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Celtic Diary Saturday December 1: MOTM Andrew Dallas ( SFA )

Celtic flew back to glasgow yesterday, relaxed and rested after spending the night in Trondheim as opposed to the usual routine of flying back after the game.

With a cup final tomorrow, the manager felt that this would benefit the players, and give them better preparation for the game.

He explained;

“One of the key things is sleep when you are recovering.

“If we’d gone back on Thursday night it would have been the early hours of Friday morning and the players would then have had to travel back to their homes. They might not have got back until about 3am. 

“Then that means you get them in that little bit later on the Friday and there is a tiredness to the day and the work.

“It’s not quite the same but this way we have been able to travel home nice and relaxed.

“The players got a nice meal Thursday night, have a lie-in on Friday morning and meet to do some work in the pool or in the gym.

“That’s normal. We did it after we played in Israel in my first season when we stayed overnight in Beer Sheva.

“You are looking from a number of weeks back at the preparation and it’s all about the players.

“Some staff and people might have wanted to get back earlier but the game is about footballers and you have to look after them.

“You make sure they are recovered to get ready for a big game. The recovery team are great at looking after them and we’ll have a meeting as staff to tidy up our final preparations for the Final.” 

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was heard to say, but not by any reliable witnesses..4

Bollocks , I was hoping they’d be knackered

With players such as Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown making an appeearance on Thursday, the manager has a number of options ahead of the game, but so far only one change is certain.

Scott Bain will replace Craig Gordon in goal as he has played in all the League cup mathces thus far, and the manager feels this is the honourable thing to do.

Despite an attempt to stir up possible dressing room conflict by the BBC, Craig Gordon seems fine with it..

“Obviously I’d rather be playing but that’s the same with every member of this squad.

“He has given Scott every other round and he has decided to stick by him for this one. That is the way it goes. Sometimes managers do change for the final, and sometimes they don’t.

“Scott is a very good goalkeeper. It will be a new thing for him to go out and play in that game. But certainly from everything I have seen, he is very capable of handling that and performing well.”

Not only that, but it means that Bain, who is a capable guy, gets to familiarise himself with the first team on a regular basis. Instead of being flung into action once or twice a year and flinging one or two into the net.

More importantly, I look forward to him dedicating his winners medal to former Dundee manager Neil McCann, with as many profanities as he can get away with on live tv. Especially if the little shit is in the commentary box.

McCann and Bain didn’t see eye to eye during the keepers final few weeks at Dundee (Evening Telegraph )

It looks increasingly likely Scott Bain has played his last game for Dundee as his dispute with the club’s management rumbles on.

The goalkeeper is not available for selection after a reported dressing-room bust-up with boss Neil McCann following the 3-1 loss to Hamilton almost three weeks ago.

Since then it’s understood the former Alloa stopper was given a fine of two weeks’ wages but has refused to pay it and has sought the help of the PFA.

That led to him missing out completely on the 2-1 defeat to Hibs at Easter Road before the international break.

Deputy Elliott Parish took over between the sticks with U/20s goalkeeper Calum Ferrie on the bench.

And manager Neil confirmed that will be the case again on Saturday when Kilmarnock come to Dens for a vital Premiership clash.

When asked if Bain was available for selection when previewing the game, the Dens gaffer replied: “No.

“Until there is something to tell you I’m not here to speak about Scott Bain 

Other changes to the side that started against Rosenberg are unlikely, evidenced from the overnight stay, and the manager explained that although Scott Brown is the club captain, he may not break up a winning line up for that reason alone..

“Scott got some game time and he’s an important player but we’ll always pick the team to try and win.

“It’s a busy month for us and a busy period, so he’ll feature at some point.

“It was nice for him to come in and help us to close out the game, which he did really well.

“It’s good to see him back. He’s an important player for us but he has a brain. He’s not silly.

“He knows the team have been playing really well and he is ready when he’s asked to play.” 

Add that paragraph to the change of routine post Trondheim, and it suggests that there won’t be any more than the change already mentioned.

