Celticunderground:the Celtic Football Fan Podcast

The 9iar chronicles - Season Two 1966/67   This is the second in our nine in a row diaries and it is the story of the most remarkable season - The greatest season ever in the history of the club and one of the greatest seasons of any football club anywhere. • League Position – 1st - Second League title in a row League Cup – Winners Scottish Cup – Winners Glasgow Cup - Winners European Cup - Winners   Every competition that the club entered it won. There can be no better season than 1967. The first North European club to win the European Cup since the competition started in 1955. The FIRST BRITISH TEAM TO DO SO.   The previous season had been good but this season was outstanding. Jock Stein deservedly won the title of Best British Manager for the second successive season. If other teams had sat up and looked at Celtic and their manager during the previous season, then with the win in Lisbon the whole of the world became aware of Jock Stein and Celtic.   The foundations for this outstanding success had alread

The UK (and most of Europe) lockdown continues but that never stops the Celtic chat.  This week I am joined by someone who I have met many times at post game Celtic press conferences and someone I have been meaning to get on for some time - John Gallagher.   John is a former professional footballer who played and coached at a level below the top flight but far above the standard most of us could only dream of however the main reason I have John on the pod is because John generates the Opta stats at Celtic home games.   In this pod John explains exactly how those stats are created and gives an insight into how that makes you see things a little differently.   I am joined from Bratislava by @antonymurray25 and we quiz John on his time in the lower leagues and his time at Opta.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

The 9iar Chronicles - Season 1965-66   This current period we are hoping to achieve the magical 10+ in a row and eclipse the 9 in a row done by another Glasgow team through the 1990s.  Biu of course they were not the first club to achieve that level of success.  The first Scottish team to win 9iar were the magical Glasgow Celtic, managed by the incredible Jock Stein and the first season in that run was 1965-66.   Celtic has been in the wilderness of the Scottish game prior to the return of Jock as manager in the spring of 1965 and this season marked his first full season back at the club as manager and the first season which saw major successes finally come Celtic's way.   The clear difference in the performance of Celtic prior to this season and hereafterwards was the role of Jock Stein as manager. He drove the club and the players to new heights. It was not so much that the players were different before and after his arrival (discussed in the previous season review). It was more that the training and direct

We are in unprecedented times and that requires an unprecedented quality of guest and so this week we have an actual brain surgeon on the podcast!   Originally @pablo567 was going to be on to discuss heading of the football and dementia however with the current crisis we thought it would be better to have him on to discuss how the SPFL wrap up the season.  We discuss at length when and why Celtic will be crowned Champions.   In addition to the football we also manage to squeeze in why having a free at the point if use health service is such a wonderful thing to cherish and we mention briefly Covid-19, why you should switch off the news and how were are going to get through this (and wash your hands)   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

On Thursday night Celtic played Copenhagen and during the game we decided to give them a little thank you for being such good hosts the previous week.  So we took 3 goals, tied them up in a parcel, put on a lovely bow a gift wrapped the best present we could…   Yes we are so generous that we gifted them safe passage to the last 16 of the Europa League by making an absolute pigs ear of the home leg following the 1-1 draw in Denmark.   In this podcast we pick over the bones of Thursday night’s game and discuss team selection and the system we played.  I provide my descriptions of the goals after being at the game and refusing to watch any highlights and Antony (who braved that job) gives me his review of my description.   Enjoy…(if you can) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Podcast Xtra - Celtic 5 Hearts 0   Tonight Celtic thumped Hearts by 5 goals at Celtic Park with the atmosphere greatly enhanced with some late goals just down the M77 at Kilmarnock meaning that the lead at the top of the table is now 10 points.   After the game Neil Lennon, Jozo, the Hearts manager and a Hearts player spoke with the press.  The Hearts manager rambled and I’m not sure he’ll be their answer.  It was a great night.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

