minutes to read it and digest, its a brilliant article from Mr Potter.
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hen there was the legendary goalkeeper of Queen’s Park and Hearts, whose very name is a byword for fair play. This was Jack Harkness.
There was the famous occasion at Parkhead when McGrory dived to head home, but the ball flew over the bar. Harkness momentarily relaxed, but then saw that McGrory’s head was about to collide with the upright. He dived and diverted McGrory’s head to one side of the post, thus preventing a serious injury. To the Celtic crowd, however, it looked bad and McGrory’s words of “Thank You, Jack” looked from a distance like a threat. Everytime thereafter that Harkness touched the ball, he was booed for his apparent violent assault on Parkhead’s darling Jimmy McGrory. The following week, McGrory made sure that the true version of events was printed in the programme, and every subsequent visit to Parkhead after that saw Jack Harkness cheered to the echo.
Harkness himself always told the tale of how one day he was walking down Buchanan Street in Glasgow when he saw McGrory on the other side of the street. McGrory nodded to him, and such were Harkness’s reactions that he dived into the gutter hoping to save the imaginary ball. This story, one presumes, was not entirely true, but the fact that it was repeated on many occasions at functions and dinners did give some indication of how popular and well known a figure Jimmy McGrory was.
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https://celticfanzine.com/the-jimmy-mcgrory-story-the-weekend-long-read/
woooofffffttt,
wee irish fella stephen on clyde, a long good ramble of why celtic are worthy champions with a closing dig
“you guys ait gonny like this, but forget the co-eeficient, thems over there singing songs about german bomber, well i hop ethe germans bombers get them tomorrow, and then the japanese bombers on sunday as well”
hahahaha, ffs, he just set fire to the internet.
St Stivs did Jack write a column in the Sunday Post? Vague memories from the 60s/70s. Or the ramblings of a 60+ Tim.😂
The hun online reporting a non story saying ‘ Celtic supporters have been cleared (sic),of racially abusing a Livingston player last season……’ an AP reporter claimed to have heard something…….absolute sh!$#,when this nonsense appears,you know there’s something in the post for the huns
Jack Harkness did, and was a fair minded columnist guess what with Doug Baillie they swapped about reporting fairly on “the old firm matches” when such a thing existed.
Bada
Not a surprise, I said years ago he would be the next chairman, can’t see this being anything other than inflammatory.