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Celtic Diary Monday October 3: Strachan In SMSM Line Of Fire

International football. don’t you just love it ?

Two tournaments lasting two years each, as it appears that the longer you drag these things out, and the more districts or parishes you can find with a fairly reasonable claim to be a nation state, somehow we are all going to find it more interesting.

In the old days, there’d be three or at worst four countries in your qualifying group, these days there’s six or seven. Which makes it all rather tedious.

Scotland have two games during this break. One at home to Lithuania, the other away to Slovakia. Not exactly box office material, so the media, who these days have been relegated to a sort of Public Relations exercise, with occasional advertisements, have tried to jazz things up a bit.

Which, I guess, can’t be a bad thing as it means they haven’t allocated one cameraman per Celtic player in a bid to find a story to fill their pages.

For example, in a bid to drum up interest in a team which has layers such as Steven Fletcher and Alan Hutton in it, one headline ( Record ) may have overdone it a bit..

It’s do or die for Gordon Strachan in crunch

Scotland World Cup qualifier.

And here’s me thinking he’d just get his jotters if it all goes pear shaped. The SFA need to be careful. If the death penalty is invoked for failure they might find it a little tricky to find a replacement for Strachan after he’s been tied to a pole and shot.

Image result for artur boruc

No, not that one.

The article mentions the possibility of more severe recriminations should Scotland lose, which, given Strachans links with Celtic and generally low opinion of those in the SMSM, perhaps gives us a glimpse into the world of the writer than he probably would have liked us to see. It’s Keith Jackson, by the way. Though you’d probably guessed.

Strachan has never bothered much about his own popularity, which is probably just as well. But he is intelligent enough to keep his finger on the pulse of public opinion, so he will be perfectly well aware by now that a lynch mob is forming and preparing to mobilise at the first opportunity. 

Perhaps they’ll drag him around George Square behind a horse to get everyone in the mood for a good ole fashioned neck stretch ?

Or maybe its better that he just falls from a great height, which again has subtle undertones of acknowledging Strachans disdain of the chip wrapper writers…

Effectively, as a consequence of one failed campaign, Strachan is now walking on a tightwire without a safety net. And he knows it. 

Tightwire is another word for tightrope, by the way, and not some weird kind of fetish leg covering for ladies.

Suddenly, Jackson realises he may have gone too far, and if Strachan does end up sleeping with the fishes, then he might be on a conspiracy charge…

It’s all nonsense, of course. The truth of the matter is we are lucky to have a man of Strachan’s calibre at the helm and few appreciate this more than his players

Well, the journalists don’t.

Then he reloads and fires again, at a different target. ( all this military talk makes todays diary look like an Ibrox statement ), this time at Scott Brown, who quit international football to lengthen his club career;

Brown’s retirement is a great shame because Strachan could do with having him around at this moment. It’s no coincidence Brendan Rodgers has spent so much time lately raving about the qualities of his talismanic skipper who scored Celtic’s winner at Dens Park on Saturday after starring against Manchester City last Wednesday.

Like Strachan, the 31-year-old often splits public opinion but even those critics who have very little understanding of the game could not have failed to spot his influence all over that thunderous Champions League affair. In the most polished of company, Brown stood out like a sore thumb.

As a result, Rodgers now openly admits he’s a better player than even he had first thought so there is no question Strachan and Scotland will be worse off without him. 

Too far again ?

Aye.

But Brown’s absence will not necessarily torpedo Strachan’s chances of getting through this group. In Darren Fletcher, James McArthur, James Morrison, Barry Bannan and John McGinn, the manager is adequately covered for options in the middle. 

The reason for the attention paid to international football, and this article ?

Well, I can’t be the only one who thinks that instead of supporting Scotland in this do or die game-and we will all be doing that, unless we aren’t Scottish, it appears that the fall guys, an ex Celtic manager and the current Celtic captain, are already being lined up…

Anyhoo, as its international week, the papers need to fill space, and its time to play

Sell A Celt 

A competition within the media that up until now has been kept secret has finally been exposed after a journalist left his entry form on a bus.

We’ll keep an eye on the entries this week, as there’s sure to be some crackers… such as this one, from the Express, a paper still clinging onto the newstands despite a freakish obsession with cold winters and immigrants.

Exclusive: Bayern Munich tracking Celtic defender Kieran Tierney

BAYERN MUNICH are tracking Celtic and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney.

The 19-year-old’s performances in the past year have put him on the radar of clubs across Europe, with Bayern the latest to take an interest.

The German giants sent a scout to watch Celtic’s 3-3 Champions League draw with Manchester City last week.

While two-goal Moussa Dembele caught the eye with a double, the chance to run the rule over Tierney in such a high pressure game was a key reason for the Bundesliga club being represented in Glasgow.  

German giants ?

