Don't Look Back In Anger....All Nostalgic Again
What a weekend eh? Was in a heaving throng of drunken 30 something’s reliving their yoof and all were in a general state of europhia, leaping about going mad. Nothing to do with a poxy international taking place in the sooth side, but all to do with a tribute band to the mythical Stone Roses.
Never saw any of the so-called europhia that was meant to have gripped the nation after a smash and grab 1-0 victory against Les Blues certainly wasn’t any dancing in the streets where I was.
Mind you it was peshing down, maybe they were doing the highland flings in living rooms with, thankfully, the curtains shut or listening to the Proclaimers on ipods while eating haggis suppers. Or maybe they were like the tartan army members I had the unfortunate pleasure to meet on Friday night were in there own wee groups singing about Victoria Beckham, Alan Hansen and Craigie Broon doing something naughty to the behind of Victoria Beckham.
Now replace Posh with the queen and in the eyes of this country it becomes sectarian. But in the hands of a kilted wearing, student, lawyer, civil servant, brickie, then it’s good old-fashioned banter and a bit of nationalistic xenophobia is allowable and almost welcomed by politicians. Hypocrites the lot of them. I mean singing folk songs, about days gone by is frowned upon weekly but every few months 52,000 can sing about it no problem.
And it gets called atmosphere. It gets called nationalistic pride. It gets journo’s slavering like rabid St.Bernards aboot “the best game they have ever covered” and clichés like the hairs on the back of necks standing up etc. it also justifies in the eyes of the SFA the fact that they revamped Hampden and not just gave the national team a tartan tour playing in stadiums that suited the expected attendance.
But how can the much-maligned Hampden generate an atmosphere. It is universally hated by the Celtic support cause if your sitting behind the goals your so far away a pair of binoculars is needed. That fact is that before the CL refit the facilities were just as bad as they were when it was standing. But hampden is hated as it has been, I think, done on the cheap.
Doing it the cheap kept its original shape. It’s this shape that gives it a nostalgic feel and as one French journo said it was strange playing in an old-fashioned type stadium with it’s crappy scoreboards and it’s soup bowl shape. But I for one am glad it exists. I’m glad that the views are as dodgy as they were when I 1st went there in 1985. It’s been done up but it reeks of familiarity and character. Something in this day and age of the new kit stadium should be cherished.
After my trip to Westfield last week, were they have got it so wrong, I was discussing that stadium with some fawkirk fans. They shared my opinion and hate the bloody place. Away games are their vehicle of choice now, as they put it, you want to see the true fawkirk support.
Now I fully believe, that if it was logistically possible and they done up Brockville that it would retain some of the atmosphere of the old all standing shitehole. The reason being again familiarity and character. No need to change your routine, you can still go to the same pubs, chippy and bookies on the way to the game.
That’s why CP sometimes still generates an atmosphere. As well as being well designed, with you now being closer to the park that you ever were in the old Celtic and r*ngers end, it is at the end of the day Celtic Park. It hasn’t moved, hasn’t changed its name and is still our base same as it always has been for most of our history.
Other stadiums I still enjoy going to are the same. Old stadiums just converted to meet modern day standards. Some of them are still shite holes with bad views, seats scrapping your shins, terrible toilets and worse catering. But they still have a character and a Scottish ness, which, I think make our stadiums unique.
I mean, tynecastle is better now it’s all seated, Fir Park is more vitriolic and quirky due to its oddness, Tannadice gave me one of my best away days ever last season, Easter Road still has the ability to make your hair stand on end and it’s all due to the fact that the clubs are still playing in their original homes.
Reckon it should be criteria for the SPL. You need too play at your original ground and not an out of town soulless, corporate sponsored breeze blocked monstrosity. Hell, might even go to Tannadice on Saturday now, as it’s damn good nostalgic day oot and DUFC got it right unlike Fawkirk. And in these days of live Tv games, dodgy kick off times and high prices you have to REALLY enjoy the places your going to visit.
This nostalgia thing, becomes more prominent as you get older, doesn’t it……?.
Hail Hail
Never saw any of the so-called europhia that was meant to have gripped the nation after a smash and grab 1-0 victory against Les Blues certainly wasn’t any dancing in the streets where I was.
Mind you it was peshing down, maybe they were doing the highland flings in living rooms with, thankfully, the curtains shut or listening to the Proclaimers on ipods while eating haggis suppers. Or maybe they were like the tartan army members I had the unfortunate pleasure to meet on Friday night were in there own wee groups singing about Victoria Beckham, Alan Hansen and Craigie Broon doing something naughty to the behind of Victoria Beckham.
