Glasgow Celtic Supporters Thread

[noelyf]

Celtic and Motherwell will represent Scotland in the qualifying stages of the 2012/13 Champions League.



Neil Lennon’s SPL champions will enter the tournament on the Champions Path at the third qualifying round.


Third placed Motherwell are on the Non-Champions Path, also at the third qualifying round, at the expense of Rangers, who have not been recommended for a UEFA Club Licence.


Celtic
This season’s SPL winners need to go through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stages for the first time since 2008/09.


Projecting Celtic’s potential opponents is a lengthy process. Six teams will enter at the first qualifying round stage, with the three winners joining a further 31 participants in round two.


The 17 winners of the second qualifying round will then be joined by Neil Lennon’s team, the winners of the Belgian Pro League and the Romanian Liga I.
Celtic are guaranteed seeds for the third qualifying round. Basel, should they progress from round two, are likely to be top seeds.


At present, it is difficult to project who the unseeded sides, and Celtic's likely opponents, in the third round will be.


Taking into account those who have already qualified for the second stage, and guessing those who progress, potential opponents could include HJK Helsinki, Molde FK, NK Maribor, Shamrock Rovers, Linfield, Ekranas or Hapoel Kiryat Shmona.


Should they progress, Celtic will again be seeded for the play-off round stage. No further teams enter at this stage, which is contested by the ten winners of the third qualifying round.
The third qualifying round will take place on July 31/August 1, with the second leg on August 7/8. Play-off round ties will take place on August 21/22 and August 28/29.

Celtic's potential opponents

Already qualified for the second stage are Basel (Switzerland), Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Israel), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), BATE Borisov (Belarus), Molde (Norway), Partizan (Serbia), Helsingborg (Sweden), HJK Helsinki (Finland), Shamrock Rovers (Ireland), Ekranas (Lithuania), Ventspils (Latvia), Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan), Maribor (Slovenia), KR (Iceland), Shakhter Karagrandy (Kazakhstan), Flora Tallinn (Estonia), The New Saints (Wales) and Ulisses (Armenia).


Joining them will be the league winners from Czech Republic, Austria, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia, Hungary, Moldova, Georgia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania.


Four of the six participants in the first qualifying round have been confirmed: Linfield (Northern Ireland), B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Lustianos (Andorra) and Valletta (Malta). The league winners from Luxembourg and San Marino will also participate.

Motherwell

The potential opponents for the Steelmen are far easier to speculate upon. Motherwell go in at the third qualifying round stage along with nine other teams, with the five winners then joining five other opponents in the play-off round.
Motherwell will be non-seeds at both stages. It is already clear that two of their potential, seeded opponents will be the teams which finish second and third in the Ukrainian and Portuguese leagues respectively.
As it stands, either Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kiev will finish second in Ukraine, with Benfica, Braga and Sporting Lisbon all in contention to come third in Portugal.
Their other potential opponents are dependant on which clubs finish in the applicable league positions and therefore it is not possible to calculate yet which other teams will be seeds and non-seeds.


Motherwell then could potentially face the second placed teams from Russia, Holland, Turkey, Denmark, Belgium and Romania, or the winners of the Greek Super League play-off.


Should they progress, they will again be unseeded and could either face a team joining them from the third qualifying round stage.
Five other teams join in the play-off round: the third placed finishers in France and Italy, the fourth placed team in Spain, German side Borussia Monchengladbach and the fourth placed team in England, or the team which finishes third if Chelsea win this season’s Champions League.


Like Celtic, their third qualifying round first leg game will take place on July 31/August 1, with the second leg on August 7/8. Play-off round ties will take place on August 21/22 and August 28/29.


The draw for the third qualifying round takes place on July 20, with the play-off round draw on August 10.


Motherwell's potential opponents
Third qualifying round
Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Benfica, Braga or Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)
CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow or Anzhi Makhachkala (Russia)
Feyenoord, PSV or Heerenveen (Holland)
Galatasaray or Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Copenhagen, Nordsjaelland, Midtjylland or Horsens (Denmark)
Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Genk, Gent, Standard Liege (Belgium)
CFR Clug, Rapid Bucharest, Vaslui, Dinamo Bucharest, Steaua Bucharest, Universitatea Cluj, Pandurii Târgu Jiu, Otelul Galati (Romania)
Panathinaikos, PAOL, Atromitos, AEK Athens (Greece)
Play-off round stage
Other four winners from third qualifying round stage
Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany)
Napoli, Udinese, Lazio, Inter, Roma (Italy)
Montpellier, PSG, Lille, Lyon (France)
Valencia, Malaga, Levante, Atletico Madrid, Mallorca (Spain)
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United or Chelsea (England)

 

[noelyf]

[h=1]Thai Tims guard of honour for Celtic v St. Johnstone. [/h]
[video=youtube;YDOlWYza2-8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDOlWYza2-8[/video]

 

[noelyf]

lol He F**king wishes!!!!