Google that and you get this, a terrifying image…

Image result for german giants

The Daily Cannon, an Arsenal website,  has picked up on what the papers say their club planning for the post -Wenger years, after he departs to be England manager…

Arsenal are said to be scouting Celtic’s Moussa Dembele, a player they could have signed for ‘free’ in the summer before he left Fulham to head to Scotland.

Dembele had been heavily linked with a £6m move to Tottenham in January, however, Fulham called the deal off after Spurs refused to allow him to stay with them for the rest of the season on loan.

That deal moved so far along that Dembele even had a medical at White Hart Lane but Fulham decided their need to avoid relegation trumped the money they would receive in January, and so Dembele ended up moving for a paltry £300k compensation due to his age and contract status.

 

Now, along with a number of other clubs including Bayern Munich, Arsenal have been scouting him again after an impressive start to life north of the border.

Five goals and one assist in seven SPL games is backed up even further by a record of 12 goals and one assist in 17 games across all competitions.

Dembele will have his head turned by all sorts of stories, and not a few offers over the next month or two, not least from Peter Lawwell, who will be anxious to cash in in case the player goes off form or decides, after a full season, he likes it here.

Demebele is also in the news as it appears France and England will start to argue over who he gets to play for at international level. The player was born in France, and the French think thats why he should don the blue, whilst the English are claiming him under the five year residency rule.

Ironic for a country that voted to get out of the EU becuase of all those bloody foreigners taking their jobs.

That five year residency rule means he could play for Scotland as well, presumably, but he’d really have to be drugged and tied up to be persuaded to make that choice.

A bit like Strachan will be should Scotland lose to Lithuania, according to some…

Yesterdays caption pic..

and now we know what it really is…

John McCloy in Tasmania October 2, 2016 at 11:49 am · Edit · Reply →

Police finally locate the source of level 5 pure pish.HH 

Today, whats going on here ?

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CarlJungleBhoy
7 years ago

Those interested in the Billy (Not so) Smart Circus surrounding Oldco, might want to note that Craig “Patsy” Whyte is due to appear at Glasgow High Court today.

BJF
7 years ago

International games during the season should be restricted to a free mid week date , with the remainder at the end of the season. Like most people I have even less interest in International “friendlies.”
I think I am very close to saying I have little interest in Unternstional football per ce. Maybe that is taking it too far but it is unacceptable to disrupt the season with these vanity trips, seems only journalists are really interested .

CarlJungleBhoy
7 years ago

Caption: Das Bearmacht – led by Club 1872 SoS Hun kommander Houston scan the skies above Glasgow High Court

BJF
7 years ago

Maybe Unternational is a better term than International!

Delbhoy
7 years ago

We actually won and won well our last game , but you wouldnt have saw that as you dont like international football as you keep telling us. I get you are not into scotland but you dont have to fillthe diary with derogatary negative things every time scotland play and make out this is the view of the celtic fans. There are many celtic scotland supporting fans , we have players in the squad and some of us like getting behind our country

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Delbhoy

nae herm tay ye del but start a fuckin tartan site wae the zombies

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Hahahahaha….

Quite right Charlie. I never could take to standing in amongst a shower of Celtic/Catholic hating scumbags.
The last time I went to a Scotland match was the England game in 1978, just before Argentina. Would never go back.

Admin
7 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

To each his own, I’ll be there on Saturday supporting whoever is in a Scotland jersey.

Delbhoy…Ralph misses Dunoon so much he lives in Stoke on Trent these days so don’t be too hard on him. He has it hard enough.

As for the “bad Scotland fitbaw bad” folk…Some folk just love living in the past it seems.Shame really.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Desi Mond

Desi, i asked a few threads back how your trip to Leeds went, i note you didn’t reply, which is your want.
But i thought it was fucking nice of me to ask? 🙂

mike
7 years ago
Reply to  Desi Mond

Naw Ralphy steys in a world of his own,its the tramadoladingdong.

Farewell to the lonely world,
i stey in a world of my ain,
i get to sleep at 6.00pm and awake at 9.00am.

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Shows how of date you are most huns wear England tops now Andy.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

That comment shows what a dick you are Dunky.

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I would venture to suggest it actually shows them up for the dicks they are.
Again.
x

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Troll must be starving he’s not been fed for 24 hours 😉

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

More shit from dunky.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Don’t the Zombies think they are English?

Dziekanowski's nightclub child
7 years ago

Caption: Peter checks out the new executive jet sent by Dermot

schoosh71
7 years ago

All these international breaks are only about FIFA’s ‘greed’ and wanting to cash in on tv revenues. With all these stop starts it hard for the club to get forward momentum as a team and puts them at a disadvantage to clubs who don’t have to send any players away. HH

andybhoy
7 years ago

Caption……

Ryanair lay on economy flight for Monchengladbach.

