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Glasgow Celtic.


Bjornebye
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Celtic have always been my second team and was delighted when we signed Kenny from them. Loved the likes of Danny McGrain,David Hay,then Paul McStay and Paul Lambert etc  but the modern version of Scottish football is just a pale shadow of it's former self.Hope it gets resurrected into some kind of 5/6 team league and having teams once more competing in Europe, but can't see it happening any time soon.

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  • 1 year later...

Seems a bit OTT:

 

https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2020/news/three-regional-newspapers-barred-by-one-of-uks-biggest-football-clubs/

 

Three more regional newspapers have been barred from covering their local football teams after one of the UK’s biggest clubs refused them access.

Dundee daily The Courier, the Perthshire Advertiser and the Kilmarnock Standard have all been denied press passes to attend Celtic FC matches in the past 10 days.

The Standard was barred from entering the Glasgow-based club’s Celtic Park stadium for Kilmarnock FC’s visit on Sunday.

And the previous weekend The Courier and the Advertiser were refused access to the same ground for the visit of Perth-based club St Johnstone.

Journalists and Celtic supporters alike have criticised the club’s approach to the regional press, which comes after HTFP reported last week how clubs in England had been accused of putting jobs in the industry at risk following a string of recent access rows.

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  • 3 weeks later...
52 minutes ago, Baltar said:

Celtic are actually coming into a good bit of form recently, I'm sure they would have won today if not for the sending off. 

Still think it would have been a draw myself, either way painful as it is, Rangers deserve the title. They're still unbeaten, even in that league that's some going!

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I saw this biography of Gary Gillespie on a Celtic website and although its quite a few years old,around 30 now,it points out a lot about not just Celtic but Scottish football in general and why both Hansen and Gillespie were never appreciated in the Scottish national side. The passage I have bolded shows how good players are simply not given the credit or understanding they deserve. Yes Gillespie was a poor signing for Celtic at the time but this mentality still holds firm,in my view.

 

Personal

Fullname: Gary Thomson Gillespie
aka
: Gary Gillespie
Born: 5 July 1960
Birthplace: Bonnybridge, Scotland
Signed: 15 August 1991
Left: 28 August 1994
Position: Defender/Central Defender
First game: Falkirk 4-1 home 17 August 1991 league
Last game: Hibernian 1-3 away 17 April 1993 league
First goal: Falkirk 4-1 home 17 August 1991 league
Last goal: Falkirk 3-2 home 21 November 1992 league

Internationals: Scotland
International Caps 13
International Goals 0

 

Biog

"It was probably the wrong time to be there, but I don't regret joining."
Gary Gillespie

Gary Gillesoie 1993Scotland international Gary Gillespie was signed from Liverpool in August 1991 as the supposed answer to Celtic’s defensive frailties. The question is just what was Brady thinking?

On paper, the tall Bonnybridge-born centre-half had a wealth of experience from his time with the Anfield club and had been no stranger to silverware during his time on Merseyside. In his heyday, he was a cultured, ball playing defender.

The former Falkirk and Coventry man, at a cost of £925,000, was a relatively high profile and big money signing for the Bhoys. Some thought Celtic had got a good buy but it was obvious to many it was paying over the odds highlighting our desperation and financial incompetence.

The 31-year old was injury prone and coming towards the end of a career. For all his undoubted qualities on the ball from the off, Celtic supporters were wondering if Gary Gillespie could really provide the steel needed in defence, but he was generally poor.

He got off to a great start with a goal on his competitive debut after just 9 minutes as Celtic defeated his old club Falkirk 4-1 in a league clash at Parkhead on 17th August 1991. Not helped by playing in a Celtic side far removed from the quality he was used to on Merseyside, things were never to get any better for Gary 
Gillespie.

His playing style too often looked casual rather than cultured and niggling injuries seemed to blight him on a frequent basis. He was simply way past his best. At his peak, he was rated highly as a player with Liverpool, and in a survey amongst Liverpool fans, he was ranked amongst their best 100 players of all time. On the other hand he was injury prone and played fewer matches than he should have.

In a more robust and resilient side than the Celtic of the early 1990s a peak-form Gary Gillespie would undoubtedly have been an asset. However in a side with a defensive spine that was already as robust as candy floss, an over the hill Gary Gillespie was simply not the answer and (unsubstantiated) rumours of a £3,000-a-week contract also did little to win over a sceptical support.

