Celticunderground:the Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Last week we had Derek Rae on the podcast.  We talked about his technique, love for the game and influences.  His start had been via David Francy but there was one man who is perhaps, the most important sports broadcaster in Scottish sport history.  I am of course talking about the legendary Archie MacPherson. Those of us of a certain age grew up with the luxury of football highlights of games by tea time Sunday with Sportscene on BBC1 and Scotsport on ITV, which Archie on the Beeb and Arthur Montford on STV.  We may not have got all the games and all the goals, but what we got was far superior than the current fare.  Archie has been mocked for his come over, his sports jackets and his "swept away" turn of phrase, but all of that is done with the type of humour reserved only for those whom we truly admire.  This is no-one better than Archie so...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/subscri

After the loss to Malmo in midweek, everything online with Celtic got a bit hectic and frenzied with lots of gnashing of teeth and searching for a villain to pin the blame onto. With such a critical online atmosphere Harry decided that a more calming and measured perspective was required and therefore asked Hullbhoy, with his calming Hull tones to provide his overview.  The bhoys started by discussing the Europa League draw and then moved on to review Tuesday.  Harry asked who was to blame and what could be done.  Hullbhoys responses were interesting... Enjoy @Hullbhoy@Harrybradycu 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 Harry is joined by leading sports commentator Mr Derek Rae.  This was recorded the morning after the night before and the first topic of conversation is the Malmo game, but the chat soon moves on to wider topics covering Derek's varied (by location) broadcast career. Derek started broadcasting for hospital radio at just 15 and as he goes onto explain, got a lucky break at 19 which resulted in becoming a lead commentator at Radio Scotland. Since then Derek has established himself in Scotland, left, established himself in the United States and now, again, finds himself back in Scotland covering the game he clearly loves. Enjoy The boys can be found on twitter;@RaeComm@HarryBradyCu 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

Scott Allen - Welcome to Celtic!Celtic have signed another Scottish talent and in the process managed to get three of their targets into one.Scott started his career at Dundee Utd - TickScott has been signed from Hibs - TickRangers fans were singing his name as they thought THEY were signing him - Tick and Ha ha ha ha haWith Celtic playing in Europe (West Asia Region) this past week Harry thought he should speak with some of the globe trotting Celts to get a feel for what is what like.  Paul The Tim was otherwise engaged hunting down Scott Allen for his selfie pic so that left only a handful of others and Mark Cameron (@leftybhoy) fitted the bill.The bhoys chat about Qarabag, Killie and have a little chuckle at the expense of the fans formerly known as huns.  New club, same old fannies!Anyway - it's late and we want Celtic chat when we make a new signing so here you go... Enjoy. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunder

This week, fresh from getting 1 step closer to the Champions League we have St Anthony in conversation with another former Celtic hero - Joe Craig. Craig, a striker, joined Partick Thistle in 1972 from Sauchie Juniors. After an impressive start, scoring seven goals in his first twenty games, he helped the club to the First Division title in season 1975-76. Joe signed for Celtic in September 1976 for £60,000 where he won the Scottish Cup and League Championship in his first season. He moved to Blackburn Rovers in September 1978 where he remained until 1981 when he joined Hamilton Academical. He retired in 1983.Whilst at Celtic, he earned his only international cap against Sweden in April 1977. He started the match as a substitute and came on after 75 minutes and famously scored before having even kicked the ball, scoring a header just two minutes after replacing Kenny Burns. Enjoy This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunde

The domestic season starts on Saturday so there is one VERY important job to be undertaken before this begins and that is the unveiling of the Celtic Underground Committee's choice of top ten players for Celtic in Season 2014/15. Starting with a new manager with new systems and new ideas on players it was a challenging time for our election committee with few players feature as first team stand outs all term.  A common point made by the voters was that the first 3 or 4 was easy, but after that everyone was much of a muchness.  So settle down and see if you agree with the voting panel which ended up with the following Top Ten; 1Johansen2=Brown2=Gordon4Deneyar5VVD6Bitton7Griffiths8=Commons8=Izaguirre10GMS 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

