UEFA Euros 2024

[twotone]

A mercurial talent. His loyalty to Celtic was culpable in preventing a big move south. Had he done so, he would be talked about as one of the all time great Scottish (and British) players.

Don't think he was ever going to leave Celtic his family connections go right back to the formation of the club, there was the reported Inter Milan transfer which didn't materialise, a brilliant player and definitely world class, he carried the Celtic team for years on his own most of the time until Collins arrived.

Danny McGrain was another world class player and one club player he's basically spent his entire adult working life at Celtic.

 

[twotone]

Many fewer than used to be the case and they make relatively many fewer starts, it was very revealing.

Aye sure but to claim, as some do, that Scotland don't have top class players just isn't true.

I don't particularly like Roberston or think he's a great player but he's been a mainstay of Liverpool for years, I'm sure Klopp knows at lot more about football players than I'll ever know but he played him consistently and McTominey has been a Manu mainstay for years too, they (Manu) might be poor now relatively speaking, but he really is an excellent player.

 

[gavreid]

Aye sure but to claim, as some do, that Scotland don't have top class players just isn't true.

I don't particularly like Roberston or think he's a great player but he's been a mainstay of Liverpool for years, I'm sure Klopp knows at lot more about football players than I'll ever know but he played him consistently and McTominey has been a Manu mainstay for years too, they night be poor now relatively speaking but he really is an excellent player.

My point is different, they clearly have a few good players but England wouldn't pick a Championship player on principle. He'd be told to get a move. Scotland are having to choose Championship players. Rangers and Celtic wouldn't survive in the English PL so the players in the main are not playing regularly at the highest levels. You could see that just in the tic tacs

 

[twotone]

My point is different, they clearly have a few good players but England wouldn't pick a Championship player on principle. He'd be told to get a move. Scotland are having to choose Championship players..

Well that's a moot point Gav there are good players playing in Scotland Clarke just won't pick them it's as simple as that so he goes for the tried and tested.

Certainly Scotland don't have the same pool of top player like England have that's not even in dispute so I wouldn't expect England to play players not playing in the top leagues that would be catastrophic for the manager.

Jamie Vardy was a top player playing in the championship did they ever even look at him when he played there or would that have been out of the question?

 

[Finnegan]

Yet at club level, Celtic were a major European power for a decade under Stein, rarely failing to reach at least the QF’s of the European cup. In the 80’s a small provincial club like Dundee Utd reached the European Cup semis and UEFA cup final. Ok, you could argue that a number of stars aligned under Fergie at Aberdeen, but they still held their own against some of the mightiest clubs in Europe.

I would like to think that the bowling club mentality had diminished somewhat since then, but maybe not. Wasn’t the old Scottish division one something like the 4th most competitive league in Europe back then? Personally I blame Sky and David Murray- but I’m not looking to start that bunfight.

 

[gavreid]

You might argue that English players are also being squeezed out of the PL with the development of young players happening in the Championship through loan arrangements or buying up players who've had to come up lower down in the food chain.

 

[twotone]

Yet at club level, Celtic were a major European power for a decade under Stein, rarely failing to reach at least the QF’s of the European cup. In the 80’s a small provincial club like Dundee Utd reached the European Cup semis and UEFA cup final. Ok, you could argue that a number of stars aligned under Fergie at Aberdeen, but they still held their own against some of the mightiest clubs in Europe.

I would like to think that the bowling club mentality had diminished somewhat since then, but maybe not. Wasn’t the old Scottish division one something like the 4th most competitive league in Europe back then? Personally I blame Sky and David Murray- but I’m not looking to start that bunfight.

Scottish football's hiatus (aside from Lisbon) was that Dundee Utd team I think they're the only team to have beaten Barcelona home and away in Europe a marvellous team no question same with Aberdeen but they were really more English in their make up if you know what I mean?

D Utd were incredibly skilful and McLean was a genius, flawed but a genius nonetheless.

The Problem is that football is moving on at such a fast pace and folk in the game are getting left behind even the great managers of the recent past, aside from one or two, are now regarded as absolute dinosaurs same with the players, some of them just simply can't make that next move to the level above.

