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Celtic Diary Thursday December 5

Efe Ambrose has got himself in a spot of bother. The defender is in court charged with driving ” “without care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road” on the Clydeside Expressway last December.. However, his defence is that he didn’t know the rules of the road.

“It happened when I drove in Scotland for the very first time. I was not aware of the traffic rules at that time,” he said.

“The incident has not affected me as a professional footballer.

“I have commenced my driving lessons and have passed the first test. I am in the final stages and will receive my UK licence very soon.”

Apart from the very serious matter of someone coming from abroad who is not qualified to drive in Scotland, and may have passed a test in their own country which is not quite as stringent as the Scottish one, ( for example, in Egypt all you have to do is drive forward in a straight line , and then reverse back  ) the thought of Ambrose meandering over the road heading in whichever direction he feels like kind of reminds me of the way he plays football.

Elsewhere on the site you can listen to the podcast, and one of the subjects discussed is the feeling that Celtic as a club are moving away from the humble supporter, and forgetting their roots. However, yesterday, the team paid a visit to Yorkhill hospital and made an awful lot of kids happy.

Celtic's Scott Brown and Adam Matthews meet Ollie Simons as they visit kids at Yorkhill Hospital

Captain Scott Brown said;

“It’s a great opportunity for us to meet some very deserving children and send our best wishes to the staff who make such a difference.”

Twitter was full of praise for the players last night;

Alice Grugen thanked Joe Ledley for playing FIFA with Kyle ;

Embedded image permalink

The midfielder replied;

@weealice: @joe16led thanks for playing fifa way kyle at yorkhill today pic.twitter.com/aBjs768KCb” my pleasure

If you have a look at the Etims twitter line you can see a lot more, and they will put a smile on your face.

Peter Lawwell said afterwards;

“We are delighted to have such a close relationship with Yorkhill Hospital, an institution which for so many years has done so much good in the city in looking after children in need.

“Like Yorkhill, Celtic plays and important role in the community and we carry out more work than we ever have in this area.

“Through our Foundation we aim to help those in need by tackling poverty, promoting equality and working to improve the health of people in the wider community. ( honest, he said that and never even flinched )

“Yorkhill Hospital deserves our assistance and we are delighted to continue to offer our support. This Christmas, we again send everyone connected to the hospital, our best wishes”.

 

Perhaps this is the start of Celtic PLC turning back into Celtic FC again. Heres hoping.

Going back in time to another old Celtic tradition, the brake club, theres a chance to get your hands on a little piece of history for yourself.

2013-12-05 08.27.11-1

If the banner looks familiar its because you would have seen it in Bairds Bar in the Gallowgate , where it used to be on view in the bar. Well, you’d have had to wait until the smoking ban came in, but it was there before.Absolutely everyone who sees it for the first time stops and stares at what is probably the biggest and oldest piece of Celtic memorabilia still in existence.

The Record gives a little bit of background info;

” The St Mary’s League Brake banner dates to 1892 and is said to be one of the rarest pieces of Celtic memorabilia.

It is believed to be the first of its kind and was carried by supporters travelling from St Mary’s Church in the Calton area of Glasgow to games.

In the early days of the club, supporters groups were known as brake clubs due to the large horse-drawn wagons they travelled in.

The wagons could hold 25 people and would travel to matches from areas across Glasgow as well as from Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, according to historians.

The centre of the banner has a picture of Tom Maley who played for Celtic for three years from the club’s formation in 1888. ”

Horse drawn wagons to games-and we moan when the heating on the bus doesn’t work!

The banner represents another part of the unique history of the club, the following of Celtic over and over.

Its expected to reach £15,000 , and surely someone at the club has noticed its available, and should offer enough to ensure it is given a home in any Celtic museum that may be planned.

Whilst one part of our history should be cherished, another part, which should be erased has reared his ugly and somewhat empty head.

