SUN 30TH JAN~AFC CELTIC  5 v GOLDENHILL BC 2

THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH GAME FOR THE BOYS,GOLDENHILL HAD ONLY LOST 1 GAME BEFORE THIS FIXTURE AND ARE TOP SLOT IN THE LEAGUE,BUT TO GIVE CELTIC CREDIT THEY WENT OUT WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND FIGHTING SPIRIT.THEY NEVER LET THE TIRING PACE OF THE GAME GET TO THEM AND DESEARVED TO COME OUT ON TOP. WELL DONE LADS. 

SUN 6TH FEB. AFC CELTIC 18 v MOSSPARK BC 1

WELL AS THE RESULT SHOWS THE BOYS WERE BUSY TODAY,THEY HAD A POINT TO PROVE AS MOSSPARK HAD BEATEN THEM 8~2 EARLIER IN THE SEASON AND KNEW NOTHING MORE THAN A REVENGE WIN WOULD BE ACCEPTED,AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WIN WAS AWSOME,THEY POUNDED MOSSPARK FROM START TO FINISH AND THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT HIGHER HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE POST AND BAR STOPPING SOME SHOTS. GREAT GAME BOYS. 

SUN 13TH FEB.AFC CELTIC v CLYDE THISTLE

GAME CALLED OFF BY CLYDE THISTLE 

SUN 20TH FEB. AFC CELTIC 8 v RANGERS SABC 4

A MINUTES SILENCE BEFORE THE GAME FOR RAYMOND NEIL, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF AFC CELTIC WHO SADLY PASSED AWAY RECENTLY WAS IMPECIBLY RESPECTED BY BOTH SETS OF PLAYERS AND FANS.THE GAME ITSELF STARTED AT AN ELECTRIC PACE WITH BOTH TEAMS DETERMINED NOTHING MORE THAN A WIN WOULD DO FOR THEM.CELTIC WERE FIRST TO SCORE AFTER ONLY 5 MINS.INDEED THEY WERE 3-0 UP AFTER 15 MINS WITH SOME NICELY TAKEN GOALS.RANGERS NEVER REALLY GOT INTO THE GAME UNTIL THE SECOND HALF WHEN SOME CARELESS DEFENDING LET RANGERS SCORE 2 CONSECUTIVE GOALS IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHICH GAVE THEM A SECOND WIND.WITH ONLY 10 MINUTES LEFT AND THE SCORE AT 7-4 CELTIC STRUCK YET AGAIN TO SCORE AN EXCELLENT LAST GOAL TO KILL RANGERS OFF.....A WELL DESEARVED WIN LADS..

        SUNDAY 27TH FEB.AFC CELTIC 3   v  ROBROYSTON.R  3   

ALTHOUGH CELTIC HELD ON TO THEIR UNBEATEN HOME RECORD THIS WASNT ENOUGH TO BRING ANY SMILES TO THE TEAM,THE MANAGEMENT OR THE FANS,FOR THIS WAS A GAME CELTIC SHOULD HAVE WON,THEY WENT AHEAD IN 20 MINS.WITH A WELL TAKEN GOAL ONLY TO LET ROBROYSTON SCORE AN EQUALISER 10MINS LATER.HALF TIME 1-1.

CELTIC WENT INTO THE LEAD AGAIN AFTER THE BREAK AND AGAIN ALLOWED THE OPPOSITION TO COME BACK AND SCORE ANOTHER EQUALISER 10 MINS LATER TO MAKE IT 2-2,WITH 15 MINS LEFT OF THE GAME CELTIC MADE IT 3-2 AND LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD DONE ENOUGH TO WIN THIS MATCH,BUT IT WASNT TO BE,WITH ONLY SECONDS REMAINING ROBROYSTON FORCED A CORNER AND SCORED THE 3RD GOAL THEY WERE SEEKING FROM IT.

CELTIC WILL LOOK ON THIS AS POINTS DROPPED NOT A POINT GAINED AND RIGHTLY SO.THE TEAM KNOW WHERE THEY WENT WRONG AND HOPEFULLY WILL USE THIS GAME AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO RECTIFY MISTAKES MADE.

