The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Tony, did you by any chance get your photo taken with Dr John Reid when you were at the Celtic AGM?

[T Fearon]

No. But he had his photo taken with me

[the milkman]

I reckon McGeady will start on the right and JJ. on the left with hartley and brown in the middle, and if things not working out Donati will come on for JJ. with Brown out wide and Mo. in the middle.

If brown and McGeady can get the room we should create enough chances to do it, 2-0 would be excellent result and I think we can do it!

[Evil Genius]

The IFA forced the split by

1.Not allowing Sunday soccer

2. By only selecting Southern Born players for certain fixtures etc

By the way I do not consider the current "IFA" to be the oldest soccer association in Ireland. The way I look at it is that the FAI was born out of the original IFA, and the portion remaining in Belfast, who wouldn't and wont consider an All Ireland team, are merely a dissident rump. The FAI is the true "Irish Football Association" that can legitimately trace its roots back to 1870

I really can't figure out whether you're an idiot or a bigot, on drugs, or some combination of the three. Either way, that post is horseshit of a purity and pungency which matches your very best (worst?) efforts...

[Evil Genius]

How gratifying that the great majority of true Celtic supporters appear to have distanced themselves from this loathsome individual:


http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1831802007
Outrage after Celtic fans' champion defends pro-IRA chants at matches

CRAIG BROWN (crbrown@scotsman.com)

THE head of a Celtic supporters' trust has provoked outrage by defending the singing of pro-IRA songs by the club's fans during matches.

Dr Jeanette Findlay, who chairs the Celtic Trust, which represents supporters and small shareholders, claimed chants about the IRA were "songs from a war of independence".

She was speaking during an interview on BBC Radio Five Live's breakfast programme. Her comments prompted a furious response from listeners.

Dr Findlay, who is a research fellow and economics lecturer at Glasgow University, had been replying to questions by presenter Nicky Campbell about the trust's opposition to the appointment as club chairman of the former home secretary, John Reid, who was a cabinet minister at the time of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Dr Findlay said the trust's opposition was to do with Mr Reid's "leading role in relation to what many believe is an illegal and immoral war".

Mr Campbell then asked her if she was more uncomfortable with the singing of pro-terrorist songs or the appointment of Mr Reid.

Dr Findlay responded: "I have tried to explain about the nature of Celtic as a club. It was founded to help the poor Irish immigrants to Scotland.

"They may take a particular view of the history, of what happened in Ireland, which is different from many other people, so I don't call those pro-terrorist songs. What history tells us is that it is facile to say that politics and sport will ever be separated."

Mr Campbell said he was not referring to songs such as The Fields of Athenry, but to "actually chanting: 'The IRA'."

She replied: "Many of those songs are songs from what was essentially a war of independence going back over a hundred years."

Celtic fans bombarded the show with angry texts and e-mails and some members of the trust said they would quit.

One said: "I listened to her on my way to work. I was actually shouting at the radio for her to please shut up."

Another fan, Sean from Derry, texted: "Her one-eyed hypocritical views... are disturbing and a ludicrously perverted take on history. She doesn't represent the majority of opinion of Irish nationalist Celtic fans."

A Celtic FC spokeswoman distanced the club from Dr Findlay's words: "These comments are unrepresentative of the Celtic support... and we are delighted with the way in which our fans currently support the team."

Richard Benjamin, director of the anti-sectarian group Nil By Mouth, said: "While I defend Dr Findlay's right to express her personal beliefs, context is important. Expressing religious and political views in football can be damaging, not just to the sport, but to the wider community, too. I think most football supporters would not be exposed to chants about the IRA at matches."

Dr Findlay was unavailable for comment last night. The controversy came on the day the Scottish Government launched its Kick Out Bigotry campaign.

[Rav67]

He'll go 4-4-2, Hartley has to start in centre-mid along with Brown with McGeady and JJ either side.  Heading to it should be an excellent atmosphere as its a must-win.  I fancy Celtic to win by a goal, although I'm worried about the central defence and Shaktar played some really silky football in the away fixture.  Hopefully the midfield will provide much better protection this time.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Tony's picture is in our local paper and fine and well he looks too

[ziggysego]

Why can't the club pronounce it's own name?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

From BBC Sport:


Celtic v Shakhtar Donetsk (Wed) 
 
Champions League, Group D match
Date: Wednesday, 28 November
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Venue: Celtic Park
Listen: BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Scotland (810 MW)
Updates: BBC Sport website and mobile
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan will give late fitness tests to two key players ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Goalkeeper Artur Boruc and midfielder Paul Hartley missed Saturday's 3-0 victory over Aberdeen.

Both trained with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and are hoping to recover in time to face the Ukrainian side.

Shaktar may be without Mexican midfield playmaker Nery Castillo after a fall-out with manager Mircea Lucescu.


News conference: Celtic boss Gordon Strachan



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celtic (from): Boruc, Mark Brown, Caldwell, McManus, Kennedy, Naylor, Scott Brown, McGeady, Hartley, Donati, Jarosik, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Zurawski, Caddis, Killen, Riordan, Pressley, Sno, O'Dea.


BIG MATCH STATS
Qualification

Celtic are through if they win by a three goal margin, and Benfica fail to beat AC Milan.

Shakhtar can progress if they defeat Celtic, and Benfica also fail to beat AC Milan.

Head-to-heads

Shakhtar Donetsk's and Celtic's only encounters before their meeting in the reverse fixture in this group, came in the first group phase of the 2004-05 Champions League.

The Ukrainian side won their home match (3-0) through goals by the Brazilians Matuzalem (two) and Brandao. Two weeks later, Celtic beat Shakhtar Donetsk (1-0) when Alan Thompson scored. Anatoli Tymoschuk and Cosmin Barcauan (both Shakhtar) were red-carded in that game. This season, Shakhtar beat Celtic 2-0 through goals by Brandao and Cristiano Lucarelli.

European history

This is the fifth Champions League campaign for Celtic, the 1967 Champions Cup winners; it is Shakhtar's fourth in the Champions League and 18th in European competition.

Shakhtar failed to negotiate the group phase in their three previous CL participations.

Current European form

Celtic are unbeaten in their last 10 home matches in European competition, the last eight were in the CL since losing 1-3 to Barcelona on 14 September 2004.

Shakhtar have lost their last two CL matches.

Player and disciplinary info

Shakhtar's Fernandinho is suspended for this match. Scott Brown (Celtic) and Darijo Srna (Shakhtar) will be suspended if booked.

Shakhtar goalkeeper Andri Pyatov is the only player from his team who has been on the field for every minute of this CL season.

Other miscellaneous facts

Shakhtar Donetsk lost two points in the Ukranian league on Saturday, when they drew 1-1 at home to bottom placed Naftovyk. However, they still lead the UPL by one point from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

Celtic recorded a 3-0 win against Aberdeen and have a three point lead over Rangers at the top of the SPL.

Shakhtar Donetsk's next victory will be their 50th in European competition.

Celtic need one goal to record 200 in the Champions Cup/Champions League, and four goals to reach 400 in all European competitions.

[Croí na hÉireann]

EG, do u have an exact transcript of that interview???

[Rav67]

EG, do u have an exact transcript of that interview???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gcfghE78Nc

There's a youtube link if you get the chance to listen to it.

[Galwaybhoy]

Must win game for one of the European giants tonight.  Celtic should win here tonight with some of the world class players they poses and go a long way in booking their place in the Second round.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

I like the idea of beating Shaktar 3-0 and not having to worry about the result of the AC match. 

[lynchbhoy]

Celtic struggle to score more than one in europe at home
if they can protect that 'scottish sieve' back four (ok one of them is English) then a 1-0 win is quite possible

Shakthar are dangerous though and if the Celtic def is stretched , a fast counter attack could result in an away goal for them

wont go into eg's idiotic attempts at hi-jacking this thread, if he/she wants to peddle their bigotry jibes elsewhere - glass houses and all that- , maybe a new thread could be started up to discuss , as the notion he/she is trying to justify is a load of bollix

[nifan]

wont go into eg's idiotic attempts at hi-jacking this thread

In fairness this is the celtic thread - it is to discuss all the aspects of celtic surely.