From the Scotsman ;

Michael Kelly: Green Brigade can’t rewrite history

( Lets face it. If they could, he wouldn’t be in it. )

Some of the club’s fans are flying the wrong flags, displaying a lack of understanding of their club’s true traditions, writes Michael Kelly ” 

To be fair, he probably said that about this one as well.

Anyway, the man who nearly killed our club-or at least played a very big part in driving it towards the graveyard, continued;

 

PETER Lawwell’s determination to stop the harm being done to Celtic every week by the Green Brigade deserves the support of anyone who understands the history of the club.

( Which rules both him and Lawwell out )

That knowledgeable group excludes the Green Brigade who have created a false history in which Celtic, since its inception, is portrayed as an institution committed to and supportive of Irish nationalism – a tradition which they see as their responsibility to carry on.

That basic dichotomy between the facts and their version of them is clear from the discussion that took place between the club and this particular section of customers last week. Because of the Celtic support’s previous misdemeanours, the club was warned by Uefa that special attention would be paid to the behaviour of the crowd during last week’s match against Milan.

Celtic conveyed this message to the Green Brigade to be given the assurance that all banners would be “100 per cent relevant to Celtic”. The offensive banner was a rather clever juxtaposition of images of William Wallace and Bobby Sands to challenge the SNP’s Offensive Behaviour Act, which has seen Celtic supporters arrested for singing the praises of Irish freedom fighters.

To the Green Brigade, with their distorted view of Celtic’s history, that would appear to be “100 per cent” relevant. Those of us who know what Celtic is really about can vehemently contradict that view.

Apart from what written history exists, I can offer strong anecdotal evidence. My father was the son of James Kelly who was the first player Celtic signed, the captain who later went on to become chairman and a major shareholder. My mother’s uncle was Michael Dunbar who also played in that first team and who was also one of the few who held early shares. Never throughout my childhood and subsequently did I hear anyone in the family express personal support for the IRA – either for its goals and certainly not for its methods. Never were the politics of Ireland listed as events on which Celtic should take a position. I was told that Celtic was founded as a Scottish club and that the men involved were Scots. As players, they were capped for Scotland.

The antecedents were never forgotten, of which the flying of the Irish tricolour at the Park was a symbol

But what emerged as the philosophy of Celtic, a club in a city that was riven with prejudice, was not a position on Ireland. Rather, based on experiences there and on the discrimination that surrounded the founding fathers and their families, it was a commitment to human and civil rights. Celtic championed the underdog and was faithful to its country. Thus James Kelly lost two sons in the First World War fighting in the Highland Light Infantry and Desmond White, a later chairman, permanently lost the use of his right arm while serving with the RAF in the Second world war

Celtic used its influence to have Russian clubs barred from European competitions after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Basque and Palestinian flags are seen at Celtic Park as opposed to Spanish and Israeli ones. Support for Mandela and the ANC was strong. Billy Graham preached at Celtic Park. This demonstrates that Celtic has a political conscience. To distort that into a stand on Irish nationalism is an unjustified attempt to convert it to a platform it never was. The Green Brigade may wish it otherwise. They are wrong.

They are not the only ones who are endangering the club. While the reaction of the Dutch police does seem to have been excessive, Celtic fans must share the responsibility of the trouble in Amsterdam. Thousands travelled without tickets. For what? A bevy. It’s a recipe for trouble that has brewed again and again. Responsible people do not put themselves in a position to be chased by police. As well as seeking justice, the club should take a hard line.

A harder one still should be taken with the Green Brigade. Apart from the fundamentally false premise on which it justifies its disruptive action, there is the negative effect it has on the football. At the game on Tuesday last we were bombarded by incessant singing and chanting, none of which was related to activity on the field or the score at any particular time. It was simply a background noise which detracted from the atmosphere a supportive crowd can produce. These guys were singing for their own sake, to draw attention to themselves. The singing did not rise to a crescendo when Celtic were attacking, nor did it diminish when a move failed. The fact that the Green Brigade organise huddles during the game which demand the supporters turn their backs on the pitch says it all about how much interest they are showing in the football. I doubt if they spend more than ten minutes actually watching the game. No wonder Neil Lennon has had enough of them. He’s well rid of fans like them. They hold him in high regard for all the wrong reasons. They perceive him to be persecuted for his nationality and religion. They view his occasional petty behaviour as a justified resistance to authority rather than incidents which themselves embarrass the club. They do him no favours encouraging him.