Disappointingly, he was many a time a liability, being sluggish and ponderous. He was to be a big money failed signing and if it was not for Tony Cascarino's flop transfer as a major purchase then Gillespie's name would be mentioned more often. In various games he lost the first team silly points by not concentrating on the basics, with various apologists trying to claim that he was just too cultured for the Scottish game. Nonsense. On the other hand, he wasn't culpable alone, the rest of the defence was hardly much better as a unit with poor coaching and incorrect tactics not helping. The fact Celtic had overpaid so much for him was a monkey on his back when analysing his time at Celtic.

Two results mostly stand out. First was a game where late on Celtic were struggling to hold onto a 2-1 win at home to Motherwell, and with the ball at his feet, Gary Gillespie could have punted the ball out of the pitch, but he didn't. Motherwell easily stole it and grabbed an undeserved late equaliser. The lowest was a humiliating 4-2 defeat by Rangers in a New Years Derby match, which saw Celtic go down 2-0 in the first few minutes and 3-0 down within half an hour of the game. Gary 
Gillespie was as culpable as anyone in the defence that day, and little helped his case. On the other hand, this game is attributed to having accelerated the demise of the old Biscuit Tin board, so Gary Gillespie unintentionally helped to bring about major boardroom changes at Celtic.

There were high moments as well. 
In October 1993 he showed his class when Celtic defeated Rangers 2-1 with a late goal, the result being against the odds. He started Celtic attacks from defence and even though the game was typically rowdy the Celtic team stuck to their job and it was a delight to see Gillespie, McStay, Collins and Nicholas give such a great display of passing football. Brian O’Neil’s last gasp winner was the icing on the cake.

Gary 
Gillespie was released by Celtic – who were struggling on the pitch and on the balance sheet following the "Sack the Board" turmoil – in May 1994. It was a sad but inevitable end, and a short summary of his time at Celtic would actually mirror the state of the club at the time, i.e. great old footballer with wonderful past now languishing in the depths. He deserved a better send-off from the frontline of the game, and maybe with a better set-up he could have been better utilised to pass on experience and coaching to the other defenders in the squad.

In an interview following a friendly between Celtic & Liverpool in Aug 2013, Gary 
Gillespie stated that he had grown up a Celtic fan but struggled with the pressure in Glasgow and failed at Celtic. An honest admission with no excuses made, for which we can respect. It was no easy environment for anyone, and that included for stalwarts like John Collins & Paul McStay too.

Regardless of his disappointing stint at the club, we wish him the best.

 

Quotes

"It was probably the wrong time to be there, but I don't regret joining. It was a privilege and an honour to play for two clubs such as Celtic and Liverpool.
"I was swayed a little by the fact I was a Celtic supporter growing up in the 1960s with the Lisbon Lions, Bobby Lennox, Tommy Gemmell, Willie Wallace. Just having the chance to go to Parkhead was such a big thing for me.
"When I got to the club in 1991, though, I could already see how depressed things were and how far the club was behind Rangers. It was only when you got there that you started to understand it.
"Look, I know myself that I didn't play my part thanks to being in and out through injury and I accept my performance level was not what it should have been.
"I can hardly sit here and pontificate about the failings of others, but Celtic are a great club and I am just pleased they got themselves back on the right track."
Gary Gillespie (2015)

 

Playing Career

Club From To Fee League Scottish/
FA Cup
League cup Other
Coventry 28/08/1994 31/05/1997 Free 2 (1) 0 0 (0) 0 1 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Celtic 15/08/1991 28/08/1994 £ 925,000 67 (2) 2 4 (0) 0 3 (0) 0 6 (0) 0
Liverpool 08/07/1983 15/08/1991 £ 325,000 152 (4) 14 22 (2) 0 22 (0) 2 8 (2) 0
Coventry 10/03/1978 08/07/1983 £ 75,000 171 (1) 6 13 (0) 0 16 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Falkirk 01/08/1977 10/03/1978 Junior 22 (0) 0 1 (0) 0 2 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
  Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
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3 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

Celtic between 1990 and 1994 was a toxic place to be. Not the worlds worst side but the stuff off the pitch was disgusting and it was reflected on the pitch. 

Can you tell us more about this toxic time ? I have no clue about it.

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5 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

I saw this biography of Gary Gillespie on a Celtic website and although its quite a few years old,around 30 now,it points out a lot about not just Celtic but Scottish football in general and why both Hansen and Gillespie were never appreciated in the Scottish national side. The passage I have bolded shows how good players are simply not given the credit or understanding they deserve. Yes Gillespie was a poor signing for Celtic at the time but this mentality still holds firm,in my view.

