The Sacrament

 

The Sacrament

Well, that’s another year over and for those who follow Celtic it has been a strange mixture of wins and worry, of trophies and tribulation. 2025 began with the team well in control in the title race but slipping to a 3-0 defeat in the derby match. The team then won ten domestic games in succession to surge towards the title and put up a decent fight against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The team wasn’t always firing on all cylinders as the spring arrived but nonetheless were expected to win the cup final with Aberdeen and complete another treble. Celtic trounced the Reds 5-1 at Pittodrie two weeks before facing them at Hampden and in retrospect that may have fed the notion that they were certain to win the cup. As we all know, Aberdeen parked the bus at Hampden in a show of defensive defiance, and doggedness the likes of which has not seen since the Zulus attacked Rourke’s drift in 1879. Celtic seemed to run out of ideas and stumbled towards a penalty shoot-out, which, with an almost fatalistic sense of history, they lost. Few could begrudge the dogged Dons their moment of glory but it really was one that got away for Celtic.

The following season began with the team failing to defeat Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play-off match and suffering yet more penalty shoot out misery. For many fans, this result, coupled with the down sizing of the team hurt. How could a club with £70m in the bank allow the side to decline so quickly? Good players left and were not adequately replaced. Stalwarts were out injured, adding to the problems and the manager was clearly hinting in interviews that didn’t feel the club was supporting his in the manner he wanted. With the fans increasingly feeling ignored and patronised, it all came to a head at the end of October when Brendan Rodgers resigned. The club’s response was curt and ungracious…

‘Celtic Football Club can confirm that football manager Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation. It has been accepted by the Club and Brendan will leave his role with immediate effect. The Club appreciates Brendan’s contribution to Celtic during his two very successful periods at the Club. Brendan leaves Celtic with our thanks for the role he has played during a period of continued success for the Club and we wish him further success in the future.’

Worse was to follow when the club’s biggest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, used the club’s website to launch a barbed critique on why Rodgers quit. Rodgers was accused of misleading fans over his contract talks and the club's transfer business and it was claimed in the article that Rodgers was "divisive" and had "fuelled hostility" toward the board and executive team. Desmond suggested Celtic's recent struggles were down to "one individual's desire for self-preservation" Amid the backdrop of increasing fan protests, which have called for the board to be sacked, Desmond blamed Rodgers for "contributing to a toxic atmosphere" at Celtic.

It was explosive stuff and as sections of the support were in open rebellion against a board they saw as overseeing an almost managed decline in the team, the hunt was on for a new manager. With Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney doing a good job as the interim management team, there were many who thought that they should be allowed to lead the team for the rest of the season. He had steadied the ship, organised the team in a manner suited to their abilities and if they weren’t in the same class as the team O’Neill built 25 years ago, at least he had them confident again and winning. The board in their wisdom pulled the plug though and brought in Wilfried Nancy from the American league. Most fans were willing to give the Frenchman a chance, but rather than stick with O’Neill’s pattern of play, Nancy immediately reverted to a back three. Without injured defensive first team players such as Johnston and Carter Vickers, the team looked confused and ill at ease with the system and began to leak goals at an alarming rate. Hearts came to Celtic Park and won 2-1 in his first game in charge. It wasn’t the tactical master class from Derek McInnes that some claim as Celtic missed some good chances to take something from the game. It was, however, clear from the Hearts’ goals that the defence was struggling. Next up was a very good Roma side who defeated Celtic 3-0 in a match they seldom needed to get out of third gear to win. Alarm bells were ringing though and fans began to question why the manager was playing ‘round pegs in square holes’ when it was obvious the team wasn’t coping well with his tactical demands. The league cup final with St Mirren followed and it seemed the time to switch to a more traditional set up as the Saints are a big, awkward side to play against. In fairness to St Mirren though, they brilliantly exposed Celtic’s defensive frailties and defended well to deservedly win 3-1.

No previous Celtic manager had lost their first 3 matches and it was with some trepidation that the side headed to Tannadice to play a Dundee United side that hadn’t beaten Celtic in 11 long years. Celtic started well, took the lead and missed some easy chances to kill the game off. However, when United equalised there was a nervousness about Celtic which saw them go into their shell and eventually lose the match. It had been a horrendous start to Nancy’s managerial career at Celtic Park. It seemed as if any team with a good tactical nous could exploit the spaces down the sides of Celtic’s back three. To play that system, a team required three good, pacy centre backs and wing backs who can get up and down the line well. O’Neill had that a generation ago with Didier Agathe and McNamara flanking the likes of Valgaeren, Mjallby and Balde. Nancy doesn’t have players of that quality today.

Celtic did defeat Aberdeen and Livingston in their next two matches. In the Aberdeen game they should have been out of sight at half time and yet found themselves at 1-1 with ten minutes left. Two late goals won the match but in truth Aberdeen played poorly. Livingston having won just 1 SPFL match all season managed to exploit Celtic’s leaky defence and in an extraordinary start to the match had the game tied at 2-2 after ten minutes. Celtic eventually wore them down with the help of one of those fortuitous penalties the VAR system doles out now and then, but the fans remain unconvinced with the manager’s style of play and tactical know how in a league he is new to. The match at Fir Park earlier this week seemed to confirm that any decent, organised team will give Celtic trouble. The alarm bells were ringing loudly after that toothless, confused display. Two wins in seven matches is unacceptable at a club like Celtic and Nancy is feeling the pressure.