It wasn’t until nearly the 80th minute today against Hamilton that Celtic fans could start to relax today and had we not achieved that win and capitalised upon RFC dropping points at home to Aberdeen then the recriminations over the (lack of) activity in the January window would have been unbearable on scoial media however the manager made key substitutions in the second half and we went on to score 4 goals and continue our 3+ goals a game since the return to league activity following the winter break, but the main chat in this podcast is about the January window.   We are top of the league.  We have won 10 out of the last 10 trophies available and we have the best squad in the country.  Despite all of this fans were anxious in the last few weeks following the Dec 29th defeat and there were strong calls for some experienced players joining the team and that didn’t happen and so Antony Murray joined Harry for a chat about the window.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other s

Celtic have returned to SPFL action in positive fashion, scoring 9 goals by knocking three past each of Kilmarnock, Ross County and St Johnstone. We have scored more goals and gained more points than all but 4 of the seasons this century after the equivalent number of games and with our progress in Europe and already a domestic trophy in the cabinet we remain on course for another remarkable season. With all of this the angst and frustration among many in our support is difficult to understand and so I called up @antonymurray25 to review the last 2 domestic games and preview this Sunday’s game against Hamilton. We don’t discuss the transfer window because that’s for another podcast which will be out very soon. Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

2010 – 2019 was the Celtic decade.  It started in an inauspicious manner with us limping along through the season with a failing manager and, 3 months in, a 4-0 thumping by St Mirren meant enough was enough and a change was made.  Neil Lennon took over the reigns on a temporary basis, won 8 league games in a row and was given the job full time.  The decade ended with a manager leaving, Neil Lennon being given the job on a temporary basis, seeing us through to the 8th title in a row and getting the job full time.   In between all of this we has some amazing times, our rivals died, we won 8 titles in a row, we had an invincible season and we have won the last 10 domestic trophies – quite a decade.   With the last ten years being such an amazing time in our history, we decided that we would have a podcast looking back and we’d try to pick out 10 key games/moments/events that really defined the times or were a unique event that set in motion the events to follow but we need your help…   I am joined on the podcast

We’re still in the limbo-land of the winter break and whilst the players are training in the hotbed of the birth of World Ward III we here at CU Towers thought there needed to be a half year report card for the hoops.  We therefore decided we needed a panel of esteemed football experts to review the season so far and in the best Juke Box Jury fashion ascribe whether it had been a hot or a miss.   After getting various knock backs we dialled up Duncan and Lachie to review the season so far.  It’s broken down into the chunks of transfer window, Europe, League Cup and League.   After we review these the conversation gets into quite a ramble about the transfer window, the players who may move on and the positions the guys think we need to strengthen.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Happy New Year!   The Celtic Underground podcast will now be entering our THIRD decade of podcasting, we may be getting old and we may be Celtic Da’s but who cares?!?   We have set the pace for football fans podcasts in Scotland and will continue to do so into the 2020s and although our final recorded podcast of 2019 covers one of those exceptionally rare things of the last 10 years (a defeat) it is only one loss in a decade of complete domestic dominance and in a period of winning  domestic trophy after domestic trophy.  The noisy neighbours from the South Side may have one a game for the first time ever at Celtic Park but since they arrived in the top flight we have won EVERY single trophy and here’s to 3 more in 2020.   With our place as the oldest football fans podcast I thought I’d get an old guest who’d not been on for a while - so long he set up a rival podcast…yes it’s Lawrence Donegan.   Lawrence and I review the derby defeat and some of the post game social media nonsense.   Happy New Year and Enjoy

To quote Noddy Holder  It’s Chriiiisssstmaaaas!   As we record this podcast it’s Christmas Day (and for those in earlier time zones you’re probably picking this up on Christmas day or later) and so what do we have to do bar make sure the final presents are wrapped, the food is ready to be made and fun is ready to be had.  In preparation for having more important things to do I decided to have one last podcast before the festivities so I called up Hullbhoy and had a little chat.   On the podcast we talk about the Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen games and how we scored two a game but could easily have had 3, 4 or more.   After discussing those games of of the past we  preview the games of the present against St Mirren and Rangers and then briefly discuss the future (the season beyond January). We also update you on the incredible work of the Foundation funded by the Celtic support.   We hope you enjoy this podcast and also hope you enjoy your festive period and have a great Christmas and New Year.   Merry Christmas