Flight out…… £8.99
Return………..£349.99
Hold baggage…..£999.99

Please note. Flight out lands in Arecife.
Return flight departs the day before from Trondheim.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Fucking had to mention Norway eh?

Out! 🙂

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Oh aye….oops.

charlie
7 years ago

caption the guy at the tap is irish and he thinks a wonder iff they brits will still be laughing when i unscrew the wings

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Hahaha

johann murdoch
7 years ago

Caption
Borussia fans begin journey to Celtic park early..and ask for floodlights to be switched on!

Monti
7 years ago

Got dragged along to see ‘ Bridget Jones’s baby ‘ last night by my other half.
What a lot of fucking shite (as i suspected) and i won’t get those two hours back.
Lot’s of middle aged women ooing and ahhing at the merest glimpse of Colin Firth.
Shite and if any of your missus want to go and see it, fwign an injury or something.

Scotland? My dream as a boy was to play for Celtic and Scotland, over the years and Celtic’s many issues and battles with Scotland have diluted my ‘ support ‘ for the national side, so much so i couldn’t give two fucks if we win, lose or draw.
The best way to describe how i feel about Scotland is that when we win, lose or draw, it doesn’t matter, i feel sad about that but i didn’t make it that way, those at Hampden did!

mike
7 years ago

The SMSM What use are they?They arny even useful as ARSE wipes.
A successful Tic. means that our players will always be linked with richer clubs,better that than the sevco pish,if big Pete tries to sell them just now then he isny that stupid,there value is only gonny increase ten times later.

Caption, The SFA send in parachute payments,to help the brethern survive the season.

caltonlad
7 years ago

Caption:
Joey. Joey. Joey Barton.

wulz
7 years ago

Tommy Burns didn’t get the Scotland job because of who he was, and made that pretty plain. A wish GS all the best, but really just want no injuries to any of our players.
HH

Uralius
7 years ago

I have had an idea.
Why don’t the SFA put together 2 squads of the highest rated SPFL/Championship players (non-international) to play 2 matches over the International Break.
The teams could be picked on a rotation basis SPFL/Championship/SPFL. With the final game ending in penalties. This would give potential International players in the SPFL an opportunity to get experience coming together into a squad for a few days at a time “International style.” While giving those promising Championship players a chance to train, play with and against some of the better non-international players in the SPFL and hopefully make any step up into the SPFL a while lot easier. The matches could be played in a rotational system of stadia in Scotland. Now the only thing I am struggling to figure out is who would manage the teams, tough thing due to obvious possible biases.

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

ime sure i heard that idea before ha ha

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

ha ha

Uralius
7 years ago

I have had an idea.
Why don’t the SFA put together 2 squads of the highest rated SPFL and Championship players “non-international” to play 2 matches over the International Break.
The teams could be picked on a rotation basis SPFL then Championship then SPFL. With the final game ending in penalties. This would give potential International players in the SPFL an opportunity to get experience coming together into a squad for a few days at a time “International style.” While giving those promising Championship players a chance to train, play with and against some of the better non-international players in the SPFL and hopefully make any step up into the SPFL a while lot easier. The matches could be played in a rotational system of stadia in Scotland. Now the only thing I am struggling to figure out is who would manage the teams, tough thing due to obvious possible biases.

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

walter of course as long as dallas is the referee

Uralius
7 years ago

I have had an idea.
Why don’t the SFA put together 2 squads of the highest rated SPFL/Championship players (non-international) to play 2 matches over the International Break.
The teams could be picked on a rotation basis SPFL/Championship/SPFL. With the final game ending in penalties.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

This would give potential International players in the SPFL an opportunity to get experience coming together into a squad for a few days at a time “International style.” While giving those promising Championship players a chance to train, play with and against some of the better non-international players in the SPFL and hopefully make any step up into the SPFL a while lot easier. The matches could be played in a rotational system of stadia in Scotland. Now the only thing I am struggling to figure out is who would manage the teams, tough thing due to obvious possible biases.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

This would give potential International players in the SPFL an opportunity to get experience coming together into a squad for a few days at a time “International style.” While giving those promising Championship players a chance to train, play with and against some of the better non-international players in the SPFL and hopefully make any step up into the SPFL a while lot easier.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

Matches could be played on a rotational basis in Scottish stadia. The only thing have to figure out is who would manage these teams. Perhaps older Scottish International players that are either retired or no longer selected.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

The matches could be played in a rotational system of stadia in Scotland. Now the only thing I am struggling to figure out is who would manage the teams, tough thing due to obvious possible biases.

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

uralious are you takin the piss wae that idea

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Fuck me 3 verses and 2 chorus I now have visions of BA Robertson screaming that from a Bay Window in Wishaw.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Aye sorry about that mate. You don’t like my idea? The SFA will do it. I just have to convince them it will make money.