So next up is the Glasgow derby with a Rangers side who are grinding out results and have had the rub of the green via recent VAR decisions. They’ll know of Celtic’s defensive set up and be out to exploit it. This match has great significance for Celtic which goes beyond a mere 3 points. The intensity of the rivalry and the ongoing split between the board and sections of the support mean that defeat could turn discontent into something much stronger.

I was chatting to a fellow fan on WhatsApp about events at Celtic Park in recent times and what the manager needs to do to turn things around. He responded with one of those darkly, unintentionally funny typos which made me laugh out loud. It read, ‘Wilfried might not be on the last rites just yet, but he has had the sacrament of the dick.’ Even in these troubled times for Celtic, we had to laugh at that one.

So welcome to 2026. Strap yourself in as I have a feeling it’s going to be quite a ride.

Sort it out

 

Sort it out

Watching Celtic stumble to another defeat in Europe this week wasn’t as traumatic as one would expect. Roma was quite obviously the better side but we do tend to help such teams by some chronic defending. Fans around me in the north stand were of the opinion that the team is in transition and Europe is something of a bridge too far this season. One even suggested that, painful as it was, the failure to beat Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play off might have been a blessing in disguise as it probably saved us from watching the team take some even more comprehensive beatings. Although we would have faced the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Sporting CP, I tend to think you take your chances and the money going in the UCL and give it your best shot.

Some of the fans around me were more concerned with domestic matters this season and continuing an almost unparallelled period of domestic domination. One remarked, ‘with our injury list and the way we’ve been playing, it’s some going to be just 3 points behind Hearts.’ Personally, I still think Hearts will be coming down with the Christmas decorations and will finish third this season but I’ve been wrong before. Having said that, they’ll never have a better opportunity of catching both the big Glasgow clubs in such mediocre form and ending a 40 year wait for someone out-with the Glasgow duopoly winning the title. I simply can’t see Celtic being so disjointed for the rest of the season and remain confident the Hoops will be there when the finishing line approaches in May.

Wilfried Nancy has had something of a baptism of fire in the Celtic hot seat. We praised Martin O’Neill for coming through a very demanding week of St Mirren (away) Feyenoord (away) and Hibs (Away) and winning all three games. Nancy had Hearts and Roma at Celtic Park for starters and chose to tinker with the team’s shape for those important games. Hearts fans were obviously delighted to win the match but in retrospect only poor finishing from Maeda and Engels stopped Celtic from taking something from the game. Talk by some media pundits of Hearts ‘schooling’ Celtic was simply nonsense. They have clearly improved under McInnes and are a dangerous side, but they rode their luck against a Celtic side playing well below par.

Nancy now faces that rugged and physical St Mirren side in the League Cup Final on Sunday. The Saints will only be encouraged by Celtic’s form but the bigger pitch at Hampden will make it more difficult for them to deny Celtic space. They will have had 8 days to prepare for the cup final, having not kicked a ball since they beat Dundee United 2-0 a week ago. They will be fresh and have had ample time to practice their game plan so Celtic are going to have to earn it the hard way on Sunday. The last three games between the clubs have been very close so Celtic will need to step up and play. There’s a lot riding on the result of Sunday’s league cup final. Wilfried Nancy needs to convince the fans he is the right man to develop Celtic. The Celtic hierarchy need a positive result to lighten the mood around them and the club. The team needs the confidence boost being winners will give them and reignite their season. There is no room for hiding or empty shirts on cup final day.

The Celtic fans will play their part at Hampden as they always do. Most of us wish the support was united and in harmony with the club but as you all know there are factions who seem distracted by the ongoing dispute with the board. I’m not sure to what extent the wider support is behind them on this. We all realise the board made a complete hash of the summer transfer window and have allowed players in key positions to leave without adequate replacements being brought in. They failed to communicate adequately with the fans just what was going on and when the deal for the long sought after striker, Kasper Dolberg, collapsed and he joined Ajax, it led to a desperate scramble to bring in players in the dying days of the transfer window. It was obvious the squad started the season weaker, especially in forward areas, and when the injuries piled up, form tailed off.

The 56,188 fans who paid to watch Celtic take on Roma this week are no fools. They can see that the side who took Bayern Munich all the way in the Champions League last season has been stripped of players who contributed over 50 goals that season (Kuhn, Idah & Kyogo) and that they weren’t replaced with like for like quality. We know the Scottish league isn’t an easy place to entice good players to come too, but the club has the finances to attract certain targets and let them know that in time they’d let them go should a bigger league come calling. Fans were right to express disquiet at the decline in the standard of the team and the lack of communication from the board to explain just what was going on.

The march of supporters from St Mary’s church to the stadium for the Hearts game attracted a decent crowd and there were banners displayed at the stadium protesting the board’s failings. Any parallels drawn between the situation now and what occurred in the early 1990s are facile and wide of the mark. Celtic was facing insolvency in 1993-94, the stadium was crumbling and the team ill equipped to take on free spending Rangers. Today the side is dominant, finances strong and only the perceived poor performance in identifying and signing good players to strengthen the side is holding Celtic back on the field.

