Author Archives: celtic

Celtic My First My Favourite with Actor Simon Weir

Actor Simon Weir looks back at the first time he saw Celtic in 1983 and his favourite game the 1985 Scottish Cup Final

First Game : 12th February 1983. Eric Black broke my 10 year old heart, scoring a hat-trick in a 1-3 loss to Aberdeen. The crowd was huge as I ascended the steps of the old main stand at Parkhead, holding my dad’s hand, the smell of cigar smoke and Bovril in the cold wintry air. I clearly remember my eyes widening unblinkingly as I took in the massive expanse of the green pitch and the roar as the Celts ran out for the warm-up.

We got right down the front, we were touching distance to Charlie Nicholas, Davie Provan and Paul McStay firing the ball around in triangles near the touchline. Before kick-off a girl ran on to the pitch and ran up to Charlie and kissed him before legging it as the Celtic fans cheered. ‘That’s it…I’m gonna be a footballer’ I thought to myself…Nicholas scored a belter to put us one-up and we stood most of the match as Aberdeen’s Black destroyed our hopes that day but I remember Charlie Nicholas doing keepie-uppies with one boot on and one in his hand as he swivelled round to narrowly miss Leighton’s top corner. I still have the programme! (see photo attached)

Favourite game: 1985 Scottish Cup Final. I’d been to the 1984 final & watched again as Eric Black of Aberdeen ended the dream. This time my favourite player Davie Provan scored an unbelievable direct free-kick past Hamish McAlpine. The commentary by Archie MacPherson stated “Is this a bit of history…IT IS!’ as the tango football sailed into the net…Still my favourite goal of all time. Even better to come was Roy Aitken’s in-swinging cross and the almost despairing leap of Frank McGarvey in a proper cup-winning goal, the ball swerving in the air as he fell flat & the crowd erupting in the biggest roar I had ever heard. Dundee United were a great team and looked the more likely having gone a goal ahead but thankfully their ‘Hampden Hoodoo’ continued on that marvellous day in May! And to top it all off, it was the 100th SFA Final…as Archie said ‘A bit of history’. Sadly the team broke up soon after, Frank being given a transfer on the following Monday and Davie out through an illness that wrecked his World Cup dreams and finished his career. But it will forever be the most amazing day in my life as a Celtic fan, even surpassing the 6-2 win over Rangers that I was also privileged to attend! Hail Hail.

Simon Weir is a Scottish actor. Simon has appeared in Take the High Road, River City, The Acid House, Trian Spotting 2 and Monarch of the Glen. When he is on not on stage or screen you will find him at Third Lanarks old ground Cathkin Park in Glasgow restoring the old darling back to its former glory.

Welcome to Paradise Celtic v Cluj Match Preview

Celtic gained a good draw in Romania last week against CFR Cluj.

The Romanian champions now travel to Glasgow for the second leg at what should be a packed Celtic Park.

Like Celtic, Cluj won in their league game at the weekend, they beat Hermannstadt 3-0. Celtic came back from a goal down to beat Motherwell 5-2 at Fir Park.

Cluj appear to be trying to place all the pressure on Celtic, first manager Dan Petrescu compared Celtic to Barcelona and now stand in captain Adrian Paun feels they have it all to do to get a result at Celtic Park.

“We need a miracle to qualify.” Paun told the Daily Record.

“The morale in the squad is excellent at the moment and we are playing some nice football, but to go through in Glasgow, it’s a miracle we need.

Looking back at last weeks match, Cluj were well worth a share of the spoils. The good news for Celtic is that they got a result while not playing at their best.

How Cluj handle the Celtic Park atmosphere will be telling, better teams than the Romanians have crumbled.

Celtic should go into the match confident, Cluj best chance to get through was winning their home match. In the previous two rounds, they have fallen to a 1-0 loss away to Astana and a 2-2 draw away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

The biggest concern going into the match is the unsettled defence. Bolingoli looks no where near an adequate replacement for Kiernan Tierney, albeit early days for the Belgian. With suspension meaning Jullien and Simunovic have missed games the defence has been all over the place.

