WHEN THE LION ROARED
Given the parlous state of Scottish football these days, perhaps now is a good time to remind the good folks at Socialist Unity of the time when Scottish football ruled the roost. England were still basking in the glory of their World Cup success of 1966 when Scotland lined up to face them at fortress Wembley in 1967. The Scots were expected to be gubbed. Jim Baxter & co had other ideas.
“parlous state of Scottish football” ???
Who wrote this bullshit ?
For a country with a population smaller than London, Scottish football is in vibrant form.
That’s unless you’re a supporter of Rangers, Celtic or… Hearts !
In which case.. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Hibernian !
Comment by Eddie Truman — 23 November, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
pity there isn’t a united British national team so we could pool our talent.
In the Sixties George Best was wasted playing for Northern Ireland rather than England/Britain. If we’d had him we might have won the World Cup a second time round.
Comment by attila — 23 November, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
#2 “a united British national team”
Don’t be absurd.
Comment by Eddie Truman — 23 November, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
the best bit is missing jim baxter playing keepie up
A FEW YEAR LATERjust think celtic the first team in this septic isle to be EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS
ATTILA YER TALKING PISS ABOUT BEST LOVE HOW YOU EQUATE BRITAN WITH ENGLAND
YER A LUMPEN BRIT NAT
Comment by RIKKI — 23 November, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Football. Scotland. (yawns and goes off to make some tea)
Comment by Charles Dexter Ward — 23 November, 2009 @ 11:06 pm
” . . .pity there isn’t a united British national team so we could pool our talent.”
Would a Scottish player make the team? I doubt it. Fletcher would make the squad.
Comment by Darren — 24 November, 2009 @ 4:05 am
Eddie, come on mate, If Scottish football’s as vibrant as you say, where’s today’s Kenny Dalglish, Joe Jordan, Alan Hansen, Gordon McQueen or Graeme Souness?
Each of them would’ve walked into the fantasy “all-Britain” side of their day.
Who would today? Darren Fletcher maybe.
Comment by Karl Stewart — 24 November, 2009 @ 7:30 am
The problem is that
Defoe’s not Scottish
Comment by prianikoff — 24 November, 2009 @ 7:49 am
Gordon Strachan recently wrote an interesting article for the Daily Record on the reasons for Scottish football’s decline.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2009/11/22/gordon-strachan-having-all-the-talent-in-the-world-won-t-help-if-it-isn-t-nurtured-86908-21841296/
Comment by John — 24 November, 2009 @ 8:54 am
This post is OK, but all the ones below this one have lost their margin and the text goes off the edge of the screen. Is it just me?
Comment by Strategist — 24 November, 2009 @ 9:31 am
“#2 “a united British national team”
Don’t be absurd.”
Anyway we’ve had a united British team in the recent past: Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland.
Comment by Darren — 24 November, 2009 @ 11:56 am
In the month leading up to Scotland beating the world champions, Celtic won the European Cup and Rangers lost in the final of the European Cup-winners Cup.
Scottish football is actually in a better state than it was a few years ago. In 2008 we had our most succesful season in europe for decades. What we see now is the effects of the money in football becoming more polarised towards England, something that is effecting all countries not just Scotland and, of course, a recession.
Just 3 years ago Celtic matched every club in England for wages and buying players, apart from the top 4 and Spurs. Since then Celtics income hasnt changed but there are now 20 clubs in England who can spend more than Celtic. It gets harder to compete for players for all european leagues. Meanwhile the English second tier, the Championship, has become the 5th biggest European league in terms of finances so Scottish teams outside of Rangers and Celtic cannot compete with the likes of Ipswich and Preston. This is true across europe, it doesnt just affect Scotland.
Comment by Anonymous — 24 November, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
Scottish football is a very healthy state with the economic collapse of Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. A level playing field and more interest in the wider population Some of the community and young talent is starting to come through again. Not long till we can take the piss out of England at Wembley again with the latest crop of Baxters, Laws and Johnstones.
Comment by Raphie — 24 November, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
never thought i’d get a chance to say this on socialist unity
but come on the arabs! dundee united fucking rule,we smashed the celts and we are comin for the huns,
hands off sfa cos levein’s no leavin’….
Comment by graham — 25 November, 2009 @ 2:23 am
Politically, recent years have seen a huge growth in Scottish national consciousness.