Off the field, the ongoing dispute with sections of the support rumbles on. The Celtic Collective, an umbrella title used to represent a considerable number of fans has raised concerns about board incompetence, the banning of the Green Brigade, dropping standards on the field, a poor match day experience, ticketing prices, the ageing stadium and poor communication with fans. There may be some truth in all of this, but there are those who point to 42 trophies won in 25 years, a healthy financial position and a board duty bound to respond to local authority safety guidelines on behaviour in football grounds. My take on this is that the fans are nowhere near as united behind the ‘rebels’ as they were in the 1990s when the old board almost led Celtic into administration. There are many who see faults on both sides and wish they’d sort things out and we can get back to being a united support, focusing on backing our team for 90 minutes and not being distracted by off field issues. As Henry Ford said… ‘Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.’ We all want the same thing so sit down and sort it out and let’s get back to helping our club be all it can be.

Disunited we can do so little; united we can do so much.

The Split

 

The Split

Brendan Behan, author, raconteur and one time IRA volunteer once joked that the first item on the agenda of any Dublin IRA meeting was always the split. There is a grain of truth in his assertation that there is a quarrelsome and fractious part of the Celtic soul. The founding generation of Celtic FC would doubtless agree with that as there were those who dropped out at an early stage as others, described as the ‘more pushy types,’ took over in those early days.

We saw the breakaway Glasgow Hibernians formed by James Quillin, a former Celtic committee member who disliked the way he saw Celtic going in 1889 and became embroiled in messy squabbling with other Celtic committee members in the press. He had initially invited Edinburgh Hibernians to relocate to Glasgow and when they refused, he and others who became known as ‘Quillinites’ founded the new Glasgow Hibernians FC. His vision was that the new club be modelled on the Edinburgh club and that players be drawn from the Irish Catholic community. They set up home in what is today Richmond Park, by the river Clyde and wore tops with vertical green and maroon stripes. Celtic watched from a distance as the new club rose and then vanished within 18 months, laden with debt. It’s interesting to think what the football landscape of Scotland would have looked like had Glasgow Hibernians survived, but with most of their target audience already committed to Celtic, their growth may have been limited.

Down through all the years that Celtic has existed, there has always been dissention, though most of it was led by people who wanted only the best for the club. Today’s AGM ended amid farcical scenes as a well-prepared and coordinated group of shareholders, heckled, chanted and generally made the smooth running of the meeting very difficult. Initial viewing of what went on suggest a more measured approach might have lent itself to close questioning of directors on their failings. In a sense they gave the board all the excuses they needed to halt proceedings and avoid serious scrutiny. They may reflect on that and conclude it was a tactical error.

Dermot Desmond, Celtic biggest shareholder (though not owner as is often reported) sent his son Ross to read a statement in his absence. It proved to be incendiary in its content. Among other things he said: ‘There is no doubt we make mistakes and try to learn from them, but we will not be bullied by aggressive factions.’ Desmond also claimed the protesters were "people whose only vocation in life is being anti-establishment.”  These comments were met by anger from some in the hall and there were chants of sack the board’ and the meeting was wound up by Peter Lawwell. Celtic released a short statement on the club website later in the day which said…

‘Regrettably, due to the continuing disruptive conduct of a small number of individuals preventing the orderly management of today’s AGM, we were required to conclude the meeting earlier than we had planned. Such conduct is completely unacceptable and hugely disappointing, and while today’s events are completely out-with our control, clearly, we regret the impact on our shareholders who were deprived of the opportunity to take part in an orderly and constructive meeting.’

Various Celtic podcasts and social media accounts are predictably focussing on Ross Desmond’s seemingly harsh words for the ‘bullies’ and ‘anti-establishment’ types, seeing them as a direct slander on fans trying to force the club to change and give the support a team to be proud of. They are remarkably quiet about the boorish behaviour of a minority which had the AGM abandoned, seeing it as legitimate protest. Perhaps those protesting realise that their suggestions and ideas for the way forward would have little chance of success given the percentage of shares held by the board and their allies? Either way, the board has performed poorly in certain aspects of their remit, and seemed to admit as much, but surely an orderly meeting would have allowed for questioning and a much closer scrutiny of their actions and perceived inactions?

The immediate way forward looks fraught as neither side looks like backing down. The board hold most of the cards at the moment as they control the majority of the shares in the club. Those protesting need to put in place a realistic vision of the way forward that goes beyond suggesting mass resignations of board members. Who is likely to come in and buy Celtic shares worth tens of millions of pounds? Who will ensure they are the right people to lead Celtic forward?  The current board is widely regarded as being financially prudent to the degree that Celtic have been called the best run club in the UK. That being said, they made a horrendous mess of the summer transfer window, communicate poorly and totally mishandled the departure of Brendan Rodgers. The statement released by Dermot Desmond in the wake of Rodgers’ departure was graceless and unnecessarily vindictive. A Celtic representative should be above such things.

