Only one winner this weekend in the SPL and it was WHO?
After the long international break that saw Scotland break my heart, we’re back to the regular league season, so Inverness can break my heart instead. But first, a look at the big boys of the SPL.
In a Saturday sure to have excited absolutely no one, we had three SPL matches, and three SPL draws. Rangers started the sharefest with their scoreless trip to Motherwell. Celtic, surely licking their chops with 2 points on the table to be stolen from their bitter rivals, were unable to do the job, and finished 1-1 at home to Dundee United. And in the battle of the fightin’ saints, St. Mirren managed only a point at home in their new creatively-named park hosting promoted side St. Johnstone, 1-1.
The other Saturday match, Killie at Hearts, was postponed due to a lorry fire on the highway which prevented Killie’s traveling support, and incidentally their squad bus, from reaching Edinburgh in time. Tynecastle will still be there on Wednesday.
On Sunday, utterly pointless early strugglers Hamilton (seriously, they had zero points) hosted the capital city Hibees. It’s been a rough start for the Accies, but they did the job and took the match 2-0, on an early penalty from Mensing and another from Antoine-Courier. Hibs man Colin Nish certainly didn’t help anything with two yellows in the final 10 minutes, getting himself taken off with barely enough time to get a wash before the final whistle. By the way, if you picked Hamilton to be the only winner in the entire league this week, hats off to you – that took some guessing.
Monday saw Falkirk taking on Aberdeen, and once again, Scottish fans were rewarded with very, very little to watch, as the two went scoreless.
So far, things look familiar at the top, with the Old Firm tied on 10 points from 4 matches and a two-point lead on United. The surprise is at the bottom, where Hearts sit on just a single point from their first three times out. They must have been looking forward to hosting the inconsistent Kilmarnock this weekend, and will hope for those points on Wednesday. If they are not taken, count on escalating talk about change at Tynecastle.
Meanwhile, Celtic and Rangers both start their European group stages this week, with Rangers going to Stuttgart on Wednesday and Celtic to Israel to face Hapoel Tel Aviv. Both are tough trips, but those of us not embroiled in the unending pissing contest that is Glasgow football wish them both well. Good luck lads.
Scotland in danger of losing lucky 13th place
By: Ian Rose |
4 Comments
Scotland entered six teams into European competition this season – Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Hearts, and Falkirk. After a dismal start that saw Aberdeen dismantled over two legs and Hearts, Falkirk and Motherwell fail to reach the Europa League group stage, it’s down to the Old Firm. As much as our European hopes [...]
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Celtic Slays the Saints, and more from Saturday
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
It was a lively Saturday in Scottish football, and as we all look to the domestic game for some of the quality we’ve so famously lacked in Europe, there were some very good matches to keep us entertained and help us forget about that nasty little word “coefficient”.
SPL: Celtic 5-2 St. Johnstone
With two consecutive [...]
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SFL Kickoff: It’s the most wonderful time of the year
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
Ladies and Gentlemen, the wait is over. League football is back across Scotland, with every team in the SFL kicking off Saturday. Scratch that – every team has fixtures. Livingston, the saddening trainwreck of the league, has decided not to show up to their Third Division match with East Stirling as part [...]
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Livingston double relegation shuffles the SFL
By: Ian Rose | 1 Comment
It just gets worse and worse for Livingston Football Club. On the edge of administration for months, the cash-strapped club can’t pay its staff, its players, or its rent. The rest of the First Division was understandably worried about Livvie keeping its commitment to play all of its league fixtures, and now, the [...]
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One comeback down. Can there be another?
By: Ian Rose | 1 Comment
Congratulations to Celtic today, who came back from a 1-0 opening leg deficit to beat Dinamo Moscow, on the road 2-0, and move on to the Champions League Playoff Round. After last week’s series of debacles, it’s great to see the league’s coefficient picking up some points, as well as to see one of [...]
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League Cup First Round Results
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
The first round of the Scottish league cup is in the books, and there were not a lot of surprises, but certainly a lot of goals. Only three matches were settled by less than a two-goal difference, and only one went to penalties. Overall, those that made it out to the grounds this [...]
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Eastern Europe 3 – Scotland Nil
By: Ian Rose | 3 Comments
Last season was a tough one for Scottish football in Europe. Rangers dropped out of the big show early to Hearts’ feeder team (which frankly should get us at least half coefficient points), Celtic ended their run of Champions League knockout performances, and the UEFA Cup was a complete disaster. I thought things [...]
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Clyde are the anti-Galacticos
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
It’s been a tough year for fans of many cash-strapped struggling Scottish clubs. But while Livvie fans are still waiting to find out if they have a team, Clyde FC has turned the corner, and done it in what I consider to be a very respectable way. They were forced to release 13 [...]