 

[noelyf]

[h=1]Thai Tims JCGE at the Concert Hall, Glasgow :)[/h]
[video=youtube;i3ndoJunF7w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ndoJunF7w&sns=fb[/video]

 

[pokeraldo7]

hi noleyf

every time i see them i get a lump in my throat
gb the thai tims
hh

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------

brilliant
hh lollollollollollollol

 

[noelyf]

Hunopoly. Out Now!! lol

 

[noelyf]

Five-star Hooper gets the party going at Paradise



By: Laura Brannan on 13 May, 2012 14:19
May 13, 2012
Scottish Premier League
Celtic Park

CELTIC 5
(Hooper 5, 8, 38, 66, 88)

HEARTS 0


IT was the Gary Hooper show at Celtic Park as the Champions closed the 2011/12 season with an emphatic 5-0 win against Hearts. The English striker hit all five goals, including a first-half penalty, to seal the three points.

Celtic enjoyed complete dominance over the Edinburgh side and as they brought their remarkable campaign to an end, they were presented with the much-deserved SPL trophy, which was draped in green and white ribbons once again.

Scott Brown lifted the silverware in front of a packed Celtic Park as the Hoops finished the season on 93 points, which beat last year´s tally.

And it didn’t take long for the party to get started - just five minutes in fact. Kris Commons, who was looking sharp, took the initial shot, but goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald blocked it. He couldn’t control it, though, and Hooper was on hand to tap it home from close-range, sparking the first of many celebrations.

Just three minutes had passed before the striker gave the supporters even more reasons to sing. This time it was Georgios Samaras who did the hard work, beating Marius Zaliukas to slide the ball in for Hooper, who duly tapped it into the open net.

With Celtic two goals ahead with less than 10 minutes on the clock, Celtic Park was already in jubilant spirits and the team were looking comfortable. The visitors barely mounted an attack and were chasing shadows every time Celtic were in possession.

Charlie Mulgrew came close to adding to the tally when he curled a free-kick over the wall, and Samaras attempted to slide home at the far post, but couldn´t make contact with the ball in time.

Seven minutes before half-time though, Joe Ledley was fouled inside the box and referee Alan Muir awarded Celtic with a penalty. Looking for his hat-trick, Hooper stepped up, and slotted it straight down the middle for his third of the afternoon.

Celtic started the second half the same way they finished the first, looking just as comfortable in possession. Commons swung in a free-kick on 54 minutes but Samaras couldn’t head home at the far post for the Hoops´ fourth.

It took an hour for Hearts to have their first attempt on goal, but as David Templeton tried to curl the ball around Fraser Forster, who had a very quiet afternoon, it went well wide of the target.

It proved to be a rare attack outside of Hearts´ half, and Celtic added to their tally on 66 minutes. Again, it was Hooper who did the damage, breaking away from the Hearts backline and rounding MacDonald, slotting home his, and Celtic´s fourth of the afternoon.

There was a standing ovation for Beram Kayal who replaced Brown a minute later. It was Kayal´s first appearance since being injured against Rangers in December and the supporters showed their delight at his return to fitness.

Celtic continued to look hungry in front of goal, particularly Samaras, though he was the provider for Celtic´s last goal, two minutes from full-time. He slid the ball in for Hooper, and the striker rounded off his tally for the afternoon, tapping in for his, and Celtic´s fifth strike against the Edinburgh side.

The full-time whistle was met by rapturous from the packed Celtic Park support and the title party celebrations got underway.


CELTIC (4-4-2): Forster; Wanyama, Loovens, Mulgrew; Matthews, Brown (Kayal 67), Ledley (McCourt 69), Commons (Stokes 81), Izaguirre; Samaras, Hooper.
Subs not used: Zaluska, Cha, Lustig, F. Twardzik

HEARTS (4-4-2): MacDonald, McGowan, Webster (Barr 83), Zaliukas, Grainger; Robinson, Mrowiec, Taouil (Prychynenko 25), Templeton; Novikovas (Holt 46), Glen
Subs not used: Ridgers, Driver, Skacel, Santana

Website man of the match: Gary Hooper

 

[noelyf]

Thai Tims Celebrate SUPER H88PERS Goal At Paradise today :)


