A shot at glory
Celtic’s performances in the Champions League this season, Dortmund apart, have been commendably consistent. To play in the toughest club competition on the planet and finish with a record which reads P8 W3 D3 L2 is a big improvement on what we have watched in recent years. We gave a very good Aston Villa side a run for their money this week considering the first three names on the team sheet for many this season- Carter-Vickers, Maeda and Kyogo- were missing. It was not to be on the night though, but the job was already done in terms of qualifying for the play-offs.
The ties with Bayern will make Celtic even more money. A home tie in the UCL now is worth £3m+ in ticket sales alone to Celtic. This season has been a very good one financially for the club and with the SPFL Champions facing play off ties to reach the Champions League next season, the club needs to get the squad stronger in order to have the best chance of reaping the rewards the Champions League brings. As a club, Celtic has a history of not building on a position of strength and that needs to change.
Events off the field in Birmingham seemed to gain as much publicity as events on it. The use of pyro and smoke bombs have long been a cause of debate among Celtic fans. Whether you like them or not, UEFA have set the rules and they are banned. Celtic can expect yet another fine and the very real possibility of fans being banned from the away leg of the tie with Bayern. That would be a real tragedy for the supporters who love these away trips in Europe. Reaction to this possibility led to some castigating those who bring pyro to matches as ‘selfish wee neds’ who are spoiling it for others. Some, of course, turned their fire on UEFA for banning pyro it in the first place, but there are serious safety concerns around its use. A one-match suspended ban on issuing away tickets for Champions League games as well as an immediate €20,000 fine was implemented by UEFA after Celtic supporters lit pyrotechnics during the game at Borussia Dortmund earlier in the campaign. The rules are there and they are known. The club has a history of these events at its matches so it seems likely that consequences will follow
The more right-wing media outlets were getting into a lather about the anti-royalist songs sung by some Celtic fans in Birmingham. They used words like ‘outrage’ and ‘shameful’ at what was little more than uncouth banter. I seriously doubt that anyone was outraged as it was as predictable as the Scottish rain. Perhaps they should save words like ‘outrage’ and ‘shameful’ for occasions when Palestinian children are being incinerated but I guess that doesn’t suit their agenda.
Those who hanker after Scotland’s two biggest clubs one day joining the English game were given a reminder of the sort of issues that could occur should that extremely unlikely scenario ever arise; Celtic is a club with a very distinct identity and the ‘F*ck the Pope and the IRA’ banner hung over a motorway bridge was a reminder of the sort of welcome fans would receive in some English cities. I doubt the English police would want Glasgow’s big two visiting regularly and the moronic hooligan fringe which lingers in the English game would doubtless be on the prowl.
So, we will barely have time to catch our breath before Bayern Munich come calling in ten days or so. The team sit top of the Bundesliga with just one loss in 19 matches and will be formidable opponents. With players like Neuer, Kane, Kimmich, Sane and Thomas Muller, we know Celtic will have a mountain to climb. The Germans will be delighted to have drawn Celtic as the alternative was Manchester City. The first match at Celtic Park will be interesting though as Celtic are rediscovering the sort of home form in Europe that made Celtic Park a fortress in the O’Neill era. The fans will bring the thunder and the team will know they have a shot at glory. It's going to be quite a night.
Time will tell whether the team is capable of giving a side
like Bayern a real test but we are at the top table of European football so let’s
enjoy the ride and remind folk that there is life outside the rich leagues and we
still have our dreams and songs to sing.