This unholy mess has come at a time when the team is dealing with an injury list as long as your arm and facing a run of very tough fixtures domestically and in Europe. There is a clear disconnect between a section of the Celtic support and those running the club. How big that section of the support is remains to be seen.  The Celtic support as a whole is divided and that is not healthy. Some agree with the reasons the fans protesting but not the methodology utilised. Others feel the whole thing is affecting the team at a time when they need our backing.  I tend to think that talking is the way forward. We tend not to hear each other when we shout. We all want the same thing; a thriving, forward thinking, competitive football club so let’s sit around the table like adults and see how we can achieve this. As Brendan Behan said…

“The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.”

 

 

Jigsaw

 

Jigsaw

Jazzer watched the muscular Moussa Dembele pirouette like a ballet dancer and flip the ball over his own head with deft precision. The startled Manchester City goalkeeper was totally caught out and as 60,000 fans held their breath, the ball, a white blur under the lights, flashed past him and into the net.  James ‘Jazzer’ McDonald felt a familiar surge of energy rip through him as he leapt from his seat in the packed Jock Stein stand. His brother, Tam, was already shrieking in his face and embracing him as Celtic Park erupted. A tsunami of noise and joy spilled from the stands and onto the field as this incredible football match totally entranced those watching. When the seething mass of humanity behind the Manchester City goal calmed a little, Tam pointed to Jazzer’s phone lying on the concrete step at his feet. ‘Best not lose that tonight, bro,’ he said, his grin as wide as the Clyde. As the songs boomed around the stadium, Jazzer picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. There were thankfully no cracks but his faced changed when he saw the notifications saying he had 8 missed calls and 7 unread messages.

 As play raged from one end of the field to the other, he quickly scanned his messages before saying to his brother, ‘Clare’s in labour. I need to go.’ Tam shook his head, ’och, talk aboot bad timing.’ He handed his brother the keys of his car. ‘I’ll let you know the final score. Off ye go and good luck.’ The walkway under the stand was almost deserted and a group of yellow coated stewards stood under a TV watching the game. ‘I hate tae bother you guys,’ Jazzer said, ‘but need tae get oot; family emergency.’ One of the stewards tutted and exhaled in an exasperated manner. ‘Right, follow me.’ He unbolted the big metal exit door and Jazzer slipped out of the noisy stadium and walked quickly along a deserted Janefield Street. He turned onto Holywell Street and headed towards the Forge retail park, where his brother’s car was parked. The streets were eerily quiet, although the low rumbling from the stadium drifted into the dark sky like distant artillery fire. Most folk were likely watching the football on tv, he thought to himself. He located the car quickly and was soon driving towards the Royal Infirmary, the radio blaring out commentary from Celtic Park.

Paul Magnus McDonald took his first breath at 11.03 pm on the 28^th day of September 2016. Jazzer had made it to the delivery room on time and only realised he still had his Celtic scarf on when the midwife handed him his son. He and his wife Clare had just stared at their son for the longest time as if they couldn’t believe that they had brought this little miracle into being. His phone was buzzing with people asking about the baby or talking about the match with Manchester City, but he ignored it. His universe had shrunk to the small room occupied by him, Clare and their beautiful boy.

 Wee Paul was a joy to his parents in that first year. While Clare liked nothing better than to dress him up and take him out in his pram, Jazzer was already thinking long term and placed his son’s name on the Celtic season ticket waiting list. It was around Paul’s first birthday that they both noticed some odd behaviours. He stopped making eye contact with them and didn’t respond to his name. He never smiled and was unresponsive to the games they tried to play with him. They would sing to him, tickle him and wave soft toys in front of him, but his responses were minimal. Clare had looked at Jazzer one day and said, ‘I think we should take him to the doctor. Maybe his eyes need checked?’

 ‘Autism?’ said Jazzer. ‘What the hell is autism?’ The doctor smiled, ‘Mr McDonald. You have a beautiful, healthy boy but he is not what we call neuro-typical. He’ll see the world differently from others but he’ll still need your love and support.’ Jazzer looked at his wife. ‘No fears there, doc. We both love the bones of that wee guy. Can you tell us what tae expect in the years ahead and what we can do tae help him.’ The doctor nodded, ‘the first thing you can do is to be prepared for the ignorance of others. Your son is different; not worse, not better than other children, but different. Some people with no experience of autism will assume any unusual behaviour they see is down to poor parenting or lack of discipline. You’ll need to develop a thick skin as you guide your son through the years ahead. Time will tell how profound or not his autism is, but you will face a lot of challenges.’ The doctor spoke to them for twenty minutes on what was likely to happen as Paul developed. They listened avidly, determined to learn and determined do their very best for their son.

 Over the next few years, Jazzer read books, articles and even took part in workshops on autism as he and Clare learned how best to understand their son and to help him deal with an unpredictable world. He met other parents with children on the spectrum and soon learned that despite their similarities in some ways, every child was a unique individual. Paul’s sensitivity to noise meant that there was no chance he could join his father at the football. Jazzer would watch him line up his toy cars every day as if he was trying to bring order to the chaos of the world. Repetitive play was one feature of autism Jazzer had learned to accept. He soon learned that James would also flap his hands when he was becoming stressed and Jazzer took this as his cue to find the cause and remedy the situation. There were occasional meltdowns in shops and the odd broken nights’ sleep, but there were also times when Paul was gentle and loving. He’d sit on his dad’s lap while Jazzer read stories to him or played with his sensory toys.