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was heard to say, but not by anyone reliable..

Bollocks, I was hoping he’d play the under sixteens

McInnes has already pinpointed the man he believes could do the most to send the trophy up north.

Come to think of it, so have the rest of us..

Image result for andrew dallas referee

Forget all accusations of bias, take away the conspiracy theories.

The guy is fucking useless, having been fast tracked through referee school and hauled up to the higher echelons of the profession because of who he knows, and not because of any aptitude for the job.

There is little doubt in my mind that he will be the major topic of Mondays post match diary.

In October 2016, Dallas wrongly waved play on after Erik Sviatchenko was fouled by dundees Cammy Kerr, and Celtic were denied a penalty. Writing in the Daily Record on the third of that month, former referee Charlie Richmond said;

He took a bit of stick for that decision but I really hope when it comes to Andrew Dallas that fans look beyond the name.

He will go through his refereeing career being compared with his father, something he must overcome. 

He’s right. And Dallas has taken that hint, already proving to be even more incompetent, and even more helpful to the family friends in blue.

Back in 2013, when the fledgling Ibrox club needed all the help it could get from all its friends, Dallas was obliging…as VideoCelts reported at the time…

Stranraer boss Stevie Aitken has provided a strange insight into the thought process of referee Andrew Dallas.

The Stair Park side were the victims of a bizarre penalty decision at Ibrox on Thursday when Dallas, son of shamed bigot Hugh, awarded Sevco a penalty after Nicky Clark fell to the ground as he humped a shot high over the crossbar.

Without any sign of a claim from any players or supporters Dallas raced forward pointing to the penalty spot to the amazement of everyone on the park with Lee McCulloch netting to put the home side in front. 

“Nobody else saw it,” Aitken, who confronted Dallas at half-time, explained. “He said there was contact, and he said if it was at the other end he would have given it. If it hadn’t have been for a dodgy penalty, though, we might have got more out of the game.”

Rather than explain why he gave the penalty it seems bizarre that Dallas would point out that he would have made the same decision at the other end of the park. That really shouldn’t be a matter for discussion. 

 

Charlie Richmond, again in the Record, this time in May 2017, drew attention to the real problem

Andrew Dallas has had a lot to deal with during his career.

Due to his father Hugh being at the top, he was always going to have accusations thrown at him by angry supporters that he was only operating at the highest level himself because of his dad.

That is largely unfair. Andrew has worked his way up to his position and is there on merit.

But he is under more pressure to perform than his colleagues. 

And if he is to avoid having the mud slung at him, he has to cut out the big mistakes because they are becoming too regular.

Martin Canning was deeply annoyed at his Hamilton team being denied a penalty in their defeat at Caley Thistle and he had every right to be so. 

It was a wrong decision and the trouble for Andrew is that it is not the first this season.

At the start of the campaign he awarded a goal for Inverness in the derby against Ross County when he’d whistled to stop play before the ball went in the net.

That was an affront to the laws of the game. 

There was another incident over a penalty at Hearts in their match against Partick Thistle nine days ago. That decision reduced the Jags to 10 men and changed the course of a game.

Andrew’s dad once told me that if you don’t see some things as penalties, you may wish to change your mindset on what you think a penalty is.

That came after a Scottish Cup tie between Hamilton and Rangers when I awarded Rangers a spot-kick in the first game then didn’t give one to the Ibrox team in the replay after the first match finished 3-I love this bit…Richmond is hauled in for 3.

Hugh said I might need to look at how I view penalty incidents.  ( I love this bit, Richmond is hauled in for failing to give Rangers a penalty ) 

Andrew is falling into that category and he will have to prove he is there on merit because these are decisions you need to get right. (Giving Rangers a penalty ? ) ….

He wraps up the article by saying…

….Calls need to be correct. And Andrew needs to make sure he starts getting more of them right 

Worried yet ?