Hatem Abd Elmahed has looked a good replacement for Mikael Lustig at right back and should he be fit should slot into the team meaning Kris Ajer can move back into centre defence to help command that area of the pitch.

The match will be aired live on Celtic TV and with an expectant near capacity crowd, Celtic should be roared on to finish the job in Glasgow.

Prediction Celtic 4-0 Cluj.

Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

Kieran Tierney is STILL one of our OWN

I arrived home in the early hours of Saturday morning from Spain, I would not have been out of the airport too long when my mates from St. Margaret’s CSC would have been arriving to check in for the short red eye flight to Glasgow to support the bhoys at lunchtime in Motherwell.

I have no doubt that the big talking point of the morning as they travelled to the game would be the transfer of Kieran Tierney. Celtic fans come in all shapes and sizes, from different back grounds, worship different religions and some have no interest in religion but one thing that binds us all together is our love for the team the famous Glasgow Celtic. A love that is no different than the love that KT has for Celtic.

Celtic Fans have a difference of opinion on the KT transfer and everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I find it strange that anyone would question his love of Celtic. Here is a bhoy who realised his dream when after joining the club as a schoolboy he worked his ass off, lived his life correctly and became a regular in the first team. He was loved by the fans and had a great relationship with both Ultra groups (Green Brigade & Bhoys) the same type of relationship he had with the kids who waited with their parents ( and Paul the Tim) outside Celtic Park to catch a glimpse of their hero, to get his signature and the much sought after selfie. KT never let the fans down on or off the park and always had time after each game to meet the fans. Woman loved him, Babies were called after him and even family pets.

A few seasons back when he became a first team regular, I was speaking about him to Willie McStay, who knows a thing or two about youth development at Celtic and he talked about that the day would come when a top club from one of the bigger leagues would come knocking but thankfully we got to keep him and see him grow into the player he is during the treble-treble seasons.

We also got to see him standing on the terraces at away games shoulder to shoulder with the fans when he was injured. The same fans who regularly sang his name. He opted to watch Celtic with his mates rather than choose the comfort of the main stand and hospitality that goes with being a celebrity.

KT is Celtic through and through, his relationship with the fans is real and like me this morning he would have been waiting for the team sheet, checking out the bench and jumping for joy when every time the ball hit the back of the net. The Celtic players are his mates, Celtic is his team. What Arsenal fans should realise is that Arsenal are his employers but Celtic is his team, it’s in his soul, it’s who he is. It’s who we are. KT knows the story and he wrote himself into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF9os3f6axE

KT along with his family would have done plenty of soul searching before committing to sign for Arsenal. There would have been plenty of conversations weighing up the pros and cons but in the end KT has made the move and I wish him well. It’s a move he feels is the right move for him and it’s a great bit of business for Celtic PLC. Our poor neighbours across the city can only dream of selling a player of such value.

I wish KT would have stayed but he didn’t and I wish him well and I have no doubt I will be standing beside him on the terraces somewhere cheering on the bhoys again and I have no doubt that fans will be queuing up for a selfie and who knows maybe one day he will pull on the hoops again. If he does I will be there to cheer him on and sing his name. Thanks for the memories kid.

Best of luck KT, Once a Tim, Always a Tim.

Andrew Milne started More than 90 Minutes in 2001. He has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic. One of his essays featured in Celtic Minded 2 and he is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of Celtic AM pre-match events at Malone’s in Glasgow on match days and follows Celtic Home & Away. He is a season ticket holder for Celtic FC and the Republic of Ireland. He is also P.R.O. of St. Margaret’s CSC, a member of the Celtic Trust and the Celtic Graves Association.

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Celtic On the Road- Motherwell Match Day Preview

It’s an early start for Celtic today as they make the short trip to Lanarkshire to take on Motherwell for a 12 o’clock kick off on Saturday.

Both clubs have made winning starts to the competitive season so far, while Celtic were progressing through the Champions League qualifiers, Motherwell comfortably made it through the group stage of their Betfred Cup section.