I was watching the Netherlands vs France the other night, most of those Dutch players, technically, are miles ahead of Scotland's and even some of England's top players.

 

[gavreid]

D Utd were incredibly skilful and McLean was a genius, flawed but a genius nonetheless.

and the Kevin Gallacher goal. Was he only 16? He gets a mention in my PhD thesis for keeping me sane on Saturday afternoons

 

[SteveG]

From years of watching Scotland there are 2 key rules that any manager should apply:

1. Only use players that are getting a regular game for their club
2. Only play players in the position they play at their club

 

[gavreid]

Here it is commentator says he was 20! That'll be right. Patsy Gallacher's grandkid. Came back from 2 broken legs one after ther other to be a full international. One of the best players that I saw play.

 

[Finnegan]

Here it is commentator says he was 20! Patsy Gallacher's grandkid

He should have signed for Celtic. To be honest, I don’t know if they tried to sign him, but Dundee Utd. had a policy of not selling top players to other Scottish clubs. That’s why Gough first had to move via Spurs in his journey to the dark side.

 

[twotone]

and the Kevin Gallacher goal. Was he only 16? He gets a mention in my PhD thesis for keeping me sane on Saturday afternoons

Some goal that thanks for posting it, there's also David Narey's magnificent goal vs Brazil, famously described as a 'toe poke' by Jimmy Hill

Mind you Brazil were a bit annoyed

 

[twotone]

He should have signed for Celtic. To be honest, I don’t know if they tried to sign him, but Dundee Utd. had a policy of not selling top players to other Scottish clubs. That’s why Gough first had to move via Spurs in his journey to the dark side.

Another guy connected to the club for years via his family, his niece Kirsty, scored the goal that won the league for the Celtic ladies last season.

I mind there was talk of signing him but obviously never happened there was also talk of signing the goalkeeper Gallagher, Dundee I think he played for?

 

[Brown Bottle]

Here it is commentator says he was 20! That'll be right. Patsy Gallacher's grandkid. Came back from 2 broken legs one after ther other to be a full international. One of the best players that I saw play.

I love those clips of someone scoring in front a kop and the supporters jumping and surging in celebration. I understand the safety etc but my football experience hasn’t been the same since Boro moved to the Riverside. I still remember the first time I emerged at the back of the Holgate End at Ayresome Park, the pitch laid out ahead, the collective ecstasy as the crown moved as one when the ball hit the back of the net. Not for the faint hearted but brilliant as a fearless young man.

Cheers BB

 

[gavreid]

I love those clips of someone scoring in front a kop and the supporters jumping and surging in celebration. I understand the safety etc but my football experience hasn’t been the same since Boro moved to the Riverside. I still remember the first time I emerged at the back of the Holgate End at Ayresome Park, the pitch laid out ahead, the collective ecstasy as the crown moved as one when the ball hit the back of the net. Not for the faint hearted but brilliant as a fearless young man.

Cheers BB

This was the Kop at Highfield Road, much smaller front to back but scary enough. I used to stand behind the left goal post as you see it 10 or so 'rows' back to see over the bar. We'd chat to Oggy before the game while stuffing pies to soak up the beer!

 

[kensalriser]

This was the Kop at Highfield Road, much smaller front to back but scary enough. I used to stand behind the left goal post as you see it 10 or so 'rows' back to see over the bar. We'd chat to Oggy before the game while stuffing pies to soak up the beer!

Did they ever think of using grass?

 

[gavreid]

Did they ever think of using grass?

Nobody had grass in the winter back then. That's why you had skillful wingers who could hug the lines with the last vestiges of grass. I think it was the first ground with under-soil heating but that soon failed...

 

[gintonic]

I think it was the first ground with under-soil heating but that soon failed.

wasn't that Everton in the UK?

 

[gavreid]

wasn't that Everton in the UK?

I think that might have been electric though...

 

[Bob McC]

Everton had underground heating installed in 1958, the year Coventry were promoted to the old fourth division…