One could be forgiven for being a little less than interested in todays game. A sort of friendly against a team we seem to play every week, being played neither at their iconic arena or ours, probably with none of the players trying too hard in case of injury.
Celtic face Barcelona in Dublin, and defeat will surely mean that the hoops will be out of the running for the International Champions Cup before the kids go back to school, a shocking record in europe on a par with Walter Smith, the previous manager of the previous Rangers who could only muster one win in twenty odd games.
Thats not what its about though, is it ?
From the Irish Independent comes a report that you won’t find in the Scottish media…..
If the Irish fans are the best in the world, on the evidence of this video, Glasgow Celtic run them a close second for their good humour and love of a sing-song.
Travelling Celtic fans gathered in a Dublin pub for an sing-song ahead of their team’s clash with Barcelona in the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
Tadhg Peavoy was in the Living Room pub during his lunch and enjoyed the craic: “I was there for an hour or so at lunchtime and they were singing the whole time.”
“That was just one group, about 50 fans in total. Good banter. Loads of chants and no aggression. All good fun’.
There will be plenty more craic over the next couple of days with a 50,000 fans expected at the Aviva for the clash between the Scottish giants and Barcelona on Saturday evening.
Football is all about days like this, when the support promote the name of the club in a way that, as with the hooped shirts, the marketing men have completely failed to capitalise on.
Then again, perhaps thats a good thing.
With Barcelona comes Lionel Messi, and he’s usually got a good thing or two to say about Celtic, and as usual its the kind of endorsement that cannot be manufactured with the employmant of a PR agency;
For Celtic they have much more important games than this coming up with the Champions League qualifiers, but this can help them prepare. We have had some games against Celtic that I will always remember, and they are a big club, with big fans, and I would like to see them qualify this year – it is where they belong.
It is always a good atmosphere against Celtic. For the players at Barcelona who experienced the games in Europe against them, they will know what to expect from their fans. It is only a friendly, but I don’t think their fans know what a friendly is. There are a lot of Celtic fans in Ireland, and I expect them to make a lot of noise and create another special atmosphere.
Sounds to me that, like his team mate Luis Suarez, he’s hamkering for a move to Celtic.
So, in my new guise as director of Level 67 PR limited, I would like to present more evidence that he’s on his way. Only one of his following statements is not quite true. but as I’m now in the PR business , that doesn’t matter.
.“The games against Celtic were special and I want to remember them
“Celtic Park is a tough place to go to, it is never easy to get a result there.
“We know we would get a tough game if we drew them in the Champions League, but everybody involved in those Barcelona v Celtic games wants to go and play there again.
“It is the best atmosphere in Europe and we all want to experience that again.”
“I have a Celtic jersey at home The games against Celtic were special and I want to remember them.
When I heard the supporters singing “Las Malvinas Argentina” in the Turnstiles bar before the game it brought a tear to my eye.
I could have been playing there alongside Zlatan, but when he heard I was going, he backed out and joined some corporate entity in England, as he always wants to be the centre of attention. For me, its about the club i play for, and only three others have played for both sides, and thats the company I want to be remembered in. Guys like Henrik Larsson, Marc Crosas and Efrain Juarez. when will it happen ? I cannot say, but I cannot wait.
For Luis Suarez its different. He just wants to work with Brendan Rodgers again…
“He is one of the best coaches in Europe and I am not surprised he is looking to get back in to the game because it is a game he loves.
“I am glad he has taken his time since leaving Liverpool. He should only be looking at the top jobs, with the top clubs, who will be playing Champions League football.
“If it was not for Brendan, then I know I would not be the same player that you see at Barcelona today.
Lionel keeps telling me how great Celtic Park is, how the club and its support are special and with Brendan there, I’m just going to run down my contract, put the money in the bank and then go to Glasgow to enjoy my football.
He reckons Zlatan stayed away because he was going there, but the truth is there’s only room for three forwards, and they’ve already got Leigh Griffiths, so Zlatan wouldn’t have got a game. He’s not daft, so he went to Manchester united, where anyone could get a start. Even Tyler Blackett got a contract there, for fucks sake.
Ah, you can tell thats genuine. that sort of language is associated with anyone who has spent more than an hour in Liverpool.
The result of todays game isn’t important, but the conversations that will take place between the respective money men and managers is…
And keep an eye on a name you are likely to hear a lot about. El Munir Haddidi…
Anything else in the news ?
Former Celtic striker/midfielder/defender Chris Sutton, now the media’s Celtic agony aunt , has found something else to harp on about, and if Lincoln had kept him on as manager, one can only wonder where they’d be in footballs pecking order right now. Maybe they would have been playing Celtic last weekend in the ICC, instead of Leicester, and maybe they would have been eagerly anticipating a Champions League debut.
Or maybe they wouldn’t have been. but the fountain of wisdom that is Sutton, who is doing his level (5)best to help eradicate some very fond memories with his burbling, has been at it again.
This time , Craig Gordon is the one blessed enough to receive his advice.
IF Celtic harbour hopes of qualifying for the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers then the truth is all the players from last season bar Leigh Griffiths and Kieron Tierney need to up their game.
Wednesday night was a superb result but I still have my concerns.
None more so than over Craig Gordon.
The keeper needs to find the form of the season before last – when he was Celtic’s best player.
Time and time again he kept his team in games in Europe with outstanding performances but last season by his own standards he was poor, and the other night against Astana another misjudgement cost his team a vital goal.
He recovered okay and made a few saves, which in fairness he should have made, but the mistake was costly.