Well, maybe I’m over reacting, maybe Dallas has improved beyond all recognition…

October 2018…about six weeks ago, at Hamilton

Two late James Tavernier penalties and an Alfredo Morelos strike finally cured travel sickness for Rangerswho won on the road for the first time since February.

But it was a far from impressive display from Steven Gerrard’s side who’d opened through Ryan Kent only for Steven Boyd’s brilliant leveller looking to have secured a point for Hamilton .

All eyes were then to turned to referee Andrew Dallas who twice pointed to the spot in the final ten minutes to allow skipper Tavernier to seal the three points. 

Dallas spotted a hand ball from Penny in the 83rd minute and Tavernier slammed home the penalty and then repeated the feat a few minutes later after a Penny trip on Morelos. 

As the tempers flared in the first half, referee Andrew Dallas did little to help matters with a flurry of bookings which displayed a lack of consistency.

A lack of control throughout the contest infuriated both sides as the card count continued to rise before Dallas awarded two late penalties to Gers which appeared to be the correct decisions but the whistler has a knack of making himself the centre of attention. Nine cards for anyone’s who’s counting. 

Is he ready getting this Cup final on merit ?

All the signs suggest that isn’t the case, and I think that Celtic should put together a diplomatic statement expressing surprise and disappointment that the game wasn’t handed to a referee who many could perceive as not entirely impartial, but one hundred per cent incompetent.

Worried yet ?

I go with my gut on this one, as I can remember my reaction when I heard the news..

Image result for sudden shock overreaction gif

 

But we do have the players to overcome most adversity, as long, of course, they don;t get sent off.

You know, for not tying their laces, or waving to someone in the crowd.

And so yeah, the first leg of the treble treble ?

By about 4-0.

 

Elsewhere, I’d like to offer a big thank you to Dave King for the laughter when he  caused a massive row yesterday  between a pot and a kettle when he said , in court, under oath… of some shareholders..

They were engaged in criminal activities in the USA. There was an intervention from the authorities there and they were put in administration.” 

And thats why he couldn’t deal with them.

I’m quite sure our illustrious reporters throughout Scotland are on the case.

To be fair, King thought something was amiss in March 2015..

He never did fulfill that vow, did he ?

And no one ever chased the story up..

However, someone did check a few facts yesterday, and deserves a lot of credit..

chairman Dave King also told court the club have blocked some shareholders from transferring shares due to concerns over money laundering and organised crime

Dave King also listed key investors who he says have told him they won’t take up the offer of 20p per share, including Sandy Easdale. Easdale has since told the BBC he has not given that undertaking.

Lying on oath ? Claimimg he has concerns over money laundering and organised crime ?

Image result for keystone cops gif

We’ll see….

Yesterday, we had this picture…

Weered November 30, 2018 at 10:34 am · Edit · Reply →

Caption… Hey pal…have you got that quid I threw at yer mate 

Today… I’m not quite sure what this is…can you help ?

 

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Cortes
5 years ago

“Lustig: The Early Years”

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago

If we go out and blow Dolly away we won’t need to worry about Dodgy Dallas Mk2.

Dave King, where the fuck do you start with that mob? In April he was told to pony up 11 million quid for the share issue which he didn’t do, now he has to find 19 million lizzies, how the fuck the huns can’t fathom him out as a dodgy bastard is beyond my comprehension. The headlines in todays Times have King going on about possible criminal elements involved in Ibrox dealings, he’s a fucking belter.

Caption…the banjo music from the film Deliverance reverberates around my head when looking at that photograph.

Not been on the site for a while due to personal reasons but still the laughs and serious stuff are still top range. I hope all the posters on here are in good form.

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago
Reply to  Noel Skytrot

Cheers, Charlie.

Jboy
5 years ago

Mr Smith hadnt yet put 2 and 2 together and realised his miraculous fertility coincided with Mr Griffiths moving next door.

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago
Reply to  Jboy

Ralph, can you make sure that Weered doesn’t do the treble. Cheers. Lol

I hope yer well on the Emerald Isle, Weered.

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago
Reply to  Noel Skytrot

Hahaaaa, never Weered. Good result today for the Reds.

