Celtic Discussion

**osgood was good** · 25/08/2003, 1:44 PM

Well done mate , you worked out the Peter Osgood connection .
Kicked his way to an FA Cup medal ? Yeah , he just gave as good as he got from players like Billy Bremmner , John Giles , Norman Hunter etc etc The same players whom also kicked their way to a league title , a European Cup final and managed by a corrupt and disloyal Don Revie who moaned his way to becoming the most hated figure within the game .
As for Osgood , he was a superb center forward just as Alan Clarke , and could drink Stan Bowles , Frank Worthington and Rodney marsh under the table .

**Mondo** · 25/08/2003, 7:17 PM

Originally posted by osgood was good
The reason irish league grounds are half empty is because the standard is awful , and it has no appeal to anybody who loves to watch good football.

Ossie

Sad but true.I would gladly watch EL but it is so boring and the facilities leave a lot to be desired.
Lets face it,if there is a game on Sky/BBC and a EL game on TV, the majority of football fans will watch what is on the UK stations.

**tiktok** · 25/08/2003, 7:59 PM

Originally posted by Mondo
I would gladly watch EL but it is so boring and the facilities leave a lot to be desired.

compared to your barstool or to your couch while you watch the premiership?

you find it boring because you have no interest or stake in the outcome and also you probably believe the Sky Hypeafter the 0-0 Monday night football between Spurs and Leicester was a classic.
if more people got off their backsides and supported the league, there would be more money to improve facilities (you only have to look at the better supported sides to see this is true).

Originally posted by Mondo
Lets face it,if there is a game on Sky/BBC and a EL game on TV, the majority of football fans will watch what is on the UK stations.

that's down to production and presentation as much as content, the dim lights in the bar work better with the bells and whistles that sky throw about.

**tiktok** · 26/08/2003, 5:55 PM

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
How do you know so much about Sky's presentation? Is there something you want to share with us ....

you're right Silvio, I'm a closet Andy Gray fan

as i've said many times, i watch football from all over, i love the game. be it the EL, Premiership, la Liga or Copa America i'm liable to have a look, and if i like what i see i'll keep watching.

what i dislike is when people put down the EL without trying to understand anything about it, because the other leagues come in brighter wrapping paper on the tv.

**Mondo** · 26/08/2003, 6:00 PM

Originally posted by Conor74
Mondo, Osgood was good, two "new" posters with so much to say about the eL. Hmmmmm. Just popped out of the woodwork at the same time. How easy, Silvio, is it to register with different names?

huh,whats this all about,then? This Silvio and Osgood chaps have nothing to do with me.....who are they anyway???
And as for Silvio:what is it with everyone on about him all the time? I thought this was a football forum not a Silvio forum?

**Paddy Ramone** · 28/08/2003, 3:35 PM

Originally posted by Conor74
Silvio, do you realise how little interest I have in Adair's musical influences? I don't mind talking at length about politics and NI, but Tina Bloody Turner? Only Yanks in Noraid and Plastic Paddys could care about that rubbish and think it "research".

Another interesting fact about Johnny Adair is that he is a fanatic Liverpool fan as well as a Rangers fan. Liverpool FC have more Orangemen as supporters than any side in England. The Reds were formed by an Orangeman John Houlding and their first manager was a Belfast Orangeman John McKenna. Even the Rangers player Sam English who accidentally killed Celtic keeper John Thomson in 1931 played for Liverpool.

Liverpool's supposed strong Irish Catholic connections only really date back to the 1979 when Ronnie Whelan signed for them. Whelan was the first Irish Catholic to play for Liverpool since Billy Lacey in the 1920's. Steve Heighway, a Protestant (probably, he was educated in a non-Catholic school) was the first Republic of Ireland international at Liverpool in 1970.

What does Celt Silvio think about Liverpool's strong Loyalist connections. Should all Irish people cease to support them as well as not sing "Simply the Best". Also Liverpool's supposed affinity with Celtic only dates back to the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when Celtic donated all the proceeds of a gate of theirs to the berieved families.

**yur man** · 28/08/2003, 5:19 PM

i heard adair is fond of breathin too, maybe silvio could stop that aswell

**Scotsman** · 29/08/2003, 7:42 AM

I have to say I didn't know about that although it has bearing on me as a person.