Jazzer could see the occasional accusatory looks from people when Paul was overstimulated in a public place and expressed his stress by acting out. He’d hear the occasions mutters from those with no idea why Paul was upset. Once, when Paul was having something of a meltdown in a big shopping centre, he saw a man wearing a small coloured badge in the shape of a jigsaw on his lapel, approach. He smiled and said quietly, ‘it could be the lights here but more likely the noise. You can get good ear defenders in the tool store. They’ll help.’ Jazzer didn’t catch his name but it was good to meet someone who understood. He also took his advice. Paul wore his ear defenders any time they headed out and it helped him cope in noisy environments.

 In was in the spring of 2023 that Paul first showed any awareness of football. He had seen his dad head out to the match most weekends for just about all of his life but seldom took any notice. Jazzer and his brother sat on the couch watching the cup final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Paul had been out in the garden enjoying the bright sunshine with his mum, but came wandering in to see what the noise was after Kyogo Furuhashi put Celtic ahead. He gazed at his father and uncle who looked very happy, and much to Jazzer’s surprise squeezed onto the couch beside him and gazed at the tv. Jazzer turned the volume down slightly but his son seemed happy enough just to watch the movement on the screen. When Leil Abada scored to make it 2-0 for Celtic, Jazzer’s celebration was more subdued as he didn’t want to startle Paul. He sat quite happily until the game finished and Celtic had won 3-1. As the cup was being hoisted into the air, Paul looked at his father and said simply, ‘outside.’ He got up and wandered back into the garden, leaving his father and uncle to enjoy the celebrations.

It was at the start of the following season when Jazzer was in the pub with Tam discussing their team’s prospects for the year ahead, when a chance remark got Jazzer thinking. One of their friends, a bearded plumber by the name of Eddie, was taking his daughter to her first ever game. He had chosen the upcoming testimonial match for James Forrest as tickets were freely available. ‘Should be a good match for the wee yin tae start her Celtic watching career,’ he said, sipping his beer. ‘You ever think of taking Paul tae the game?’ Jazzer shook his head. ’He has a sensitivity tae noise, even with his ear protectors on, he might not handle it.’  Eddie looked at him, ‘Jazzer,’ he said, ‘have ye not heard Celtic have a soundproof sensory room now for kids on the spectrum tae watch the matches? My cousin takes her wee one, she tells me it’s great.’ Jazzer shook his head, ‘I had no idea mate. You think I could take Paul?’ His friend nodded, ‘haud oan, I’ll phone my cousin and get the details.’ Jazzer looked at his brother Tam, who smiled encouragingly. Tam knew how much it would mean to his big brother to take his son to Celtic Park. He hoped it could be made to happen.

Tuesday, August 1^st 2023 was the day that Athletic Club from Spain came calling to play in James Forrest’s testimonial. When Jazzer got home from his work, he saw that Paul was already wearing his Celtic shirt. Clare looked at him, ‘if he not managing, bring him home. OK?’ Jazzer nodded, ‘but it’s a proper sensory room like the one at school. The only difference is it’s in a football stadium. He’ll be fine.’ They set of early with Paul strapped into his booster seat in the car and headed to Celtic Park. The streets were still quiet around the stadium, though the flag and scarf sellers were in position as Jazzer and Paul made their way to the Lisbon Lions stand.

As he stood gazing up at the huge stand, Jazzer felt a little emotional. His great grandfather, a navvy from Donegal, had watched McGrory and John Thompson here. His grandad had seen Tully, Evans and Stein play the game. His father had grown up watching the Lisbon Lions sweep all before them. Jazzer had enjoyed watching Larsson, Sutton and Lubo strut their stuff. Now, Paul, would be the fifth generation of his family to enter Celtic Park. Whether he watched any of the football remained to be seen, but that might come in time.

The sensory room was called the Lions’ View and was tastefully decorated in green and white stripes. There were sensory toys, lights and bean bags strategically placed and the whole room gave the impression of being very well thought out. A row of soft chairs sat by the double-glazed window and Jazzer lifted Paul up to get his first glimpse of the stadium. ‘Look, Paul,’ he smiled, adjusting his son’s ear protectors, ‘Celtic Park.’ Paul seemed more interested in the autumn leaves being projected onto the floor and squirmed free of his father. He lay on the floor with several other children, entranced by the lights and the feel of the screen, Jazzer let him be. It was his first time here and he was entitled to just getting to know the place.

Jazzer strategically placed himself by the side of the window as the muffled sounds of the crowd told him the game was underway. Despite keeping a close eye on his son, he did see Reo Hatate score for Celtic in an exciting first half which ended with Athletic club 2-1 ahead. The second half saw Celtic pile on the pressure and Bernabei equalised. The roar from David Turnbull’s winning goal was just about audible through the glass. To Jazzer’s surprise, Paul climbed into one of the high, soft chairs and gazed out at the celebrating Celtic players. He pointed out towards the pitch and said in a low voice, ‘Celtic.’ It was only one word, but Jazzer felt a wave of emotion sweep though him. ‘Aye, son, it bloody is,’ he said. He knew then that Paul would not be a stranger to Celtic Park. A watching mother slipped him a handkerchief. ‘You too?’ she smiled. Jazzer nodded, ‘what are we like, eh?’