SUNDAY 6TH MARCH. AFC CELTIC 19 v WESTPARK UTD 2

THIS WAS ANOTHER REVENGE GAME FOR CELTIC AS WESTPARK WERE 1 OF ONLY 3 TEAMS TO BEAT THEM  THIS SEASON,SO THE LADS  HAD A SCORE TO SETTLE AND SETTLE IT THEY DID, BIG TIME,CELTIC STARTED THE GAME AT A FRIGHTENING PACE AND AFTER ONLY 10 MINS. WERE 3-0 UP WESTPARK MUST HAVE WONDERED WHAT HAD HIT THEM,FOR AT THE INTERVAL THE SCORE WAS AFC-7. WESTPARK 1.

AFTER THE BREAK CELTIC CONTINUED TO DEMORALISE THEM FURTHER BY SCORING ON AVERAGE EVERY SECOND ATTACK UP TO THE WESTPARK GOAL,HALFWAY THROUGH THE SECOND HALF WESTPARK GOT A 2ND CONSOLATION GOAL AND THAT WAS ALL IT WAS,FOR CELTIC KEPT PUTTING THEM AWAY RIGHT UP TO A MINUTE BEFORE THE FINAL WHISTLE.FINAL SCORE    AFC CELTIC 19   WESTPARK 2.SO THE BHOYS KEEP UP THEIR 100% UNBEATEN HOME RECORD AND WITH EVERY GAME ARE BEGINING TO GROW IN CONFIDENCE FANTASTIC RESULT LADS,YOU EARNED IT "OVER AND OVER"(I better stop there before I bust into song).AFTER ALL, 52 GOALS IN 5 GAMES IS NOT BAD GOING.

SUNDAY 20TH MAR. AFC CELTIC 8 v MARYHILL HARP 7
NOT ONE OF CELTICS BETTER DISPLAYS,BUT A WIN ALL THE SAME.IN A VERY PHYSICAL GAME IN WHICH PLAYERS FROM BOTH TEAMS NEEDED TREATMENT DURING THE GAME, IT WAS CELTIC WHO OPENED THE SCORING IN 60SEC.,BUT IN A GAME WHERE IT WAS GOING TO BE GOAL FOR GOAL IT ENDED UP 4-3 TO CELTIC AT HALF TIME.
AFTER THE BREAK IT ONLY TOOK CELTIC 5 MINS TO SCORE AGAIN,INDEED THEY SCORED 3 IN 7 MIN.BUT YET AGAIN AFTER THAT IT WAS GOAL FOR GOAL AS MARYHILL FOUGHT BACK.BUT IN THE END CELTIC HELD ON AND ALSO HELD ON TO THEIR 100% UNBEATEN HOME RECORD.NOT A GREAT PERFORMANCE LADS BUT WELL DONE

SUNDAY 10TH APR.DRUMCHAPEL UTD 6 v AFC CELTIC 2

WELL WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS GAME,CELTIC'S LACK OF MATCHES IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS MUST HAVE TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE TEAM AS THEY WERE A SHADOW OF THE SIDE THAT HAD WENT UNBEATEN IN THEIR LAST 5 GAMES.

DRUMCHAPEL TOOK A VERY EARLY LEAD IN 2 MINS TO SHAKE A NORMALY SOLID CELTIC SIDE,BUT THEY FOUGHT BACK TO DRAW LEVEL 10 MINS LATER.AT HALF TIME THE SCORE WAS 2-2.AFTER THE BREAK CELTIC SEEMED TO TIRE AS TIME WENT ON AND DRUMCHAPEL TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT AND HAD NO REAL PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH FROM CELTIC AND KEPT PUSHING INTO THEIR HALF AND PUNISHING THEM FOR THEIR LACK OF SPIRIT.ALTHOUGH NO EXCUSES CAN BE MADE FOR CELTICS PERFORMANCE,THE BETTER TEAM WON ON THE DAY,THERE CAN ALSO BE NO EXCUSE FROM THE DRUMCHAPELS TEAM ABOUT THE CONSTANT FOULING,PULLING OF SHIRTS AND MORE SERIOUSLY THE RACIST REMARKS MADE BY SOME OF THEIR TEAM AIMED AT AFC'S COLOURED PLAYERS WHO WERE CONSTANTLY ABUSED VERBALLY AND PHYSICLY.FOR YOUNG BOYS TO BE BEHAVING LIKE THIS DOESNT SAY MUCH FOR THE FUTURE OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL.IT WOULD BE A BETTER THING IF MORE CLUBS FOLLOWED AFC CELTIC'S STANCE ON RACISM AND HAMMER IT AT THE 1ST SIGN OF IT,THEN AGAIN I SUPPOSE ITS DOWN TO WHO IS IN CHARGE AT THESE CLUBS