 

Personal

Fullname: Gary Thomson Gillespie
aka
: Gary Gillespie
Born: 5 July 1960
Birthplace: Bonnybridge, Scotland
Signed: 15 August 1991
Left: 28 August 1994
Position: Defender/Central Defender
First game: Falkirk 4-1 home 17 August 1991 league
Last game: Hibernian 1-3 away 17 April 1993 league
First goal: Falkirk 4-1 home 17 August 1991 league
Last goal: Falkirk 3-2 home 21 November 1992 league

Internationals: Scotland
International Caps 13
International Goals 0

 

Biog

"It was probably the wrong time to be there, but I don't regret joining."
Gary Gillespie

Gary Gillesoie 1993Scotland international Gary Gillespie was signed from Liverpool in August 1991 as the supposed answer to Celtic’s defensive frailties. The question is just what was Brady thinking?

On paper, the tall Bonnybridge-born centre-half had a wealth of experience from his time with the Anfield club and had been no stranger to silverware during his time on Merseyside. In his heyday, he was a cultured, ball playing defender.

The former Falkirk and Coventry man, at a cost of £925,000, was a relatively high profile and big money signing for the Bhoys. Some thought Celtic had got a good buy but it was obvious to many it was paying over the odds highlighting our desperation and financial incompetence.

The 31-year old was injury prone and coming towards the end of a career. For all his undoubted qualities on the ball from the off, Celtic supporters were wondering if Gary Gillespie could really provide the steel needed in defence, but he was generally poor.

He got off to a great start with a goal on his competitive debut after just 9 minutes as Celtic defeated his old club Falkirk 4-1 in a league clash at Parkhead on 17th August 1991. Not helped by playing in a Celtic side far removed from the quality he was used to on Merseyside, things were never to get any better for Gary 
Gillespie.

His playing style too often looked casual rather than cultured and niggling injuries seemed to blight him on a frequent basis. He was simply way past his best. At his peak, he was rated highly as a player with Liverpool, and in a survey amongst Liverpool fans, he was ranked amongst their best 100 players of all time. On the other hand he was injury prone and played fewer matches than he should have.

In a more robust and resilient side than the Celtic of the early 1990s a peak-form Gary Gillespie would undoubtedly have been an asset. However in a side with a defensive spine that was already as robust as candy floss, an over the hill Gary Gillespie was simply not the answer and (unsubstantiated) rumours of a £3,000-a-week contract also did little to win over a sceptical support.

Disappointingly, he was many a time a liability, being sluggish and ponderous. He was to be a big money failed signing and if it was not for Tony Cascarino's flop transfer as a major purchase then Gillespie's name would be mentioned more often. In various games he lost the first team silly points by not concentrating on the basics, with various apologists trying to claim that he was just too cultured for the Scottish game. Nonsense. On the other hand, he wasn't culpable alone, the rest of the defence was hardly much better as a unit with poor coaching and incorrect tactics not helping. The fact Celtic had overpaid so much for him was a monkey on his back when analysing his time at Celtic.

Two results mostly stand out. First was a game where late on Celtic were struggling to hold onto a 2-1 win at home to Motherwell, and with the ball at his feet, Gary Gillespie could have punted the ball out of the pitch, but he didn't. Motherwell easily stole it and grabbed an undeserved late equaliser. The lowest was a humiliating 4-2 defeat by Rangers in a New Years Derby match, which saw Celtic go down 2-0 in the first few minutes and 3-0 down within half an hour of the game. Gary 
Gillespie was as culpable as anyone in the defence that day, and little helped his case. On the other hand, this game is attributed to having accelerated the demise of the old Biscuit Tin board, so Gary Gillespie unintentionally helped to bring about major boardroom changes at Celtic.

There were high moments as well. 
In October 1993 he showed his class when Celtic defeated Rangers 2-1 with a late goal, the result being against the odds. He started Celtic attacks from defence and even though the game was typically rowdy the Celtic team stuck to their job and it was a delight to see Gillespie, McStay, Collins and Nicholas give such a great display of passing football. Brian O’Neil’s last gasp winner was the icing on the cake.

Gary 
Gillespie was released by Celtic – who were struggling on the pitch and on the balance sheet following the "Sack the Board" turmoil – in May 1994. It was a sad but inevitable end, and a short summary of his time at Celtic would actually mirror the state of the club at the time, i.e. great old footballer with wonderful past now languishing in the depths. He deserved a better send-off from the frontline of the game, and maybe with a better set-up he could have been better utilised to pass on experience and coaching to the other defenders in the squad.

