It’s 15 years now, on the 9th of May, since Celtic faced Saint Johnstone in the last game of season 1997/98. The maths was easy. A victory for Celtic would land them their first league title in…
Throughout the season, comment has been made on the missing thousands at Celtic Park with the media telling us it’s because thousands of us miss Rangers. I…
Recent Celtic games have heard the fans singing loudly - ‘Here we go 10 in a row!’ - after Celtic sealed their second consecutive SPL title under Neil Lennon. And the opportunity is certainly there to make…
Like many I have been greatly exorcised by the league reconstruction debate of late and the perceived lost opportunities to make the structure more exciting and move away from the current flawed split. As highlighted…
In the days and weeks following our game in Turin, I was quite surprised by the sense of despondency among some Celtic supporters. I remember reading a number of…
David Hay was part of the fabulous ‘Quality Street Gang’ who, in the late 60’s and early 70’s, were the most talented bunch of young players ever to appear in the Scottish game. His big break came at the beginning of the 1969/70 season when he was given the opportunity at right back and from that time on he became a regular in the Celtic side.
He won his first medal in October 1969 when Celtic defeated St Johnstone 1-0 at Hampden in the League Cup final on the day when Tommy Gemmell was controversially axed by Jock Stein for his indiscretions in a midweek Scotland game with the infamous Helmut Haller incident.
Hay’s versatility was always a bonus for Jock Stein and during his time at Parkhead he appeared in the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 at a time before squad numbers came into use. Despite being a fine midfielder he was equally comfortable at full back and in defence.
Earlier today whilst listening to Jimmy Calderwood on Off the Ball I nearly spat my tea out all over the kitchen. I subsequently spoke with Hullbhoy who nearly crashed his car. The blasé statement from Calderwood was staggering in itself, but when put in the context of everything occurring in Scottish football over the last 10 years or so it was truly staggering. Calderwood became manager of Dunfermline because then Rangers chairman David Murray asked him.
David Murray called up Calderwood and invited him to become manager of ANOTHER SPL side.
Many years ago I used to enjoy listening to my Father and his friends debating as to when Jimmy Johnstone actually had his best ever game for Celtic.
There was plenty to choose from and each of those discussing Jimmy’s merits had their own opinion as to what game was his greatest match. There were all the usual games you would expect.
This week Harry is invited into the very heart of the club for a conversation with Tony Hamilton. Tony discusses his role and time at Celtic to date and then provides an insight into the new post he will have from 1st April this year, taking forward the Celtic charity. Tony's passion for Celtic and the belief that our charitable aims are as relevant today as they were when the club was funded are clear for all.
For a chance to play at Lennoxtown in a Celtic Charity 7-A-Side Tournament on Saturday 23rd March (International break weekend) just email me with contact email address and telephone number;
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No ability necessary, just the ability to run the length of yourself.
We then have the return of The Human Torpedo with another tale from the wiki. This week - Return to Greatness. Enjoy
Various Download options are below, but most popular (iTunes) is HERE
With a fifteen point lead at the top of the table, coupled with an enthralling Champions League campaign that saw Celtic beat arguably the greatest club side of all time, Celtic Football Club should be experiencing a sense of unity and excitement not seen since the build-up to Seville. Throw in the possibility of a domestic double, and one may argue that this is a manager and a group of players that will forever be etched within the club’s folklore. Reality, however, is an uncertain beast, and both the manager and the players find themselves in a perplexing conundrum.
In between the defeat to Ross County in the 2010 Scottish Cup, and the defeat to Ross County in the 2013 SPL, Neil Lennon has led Celtic to both the league title and the Scottish Cup. He helped to reunite a fan base that was fractured and confused after the short-lived Mowbray era, and he helped to bring in unknown youngsters that turned out to be sparkling on the big occasion. More pertinently, he also managed one of the biggest clubs in the UK under a backdrop of death threats, intimidation, violence, and constant personal protection. For this latter point alone, Neil Lennon should be supported until the end of time. So, what has changed?
Two league defeats in a row would constitute a mini-crisis of sorts were it not for the absence of Rangers, but in a league that is high on endeavour yet completely lacking in evidence of basic childhood coaching, supporters should be demanding more. A manager is the leader, but where does this stem from?
Earlier today whilst listening to Jimmy Calderwood on Off the Ball I nearly spat my tea out all over the kitchen. I subsequently spoke with Hullbhoy who nearly crashed his car. The blasé statement from Calderwood was staggering in itself, but when put in the context of everything occurring in Scottish football over the last 10 years or so it was truly staggering. Calderwood became manager of Dunfermline because then Rangers chairman David Murray asked him.
