Knock it on the head

 

Knock it on the head

Folk have called Jim Spence many things over the years but no one can claim he doesn’t call it as he sees it. His troubles with elements of the Rangers support, after the old club’s demise in 2012, stemmed from his refusal to join the historical revisionism which some journalists cravenly fostered to deny the verifiable fact that the Ibrox club went bust and started again as a new club. Only he will know the full extent of the harassment and hassle his ethical standards caused him both personally and professionally. He told me once that he offered to ‘take the jaiket off’ in the street to one particularly nasty critic from the blue side.

Like him or not, Jim knows the hypocrisy involved in criticising the bile which some Rangers supporters indulge in and remaining silent when some followers of Celtic indulge in similar antics. He said on Twitter last night in the wake of Celtic’s trip to Tannadice…

‘I heard the old line ‘soon there’ll be no Protestants at all ‘ sung by a small section of Celtic support last night. they need to knock that right on the head. One thing which always marked the club out was its openness to all and a significant number of non-Catholic supporters.’

Most who responded to his tweet were supportive of his call for this regressive and frankly moronic nonsense to be knocked on the head. This sort of trash and that God-awful ‘roamin in the gloamin’ dirge go against every principle Celtic stand for. The great thing about Celtic Football Club was that it opened its arms to all at a time when the club and many who followed it felt the bitter sting of bigotry in their own lives. This is the club of John Thomson, Jock Stein, Bobby Evans, Bertie Peacock,  Tommy Gemmell, Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain and many more wonderful players who gave their all for that famous shirt despite not coming from what some would call a ‘Celtic background.’ As Willie Maley once said, ‘It’s not the creed or nationality that counts, but the man himself.’

I have attended perhaps more than a thousand Celtic matches in my life and have seen the supporters in all hues of emotion. From the ecstatic highs of victory to the deep lows which occur now and then at every club. I have always found a warmth and a comradeship among Celtic fans. There has been a compassion for those suffering injustice or poverty from Parkhead to Palestine, and that compassion has always led to action to help out where they can. The charitable roots of the club continue to flourish in the work of the Foundation Celtic and in the many kindnesses and charitable works, large and small, I see happening every day. The ethos of this club has always been inclusive. It is, undeniably rooted in its Catholic and Irish DNA but has moved way beyond the community which founded it to be a truly global football club.

Celtic attracts supporters from all walks of life and we are proud to see supporters from many parts of the world call Celtic their side. That very diversity is a great strength and makes the Celtic family stronger. As in any family there will be fallings out now and then and occasionally tough truths need to be told. Today is a day for tough truths- Jim Spence is right; this creeping barrage of bullshit needs to stop. Celtic has supporters from all faith and none and it is simply not on that any Celtic fan is made to feel uncomfortable by the actions of a misguided few. If we shake our heads at the ‘famine song’ mentality of rival fans, how can we look the other way when some of our own indulge in the sort of crass nonsense, without being utter hypocrites?

It's not banter, it’s not lads having a laugh- it’s offensive and it drags Celtic’s name into the gutter. I know a lot of Celtic fans who hate these songs and the add-ons wedged into decent Celtic songs, but usually hold their peace as the flack they get on social media for mentioning it isn’t worth it. I know by writing these words that I’ll be asked by a few predictable folk ‘how was the soup?’ or told it’s ‘Birthday-card pish’ to think we can rise above this drivel. But as Jock Stein said when asked how some of his more ‘staunch’ friends took the news of him joining Celtic… ‘I lost a lot of friends when I made the move to Celtic but if that’s what was important to them then they weren’t really friends at all.’

Celtic Football Club is too important to too many people to accept going down this road. There are scores of great Celtic songs we can be singing. I don’t include Republican songs in the pantheon of pish I wish to see consigned to the dustbin of history as no matter how inappropriate it may be to be singing them at football, I don't accept then as 'sectarian'. I do draw the line at nakedly sectarian lyrics such as those  Jim Spence alluded to. This nonsense does indeed need to be knocked on the head and soon, otherwise we run the risk of becoming that which we claim to despise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We never stop

 

We never stop

Watching Celtic falter to another predictable exit from European football in the Norwegian arctic was strangely not as depressing as it might have been. The team looked disinterested and sluggish in the first half against a well drilled and fast-moving team. Perhaps it was the first leg deficit and the fact that the likelihood of Celtic turning it around was slim. More likely it was the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine which puts sport into its proper context.  Few things please me more than Celtic doing well but it all pales into insignificance when we watch the suffering of others.