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Mixed day in Europe for Bairns and Well
By: Ian Rose | 4 Comments
Motherwell and Falkirk went to Europe, and all Scotland got was this lousy sixth of a coefficient point.
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Team News
Hair of the Dog - Hamburger (and Benny) Hill
I feel we can skip the typical match report on this one. It would look something like this:
Hamburger SV nil, Celtic nil...
According to The Herald, both Scot McDonald and the keeper, who still isn't Artur Boruc, say Celtic can still qualify out of the Europa Cup Group Stage.
Scotty Mac, ...
Nov 05, 2009 | Read this article...
Don't forget to cheer on your fellow Scottish club tonight
Rangers play Unirea Urziceni this evening in Romania's Steaua Stadium. They already played two weeks ago, and I complete forgot to come on the 'gers that night. I think I had yoga or something.
Of course, a Scottish side should cheer on another Scottish side, as the folks from BBC Scotland ...
Nov 04, 2009 | Read this article...
Hair of the Dog - The Sunday Morning Report
The Sunday Morning Report
In the Scottish Premier League :
Celtic 3 - 0 Kilmarnock
- Two wins in a row find Celtic atop the Scottish Premier league. Two loses out of three find Killie ninth, tied on points with St Johnstone and Hearts.
Hibernian 2 - 0 Aberdeen
- With the best 6-game form ...
Match Report : Celtic 3 - 0 Kilmarnock
Scottish Premier League
Celtic 3 - 0 Kilmarnock
I'd like to say this was another day at the office, a good Celtic win, overpowering a struggling Kilmarnock side. And perhaps the struggling Killie part is true with only one (1) shot on target, three (3) corner opportunities, a load of fouls and ...
Oct 31, 2009 | Read this article...
Happy Halloween: Caley 4-1 Morton
I apologize to both of my readers for the long hiatus from Caley Thistle Offside blogging. It's been a busy time, but there was no way I was going to miss reporting on this. Caley Thistle, until today the only side in the First Division not to record ...
Oct 31, 2009 | Read this article...
Talkin' with Strachan - Travelin' Riverside Blues
The last time I wrote a Talkin' with Strachan post, it was the morning of February 24th, 2007. Later that day, Celtic would face and dramatically defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the late minutes of the Scottish Cup Quarter-Finals. An 89' minute header from Steven "Elvis" Pressley brought the match ...
Oct 30, 2009 | Read this article...
Of Bhoys and Men - Neil Lennon's Assailants Released
In writing a few words about Henrik Larsson and his official retirement after so many great years and so many great goals, I began by initially reading up some stories about Neil Lennon, his status at Reserves coach at Celtic currently, his potential courting from former Bhoys boss Gordon Strachan ...
Oct 29, 2009 | Read this article...
Match Report : Celtic 0 - 1 Hearts
I perceive two things in Scotland of the most fearful omen: ignorance of theological truth, and a readiness to pride themselves in and boast of it.
Edward Irving, a 17th cent. Scottish Clergyman, educated in Edinburgh... [oof]
Co-operative Insurance Cup, Quarter-Finals
Celtic 0 - 1 Heart of Midlothian
Well, the day I return to ...
Oct 29, 2009 | Read this article...
The End of an Era
Hi there. Sorry I've been gone for so long, but computer access has been limited for me the past week. Unfortunately though, this will be my final post as the author of the Celtic Offside. For a variety of reasons, I will not be able to continue to post on the Celtic Offside. While Celtic seem to be struggling right now, do not take me leaving the Celtic Offside as me leaving Celtic. I will not be able to continue to give this blog the proper attention and care it deserves, so if you believe that you can, email Daryl here at The Offside at daryl@theoffside.com with a writing sample. I hope that a commenter like Ryan, Quinn, Rut, or one of you guys will be able to keep the torch going here and pick up where I left off. If you are a lurker, but think you have what it takes to make bad dick jokes, pot shots at Rangers and Aberdeen, and think that Celtic is the greatest fucking team, no matter what the standings say, then you might be the perfect candidate for the writer of this blog. After almost two years of reading my drivel, the readers will have low expectations, so you will have that going for you. You also must be able to go on The Offside main page and make everyone froth at the mouth in the comment section, including EPL Fans, lower SPL team supporters, and a staff member of The Offside who supports an MLS team run by a bunch of fat guys. If this seems like something you can do, please shoot Daryl an email. But now, for the final time, let's look at tomorrow's match up between Celtic and Hamilton.
Oct 24, 2009 | Read this article...
Henke Interested in Celtic Coaching Role
The King of Kings, Henrik Larsson, has recently announced that he would be very interested in a coaching role with Celtic. Larsson, who scored 242 goals during his time with Celtic, is widely expected to retire at the end of the Swedish League's season which ends in November and ...
Oct 14, 2009 | Read this article...
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