What a game and what a week.  We have had the over dramatic descriptions of how well they played and how on another day blah, Blah BLAH…the scores on the doors is Celtic 1 - 0 Rangers.  Celtic have won 10 trophies in a row.  The Celtic X Men!   We now know - they had umpteen booked and could have been worse.  The “offside” Celtic goal was either marginally on or marginally off - ie too close to call and Morelos cannot score against us.  What we also know for certain is that Celtic are the dominant force of Scottish football and hype alone will not remove us.   After the game I contacted @LachieMor1 and chatted about the game.  Oh my days.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

The world’s longest running football fans podcast is back with a same day match review following our 4-1 victory away at Ross County.   Following the midweek triumph over Rennes, these are the types of games that have seen us trip up over the years - after a thrilling and successful midweek European tie in front of a full house at Celtic Park it must be quite a come down to go to Dingwall and play ‘County’.  Despite this the current squad showed all their professionalism and romped to a comfortable 4-1 with with a Christie double supported by goals from Rogic and Johnston.   Within an hour of the final whistle I was on Skype with @antonymurray25 to review.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Today Celtic defeated Livingston by 4 goals to nil. That’s twice I’ve seen them play - they are not a football team, but a bunch of cloggers. A hard physical side who do their best to stop Celtic playing aided and abetted by sympathy reffing. Fair play to Gary Holt, his job is to have Livingstone playing at the highest standard they can and use the rules and refs as they are to achieve this and there will be a number of clubs in Scotland with much higher budgets who aren’t even in the same league as them. From time wasting inside the first minute to kicking and fouling all game they are awful. From their style of play to their pitch and lack of fans - they sum up all that is wrong with Scottish football. Anyway - we won and the managers and the enthusiastic Frimpong were available after the game. Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

The day after the night before…   Following the historic victory in Rome over Lazio, Neil Lennon had his pre-Motherwell match press conference at Celtic Park today.  It wasn’t much of a pre-Motherwell press conference and more of a post Lazio one.   Neil reflected on the magnitude of the victory and the positive impact he believes it will make on the club, the team and the relationship between the players and the fans.  There is mention of the January window, his thoughts on the draw being far away and a wee bit about playing Motherwell on Sunday.       Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Tonight saw Celtic secure a hard won victory over an excellent Lazio team to move top of the Europea League Group at the half way point.   After the game we got the views of Neil Lennon, the Lazio manager and Kris Ajer.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

This week we are joined by Glasgow sport entrepreneur Duncan Smillie.  Owner of the Glasgow Rocks Basketball team, Duncan is also a big Tim and se he again joins us to discuss Celtic and a wee bit about his team.   The bhoys review the Livingston game before quickly moving on to the victory over Ross County.  They discuss plastic pitches, Tom Rogic and injury time before moving on to a preview of the Lazio game on Thursday.  After all of that the guys still find time to discuss The Rocks and Duncan makes the prediction that they will win a trophy this season!   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

This week saw the return of European action and a packed Celtic Park witnessed an excellent performance as Celtic beat Cluj an exacted some revenge for the defeat that took us out of Champions League Football this term.   The game saw another goal for Scotland’s premier striker Odsonne Edouard and Mohamed Elyounoussi join Larsson, Brattback and Cadete as people who have scored for and against Celtic in European football.   After such a great performance I called up @hullbhoy and we reviewed the fixture and also has a (very) brief chat about the Livingston game.   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Celtic had to come from behind today in their victory over Kilmarnock.  A well organised Killie team took the lead with their first chance of the game but an Edouard double either side of half time and a Christie goal made sure of the points.   There was still time for what looked like an odd penalty decision for Killie that Fraser Forster saved.   After the game we got the comments from the Celtic and Kilmarnock managers (with Massimo Donatti doing some translating).   Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe