letters 111

different league

Dear NTV,

Now that Celtic, as champions of Scotland, have defeated two English teams from the so-called 'best league in the world' (copyright 'The Premiership' on ITV 2003) maybe it's time the English teams should start applying to join the SPL. This would mean that they would be facing stiffer opposition, allowing them to progress in Europe and get away from the two-team English Premiership (Arsenal and Manchester United being the only winners in recent times).

Yours in Celtic
TONE THE MOAN
Telford

holy grail

Dear NTV,

It seems like only yesterday that Chris Waddle and Malcolm McDonald launched a verbal assault on Celtic and all connected with the Glasgow club, rubbishing our chances of progress in the UEFA Cup. Well sir/madam, he who laughs last laughs longest.

McDonald's comments - in particular, his predicted depiction of the struggle that would befall Sutton and Larsson at Ewood Park; 'Celtic's front two lightweights will struggle against Blackburn's back-four bruisers' - should now return to haunt the former Newcastle man.

Our success against Boavista was not only a victory for Celtic, but a victory for football itself. Truly a monumental occasion, which, upon closer inspection, mirrored a scene from the last movie in the Indiana Jones trilogy, where Jones - played by Harrison Ford, must take a leap of faith in the third of three death-defying challenges in his quest for the Holy Grail and ultimately the life of his father - Henry - played by former Celtic fan and James Bond legend, Sean Connery.

Here's to our own respective quests for the carpenter's chalice that will no doubt culminate in an orgy of green and white amidst the vast array of sweet orange groves.

Hail Hail,
MARTIN DONEGAN
by e-mail

hold the front page

Dear NTV,

I have had a season ticket now coming up for 15 years. I have supported Celtic through thick in thin in my young but eventfull life and I was there during the dark old days of the early 90s when we never lifted a trophy until 1995 under Tommy Burns. I know what success means to the club. I always believed it would come at some point. Now that it has it is even sweeter for me as I only really knew Celtic and - I hate to say it -'second to Rangers' for many a year.

This season, as per usual, I have followed the club home and away. When it came to the Bovistia game I had no holidays, taking into account the days I had set aside in the sincere belief that we would reach the final. Therefore when it came to the Boavista match drastic action was necessary. On arrival at the airport in Oporto I phoned in sick and said I had food poisoning. Everything was going to plan and I had a wonderful two days in Portugal. Then I arrived home in the early hours of Friday morning to find my now famous trademark pose covering most of the national front pages!

Part of me was delighted the other part was saying oh no - I'm done for now. I thought maybe the boses over at Ibrox where I worked at Response Handling (which is owned by David Murray) would see the funny side of the story (maybe a written warning or something). But they didn't and duly fired me even though I have a mortgage and had a good record at work.

I just want to say to all the Celtic supporters out there, that it was well worth it! You can see on the expression in my face what this club means to me. As long as we keep on winning and proving our critics wrong then I am happy. I love the club and I am Celtic through and through. I hope my picture gave many a supporter out there who did not make the game a smile on their face and I also hope that I put many a hun off their breakfast that fine Friday morning!

By accident I met the players at the Hilton before the game against Rangers. They all signed the photo that was in the papers which I am going to cherish and get framed. Neil Lennon's face was a cracker. He said, 'Absolute class story well worth getting fired!'

But the best was Henrik (we are now on first name terms). He signed the front of my Celtic top, and, you'll never believe it, he said 'I heard you got fired!' Henrik Larsson my idol had read about me in the paper or had heard it from somewhere on Friday (which proves he reads the papers including, unfortunately, the Daily Ranger). Bobo Balde said to me 'Why are you sweating?' (at this point I was running about the place getting autographs and could not take in what was going on) I said to him 'Bobo, the reason I am on the front pages after Bovistia and you're not is because you're ugly! He just laughed (just as well - have you seen the size of him close up??)

That was just before the game which turned out to be an amazing carnival atmosphere!! Can I just say a big thank you to all the supporters whom approached me who I have never met before at Ibrox on Sunday wishing me all the best in my new job and saying that I was a credit to the support etc.

The only way this feeling can be beaten is when win the U.E.F.A. cup in Seville in May.

Hail Hail
DANNY J, (famous for a weeekend!!!)

P.S I hope that all those that deserve tickets get them for Seville - the more true supporters there the better. The more the players will react.

Booing Bhoys

Dear NTV,

Some observations on the reaction of some folk to the 'barracking' of Neil Lennon at the Boavista game.

Neil Lennon has been an excellent addition to the Celtic squad. Against Boavista, he had a, mostly, poor game. He made some strange decisions, none stranger than electing to pass to an opposition player when under no real pressure. A section of the Celtic fans have been blamed for this.

Many great players are spurred on by adversity to show what they can really do, most don't hang their head and sulk or let it get the better of them. Hopefully, in the return leg this is what will happen.

Lennon, himself one of the most greetin' faced members of the team, who rarely lets a colleague off with the sharp edge of his tongue when he feels someone has let the team down, should know this. Martin O'Neill agrees the fans upset Neil and caused him to play with uncertainty, that we don't understand the game and what is required of certain players in the team.

Perhaps we did understand that this was, after Suduva, the weakest European team we had faced this season. In the words of NTV, 'No mugs', but a team who should not have been allowed to score an away goal at Parkhead and against whom we should definitely have scored two goals. Possibly this was behind the frustration shown by some fans that night.

The Celtic fans, I thought, supported the team well on the night, given the overall performance. The booing of a minority was unfortunate and probably not the right support needed at the time, but it was a frustrating night and frustrating opposition.

I still think we'll beat Boavista, but we now must score and they will play a very similar game, which they are obviously very good at. What we need is full commitment from all the players in the face of adversity and complete belief that they're good at what they're doing. If Neil's unsure which way to go, he can always try to stick it in their net.

Finally, if Mr Lennon Sr. really doesn't want his season ticket, can I have it?

Yours frustratingly in sport,
BHOYAVISTA (0 Celtic1)
by e-mail

bad case of the boos

Dear NTV,

If you live long enough you get to see it all. At the Boavista game at Parkhead some 'supporters' behaved in the traditional way - the traditional Rangers way. They turned on their own. Apparently they think that the purchase of a season ticket entitles them to select the victim of their choice then treat him to s tream of venom and abuse.

Something new and very ugly appears to be happening here. The more successful the team is, the more it is involved in really important games, the more the true boo element seems to thrive on it. Does reality never kick in with these people? if the 'big games' of Celtic's season were against the likes of Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Airdrie - the way it was just three years ago - then the players would almost certainly make fewer mistakes. Is that what they want?

Yours Sincerely,
NON,
Port Glasgow

daily record tips

Dear NTV,

Couldn't the Daily Record print the stars and stripes on the front of every copy they haven't sold and send them to Iraq so that they can burn the rubbish and pollute their air instead of the trash being either burned or placed in a landfill site somewhere in beautiful Scotland?

Yours faithfully
Mr T. RIPE
Washington