It has long been a mystery to supporters that teams with a fraction of the resources Celtic has at its disposal, can develop sides which regularly give the hoops real trouble in Europe.  Bodo Glimt play in a town with a population smaller than Paisley or Cumbernauld and yet their coaching and youth system seems to be very successful. The team plays to an average crowd of under 4000 and has won the Norwegian league for the past two seasons. Their style of play, play acting apart, is attractive to watch and not dissimilar to the style Ange Postecoglou is looking to develop at Celtic.

Developing a pattern of play which is instilled into every level of the club - from youth players to the first team, takes time and the early signs are promising at Celtic Park. Few of us expected a club in transition to be challenging for the title this season, especially after the club dragged its heels for over a hundred days waiting for Eddie Howe to make up his mind. Ange has brought in virtually a whole team and in football, that changing of the guard is seldom smooth. His ‘we never stop’ mantra has seen Celtic overcome a sticky start to the league campaign, in which the first three away games were lost and Celtic sat sixth in the table, to now sit three points clear at the top with eleven matches remaining.

Celtic fans are no fools, they know the results in Europe and recent stuttering form in matches against Raith Rovers and Dundee mean that nothing can be taken for granted. They would also have watched Rangers knocking Dortmund out of Europe and know the boost this will have given them although remaining in Europe will also put added demands on their squad as the domestic season reaches its climax. Celtic now begin the most telling part of their season at Easter Road on Sunday. How this new side reacts to the pressures of ‘must win’ games every week remains to be seen but we can be confident that Ange will prepare them well and give them the belief and organisation required. European football is over for this season and those ties with Bodo Glimt must not affect the team’s confidence at this vital stage of the season. Celtic has won over a dozen games this season by one goal and while that shows real fighting spirit, it also demonstrates the fine margins involved in putting in a real title challenge. The upcoming matches are going to test the team’s title credentials to the maximum and they need to turn up at Easter Road, Livingston and Ibrox and demonstrate that they are up for the fight. Livingston have proved a tough nut to crack for Celtic in recent times and the hoops have spilled four points to the West Lothian club in two games this season. That needs to be addressed before any mental block develops there. They must also ensure that there are no slip ups in home matches to the so called, lesser sides, in the SPFL. The two derby matches left on the fixture list will also be pivotal. Celtic’s comfortable victory over Rangers in the early days of February will give the team a lot of belief.

The support remains solidly behind Ange Postecoglou and can see the progress the side has made. Few of us expected that his side would be in such a challenging position a mere eight months after he took over but as we reach the business end of the season, the club is in with a fighting chance of pulling off a remarkable turnaround. We need total focus now. The team needs to fight for every point and the supporters need to back them every step of the way. No silly squabbles with the board over flares, no empty zones in the stadium, just a club and their fans united in a common purpose; to put Celtic back where they belong- at the pinnacle of Scottish football.

The future starts today, be relentless Celtic and never stop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parcel

 

Parcel

It is said that modern technology has shrunk the work and allowed people from all over to interact. Social media, for all of its inherent flaws, has also allowed people to exchange views on every topic under the sun and introduced me personally to some great people. One then was the irrepressible ‘Parcel 0  Rogues’ otherwise known as David Brown. His online persona could be brash, funny and often caustic but he challenged the haters and hypocrites wherever he found them. His avatar, an image of Fagan as played by Ron Moody in the movie ‘Oliver’ was familiar to thousands of us on twitter.

David and I share a love of Celtic Football Club and our early interactions on Twitter were all about the ups and downs of our team. He encouraged me to follow fans of other teams on Twitter as is helped counteract the tendency of social media to become an echo chamber of like-minded people. He loved his team and told me he had first seen them in action in April 1977 in a match against Aberdeen and was smitten. Those of you who have that emotional bond with your team will know how strong that can be and despite David’s life taking his to the USA, he never lost that affinity with Celtic. He could be withering in his assessment of them if they played poorly but loved the ideals the club stood for. Inclusion, charity and of course good football were the values he saw in his team and, like so many of us, his moods could be influenced by their results.

