Gutted.
Absolutely gutting.
As I walked from Hampden the only positive that I could take from the whole sorry affair was that I would have an extra Saturday in May to attend to my garden, which I hadn’t planned for. That’s if this extra chapter of winter we are seeing decides to end.
My last walk from Hampden saw us get beat from a club who I have no great feeling of dislike to. I don’t like the chairman. Granted. But all in The Marnocks are a harmless bunch now that they have got rid of hateble incumbents from their dugout.
Hearts are a different club all together. The longest running comedy since Only Fools And Horses and such a debauched club that Charlie Sheen even gives it a wide berth. Paulo Sergio managed to rise above being able to order breakfast in broken English at the Holiday Inn and tell his team to play for Extra Time and hoof the ball as far away from their box as possible and hope it didn’t come back.
It came back on many occasions but they carried luck that has deserted us twice on our last two visits to Hampden. They then benefit from complete and utter c*ntery from Euan Norris.
Our season ended in undeserved farce. To a detestable club. I have had better afternoons.
I have been asked to consider that it’s great for the Scottish game to have an all Embra final. After watching both teams efforts in their respective semi’s this is like an old folks home claiming the norovirus is good for business.
Sour grapes? To right.
A game that saw us dominate from start to finish also saw us fall into our Hampden malaise and the incredible sight of us looking toothless and wasteful during the exact same 90 minutes. I have the brain cells to grasp that sometimes you can play well but not win. We have done that in our last two visits to Hampden.
There is a question of bottle. It’s not one that I am having. There wasn’t to many that I wanted to see have a cold shower after the game. They all put in sweat and cried the tears. This was no hiding performance that characterized Ross County, Inverness or even 80 minutes at Ibroke a few weeks back.
Some didn’t have great games. Some look like they won’t ever have great games. Kelvin Wilson reminds of that pub league player who thinks he is something special, has all the top of the range gear but in reality is no substance and just bluster.
Charlie Mulgrew was like the race horse Synchronized at the previous day’s Grand National. When faced with the wide open spaces of the left wing at Hampden, Charlie put his ears back and decided that couldn’t do it. The fear he played with in the second period was criminal when compared to what he has done for us this season. Izzy as a left winger should have entered the fray.
As our manager admits we are naive. We still lack that something when we go a goal behind. We have only won once when this has happened this season (2-1 against Motherwell) but haven’t lost when we score first. We have to learn to handle in game set backs.
Also, we have lost 8 goals in the last 10 minutes of games this season. Concentration is needed.
After Ibroke I stated our problem is simple to fix but will be hard for the PLC to execute. We need experience and that will cost money.
Has the manager lost another big game? Well, how do you define a big game? Are all the games we play not big or do the games only become big after we lose them? We get the same three points for beating Dunfermline as we do for beating Aberdeen. We won the league by amassing more three points than anyone else.
For me this proves that the manager isn’t a monkey controlling a remote control car. A run of 26 games undefeated best since Saint Martin Of O’Neill in 2004 and reaching 3 cup finals in a row for the first time since 1976/77 is a fantastic record, which proves at least he has more to offer than Tony Mowbray.
Remember the mess we were left in by Strachan’s last season and Mowbray’s completely illogical how to dismantle a jigsaw with a hammer method of restructuring a club? I still say we are ahead of schedule.
The Europa League was the sign of a maturing team. They still are prone to monumental feck up’s and also some can go and mature elsewhere but the truck is driving uphill not rolling back down with a busted handbrake.
The manager though sometimes acts like that remote control car being controlled by a monkey. I did cringe when he charged on the park to confront Euan Norris. I didn’t feel he needed to. The watching world saw how idiotic and wrong the decision was and any moral high ground was lost as soon as he entered the field of play.
Lot’s has been made of the ‘Arry Redknapps reaction to the ghost goal compared to our managers. That’s like comparing the musical legacy of the Spice Girls to The Beatles.
The Spurs manager got a groveling apology from the referee and can safely go about his daily work without fear of bombs or physical attacks.In the last few weeks he hasn’t seen every major decision go against his team. He can also call on a favourable press pack who will love him until he messes up the defunctional entity that is Team England.
While him, Sandra, Jamie, Lousie and the kids will be at Sandbanks playing Super Mario Kart on the WII Lennon will be at Hampden attempting to prove that for the second season in a row Referees have lied in written reports about incidents involving our football club.
