Over the past year and a half of lockdowns, empty stadiums and closed pubs the mind often wandered to happier times following Celtic. Trips I’ve been on and a promise to never take them for granted ever again. In my mind I created a Celtic Bucket list, some I’ve done and some I’ve yet to do. Here was my Top 10:

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/new-issue/

10: Do a full year Home and Away

This is tough enough even for the Scottish based Celts but almost a pipedream for those of us living in Ireland. Every league and cup game home and away all season. Tickets, expense, work and family commitments all make it a difficult task and remains to be something most of us can only dream off. Special mention to the Hardcore who include all the European home and aways as well, taking great dedication and money.

9: Trip to Tynecastle

Going by stories from seasoned travellers Tynecastle is the hidden gem with all the atmosphere and hatred of a trip to Ibrox without all the publicity. With reduced allocations it’s a harder one to mark off than it was years ago when we got the full Roseburn Stand which is why it makes the list. It’s also not the sort of stadium you want to be left outside on your own without a ticket as the rest of the Celtic support go inside leaving you ticketless and stranded outside.

8: Testimonial in England

Younger readers might need a Time Travel machine for this one but some of my favourite trips supporting Celtic have been to testimonials in England where we took 10k plus fans on a midweek and out sang the home fans and gave their hero a better send off than they did. Trips to Manchester for Hughes, McClair and Giggs testimonials or Ronnie Moran’s in Liverpool where we broke the stand from jumping so much will live long in the memory.

7: Euro Aways

There’s something special about following the Bhoys on the continent, getting there by planes trains and automobiles and stepping into the unknown. Even trips to Barcelona and Milan can be special but its trips to a club you never heard of prior to the draw and you had to google to find what country or city they were in which are often the best ones. A day or 2 away with your mates in a foreign country drinking cheap beer or taking over the main square with thousands of other bhoys on the same buzz. What’s not to like!

6: Win at Ibrox

While its great to beat the zombies at Celtic Park there’s something even sweeter to take the piss in their own backyard as we put them to the sword. Surprisingly the trip to and from the ground can be uneventful as you barely see a hun but inside definitely makes up for it with plenty of needle as the Free Broomloan laud it over the dead club. Unfortunately the huns couldn’t take having the piss ripped out of them and cried to get the allocations greatly reduced, meaning its a much tougher game to tick off now than it was a few years ago.

5: Winning a Treble

With all the recent success and quadruple trebles it is easy to forget how blessed we have been. Until I was in my early 20’s I hadn’t seen us win one and after that they were a once in a generation thing. 4 in 4 seasons including an Invincible season may never be seen again and will go down in history in the same esteem as the Coronation Cup, Lisbon Lions and Centenary Season.

https://celticfanzine.com/product/glasgow-3-stripe-t-shirt-black/

4: Euro away on a bus

You’re probably getting the idea now that it’s not all about the football. How often have you walked out of a stadium on a euro away and seen fans boarding a bus with a Scottish reg as they embarked on a 2 day journey home and felt a mixture of respect and pity and you headed off for more beers, an hotel room and still return home before them? With The advent of cheap flights they are less common but not gone completely. Some of the trips are the stuff of legend and probably deserve an article all of their own.

3: European Final

For years it was only something our Fathers and uncles told us about, Then 2003 came along and Seville gave us a taste of being back among the European elites once more. The FIFA Fair Play Award says it all about the occasion and was definitely a box ticked for many fans. The result didn’t go our way but that doesn’t distract from what was a once in a lifetime experience for many. With the addition of the new Conference League as well as the Europa league hopefully its something we get to tick off once more in the future.

2: Ten in a Row

There’s no denying its something we’ve dreamed of for years and the less said about it the better. It’ll remain on everyone’s bucket list for the time being but the desire will remain. Hopefully one day..

1: Winning the European Cup

At this moment in time its as far fetched as Ireland winning the World Cup, but for some lucky souls they were there to see history made as we were crowned Kings of Europe. With our support base its not impossible to witness again but will take a major revolution in European football with the money men chased and a more sustainable fan led model in their place. Until then we can but dream and listen in awe to those who were there and can recall the tales.