[video=youtube;Rb6rZxZBO1U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb6rZxZBO1U&feature=relmfu[/video]



Thai Tims at the Celtic Superstore :)


[video=youtube;2-ltocwYXss]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ltocwYXss&feature=relmfu[/video]

 

[noelyf]

lol

[video=youtube;3YIa0qeoQJc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3YIa0qeoQJc[/video]

 

[noelyf]

[h=1]Tommy Burns: The Supporter Who Got Lucky[/h]

By: Paul Cuddihy on 15 May, 2012

FOUR year ago today, on May 15, 2008, Tommy Burns passed away. He was just 51-years-old. The loss was one felt by the whole Celtic family though, of course, the greatest loss belonged to his wife, Rosemary and his four children, Emma, Jenna, Michael and Jonathan. And on this anniversary, as always, our thoughts and prayers remain with them.

Tommy Burns was a public figure, known and loved by Celtic supporters young and old, but he was a husband and father, and also a grandfather, and his family miss him in ways that we can’t begin to imagine or understand.

In his all-too-short life, Tommy did extraordinary things for our football club. He spent 14 years as a player, making his debut against Dundee in April 1975 and bowing out in a friendly match at Celtic Park against Ajax in December 1989.

The Celtic View interviewed him on many occasions over the years, and at one point he was asked what his greatest achievement had been as a player.

As far as he was concerned, it was staying at the club for such a long time “because bad players don’t play for Celtic for 14 years.”

That has always been the same at the club and it is testament to his ability that Tommy did manage to last so long.

During that time he won six league championships, five Scottish Cups and one League Cup medal. It was an impressive tally for a player who made 503 appearances for his beloved green and white Hoops.

Tommy Burns seemed fated to play for Celtic. The boy from the Calton, born almost in the shadow of Celtic Park, grew up following the club and progressed on to the hallowed turf.

As he always said, he considered himself to be no more than a supporter who got lucky. It was always a way of reminding people, and perhaps himself, that he was one of them, and it offers a perfect illustration of his humility.

Having left the club, he returned in 1994 as manager, and was instrumental in restoring our pride on the pitch. His team always tried to play football ‘the Celtic way’, and everyone who watched the Hoops at that time still speak with great affection and enthusiasm about what they saw.

While he did win the Scottish Cup in 1995 – Celtic’s first trophy in six years – a league title eluded him. It would have been a fitting reward for Tommy and his team but sadly it was not to be and he left in 1997.

Thankfully, however, it wasn’t for long and when he returned, it was like he had come home.

Our Youth Academy, which has produced a whole host of first-team players in recent seasons, is testament to his hard work in setting it up, while the Lennoxtown Training Centre is a great legacy.

And Tommy’s contribution to the club’s success under Gordon Strachan cannot be underestimated. The league triumph at Tannadice in 2008, which made it three-in-a-row, was dedicated to Tommy by a group of players still mourning the loss of an influential figure within their ranks.

Throughout the battle he fought with skin cancer, Tommy showed great courage and fortitude, while taking great solace from the Catholic faith which had been a central tenet of his life.

Supporters always loved Tommy Burns because he was one of us – a Celtic fan who was lucky enough to live the dream that we’ve all harboured at one time in our lives.

And the sea of tributes which were laid outside the front of Celtic Park after Tommy’s passing, was the most visible sign of the unique place he held in the hearts of the entire Celtic family.

So today, May 15, is a sad time for everyone. It’s still hard to believe that Tommy’s no longer with us, and every memory will be tinged with sadness.

But we should also remember the great things he did for our club, the goals he scored, the trophies he lifted, the players he brought to the club and the example he set of what it means to be a good Celtic man.

We believe that Celtic is more than a football club – our roots, our character and our ethos set us apart, and Tommy Burns embodied everything that is good about Celtic.

He was one of the greats who passed through Parkhead’s gates and he will never be forgotten.

God Bless You Tommy, Rest In Peace

 

[noelyf]

Norwich goes green and white thanks to fantastic Celtic support




By: Paul Cuddihy on 23 May, 2012

CELTIC’S visit to Norwich on Tuesday night for Adam Drury’s Testimonial match won the club many more new fans as the massive travelling Celtic support turned the night into a carnival atmosphere.

The match, which featured Celtic legends Neil Lennon and Paul Lambert going head-to-head as respective managers, was won on the night by the home side 2-0.

But it was the Celtic support who were the real winners, with praise pouring in from their Norwich counterparts for the numbers who had turned up, the fantastic way in which they cheered on the team, and for making the occasion one to remember.