Driving with the brakes on

 

Driving with the brakes on

Watching Celtic deservedly defeat Rangers at Hampden Park in the league cup semi-final at the weekend was as exciting as it was refreshing. The first half saw Celtic move the ball forward faster and the Hoops players were unafraid to turn the Rangers defence with long balls behind their back line. It wasn’t perfect and the team conceded a few chances but it was a refreshing change from Brendan Rodgers’ preferred tactic of keeping the ball away from the opposition. Celtic managed 21 attempts on the Rangers goal with their more direct, aggressive approach and really should have been out of sight in that first 45 minutes. Their energy and aggression forced errors from a Rangers defence that were glad to reach half time just one goal behind.

Brendan Rodgers was a terrific manager for Celtic as his trophy haul testifies, but since the turn of the year, Celtic have been difficult to watch. The recycling of the ball from left to right and back again in some games saw the Celtic centre backs with more touches of the ball than any other players on the field. This reached its nadir in the Scottish cup final with Aberdeen, when Celtic had 82% possession and fashioned just one clear cut chance in 95 minutes of football. O’Neill proved against Rangers that if you are aggressive and risk losing the ball by playing the odd 50-50 pass, then you create more chances and give the fans a much better spectacle to watch.

Watching Celtic this past six months or so reminded me of that classic 1980s Del Amitri song which contains the lyric; ‘When you're driving with the brakes on, when you're swimming with your boots on…’ Celtic under O’Neill looked liberated from that philosophy and played with the sort of freedom and speed the team has been lacking in recent months. The coaching philosophy seems to have changed and the team look the better for it. They weren’t perfect by any means, they gave the opposition the ball more than I would have liked but they were hungry again, eager to get at the Rangers defence. It was much more encouraging than that tepid display at Tynecastle.

One has to wonder at Rodgers team selection for the match at Tynecastle when he played inexperienced, young players in the toughest away venue in the league at the moment. You need experience and dig in those matches and much as I’m all for youngsters getting their chance, it seemed as if the manager was making a point about the threadbare nature of the squad. He had a £6m centre back in the form of Austin Trusty on the bench as well as the seasoned Anthony Ralston, a player who has seldom, if ever, let the team down.

Martin O’Neill is an old fox who knows the game inside out. He spotted immediately Celtic’s lack of physicality and drafted Trusty, Ralston, Kenny and Osmond into the squad. He also let the likes of Reo Hatate know that he’d need to earn his place in midfield with more consistent performances. We all know Celtic’s lack of options in attack have been a source of frustration lately, but the enthusiasm, energy and movement provided by Kenny and Osmond augur well for the future. The two young forwards found the net and could well have scored more. Celtic looked a more aggressive, direct, strong running side and Martin O’Neill’s fingerprints were all over that approach.

Encouraging as the past two matches have been, Celtic now face a very difficult trip to Denmark to face FC Midtjylland. The Danes are currently top of the Europa League having won all three games played so far, including a victory away to Nottingham Forrest. They are no mugs, as those results suggest, and Celtic will need to be on their game to stand any chance of returning home with a decent result. Those European matches will provide an excellent testing ground for the progress Celtic are making and allow the squad to be utilised more fully.

I suspect though, Europe is something of a distraction at the moment as Celtic set their sights on running down Hearts in the SPFL. We are approaching the end of the first quarter of the league season and Derek McInnes will know that the SPFL is a marathon and not a sprint. Celtic will doubtless look to chip away at their lead until they come calling at Celtic Park in December. That game will be a real test of Hearts’ mettle and it remains to be seen if Celtic are still under the guidance of Martin O’Neill or if a new manager is in place. Either way the next couple of months will go a long way to deciding what sort of season Celtic has. The fixtures will come thick and fast and it is noticeable that Celtic will be playing Roma just three days before the League Cup Final with St Mirren. That’s the price of success and we just need to deal with it.

As for Rangers, I think they have a good, young coach who will make them better. It’s up to Celtic to invest wisely, appoint the right coach and stay ahead of them. The lingering hubris of their supporters who yearn for the days when they ruled the roost in Scotland continues to fade as the harsh reality of living within your means hits home. Their predicament reminds me of the phrase "when you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." Celtic have the resources to keep ahead of them but need to use them well and not repeat the sort of transfer window we saw in the summer. We should emerge stronger from each window, not weaker.

I enjoyed the league cup semi-final with Rangers. It reminded me of times past when such games were exciting, end to end dramas with goals, incidents and talking points. It was good to see Celtic set free to really go after their opponents. O’Neill has taken the hand brake off and the weeks ahead should be quite a ride.

