Celtic Park (Celtic v Rangers)

Two tribes...

On Wednesday night I made the short journey from Paisley to the East End of Glasgow for the fifth round Scottish Cup replay between arch rivals Celtic and Rangers. The first game on 6th February ended in a 2-2 draw after Rangers had been up 2-1 at the interval. Celtic were playing with ten men after their goalie Fraser Forster was sent off late in the second half but somehow Scott Brown managed to equalise with 25 minutes left on the clock. His subsequent celebrations in front of Celtic hate-figure El-Hadji Diouf have since been known as 'doing the Broonie.'

Since Celtic and Rangers will also meet in the Co-operative Insurance Cup Final and, as always, four times in the league, there will be seven Old Firm encounters this season. This may have been one of the reasons for tickets for this game going on general sale two weeks ago. Normally it is almost impossible to get tickets for any of these matches through the official channels if you are not a season ticket holder for either of the clubs. Since I had not seen an Old Firm derby at Celtic Park yet I was not going to pass up on the chance to get my hands on one of the coveted briefs. Remarkably however tickets were still available shortly before the game and Celtic even advertised the match on the radio.

I was inside the ground about 30 minutes before kick-off and took my seat amongst the home support. The football on show tonight was disappointing and comparing the players on the park with those I watched in Old Firm clashes when I moved to Scotland ten years ago shows how much standards have dropped in the SPL, although Bert Konterman may still struggle to be in the Rangers starting eleven in 2011...So I will not say much about the football but I do not think that is what these games are about anyway.

It is all about the hype that is created by the supporters and the media before these games and sometime after. And, as we have seen time and time again, even seasoned professionals often cannot handle this hype. Celtic truly dominated the game after Steven Whittaker was sent off after 37 minutes after picking up a second booking for fouling Emilio Izaguirre. Somehow this led to a spat between El-Hadji Diouf and the Celtic bench and it all kicked off again when both teams went to the dressing rooms at half-time.

Only three minutes after the break Mark Wilson scored what turned out to be the only goal of the night and, in true Old Firm style, Wilson's effort smashed off Saša Papac’s head. The Rangers left back had to be stretchered off the park but predictably the Celtic fans sang that they 'just couldn't get enough.' Celtic were unable to score a second goal even though Georgios Samaras hit the post. Madjid Bougherra became the second Rangers player to be sent off in the dying minutes when the Algerian received a second yellow card after a cynical foul on Kris Commons.

After the final whistle and Celtic's quarter final appearance confirmed (which also means Rangers cannot win the domestic treble of course) it really kicked off with Celtic manager Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant coach Ally McCoist squaring up and Diouf being red-carded after picking up a second booking for approaching referee Calum Murray. Bizarrely, despite the sending-off, the Senegalese striker still walked up to the end of the pitch to throw his shirt into the away section.

Despite all the turmoil on the pitch I did not encounter any aggression outside the stadium or on my way to Glasgow Central (I did not see anything untoward after last year's Old Firm at Ibrox either) and I arrived back home just after eleven. The football was dire but the entertainment was top-notch!

For more pictures of Celtic Park see these posts: (v St Mirren, v AZ, v FC Utrecht)

Celtic Park seen from the Gallowgate.

The two teams coming on the pitch.


Celtic free-kick in the first half, Rangers fans in the corner.

Steven Whitaker received a second yellow after fouling Emilio Izaguirre.

El-Hadji Diouf argues with the Celtic bench.

You'll never Walk Alone at the start of the second half.

Celtic free-kick in the second half.


Diouf was red-carded after the final whistle but still stayed on the park and threw his shirt into the away end.

The Jock Stein Stand after the match.

The South Stand.

The Lisbon Lions Stand.

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
Scottish Cup 5th round replay (first game: 2-2)
Celtic 1 Rangers 0
Goal: Wilson 48.
Att: 57,847

Celtic Park (Celtic v FC Utrecht)

Last Thursday night I went to Celtic Park for the first UEFA Europa League encounter between Celtic and Dutch side FC Utrecht. The winner over two legs will qualify for the Europa League group stages. Celtic had been put out of the Champions' League qualifiers by S.C. Braga and were given a second chance in the Europa League. FC Utrecht qualified for Europe after finishing seventh in the Eredivisie last season, which meant 'European' play-offs which Utrecht won. One of the teams they beat in the play-offs were my team, Roda JC.

I have no special connection with either Celtic or FC Utrecht but as a follower of both Scottish and Dutch football any encounter between teams of the two countries has my attention. The match was not broadcast on television, neither in the UK nor in the Netherlands, however there was no capacity crowd. This has become a common sight at Celtic Park, which used to be filled to capacity for most league and European games up until fairly recently.

The atmosphere was good however, better than at the league games I have witnessed in Parkhead. The Utrecht fans in particular were in good form even though they became a little quieter after Efrain Juarez put Celtic ahead in the 19th minute. Georgios Samaras, who had set up the first goal, doubled the tally fifteen minutes later. FC Utrecht had some good chances at the start of the game but seemed to have too much respect for Celtic. This became particularly evident after the interval when Utrecht played like they were defending a 3-0 lead whereas I had expected them to try and nick what could have been a vital away goal. As it stands now it will be very, very difficult for the Dutch club to progress to the group stages.