Our late-night conversations would focus on the things he loved most in life; his family and Celtic. It was very much in that order with him as Siobhan and his boys were his pride and joy. He knew pain in his life as well as joy and was philosophical about it most of the time although some things he carried with him on his journey. Dave was a generous guy and first to support my annual charity fundraiser. Last year he won a beautiful signed and  framed portrait of Odsonne Edouard in one of my lottery style draws and immediately contacted me to say I should give it to the group I was supporting. That’s the sort of man he was.

Our last conversation in January was a poignant one. He was discussing his views on religion and spirituality and said to me…

‘Like all of us, I’ve been through heartbreak my friend. But my ma taught me I’m no better or worse than anyone else. Every single day I thank God, because I’ve had so many days since then knowing just how much people love me. When it’s my time, I’ll go to face the music.’

We’ll all miss David and his alter-ego, ‘Parcel.’ Life can be fickle and at times cruel. He was just 56 when his journey ended and  it may be of some comfort to his family in these dark days for them to know that many people enjoyed his humour, his wit and his humanity. Like us all, he was a complex human being but his decency shone through and he touched the lives of many.

Rest easy, pal and thanks for the laughs, the advice, the honesty and kindness.

 

David Brown (Parcel O’Rogues)

Family man, Celtic fan and a good guy.

 

All Aboard

 

All Aboard

Walking along the Gallowgate towards the bright lights of Celtic Park on Wednesday night, you could feel that old electricity in the air. Man and boy I’ve walked that walk, and in days long gone it would be the tall pylon, standing like a lighthouse in the darkness, that would guide us to the old stadium. As the rivers of green clad humanity flowed towards the new place, their songs rising into the dark Glasgow sky, you could feel something was afoot. There was hope in their hearts that at last the ghost of last season could be exorcised. Yes, Celtic were missing key players and had a poor record in derbies in the past couple of years but this was a new Celtic side, full of heart and running. Ange Postecoglou also has them playing a brand of fast, attacking football which if not always getting the rewards it deserves, at least promised to give Celtic a fighting chance.

The decision of Rangers to deny Celtic any tickets for Ibrox this season meant Celtic reciprocated. Their players would therefore be entering a noisy bear pit at Celtic Park as 60,000 of the noisiest fans in Europe were arrayed against them. Not since the legendary Barcelona game of 2012 have I seen the stadium as animated and raucous. The players came out to a wall of noise and Rangers on loan ‘wonder kid’ Amad Diallo looked visibly nervous at the assault on his senses he was experiencing. From those first moments when the whole stadium roared out ‘You’ll never walk alone,’ the fans kept up an incessant racket which cascaded onto the pitch and had the desired effect of driving Celtic on from the very first moment of the game.

They played at a high tempo throughout and harried and hounded their opponents into errors. This was exemplified when Croatian internationalist, Borna Barisic tried to start an attack down Celtic’s right flank. He was met by a turbo charged Callum McGregor who forced him back into his own half, before the experienced Rangers player passed the ball back towards his own goal keeper as McGregor audibly snarled ‘shite-bag!’ at him. Celtic were up for this game and every single player in the famous old hooped shirts demonstrated a degree of hunger and desire to win that had been lacking at times last season.

Abada, the hero with a late winner against a Dundee United side, which in truth offered more resistance at Celtic Park than Rangers did, ran Barisic ragged.  With Jota on the other flank and supporting full backs joining in attacks at every opportunity, Celtic carried threat with every attack. The 3-0 half-time lead could easily have been 5 or 6 but the game was effectively over when the ever-alert Abada raced past the flat-footed Barisic to score the third goal. This though, was a team performance, typified by Joe Hart racing from goal to snatch the ball from the feet of Arfield and immediately look to begin an attack. A moment later Hatate was curling the ball past McGregor at the other end. It was as solid a team performance as we’ve seen in Ange’s time and as he explained after the game, the team is improving week by week but still has a lot of developing to do. Hatate is still not fully fit and will be an even more impressive player when he is.  

Their emphatic 3-0 win over their rivals puts Celtic at the top of the table and perhaps ahead of where many thought they would be at this point in the team’s restructuring. The fact that they destroyed Rangers with key men like Rogic, Turnbull and Kyogo missing augurs well for the future. No one is fooling themselves that it is any more than a big win as there are still many twists and turns to come this season. It is however a major bursting of the Ibrox bubble as they now know they have a real fight on their hands. Last season’s meek surrender of the title hurt a lot of Celtic fans, but the class of 2022 won’t be brushed aside so easily.

