World Cups used to be a worry for Celtic fans. We supplied 10 players for the 1998 tournament: Gould, Boyd, McNamara, McKinlay, Burley, Jackson, Donnelly and Lambert from Scotland, with Danes – Wieghorst and Rieper. Only two clubs in world football: Inter Milan and Manchester United, supplied more. Norway’s Vidar Riseth arrived after the tournament to add to our new season issues.
Those players did not have a close season. After the tournament, a short holiday rolled straight into preseason. Wim Janson’s side already looked tired as they edged towards that iconic league title on the final day of the 97-98 season. When Josef Venglos started the new campaign, the squad were without proper rest and recuperation. Celtic started the season slow, looked irresistible once they got into their stride, but ran out of steam come the spring. The World Cup had a material impact on Celtic’s title challenge.
Next year’s tournament will be different on many levels. It remains to be seen how many Celtic players reach the tournament, but squad management is completely different than it was in the 90s. More players are used during the season, knocks and niggles are better managed (I hope), but still, would you want Callum McGregor there? I didn’t think so.
Delighted for Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston, and I hope Liam Scales finishes the job and gets Ireland over the line in March. The good news for Scotland didn’t stop at last night: neither Peru nor Costa Rica qualified this time!
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Appointing a manager has an even bigger material impact on Celtic……nothing to say on that?
Good afternoon all from the Old Borough, Swords. Lovely breakfast and great pint of Beamish. 👍
Not to mention the value a good performance can add to – I’m thinking Juranovic.
KT gets a mention at Prime Ministers Questions….
Beyond giddy!
Happy Wednesday!
Good thing we have a world-class operation to see us through these challenges……
I’m delighted Scotland qualified. But, I immediately thought of how many players we might have to accept won’t have a break during the summer. That could have a serious effect next season.
CQNers!
Get a grip Lhads. We can’t be calling each other ‘morons’ or abusing people’s monikers over the Scotland result! We’re Celts! We’re Celts! We’re Magic!
I find these days that I want Scotland to win and to qualify for the latter stages of tournaments. For the last decade Scotland has had a strong Celtic connection with many of the players having played for Celtic, been with us as youths or are Celtic supporters. It’s been great. I went mental last night as we turned a very poor performance after Gannon-Doak had to go off injured into a wonderful victory with some absolutely brilliant goals. I’m delighted for the players, staff and country and those Celtic supporters who support Scotland. I’m not delighted for those in the Tartan Army who booed Kasper Schmeicel all night. It could only have been because he plays for Celtic.
Earlier this year I officially became Irish. I’ve been Irish all my life. I also went mental on Sunday when Troy Parrott put in the winner with his studs from Big Liam’s headed assist. Should Ireland make it to the World Cup as well I’ll be supporting both countries and if the unthinkable should happen and we actually play one another then I’ll firmly be supporting Ireland because they too have a strong Celtic connection but I can identify much more readily with the Irish support than I can with the Tartan Army.
T.O.S.B well said.
Sionnaigh on 19th November 2025 12:29 am
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 18th November 2025 12:31 pm
“it’s just that nothing has leaked from the club. This should be regarded as a good thing”.
Not by the morons.
——————-
Spot on. Sick fed up of the morons, in our fan base (assimilated tims), doing their utmost to derail our season
==≈=÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷========
Blogger- soz man who is a moron? C’mon mate
Sionnaigh-what is “an assimilated tim”?
What does it mean?
HH
Earlier this year I officially became Irish.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 19th November 2025 12:42 pm
How difficult was that .My maternal grannie was from DERRY so that’s me qualified. I also want my wife to do the same. Her mother came from DUBLIN.
i also would like my 2 sons and their children to do the same. Very selfish of me but I do not want them in THE ARMY if it all kicks off.
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 19TH NOVEMBER 2025 1:01 PM
Earlier this year I officially became Irish.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 19th November 2025 12:42 pm
How difficult was that .My maternal grannie was from DERRY so that’s me qualified. I also want my wife to do the same. Her mother came from DUBLIN.
i also would like my 2 sons and their children to do the same. Very selfish of me but I do not want them in THE ARMY if it all kicks off.