D'Fhinnein Mick
5 years ago

RALPH

Aye-child cruelty!

Una
5 years ago

Caption

Nobody could have predicted that Donald Trump front right would become president of th USA

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago
Reply to  Una

Lmao

Mike
5 years ago

Where do you start with Dallas, like JFK on his road trip, fear and trepidation follow that muppet on his journey into the record books of disrepute, like father like son, the apple falls close to the tree.

How will history judge the shenanigans from the bones of the DEED club? it is one sorry tale, of greed and corruption.
We know how it will judge the Huns. It will also show up the governing bodies for the corruption that they pursued in their quest to keep them alive. Was it worth destroying the game, was it worth losing the games integrity, honesty, was it worth all the secrets and lies, was it worth keeping the continuity myth, the five way agreement a stain on the heart of the game. Was it worth it, losing all the games dignity? Here we are some 6/7 years later with all the tarnish in full view. It still pretends to be alive, but its new life is tarnished with tales of violence, a history of bitterness. No way was it worth it….
w

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

This post reads like you might be replying to some points in my novel from last night did you see it Mike? I can’t find it will reply later when I have gotten over my PTSD re missing posts!! Meanwhile …great posts, one would hope that Mr King’s remarks are investigated (aye right) least Lady Wolff seems to have his measure – I see she did not discharge the proof but kept it open you would think she doesn’t trust him or something…..

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Christina, No I had a peek over the page but it hasn’t yet appeared, it must have been so good that the authorities have covered it up, they are afraid that it might be far too incriminating. But my psychic mind is so in tune with yours that I knew what you were thinking. I had a feeling that you would respond in kind. King has said that he will prove to the court by Jan. 25th the confirmation of his £19 mill. offer HAHA but the ghirls not for turning and has given him a new day in court the 29th. If he hasn’t made the offer by then, then he faces a charge of contempt. We all know what King is, but its trying to get your head around the cover up by the so called governing bodies, they are destroying the game, its awful and they need to be brought to justice.. You must be walking about with a tea bag over each eye, mind the door posts, we don’t want you bumping into them, do we?

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Weered thank you for wee message – put a smile on my face! I don’t think you’re an ogre was just wee bit scared of you but not now. Left reply under your message – thanks again!

D'Fhinnein Mick
5 years ago

MIKE

They know it wasn’t worth it,mate. Took a while for the penny to drop,mind,but they know.

They are flogging a Norwegian Blue.

Dziekanowski's nightclub child
5 years ago

Caption: the Findley family get ready for a staunch christmas

Paddybhoy67
5 years ago

Caption: Griff’s next-door neighbours.

George Lazenbhoy
5 years ago

Is the one on the top right had their meth pipe taken off them?

Gash67
5 years ago

Got to sat ties on the kids are belters

Gash67
5 years ago
Reply to  Gash67

SAY NO SAT

henkesdreadlocks
5 years ago

Caption……..

Blue Rondo a la Turk……. the early years.

Mike
5 years ago

Less we forget, the 1970 Scottish Cup final, when Bobby the Jobby Valentine awarded the Dandies a penalty (in his own mind) while at the same final he denied Celtic a definite goal and penalty for Bobby Lennox. To think that the referee’s cannot influence a game is not learning your history, indeed who could forget the seven referee’s who were all watching Coronation street when Meekings stuck out his arm in another final and McLean the so called referee never saw what the rest of us saw, a blatant penalty. How did that game end mmhh, we lost it, so never forget how cheating referee’s can influence the game. If you know your history….

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago

The individual top right is like something out of a horror movie. The wee girl bottom right looks possessed, CS.

Devoy45
5 years ago

Caption: A photograph argument against the genetic dangers of Monarchy!
Caption: Paw said we don’t ever need nothin beyond these here four walls…and each other! But we all miss goin to Ibrox.
Caption: Profile of a Trump-supporting family.

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago

Caption….TATP

They Are The Peepul.