SUNDAY 17TH APR. ROBROYSTON 7 v AFC CELTIC 0

THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH GAME FOR CELTIC,AGAINST ONE OF THE LEAGUES TOP TEAMS AND WITHOUT 5 OF THEIR FIRST CHOICE PLAYERS DUE TO INJURY,THEY WERE ALWAYS GOING TO FIND IT IT HARD GOING AND SO IT PROVED.BY HALF TIME CELTIC FOUND THEMSELVES 4 GOALS DOWN AND WERE UP AGAINST A SQUAD WHO WERE PLAYING SOME OF THEIR BEST FOOTBALL.IN THE SECOND HALF CELTIC STARTED TO PICK THEMSELVES UP A BIT AND STARTED TO TROUBLE ROBROYSTON BUT JUST FAILED TO CONVERT WHAT CHANCES THEY GOT INTO GOALS.ROBROYSTON DESEARVED THEIR POINTS AS THEY PLAYED SOME LOVELY FOOTBALL,AND CELTIC WILL NEED TO PICK THEMSELVES UP AND HOPE FOR A RETURN OF SOME OF THEIR WALKING WOUNDED FOR THE MIDWEEK CUP GAME AGAINST CLYDE

WEDNESDAY 20TH APR.AFC CELTIC 2 v CLYDE THISTLE 0 {LEAGUE CUP}

THIS WAS A GAME WE ALL KNEW WAS GOING TO BE A TENSE AFFAIR,CLYDE HAD BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE IAN WISHART CUP EARLIER IN THE SEASON FOR PLAYING UNREGISTERED PLAYERS AGAINST CELTIC AND THEIR MANAGER RESIGNED DUE TO THE RACIST ABUSE HIS SUPPORTERS WERE SHOUTING DURING THE GAME,SO IT CAME AS NO SUPRISE THAT THEY BROUGHT A LARGE SUPPORT WITH THEM FOR THIS GAME AND AGAIN IT WAS VERY EVIDENT A COUPLE OF THEM WERE WELL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.THE GAME ITSELF STARTED WELL ENOUGH WITH BOTH TEAMS HAVING EARLY CHANCES AND CELTICS STAND IN KEEPER CONNOR DOING WELL CONSIDERING HE HAS NEVER PLAYED IN GOAL BEFORE,BUT IT WAS CELTIC WHO BROKE THE DEADLOCK IN 15 MINS WITH BIG FRANKIE GOING ROUND THEIR DEFENCE BEFORE GOING ROUND THE KEEPER AND SLOTTING IT AWAY,TO GIVE CLYDE CREDIT,THEY PLAYED SOME NICE FOOTBALL,JUST A SHAME SOME OF THEIR SUPPORT COULDNT SEE IT THROUGH BLURRED VISION.AT HALF TIME THE SCORE STOOD AT 1-0

BEFORE THE 2ND HALF THE REF. HAD TO WARN THE CLYDE SUPPORT ABOUT WANDERING AROUND THE PARK OVER TO WHERE CELTIC SUPPORTERS WERE STANDING.AFTER THE RESTART IT ONLY TOOK CELTIC 10 MINS TO GET A 2ND GOAL,A CORNER TAKEN BY YOUNG DAVID WITH PINPOINT ACCURACY FOUND THE HEAD OF FRANKIE WHO NODDED IT BY THE KEEPER.FOR THE NEXT 5 MINS.CELTIC TORMENTED THE CLYDE DEFENCE WITH SOME NICE MOVES,BUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS UNBELIEVABLE,WITH YOUNG DAVID BEARING DOWN ON THE CLYDE GOAL THEIR KEEPER SLID OUT FOR THE BALL AND INJURED HIMSELF AS WELL AS TAKING DOWN THE CELTIC PLAYER,BUT WHEN THE CLYDE MANAGEMENT FOUND OUT THE KEEPER COULDNT CONTINUE,THEY ACCUSED THE CELTIC PLAYER OF GOING IN TOO HARD{OBVIOUSLY THEY HAD MORE DRINK WITH THEM THAN I THOUGHT},IT WAS A 50-50 BALL AND IT WAS THEIR KEEPER WHO SLID INTO THE TACKLE,BUT SEEING THEIR TEAM 2-0 DOWN AND MINUS THEIR KEEPER ,THROUGH THE RANTINGS OF THEIR SUPPORT THEY ALL WALKED OFF THE PARK REFUSING TO RETURN,TO GIVE THE CELTIC PLAYERS CREDIT ALTHOUGH THEY WERE BEING WOUND UP BY EVERYONE FROM CLYDE,THEY STOOD DIGNIFIED IN THE CENTRE CIRCLE AND REFUSED TO BE BAITED INTO RETALIATION.CLYDE SEEM TO BE HELL BENT ON SELF DESTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGING MORONS WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER TO COME TO A KIDS GAME WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN DRINKING IS BEYOND BELIEF,THEY ALSO DONE THEMSELVES NO FAVOURS BY REFUSING TO PAY THE REF.ENOUGH SAID,WELL DONE LADS