In an interview following a friendly between Celtic & Liverpool in Aug 2013, Gary 
Gillespie stated that he had grown up a Celtic fan but struggled with the pressure in Glasgow and failed at Celtic. An honest admission with no excuses made, for which we can respect. It was no easy environment for anyone, and that included for stalwarts like John Collins & Paul McStay too.

Regardless of his disappointing stint at the club, we wish him the best.

 

Quotes

"It was probably the wrong time to be there, but I don't regret joining. It was a privilege and an honour to play for two clubs such as Celtic and Liverpool.
"I was swayed a little by the fact I was a Celtic supporter growing up in the 1960s with the Lisbon Lions, Bobby Lennox, Tommy Gemmell, Willie Wallace. Just having the chance to go to Parkhead was such a big thing for me.
"When I got to the club in 1991, though, I could already see how depressed things were and how far the club was behind Rangers. It was only when you got there that you started to understand it.
"Look, I know myself that I didn't play my part thanks to being in and out through injury and I accept my performance level was not what it should have been.
"I can hardly sit here and pontificate about the failings of others, but Celtic are a great club and I am just pleased they got themselves back on the right track."
Gary Gillespie (2015)

 

Playing Career

Club From To Fee League Scottish/
FA Cup
League cup Other
Coventry 28/08/1994 31/05/1997 Free 2 (1) 0 0 (0) 0 1 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Celtic 15/08/1991 28/08/1994 £ 925,000 67 (2) 2 4 (0) 0 3 (0) 0 6 (0) 0
Liverpool 08/07/1983 15/08/1991 £ 325,000 152 (4) 14 22 (2) 0 22 (0) 2 8 (2) 0
Coventry 10/03/1978 08/07/1983 £ 75,000 171 (1) 6 13 (0) 0 16 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Falkirk 01/08/1977 10/03/1978 Junior 22 (0) 0 1 (0) 0 2 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
  Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals

Wanting to get the ball to fuck when you are in that sort of situation is not exclusive to Celtic or Scottish supporters.

 

I've been in The Kop many a time in the last minute of a game when half the stand are screaming to a defender, 'Get it away.'. Maybe they had all come down on my supporters bus.

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11 minutes ago, Mook said:

Wanting to get the ball to fuck when you are in that sort of situation is not exclusive to Celtic or Scottish supporters.

 

I've been in The Kop many a time in the last minute of a game when half the stand are screaming to a defender, 'Get it away.'. Maybe they had all come down on my supporters bus.

It's especially relevant when you hardly had an international career because of 'world class' players such as Willie Miller and Alex McLeish.

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14 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

It's especially relevant when you hardly had an international career because of 'world class' players such as Willie Miller and Alex McLeish.

For starters, the reason Hansen or Gary Gillsepie didn't get more caps is a bit more complicated than that (more due to with the issue of players moving to England rather than their ability on the ball) & you're showing your ignorance there a bit as Miller & McLeish were a hugely successful centre back pairing for Aberdeen at the time.

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10 minutes ago, Mook said:

For starters, the reason Hansen or Gary Gillsepie didn't get more caps is a bit more complicated than that (more due to with the issue of players moving to England rather than their ability on the ball) & you're showing your ignorance there a bit as Miller & McLeish were a hugely successful centre back pairing for Aberdeen at the time.

They may have been a successful pairing, no doubt about that, but Hansen was a world class player. They were not obviously.

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26 minutes ago, Arnaud said:

They may have been a successful pairing, no doubt about that, but Hansen was a world class player. They were not obviously.

As I stated, it was more complicated than who was simply the better player.

 

At that time there was a resentment up here towards players who went to earn their money south of the Border. Hansen was a victim of that unfortunately & he didn't always play as well for Scotland as he did for Liverpool, he's the first to admit it. The cock up at the 82 World Cup was also pinned on him when in reality, Miller was just as culpable.

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16 minutes ago, Mook said:

As I stated, it was more complicated than who was simply the better player.

 

At that time there was a resentment up here towards players who went to earn their money south of the Border. Hansen was a victim of that unfortunately & he didn't always play as well for Scotland as he did for Liverpool, he's the first to admit it. The cock up at the 82 World Cup was also pinned on him when in reality, Miller was just as culpable.

What happened at the 82 World Cup, Mook ?

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