……………………………..
Agree on the level of difficulty. You have to really want it to get it with the gathering and validation of the various certificates. At least it was for me. Both of my grannies were Irish which made both of my parents Irish citizens and allowed me to qualify also. Both my Grandas were born in Scotland 🏴 f Irish parents. I’m hoping the rules will change to allow my son and daughter to become Irish also.
Paul67 et al
Problem with that theory Paul is that our rivals of the time RFC (1872) also had their fair share of Internationals, including the likes of Arthur Numan, and yet it did not seem to affect them too much given that they won a 1998-99 Treble under Dick Advocaat. Of course carrying a lighter wallet in their back pocket, (with a bulging offshore bank account) could have had something to do with how that season panned out. Tend not to get too worried too far into the future when we are still in the present, one where Martin O’Neill is still in charge of Celtic FC. On that front I’ll leave the panic to others….
TOSB and Favourite Uncle…..
I received my Irish Passport a few weeks ago, having applied using my grandmother on my mums side. I was born in Govan, although it was the St Frances Nursing Home, so that kinda allows for that so had to first of all apply using the Irish Foreign Births registration process.
I had to collate a lot of info and certificates, e.g. birth, marriage and death so it is a bit of time an effort. The Foreign Birth Register took 9 months but once I had that, it took 4 weeks to get my passport. If you Google Irish Foreign Births Registration process, it does take you through things in a logical way. Different processes depending on lineage used but great to officially be an Irishnman and have the passport.
Kelvinbhoy on 19th November 2025 1:21 pm
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 19th November 2025 1:10 pm
Thanks for info .
also for the foreign births criteria, your grandparent doesnt need to have been born in what is now the republic of ireland, they can have been born in the current northern 6 counties.
my grandparent was born in belfast pre-1921, so was technically born in the uk as it was then but that still qualified me.
did take a while all the same, needing to go to both the scotland and northern ireland documents agencies to get all the stuff.
On the Peru reference – I seem to remember one of their goals was scored by CHUMPitas.
Big Jimmy would have something to say about that.
I love Celtic but today is Scotland’s day for me. Still sobering up after a few sherbets last night to celebrate 🏴
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL
BTW- no he didny he lost his man by going into a position he shouldn’t have been.
I found out a while ago that it is your maternal grannie that counts. I dont know why
TexasTim.
Hector Chump-itaz was his name,he and Cubillas(i think) stopped Ally ‘coming back with a medal’ in 78 haha.hope you enjoyed your trip,and got a clear day atop Goat Fell and seen the whole Clyde estuary and the lower lochs of Argyle.
HH
If you become an Irish citizen can your kids not qualify on the basis that one of their parents is Irish? por cierto
An Tearmann,
Thanks – thought it ended with a “z” but took the safe spelling.
We were in the cloud atop Goat Fell but it cleared to blue skies 200 metres down and we took some great pics. Have one with all the family (7) from 2016 exactly as you described, the clouds cleared just as we made it to the top.
Oh my goodness Paul, we all know you love Celtic but FOR GOODNESS SAKE, what is that post all about.
Revisionist nonsense is what it is. Fergus is a hero, a legend even but he got plenty wrong. His handling of that summer was one of the things he got badly wrong. rangers didn’t win the treble because of the WC and YOU KNOW THAT. You do.
We faffed about for months and took an age to appoint a manager – who was not suitable. We recruited modestly amidst a farce and yes, we had some good days, yes he got us playing good football (eventually), yes he signed Lubo but they won the treble. It was really poor management at boardroom level. FACT.
Whether or not Scotland qualified is irrelevant to how we operate. Celtic don’t sign players early in the summer unless they are free, Celtic minded or young. To even look at it that way shows you are looking for excuses already – like the board. Like PL. Like DD. Like every other person that needs to find a reason for mediocrity. Shameful.
In terms of impact to the squad, my most vivid memory centred around Jackie McNamara.
Jackie injured his knee in the spring.
Wim played him injured.
Oor Craig – in his enlightenment – decided he would follow Wim’s lead and played JackNamara (yes, he called Jackie that) all through our participation.
By this time the knee was worse. Jackie performed poorly.
