It was good to get back to real football on Saturday, none of this International Football nonsense, I realise you have to have it, but there are far too many International breaks in football now. Celtic Football Club derives the majority of its income from our own supporters buying season tickets, match tickets, and merchandise, we don’t get any benefit from our players playing for their country, it actually puts us at a disadvantage, because most of our players are away playing, getting no rest, and sometimes coming back injured, just like Kasper Schmeichel, who could be out for the rest of the season now.
After a shaky start on Saturday against Hearts we played some really good football, we were solid throughout the team, there were no failures anywhere on the pitch. It was also good to see Viljami Sinisalo getting a start in goal, it’s alright training with the first team, but nothing compares to playing first team football, that’s where you gain your experience and confidence, he showed with a very good save early in the game that he can be our first choice goalkeeper. Cameron Carter-Vickers was back to old self again as well, although the most incompetent referee in the world, Kevin Clancy did his best to hinder Big CCV by giving fouls after almost every challenge. How Clancy is still officiating at top level matches is astonishing, he must have good friends in high positions.
Daizen Maeda is galloping towards all the Player of the Year Awards in Scotland, he has been exceptional this season, and will deserve every award he receives. He is getting pushed hard by Callum Mc Gregor and Nicolas Kuhn, but I think the Japanese Bullet Train already has the awards in the bag. With a couple of notable exceptions, we have been very good all season, we should complete a world record ninth treble, and have made some progress in the Champions League. It’s a case now of pushing on again, players will come in, and some will leave, that’s how it works at the top, we need to keep ahead of the rest, and with proper scouting and good investment, we should improve again next season.
As usual the SFA have caused havoc again with the introduction of digital tickets for the semi-final and final of the Scottish Cup. They did what they always do, they made decisions without consulting the most important people, the people who actually buy the tickets. Has anyone at the SFA actually ever bought a ticket for Hampden and tried to gain entry through a normal turnstile? Have they ever thought that some football supporters don’t possess a smart phone? Of have an email address. Do they actually think that everyone goes to Hampden as an individual? Do they have any concept of how supporter’s buses works? The person who thought this was a good idea to introduce the system three weeks before the match, must be the “Personification of Intellectual Poverty” they have created a mess, and we are left to try to fix it. Disaster just doesn’t do it justice.
Well done to every Celtic Supporter who turned up at the peaceful demonstration against Police Scotland, outside London Road Police Office before the Hearts game. Much to the disappointment of police Scotland, it was a well organised demonstration, and passed off without any incidents. The whole of the Celtic Support have sent a message to the Police, that they will not accept being bullied and treated like second-hand citizens in our own country. There will be more meetings in the coming weeks between the main Celtic Supporters Groups to ensure that the same thing doesn’t repeat itself, especially as we are due at Snake Mountain in the next few weeks.
Glasgow’s still Green & White.