The Celtic board are running the club as well as it could be, given the parlous state of Scottish football. Showing profits in the current climate shows exceptional commercial skill. On the field, Lennon has produced results well above what could have been expected from severely limited budgets. So Lawwell, who is credited with how well things are running, is in a position of strength to remove this alien and unhelpful element from the support. In any action he decides to take he can call upon the genuine Celtic fans, who are mainly looking for success on the field and not a united Ireland, to back him up in the certain knowledge that he is not betraying the club’s history. He is strengthening its traditions which demand that Celtic continue to pursue sporting excellence as a non-partisan, non-sectarian organisation fully aware of its social obligations. ”

Congratulations to Kelly. Its not very often you come across an article is  completely wrong about everything in it, but he’s managed it. The sound you heard was the collective jaw of the Celtic support dropping to the floor whilst reading the article. History written by the loser ?

Quite why anyone thought his opinion would matter is a mystery in itself, but this rambling old fool has managed to ensure that if the GB had little support before, they will be positively revered after this.

To mention the likes of Desmond White and even allude that White had something to do with the stand on Communist aggression, or refusing to take down the tricolour is offensive in the least, and a massive sign of disrespect to those, such as Stein , Fallon and anyone else who was treated badly by the former chairman shows exactly where Kelly should be in Celtics history.

I’ve reprinted it here as a reminder to those of us old enough to remember, and for those of us too young to truly appreciate how bad this man and his colleagues  were for the club. They nearly killed us. And still think they have a valid opinion.

Which is simply indicative of the arrogance  they had at the time when Celtic was hurtling towards oblivion under their stewardship.

I don’t know what business Kelly is in these days, but I wouldn’t buy any shares in it.

Willie Pettigrew was the man in the picture, who almost ended up at Celtic. Jock Stein was interested in him, but the deal never happened .

We did get one or two strikers  from Motherwell, though. Who is this one, and what will he be remembered for ?

In other news, Nigella Lawson , a great  cook, fabulously wealthy, very attractive, has admitted taking cocaine. See if she was an alcoholic with a box at Celtic Park, I’d have found my perfect woman.

 

 

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The Green Destiny
10 years ago

Choccy Eclair! Best remembered for forty-odd goals a season, every season…

Dave M
10 years ago

Brian McClair, top goalscorer in the 4 seasons he played for us, left for man u where he became first player to score 20 league goals in ages. Old board spent all the time and energy offering judas more money and let McClair go for peanuts.

10 years ago

Michael Kelly…. just reading about Sir Bob Kelly and his thoughts on what Celtic represented in the excellent Sean Fallon book is enough to make you realise just what an odious wee nyaff Michael is and what him and his Board did to Celtic.

As per tweet…you could list his legacy for Celtic and the City of Glasgow on the back of a stamp..and still have room for the lyrics of Sean South

Choccy…for being to blame for us actually liking Mo Johnston once upon a time?

MarkyBhoy
10 years ago

At one point I thought it was 1991 and I was reading the musings of Terry f**king Cassidy.
Michael Kelly reminds me of scab miners who have a particular take on the strike of ’84. Now I wonder why that would be!

Andrew H
10 years ago

Wasn’t McClair one of the first players whose transfer fee was decided by the tribunal based on his wages and age? Instead of the £2m we wanted, Man Utd stole him for something like £920k.

MarkyBhoy
10 years ago

I cannae find the podcast. Directions please.