Text/Stephen McEvoy

https://celticfanzine.com/shop/

 

 

After a three and a half week hiatus Tommy McIntyres side were back in action at the Penny Cars stadium in Airdrie on Friday night.   East Stirlingshire were the visitors as the Celtic B team looked to build on a steady run of results so far in the Scottish Lowland League.

https://celticfanzine.com/product/annual-magazine-subscription/

Straight from the kick-off the visitors looked to put the pressure on the Celtic backline, a neat move down the right wing ended with a cross flashed in front of goal, but thankfully nobody in the East Stirlingshire forward line had gambled on the ball breaking free in the Celtic box.

The opening quarter of the match saw the visitors make most of the running and came close to opening the scoring when an effort came back off the woodwork.  Celtic were growing into the game and were getting some joy through a congested midfield battle.   Both Murray & Murphy looked to build attacks from deep lying midfield positions, some weaving runs and good footwork opened up a couple of half chances for Brooks and Moffat in attack, but the East Stirlingshire defence and goalkeeper were able to thwart any danger .

On the half hour mark the visitors were ahead when Dean Watson calmly dinked the ball over Ryan Mullen in the Celtic goal.    East Stirlingshire capitalised on hesitancy in the Celtic left back position gaining the break of the ball before setting up a tidy finish.

The match opened up in the closing moments of the first half when Celtic almost drew level as Wylie latched on to a through ball from midfield, but once again Connelly saved in the East Stirlingshire goal.   At the other end Celtic captain Lawal was in the right place to clear a goal bound effort off the line.   One nil to the visitors at half-time.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, East Stirlingshire were strong and well organised, using the ball well when they had it and made it very difficult for Celtic to break down their defence in the final third.

Just before the hour mark some positive play down the right wing opened up the visitors tight defence, good close control & passing on the edge if the box released Owen Moffat with a chance on goal, but he was brought down just inside the box.   Penalty to Celtic and opportunity to draw level.   Unfortunately, Moffat could not convert from 12 yards putting the ball over the bar from the Penalty spot.   Ross Connelly in the East Stirlingshire goal took as much time as he could climbing into the stand behind the goal to retrieve the ball, much to the frustration of the Celtic side.

https://celticfanzine.com/product/more-than-90-minutes-issue-116-print-edition/

As tiredness crept into both sides it was the visitors who were able to dictate the tempo of the match and the clock in the final 15 minutes.   Celtic were fortunate not to go further behind when the woodwork saved us from an East Stirlingshire corner.

All in all another learning opportunity for the B side against a robust and resilient opponent, with positive performances from Dane Murray, Joseph Murphy and Bosun Lawal.

Martin Donaldson is a Glasgow East End Bhoy,  He made my first trip to Celtic Park in 1983 for a 0-0 draw with Brechin City & thankfully that never put him off going back.   He now sits perched high in section 409 of the North Stand with his 2 kids making memories along the Celtic Way.

He loves picking out those matches from yester-year to find out much more about the legendary names & faces that have graced the Celtic Jersey over the years.  He is a keen fundraiser for The Celtic Foundation & The British Heart Foundation as they both strive to  make a difference and to change peoples lives all over the world.

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/celtic-collectors-badges/

Just getting a chance to now to sit down and reflect on Thursdays defeat at home in the Europa League to Bayer Leverkusen. With our injury crisis I was delighted to see Kyogo and McGregor back in starting line up for what we all knew was going to be a massive challenge against an inform German team who currently sit second in the Bundesliga. What we did not expect was to be hammered 4-0 at Celtic Park.

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/new-issue/

If the woodwork prevented us from getting a winning goal against Dundee Utd last Sunday then it was some top notch goalkeeping from the visitors who made sure we never got on the score sheet. The atmosphere was fantastic before kick off, Celtic Park lit up the dark night Sky like and could be heard for miles around in full voice. Magnificent it was! and then the game started and in fairness to the Ultra groups they were still singing and waving flags when many fans had seen enough and headed for the exit signs long before the final whistle took us out of our misery. So once again congrats to both groups the Green Brigade and the Bhoys for once again leading the chorus, the Tifo, the colour and atmosphere both groups create game after game, home and away.