5 years ago

Caption: Daddy why am I in a dress says the wee boy top right. Shut up sue says daddy.

5 years ago

Caption:
Saltcoats Mk Ultra`s.

Noel Skytrot
5 years ago

Caption….Welcome to Larkhall.

Bognorbhoy
5 years ago

Caption…

The family that never got the waltons gig cause johnboy wanted play mary Ellen..

Bognorbhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  Bognorbhoy

wanted to play mary Ellen…

The Cha
5 years ago

Doubt it, as Leipzig beat them easy in Trondheim.

Also, aren’t Rosenborg in close season after tomorrow’s Norwegian Cup Final?

Yoker. Bhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

They’ll be up against it for sure but their pride must be really hurting. They should fight tooth and nail to try to avoid the utter humiliation of notching up 0 poonts in the group.

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Yoker. Bhoy

Nah, they’re a very poor side and Leipzig are a good one, so only 1 winner and probably with a few goals to spare.

We need to forget about that and simply go out to beat Salzburg and, if the worst comes to the worst, we’ll just have to settle for a draw. 😉

The Cha
5 years ago

Mm, not sure, as paw’s looks like a syrup.

Cartvale88
5 years ago

Caption
Lone Rosenbergb supporter reacts to the Scotty Sinclair goal.

Totally agree Mike, over the years there have been some shocking decisions by the loyal masons against Celtic, even in games that we have won they have tried to screw the result.

Find it incredible that not one Hun has the intelligence to say what the hell is going on with King and his smoking mirrors, the people really are stupid stupid Huns.

5 years ago

🙂 effin brilliant…

Game on hold at Kilmarnock while they look for a pound for the leccie box.

5 years ago

BREAKING NEWS:
Man seated at Rugby Park loses wallet.

He was quoted in saying;

“One minute i`m sitting there next to Rod Petrie,boof,and the lights went out.”

5 years ago

hahahaha

They`re oot again at Rugby Park.All you can see are the Hibs hi-vis strips.

The crowd are having a ball.

This is the SPFL.

5 years ago
Reply to  portpower

Police Scotland are asking supports with cars to park them behind the goals.

High beam Football.

Brencelt
5 years ago

Bob Malcolm (back right) didn’t get better looking with age

5 years ago

Killie staff ask the referee if he has a spare pound for the lights.
Craig Thomson threatens to abandon the game.

The Cha
5 years ago

Mark Hughes’s a cunt but so is Mourinho, difficult choices.

The Cha
5 years ago

Nice to see the good guys win, congrats.

Monti
5 years ago

Caption: Great Grandpa Griffiths!

The Cha
5 years ago

Caption: Dave King outs the organised criminals who’ve infiltrated The Rangers.

Monti
5 years ago

Caption: Young Leigh Griffiths ( front centre ) is thinking, see when i grow up da, i’ll out do you in the shagging stakes.

The Cha
5 years ago

I wouldn’t go anywhere near any of their scum sites.

If this is what we were talking about yesterday then I can only imagine.

These are the people who think it an outrage that a serial domestic abuse and sexual assault offender isn’t inducted into the Hall of Fame but, on the other hand, are supposedly concerned about much lesser issues when it can be used for point scoring.

You can’t reason with sick minds and you risk poisoning your own by engaging with them.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Cha,
Correct m8, trust no orange bastard!

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

As an atheist, I agree with you.

Iancelt67
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

See linfield lost now a keen follower of Irish league. Love the names. Dungannon swifts, ballymena etc

Monti
5 years ago

🙂

Monti
5 years ago

If anyone has a spare ticket for tomorrow, i fucking want it.

Please 🙂

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Best not to in case they switch on the disco lights to celebrate our victory and it triggers an episode for you.

5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Make that 2 please.I`ve fixed the puncture on my jet.

At Hampden Park,you lucky bassas.