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The Steelmen have been amongst the goals in the league cup as they won both games at Fir Park 4-0 against Morton and Annan. On their travels they beat Queen of the South 3-0 and Dumbarton 2-0. Moving on to last Saturday, The Well travelled along the M8 to take on Livingston, and suddenly the goals dried up as it finished 0-0.

An unlikely player is leading the goalscoring charts for the Lanarkshire club so far with defender Liam Donnelly scoring five already in the league cup section.

For the game on Saturday Jake Carroll misses out for Motherwell after he was handed a two match ban after a bad tackle in the closing stages of the Livingston match. Having failed a medical earlier in the summer for Celtic, David Turnbull misses out as he recovers from his operation.

Celtic go into the match on the back of a 1-1 away draw to CFR Cluj in the Champions League and a 7 nil demolition of St Johnstone last Saturday.

Just as the Cluj game was ending on Wednesday the news broke that Kieran Tierney was on his way to London to talk to Arsenal. The deal was confirmed on Thursday, a record for a Scottish club, £25 million.

Celtic will be looking to bolster their ranks, starting with a left back as new recruit Bolingoli hasn’t as yet shown the sort of form we have come to expect from Tierney.

Good players come and go from Celtic and this is very much the model the club has worked well at in recent seasons, developing either young players that we can recruit cheaply and sell on for profit or in Tierney’s case develop from a young age and sell on. This model is why Celtic will unearth the likes of a Van Dijk or Dembele and why young players will come to the club. It’s disappointing in a way that we can’t keep hold of our best young talent but that is the time we live in.

With both teams having had good starts to the season, the game could be a cracker. Games at Fir Park are usually tight with Celtic winning by the odd goal. If Celtic play the way we did against St Johnstone last week then a good result is on the card.

Prediction Motherwell 1-3 Celtic.

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Celtic on the Road – Cluj Match Day Preview

Romanian champions CFR Cluj stand in the way of Celtic and a Champions League Play Off against Slavia Prague.

Cluj should offer a more competitive game than both Nomme Kalju and FK Sarajevo, from the previous two rounds.

Having made a good start to their season, Cluj are four games in and sit joint top, having beaten a more famous name from Romania, Dinamo Bucharest a couple of games ago. On Saturday they recorded a 4-1 away win to Chindia Târgovişte. To reach this stage Cluj had to knock out Astana 3-2 on aggregate and Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3-2 over both legs as well.

With a collection of players from Portugal, Croatia, Colombia and Argentina, none of whom are widely known, it seems a Frenchman may be their most dangerous player. 26-year-old forward player Billel Omrani scored a hat-trick in the 3-1 home win against Astana.

Celtic go into the game buoyed by the fact they have comfortably come through the qualification process so far and add in the seven goal demolition of St Johnstone on Saturday then Celtic should feel confident of getting a result.

Although the season is in its infancy its clear that Ryan Christie is going to be a big player for the hoops. At times last season he was showing the sort of form to be considered a first pick on the team sheet. He looks like he is going to continue that and build on it to be a mainstay of the team.

Christopher Jullien missed out on Saturday due to suspension, while Hatem Abd Elmahed suffered a leg knock, hopefully nothing too serious. With both starting on Wednesday it would bolster the defensive area of the field, with Elmahed showing he could be the answer to the right back problem.

It would seem Cluj perform better at home in the Champions League than they do on their travels. They have won both home games so far, while going down 1-0 away to Astana and drawing 2-2 away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Celtic should expect Cluj to try and apply some early pressure, if we can come through the initial flurry from Cluj unscathed and settle down then I could see Celtic get a good result.

Celtic should be good enough over both legs to qualify and progress to the play off against Slavia Prague, who would be the toughest test this season so far.

Prediction 2-1 Celtic.

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OVER LAND & SEA

So the League campaign and the quest for 9 in a row has begun in earnest. Having left Dublin early on Saturday morning, the excitement on our supporter’s bus for the season ahead was massively evident. Huge numbers travelling on the Stena Line sailing was fantastic to see, but a nuisance where queuing up for an early morning coffee is concerned.