When the season was in its infancy, Ange Postecoglou castigated a journalist for suggesting the league was over after Celtic lost their first three away games. Celtic were six points off the pace and sitting in sixth spot in the table, having collected just ten points from the first seven matches. He shook his head and commented…

 ‘It’s a weird league, you call things early here, don’t you? It’s remarkable that seven games in people are calling the title already. It’s just not how I work. I’m not pulling up stumps after seven games just because other people think there is some sort of insurmountable challenge for us. I know people are wanting to push me onto some kind of ledge somewhere but that’s not going to happen. I know what this club is all about and what the expectations are.’

His words are as true after Wednesday’s stirring victory as they were back in September. Nothing is settled in the league. Celtic is in a good position, playing well and full of confidence, but no more than that. There are almost 50 points still to be fought for so it’s one game at a time. Postecoglou said…

"Our end goal was not to be on top spot in February. Being where we are at the moment means that we've progressed, we've improved and we're a step closer to the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to be successful at the end of the year. I haven't sensed any change in mood or atmosphere amongst the players. They've come in today ready to work hard and to get ready for what's going to be a difficult game on Sunday."

The Eddie Howe saga now seems a distant dream as Celtic fans take their new boss to their hearts. Some have spoken of ‘dodging a bullet’ with Howe although we’ll never know how he would have fared in Scotland. What we do know is that the man in the manager’s chair has done a tremendous job in building a team in just six short months. When Postecoglou’s Yokohama F Marinos side played Manchester City in a very competitive friendly in 2019. Pep Guardiola raved about the style of play the Japanese side adopted. They gave a full-strength City a real fight before losing 3-1; City’s third coming in the 94^th minute of a game in which the J League side had 58% possession. Guardiola said…

"Yokohama played some incredible football and they were an incredible test for us. I knew how good they were and it was tough for us,"

Raheem Sterling was also suitably impressed by how Postecoglou’s side played and said after the game…

"They’re probably one of the best teams I’ve seen play out from the back and they played some great football so it was a great test for us.’

That is the measure of what Postecoglou wants to achieve at Celtic. He wants the Hoops to be competitive not only in Scotland but also in the European arena. That journey has only just begun and there are exciting times ahead.

All aboard the Ange Express! It’s going to be quite a ride!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope

 

Watching a much-depleted Celtic fight out a creditable win on that ploughed field of a pitch at Perth a few days ago, it struck me that it was the last match the club would play in 2021. The year began with a 1-0 loss at Ibrox in a match Celtic dominated. Indeed, the home side didn’t have a single shot on target in the game but such was Celtic’s ineptitude in front of goal, they let them off the hook and kissed their title hopes goodbye.

The Celtic side that day was Barkas, Frimpong, Ajer, Bitton, Laxalt, Soro, Christie, Turnbull, McGregor, Griffiths and Edouard. Of that eleven, six are no longer at the club and only McGregor, Bitton and Turnbull would be considered first team choices a year on. Neil Lennon hung on until February but a 1-0 defeat at Ross County coupled with a collapse in the standard of play the team was producing sealed his fate. Players get managers sacked and often don’t have to deal with the vitriol they endure.

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou wasn’t greeted with universal acclaim by the support though most were happy to give him a chance. The Scottish media in their own inept way began by asking him how it felt to be second choice for the job. We warmed to Ange instantly when he took them to task in his own inimitable way. Here was a man who’d hold his own in press conferences and call out their bullshit when he hears it. He has demonstrated on several occasions since that he can see through their baloney and will skewer them with his straight talking and caustic wit.

The turnover in players at Celtic has been relentless and was perhaps undermined initially by the ridiculous  hanging on the club did for Eddie Howe. At a critical point in the club’s history, we should not be waiting over a hundred days for a manager to agree to come and take the reins. Postecoglou brought with him a knowledge of the J League in Japan and a clear blueprint of how he wants Celtic to play. His relentless brand of high press, possession-based attacking football was not initially fully successful. The first three away games in the SPFL were lost and Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League by a team with a fraction of the resources the Hoops have at their command. Still the fans were patient though, as they knew progress was being made and the new boss required time.