Now replace Posh with the queen and in the eyes of this country it becomes sectarian. But in the hands of a kilted wearing, student, lawyer, civil servant, brickie, then it’s good old-fashioned banter and a bit of nationalistic xenophobia is allowable and almost welcomed by politicians. Hypocrites the lot of them. I mean singing folk songs, about days gone by is frowned upon weekly but every few months 52,000 can sing about it no problem.
And it gets called atmosphere. It gets called nationalistic pride. It gets journo’s slavering like rabid St.Bernards aboot “the best game they have ever covered” and clichés like the hairs on the back of necks standing up etc. it also justifies in the eyes of the SFA the fact that they revamped Hampden and not just gave the national team a tartan tour playing in stadiums that suited the expected attendance.
But how can the much-maligned Hampden generate an atmosphere. It is universally hated by the Celtic support cause if your sitting behind the goals your so far away a pair of binoculars is needed. That fact is that before the CL refit the facilities were just as bad as they were when it was standing. But hampden is hated as it has been, I think, done on the cheap.
Doing it the cheap kept its original shape. It’s this shape that gives it a nostalgic feel and as one French journo said it was strange playing in an old-fashioned type stadium with it’s crappy scoreboards and it’s soup bowl shape. But I for one am glad it exists. I’m glad that the views are as dodgy as they were when I 1st went there in 1985. It’s been done up but it reeks of familiarity and character. Something in this day and age of the new kit stadium should be cherished.
After my trip to Westfield last week, were they have got it so wrong, I was discussing that stadium with some fawkirk fans. They shared my opinion and hate the bloody place. Away games are their vehicle of choice now, as they put it, you want to see the true fawkirk support.
Now I fully believe, that if it was logistically possible and they done up Brockville that it would retain some of the atmosphere of the old all standing shitehole. The reason being again familiarity and character. No need to change your routine, you can still go to the same pubs, chippy and bookies on the way to the game.
That’s why CP sometimes still generates an atmosphere. As well as being well designed, with you now being closer to the park that you ever were in the old Celtic and r*ngers end, it is at the end of the day Celtic Park. It hasn’t moved, hasn’t changed its name and is still our base same as it always has been for most of our history.
Other stadiums I still enjoy going to are the same. Old stadiums just converted to meet modern day standards. Some of them are still shite holes with bad views, seats scrapping your shins, terrible toilets and worse catering. But they still have a character and a Scottish ness, which, I think make our stadiums unique.
I mean, tynecastle is better now it’s all seated, Fir Park is more vitriolic and quirky due to its oddness, Tannadice gave me one of my best away days ever last season, Easter Road still has the ability to make your hair stand on end and it’s all due to the fact that the clubs are still playing in their original homes.
Reckon it should be criteria for the SPL. You need too play at your original ground and not an out of town soulless, corporate sponsored breeze blocked monstrosity. Hell, might even go to Tannadice on Saturday now, as it’s damn good nostalgic day oot and DUFC got it right unlike Fawkirk. And in these days of live Tv games, dodgy kick off times and high prices you have to REALLY enjoy the places your going to visit.
This nostalgia thing, becomes more prominent as you get older, doesn’t it……?.
Hail Hail
posted by Keving at Tuesday, October 10, 2006
2 Comments:
I don`t think the previous poster is a Celtic man, never mind `Ceud mille failth`.
I haven`t been to away grounds recently. The last ticket we got for Ibrox was in 2000, BM and it was a 4-0 loss. (the 6-2 match made up for that)
Used to go to Motherwell and Kilmarnock but odd kick off times and moving to Sundays has taken away the fun. I wouldn`t mind going to see the Celts at St Mirren, perhaps that`ll be possible. Other away games I have gone to were at Clyde in the cup in the last 2 seasons. My mate stays close to the ground and got tickets. Other than that it`s Hampden.
I suppose going to away games would be better than listening to that awful commentator on Radio Scotland! Or perhaps I should be concentrating on making money like big Aski here!
Scotland gave a pitiful performance last night. One chance created and it`s normal that strikers who have run about daft for 80 minutes will miss a chance when it finally comes.
Shevo may have gone down easily but that`s the way of football. Anyway the TA are not so much there to support the team but to declare that they`re coming down the road. So no harm done.
Please can our players be fit and ready to win at Tannadice?
Post a Comment
<< Home