 

The Ego has landed

 

The Ego has landed

Celtic don’t do crisis mode that often these days, but the current shambles at the club certainly meets the criteria. Not since the shabby treatment of Jock Stein by the old board in 1978 have we seen such a poorly handled exit. Brendan Rodgers’ decision to resign took many of us by surprise, though his increasingly barbed comments at press conferences would have signalled that not all was well behind the scenes. It comes at a time when sections of the support are at war with the board, and the team is stuttering like a second-hand Honda. Key players are injured or struggling for form and the club is in need of renewal from top to bottom. The biggest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, released a statement that was as scathing as it was ill judged. In it he accused Rodgers, among other things, of contributing to a toxic atmosphere around the club…

‘Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving. They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board. Some of the abuse directed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable. Every member of the Board and executive team is deeply passionate about Celtic and acts at all times with professionalism, integrity, and a shared desire for success. What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.’

I’m sure Brendan Rodgers has been unwise in some of his utterances over the past few weeks, but to pin recent failings on ‘one individual’s desire for self-preservation’ is to tell half the story. We mere mortals who buy our season tickets and stump up for merchandise will never be privy to the goings on behind the scenes at Celtic Park, but it is clear to us that there needs to be a collective responsibility for the club’s poor start to the season. It’s only 8 months since we watched Celtic draw away to Bayern Munich in the Champions league after a 94^th minute equaliser from the Germans. At that point we were hoping to build on a position of strength for the 2025-26 campaign, but Celtic being Celtic, we failed to capitalise on an excellent season. Kuhn, Idah and Taylor moved on. Kyogo was allowed to go earlier without adequate replacement. The club failed to bring in the quality that was required despite sitting on a pile money and the team has regressed. This situation has been compounded by serious injuries to key players as the current campaign began and Celtic now find themselves 8 points behind in the league.

The personal and fairly vindictive tone of Dermot Desmond’s statement on the departure of Brendan Rodgers is unbecoming a senior figure at a club like Celtic. It may be that he was keen to get his version of events out there, but it was worded in an unnecessarily harsh manner and implied that Rodgers was both dishonest and selfish. There has obviously been a major falling out between two big egos, but whatever the truth behind the departure of Brendan Rodgers, a little dignity and reflection should be in order from all at the club. We win together, we lose together and we shouldn’t wash our dirty linen in public.

A million words will now be written about Rodgers’ departure, endless hours of chatting on podcasts, radio phone-in shows and social media will try to decipher what the hell went on. The bottom line though, is that Celtic now need to appoint a manager to salvage a season that is damaged, though not yet beyond repair. He needs to be a manager the fans will respect, who has a proven track record and he needs to be given adequate funds to reinvigorate a squad that many feel, has reached the end of its cycle.

Football supporters need to have confidence that those running the club are pulling in the same direction as they are. We thank Brendan Rodgers for his undoubted contribution to the club, but football waits for no one. To stand still is to go backwards. We all want the best for Celtic, so come on Celtic, spare us any more of this tabloid, soap-opera nonsense and move on. Bring in a manager who will excite us and once more give us dreams and songs to sing.

The King is gone. Long live the King.

Never Better

 

Never Better

Glasgow 2016

Tommy Anderson felt every one of his 90 years as he pushed himself up in his hospital bed to welcome his visitors. Getting old was no fun, even his bones seemed to ache. His grandson, Aiden, had brought his 8-year-old son up to cheer Tommy up and it had the desired effect. ‘Alright, granda?’ Aiden smiled, ‘guess where Junior and I are off to the morra?’ Old Tommy shrugged, ‘no idea, son.’ As Junior picked at Tommy’s grapes, Aiden grinned, ‘he’s coming wi me tae his first derby match.’ Old Tommy smiled, ‘that’s great, but just make sure you look after him. That lot can take defeat badly. Brendan’s got the team playing well, so hopefully the wee guy sees a good result.’ Aiden nodded, ‘aye, we’ll be oan the supporters’ bus so it’ll be cool.’

A nurse appeared at this point and checked the chart on a clipboard at the end of his bed. ‘Morning, Mr Anderson. How are we today?’ Tommy smiled, ‘aye, no bad, hen. Might need tae give the marathon a miss this year though.’ She smiled at his joke, ‘and who is this young man?’ Tommy looked at Junior, ‘that’s my great-grandson. He’s off to the big game with his da tomorrow.’  ‘Good,’ she smiled. ‘I hope he enjoys it.’ Her time in casualty had taught her that these particular games were not events that the staff there enjoyed as their caseload more than doubled.

After she left, Tommy and his grandson chatted quietly about life, football and his illness. ‘What was the doc saying?’ Aiden asked, his face a little more serious. Tommy Anderson looked at his great grandson before replying to Aiden, ‘let’s just say I’m in injury time and leave it at that, son.’ Aiden nodded, appreciating his grandfather hadn’t spoken too bluntly in front of Junior. He remembered when Tommy was a younger man and they’d attend games together. He loved Celtic and had passed that love on to his son and grandson. ‘What was your first Rangers game?’ Junior suddenly asked. Tommy smiled at the fresh-faced youngster. ‘It was a long time ago, son. 1938 if I recall. Celtic beat Rangers 6-2.’ The boy’s eyes widened, ‘six two! That must have been brilliant.’ Old Tommy smiled, ‘oh it was, Malky McDonald and Johnny Crum ripped them apart. What a forward line we had then; Delaney, McDonald, Crum, Divers, Murphy.’