As we approach the start of a new season, St Anthony has a guest who reminds us that sometimes just one or two signings can be the difference for a team - Mr Billy Stark. Billy was your typical "good honest pro" in the Scottish game so hardly had the fans flocking to the front door when he signed for the hoops yet for many he became one of THE reasons Celtic won the double in our Centenary Season. Player at St Mirren, Aberdeen and Celtic among others, he also was famously part of the Tommy Burns management team at Celtic.  Stark therefore has some interesting tales to tell about Tommy, Fergie...and Any Townsend. 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

Just in time for the schools breaking up, the world's longest running football fans podcast brings you another feast of football chat to get you through the dearth of quality chat in a tournamentless summer (yes I know there's the women's thing but that doesn't count). This week Harry is joined by Grant Russell of STV, known to those on twitter as @STV Grant.  The boys discuss Grant  credentials as a real fan of a lesser team before getting on to the meat of the discussion...how they'd cover the game if they ruled the world. Enjoy@STVGrant@HarryBradyCU 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

You may be all just about to embark on your summer holidays with the prevailing sports of golf, cricket and tennis on the tv but football never goes away and neither does the worlds' longest running fan podcast! The last Scotland game was just a week ago but the Celtic players are back in training, the fixtures are out and the Champions League draw has been made so we know you want some football chat so your quest is fulfilled here with St Anthony in conversation with Graham Spiers, the man who proves Scotland's deference to authority by getting all the respect in the world just by dressing like a teacher. Enjoy.On twitter;@GrahamSpiers@Stephen62572390 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's milestone in more ways than one.  We have now reached the end of the first season of the Ronny Deila era and it's also the end of the first 250 podcasts from Celtic Underground.  Eddie may be still living in a cave but we still have enough regulars from the podcast to have a multi-cast review of Ronny's first term. Hullbhoy & Lachie passed on their apologies but we Harry was still joined by St Anthony, Mak Cooper, Mark Cameron and Lawrence Donegan to doscuss season 2014-15. The bhoys start with the departure of Lenny and the fact that they weren't really surprised (not that they didn't appreciate the work Lenny had done, just that there seemed to be a natural ending to his time).  The rambling chat rolls along from there through the preparation of the squad for Cahmpions league and then onto the "challenge" from the Dons, stopping off for a discussion on youth before a quick look over the fence at next term. Enjoy@Leftybhoy@Lawrencedonegan@Markocooper@Stephen62572930@HarryBradyCU This is a public epi

Steven Purcell has is a Celtic fan with a unique insight into the dramtic events in Glasgow and Scotland over these past 12 months.  Steven got into politics during the turbulent times of the 1980's and became a Glasgow City councillor at 22 and leader of the City just 10 years later at 32.  Close to Donald Dewar, steven was tipped to become the leader of Labour in Scotland before his high profile resignation and departure from public life.  Before leaving the City council, Steven was the man who led the team which brought the Commonwealth Games here in 2014 and remains close to the movers and shakers of Scottish politics. Steven talks of his love of Celtic and the Labour Party and the challenges facing the second of those two - he identifies the 5 challenges he sees facing the Labour Party UK wide and how the simple use of the single name "Nicola" could spell real problems for Labour in Scotland. In a wide ranging conversation which covers Sectarianism, Gasgow's uncomfortable relationship with football and t

Following the jolly discussions of the Aberdeen game and the remaining fixtures this term, guest Mark Cameron shows his ruthless side by discussing the big changes he envisages for the first team squad.  Some of his proposals are enforced with expected sales, whilst others are end of contract or fringe players whose disappearance tomorrow wouldn't be noticed. See if you agree with @leftybhoy on who will come and go... Enjoy On Twitter;@Leftybhoy@Harrybradycu 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 Celtic Globetrotter Mark Cameron drops in for a chat with Harry.  Their wide ranging discussion covers the joy of being champions at Pittodrie, how the manager will deal with the squad for the last two games and what the squad may or may not be after the (brief) summer break. It's such a long and wide ranging chat that Harry has decided to split the podcasts up into two bite sized chunks.  Podcast 248a is about this season and part b will be along in a few days time where we look at next.  Oh and don't forget it's Lisa Hague's birthday bash at Celtic Park this week - funds to Marie Curie. Enjoy @Leftybhoy 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