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A sunny day always makes the journey from Cairnryan port to Glasgow that bit easier. Driving up the Ayshire Coast there appeared to be a real sense of positivity about the season ahead, which was refreshing to hear given so much on-line negative talk from many within the faithful. The D.V.D of choice on the bus looked back on our many great European nights and it is a fresh reminder that while many of us are consumed by domestic domination, our club should always be striving to make our mark on a more global stage.

There were a couple of people on the bus travelling to Paradise for the first time and on arrival it was evident how blown away they were of the ground and surroundings. There really is nowhere else to compare. Sun shining down, anticipation everywhere and the sounds of Brian Ainslie from the Kano Foundation roaring encouragement to the hundreds of kids entering Celtic Park for free, on an afternoon where this fantastic organisation were holding their annual bucket collection was as brilliant a Saturday afternoon as you could get. All this before a ball was kicked.

On to the game and sure what can you say. Brilliant, exciting football with an urgency and flair all over the park saw us wipe the floor with St. Johnstone. The energy and drive on the park from the kick off was really pleasing to see.

Leaving Celtic Park for the long journey home I was surrounded by so many smiling Tims. A really great start to the season. Lets see what the next nine months bring us. These are days of Celtic heaven, Drink them in Bhoys. Hail Hail

Ciaran Kenny is a member of Naomh Padraig CSC in Dublin since the early nineties. Ciaran is also a regular to Paradise and beyond since 1995, he is a season ticket holder at Celtic Park since 1999. and a Shareholder and also a member of the Celtic Trust. Ciaran has worked closely with the homeless services in Dublin City working with Don Bosco Care since 2001. Ciaran is also Chairperson of the Irish aftercare network which advocates for better outcomes for young people in care throughout all of Ireland. Ciaran has contributed to Mt90M since 2008.

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GEARING UP FOR NINE IN A ROW

Celtic have made a good start in the this season in relation to new signings. Christoffer Julien has been signed from Toulouse in France at a cost of €7m, Boli Mbombo Bolinger signed from rapid Vienna at a cost of €3m, Luca Connell from Bolton Wanderers at a cost of in the region of half a million and Hatem Abd Elmahad for a sum in the region of just under €2m from Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel. Clearly, Celtic were in dire need of a centre-half, following the departure of Benvovic and Boyata and I am of the opinion that the club has signed a top quality player now. I believe that Celtic are making every effort to strengthen the team to ensure the nine in a row is delivered. Celtic have signed a great bargain in Boli Mbombo at a cost of €3m. It seems that Celtic had in mind the imminent departure of Kieran Tierney when they signed Boli. At the time it looked that KT was about to sign for Arsenal for €25m but it then seemed that this was not going to happen in that Arsenal were not willing to pay the appropriate fee. If KT remains with Celtic Boli will be the deputy left-back and it is great that a player of this standard can be selected any time that KT is unavailable and in the event that KT does move we have a ready-made successor. While Boli made a mistake which resulted in a goal being granted to Fc Sarajevo, and that it is not entirely clear yet to what extent he will contribute, he demonstrated some ability and I am looking forward to seeing him in the near future. Luca Connell is a young player and he probably won’t get a that many opportunities to play in the first team but he is clearly a player with huge potential and we are sure to see him in the Celtic shirt in the near future.

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In my opinion Celtic have a strong team now. Bain is the first choice keeper with Gordon as the deputy. Two impressive full backs have been signed as stated above and a strong central defensive partnership in the form of Ajer and Julien with Simunovic an able deputy. Midfield is particularly strong with Forrest and Sinclair on the flanks and a choice of Brown, Christie, Christie and Rogic in the centre. There are signs that N’Cham may be on his way out and I am not perturbed by this as it seems that he has lost some enthusiasm, although he is a good player. I am really looking forward with anticipation to seeing Maryan Shved on the wing now and again in place of Forrest. Clearly, he played very well in Ukraine when he was loaned out and I believe he will make a major impact when he takes to the field with Celtic. Up front, we have a choice between Edouarde and Griffiths (and isn’t is great to see LG well again) or maybe both and don’t forget that Bayo is also there. It’s a bit odd that Bayo hasn’t yet made more of an impact before now (allowing of course for absence through injury) but it appears that he scored a fantastic goal in a training session and I am looking forward to seeing him in the team. NL should give game time to players such as Shved and Bayo when Celtic are playing against some of the weaker teams so as to give them a chance to showcase their skills and ability.