Hearts spat in our soup on Sunday but our main course is on the way.
I enjoyed reading that Hail Hail!
Thanks.
Peace, man, peace! It’s only football. Expend your energies on the bigger issues we face in the new football scenario for Scotland that the football institutions, the media and the government are desperate to introduce. Your contribution to the fight is required. We don’t want you having a heart attack. Let your present palpitations settle down. Another day, another dawn for our football ambitions, but on the other front, the death-knell of justice and integrity is creeping all around us and we need the power of your pen.
Keep the faith and H H
We are only a few days away from a decision being made whether or not I continue following SPL football and this organ continues.
As you say integrity and justice….bigger than 3 points and cups.
I am in total agreement with th exception of the reaction to Lenny storming onto the field. It didn’t make me cringe at all. Mowbray used to make me cringe with taking it on the chin, O’Neill made me cringe with his lengthy but vacuous diatribes, and the likes of Charlie Nicholas, Andy Walker and Owen Coyle make me cringe for the ‘be nice to the men at the big hoose and all their friends, we are not nasty’ attitude. Lenny, and to a certain extent, Strachan, Billy McNeil, Big Jock, they never took a step backward from these cheats and it is time we had a board who had the gumption to storm the courts the way Lenny took the field at the end of the game. For all the ‘our day will come’ trumpets, it’s too late. It came and went a long time ago because of the cap-doffing, forelock tuggers that pished all over every opportunity to expose these cheats in the passed. No more stepping backward. Show our anger and explain it in simple terms with photographs, video and, if necessary, by publishing details of conversations. They will not be so quick and willing to cheat if they know every detail will be put into the public domain. The board should start legal proceedings against each and every person that goes to press with inaccurate stories, they should sue each and every hun website for repeating lies that were disproven decades ago.
Get it right up them and meet them head on. Otherwise, we’ll get the same again for another 140 years.
Maybe cringe was the wrong word. I just had a sense of why? As I said the decision was so idiotic that he didn’t need to enforce the point.
Running onto the park wasnt going to change it. It was always just going to land him in trouble and take away from the criminal decision.
Spot on. The corrupt officials in this CuNTry is sickening. But have to say lennon needs to wind himself in a little. Great article. HH
A Hearts fan coming in Peace.
Having been to all the Hearts Celtic games this season, the atmosphere generated has always been buzzing from both sets of fans. The hatred however, is ridiculous, we have to remember it’s just a game of football, they’re are far more important things in life to get worked up about.
Firstly, the hatred and threats towards Neil Lennon throughout his playing and managerial career is disgusting, and I wouldnt wish that on anyone.
I was at the game on Sunday and at first glance from where I was I thought it was a penalty, likewise the Andy Webster incident almost immediately afterwards. Having seen the replays again, i’ll admit that ours was lucky. I can understand the frustration at losing a semi final to a controversial penalty, but claiming that it is personal towards Lennon is pretty insulting to the officials who do a thankless job.
Any team in the country could compile a list of incidents that go against them and claim that it is personal, but they don’t seem to include the calls that go for them. Your equaliser being offside, Elliots goal from Hearts being disallowed, Lee Wallace goal being disallowed. It’s a cliche but these decsions even themselves out.
I have no hatred towards Celtic or any football club, have many friends who are Celtic fans and enjoy good natured banter with them during our games against each other, also would support celtic, rangers or any spl club when playing in Europe because they are representing our league.
Congratulations on winning the league, comfortably I might add, and good luck with the Champions League but, I hope we spoil the party on the last day of the season.
It was our manager that claimed it is personal against him and I’m sure he has evidence to back it up. If he hasn’t then it was a daft statement.
Your examples of when we benefited. Yes, we benefited but these are calls you see week in, week out and you see referee’s call them wrong or right week in week out. (See the FA Cup Semi).
The penalty is a criminal decision. One that defies logic or the rules of the game. In the League Cup final the decision not to give us a last minute penalty was understandable. The examples you give are understandable mistakes.
The penalty call and a few in the game were of a man out of depth and here lies the problem.
Our club, Butcher and others are pointing this out now on a regular basis. Dallas and his cronies have descended the standard of officiating into amateur level status.
The kind of calls we are seeing are ones we see from Taxi drivers earning £20 on a Sunday morning.