10 years ago
Reply to  MarkyBhoy

Podcast is : https://etims.net/?p=4094

Please try and listen…very good information on Amsterdam issue and also regards movement of games and treatment of fans by the club

CarlJungleBhoy
10 years ago
Reply to  MarkyBhoy

Go right up The Old Sailor, take the first left, wait at the first red-light for 20 seconds, then walk on about 20 metres and jump. Assuming you can swim, once you’ve cleaned up the scummy residue of the canal from your clothes, try this…

https://etims.net/?p=4094

MarkyBhoy
10 years ago
Reply to  CarlJungleBhoy

Doh! Thanks.

10 years ago

Well after reading that utter pish and complete disregard for historical truths i think its time mr Kelly was put in his padded cell and kept away from sharp objects because he has most definitely gone all “ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST” and as you rightly pointed out, who the fek asked that fekn clown for an opinion on Celtic, the wanker nearly buried us long before the HUNS died, but only for the ‘ bonnet’ he would have succeeded. Its onwards and upwards for Celtic and if any part of Celtics history could be erased it should be the Kelly era that that dick was involved in.. hail hail, KTF+

Tourtenay
10 years ago

For once I just couldn’t read all that tosh, I got two thirds of the way through and decided to scroll down, what a complete fanny mk is.
I rather agree with the late and missed Paul McBride.
“The Green Brigade are an integral and very important part of the Celtic support” long may that continue.
HH

Konrad
10 years ago

I could write loads about the utter nonsense that old fool Kelly has spouted but one quote really stood out for me – “Thousands travelled without tickets. For what? A bevy. It’s a recipe for trouble that has brewed again and again.” What, like in Seville??? There was loads of trouble there wasn’t there? And how many travelled there without tickets??? Even his own arguement shows the incident was more to do with the behaviour of the locals than anything else.

10 years ago
Reply to  Konrad

Konrad
Please write it and send to etims.contact@googlemail.com and I will post up on site

go on…vent!!

PR
10 years ago

Brian McClair – the thinking man’s footballer.

Anyone remember the game v the monkeys – I think it was the 86/87 season at Celtic Park – he’s taking a penalty and one of the unwashed runs onto the field and tries to get at him before being huckled. When asked after the game what the orc had said to him he came out with the classic reply – “I don’t know, I don’t speak that language”

Jim Lister
10 years ago

Yes, I do remember that former denizen of Mr Man House stood against Arafat for Rector at Glasgow Uni back in ’82, keen on shooting with the duke of Buccleuch, attacked James Kelman for using “the language of plumbers and taxi drivers” after Kelman got the Booker Prize and commandeered the Celtic Team bus before a European tie to go shopping – may his pipes freeze over and he be stuck downtown at 2.00am a week tomorrow!

I do think your site would be significantly better if you cut out the misogyny and sexist comments

Old Father Tim
10 years ago

I don’t know if there are many E-tim readers like me who get a degree of pleasure watching shitey films ie films that are so bad, they’re good. Its the same, to a lesser degree, with books.

A true classic of this book type is/was Michael Kelly’s record of the demise of the Kelly?White dynasty at Celtic and the Fergus takeover. This “book” went straight to Bargain Books and will probably be very difficult to get a hold of now (unless you are willing to break into Kelly’s garage where Im sure a few thousand copies are still rotting away). The whole book is full of total shite, similar which appears above.

Ive lost mine but it every Christmas I put it on top of my Santa list – so if you you get the chance to read it – grasp it with both hands and then I will buy off you.

This book is trully, genuine PISH.

Happy Christmas to Etims everywhere

OFT

old father tim
10 years ago
Reply to  Desimond

cheers D – they want 1p – its overpriced!

OTF

10 years ago

aw’ youse sellick fans read DECLAN HILLS BOOK “match fixing in football”,WIT A WASTE A SPACE FITBA IS IN SHITE SCOTLAND NUFF YA BUNCHA NUMPTIES

Raymy
10 years ago

Eh?

Charlie Saiz
10 years ago

I am guessing your care worker filled in the Site application for you elfranco’toneli?
No need to wake them up for the reply I am off to plaid ma pubes……

Iain McAllister
10 years ago

Celtic wanted £2 million for him. Man Utd offered 25% of total. The tribunal settled for £800,000, although Celtic produced a fax from Chelsea with a bid for £900,000.