Tommy sipped at his water and his great-grandson asked another question. ‘What was my grandad’s first Rangers game?’ Old Tommy settled back onto his pillow, his face wearing a faraway look. ‘Ah, Junior, that was a day I’ll never forget. His mind drifted back almost 60 years…

 

Glasgow, October 1957

‘Whit?’ Davie said, a look of incredulity on his face. ‘It’s a cup final man, ye have tae come!’ Tommy Anderson shrugged, ‘I want tae go Davie, but she’s goin’ tae see her maw in Ayr. I need tae watch the wee guy.’ ‘Noo haud oan a minute,’ Davie said glancing at Thomas Junior, sitting happily playing with his toy car, ‘if my Carol started that pish, she’d be o’er my knee and her arse well skelped. Can ye no get somebody tae watch the wean?’  Tommy shrugged, ‘naw, I’ve asked around. Everybody is busy or has this flu that’s doing the rounds. Besides, I promised her I’d watch him.’ Davie exhaled loudly, ‘I’d ask Carol but she’s still in Blackpool wi her sisters.’ There was a moment’s silence as the two friends thought about their predicament. ‘How old is wee Thomas noo?’ Davie asked. ‘He’s two and hauf.’ Tommy looked at him sensing where this was going. ‘He’s too wee, Davie. We cannae take him tae a Celtic Rangers game at that age.’ Davie looked at him, ‘aye we can. I can swap tickets wi Paddy oan the bus. He always goes tae the wee enclosure in front of the stand. It’ll be ok in there.’ Tommy Anderson mulled the idea over in his mind for a moment before looking at Davie. ‘Ye really think he’ll be ok?’ Davie smiled, ‘is the Pope a Catholic?’

Tommy wrapped his young son up well despite the fact that the sun was slanting in the window. He stuffed some food and a bottle of Irn Bru into a duffle bag and set off. The supporters’ bus was rocking as the fans sang all the way to Hampden. Tommy held his son close and kept an eye out for any opposition fans as stoning buses was a regular occurrence in Glasgow. Young Thomas snuggled against his chest seemingly unfazed by the racket going on around him. Most of the men on board were swigging from beer bottles and clapping along as they sang…

‘Hail, glorious St. Patrick, dear Saint of our Isle, on us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile; and now thou art high in thy mansions above, on Erin’s green valleys look down in thy love. On Erin’s green valleys, on Erin’s green valleys…’

They reached Hampden Park which was already buzzing with anticipation. Cup finals were always exciting; Celtic v Rangers cup finals were even more so. Davie had arranged the ticket swap and they headed for the enclosure in front of the main stand. A burly policeman looked at 2-year-old Thomas being carried in by his father. ‘He not a bit young for all of this?’ Tommy smiled, ‘you want tae babysit him? I can pick him up after the game.’ The cop smiled, ‘naw, I’ll be watching the big weans today. I’m sure I’ll be babysitting a few of them later at the station.’ Tommy clicked through the turnstile and found a spot right at the front wall close to the Celtic end. Hampden was filling up and the noise increasing as the kick off approached. Tommy Anderson swung his son’s small legs over the wall and stood behind him, one arm looped around his waist. The day was set fair for the wee guy’s first look at the boys in the hooped shirts.

On that sunny day in October 1957, Celtic didn’t just defeat Rangers; they tore them to shreds. With the Celtic midfield in total control, it was the wingers Fernie and Tully who terrorised the Rangers full backs, while McPhail and Mochan dominated the Rangers centre backs. Tommy Anderson watched in disbelief as Celtic scored goal after goal against the much vaunted ‘Iron curtain’ defence of Rangers. In the dying moments of the game, with the score at 6-1, Willie Fernie placed the ball on the penalty spot. Tommy placed his son on the cinder track momentarily as Fernie began his run up. As the ball flashed into the net to make the final score 7-1, he roared in delight before looking at his son and shouting, ‘ye see that, wee man? That’s just magic!’ It had been some day and some first game for wee Thomas.

 

Glasgow 2016

Old Tommy Anderson slipped in his ear plugs and tuned his small radio into Radio Scotland in time for kick off in the match with Rangers. He smiled at the thought that wee Junior would be at his first derby. His own was in 1938, his son Thomas had little memory of the 7-1 game but that was his. His grandson Aiden had gone to his in 1998 when Paul Lambert had almost burst the net. It seemed as if the Anderson family had a habit of seeing Celtic victories on those days. He settled back on the hospital pillows as the game began. How many of these matches had he seen in his 80 years of life? A hundred? Two hundred? More? He always knew which one was the most important- the next one.

After a half hour of football in which Celtic totally dominated, the score was still 0-0. The BBC commentator was sounding quite optimistic about Rangers chances if they could reach half time without conceding a goal. As Tommy listened, the commentator’s nasal tones said, ‘a corner to Celtic on the left, in front of their ultras section. Sinclair to take it. He fires it in to the back post area and Dembeleeeeee heads it home! Goalllll! Celtic have the lead!’ A few miles from Celtic Park, an old Celt was smiling. ‘Go on bhoys!’ A passing nurse looked quizzically at old Tommy, ‘You alright, Mr Anderson?’ He smiled at her and nodded, ‘never better, hen. Never better.’