The general consensus seems to be that the establishment of a Scottish Parliament has been a success and has brought benefits to the Scottish people for example.
And, although the credit crunch has seen talk of independence recede somewhat, there still seems to be an underlying trend in that direction.
But in football, there have been growing calls for Scotland’s two leading clubs to join the English league as the Scottish domestic game has become less competitive than ever, a move that, if it did happen, would fatally undermine Scottish football’s independence.
Do others agree there’s something of a paradox here?
Comment by Karl Stewart — 25 November, 2009 @ 9:09 am
# 13 celtic are not facing an economic collapse and in fact are improving their finances outside of what effect the recession will have.
Comment by Anonymous — 25 November, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
Scottish football is blighted by anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic sectrarianism. The Lion roard at Wembley in spite of this. Check out the caps awarded to players of European Champions Celtic, including the likes of Jimmy Johnston. Things have generally improved for the Irish in Scotland since the seventies. Racism and bigotry still exist though, from the never ending Orange parades each summer in west/central Scotland, and the despicable “Famine Song” - google the lyrics if not easily offended- sung by thousands of Rangers fans at matches (in between being “up-to-their knees in fenian blood” and songs about “fenian bastards.”
Naked sectarianism and racism goes unreported or unpunished by authorites who, when pressed admit as much. Even the football anti-racism group refused to condemn the “Famine Song” until pressed the Irish Government earlier this year. The problem is written-off as, Ach it’s only Rangers and Celtic at it again- They’re just two sides of the same coin!
This not only panders to the racists and bigots, it taints the innocent by association. Celtic Park has since Land Leaguer, Michael Davitt laid a sod of shamrocks to commemorate the club, been the meeting point for the Irish in Scotland and a focus for anti-establishment pro-republucan sentiment. As far as the establishment in scotland is concerned this amounts to the same thing as sectarianism, and the label sectarianism allows racism to be swept under a carpet which is……Just Celtic and Rangers at it again, they’re as bad as each other, you know!
The above has allowed the capitalist bastards who own Celtic and Rangers to feed-off each other under the guise of the “Old-Firm.” For years they have dominated and squeezed the other teams in Scotland, robbing the best talent, and consequently most of the trophies. Rangers in 1967 even felt sufficiently dominant to refuse to employ Catholics. They only changed this unwritten rule around twenty years later. The Scottish Football Association remains a retirement home for former Rangers men, who bend over backwards for “the” Rangers. Celtic feeds off this pro Rangers bias, ever an excuse for not matching their supporters ambitions!
Now the “Old Firm” see their salvation in that promised land south of the border. Have been rejected by the EPL(turkeys don’t vote for Christmas)both Celtic and Rangers are undergoing a major downsizing exercise.
While Celtic are obsessed with zero debt (Billionare major shareholder Dermot Desmond seems to have put Celtic on the back-burner pending an invitation from some sooper dooper league), Rangers are tens of millions in the red, and part of a larger company which may be nearly a billion in debt. The “bank is now running the club” according to Rangers manager Walter Smith. All players are for sale in the January window as the bank attempts to recoup its losses.
Since Rangers are skint(not to mention the odious lumpen hordes in their support) and Celtic Plc stupidly believes the title (and Champions League money) will be theirs almost by default…….the door is open to Hibs, Dundee United or Aberdeen to make a challenge. I’d love to see it.
Comment by Jim McL — 25 November, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
17.
The last paragraph should have explained the disastrous impact of Rangers fans hooliganism on the image of a club currently for sale.
Comment by Jim McL — 25 November, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
“Scottish football is blighted by anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic sectrarianism.”
Quite right Jim McL. It’s only those blue nosed-royalist-loyalist-orange-lodge-bastards that are the problem. We’re perfect.
Comment by Boab — 25 November, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
19.
We are the People you mean.
Comment by Jim McL — 25 November, 2009 @ 9:09 pm
# 17
Jimmy Johnstone played at a time when there were less internationals and whole load of good wingers, his cap total is not down to any anti-Irish bigotry. Johnstone was Scottish not Irish.
Comment by Anonymous — 26 November, 2009 @ 9:55 am
#14 You are so so right!This year is the year of the ARABS
Comment by Scot in London — 27 November, 2009 @ 2:53 am