The consensus that Postecoglou needed time to develop the side and bring in new players was pretty general among Celtic fans. Few who saw the wreckage left behind by the previous administration thought he would build a side capable of challenging for the title in his first season. However, as players like Kyogo, Abada, Carter-Vickers and Juranovic settled into the side and old hands like Rogic, McGregor and even Nir Bitton, rediscovered form and confidence, it was clear that real progress has been made.

The Manager’s style of playing the game has slowly been taken on board by the players and when it clicks it can be joyful to watch. There remains though, a fragility about the team’s defence at times which is exploited by more streetwise teams, especially in Europe, but supporters generally feel that once the right personnel are in place that will lessen. Another concern is the failure to kill teams off when Celtic is clearly on top in games and a noticeable number of games have been won by just one goal this season. In mitigation, the injury list has been a long one this season and some of the key absentees have been goal-scorers like Kyogo, Jota and the as yet untested Giakoumakis.

The two great arts of football are scoring goals and stopping the opposition doing likewise. If Celtic are to put in a real challenge for the title after the winter break, then they need to up their game in both those areas. Ange knows this and is already looking to strengthen the depth and quality of the squad. His brand of attacking football is inviting lesser sides in Scotland to ‘park the bus,’ and hope for a goal on the break. His tactical thinking will need to evolve to counter this. Watching Celtic have 80% of the ball, 30 attempts on goal and still need to rely on a 97^th minute winner at Ross County should signal to him that he needs to consider alternatives in some games.

That being said, the guy stepped off a plane six months ago, adopted a coaching staff left by his predecessor and a team totally lacking in confidence and direction. He reinvigorated the team, brought in some very useful additions and gave them a pattern of play which is already proving successful. The League cup is in the trophy cabinet and while the team are six points adrift in the title race, there is renewed hope for the second half of the season.

Most Celtic supporters realise that Ange Postecoglou is only at the beginning of his journey with Celtic and his team is far from the finished article. Given time and backing it’s exciting to imagine where he will take the club in the next few years. Yes, he has given the team shape, confidence and the freedom to express themselves, but more importantly, he has given the supporters back their hope and that is a precious gift indeed.

 

 

Remembering Bertie Auld

 

Remembering Bertie Auld

Bertie Auld approached life with a smile on his face and was one of the great characters of Scottish football. He learned his trade in the rough street games of Glasgow’s working-class community and was steeled further playing in the Junior league with Maryhill. There was no doubt he was a tough cookie on the field of play but he could play the game too.

The boy from Panmure street in Maryhill wasn’t from a traditional Celtic family but from the day in 1955 when he returned home from Celtic Park clutching a £20 signing on fee given to him by Jimmy McGrory, he was Celtic to the core. His fiery temperament and lippy nature ruffled a few feathers in the stuffy days of the 1950s and  after less than a hundred games for Celtic, the club sold him to Birmingham City where he won the League Cup in 1962-63 and appeared in the Inter-Cities Fairs cup final. (A forerunner of the UEFA Cup)

One of football’s great raconteurs, the stories Bertie told are the stuff of legend. He recalled playing for Birmingham in a European tie and noticing the referee was fellow Scot, Tiny Wharton. He approached Wharton and said before kick-off, ‘You know, we’re the only two Scots on this field so any chance you could do us a wee turn tonight? Tiny ignored him until later in the game when Bertie clattered an opponent. The six-foot four referee approached him saying, ‘Remember you said there were the only two Scots on the field? Well, there’s only one now. Off!’

Bertie had some measure of revenge when he returned to Celtic in the mid-1960s. He asked Wharton what would happen if he called him a bastard. Wharton replied that he’d send him off. He then asked, ‘what if I just think you’re a bastard?’ Wharton replied, ‘I can’t do anything if you just think it.’ To which Bertie replied, ‘well I think you’re a bastard!’

His time at Birmingham also saw him lay out the golden boy of English football, Johnny Haynes of Fulham. He recalls in his book the incident in the following words…

‘As we trotted back Haynes was giving as good as he got, ‘I’ll get you the next time you little Scottish bastard.’ I snapped as we reached the centre circle and thought it would be a good idea to give him a dull one. I whacked him. Our pitch was hard as flint and he went down like a sack of spuds. His head thudded off the surface and he just lay there.’