Bigotry has no place in society and no place in football but unfortunatley it will always remain I fear.

What do you guys think of Celtic's chances in the CL?

Lionel Hutz · 01/09/2003, 12:56 AM

Originally posted by Paddy Ramone
As I said before Hibs are the best Scottish side for the Irish to support. They were the first ever side to be founded by Irish people in 1875 and wore the green even before Ireland did. Also they have roughly 50/50 Catholic-Protestant support and are non-sectarian with less of the old firm bigotry. I think Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland fans should wear Hibs tops instead of old firm tops. I'd also like to add that the greatest Irish player ever, a certain George Best (a Protestant) wore the green of the Hibees.

Think this is an area needing clarification!

Hibs have actively tried to play down the Irish link and Im not just talking since 1969 when the troubles erupted in the six counties.
It was felt many years before that that the Irish population on the east coast of Scotland was to small to sustain a large club so the board actively moved away from the Irish links to try and encourage a broader support!
BTW this was not done out of any great ideals or principles but simply on a financial basis to get more people through the turnstiles

**Paddy Ramone** · 01/09/2003, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
Hey, what about Kenny Dalglish? If I remember right, wasn't a friendly between Lpool and Selltic a tangent to the deal?

Know a Liverpudlian who despises Lpool FC because of the 12th July marches in that city which were full of Lpool FC fans.

Everton's foundations had some connection with a Catholic school.

Of course, none of it is relevant to football today, and I couldn't really care if they were Johnny Adair's subbuteo team, but it does amaze me how few people in Ireland know Liverpool's orange connection.

That's not true about Everton being founded by a Catholic school. They were founded by the schoolteachers of St Domingos Methodist school. But traditionally the Catholic population of Merseyside tend to support Everton.

Liverpool's Orange connections are obvious from the amount of Northern Ireland flags you see at Anfield in the kop on match days.

**Paddy Ramone** · 01/09/2003, 1:14 PM

Originally posted by Lionel Hutz
Think this is an area needing clarification!

Hibs have actively tried to play down the Irish link and Im not just talking since 1969 when the troubles erupted in the six counties.
It was felt many years before that that the Irish population on the east coast of Scotland was to small to sustain a large club so the board actively moved away from the Irish links to try and encourage a broader support!
BTW this was not done out of any great ideals or principles but simply on a financial basis to get more people through the turnstiles

True enough but the Catholic link was never completely lost, because the current owner of Hibs Tom Farmer is a Catholic of Irish descent and decended from one of the founders Philip Farmer.

Also Hibs 1970's star Pat Stanton was descended from County Roscommonman and Hibs first captain Michael Whelahan.

**Paddy Ramone** · 01/09/2003, 1:19 PM

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
I couldn't give a toss about Scouseville. Long live Gerard Houllier i say....

Of course you should know that "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Loyalist anthem being originally sung by the Liverpool supporters who are mainly Orangemen.

This song was then stolen by Celtic fans who claim it as their own.
Maybe Irish Republicans should boycott Celtic for singing Loyalist songs.

**Scotsman** · 01/09/2003, 6:27 PM

Yep the Celtic Harp is still evident on the Hibs badge.

Although the links are not as evident as with Celtic there are still some.

We Celtic fans prefer Hibs to Hearts for obvious reasons.

I'll tell you a wee story.

I was in a pub in Edinburgh and I went for a slash.

I was in the toilet and this Hibee and Jambo started to debate who was the best.

They asked me who I supported and I replied Celtic.

Straight away the Jambo piped up "You must be a Catholic then" and stormed off while the Hibs fan was absolutely fantastic.

Edinburgh folk eh!!

Lionel Hutz · 01/09/2003, 10:09 PM

Originally posted by Scotsman
Yep the Celtic Harp is still evident on the Hibs badge.

Nope the harp has only recently been reintroduced on the orders of the fans!
The Hibs had been sporting a "Roy of the rovers" style logo for many years!

As another means of disassociating itself from its Irish origins!

Btw Im not anti Hibs and like to see them do well and indeed am glad Bobby Williams seems to be finally turning the corner with the club but I just dont, na, cant feel any emotional attachment to them!