There have been hundreds of Norwich fans getting in touch through Celtic’s official Twitter feed @celticfc thanking the Hoops support for helping to create an unforgettable night at Carrow Road.

Of course, Neil Lennon wasn’t at all surprised. He knows just how good the Celtic support are, and the backing at Carrow Road was in keeping with what his team are given week in, week out, home and away.

“It was a great night,” the Celtic manager told the official Celtic website, “and first and foremost, we’re delighted for Adam Drury. It’s a fantastic achievement for any player to stay at one club for so long, and to give such great service to them, and we were delighted to be invited to take part in this game for him.

“I’ve spoken about our supporters on many occasions, and about how much their backing means to me and to the team, and you saw that again at Carrow Road. It was a large and enthusiastic travelling support, and our fans really did help make the night such a special one.

“I’d like to thank Norwich Football Club, and the people of Norwich for making all of us, the team and our supporters, so welcome throughout our time in the city.

“It was also great to meet up with an old friend in Paul Lambert, and you could see just how much he still means to the Celtic support.

“I’m absolutely delighted at the success he’s enjoyed at Norwich. They are a really good club and really deserve to be in the Premier League, and it’s great to see Paul doing so well.

“And I’d like to thank our supporters again for showing why they are the best fans in football. They were a real credit to the club and we’ve made a lot of new friends at Norwich because of them.”


Got up this morning and had some new Norwich fans following me on twitter 👍 Loved the Norwich fans doing the huddle & joining in with the Celtic fans :)

Great night & atmosphere at Carrow Road :)

 

[noelyf]

Dont sell McCourt, Paddy McCourt, I just dont think you understand. And if you sell McCourt, Paddy McCourt, your gonna' have a riot on your hands. Brilliant!! 👍


[video=youtube;gtdrSaoZCHI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtdrSaoZCHI[/video]

 

[allybird58]

That is brilliant Noel,watched match last night, great to see such great support👍

 

[noelyf]

[h=2]Celtic continue to win hearts and minds
[/h] [h=3]They sang. They chanted. They danced. They conga' d. They huddled. They entertained...[/h]










Celtic fans 'huddling' at Carrow Road.





Yesterday, the good people of Norwich witnessed the type of invasion that even the greatest generals throughout history could scarcely dream of as the green and white clad Celtic brigade came to visit their fair Norfolk city. And, for a single day at least, they entertained and astounded the locals with some of their famed, good natured and all inclusive brand of unique and joyous revelry.

By bus and train and car - and even a few by plane - the first of the Hoops fans started arriving in the city not long after dawn had broken on what was to be a beautifully warm and sunny day. One last away-day 'hurrah' to bring the curtain down on a truly momentous season for club and support alike.

The reason they were there was not only to support their club but also to honour a Norwich City stalwart, Adam Drury, in his testimonial match.

I followed events on Twitter, and what had initially started out as numerous and frequent updates and pics from Celtic fans - documenting their own and their friends experiences of the day - suddenly started to be sporadically interspersed with updates and pics of the Celtic fans from the people of Norwich themselves.

Then, as morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon into evening, the tweets and the pics and the praise of the Celtic throngs rapidly increased from the sporadic to a veritable crescendo. But, even that crescendo was to later pale almost into insignificance as Carrow Road and the Norwich City fans themselves got to sample their first sights and sounds of a Celtic support in full and unceasing voice and in full-on, celebratory party mode.

As a good natured and fairly competitive game was played out by both teams on the pitch - which the Canaries eventually won by a margin of two goals to nil - the real action and spectacle was to be found in the Carrow Road stands. And in particular the stands which housed the Celtic supporters.

They sang. They chanted. They danced. They conga' d. They huddled. They entertained.
They joined in when the Canary fans started a Mexican Wave. And they later cheered and applauded them when the Canaries started to do a huddle of their own.

The Norwich fans lapped it up and soaked it all in as they took Celtic and their 'amazing' supporters into in their hearts and minds. And it was a mutual love-in which was fully reciprocated by the Celtic support in attendance and all those on Twitter, too.

The sheer number of personal testimonies from Canary fans on twitter - and 'astonished' and 'stunned' ranked high in their list of buzzwords - was both profoundly heartening and, dare I say it - pretty astonishing to behold.

It's probably wrong to single out just one tweet from the Canaries' fans, but this one from. Tom Shaw, perhaps encapsulates the essence of the night from a NCFC fans perspective:

Tom Shaw @Tommy__Shaw

Biggest and best support at Carrow Road in living memory.