10 years ago

going to any scottish fitba’ game is money weel waistet ken wit a mean charles half wit,the game is abogey in this wee shitehole known as porridgeland

bondibrian
10 years ago

Up the GREEN BRIGADE !

HAIL HAIL !!!!!!!

10 years ago

elfranco , I have no idea if you’re a troll or a hun, whatever you are, you’re neither funny nor entertaining, so please take your inane ramblings elsewhere where they might be appreciated – Follow, Follow for example!
Brian McClair an absolute genius of a player who was extremely undervalued by the management at CP. His contribution to Man Utd after he was allowed to leave is testament to how good a player he was.
As for MK, like Tourtenay I had to scroll down as the more I read, the more annoyed I got. MK and his cronies used Celtic as a personal piggy bank – if we hadn’t managed to get rid of them, we’d have went down the administration road first.

gorbalsbhoy167
10 years ago

when Brian played for Motherwell, they went to Portadown to play a freindly in the winter of 80 or 81. the card here had been wiped out and the manager, jock wallace(horrible man), arranged the game to keep the squad ticking over.the half time entertainment was an orange band incidentally. anyway, after the game there was food and refreshments provided and the young Motherwell players filled their boots( if you pardon the pun) they were sitting on the bus waiting to depart for Bonnie Scotland, when the manager appeared, ” eh, sorry tae keep yeez laddies but am not travelling back with youz. ah’v got somewhere tae go, so ah’l see youz at the park oan monday”. At that. he turns to walk of the bus and our hero Choccy shouts,” away yae go ya big orange bastard”. Everybody dived under the seats and wallace stopped dead in his tracks, paused for what seemed like an eternity and proceeded to walk off the bus.thats when I found out Brian was a Celtic fan. true story, my brother was sitting beside him when it happened. HH

CarlJungleBhoy
10 years ago

Can I say just say that I’ve never been a big fan of the Kelly clan? I always found old Sir Bob a bit too much of a boring old fart, with boring old views – didn’t he smoke a pipe FF? : Pipe smokers, usually dressed in tweed, generally hold dangerously self-important views which are equally political, but just happen to be on the opposite end of the political spectrum from the GB. Just because Kemmy Dalglish married a Kelly doesn’t excuse their conservatism.

Now I can’t say I know much about yer man Michael personally, but I much preferred the other side of the Kelly family, especially the outlaw Ned in Oz. However, I strognly suspect our Michael is closer to the lineage which sprouted morning TV host Lorraine- who has single-handedly lowered the intellectual boundaries of thinking man’s crumpet with a Glesga accen,t to below acceptable / un-thinking levels, and yer man R Kelly who might think he can fly, but ihas written one of the most cringe worthy number ever.

So STFU Kelly. You no longer speak for the entire Celtic family, and your dyaasty is as irrelevant as Blake Carrington’s bad seed sons to the culture of OUR club, not yours!!

CarlJungleBhoy
10 years ago

….^^^ just gone off the typometer there. RALPH. How about an EDIT function for dyslexics and he likes wheo dont see what a dogs breakfast they’ve made of a post until it’s, erm, already posted!

Iain McAllister
10 years ago

Another wee fact about Brian McClair. The Moray Emerald voted him to be our POTY, but he could not make it.Years later I was gutted to read that among all the honours he won at Parkhead, one he treasured most was his first POTY held at near by Forres Shamrock(12 miles).It was the night after our Dinner/Dance.

Satyagraha Bhoy
10 years ago

I am the Green Bridgade.

10 years ago

you were the green brigade same as w a t p,big pete or the man @the top is gonie tan the G.B.ass ANDY POOR SOUL

scholzybhoy
10 years ago

no really old enough to remember the chancer kelly but a remember a more recent article from him telling us donald findlay isnae really a bigot…..:)

10 years ago

mer green brigade shite @ fur park ban the basta_ds rite noo tsar peter

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