As these bleak winter days approach, I was grateful for the dopamine hit from Hampden yesterday.
The featured image is Paddy Power’s observation that the Dunkirk Spirit from the Bearmacht isn’t an isolated incident.
They have previous for it.
Lest we forget.
I’m surprised that the Ibrox klanbase are such bad losers.
This is surprising given how much experience they have of being simply the second best.
As for the semi-final itself, I will leave the data diagnosticians to examine such sorcery as the XG thingy.
The Huddle Breakdown are my go-to guys to make sense of it all.
When I watch these matches, the neurotransmitters in my ageing limbic system are on overtime.
All leave is cancelled.
My only observation is to recall what an FAI contact told me months ago, and that Johnny Kenny was probably the best natural finisher in the Irish ranks at the U19 and U21 levels.
I think that it is fitting that my last offering was on the Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha.
As the engaging septuagenarian in the Celtic dugout was there only because of Celtic’s feudal overlord.
Any speculation about who the next permanent manager will be must stay close to Dermot Desmond’s wishes.
That’s the reality.
I was asked a very pertinent question by a senior figure in the Scottish professional game, who knows Brendan Rodgers professionally and has met Mr Desmond on occasion.
His question to me was this:
Did Michael Nicolson and the board have sight of Desmond’s statement on the club website before it went out?
An excellent question, and one I currently do not know the answer to.
The common factor in the appointment of Martin O’Neill in 2000, the hiring of Brendan Rodgers in 2016, and his return in 2023 is Dermot Desmond.
That’s why Guus Hiddink wasn’t unveiled instead of the Irishman who had turned Leicester City into a force.
There were certainly senior functionaries in the Parkhead club who wanted the Dutchman.
Bringing back Martin is a clever move, and it immediately lifted the mood among the Celtic support.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
Yesterday was a big help with that, but serious issues remain at the wealthiest club in Scotland.
In Scottish terms, this is game-changing financial clout.
To have it… ahem… resting in an account makes no sense.
The AGM at the end of this month might be testing for Celtic’s silent CEO.
Despite this period of flux on Planet Fitba, one thing remained a constant.
The racism of the Ibrox klanbase.
As their team rallied in the second half, I clearly heard a rendition of The Famine Song at 51 minutes.
Then again, on 53 minutes.
Celtic, at that point in the match, were leading one-nil and had a man advantage.
To push their team on anti-Irish racism is the default setting of the Ibrox klanbase.
Then, at 56 minutes, they lauded the memory of a razor gang commanded by a card-carrying fascist and member of the Ku Klux Klan.
They would appear to be culturally incurable.
Indeed, the silence of the Stenography Corps on this matter would suggest that Planet Fitba is still a safe space for this hate speech.
To help the poor dears, the ditty has been illegal in Scotland since 2009.
It remains another constant in Fair Caledonia that many there have a visceral aversion to seeing the club formed by Irish immigrants triumphing over their nativist neighbours.
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Their whole World is literally disintegrating in front of them
Their Monarchy is dying , their Union is dying and their club* is already dead
Oh dear , how sad , never mind .
“Bearmacht” LOL ( that’s Laugh Out Loud NOT Loyal Orange……)
I look forward to the day when fans of the rangers move on from this disgusting rascist behaviour, their insecurity is there for all to see( and hear), it’s a hatred of anything either Irish, or Catholic, a hatred based on nothing more than complete irrationality, the vast majority of those engaging in such activities have little,or no understanding of what it means to Catholic,or Irish, therefore the venom is based on nothing of substance.I have tried, on several occasions to engage in conversation on these matters with rival fans, not once have I been offered a cogent argument , just mindless intolerance, cest la vie.
Growing up in Motherwell during the 60/70’s had the Orange lodge band tuning up outside St Bernadettes Church at the bottom of Logans Road. Leaving Motherwell in 1973 heading to Edinburgh, then joining the Merchant Navy in 1977 opened my eyes to the hate filled bigotry towards Catholics. Now in my 70’s retired to a Buddhist country in Asia do not miss the “Best wee Bigoted Country in the World” one little bit.
Well said, Thomas. I am from North Motherwell and St Bernadette’s was my church too. I escaped too but to England. Never any talk of bigotry here. I grew up often feeling 2nd class because of my religion. Long story.
Am I the only one that finds it really weird that Rohl was wearing a poppy?
At least Russell Martin chose his own match attire but Rohl seems to be playing to the gallery, what with that and the brown brouges.
Maybe something to do with millions of Germans also dying in the world wars? I know it’s been hijacked by British jingoism but is supposed to represent all military sacrifice and suffering.
I’m not fluent with the words of said song, but wonder if they’ve been rewritten in light of their ongoing lack of a ‘feast’ in the spoils of their war with everything from football to modern history and hysteria. I’d guess not since everyone has to hold on to something comforting. These wee songs are just their wee blankies. Awe the babas.