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

It makes sense.
We used to train reserves v first team in my youth it was a great way to help each other bond and find out each others weakness and strengths in a clean but competitive environment.
Also helped with transition between squads.
Good idea.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

Was that the tiddlywinks team dunky?

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

I can here them hunger pangs from here.
Poor wee troll must be famished.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

Troll, you should know. The guy who continually posts garbage, then starts the gash with nonsensical posts about a country he doesn’t live in.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Did you carry the water bottles?

The real anton rogan
7 years ago

German bombers eye up Clydeside thanks to those (not yet existant) CP floodlights

andybhoy
7 years ago
Paul1888
7 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Vote more than once!

HH

Monti
7 years ago

Caption: Craig Whyte gets set to jet in to the High court, with his Ice cream and jelly branch of the Luftwafer!
See what i did there?

Bowl?

Uralius
7 years ago

Caption: 1946 General Billy Mitchell proves that Air Power can be used against “rangers” destroyers by striking the engine room through the exhaust funnel, causing an implosion and eventual sinking.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

bugger just noticed my typo, 1926.

jimmybee
7 years ago

Caption: Dave King jets in with the fabled war chest strapped to the front of the plane.
On Scotland, I really wanted to watch Scotland and get behind them,but sorry no can do.
My Da took me to a home international match early in the 70s against Norn Iron,a nightmare, the Huns booing Celtic players,and getting behind the Norn Iron players,belting out the Billy boys the sash etc, needless to say fights all over the place,including ma da,who knocked fuck out of this Huun, who kept knocking me off the barriers.
When you look at the caps awarded to or more to the point not awarded to great Celtic players,you just wonder how did you ever get away with it. Wee bigoted country that’s how.
I rember Scotland playing Zaire, in the World Cup, ma da screaming you need to get the wee man on ffs, we need goals.
But of course jinky never got on,and Zaire were paid allegedly ? by Yugoslavia to lose their match heavily.
But great Celtic players have not been given the caps they should have,neither have players from other clubs so to accommodate one club in particular. Joe Wark of Motherwell a terrific left back, not one single cap,because Danny went to left back so Jardine could play at right back. Bollocks to Scotland I’m afraid. I hope they win,and know lots of great people who support them home and away, but it’s not for me.

Delbhoy
7 years ago

Charlie thats a poor thing to say , im a celtic fan , my dads grandparents came from ireland but im scottish , im proud of it , i have watched the games since i was a child and ive had a season ticket at the hoops during that time. How does being scottish make me a fucking zombie , take a look atcyourself , does that go for teirney , forrest , griff , gordon and brown before them

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Delbhoy

delbhoy it takes all sorts but i apoligise if i annoyed ye mate it was meant to be funny hail hail

Richie C
7 years ago

The last photo of John “Bomber” Brown’s expedition as they set off on the fabled mythical quest for “Ra Deeds!”

mike
7 years ago

I am afraid that when you leave school and look for a job and then asked what school did you go to,kenning full well that they were only interested in what your religion was,it kind of puts the wee bigoted country into perspective.
Later on i was so angry that it just motivated me to try to prove them wrong,but after seeing and hearing the bigots at Hampdump it put me off Scottish International fitba.
Now my one hope is that the Tic. players return fit and healthy from these games.
Its a strange feeling,thinking that your own Country trys to devalue you and your ain.
So i am a merry ploughman and i plough the fields by day and when i finish i put on my glesses and read about the IRA.UP THE RA,RA RA rocking horse,put a penny oan ma pony and sing aboot big Tonys pony.

mike
7 years ago

Mind yoo the English fitba.whoosh how pish is it? imagine appointing big SHAMMY for the Managers job,whit were they thinking an unmitigated disaster and thats before the bungs.
How many of them have been on the take,all the reports carried oot were swiftly read and then binned,corruption in fitba. down south is rife,whenever huge lumps of cash is available the pigs canny wait to get into the trough.
Aint life great.

The question is how much is an erse worth?
The answer is £5.4 mill. ask Kim Kardashion.

Cartvale88
7 years ago

I have neve been a grea follower of the National team due to the bias towards anything belonging to the tribute act. However as Chesney is the manager I wan them to qualify, also we are playing the English and two wins would be great.
Caption ‘ the EPL arrange a special flight for Allardyce’
Anyways note how the Senderos elbowing has been ignored by the unbiased SMSM, imagine d it had been Eric?
Ref the Daily Gersport you should ignore the bile and bias printed by that rag.

Uralius
7 years ago

Bloody heck one all my posts caught up…. Sorry about that lads they often don’t catch up until it’s tomorrow’s diary.
Noo input on my cunning plan?

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

uralius ive got an appointment wae the eye doctor this week gonny repeat that wan ha ha

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Um I don’t get it. Glad you laughed though. I bet Mike likes my idea, it would have had Paterson playing in these matches 2 years ago.