JackNamara broke down next season and was over a year before coming back to any real fitness.
I got my wife Irish Citizenship a few years ago. While it took a while, I did everything for her over the Internet!
Yogi
Scotland has always been a Hun hole.
The country is run by theiving degenerate racist Snp/Green/Huns, who immediately FTER the Queen died, krankie and Salmond[RIP] signed the INNOCENT Scottish People up for “PROTESTANT SUPREMACY” even after Independence lol.
https://youtu.be/eLQolvBmUgM
The Sleekit Scum filled Scottish Parliament build countless miles of cycle tracks around Parkhead but NONE around Ibrox lol.
A Scottish guvernment who break the law by REFUSING to RECOGNIZE Women’s rights lol.
They have been sending INNOCENT Scottish Tax payers money to israel whilst crying out of the other side of their lying mouths about the Palestinians, how low and duplicitous is that?
The Scottish Media is a sewer of Masonic/Eastern/Star/isreali/Lobby/Scum who spent the last 5 years trying to get the ENTIRE Scottish Population MASS MURDERED by Covid Vaccines.
Scottish guvernment trying to DE-POPULATE INNOCENT Scottish people, and most of the nation are sheep.
Oh dear!
And now they are going to the World Cup junket which will be broadcast to you all from the BBC EBT Lodge.
Any Celtic player who has gone on to play for Scotland, AFTER the SFA in 2011/12 rigged the Scottish game to cheat Celtic fans out of 20+ Trophies through the “Honest Mistakes” era, then the “EBT HMRC TAX DODGING” era and helped by Celtic PLC, and stupid assed Celtic season ticket holders, to cover it up, then that Celtic player who represents this vileness has no Celtic soul.
These Celtic players recently demonstrated this when Sleekit Lying Rodgers, ordered the entire playing staff to ignore the Green Brigade, who used to be not bad, but recently proved that they are just a bunch of virtue signalling erchies who know ZERO about the REAL current AGENDA.
If I mention it then certain so called good guys will run to the Police.
What a time to be alive.
HH
oot.
From previous CQN Article.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 19th November 2025 11:13 am
…….
The GREAT non ass licking Celtic historian, GERRY McNEE, Celtic’s GREAT leader of that time, DESMOND WHITE, said so, when he commissioned GERRY McNEE, to write the BEST record of Celtic’s history up until 1978, Celtic FC’s 90th year.
GERRY McNEE showed how big he was when he admitted to all of your charges, TOSB, and so many more that you are not smart enough to know about, when he brought ROY AITKEN onto SCOTSPORT CL Highlights show, and this AFTER ROY had fled to Newcastle United, crying like a big spoiled child, claiming to have been bullied by a “Celtic hating journalist” lol.
Roy played in an International game in midfield and was utter junk, even worse than, PETER GRANT, and only GERRY McNEE was HONEST, and BRAVE, enough to say so, in his match report.
ROY then, like the Celtic Supporter base today, can’t handle the truth.
Roy used GERRY McNEE’s article as an excuse to leave Celtic for Newcastle, claiming to have been, “BULLIED BY A CELTIC HATING JOURNALIST” lol.
GERRY McNEE wrote the next day that:
[[“ROY HAS DECIDED TO LEAVE CELTIC, FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED, CLAIMING TO HAVE BEEN BULLIED BY ME. YES I BELIEVE YOU ROY. YOUR GOING TO NUFC FOR THE SIGNING ON FEE, AND LEAVING CELTIC DURING THEIR CONTINUED DECLINE. GOOD LUCK ROY, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF THAT.”]]
So, TOSB, your points were addressed by the great, GERRY MCNEE, DOZENS OF TIMES, if you can’t accept that, go and piss up another tree.
So with no GERRY McNEE around anymore switching a light onto, and calling out the Celtic PLC’s lying, Old Firm erchie kissing, deluded fan shafting, PURGE of reality from the club, has created a club were not a single person can be trusted from PLC, Management, Players, and the pathetic easily mugged supporter base, and their Clique Clown Collective Cringe-fest.