I’m glad you have no hatrid towards other clubs. Unfortunately personal experience of some of your fellow fans means I find your club detestable.
Hit with a thunder flash when 11, then knocked out 3 times (on 3 separate occasions) , racially abused, spat at and pelted with all sorts of shit on the Gorgie Road means that I want those who did these acts to suffer.
Oh, in a blog about 16 months ago we were linked to Jamboskickback. Aye, I reported 20 IP addresses to the polis due to comments made.
In war you get collateral damage. Unfortunately that means you will suffer as well. 🙂
To turn the other cheek is a nice biblical saying, but the reality is if you continue to do so then the abuse and humilation will continue.The celtic chairmen in the past have on many occasions done so but it has gone too far now even for the appeasers among us.This is my last word to the present celtic board.We know you have the means and machinery to help us fight this racism,so either act or get out.
Big Jock, McNeill, Hay and O’Neill all stood up and were counted when needed.
Remember when Stein Told Tiny Wharton your Dad will be proud of you today when he turned down loads of Celtic decisions in a Rangers Game he went onto the park many times as did Hay and Mc Neill . I remember my Uncle telling me my Grandad whom I never Met waiting on my dad coming home from game and his comment “ref again John ” My Grandad died in 1946 just because they tell us we are paranoid does not mean it is not happening this has been going on since we started Anti Irish Anti catholic Scotland , Neil Lennon attacked on the sidelines witnessed by millions on TV pictures in paper guy admits to assault verdict not Proven . As bad as South Africa and the Deep South in America. Cant get 15 honest subjects in Scotland . Keep it up Neil as SGT Jones in dads Army says they dont like it up them
The MSM admitted last year that there was a bias against Celtic previously.
They couldn’t say when it started or ended though.
Well said, Johnny.
Celtic have had the ‘immigrant mentality’ for far too long. Head down and know your place. As the years pass less and less people are willing to accept it. Now the complaints, rightly so, have reached a roar and in the person of Neil Lennon we have a willing and able champion.
The board need to support him. If he does not receive the support of the board and the fans then he should walk away and Celtic deserve everything that will come our way.
After ‘DougieDougiegate’ I felt we were reaching a very important period in Scottish football history. The accelerated demise of Rangers has confirmed this. Since their situation has been exposed, Neil Lennon becoming Celtic manager and the cheating, bigotry and lying of the Dougie/Dallas months the SFA have been like a wounded, angry beast. They have been fully supported by the media and the absolute clowns and celtic-hating morons that they interview in a blatant attempt to gain support for their abhorent treatment of Neil Lennon.
They are dying as we speak. The media in Scotland is on its knees. Scottish sports journalism is in the toliet. The SFA are up to their necks (well past their knees!) in the Rangers scandal and the SPL are trying to gerrymander a newco into the league by something they are attempting to sell as ‘liquidation lite’. It is farcical.
Meanwhile Celtic are standing on the threshold of a period of domination. We cannot allow this opportunity to escape us. Push on Neil and every member of the Celtic family needs to get right behind him, fans, board, players etc etc.
Our day has come.
Great post.
Absolute nonsense, Hearts came with a game plan and it worked a treat. The fact is Celtic couldnt handle Beattie – a guy who looked a class above anyone in a hooped jersey. You should be thankful the referee was poor or it would have finished 2-0 with Kelvin Wilson off for an early bath. As for Neil Lennon i have yet to speak to a Celtic fan who was not embarassed no disgusted by his actions.
I mentioned Hearts game plan in the blog and a completely failed too see the Craig Beattie you speak off. I thought our mangers reaction was OTT but to use a word as strong as disgusted is just as sensationalist as the call for a 17 match ban.
I’m more disgusted that Ian Black earns a living playing professional football than anything my manager has done.
It is okay saying Lennon should react differently to “honest mistakes”, but when it is happening time and time again to one club and he has repetitively tried various ways of dealing with referees, which has ended in nothing but refs lying to him and CONSPIRING to involve others in that lie.
He tried dealing with those who are in charge of the referees (including Hugh “the bigot” Dallas before he was eventually forced to leave his post). I suppose he has just about reached the end of his tether.
Honest mistakes cost Celtic regularly and we are told it’s all “swings and roundabouts”.
