The All-New, All-Celtic Thread [R]

[BrianCappellieri]

Steele makes it 2 for Elgin City in the 50th.

Leitch pulls one back for Well in the 50th.

[BrianCappellieri]

Hartley scores in the 53rd for St. Johnstone. Now lead St. Mirrens by 2 goals.

[BrianCappellieri]

Arbroath 0-2 Ross County
61' Cowie

Stenhousemuir 1 - 0 Dumbarton
54' Booth

Peterhead 0-2 East Fife
Graham gets his second in the 56th.

Livi 3-2 Well
Making a comeback. Lehmann in the 64th.

Hibs 1-1 Dons
Mackie ties it for Aberdeen in the 64th.

[BrianCappellieri]

THERE'S ONLY ONE HENRIK LARSSON!!!

Celtic 2-0 Dunfermline
66' Magnificent 7

[BrianCappellieri]

In the 66th Ferguson makes it 3 for Ross County.

Also in the 66th, Kean pulls one back for Ayr.

Caballero draws Dundee even in the 65th.

Booth converts a penalty in the 67th for Sten to make it 2-0.

[BrianCappellieri]

Brechin 2-3 Berwick
74th - Another own goal as Smith puts one in the wrong net.

Paton makes it 2 for Queen of the South in the 72nd.

[BrianCappellieri]

Dempsey for Dunfermline in the 74th.

Canning for Queen's Park in the 75th.

[BrianCappellieri]

Docherty scores for Airdrie in the 78th minute.

[BrianCappellieri]

Stenhousemuir 2 - 1 Dumbarton
Bonner in the 78th.

Brechin 2-4 Berwick
Wood now with a hat-trick in the 84th.

Kilmarnock 1 - 1 Rangers
80' - McLaren scores for Killie.

Cowdenbeath 1 - 3 Hamilton
Graham with his 2nd in the 77th minute.
81' - Armstrong

Ayr United 1 - 3 Falkirk
80' - James

Queen of the South 2 - 1 Clyde
83' - Millen

[BrianCappellieri]

Flannery earns Dumbarton the draw with a 90th minute goal.

[liverbird]

Dont look now but Celtic has opened a two point lead on Rangers after week one. Only Livvie and Aberdeen have stayed with us!!!

[liverbird]

And by the way, please join in singing "There's only one Henrik Larsen"

[BrianCappellieri]

Division I
FT Arbroath 0 - 3 Ross County
FT Ayr United 1 - 3 Falkirk
FT Inverness C.T. 0 - 0 Alloa Athletic
FT Queen of the South 2 - 1 Clyde
FT St. Mirren 0 - 2 St. Johnstone

Division II
FT Airdrie 1 - 0 Forfar Athletic
FT Brechin City 2 - 4 Berwick
FT Cowdenbeath 1 - 3 Hamilton
FT Raith Rovers 1 - 1 Stranraer
FT Stenhousemuir 2 - 2 Dumbarton

Division III
FT East Stirling 1 - 1 Montrose
FT Peterhead 0 - 2 East Fife
FT Queen's Park 1 - 2 Elgin City
FT Stirling Albion 0 - 1 Albion Rovers
FT Gretna 1 - 1 Greenock Morton

Can't wait to hear PF's report... :D

[BrianCappellieri]

Originally posted by liverbird
And by the way, please join in singing "There's only one Henrik Larsen"

Sure. :)

Match reports and hopefully some photos to come.

[BrianCappellieri]

Match Details From DunfermlineAthletic.com (http://www.dunfermline-athletic.com/dunfermline_dynamic/newsStory2.jsp?dateID=1028347284000)

Graham brace gives East Fife opening-day win

East Fife have kicked off their season in fantastic fashion with a 2-0 victory away to league favourites Peterhead. Two goals in each half from a revitalised Ross Graham sealed the win, putting the Fifers on top of the league for the first week of the season...
The Sport Network (http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s17/st9350.php)

[Popero]

ON THE MOVE?