For some travelling Celtic fans Thursday night was their first return to Celtic Park since the pandemic and it was great to bump into so many familiar faces in Dublin airport, each game at the departure gate bar now seems like a little reunion with like minded good people. I shared a taxi from Edinburgh with some wise fans and enjoyed the mature discussion about the state of play at Celtic and some trips and characters from over the years following the team were brought up to smiles and laughs.

Another one who made his long awaited return to Celtic Park was our major shareholder Dermot Desmond known to some as the absent landlord, with about 20 or 25 minutes to go Dermot left the stadium and was followed by the majority of the crowd who had seen enough, I cant remember a European game at full time when the stadium was so empty as the Europa boards were set up and the cameras put in place to record the post match interviews, a few fans stayed behind to watch proceedings.

There were some familiar faces from our TV screens also in attendance in the row just behind the directors box which included former Celtic Chairman, John Reid, although I did not notice if current Chairman Ian Bankier was present if he was he was not in his usual seat that was kept for DD. Celtic short term football consultant, Gordon Strachan was also in the VIP row next to Celtic FC Foundation’s Tony Hamilton.

We used to fancy ourselves against any of Europe’s Elite Teams in the Champions League at Celtic Park. Teams like Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus to name three were defeated in Paradise sadly now we are getting pumped at home In the Europa League and the conversations were brief when I got back to our hotel bar and the atmosphere was funeral like so I made a quick exit to my bedroom to listen to the post match interviews and get a few hours kip before the red eye flight that awaited me and many other Celtic fans who I might add were out till the wee hours judging by the heads who lined up to board the plane with those words never again ringing in their heads. Never again until the next time!

https://celticfanzine.com/product/the-bhoys-from-japan/

But we must lick our wounds and move on to Sunday and Pittodrie as the bread and butter of the SPFL returns and the pressure is now on Ange and players shoulders to to get a win and stop the slump against Scott Brown’s Aberdeen who like us have struggled this season.

Tomorrow morning early the buses will pull out of from every corner of Glasgow with the cargo well hidden as the Police wait on the way to stop and search buses while the driver will be given strict orders to get the Rebs on. The results may not be going our way at the moment but it is great to be back on the road. Away Days Away the Bhoys!

Andrew Milne is Edittor of More than 90 Minutes Celtic Fanzine which he started in 2001. He has been involved with fanzines since 1989 and has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic.  He is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of the Celtic Soul Podcast, Talk form the Terrace Podcast, Grand Auld History Podcast & 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.

https://celticfanzine.com/product/glasgow-3-stripe-t-shirt-black/

 

The Bhoys from Japan

https://celticfanzine.com/product/the-bhoys-from-japan/

Pat Glavin Cork No. 1 CSC 1988

https://celticfanzine.com/product/pat-glavin-cork-no-1-csc-1988/

Pat Glavin Cork No. 1 CSC Quadruple Treble

https://celticfanzine.com/product/pat-glavin-cork-no-1-csc-quadruple-treble/

The Bhoys Are Back In Town

BACK IN STOCK 

https://celticfanzine.com/product/the-bhoys-are-back-in-town/

Pat Glavin Cork No. 1 CSC

https://celticfanzine.com/product/pat-glavin-cork-no-1-csc/

Alan Thompson

https://celticfanzine.com/product/alan-thompson/

Pat Glavin Cork No. 1 CSC 30th Anniversary

https://celticfanzine.com/product/pat-glavin-cork-no-1-csc-30th-anniversary/

Cork No. 1 CSC

https://celticfanzine.com/product/cork-no-1-csc/

Pat Glavin Cork No. 1 CSC 9IAR

 

https://celticfanzine.com/product/pat-glavin-cork-no-1-csc-9iar/

FOR FULL LIST OF BADGES VISIT 

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/celtic-collectors-badges/

The disco lights will be on, Celtic Park will be packed, can the patched up team do us proud? It’s matchday 2 of the Europa League Group Stage as Bayer Leverkusen visit Celtic Park in what will be a difficult task given our current injury problems and lack of form.

https://celticfanzine.com/product/glasgow-3-stripe-t-shirt-black/

Saturday was the latest game where we dropped points in the league with a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park. Meanwhile Leverkusen won 1-0 against Mainz at home. They currently sit in 2nd place in the Bundesliga, 3 points behind Bayern Munich. With only won defeat so far this season against Dortmund 4-3 in an instant classic match, Leverkusen have won 4 and drawn 1 in their other games.