On a positive note there did not seem to be any problems with hooliganism tonight. FC Utrecht's support have a bit of a reputation and in 2003 they were ordered to play their UEFA Cup first round home game against Slovak side MSK Zilina behind closed doors after their fans had caused trouble against Legia Warszawa the year before. Jan Willem van Dop, the FC Utrecht chairman, praised the travelling support's conduct in Glasgow on the official website: 'It was one big party, in the city centre and inside the ground as well,' he said. He also mentioned that everyone behaved well despite the fact that 'no extraordinary security measures had been taken.' The poor guy must have become a little out of touch as chairman of a Dutch football club for him to think that the police presence we saw on Thursday night, including a helicopter hovering over Celtic Park, is normal.

Some spice was added to this encounter by the sympathy many Utrecht fans have had for Rangers since their star striker Michael Mols moved to Ibrox in 1999. I counted a few Rangers flags and union jacks and when the game was coming to a close the travelling support were treated to a well-meant 'Go home ya huns' - the Celtic fans sang this whilst they were on their way home ten minutes before time, the Utrecht fans were kept inside the ground until long after the game. Some Celtic fans also showed their 'Pope Benedict XVI' scarves to the Dutch fans which may provoke angry reactions amongst some sections of Scottish supporters (which is probably their intention) but in a European context I find it cringe-worthy.

And finally, it was mentioned a few times in the Scottish press last week, and it was repeated in the match programme as well, that FC Utrecht are the only Dutch club outside the traditional Dutch 'top three' not to be relegated from the Eredivisie. I cannot remember Roda JC making the drop since their promotion in 1973...

For more pictures of Celtic Park see this post (v St Mirren) and this one (v AZ Alkmaar).

Approaching Celtic Park.


Tonight's visitors...


...and the home team's starting eleven.

Both teams entering the pitch.

Around 1,500 Utrecht fans had travelled to Scotland.

There was a large police presence including the infamous Strathclyde police helicopter.

Celtic are about to take a free kick.

Utrecht were unable to find the net, despite several good chances.

You'll Never Walk Alone at half time. The Utrecht fans joined in.

Utrecht players thank the travelling support.

The Celtic-Utrecht 'friendship scarves' looked like a bit of a rush job. The 'Utrecht' part came with the catchy slogan 'Your text here' in Dutch. I think the makers were inspired by this custom banner.

Thursday 19th August 2010
UEFA Europe League
Celtic 2 FC Utrecht 0
Goals: Juarez 19, Samaras 34.
Att: 35,755

Celtic Park (Celtic v AZ)

Last Wednesday night I watched Celtic take on Dutch league champions AZ in an almost empty Celtic Park. The friendly had originally been planned for Wednesday 21st April but the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland meant the club from Alkmaar were unable to travel to Scotland. Despite the fact that season ticket holders could see this game for "free" only about 2,000 fans bothered to show up. Celtic had organised the friendly because they had played no Scottish Cup home games this season and basically owed their supporters one game. As a follower of Dutch Eredivisie football this fixture immediately appealed to me but this sentiment was apparently not shared by most of the Celtic fans.

I went to the game with two guys from my work, one of them an AZ fan, so I got tickets as close to the away section as I could. About 14 AZ supporters had followed their club to Scotland. From what I understood more fans had planned to travel to Glasgow on the 21st but the postponement had made things difficult for many of them. We took a train from Glasgow Central to Dalmarnock train station from which it is only a ten-minute walk to Celtic Park. I immediately noticed that it was very quiet near the ground. I even forgot to buy a programme because I did not see any vendors. It later turned out that programmes were sold but I was unable to obtain one after the game so I am trying to source one on eBay now!

The game was a typical friendly with not much of an atmosphere coming from the sparsely filled stands. The biggest cheer came when it was announced that Celtic had beaten Rangers to win the Youth Cup Final at Hampden (another reason cited for the small crowd tonight). The highlight of the game for me was when one of the Dutch fans took of his AZ shirt and put on a Celtic shirt which was applauded by the Hoops fans on the Lisbon Lions Stand.

On the pitch, Georgios Samaras gave Celtic the lead, but Graziano Pelle equalised before half-time and Jonathas scored from the penalty spot in the second half to give Dick Advocaat's men an undeserved lead. Celtic created many chances but were very wasteful and never managed to equalise.

For more pictures of Celtic Park see this post (v St Mirren),this one (v FC Utrecht) and this one (v Rangers).

Approaching Celtic Park.


The Lisbon Lions Stand.


Samaras puts Celtic 1-0 ahead.

Jonathas scores the winning goal from the spot.

The North Stand.

The small contingent of AZ fans.

The South Stand after the game.

Wednesday 28th April 2010
Friendly
Celtic 1 AZ 2
Celtic: Samaras 36.
AZ: Pelle 40. Jonathas (pen) 75.
Att: 2,000 (est.)