SUNDAY 24TH APR.GOLDENHILL BC 7 v AFC CELTIC 2

DONT KNOW WHAT WAS UP WITH THE BOYS TODAY,WHETHER IT WAS THE  10.45 KICK OFF OR PERHAPS THEIR MINDS WERE ON THE OLD FIRM GAME BUT THIS HAD TO BE CELTIC'S WORSE PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON,THEY JUST DIDNT SEEM TO BE UP FOR THIS GAME AT ALL,THEN AGAIN IT COULD BE THAT THE BOYS ARE BEGINING TO FEEL TIREDENESS IN THIS THEIR 1ST SEASON TOGETHER.

I WONT LINGER ON THE GAME TOO LONG AS IT WAS ONE I WOULD RATHER FORGET,GOLDENHILL DESEARVED THE WIN AS THEY PROVED WHY THEY ARE ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE AND SWEPT CELTIC ASIDE,ALTHOUGH TO BE FAIR CELTIC HAD THE BETTER 1ST HALF BUT SEEMED TO TIRE AS THE GAME WENT ON,2 GOALS,1 FROM BIG FRANKIE AND ANOTHER FROM ONE OF CELTIC'S NEW SIGNINGS,YOUNG RYAN WERE ALL THAT THE TEAM HAD TO SHOW FROM A VERY DISSAPOINTING DISPLAY AND I THINK EVEN THE TEAM WILL ADMIT THEY CAN DO A LOT BETTER HAVING BEAT GOLDENHILL EARLIER IN THE SEASON,JUST GOT TO PICK IT UP LADS,QUICKLY

SUNDAY 1ST MAY. MARYHILL HARP  v  AFC CELTIC

(above game called off due to no show by ref.) 

WEDNESDAY 11TH MAY ARSENAL 0 v AFC CELTIC 6          (IAN WISHART CUP)

NOT THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE BY CELTIC,PROBABLY DOWN TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD A GAME FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS,BUT THEY MANAGED TO DIG IN DEEP ENOUGH TO PULL OFF A RESULT THAT SEES THEM GOING INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE IAN WISHART CUP AGAINST RANGERS.ARSENAL WHO HAVE IMPROVED A LOT SINCE CELTIC BEAT THEM TWICE IN THE LEAGUE DIDNT CAUSE CELTIC ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS TONIGHT HAVING ONLY A COUPLE OF HALF HEARTED ATTEMPTS ON TARGET THAT WERE EASILY TAKEN BY YOUNG TOMMY IN THE CELTIC GOAL,INDEED THE SCORE COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT HIGHER HAD CELTICS FRONT TWO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF ALL THEIR CHANCES,BUT SOMETIMES LUCK NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY DOESNT GO YOUR WAY,SO DONT LET IT GET YOU DOWN DAVID & FRANKIE,YOU WILL BOUNCE BACK IN THE NEXT GAME. A SPECIAL MENTION IN MY OPINION MUST GO TO YOUNG OWEN IN THE CELTIC RANKS,WHO CAME BACK FOR HIS 1ST GAME AFTER A 4 WEEK LAY OFF DUE TO INJURY AND PLAYED EXTREMELY WELL.WELL DONE LADS.