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

um i dont get it are you callin mike it hope ye laughed though ha ha

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

I thought we were speaking the same language. I do not understand what you will say to the eye doctor.
Also I bet Mike likes my All Star idea.

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

ile say did a read that post before if ye still dont get it a can write it in swaheeli ha ha

mike
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

Uralias,

Anything that gets young pro.fitba. players playing organised fitba. is a good idea,it can only improve there game.To be part of a Scotland squad,organised by there peers,receiving tuition by other coaches,in a competitive setting,can only improve there talents.
I remember Scottish A teams and B teams competing against other nations,under 21s 18s etc.but to bring in other Leagues and peripheral players,could only be a good idea and improve Scottish fitba.

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Ah, ha, ha, ha! Repeat! I re read it and put some clicks in. All of a sudden it made me laugh.

Stevie
7 years ago

Caption: Are you sure this is Europe Billy, we’ve never been before!

BJF
7 years ago

Delbhoy just picked up on your post, the reason I don’t support Scotland is because I am Irish. Secondly I didn’t mention Scotland ( I think) but anyway my objection is to League postponements to accommodate International football, I suggested mid week and end of season fixtures, not unreasonable. You might well prefer Scoand to Celtic, you have the right I don’t recall mentioning International football before or if so may once in a few posts.

jimmybee
7 years ago

Caption: When you see the rowing boat its wee jinky,nae wonder he didnae want to fly eh Bertie.
God bless the lions.

BJF
7 years ago

Response to Delbhoy lost, said I don’t support Scotland because I am Irish, don’t want Saturday international games during the season however accept some
would rather see Scotland than Celtic, I respect that but I wouldn’t.
Wasn’t aware I had posted on this before but I didn’t mention Scotland just International football.

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago

Caption: “Somewhere in Paisley ….”Hey Wullie is rat a German Fokker up rer”

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago

I don’t get folk in Scotland not wishing the National side luck in games?
What is in the past should stay there we are a long way up the road from the old days now.
WGS is Manager and Scott Brown was Captain so I failed to see how most Celtic fans would with them anything less than good luck?
Just my take.
Though I will add it’s fucking hard work at times watching Scotland.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Really? Think about it. The establishment have been diluted ever so slightly. There’s still the same old ingrained hatred.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14777097.Orange_Order_rallies_behind_controversial_SNP_councillor/

Bgbhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Been to a Scotland game recently Charlie? I was at a game as recent As the Germany game at hampden to watch James. Every time brown or mulgrew or James made a mistake it was fenian this or tarrier that

But hey feel free to wrap yourself in a saltire and sing that you will be coming down the road

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Bgbhoy

Yep there’s total arseholes in every support across the land.
The point is you were there to see James play.
The SFA have moved forward in that regard some fans will take time.
Most huns align themselves with England.
Fucked up fannies that they are.
It’s your Country fuck the fannies and back the Team.
I don’t get the negativity myself.

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

ps I’m a Socialist not a Nationalist for the record.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

No, your a fucking donkey!

Bgbhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I blame andybhoy. He never got me into Scotland as a boy. Though I enjoy watching Italy and support them at every major tournament. That’s thanks to his old man though….. Don’t feel Scottish either, but that has a lot to do with the shitebags of the referendum 2 years ago

Monti
7 years ago

Charlie Saiz,
It’s the way Celtic have been treated in Scotland over many decades, it really is simple enough!
It’s not how we wanted it to be, it’s how they made us!

Never been to a Scotland game and never will, the ‘ tartan army’s ‘ racist heckling of McGeady confirmed that!

Charlie Saiz
7 years ago
Reply to  Monti

All in the past Monti how can you hope to see where you are headed when you spend your life looking backwards?
Lifes too short move on.
Scotland obviously have.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Pish

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Monti

He knows as much about Scotland and it’s social fabric as Ronny Deila had a clue about qualifying for the Champions League.

jimmybee
7 years ago

Lest we forget today is the day in 1981 when our brave men and women were ordered to stand down from hunger strike participation in the war against the British government.
Salute to the bravest of the brave.
TAL

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  jimmybee

Jimmybee,
Tiocfaidharla comrade!

” But we’re stronger now, they showed us how,
Freedoms fight can be won, if we all stand as one”!

Bgbhoy
7 years ago

I see brown is slating the ‘slow’ training under deila. One of Europes hottest young managers but…. When Scott brown says something is slow then we have a problem. Or had a problem i should say!!!

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Bgbhoy

Pretty sure I pointed this out, after watching videos of them training last season. Saying you train at the velocity you expect to play. Many among you said I was mistaken.

Bgbhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

Slow training. Team talks about women. Was that guy actually put manager or was it a myth created by the smsm?

jimmybee
7 years ago

THE EPIC and heroic chapter in Irish history that was the H-Block Hunger Strike came to an end after 217 tortuous days on 3 October 1981.