As well as the above-mentioned players, there are on the fringes of the team players such as Michael Johnston, Anthony Ralston, Armstrong Okoflex, Karamoko Dembele, Lewis Morgan and Daniel Arzani. Clearly these are players of class and NL should give them plenty of game time when Celtic are facing some of the weaker teams.

It is a complete waste of resources to sign players and then not to utilise them. NL should use the afore-mentioned players from time to time on appropriate occasions, that is to say when Celtic are playing the less successful teams. Clearly, the above-mentioned players, who are not able to get on to the first team, are players of class but their skills and ability can sometimes regress in the absence of first team opportunities. It makes no sense whatsoever, to have players like that sidelined and not playing, drawing salaries but making no contribution to the first team.

I believe that Celtic have a strong squad now. I do not believe that there is any need to sign a further right-back. Clearly, there will be strong competition between Elhamed and Ralston for this position. In this context I was more than a bit surprised to learn recently that Celtic had offered a trial to Danny Simpson, who left Leicester City lately. I have now read that Celtic have ended this arrangement after informing Simpson that he would be the understudy to Elhamed. It seems that Simpson was not over the moon at this arrangement. It was reported that Simpson attacked a woman with whom he was in a relationship (he received a criminal conviction for this so the matter can be reported) and with this in mind I believe it is inappropriate for Celtic to sign someone with this history. There was a range of different opinions among the Celtic support on this matter, with some saying that he should be afforded a second chance. I do not concur with this viewpoint. I do not believe that there should be a place at Celtic Park for someone of this nature. In addition, there is no need for him, no need for a further full-back at indicated above, in that Elhamed and Ralston are already there. It seems that NL is not fully convinced by Ralston’s capabilities, but I believe he is a capable full-back and I would have no hesitation picking him.

Where does all this leave us in relation to nine in a row? Whether we care to admit it or otherwise, Steven Gerrard has done an impressive job with the tax-dodgers and the gap between them and us has narrowed somewhat. This became apparent in the latter half of last season when Celtic were not playing particularly well, though winning most of their matches. Now, with the new season almost upon us, I believe that Celtic are in a stronger position as a result of the above-mentioned new signings, and not only that but because the fringe players as mentioned above are on the point of breaking into the first team. I’ve made this sort of point in this column previously in the case of Ryan Christie. I was always pushing for him to be picked and eventually that was done and now NL has no hesitation picking him. Now is the time to do likewise with Shved, Ralston, Bayo, Johnston, Morgan and Arzani and occasionally, Okoflex and Dembele. Both the team itself and the individual players will benefit from this.

As regards NL himself, while he wasn’t at the top of my personal list of potential Celtic managers, at the same time he was fairly high up on that list. It can safely be said that certain advantages accrue to him that make him suitably qualified, for example that he has previous experience managing the team and that he is immersed in the culture of the club. As well as that, he has the ability to identify players who are available at reasonable costs and who would be suitable for Celtic. He understand the club and the culture that goes with it. He understands the importance of achieving nine and ten in a row. It is certain that he will do his level best to achieve these objectives and I have every confidence in his ability to do so.

Tim Molloy lives in Drogheda with his wife of 35 years and with (on occasions) his three grown up children. He is a life-long Celtic supporter and an Irish language enthusiast. He also speaks some Spanish and French and a few words of Polish and Czech. He also follows the fortunes of the Munster rugby team.
He is a law graduate of London University and is a High Court Registrar.
Other than an interest in all things Celtic, he is long time observer of the League of Ireland. His other hobbies include walking, cycling and he is a member of St. Peter’s Male Voice Choir in Drogheda.

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SUNSHINE TIMS

This evening in Estonia Celtic take a 5-0 first leg lead over Estonian champions, Nomme Kalju. Champions League nights are always special in Paradise but getting to experience a new city, country and culture is a real treat for Celtic fans and those lucky enough to be there tonight will enjoy themselves.