THURS.19TH MAY.RANGERS 7 v AFC CELTIC 5 (IAN WISHART SEMI)  AET

A BETTER PERFORMANCE BY CELTIC IN THIS GAME,THEY WENT AHEAD IN THE 15TH MINUTE WITH A GREAT GOAL BY YOUNG DAVID,GOING THROUGH THE RANGERS DEFENSE BEFORE RATTLING IT HOME,RANGERS GOT THEIR GOAL ON THE 25 MINUTE MARK,THEN ANOTHER IN 30 MINS,CELTIC HIT BACK ON THE BRINK OF HALF TIME WITH ANOTHER WELL TAKEN GOAL BY DAVID.

THE SECOND HALF WAS END TO END STUFF WITH EACH TEAM SCORING GOAL FOR GOAL,WITH ONLY A MINUTE OF FULL TIME REMAINING RANGERS WERE WINNING 4-3,WHEN BIG FRANKIE SCORED A CRACKING EQUALISER TAKING THE GAME INTO EXTRA TIME.BY NOW THERE WAS A LOT OF TIRED LEGS OUT THERE AND IT WAS BEGINING TO SHOW,WITH FIVE MINUTES TO GO IN THE GAME RANGERS WERE WINNING 7-5 AND CELTIC WERE PUSHING FORWARD ALL THE TIME AND WERE UNLUCKY ON 4 OCCASIONS NOT TO SCORE,WITH EFFORTS BY BIG FRANKIE,DAVID, JOEL AND BIG CRAIG EITHER BEING SAVED OR JUST SKIMMING THE CROSS BAR.A DEFEAT BOYS,BUT NOT ONE YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF,YOU PLAYED WELL BUT WERE JUST UNLUCKY.  TO THE SUBS WHO NEVER GOT A GAME,MARC,TOMMY AND PAUL,DONT LET IT GET YOU DOWN,THIS WAS ONE CLOSE GAME AND ANY MANAGER WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY TAKING ANYONE OFF THE FIELD AS THEY ALL PLAYED WELL,STICK IN THERE BOYS. TO DAVID & FRANKIE, I TOLD YOU THE GOLDEN TOUCH WOULD RETURN FOR YOU'S,BUT YOU WILL NEED TO START USING ONE ANOTHER MORE WHEN GOING FOR GOAL,JUST REMEMBER ITS A TEAM THING NOT AN INDIVIDUAL ONE.

SUNDAY 22ND MAY AFC CELTIC 4 v GOLDENHILL BC 5  (LEAGUE CUP)

ALTHOUGH CELTIC OPENED THE SCORING IN THIS MATCH THEY FOUND OUT THAT IT WASNT GOING TO BE THEIR DAY,AND LOST OUT ON THE CHANCE OF WINNING ANYTHING THIS SEASON.PERHAPS THE MIDWEEK GAME ON THURSDAY THAT WENT INTO EXTRA TIME WAS A FACTOR,FOR IN THIS MATCH THEY LOOKED A SHADOW OF THE SIDE THAT GAVE RANGERS A FRIGHT,THE SPEED AND ACURATE PASSING WERE MISSING IN THIS GAME AND THIS PROVED TO BE THEIR DOWNFALL.THE GAME ITSELF WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE ANTICS OF A COUPLE OF GOLDENHILL PARENTS AND ONE OF THEIR TRAINING STAFF WHO CONSTANTLY HARRASSED THE REF.,THE GAME WAS STOPPED TWICE DUE TO THIS WITH 1 PARENT BANISHED FROM THE SIDELINE FOR GOING FACE TO FACE WITH THE REF.AND ONE OF THE TRAINING STAFF BOOKED FOR SHOUTING SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PUT INTO A REPORT BY THE REFEREE.

THE PLUS FACTOR IN THIS GAME WAS CELTICS WELL TAKEN GOALS SCORED BY WEE DANNY, BIG FRANKIE,2 AND YOUNG DAVID (pen) AND ALTHOUGH 5 GOALS DID GO IN,THERE WAS SOME FINE SAVES FROM CELTICS KEEPERS,KRIS(1ST HALF) AND YOUNG TOMMY(2ND)       WITH 2 LEAGUE GAMES LEFT CELTIC WILL HAVE TO PICK THEMSELVES UP AND TRY AND PICK UP 6 POINTS TO IMPROVE THEIR PLACING.                 AH WELL LADS LOOKED LIKE SUNDAY WAS A BAD DAY ALL ROUND