The momentum of the Hunger Strike had been slowed down by a sequence of events. This process continued when Hunger Strikers Bernard Fox and Liam McCloskey reluctantly ended their fast in the last week of September 1981. This occurred at a stage when the protest had been building up again after Matt Devlin and Laurence McKeown were taken off the fast by relatives at the beginning of the month.

On 25 September, after 33 days, Bernard Fox was told he had no more than four or five days to live. He was found to have been suffering from an obstruction in a tube leading to his kidneys. Following a meeting between the Hunger Strikers and the O/C of the republican prisoners, Fox agreed to end his fast and accept medical attention to prevent his premature death through kidney failure.

Liam McCloskey reluctantly ended his fast on Saturday 26 September after his mother convinced him that she would intervene once he lapsed into a coma. In a statement issued at the time she said that she and her family fully supported the prisoners’ five demands, adding:

“We don’t want our son nor his friends to live in the conditions that created this hunger strike.”

FR DENIS FAUL
Earlier that Saturday afternoon, the protesting prisoners in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh issued a statement through the Belfast Republican Press Centre sharply condemning the “Hunger Strike breaking” tactics of Catholic priest Fr Denis Faul, whom they accused of deliberately maximising pressure on the families and especially mothers to go against their sons’ expressed wishes.

The previous Wednesday, Denis Faul had made a very public appeal to the next-of-kin of Bernard Fox and Liam McCloskey to intervene to save their lives. Faul was using the emotional vulnerability of relatives as a powerful lever against the Hunger Strikers and the prisoners’ statement said that Fr Faul had “emerged as the best friend the British Government has”.

By the Wednesday of that week, the foremost Hunger Striker, Pat Sheehan, had gone 52 days without food. He was having trouble with his eyesight and weighed only seven stone. By then, the five other Hunger Strikers had completed the following days on hunger strike: Jackie McMullan, 45 days; Gerry Carville, 31 days; John Pickering, 24 days; Gerard Hodgins, 17 days; and Jim Devine, 10 days.

Along with the obstacles created by Denis Faul’s tactics was the Irish Government’s failure to put pressure on the British Government. The Irish Establishment refused to take the type of action needed to shift the British because it believed that the credibility of the IRA was linked directly to the success or failure of the Hunger Strike.

For same reason, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said that the Hunger Strike was “the IRA’s last card”.

Even the demonstration of the prisoners’ resolve to continue the fast was maligned by Faul, who suggested in mid-September that the high proportion of Belfast men on Hunger Strike (then five out of seven) was a deliberate IRA ploy designed to weaken the influence of the Catholic clergy on supposedly more ‘susceptible’ rural families of Hunger Strikers to end their fasts.

On the Sunday afternoon, Faul called a meeting with the families during which he persuaded the majority of them to indicate that they would sanction medical attention for their sons if they could not persuade them off the fast. Faul’s intervention took the pressure off the British and the Irish establishments and undermined the Hunger Strike. With all this in mind, the protesting prisoners in the H-Blocks and the remaining Hunger Strikers reluctantly decided to end their historic fast on Saturday 3 October.

Hunger Strike 5 demands

PRISONERS’ STATEMENT
The prisoners issued a statement in which they said that they had been “robbed of the hunger strike as an effective protest weapon principally because of the successful campaign waged against our distressed relatives by the Catholic Hierarchy, aided and abetted by the Irish Establishment (the SDLP and Free State political parties) which took no effective action against the British Government and did everything to encourage feelings of hopelessness among our kith and kin. The success of this campaign meant that the British Government could remain intransigent as the crucial political pressure which flows from the threat of death or actual death of Hunger Strikers was subsiding, not increasing”.

The prisoners reaffirmed their opposition to criminalisation and said that the sacrifices of their ten dead comrades in the face of British intransigence had “given us international political recognition and has made the cause of Irish freedom an international issue. It has increased support at home and abroad for Irish resistance and has shown that the oppressed nationalist people and the political prisoners are one.” This latest point was reinforced by the by-election victory of James McCreesh, father of Raymond, who humiliated his SDLP opponent in the fight for a local government seat in south Armagh on Wednesday 30 September.

The day after Denis Faul’s meeting with the families of the Hunger Strikers, a number of relatives had a meeting at Stormont with Lord Gowrie, the Prisons Minister under Secretary of State James Prior. Nothing positive or hopeful emerged from that meeting and it had no bearing on the prisoners’ decision to end the Hunger Strike. The prisoners ended the Hunger Strike unilaterally and simply because as a weapon it had been undermined. At 11:30 am Saturday 3 October, Brendan McFarlane requested a series of meetings with the O/Cs of H-Blocks 4, 5 and 6 and the Hunger Strikers. McFarlane was allowed to go into each of the H-Blocks where prisoners were on protest and to confer with the O/C of each block. He was then taken to the prison hospital for a meeting with the Hunger Strikers. By arrangement, the end of the Hunger Strike was announced from the Belfast Republican Press Centre at 3pm. Fifteen minutes later, the six men ended their heroic Hunger Strike which lasted 217 days since being started by Bobby Sands on 1 March.