The posts started on social media on Sunday when the first of the fans arrived and the famous Paul the Tim was the first to check in on Facebook. My club mates from St. Margaret’s set out on their travels in the early hours yesterday from Dublin airport and More than 90 Minutes away days columnist Scott Crystal arrives this morning to cover the game and the adventures of the fans for issue 105 (out Aug 24 for Hearts at home)

I am enjoying a sunshine holiday in Spain and like last week for the home leg I will be going to Paddy’s Point pub situated in La Zenia on the Costa Blanca,

to join with other holiday makers and the members of the Paddy’s Point CSC who made me feel really welcome last week not for the first time this year as they also looked after us in February when we travelled on their supporters bus for the Valencia away game.

Last week the owner of the pub Rory presented me with the club T-Shirt which was a lovely gesture and one I will wear with pride on my travels to see Celtic this season. He got a nice present himself when a holiday regular brought him over a signed jersey by the treble treble winners which will hang proudly along with the various other framed jerseys which adorn the walls.

Last week all the goal scorers were cheered loudly in the packed pub, Ajer, Christie (2), Mcgregor but the biggest cheer of the night was for the returning Leigh Griffiths. He was toasted late into the night by the Celtic fans, both holiday makers and those who have made Spain their permanent home and have created their own part of Paradise in Paddy’s.

Tonight’s game should be a formality and we may get to see some squad players getting a chance to catch the eye of Neil Lennon with tougher assignments in Europe around the corner and a 9^thleague title to win and 2 cups to be defended, every player will have his part to play.

Celtic TV will show the game worldwide in the absence of the Satellite broadcasters who were not prepared to pay for the game and in the process leaving many subscribers disappointed. Remember folks its an early evening kick off 6 p.m. Celtic Park time.

If your in Estonia enjoy the trip, post loads of pictures on social media, let us know how your trip went, enjoy the game and stay safe and no doubt when the final whistle has been sounded Celtic fans will be checking to see if Romania or Israel will be our next destination to cheer on the Bhoys and then it will be straight onto airline and hotel websites to map out the next trip.

Andrew Milne started More than 90 Minutes in 2001. He has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic. One of his essays featured in Celtic Minded 2 and he is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of Celtic AM pre-match events at Malone’s in Glasgow on match days and follows Celtic Home & Away. He is a season ticket holder for Celtic FC and the Republic of Ireland. He is also St. Margaret’s CSC PRO, a member of the Celtic Trust and Celtic Graves Association.

One Giant Step For This Bhoy

In November 1969 I made my first tentative steps up London Road to Paradise, Celtic were playing Benfica, it was my first Celtic game, less than 4 months after Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon and uttered the immortal words, ‘One small step for man’, it was a moment in time virtually incomparable, yet just 30 months earlier Celtic had probably taken ‘one giant leap for mankind’ winning the European Cup in Lisbon, the first British team, first Northern European team, the first non Latin team, the first and only Scottish team, the team all lived within 30 miles of Paradise. Celtic, my team, the team that is steeped in Irish roots & history.

It really was a leap of faith, a step that no English team had taken, in fact no Dutch, German or French teams had, it really was a ‘giant step’ for football! The world was changing, the VC were putting it up to the US from the tunnels in South Vietnam, the Bogside in Derry had put it up to the sectarian statelet and the RUC.

The Beatles were crossing Abbey Road, Georgie Best was a genius in turning defenders and bedding Miss World’s. Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix appeared at Woodstock. Biafra was starving during civil war. The PLO would soon be blowing up planes in Jordan. Ghadaffi took power that would last for 40 years .

Monty Python would make us laugh and I was 15 and taking my first flight, my first game, my first experience of something that would become part of my life for the past 50 years. It’s as vivid as yesterday, I was just in the stadium when big Tam Gemmell busted the net with a trademark 30 yarder. Willie Wallace scored the second and then to seal it off, Oh Harry, Harry’, Hood pounced with a deft header at the Celtic End.

I was almost overcome with emotion, the stadium was enveloped in a hysterical tsunami of passionate embrace for a team that had conquered Europe and Celtic took another giant step towards a second European Cup final.