The Germans opened their Europa League Group stage with a 2-1 home win over Ferencvaros. Goal scorers were Palacios and Wirtz. They have a young attacking squad under new manager, Gerardo Seoane, with 18-year-old Florian Wirtz having scored in the last five games and attracting interest from bigger teams. They have a couple of well known faces, former Celtic right back Jeremie Frimpong and Czech striker Patrick Schick who scored a couple of goals against Scotland in the Euro’s.

As said previously, we are in the middle of an injury crisis, there is some signs of recovery with Giakoumakis training after his injury scare last week turned out to be not quite as bad as first feared. Callum McGregor and Kyogo have returned to training although Ange Postecoglou said in the presser that its unlikely any of the trio will start the match however we could see some of them have some game time. Juranovic has a hamstring injury and joins the injured list.

Celtic do have a decent record against German teams, off the top of my head, results at Celtic Park have been ok, a draw with Bayern Munich in 2003 beating Leipzig in 2018, beat Stuttgart in 2003, Cologne back in 1992.

If Celtic avoid defeat tonight then that for me is a good result, my main concern is Pittodrie on Sunday where it will be imperative we win. If McGregor, Kyogo or Giakoumakis can have some game time tonight then it will put us in a better position for Sunday.

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/monthly-print-subscription/

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.

Last weekend once again seen Celtic fans returning to Paradise, some for the first time since supporters returned to watching Celtic in the flesh. Irish and Celtic bars were doing a brisk trade along with hotels who are now seeing an increase in Celtic fans returning week on week as life gets back to normality after 18 months of Covid uncertainty.

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/celtic-collectors-badges/

Inside Celtic Park at full time yesterday the score board read Celtic 1 Dundee United 1 as a chorus of boos rang out around the stadium. It was a frustrating afternoon on the field and in the stands as the woodwork denied us on more than one occasion and we failed to snatch a winner Ajeti manged to miss a seater while camped on opposition goal line much to a packed stadiums disbelief.

I took a quick dip into social media after the game and what I found was some players getting blamed for the result, but I noticed very little anger towards Ange Postecoglou. The honeymoon period may be over, but most fans want him to succeed and are willing to give him time.

If anyone should be blamed, it’s the old board of directors and Celtic major shareholder Dermot Desmond. After last season’s fiasco we are know seeing how tread bare the squad is for an assault on the SPFL title and automatic Champions League qualification and money it would generate for the club.

Following on from the Dominic McKay announcement by Celtic that he was exiting Celtic Park after only 72 days in the job, we are now without a permanent CEO, now we have no idea who oversees football matters at the club with no director of football or head of football development, since last March but we do have Gordon Strachan acting as a consultant of some sorts on a three-month contract. 

Sometimes Ange cuts a lonely figure on the touchline, and he must be thinking that he should have insisted he brought in his own backroom team to help him sort out the mess he has found at the club.

Injuries to key players and two games a week will not be helping him get his message across to the players on the training ground and we have another hard night’s work ahead of us on Thursday when the inform Bayer Leverkusen come to Glasgow. The visitors currently sit second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich after six games.

https://celticfanzine.com/product-category/monthly-print-subscription/

Hot on their heels of the Europa Cup group game comes an away trip to Aberdeen to face another team struggling to find form. An away win here and good performance tomorrow night would certainly lift all our spirits because the only spirits getting lifted are down the pub now.

Andrew Milne is Edittor of More than 90 Minutes Celtic Fanzine which he started in 2001. He has been involved with fanzines since 1989 and has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic.  He is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of the Celtic Soul Podcast, Talk form the Terrace Podcast, Grand Auld History Podcast & 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. When not following Celtic he spends his time DJing.

https://celticfanzine.com/shop/