This is the time for some hard decisions to be made by English clubs in the Nationwide league. The League's Executive Committee is expected to formally invite Celtic and Rangers to join them next season at their meeting on Thursday. This will be when the bluff or otherwise on both sides of the border will be called. The Old Firm have never made a secret of their desire to move to a more challenging league with either a pan European or the English Premiership being their top choices. However, it was always unlikely that a straight move to the Premiership would ever be acceptable to clubs in England and the various Phoenix and Atlantic League proposals have fallen by the wayside.

We were aware of not very secret talks in the Dorchester Hotel between Celtic's main moneyman Dermot Desmond, and Football League chief executive Keith Harris. This was followed up by a meeting in Scotland when the pair were joined by Rangers chairman David Murray. This paved the way for the formalisation of an approach to the Glasgow clubs. It is not a foregone conclusion that the invite will actually be made as the idea will be put to a vote by all Football League member clubs at a meeting in London on Friday. Not so long ago the clubs voted 20-0 not to allow the Old Firm to join the Nationwide league. Will enough minds have changed by this Friday to make the move a possibility?

Even if the Nationwide clubs agree, there will still be some opposition to Scottish clubs playing outside their domestic set up. European governing body UEFA for one are not keen on clubs from one country playing in another's domestic set-up. Then there is the issue concerning allocation of places for European competitions. This would obviously only come into consideration if Celtic and Rangers gain promotion to the Premiership and eventually qualify for the Champions League or the UEFA Cup. The SFA have also made it clear that they would not stand aside and allow the clubs - indeed any Scottish club - to play in English league.

It all comes down to money. The SPL is split over agreeing a TV deal, although they have still to consider the BBC offer of £16m over two years. Some of the 'Ten' clubs would be willing to see the Old Firm move out to make the league championship more competitive. Others see value in keeping them onside as any future TV deal would be affected by their departure. Of course, English football has been hit hard by the reneging on the lucrative TV deal created by the the collapse of ITV Digital. The Football League is owed £178.5m and is unlikely to see any of it. They will be hoping that with Celtic and Rangers in the league set up, the league would be more attractive to companies willing to invest fresh TV money. I wonder what the average Old Firm fan would say to travelling down south every second weekend or even mid-week.

[BrianCappellieri]

UEFA coy on Atlantic talk

UEFA have refused to be drawn over the proposed Atlantic League, insisting they will await approval by the national associations involved...
TeamTalk (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Team_News/0,1562,12,00.html#517009)

Uefa go by the book on Atlantic Cup debate

Uefa insist full agreement between all competing national associations must be given before progress can be made in establishing a North Atlantic League Cup...
Ananova (http://www.ananova.com/sport/soccer/story/sm_643521.html?menu=sport.football)

[BrianCappellieri]

Celtic legend Johnstone confident O'Neill will stay

Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone believes Martin O'Neill will not walk out on the club next season...
Tribal Football (http://www.tribalfootball.com/august/scotnews1050802.html)

Larsson Keen To Keep Winter Break

Celtic striker Henrik Larsson says Scotland must retain their winter break and not enter into the proposed North Atlantic League Cup...
The Guardian (http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/story/0,1273,-1927799,00.html)

[Parkhead_Faithful]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri

I know he came on late but how did Fernandez look?


too late in the game to really impress, reserve judgement.

[BrianCappellieri]

O'Neill's victory relief

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill was relieved to see his side hang on for all three points in Saturday's 2-1 victory against Dunfermline at Parkhead...
TeamTalk (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Team_News/0,1562,12,00.html#517120)

Mjallby's Leeds link

Celtic's Johan Mjallby is reportedly being targeted by Leeds United, as manager Terry Venables looks to spend some of the Rio Ferdinand money...
TeamTalk (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Team_News/0,1562,12,00.html#517134)