Yet we have the Media, SFA and Rangers having to repeat the Lee Wallace incident, a single weak example as proof of this. One incident!?
Neil Lennon did NOT – I REPEAT NOT embarass or disgust me on Sunday BUT Mr Norris DID disgust me, although he didn’t embarass me as because of Messers Collum, Murray and Brines I AM USED TO IT.
Until NL makes CONSISTANT MISTAKES IN TACTICS/TEAM SELLECTION etc not losing “big games” or continually “confronting” referees who have cheated then NL shouldn’t embarass or disgust you either.
SO SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
im with johnny on this 1 – the rest of ya need to move on with all this self pity.
what has become clear to me followin recent events, is that “we” celtic fans hav now instilled this belief that we have a god given right to win every game we play in followin the demise of “them”.
yes, by all means keep up the protest against the filth in the establishment (SFA, SPL) & that horrible team (RAGGERS) they silently conspire for.
as for celtics impotent cup run – let it go, we will be back stronger next year.
Hail Hail!
now my comments have to be moderated?
wtf is that all about?
had i known u were gonna act like the establishment then i wud not have bothered writing the above message out.
i would like a good explanation for this as i feel i am entitled. if i do not get 1…well that will say a lot for the hypocrites!
Eh, every new poster gets a moderation check. If you post again from the same IP adress you won’t be moderated. Mainly a spam filter. No conspiracy.
That depends on where you post.
If you post on articals from Winner67 they will be moderated. If you have posted to dissagree with his/her comments Winner67 will reply against you – if you then reply your reply(ies) will continually be moderated – then they won’t appear as the artical is suddenly closed.
I agree about the god given right thing. I have mentioned that many a time that it’s a thing that annoys me most.
The attitude on Sunday from some was we have won the league this is not as important and we should win this easy.
I want us rid of those gonads. Winning is to be enjoyed and not expected.
Another great post. Hopefully our players will realise they are not good as they think they are. No doubt they are good players we can’t go 26 unbeaten without some ability. We always seem nervous when we are not winning. We have plenty of pieces of the jigsaw but at times they are not in the right place.
Agree about Kelvin, he makes Loovens look world class player (ok i’m exaggerating). Ki is another who hasn’t gave enough in the last month or so. Was Wanyama left out because he wasn’t fully fit or as punishment for the red card at Ibrokes? we defo missed him. Mulgrew no doubt up there for player of the year but where is his best position? he’s no wing back & not the greatest CB, he’s like a quarter back it’d be great bringing him on for set plays.
It’s easy to forget we have been without Izzy & Kayal for such a long time but we still need to get rid of the dead wood & bring in some experienced players.
Have you heard anything about Liverpool wanting our chief scout? he has found some gems & he would be a huge loss. He would be missed as much as losing a player.
Still could be worse we could be facing £130m bill & lets not forget WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.
Great post.
Some players can move on now. There is already signs of passengers in this squad. Lennon will do this. How many players did he ship out last season?
We wouldn’t miss Ki if he leaves. We have to decide what Mulgrew is. The last month has proved that we miss Forrest and Kayal.
I haven;t heard anything about Park.
Excellent artical…and what a complete contrast to Winner67’s artical called “stop blaming referees we didn’t deserve to win”.
So called “enlightened” fans like Winner67 think
that referees are THE LAW and Lenny isn’t allowed to “confront” THE LAW.
Well, good old Winner67 – keep taking the tablets and one day soon you might see “the wood”.
P.S. I tried to tell him this in his artical but he wouldn’t print it – I wonder why.
This blog is just my opinion, my take and I didn’t do it to be anyones chalk to their cheese.
Glad you liked it.
🙂
You’re welcome lordofthewing.
It’s so good to be able to post on an artical knowing that you won’t be continually “moderated” then not added ie “blocked” if you dissagree with the host of the blog.
Well,well,well so NL didn’t do anything wrong in talking to scumbag Murray at half time at Ibrokes. Congrats to NL for the 2 game ban – 17 games my arse. Looks like he was right to oppose the cheating refs.
Everyone knows my feelings for Neil Francis Lennon. He one of the greatest Celts of all time and will hopefully win many more titles with us.
Maybe all those “fans” who said to “confront a referee at anytime during a game was against the law, and NL isn’t allowed to break the law” can now hang their heads in shame and finally get 100% behind our manager. You know who you are.