Ibrox Stadium (Rangers v Celtic)

For more pictures of Ibrox see this post and this one.

Yesterday, after having lived in Scotland for over nine years, I finally visited my first Old Firm derby. Tickets for the meetings between Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic are never on general sale and it is typically only season ticket holders from both clubs that attend these fixtures, apart from some sponsor and hospitality seats.

I am not a supporter of either of the clubs but I was able to borrow my friend Martijn's season ticket so I took my seat in the Copland Stand amongst the Rangers support. Before this game Rangers were seven points ahead of their bitter rivals in the league and it was a must-win match for Celtic. Earlier this week Celtic also appeared to have increased pressure on referee Dougie McDonald when an 'anonymous source' at Celtic revealed that the Parkhead club had complained to the SFA about various dubious decisions made by referees this season that all went against Celtic.

Before kick-off there was supposed to be a minute's silence as well for Gerhardt 'Gerrie' Neef, who was Rangers' goalkeeper when they won their first, and only, European trophy, the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup. Unfortunately this silence was not observed by an admittedly small minority of the Celtic support which provoked booing from the home support. Embarrassing for both sets of supporters if you ask me and disrespectful to Neef's family who apparently had asked for a minute's silence instead of the cringe worthy minute of applause.

Of course this kind of controversy is all to be expected on derby day in Glasgow. Like it or not this is the biggest fixture on the Scottish football calendar. The Glasgow derby is followed with interest by the majority of the people in the West of Scotland and I think all these incidents are just a reflection of what is going on in society in this part of the world. This is not typical of Scotland I think, I know it is the same when Ajax and Feyenoord are playing each other in Holland. I was very impressed with the policing of the match and the crowd segregation before and after the game however.

The game itself was fast and tense with chances on both sides with both goalkeepers, Artur Boruc for Celtic and Allan McGregor for Rangers, in excellent form. It looked like Maurice Edu opened the score for Rangers but referee McDonald rightly disallowed the 'goal' because Kenny Miller had handled the ball.

In the second half Rangers looked the dominant side and they knew that a draw would suit them much better than Celtic. After 66 minutes Scott Brown was controversially sent off after he and Kyle Laffery clashed but it seemed a harsh decision. Rangers tried frantically to capitalise on the advantage but only in the third minute of injury time did Edu score the winning goal after a goalmouth scramble.

Approaching Ibrox from Paisley Road West.

Celtic fans queueing up outside the Broomloan Stand.

The Main Stand.

Again the Main Stand.

Flag waving before kick-off.

Both sets of players are entering the pitch. The Broomloan Stand, the opposite end, housed the Celtic fans.

Celtic are getting ready to take a free kick.

Banners on display during half time.

The players are getting ready for the second half.

Celtic ended up playing with ten men after Scott Brown was sent off.

Maurice Edu scores the only goal of the match three minutes in injury time.

The Main Stand after the game.

The Govan Stand.

The Broomloan Stand.

Sunday 28th February 2010
Scottish Premier League
Rangers 1 Celtic 0
Goal: Edu 90+3.
Att: 50,320

Cappielow Park (Greenock Morton v Celtic)

Last night I visited Cappielow in Greenock for the fourth round Scottish Cup match between Morton and Celtic. The tie was originally scheduled for 9th January when I was unable to go because I was in Frimley Green for the darts during that weekend. However the match was postponed, at first to 12th January and then again to the 19th because of a frozen pitch. This enabled me to witness a capacity crowd at Cappielow, a rare sight.

As I work in Greenock travelling was no problem. After a few pre-match pints in the James Watt, the local JD Wetherspoon pub, we started the two-minute journey from Greenock Central to Cartsdyke railway station, which is adjacent to Cappielow Park. The stadium is an old-fashioned ground with lots of character. I had visited Cappielow only once before, a 9-1 thrashing of Forfar when Morton were still playing in the Second Division a few years ago. The Grandstand looks like a standard main stand, however the Cowshed is a more unusual construction with seats at the front and terracing at the back. The terrace behind the goal at the Sinclair Street end of the ground is an uncovered terrace for the home fans. The opposite end, called the Wee Dublin End was allocated to the Celtic fans tonight. This end has wooden benches but fans are usually standing here as well. This stand is normally only open during the bigger games, such as the game last night.

Celtic have been struggling lately so there was an outside chance of an upset. A draw would have been attractive as the replay at Celtic Park would have taken place tonight. In the first 35 minutes the over 10,000 in attendance witnessed an even contest. However after Nial McGinn's goal it never looked as if this was going to be Morton's night.

For more pictures of Cappielow see this post.

A packed Cowshed.

The Celtic Supporters in the Wee Dublin End.

Unfortunately for Morton no cup shock tonight.

The Grandstand.

The Sinclair Street End.

The Sinclair Street End after the match.

Looking towards the Wee Dublin End.

The Grandstand.

Tuesday 19th January 2010
The Active Nation Scottish Cup Round 4
Greenock Morton 0 Celtic 1
Goal: McGinn 35.
Att: 10,191