Commenting on the sacrifices of the ten dead Hunger Strikers, Gerry Adams said: “The heroism of the ten H-Block martyrs, the courage of the men and women protesting prisoners, the stupidity of the British Government and the principled response of the nationalist people to the prisoners’ plight has had a deep and permanent effect on nationalist politics in Ireland. 1981 – the year of the Hunger Strike – is no mere temporary setback for British policies in Ireland. Nationally and internationally, its effects will be felt as the struggle for Irish independence progresses in the months and years ahead.”

THE MEDIA
Once news of the end of the Hunger Strike on Saturday 3 October was released there was a major flurry of national, British and international media activity, most of it favourably disposed to the Hunger Strikers and their reasoning for calling off the fast. Saturday morning’s Irish Times, in expectation of a development, said that “an end to the H-Block Hunger Strike would be greeted with deep relief by the [Irish] Government, whose members had viewed the crisis it provoked as a threat to political stability, North and South”.

Within 24 hours of the announcement that the Hunger Strike was over, British Secretary of State James Prior flew back to Belfast from England. He said:

“I shall go into consultation with my officials to try and size up where we have got to and I think it would be important to get it right rather than to hurry over any decisions.”

Unionist reaction was to conclude that British intransigence had paid off – which was a mistaken evaluation and was to blind them to the political and military cost of that intransigence.

By Tuesday, when Prior announced his reforms in response to the ending of the Hunger Strike, the unionists – from Ian Paisley to UDA spokespersons (whose prisoners would actually gain from the Hunger Strike) – were frothing at the mouth and declaring that the British had capitulated to the IRA. What had won these reforms was seven months of hunger strike and a five-year-old Blanket Protest – not a British commitment to liberal prison regimes.

In a statement made in Stormont, Prior announced a number of reforms which produced typical reactions: an overly favourable response from Catholic leaders and nationalist politicians, and automatic exaggeration of the breadth of the concessions and condemnation from unionists.

The prisoners were given smuggled copies of James Prior’s statement but were later supplied with copies by the prison governor. Prior said that the prisoners’ views on work and association were not compatible with the British prison system but that there was “room for development here as elsewhere”. He said that, in future, prisoners would be allowed to wear their own clothes at all times

On remission, prisoners were to regain only half of that lost as a result of their protest, a particularly vindictive and vengeful outcome. To even qualify for this remission a prisoner would have to complete a period of three months’ conformity with prison rules; until the hurdle of what constitutes prison work could be overcome, the prisoners could be classified as protesting prisoners if they refused to carry out what they considered degrading or menial work. Prior said “the possibility of widening the scope of work in the prisons can be examined but only within certain well-defined limits. I do therefore want to encourage a system where the very advanced training and educational facilities available may be freely used by all prisoners.”

In order to implement the change, Prior said that no loss of remission would be imposed for the next 28 days as a penalty for breaches of prison rules arising out of the refusal to wear prison clothes.

On association, Prior said there would be expansion to include association in adjacent wings of H-Blocks in recreation rooms and exercise areas over the existing situation where prisoners could mix with one another at meal times, exercise times and in the evening and at weekends.

RESPONSE
The response from the political prisoners came in a statement that said:

“We, republican political prisoners in H-Blocks 3, 4, 5 and 6, Long Kesh, feel we cannot give an opinion on Mr Prior’s statement yesterday because we do not know what Mr Prior has in mind for this prison. We found his statement ambiguous and we will need clarification before we can form an opinion.”

The statement went on to welcome the introduction of own clothing for all prisoners, calling it “a move in the right direction”. But on the other hand they felt that Prior’s attitude to lost remission was “very vengeful” towards them and their families.

“Fifty per cent return of lost remission is inadequate. It means that in most cases prisoners will have to serve between two and two-and-a-half years extra in jail. In the present circumstances and atmosphere it represents a major problem. We hope that petty vindictiveness and bureaucracy are not going to be the cause of further confrontation in this dispute.”

Just how central a political issue the seven-month Hunger Strike was in both Ireland and Britain was shown by the front-page prominence given in most Sunday newspapers to the news of the ending on the Saturday of the Hunger Strike, followed on Monday by a stream of editorials and lengthy feature pieces on the subject.

Their editorials were a tacit acknowledgement that Britain’s victory was entirely illusory. Isolated internationally for its intransigence, its Irish policies in tatters, the Blanket Men unbowed and republicanism strengthened, the British could only give the appearance of victory; real victory had eluded them.

As a result of Britain’s H-Blocks death policy and the bravery of the Hunger Strikers, massive political capital accrued to the IRA and the republican cause, while British rule in Ireland was significantly destabilised.