Thank you for taking me down memory lane, TOSB, and remembering Scottish football’s greatest Celtic supporting Journalist, who’s honesty saw him attacked by Managers who could not handle REAL questions being asked of them, often resorting to assaulting GERRY McNEE, who then asked the GREAT Director of Celtic FC, DESMOND WHITE, to not sack Mr McNeill as he had apologized and that was good enough for GERRY McNEE, demonstrating his MAGNIFICENCE, and CLASS as a HUMAN BEING which he put to full use when he educated Celtic fans in the early 90’s as how to sack the JACK McGINN [RIP] led board before Celtic disappeared out of the game.
Thank you TOSB.
If you still don’t or refuse to understand that GERRY McNEE apologized for making mistakes as a HUMAN BEING, then go and jump out of a window!
Thanks.
HH
oot.
Por Cierto @2.08
Been looking into Irish citizenship for myself.
I would qualify under the grandparent rule but cannot pass it on to my offspring as they were born before I become Irish.
If, by some miracle, I fathered a child after obtaining citizenship, that child could get an Irish passport.
If I have any grandchildren born after I got citizenship, they would then qualify because they would have an Irish grandparent.
That was the situation the last time I looked, but might have changed now.
Tuesday morning , pre Scotland match .
I was lying here thinking .
If I have to choose between Scotland winning and going to the World Cup finals for the first time in 27 years , or Celtic winning against StMirren on Saturday night .
What would I choose ?
Delighted that Scotland won .
But for me ,the most important match this week .
Is in Paisley .
Celtic first , Celtic last , Celtic overall.
TT
Roy Aitken is a legend !!
POR CIERTO on 19TH NOVEMBER 2025 2:08 PM
If you become an Irish citizen can your kids not qualify on the basis that one of their parents is Irish? por cierto
……………….
Yes if your own mother or father was born in Ireland.
No if it was your grandparent who was born in Ireland but if you obtain Irish Citizenship BEFORE your children are born then I think your children can obtain Irish Citizenship.
KEVJUNGLE on 19TH NOVEMBER 2025 3:00 PM
From previous CQN Article.
……………………….
Brilliant rant Kev! Absolutely brilliant! 👏👏👏
I hope you back from ‘oot’ soon. Your nurse is waiting with your medication.
Incidentally, you’re obviously Honest Gerry McNee’s father or son so my apologies to other family members. I didn’t mean to offend them just Honest Gerry.
my neices husband and two boys were at hampden last night
morton supporters, on supporters bus from greenock, and mebers of the scotland travel club.
i asked if he booed Kasper.
aye we all did, i dint ask for why, but he told me anyways
booed him because he is playing in scotland for a living, and now could put scotland out, so why wouldnt we boo him, easy target, and he qualified by saying would have done the same if it was laudrup from rangers.
so there you go.
caught up on the wales game,
tell you what, bellamy is an impressive mature individual, very different from the spikey all in crazy player he was.
their zombie nation before the game was good as well
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 19th November 2025 3:43 pm
“if you obtain Irish Citizenship BEFORE your children are born then I think your children can obtain Irish Citizenship.”
Thank you, por cierto
garygillespieshamstring on 19th November 2025 3:07 pm
Thanks, por cierto
St Stivs. Agree 100%. I would love to see him at Celtic. Always felt he was let down by Sutton and Hartson and the gang in 2005. Robertson and Walford also as MON had checked out in the months prior for good reason. The senior pros and coaches badly let us down that season.
Bellamy was busting a gut and had a tough job post HL. Sutton Thompson and friends were less bothered.
Paul67
“I hope Liam Scales finishes the job and gets Ireland over the line in March”
Lazy journalism, mo chara.
Our very own Johnny Kenny will also be a part of the Irish squad. Only for an amazing save last Sunday he would have scored on his debut.
Personally, I love following Ireland and if we are eliminated, I will revert to my “second” team, Scotland. Same as it ever was.
One or two on this blog criticised me for voicing my opinion regarding Scotland qualifying for the World Cup in America
I said that I thought that Scotland would be cannon fodder in the tournament.
I cannot remember others on here that opinionated that they were delighted that Celtic failed to qualify for the Champions league, because they would’ve been embarrassed,humiliated and disgraced.
Double standards ,
IMO.