Former Celt and current manager of Norwich City, Paul Lambert, said of the Celtic support:
"You can see what a special set of fans they are"

Whilst the man of the evening, Adam Drury, added: "It's hard to put into words to be honest."
"Obviously I've heard what an atmosphere Celtic fans create, the gaffer had told me and the Scottish lads, but until you actually see it... from start to finish they are non-stop."

I mean, who in their right minds would deliberately go out of their way to make enemies and cause trouble rather than make new friends? Only those with a predetermined "No one likes us, we don't care" attitude and belief system. That's who!

The Norwich City fans must also be congratulated for their own kindness and generosity of spirit. They too are a great credit to their club. We must cherish and encourage the clubs who are blessed with good supporters because they are in increasingly short supply in the modern game.

What happened last night at Carrow Road is what sport in general, and football - as the peoples game - in particular, is supposed to be all about. It was also good for the soul.

Assistant Chief Constable of the Norfolk Constabulary , Sarah Hamlin, was in full agreement, saying:

“The Celtic fans at tonight’s testimonial fixture, for Adam Drury, were a credit to their club. Their excellent behaviour greatly added to the event, making it a fantastic occasion for all those involved, and in attendance.”

As the late and much loved former Celtic player and manager, Tommy Burns, once famously said of his beloved Celtic support:

"That's what's so special about them." "They're there and they're always there. And god bless every one of them."

Well, Tommy. They are still doing you and the club proud,


By John Girvan

http://www.vavel.com/en/uk-football/scottish-premier-league/celtic-glasgow/163182-celtic-continue-to-win-hearts-and-minds.html

 

[noelyf]

 

[noelyf]

The Thai Tims respond to Tam Cowan from the Daily Record who said the kids were being used as slave labour to stitch the Celtic players boots and kits.

[video=youtube;AJMFAhK2_eM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AJMFAhK2_eM[/video]

 

[allybird58]

The best and only way to respond to that Daily Record crap.The Children themselves.Brilliant Noely 👍

 

[pokeraldo7]

hi noely
when will we see there likes again
gbt the thai tims:):):):):)
hh

 

[jigger121]

Norwich head north for Paradise friendly!

CELTIC will welcome our new friends from Norwich City to Paradise – with a pre-season friendly match confirmed for Wednesday, July 25.

The Celtic supporters earned a lot of praise south of the border after travelling down in their thousands for Adam Drury’s testimonial match in May and raising the roof at Carrow Road.

Their excellent behaviour also made the club a lot of new friends in the city and having received a warm-welcome in Norwich, we are now looking to return the favour during pre-season on July 25.

The match, which kicks off at 7.45pm and is included on the season book, will be a genuine test for Neil Lennon’s Bhoys against English Premier League opposition.

And it will also be a valuable exercise for the Norwich players, who will run out, led by a new manager in former Birmingham and Newcastle boss and ex-Republic of Ireland internationalist, Chris Hughton.

With this match being a season book game, a good crowd is expected at Paradise – while a healthy travelling support is also anticipated.

Tickets will be priced £15 for adults and £5 for children and will go on sale Monday, July 2.

 

[noelyf]

Champions head to Europe for exciting pre-season



By: Newsroom Staff .

CELTIC will kick off their pre-season preparations with a training camp in Germany and three games against German opposition, including Bundesliga side, FC Augsburg.

It’s the start of an exciting pre-season for the Scottish champions, who will also face matches against the Dutch champions, Ajax, and the Spanish champions, Real Madrid, in July and August.

The first friendly match for Neil Lennon’s title-winning side will be against FC Augsburg on Tuesday, July 10 at the Stauferpark-Stadion, Donauworth.

Five days later, on Sunday, July 15, the Hoops will play Stuttgart Kickers at the Grazi Stadion. And then, on Tuesday, July 17, the Scottish Champions will play Vfr Aalen at the Scholtz Arena. Kick-off times for the three games in Germany to be confirmed and ticket details to follow.

Celtic have already lined up an exciting pre-season friendly against Dutch champions Ajax at the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday, July 21

On Tuesday, July 24, the Hoops will return to Paradise when they play host to Norwich City.

And then on August 11, Celtic will travel to Philadelphia for a high-profile match with the reigning Spanish champions, Real Madrid, who have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil in the ranks, three world-class players who are all in action this week in the semi-finals of Euro 2012.

The Hoops will face a UEFA Champions League qualifier at the end of July, while the SPL season kicks off on August 4 when the champions play host to Aberdeen on a day when the league flag will be raised over Paradise.