What a Weekend – Next Stop Paradise!

We are back on the road to Glasgow again this week as Celtic take on Kairat in the first leg of the Champions League play off before SPFL duty resumes on Saturday against newly promoted Livingston. We have just about recovered here at Mt90M HQ after a great weekend of football and music and are ready to go again.

Celtic fans had a rare Friday night outing at Celtic Park and it turned out to be a successful kick off to the weekend. One of our young members Katie Lynch was mascot on the night. A very proud moment for her Dad, Niall. Brendan Rodgers made plenty of changes to the starting 11 from the win up in Aberdeen.

Celtic started the game quickly and looked comfortable for most of the night against Falkirk. Dane Murray came in the starting 11 on the day he signed a new Celtic contract and rewarded the manager for his faith with his first goal for the club and Celtic’s second of the night after Daizen Maeda scored the opener. Alistair Johnston scored the Celtic goal of the night with his left foot to make it 3 before an OG wrapped it up at 4. Falkirk did get a consolation goal when Adams scored a cracker.

Saturday saw Oasis Mania hit Dublin as the Manchester Irish brothers took over Croke Park for two sell out concerts. Celtic fans travelled home from Philadelphia and Glasgow for the gigs. Celtic Legend Paul McStay and Simon Donnelly were also spotted at the gig.

The train station in my home town Drogheda was awash with bucket hats, Oasis t-shirts, Adidas trainers and bags of cans. There was great excitement in the air ahead of the gig. I was heading the other way to Belfast to see Stiff Little Fingers and Sham 69 in Belfast at Custom House Square with Rene and Ken. We enjoyed pints in Darragh’s Bar and Nancy Mulligans before the gig.

The gig like the one down the road in Dublin did not disappoint. Sham 69 and SLF took us back to our youth and John Lydon of PIL let the music do the talking rather than his big mouth (for most of the gig anyway). All in all a fantastic night and great to bump into so many familiar faces from the Celtic support.

Sunday saw packed trains and buses pull out of Belfast bound for Dublin but we were going nowhere as Glasgow’s finest Texas were in town for their gig at Custom House Square. They brought their Scottish Soul sound to the city and banged out hit after hit to an adoring audience. Sharleen had the audience in her pocket from the first chord of “ I don’t want a lover” to the last word of “Suspicious Minds”

Thanks to Texas for the invite back stage after the gig. It was great to get a catch up with the band and chat all things Celtic with Paul McStay and get a the lowdown of the Oasis gigs in Edinburgh and Dublin from Simon and Liam. Special shout out to Mikey and Johnny and to Angela and Rene for the bed and breakfast.

What a weekend – Next Stop Paradise!

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & host of the Celtic Soul Podcast