To observe and celebrate an event is the new age way of losing weight?
🙂

Monti
5 years ago

Weered,
Well done m8

Puggy67
5 years ago

Caption: Midwich Cukoos Loyal RSC

stessano
5 years ago

Dallas is a hun! thats a fact! True story in the dl golf club on the outskirts of motherwell he on seeing OUR GREAT CLUB SCORING! Got up off his seat walked out in his orc perma rage and like the typical coward hun he is switched off the tv and left! Ha ha see many orcs chuck it in my life in a simmilar way. The point is these are the type of poisonous creatures we have to officate our GREAT CLUB only in “brigadoon”scotland eh REGARDLESS FIRST ONE OF THE TRIPLE TREBLE TOMORROW AND WE GOING HAVING A GREAT RUN IN EUROPE THIS YEAR TO! HAIL HAIL GREAT BEING A TIM AS CETIC A TRUE WORLD ICONIC CLUB LOVED ALL OVER THE PLANET HAIL HAIL

stessano
5 years ago

Scoring against the poison was Tommy Gravesen goal september weekend 2006 this happend and its a FACT!!the day that wee rat miller scored his first for OUR GREAT CLUB 2-0 VICTORY GOING ON 5! AS PER!! HAIL HAIL

5 years ago

Caption.sevco open up the new davie dodds family stand.go on the BHOYS.

5 years ago

G`day Khids.

Ghod invented whiskey so the Aussies wouldn’t rule the world!
1:30 pm,first Whiskey poured.
Aussieland is Green and White.

A Cup Final Game…No prediction.

Enjoy.

(Upended Logan`s a bastard)

5 years ago

NOW FOR THE WEATHER IN GLASGOW:

Temperature– 5.0°C
Dew point– 5.0°C
Relative humidity– 100%
Feels like– 3.5°C
Wind– WSW 1km/h
Pressure– On the Dons

5 years ago
Reply to  portpower

PS:Where i`m now, it`s 73.4°F.

I`ll be putting another shrimp or 6 on my piece.

Scott Bain to save a penalty.HH

Iancelt67
5 years ago

Anyone see the fight? Apparently fury lucky

5 years ago
Reply to  Iancelt67

G`day Iancelt67
It`s a worldwide share instead of just a Don King hedge bet.

Jeff Fenech was King`s was.
A good boxer though those of his career are now living beyond one`s means.

stessano
5 years ago
Reply to  portpower

I lived in Sydney 7 years in never once mentioned the climate or acted like you! stop trying to validate being there if you have to write that garbage you aint that happy over there! Its actually pretty pathetic HAIL HAIL

5 years ago
Reply to  Iancelt67

Ian if Tyson hadn’t gone down in the 12th he would have won it, I think he still did.
But remarkable achievement from the gypsy king.

5 years ago

Benevolent SPFL:
Thy embodiment of compassion invokes the powerful mantra to view.
Same benefit for two sides the day.

Sense of sevcos` doing?
There is one further complication;”Who buys the pies?”

5 years ago

Good luck to the bhoys today like Mike said refs can influence a game and its usually against us.
He’s useless never mind anything else and once again it’s a delibrate attempt by the governing body to stop our beloved hoops.
They won’t success Celtic 3-0 wee Jamesy Big Tom Edouard.
Enjoy your day wherever you are bhoys and ghirls
God Bless you all.
COYBIG

Mike
5 years ago

Confident Yes, Complacent Never, Brendan would never allow complacency
A lot of games coming up in a crucial part of the season, but one game at a time “Sweet Jesus” and the most important game is the one today. Our team is playing with more confidence than I have watched for many a year and Brendan must make some big calls today for player selection. We know that he will pick Bain in goal, a goalie I rate, we know that his back four picks itself, its midfield for once where we have an abundance of quality players. Broony and Ntcham for me because they have been rested, the rest I will leave to Brendan, he will probably go sparingly with all the first teamers. So we go for trophy number seven under Brendan, but we will not be fooled by the Dandies result against the Well, they were clearly holding back with today in mind, there big Final.
Keep an eye on the son of Satan and his histrionic performance, but Brendan will have the players well warned.
“S come all you Glasgow Celtic,
Stand up and play the game,
For between your posts a spirit stands,
John Thomson is his name, COYBIG.
K

Yoker Bhoy
5 years ago

Good morning y’all,

A perfect day for more history to be made. Today is marathon day in my city but, as 22,000+ participants run right past my living room window, my head will not be turned as I have far more important things to focus on. It’s cup final day and enough said.