Last week we uploaded part I of the conversation between St Anthony and Andy Ritchie.  Since that upload, both sides with whom Andy is synonymous (Celtic & Morton) have secured their respective league titles...magic! If you've not listened to 247(a) it's available from all the usual places.  If you have then please enjoy the 2nd part... 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

I pondered for a little while as to whether to call this a My Celtic Life podcast after all, Andy is a Morton Legend and only played a handful of games for the hoops but for those of us of a certain age you cannot think of players like Andy or Chcik Charnley and not think of the hoops they could have been. Andy had talent but he was also more in the Griffiths Tunnock Teacake world of fitness than the John Collins multi sit-up one.  Whetever the reason he left Celtic early in his career and became a legend down Greenock way. The man has more than a few stories and St Anthony and he enjoy a good 1 and a half chat over all things football.  As a consequence I thought it best to create two managable podcasts from the conversation which should give you something else to listen to until after May 7th. 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 Harry has just about calmed down enough to do a podcast dissecting the ICT fall-out.  With more unsighted people in Scottish football than you'd find at a Ray Charles convention, Harry hops on Skype and chats with a man 8,000 miles away in Argentina - even he saw it - HANDBALL. The guys naturally discuss what happened and Harry TRIES to come up with a valid defence for 5 unsighted officials.  After this the guys have a wider discussion on the team performance on the day before moving into the challenges we'll face with the squad before Mark gives us a run-down of who we won't sign from South America but will eventually sign for Arsenal for £10m or some other silly amount. Between the football chat the boys also discuss hotel rooms in London and coffins in Kinning Park! 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 Harry is joined by a man familiar with listeners to BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound and formerly readers of the Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday - Mr Tom English.  Tom is a Limerick man and was a Limerick Utd and Liverpool fan growing up who pretty much stumbled across Scottish football when posted here in by the Sunday Times in the early 1990's.  Over the course of a rambling hour and a half, the boys manage to fit in;Limerick Utd, Liverpool, the glory of your first game, lush green grass, Fergus McCann, Ronny Deila, TV deals and the future of journamlism among many other things. Both gents can be found on twitter;@TomEnglishSport@HarryBradyCU 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

A REAL St Mirren fan in the media - yes apparently there IS one and St Anthony has found him!This week St Anthony is joined by The Scottish Sun's Chief Football Writer Mr Robert Grieve to talk football AND Saint provides the bombshell right at the start that Robert IS actually a ST Mirren fan - yes a real live one - although a thought did occur that maybe that's why St Mirren's average attendance is so low, all the St Mirren fans are busy reporting at other grounds across Scotland.... I hope you enjoy and please don't forget your food parcels to mark 100th year of Brother Walfrid's passing. 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 hiatus of international football is over and so it's time to talk Celtic.  Lachie Mor joins Harry to discuss the shooty-in exercise of the final Dundee Utd game and the squad in general.  In addition to discovering that Lachie's best 11 contains a minumum of 12 players, the pair discuss the forthcoming triple and summer squad changes including Liam Henderson's loan move to Norway.  There is a brief mention of the Ibrox lunacy before Lachie picks his starting 12 for the St Mirren 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

With it being an international week our listeners will be thirsty for Celtic content and this week St Anthony returns with another My Celtic Life.  This week Saint is joined by Charlie Gallagher.   Charlie is one of those Celts who's career spanned a dramatic chnage in the club.  Starting in the dark pre-Stein days he was fortunate enough to play alongside his hero, the late great Willie Fernie and played with the club through the start of the Stein era before finishing his career during the days of colour TV at Dumbarton.  Charlie's other claim was to be the first Irish Republic International born in Glasgow. As I write I'm about to head off to the Celtic FC Foundation Zip Wire and it's VERY windy.  If I'm not heard of for a while can someone check to see if I landed in Norway? 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