Bertie was sent off and as he trotted from the field, Fulham’s hulking centre half Maurice Cooke approached him to extract some revenge. To the astonishment of all, the little Scot clocked him too and left him on his back on the turf.

Bertie’s brand of tough, incisive football, combined with a certain gallusness, made him a mainstay in the Celtic side Jock Stein constructed in the years after 1965. That side had an alchemy, a magic which made it more than the sum of its parts. From their experienced old goalkeeper, Ronnie Simpson to a defence in which the full backs were expected to attack as much as they defended and the imperious McNeill was backed up by that great reader of the game, John Clark. The midfield comprised of the dynamic Bobby Murdoch ably assisted by Bertie Auld. These two could tackle, run and pass with an accuracy which suited the pace of Lennox and the virtuoso ball playing genius of Jimmy Johnstone. Up front Wallace and Chalmers posed a threat to any defence.

It is recorded that as Celtic lined up in the tunnel beside the tanned athletes of Inter Milan on that hot day in Lisbon in 1967, Bertie sensed they needed a spur. He began to sing the Celtic Song as the bemused Italians looked on. Soon every Celtic player was belting it out, and Inter knew they had a real game on their hands. The eleven pale Scots proceeded to tutor Inter on the art of attacking football and the 2-1 score line barely registers Celtic’s mastery that day.

Bertie Auld was a man of his time and never forgot his roots. He’d be seen standing chatting to fans, posing for photos with them or signing autographs for far longer than modern professionals would. He epitomised the spirit of the Lisbon Lions and took huge pride in what they had achieved. Above this he was also a lifelong friend to all the players he played with at Celtic and he simply loved their company. So many video clips exist showing him happy and at ease among his old comrades, his infectious laughter echoing around the room. It was obvious that that band of brothers had great love for each other.

As the old brigade leave us one by one, we are left with memories and thankfully a video record of their brilliance to show the young who never saw them play. For me Bertie will be the man holding the ball in the air after defeating Leeds United at Hampden in 1970. He will be the gallus Maryhill lad winding up Herrera’s Inter in the tunnel in Lisbon. He will also be the man who took such pride in wearing that hooped shirt and in entertaining the fans. Above all he was one of us and he loved Celtic with a passion that so many of us share. That shone through in his interactions with the fans, his tales, his jokes and his willingness to attend supporters’ functions from Lanarkshire to Las Vegas.

His great rival at Rangers, John Greig, once stood in the tunnel at Ibrox before a game with Bertie nearby. ‘How much is your win bonus today?’ Greig enquired. Bertie replied, ‘we’re on a fiver each if we win.’ Greig smiled, ‘Really, we’re on ten quid win bonus.’ ‘Aye,’ said Bertie, ‘but we’re guaranteed it. You’re getting nothing.’ That was Bertie, a sharp wit, a sharp footballer and a man forever recognised as Bertie Auld; Celtic legend.

He'd like that.   

Bertie Auld (1938-2021) 

It’s in the blood

 

It’s in the blood

I have spent the last few of days on the beautiful island of Arran having a wee break from city life and social media. I took a stroll up Goat Fell, well, I say a stroll; a nine-mile hike up and down a 2867 ft high granite Corbett is more challenging than a mere stroll. It was one of those bright, clear October days you get now and then and once on the summit, the view was stunning. Scotland on a sunny day is world class in its beauty and grandeur.

Of course, when match day comes along you feel that strange urge to find out how your team is doing. I sat in a quiet corner of the hotel Bar with my trusty iPad in front of me and found one of those free online streams that seem to offer a better-quality service than Celtic TV. A chap at the opposite table smiled and nodded at me in that way a desperate footy fans nods to a fellow traveller. Being Scotland, there’s always that moments hesitation before contact where folk fret that the person they’re about to talk football with might a fan of their greatest rivals. Celtic and Rangers fans are like Sherlock Holmes when sussing out which side a random stranger supports. Even wearing the club shirt of a completely different team is a clue. St Pauli or Dortmund is 90% certain to be a Celt whilst a Chelsea or even England top would suggest not. Tattoos are another giveaway and, as I know to well, so are certain names.

The chap in the bar played his cards well though; ‘Are you watching the Motherwell game?’ he asked. A skilful opening ploy because if I had said, ‘No, Rangers and Hearts,’ he still hadn’t declared his allegiance. His luck was in though and I said, ‘Yeh, fancy watching it?’ He needed no second invitation and in two minutes flat we were two Celts engrossed in watching our team’s comfortable win over the steelmen.

He told me about his life in selling golfing holidays and how it had taken him all over the world. He had watched Celtic games at 6am in Australia, 10am in New York and at midnight in Kuala Lumpur. ‘It’s in the blood,’ he smiled. ‘No matter where I am, I always try and watch Celtic. I even keep a clock on my phone at Celtic Park Time.’ It struck me that there will have been Celtic supporters in all parts of the globe enjoying Tom Rogic’s defence splitting pass for Jota’s opener and David Turnbull’s rocket for the second goal. Once the green and white bug gets you, it can be mighty hard to shake it off.

Celtic looked comfortable today and in the past couple of games at Pittodrie and Fir Park have managed to find a way to win. That ability to knock the ball about and play intricate passes works well on the wide spaces of the bowling green that is Celtic Park but in these difficult and often physical away matches, the ability to grind out results is what pays dividends in May. Postecoglou’s team is capable of great movement and passing but has had a couple of bruising reminders that nice guys get nothing in the physical world of Scottish football. You need to dig in and fight for every ball in the SPFL and our latest recruits are learning that.

Today’s match struck me as odd in that Motherwell closed a section of the away stand as Celtic changed there and came wandering down the stairs of the stand in an incongruous way we might never see again. These Covid days have thrown up so many odd sights, not least an entire season played in empty stadiums which I still maintain affected Celtic more than most sides. Few clubs are as well backed by their fans and I think their absence showed in the end.

One aspect of the game I was too enamoured with was the songbook adopted by a section of the Celtic support. At a time when various sections of Scottish society are waking up to the anti-Irish racism in our midst and anti-Catholic prejudice, do we really need Celtic fans singing about the IRA? I’d also be total hypocrite calling out Rangers fans for their ‘famine song’ and Billy Boys’ antics and say nothing about what we heard today. That ‘roamin’ in the gloamin’ tosh should be nowhere near a Celtic game and I’m glad the majority at the match seemed to ignore it totally. The brief airing of the song which mentions Davie Cooper, albeit sung by a very small minority, was tasteless and moronic. We could so easily inhabit the moral high ground on this subject, yet an unthinking minority seem to be happy dragging us down to the level of the very thing we claim to despise?

A lot of folk who write about Celtic don’t touch this subject with a barge pole as they feel the inevitable flak they get isn’t worth the hassle. Folk will tell you there is no equivalence between an Irish Republican song and the racist bile we hear from others. That is absolutely true, songs about a nation's struggle for independence from a larger neighbour who oppressed it for centuries can't be classed in the same category as blatant racist ditties like the famine song. But it’s 2021, will we ever move on from this stuff being heard at Scottish football matches? Of course, you pay your money and you make your own choices but when folk outside the Glasgow bubble talk about Celtic and Rangers as ‘two cheeks of the same arse’ annoying as it is to most Celtic fans, it isn't hard to see how they arrive that impression. That being said, Rangers using the tune from the Famine song on an advert on their official media channels demonstrates either breath taking insensitivity or arrogant disreguard for the thoughts of others. Motherwell fans chanting about child abuse today, not for the first time either, discredits the 'family club' identity they seek to portray and is as tedious as it is insensitive to anyone affected by abuse.

I know we tend to mellow as we get older and I freely admit to having sung plenty of political songs in the old Jungle and beyond.  I know that when boyhood’s fire is in the blood, there is a tendency to enjoy a bevy and the ‘Rebs’ and there’s nothing wrong with that, apart from maybe the time and place? It maybe an unpopular opinion but it is nonetheless how I feel about it. Celtic is a broad church these days with fans from various walks of life. There will be various opinions about what constitutes a Celtic song and we can agree to differ and still be as equally fervent in our backing of the team we all hold dear.

Celtic face a trip to Easter Rd soon and when that is past will have played all of our top rivals away from home in the first quarter of the season. Rangers have faced Celtic, Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen and Motherwell at Ibrox in the first round of games and will face them all away in the second quarter of the campaign so we are not without hope going into the autumn.

Ange is making progress with the team and Julien, Forrest and Juranovic are edging towards fitness again. The next couple of months is going to be very interesting indeed.