I’ve lived a lot of life in 50 years, but I’ll never forget that night just a few months after Neil Armstrong took his ‘small step for man’ and Celtic took a ‘giant leap’ to become European royalty.

Paddy McMenamin was born in Belfast to Donegal and Tyrone parents. He spent the 1970’s in Long Kesh. He has been going to Paradise since the Benfica game in Nov. 1969. He lived in Donegal for 30 years but now lives in Galway. He returned to University at 50 and became a secondary school teacher teaching History and English.

PROSPECTS Arise, Celtic! Arise!

By David Potter

Sometimes I think it is just as well that we are not endowed with the ability to tell the future. But then again, we have the ability to MAKE the future, never more obviously so as our beloved club begins its 132^nd season (if my arithmetic is correct!).

So what kind of future are we going for? We are going for our 51^st League Championship and 9^th in a row, our 19^th Scottish League Cup and 4^th in a row, and our 40^th Scottish Cup and 4^th in a row. Winning all three Scottish trophies would bring about a barely credible quadruple treble. No-one would like to say that another treble is likely; but most of us believe that it is possible.

There is also the question of Europe. We have now had long years of lack of success in Europe. Some of our performances have been quite disgraceful over the years. 2003 was obviously a good year, and we have on occasion managed to lay a glove and even inflict a little damage on the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United, but the awful nights against Sion, Malibor, Malmo and AEK Athens keep rising to our recollections, and even the most sympathetic of Celtic chroniclers must describe the European record as shameful. A disgrace, in fact.

And why is this? There are several excuses that I will NOT entertain. I will not listen to any suggestion that we are up against the best in Europe, and therefore we should lie down. We often hear depressing rubbish like “Real Madrid are different class” “How can we possibly cope with Bayern Munich?” “We cannot hope to compete against Liverpool”. Oh, yes we can, and indeed we must. It is about high time that we did, for those of us who recall Lisbon are now a diminishing breed and endangered species.

We lose in Europe for two reasons. Our play is usually woefully naïve, and we really must make an effort to eliminate basic defensive errors, as well as take every chance that comes our way. If we can do things like that we will do a great deal better. The other reason is that we do not really believe in ourselves enough. We have to believe that we are better than the opposition. We have the best support in the business, and they deserve more than the usual woeful European exit either before Christmas or soon after. Worse still is having to watch those European Cup finals in the summer, knowing that we could have done a great deal better. And then we have people telling is that Virgil Van Dijk used to play for us and Andy Robertson is a Celtic supporter, so we should be happy for Liverpool! No, I would far rather they did it for Celtic.

But enough about Europe. But what about Scotland? Well, no prizes for guessing who the main challengers will be. Will they be the only challengers? Probably, but that must not encourage us to despise or in any way to minimise the other teams. Teams like Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, possibly Motherwell and Kilmarnock, will not win the Premier League, but they will definitely have a say in who will, and of course they are in with a chance of either or both of the domestic Cup competitions. The game at Ibrox on Sunday September 1 will be significant, of course it will, but it must not be endowed with some sort of magical or supernatural status. Win or lose, it is only three points. And how many points do we get for beating St Johnstone? Or Hamilton Accies? Or Livingston? Funnily enough, three points as well!

So in terms of players, what do we need? Without going into specifics, I feel that we really need two men for every position. We hear much talk about the “need to reduce the wage bill”. This is actually quite hard to take when you look at a packed Parkhead, and just try to imagine how much money is generated by the refreshment stalls, the programmes, the lottery tickets and the Superstore, let alone season tickets and TV fees. In fact, I think we will need every player that we’ve got. Assuming we get reasonably far forward in the Scottish Cups and the European ones, we have to play more or less every midweek and every weekend until late May. That is well over 60 games. We need loads of cover.

And yet I am looking forward to the season. There is nothing better on earth than the sight of a full Celtic Park watching an attacking Celtic team taking on the opposition. I would make on plea to the Green Brigade. What about the resurrection of the old “Cel-tic!” followed by three claps chant. That used to be absolutely awe inspiring in the 1960s, and I’m sure it would work wonders in the modern age as well.

Arise, Celtic! Arise!