**Scotsman** · 02/09/2003, 9:29 AM

Was my point not proven there about the Harp.

So the Harp is there.

I feel nothing for them either.

**Paddy Ramone** · 03/09/2003, 10:22 AM

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Really? There I thought it came from the Musical South Pacific which was rejuvenated by the Scousers(Gerry whats his name?) and in turn taken up by the Bhoys.

Funny how Loyalists would take a well known Celtic anthem and make it their own. Would you have a link or two to back your interesting theory up....?

Can't wait for this....

At least you have the dencency to admit that Celtic stole it from the scousers.

There was a Loyalist website called Ulsterpool with a version of Liverpool badge with Northern Ireland flag incorporated and the Liverpool motto "You'll Never Walk Alone" underneath. It's no longer active though.

The title "You''ll Never Walk Alone" has obvious connotations as regards the marching season. I bet there were a few Liverpool orangemen who gave a rousing renditon of "You'll Never Walk Alone" when they saw Trimble and Paisley walk the Garvaghy Road hand in hand.

Also about "Simply the Best" being a Loyalist anthem. This is only because it was a hit in 1989 the year that Rangers begun their nine-in-a-row and played in the victory celebrations in every year after that. If Celtic had dominated Scottish football during that era it could have just as well been their anthem.

**Paddy Ramone** · 03/09/2003, 10:22 AM

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Really? There I thought it came from the Musical South Pacific which was rejuvenated by the Scousers(Gerry whats his name?) and in turn taken up by the Bhoys.

Funny how Loyalists would take a well known Celtic anthem and make it their own. Would you have a link or two to back your interesting theory up....?

Can't wait for this....

At least you have the dencency to admit that Celtic stole it from the scousers.

There was a Loyalist website called Ulsterpool with a version of Liverpool badge with Northern Ireland flag incorporated and the Liverpool motto "You'll Never Walk Alone" underneath. It's no longer active though.

The title "You''ll Never Walk Alone" has obvious connotations as regards the marching season. I bet there were a few Liverpool orangemen who gave a rousing renditon of "You'll Never Walk Alone" when they saw Trimble and Paisley walk the Garvaghy Road hand in hand.

Also about "Simply the Best" being a Loyalist anthem. This is only because it was a hit in 1989 the year that Rangers begun their nine-in-a-row and played in the victory celebrations in every year after that. If Celtic had dominated Scottish football during that era it could have just as well been their anthem.

**Paddy Ramone** · 03/09/2003, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by Lionel Hutz
Nope the harp has only recently been reintroduced on the orders of the fans!
The Hibs had been sporting a "Roy of the rovers" style logo for many years!
As another means of disassociating itself from its Irish origins!

A club called Hibernian which means 'Irish' is hardly disassociated from its Irish origins.

Also the "Roy of the Rovers" badge as you called it, was in the traditional Irish colours of green, gold and silver ( the modern colours are green, white and orange ). The old flag of Ireland was a green flag with a golden harp with silver strings.

**Jam** · 03/09/2003, 11:00 AM

Hibs aren't really associated with Irishness at all. Very few tricolores at easter road - only to wind up huns and jambos. Celtic are much more associated with it but it's a kind of ridiculous Irishness IMO practices by those with tenuous links to Ireland (plastic paddies central IMO).

Liverpool also sing the fields of Athenry now so I'd day their links are all but gone.

I have to say I'm genuinely surprised at the support some have here for essentially foreign teams just cos of a link to Ireland be it the flag or religion or whatever. If some English team flew the Saltire I widnae gie a phuck. In fact it might even annoy me a bit - wave yer ain flag kind of thing.

If you want to find Irish clubs I suggest you look no further than Ireland. They might not be that great but they are your clubs. I support Dunfermline Athletic - they are crap too - disnae make me support Celtic or Rangers though.

**Paddy Ramone** · 03/09/2003, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
In other words you haven't a clue what you're on about and your talking out your ring. Though so....

I know more than you anyway. You're the ejit who thinks Fergus McCann speaks with an Irish accent.

For your information, while McCann was born and raised in Croy in Scotland and then moved to Canada where he made his millions. That makes his accent Scots-Canadian not Irish.