Over the last five decades Aberdeen has been one of our fiercest rivals in all competitions so I’ll treat them with a bit of respect (at least in this post anyway) and not refer to them as ‘the sheep’. We’ve had a few memorable Scottish Cup finals against the Grampian side but today is all about the League Cup so I thought we could maybe go on a wee jaunt down memory lane and take a brief look at the previous three occasions when we met the Dons in the final of this competition with the idea of building up the appetite a wee bit for today’s big game. I wouldn’t have minded posting up video highlights of those finals but nowadays I’d get my arse kicked for that so I haven’t bothered.

The first of them took place in November 1976 in front of around 70,000 fans. We took to the field with a strong team to face an Aberdeen side that was also packed with big names: Bobby Clark, Stuart Kennedy, the great Willie Garner 🙂 , Willie Miller, Dom Sullivan, Jocky Scott, Joe Harper and Arthur Graham among others. They were managed at the time by the incredibly charismatic Ally MacLeod and had humped the huns 5-1 in the semi – the same hun team that had needed 4 matches to scrape through in the quarter final against my local team Clydebank, where a very young Davie Cooper had repeatedly made a monkey out of big Greig and struck real fear into the heart of that Ibrox defence. Anyway, I digress. Early on in that memorable final King Kenny opened the scoring with a well-taken penalty but later on that prolific thorn in our flesh ex-Airdrieonian slaphead striker (no offence intended to all you baldies out there who might be reading this) equalised, bringing the tie to extra time. Sadly the Reds’ ginger ninja supersub big Davie Robbed us (see what I did there?) of the trophy with a late goal. This incredible success story for the Pittodrie club helped to propel Ally into the Scotland job and pave the way for Argentina but that’s another story.

The second time the two sides met in a League Cup Final was in March 2000 (at that time it was known as the CIS Insurance Cup. Despite Henke not featuring through injury, there was no shortage of Celtic faves sprinkled throughout the team: Alan Stubbs, Tom Boyd (deservedly MOTM), Jackie Mac, Johan Mjallby, Super Lubo and Mark Viduka, to name a few, all featured. A very competent performance including two well-worked goals culminated by fine finishes from Vidar Riseth and Tommy Johnson respectively, ensured that the cup would safely return to paradise.

Much fresher in our memories was that fine day of about two years ago when Tom Rogic and Jamesie Forrest banged in a couple of superb first-half efforts from outside the area. The Dandies had begun to look more lively and even threatened a possible comeback early in the second half but a Moussa Dembele penalty took the wind out of their sails and helped us on the way to an impressive 3-0 triumph.

Today has the makings of a very good match and obviously the return of Ntcham and Broonie gives Brendan a nice midfield selection headache. I’d personally stick with the winning combination that has looked so lively and efficient over the last few weeks, i.e. McGregor alongside Ryan Christie with Tom Rogic (such a valuable big game player) operating behind Edouard. I’m quietly confident of a comfortable win but our rivals, who have been in much better form of late despite last weekend’s debacle at Motherwell, must not be underestimated. They will practically be at full strength with their only major doubt being defender Michael Devlin, who has been suffering from a foot tendon injury.

Enjoy today to the full!

Prediction: Celtic 4 Aberdeen 1

Scorers: Edouard, Forrest (2), Christie

COYBIG

Yoker Bhoy
5 years ago

Drew Jarvie was the ex-Airdrie striker I mentioned before.

5 years ago

A new balance tag inside a Celtic strip is 4 inches long and exclusive of decoration.

They`re to rid the Hoops.
Hi-vis bluetooth a player where he walks and wears and belts.

Cotton on.

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