If a keeper commits from a corner he has to get to the ball and while Celtic’s defence showed a worrying weakness from a set play yet again, it can’t help confidence when your no.1 is uncertain.
Gordon needs to regain his form – and quickly.
Astana set their stall out on Wednesday. They are going to throw long balls in to the box, they are going to launch set pieces in to the penalty area.
Celtic need their goalkeeper to be confident and commanding.
That hesitancy cost them the other night and that’s why I still have some worries going in to the second leg.
Cheers , Chris . Anyone else not up to it ?
The midfield was lightweight in the first half with Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor not having enough of an impact.
They were bullied at times in that opening 45 minutes.
Still, at least they didn’t chuck their hands at the ball and get themselves sent off because they didn;t fancy a battle, though. Thats something, eh ?
I was at the Death Star that night, five hundred mile drive, got home around 4.30 am, and at no point did I feel like just getting out the car and letting down the guys I was driving. Its a team thing. so before you reply that Suttons a great guy and so on, think about this…no he isn’t.
He mentioned Nir Biton, which was nice. Biton chucked it against a later incarnation of Rangers as well. Sutton proving here that he doesn’t understand irony.
Nir Bitton was thrown on to shore up the midfield and exert control in the game and it worked a treat.
It was a quality cameo from a guy who I’ve been waiting to see if he could stand up and be counted.
Yup, he did that. Never threw his hand at the ball once.
Sutton, as you have guessed, is not my favourite person. He was one of my favourite players, but he rarely has a good word to say about Celtic these days. We may agree deep down with some of it, the difference is, we are supporters, and can say what we want. Sutton is in the media now, and is encouraged to take a certain line with his comments. Such encouragement may be subtle, but it is encouragement nonetheless.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes…
Donald Findlay QC will defend Craig Whyte against charges pertaining to his time as owner of Rangers.
Mr Findlay, former Rangers vice-chairman, said he will ensure the case “gets on the rails and stays there”.
The Crown has not yet given a proper account of the charges.
Mr Findlay told the High Court in Glasgow: “I don’t know what Mr Whyte is charged with. That is the difficulty. My main desire is to know what the man is to be charged with. As we go forward I would really like to know what the charges are.”
The Crown had intended to revise the charges against Mr Whyte at the last hearing.
But on Friday Lord Bannatyne told advocate depute Jim Keegan QC he had been given two “radically different” indictments against Mr Whyte within a day.
Mr Keegan said he had been told by the law officers to ask for an adjournment.
Lord Bannatyne said: “This man is being asked to wait to see what the Crown is charging him with.
“I want to have a full explanation of how we have reached this position.”
If you were a QC, would you defend the man who is getting the blame for killing a club you were on the board of, and have a lifetime affinity with ?
I would, because if he was guilty , it would mean I could help put him away. Or suggest suicide or something.
Or, of course, I might know deep down it wasn’t his fault…and that he’s a good guy.
Speaking of the courtroom, one of the “rangers ” fans from the cup final bother was up in front of the sheriff…
Early contender for Knob of the Week, there.
And we missed a serious effort last week, as well…from Neil Cameron, in the Herald.
Robin van Persie rumour was ridiculous but at least Rangers are back to being linked with such players
Playing a little fast and loose with the meaning of “linked with ” to an extent there.
but lets ask the manager anyway…which they did, and he made a crack about flying pigs, prompting Andy Goram to resume training.
Never mind , Neil, you missed out last week’s Knob title, but I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities. Probably a lot, in fact.
Henrik Larssons son Jordan has been in the diary this week, so its only fair that Johann Mjallbys lad gets a mention… he posted this on twitter the other day.
Something else that gets little press coverage in this country.
But can you blame the hacks, when they come up against resistance to their attempts to enlighten fans, especially on the big stories ?
This is the introduction to a statement by Clyde, the football club, who are not happy with a bit of press intrusion, journalists digging around at a story concerning business deals in Scottish football……( no, honestly, it could happen )
Club Statement: Relocation Update
The club was contacted by a journalist from The Trinity Mirror Group on Thursday seeking information on whether the club had approached Clyde Gateway about the construction of a purpose built stadium at Cuningar Loop in Rutherglen. The club has confirmed its willingness to make a statement to the journalist however, as is normal practice for the club, we issue information to our supporters as and when we can and, unless it is unavoidable, we do it in advance of making media announcements. We have been advised that the journalist will be running a story regardless of whether comment is secured from the club.
It is well understood practice that the club conducts commercially confidential business in the way that would be expected of a professionally run and accountable organisation. It is therefore disappointing that information has been passed to the media in what was described as the journalist having been “very well briefed”.
Full statement is here…Clyde statement
Darren Cooney, online editor of the Record, showed us why his neck could never be marked with a blowtorch with an astonishing twiiter attack on the club..
Journalist does their job. Club doesn’t like it. Tough
First time for everything, I suppose.
Now, if only there was a big story around another glasgow football club that merited such dogged investigation, and such a cavalier, and admirable, attitude toward anyone standing in their way….
Perhaps if you hear of anything you could let Darren know.
Come to think of it, I’ve some stuff regarding a bit of corruption he might be interested in…..
Caption time, and yesterday we had this picture, which was given suitable respect by the winner…
Caption : one of the seven wonders of the world standing beside the Great Wall of China
Quick disclaimer here….some of you may think that picking me up from the Kempock bar in Gourock and plying me with beer in the Greenock Celtic supporters club may have influenced that decision, and if you do, let me know where your club is, and see if it works for you.
Today, lets try this one… sort of topical…
