Celtic 1 Blackburn Rovers 0

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first leg of the "battle of Britain" (hate that phrase) goes Celtic's way.

it was just *so obvious* to me that Celtic were being pressed and challenged to raise their game even by a mid-table English Premiership side than they would be in most Scottish Prem games, and they managed it. I'd like to see more games like this. I think we're in for another round of the "let Celtic and Rangers into the Premiership" debate ... so where does ILE stand on the matter?

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Friday, 1 November 2002 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

insert a "more" into my first sentence, second para

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Friday, 1 November 2002 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was so looking forward to this game (I am a Celtic supporter). It was frustrating that Celtic played poorly, but the result was good. I was pissed off at articles such as the one in yesterday's Daily Mail, which claimed that "defeat for Celtic would heap new levels of shame on the Scottish game" and would "expose Scotland's champion team as mediocre rulers of a pygmy football kingdom". I can't believe this shit. Like, Blackburn beat England's "champion team" recently. Did that "heap new levels of shame" on the English game? Or did it just show that sometimes results are unpredictable?

But in general I love it when we get to play English sides. We had Liverpool a couple of years ago and played very well, though we went out on away goals thanks to a miracle goal by, I think, McManaman. I'd love it if Celtic were in the Premiership. To be honest, I don't see what England would stand to gain from it, but it would be excellent for Celtic and Rangers. And you can't tell by the current Celtic team how good they'd be. This is obvious to everyone. Scottish football gets no money, and no world class players want to go there. Put them into the Premiership tomorrow and Celtic & Rangers would be mid-table, maybe even fighting relegation if their form slipped. In five years, they might win the thing. They might not. But it'd be like Man Utd, Arsenal or Liverpool, where winning is always possible but also dependent on managers, transfers, luck etc.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 1 November 2002 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

blackburn were the better side but was anyone else embarrassed by motson's ludicrously biased commentary?

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 1 November 2002 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not often I agree with UEFA, but it seems a fair point to me that having a national team in international competitions equates to having your own national league. I can't see any good reason for allowing Scottish clubs into the English league. Scotland has its own proud heritage, doesn't it?

Having said that, the whole Wimbledon debacle demonstrates the football authorities are capable of all manner of stupidity.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 1 November 2002 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Motson's commentary was great!

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 1 November 2002 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Tim, I agree in principle, but when you've already got Welsh clubs playing in the English league...

― RickyT (RickyT), Friday, 1 November 2002 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

That single exception (a product of the fact that football as we know it started in the UK and one which goes back more than a century) mustn't be used as an excuse for dismantling the traditions and principles of football. Particularly not for the sake of a few clubs wanting more cash.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 1 November 2002 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It's unfortunate that celtic and rangers are in a class of their own in Scotland, and if they did move to the permiership then they would more than hold their own, but I don't think they should.

They need to find a way of raising the other clubs to the standard of the old firm.

It was an extruciatingly painful match to watch as a celtic supporter, I could definitely have done without the stress, and they'd better pull their fingers out for the next leg.

― Vicky (Vicky), Friday, 1 November 2002 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe moving into the premiership is the wake up call both rangers and celtic need to improve their game ( Im a celtic supporter). I get the feeling that they have rested on their laurels far too long knowing their is no challenge in Scotland.

― Fuzzy Wuzzy (Madam Plinky), Friday, 1 November 2002 12:24 (twenty-two years ago)

but improving celtic's and rangers' game is in the interests of rangers and celtic only. there is a deeply rooted structure of promotion and relegation in england that needs to be taken into account. just which league do you enter the old firm into? how can automatic premiership entry be justified? do you put them in the nationwide? if so which division? and what of the conference sides?
in the end it will probably come down to money and whilst i wouldn't be disingenuous enough to criticise the idea solely for that i do believe that it wouldn't be right.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 1 November 2002 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

if they do they'll fudge it and put them in the first division i reckon

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 1 November 2002 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Correctly, I think.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 1 November 2002 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

they'll correctly fudge it up?

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 1 November 2002 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

It was an extruciatingly painful match to watch as a celtic supporter, I could definitely have done without the stress, and they'd better pull their fingers out for the next leg.

I can confirm this as my ears are still burning from the stream of expletives that were pouring from Vicky's mouth last night.

No, they shouldn't be allowed in, Tim = otm here.

And they should have been gubbed really, Blackburn should have played a bit simpler in the last third and they would have pissed it I reckon.

Champagne moment - Friedel's save/David Thompson's performance equal tie.

Dud moment - Motson's commentary, woeful, also the knowledge that Hansen and Lawro can't summarise as well as they did last night more often due to the BBcs lack of football.

― chris (chris), Friday, 1 November 2002 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

On one purely selfish level, I'd love to see them in the Premiershite, as I'd have a team to support in there. But it would be a BAD THING. The problem is the unequal distribution - the money goes to two clubs who build squads that make meaningful competition impossible.

They should give more money to other clubs to bring them up, but as plcs, would argue that they can't do that. That's why regulation going tits up in the 80s and 90s was a problem - it maintained competitive balance which is the key to maintaining interest and broadcast rights. Stupid short-sighted bastards.

SPL now = Premiershite in 3 years.

On the subject of short sighted idiots, getting rid of Crozier will spell disaster. They'll bring in a yes-man who'll dance to the Premiership's tune and do whatever the windowlicking cockfarmers want. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 1 November 2002 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, hounding out crozier was a bad thing.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 1 November 2002 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Mind you, Crozier could become Celtic's Chief Executive, what with him being a tim and all...

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 1 November 2002 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Thompson's fancy flick=conversation stopper round our way.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 1 November 2002 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

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