Celtic and its fans have always had at best an ambivalent relationship with the Scottish national football team. There are those who have a genuine affection for those who…
Dear Diary,
Today I procrastinate.
I procrastinate on the decision to stay at Celtic. I love it here, I love this club and these fans...although I do not understand…
David Friel joins Eddie this week and together they discuss his new book (co-written with Paul Cuddihy) "Century Bhoys." They talk about the process involved in putting this work together and the challenges encountered when trying to tell the story of the 28 Celtic players who have broken the 100 goals barrier for the club. David also tells us of his time as a reporter for the Celtic View and recalls how it felt to meet Celtic legends and Gordon Strachan. Finally they look ahead to the match against Hearts and review the playing options available to the manager.
And the Human Torpedo brings us part 2 of "Judas" - another tale from the Celtic Wiki.
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Celtic and its fans have always had at best an ambivalent relationship with the Scottish national football team. There are those who have a genuine affection for those who play in the dark blue and white, and yet there are others for whom supporting Scotland is complete anathema.
Like so much related to Celtic, one has to have a firm grasp of the club’s history to understand why such residual resentment persists. Speaking for myself, as somebody who remembers the sixties and seventies well, the reluctance of a large section of the Celtic support to fully support Scotland is fully understandable.
There was (and perhaps still is) a feeling that the interests of Scotland and Rangers are inseparable. My own memories of this are quite clear and I can still painfully recall the sustained abuse Celtic players got in the late sixties and seventies when trying to represent their country of birth.
Jimmy Johnstone for example was regularly booed and abused from the terraces, as Rangers supporters demanded his substitution for Willie Henderson. Danny McGrain, arguably the best right back in the world was moved to left back so as to ‘accommodate’ Rangers’ right back Sandy Jardine.
It’s usually one of the most exciting days of the year for a football fan, where hours upon end are wasted by keeping your eyes glued to Sky Sports News and repeatedly bashing the ‘F5’ button on various football forums, waiting for that red hot rumour to materialise. Aye, those were good days...
To say Tuesday night was underwhelming is like saying we shrugged our shoulders when Porto won in Seville – it was beyond pish. Using a swear word might be a little unnecessary, but that’s just how annoyed I, and many others were, at the lack of a big signing this week.
As a club, we’ve had a disastrous summer in terms of PR; many high profile players such as Sol Campbell, Jimmy Bullard and David James have knocked us back publically, Neil Lennon said after the Ross County game that many of the first team that day would not be here, but yet still are, and finally, Lennon coming out again and saying the money made from the Aiden McGeady transfer would be fully spent on the first team. Well, Neil, where has the money gone?
Eddie tells me the last picture quiz went down fairly well and he was keen for a new one so here we are with another for your entertainment.
Let’s face it, the international football this weekend just isn’t the real deal so if your fed up and missing the Celts then have a good ‘gander’ at the following 20 pictures and see if you can guess the team.
There is a Celtic connection to each picture and it has to be said some of them are rather spurious but you will need both the player and the team shown for a point. I do have to say that if you can get number 8 then you are some man and respect is due. Click on the images to see them enlarged.
I procrastinate on the decision to stay at Celtic. I love it here, I love this club and these fans...although I do not understand this booing noise they make, but I’m assured by Johan that they made the same noise for Joos Valgaeren, so I believe it’s some form of affection.
The reason I am procrastinating is that I turned down the chance of a job as the sidekick of my childhood hero – Hercules. It seemed he needed a hand with his twelve great feats and turned to me for assistance. With a heavy heart I said “Hercules. I have long admired your feats in the ancient Greek texts and the stories passed down generation upon generation, but my answer is no, this is where I belong now, I am needed here.” Hercules seemed a bit perplexed as to my answer (he was probably heartbroken) although I heard several other voices in the background muttering words like “Crazy” and “insane”. They know how much of a privilege it would be to serve as man companion to muscular demi-god Hercules and must indeed think I’ve lost my mind to reject him. But I love Celtic. They do not understand what it means to be at such a club.