As Bobby Sands wrote in his prison diary on his first day on Hunger Strike:

“I am dying not just to attempt to end the barbarity of H-Block, or to gain the rightful recognition of a political prisoner, but primarily because what is lost in here is lost for the Republic and those wretched oppressed whom I am deeply proud to know as ‘The Risen People’.”

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  jimmybee

Jimmybee,
Quality!

mike
7 years ago

Why i will never support The Scottish National Team.

Rankers EBTs.
Rankers Tax cases, big and wee.
Res. 12 The total silence from the SFA.
Lord Nimmo Smiths completely flawed decision,
The Dead clubs continuity fairy story.
The 5 way agreement.
The abuse of Celtic players,playing for Scotland.
The abuse of Catholic supporting players,abused by Scottish fannies.
The corruption at the heart of the SFA.
The total lack of openess of Refereeing decisions.
The total lack of Referees accountability.
The outright bigotry displayed by member clubs.

Bgbhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Anything else Mike?

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Well said Mike!

Bgbhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Can we have the same amount of reasons to explain you being awol at the last night out? 😉

mike
7 years ago
Reply to  Bgbhoy

Pals do not need to give explanations as to there non attendance,merely by giving their apologies,which i did.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Mike,
Will you make the next one…..or will you be busy sheep fiddling?

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

So you won’t support the Scottish National Team because of a bunch of self proclaimed British, Unionist, bigoted cunts that are trying their best to destroy the game North of the Border so that Scots will stop watching Scottish Football and start watching Skyiershite football?

mike
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

You do not support an institution that targets your religious beliefs or shows preference to anothers,or is corrupt and morally bankrupt,why would you?That is another reason why i will never attend another Celtic Rankers game,i would not accept putting my cash into sustaining a myth.
When Scottish fitbas Governing body cleans up its act,then i might reconsider,but up till then no,no,no.
btw I ditched Sky over 10 years ago because of the obscene payments to foreign players.
I only contribute to the Tic.
Its not a bunch of loonys its the WHOLE Institution,led by cowards.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Well said Mike.

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  mike

Watch out Mike, the donkey will be trolling you shortly and declaring that Scotland is now such an enlightened and inclusive society.

jimmybee
7 years ago

Young dembele at 13 makes the bench for the development team tonight. Well done young man.
HH

andybhoy
7 years ago
Reply to  jimmybee

He came on in the last 10 minutes, some achievement.

Paul1888
7 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Brilliant… Glad he got on

HH

jimmybee
7 years ago

3-1 victory to the young hoops. Well done Dembele.

Delbhoy
7 years ago

Bjf i wasnt referring to you mate it was charlie who called me a zombie , appology accepted charlie didnt realise it was a joke. I never said i prefer scotland to celtic , im a celtic fan first but i do like to see scotland win , be it football , athletics , rugby whatever , everyone has there own opinion though, i would say i feel part irish from my family heritage but more scottish , but thats just me. However if it came to celtic losing a big game or scotland fuck them its the hoops every time haha

charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Delbhoy

good man

portpower
7 years ago

What a great moment for Karamoko.

comment image

It’s just the beginning. YNWA

John McCloy in Tasmania
7 years ago

Caption;ibrox board get ready to bale/bail out before next financial embarrassment. Irt Scotland games the only one I attended was in the early sixties.scottish league vs league of ireland at parkhead and only because it was Charlie Tully,s last cap.i,d heard enough anti Celtic/Catholic bullshit in fairfields to last me a lifetime and put me off going to Scotland games.HH

Bondibrian
7 years ago

In general I’m disappointed when Scotland lose, in general am gutted when Celtic lose. Niver been to ah Scotland gemm but always want them to win.

Monti
7 years ago

I think some posters are getting a bit confused about this Scotland national side debate.
I feel the vast majority want Scotland to win in any international match, however there can be no denting Celtic as a club has been treated unfairly by the SFA over the decades, Celtic come first in our list of priorities, so when something, anything fucks with that it is only natural a reaction will happen, a negative one.
Personally speaking i am a proud Scot who wants the national side to win, but my passion for the national side is gone.
Sad as that may be, it is unfortunately how the landscape was laid out for me!

Monti
7 years ago

Morning 🙂

Rudebhoy
7 years ago

Just because Huns support England doesn’t mean it’s suddenly OK for me to start supporting Scotland. Fuck anything a hun does. This countries never supported me and as for the national side, the way Tommy Burns was treated should be enough for any decent supporting Celt to be put off for life. Im sure I read somewhere that Kirk Broadfoot has more caps than Bobby Murdoch. I could be wrong but it wouldn’t surprise me.

iancelt67
7 years ago

remember back in the day rangers fans wore their scarves to football games, always thought the celtic players were there under duress in saying that dalgleish did us proud

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