apr2003

4/30/2003

THANKS

Our thanks go to Iain Reynolds and the committee of The Peter Scarff Linwood CSC for the kind invitation to their Annual Dinner Dance held The Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park on the eve of the recent Old Firm game. All in attendance had an excellent night with every fine detail being looked after to make sure the night went without a hitch. It take’s a lot of effort and individuals free time to make nights such as these to go well and The Peter Scarff committee deserves the highest praise for putting on such a fine evening.

4/30/2003

IAN McLEOD

We were all slightly taken aback by the news that Celtic’s Chief Executive was giving up his post at the club, whilst we did not always agree with Ian’s stance on things at the club it has to be said that he always gave us a fair hearing in our dealings with him over the past two years. All at the Affiliation wish Mr. McLeod every success in whatever he has lined up for the future.

WANTED

Celtic Football Club enamel badges and pins, old or new including supporter club badges. I’ll buy or swap if you prefer to trade one for one. Tel William on Falkirk 01324 714067 or email at wmulholland@bigfoot.com

WORKING PARTY MEETING

Minutes from the meeting held at the start of April are now online at www.affreg-celtic.co.uk Club secretaries wishing a hard copy of the minutes are asked to contact Mick Dinning at 5 Partridge Road, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland PA16 7AX or by e-mail mdinning@yahoo.com

NEW QUIZ

A new online Celtic prize quiz is now up and running on the Affiliation website www.affreg-celtic.co.uk The prize for the winner is a weekend for two persons on a bed and breakfast basis at Arties Hotel, Blackpool. The quiz will run until the end of the season, there are eight Celtic related questions in the quiz. All winning entries will be entered into a draw to decide the winner. Our thanks go Wille Barr of The Port Glasgow Emerald CSC for compiling the questions and to Vinny and Margaret Martin the proprietors of Arties for donating the prize.

AFFILIATION WEBSITE www.affreg-celtic.co.uk

Supporters wishing to buy, sell or trade Celtic items can do so free of charge by visiting our online shop and posting the details of any items they wish to obtain or part with. PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY POSTINGS TO OUR SITE CONTAINING FOUL OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE WILL BE CENSURED ONLY COMMENTS WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE ACCEPTED. HOTEL DEALS FOR CELTIC SUPPORTERS

4/22/2003

TOMMORROW NIGHT

It goes without saying that the entire Celtic support from around the world will be right behind Martin O’Neill and the Bhoys as we attempt to reach our third European Final in our history. The two thousand or so fans who have been able to obtain tickets are the envy of thousands more who were unsuccessful in getting their hands on the precious briefs. Here’s hoping that there’s plenty of hangovers have come Friday morning worldwide among the Celtic faithful.

HOSPITALITY DAY

The Affiliation was represented last Sunday’s game against Kilmarnock by Jim Biggins & May O'Brian from the Dalmuir Emerald CSC. Both Jim and May enjoyed a fine day out provided by the club and have asked me to pass on their thanks to all concerned for a great day out.

WANTED

WORKING PARTY MEETING

NEW QUIZ

AFFILIATION WEBSITE www.affreg-celtic.co.uk

Arties Hotel in Blackpool. Contact Vinny or Margaret on 01253-346027 for details.

The Watermill Hotel in Paisley. Please phone 0141-889-3201 to check on availability.

4/21/2003

DALMUIR EMERALD CSC

The members of DALMUIR EMERALD CSC would like to thank Celtic FC and the Affiliation for the hospitality at the Kilmarnock game last Sunday,it was a surprise and pleasure and the two members drawn at ballot were delighted once again many thanks . yours in celtic

4/16/2003

HOSPITALITY DAY

The Affiliation was represented at Sunday’s game against Kilmarnock; details regarding this will be published for next week’s column.

WORKING PARTY MEETING

NEW QUIZ

AFFILIATION WEBSITE www.affreg-celtic.co.uk PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY POSTINGS TO OUR SITE CONTAINING FOUL OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE WILL BE CENSURED ONLY COMMENTS WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE ACCEPTED. HOTEL DEALS FOR CELTIC SUPPORTERS

Arties Hotel in Blackpool. Contact Vinny or Margaret on 01253-346027 for details.

The Watermill Hotel in Paisley. Please phone 0141-889-3201 to check on availability.

4/8/2003

UEFA CUP SEMI-FINAL

Good Luck to Martin and the Bhoys as we enter our most crucial game in Europe for almost 30 years. The park will be packed again so let’s get behind the hoops for the entire 90 minutes and we hopefully will be halfway to Seville by the final whistle.

TRAVEL TO BOAVISTA

We have a very limited number of places available for fans wishing to travel to this game, the places will sold on a first come first served basis. If your interested in traveling please e-mail mdinning@yahoo.com for further details.

WORKING PARTY MEETING

Our thanks to John Paul Taylor, Alexis Dobbin and Ann Marie Finnon for hosting last week’s meeting at Celtic Park. Next meeting will be the 1st Wednesday in May. Minutes from April’s meeting will posted on our website www.affreg-celtic.co.uk as soon as we receive them.

OLD CELTIC VIEW’S FOR SALE

Larry McCole from Dublin has been in touch offering Old Celtic Views for any fans that are collectors of such items, Larry wrote that “I have a 100 Celtic Views covering the period September. 1997 to November 2000 for sale” Best offer secures the lot.

I can be contacted by E-mail larrynr12000@yahoo.co.uk or by mobile phone no. 086-8894522.

CELTIC SUPPORTERS CLUBS BADGES WANTED

Zoltan Puskas from the Sweden CSC is keen to get information on the following supporters clubs, Motherwell 9-in-a-row CSC,Buchie Boys CSC & Comhegea CSC Hamilton regarding their club badges. If any supporters out there can help please e-mail zoltan@universum.se

AFFILIATION WEBSITE www.affreg-celtic.co.uk PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY POSTINGS TO OUR SITE CONTAINING FOUL OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE WILL BE CENSURED ONLY COMMENTS WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

HOTEL DEALS FOR CELTIC SUPPORTERS

Arties Hotel in Blackpool. Contact Vinny or Margaret on 01253-346027 for details. Watch out for a new quiz appearing on our website in the next couple of days when the prize once again will be a free weekend for two at Arties kindly supplied by Vinny & Margaret.

The Watermill Hotel in Paisley. Please phone 0141-889-3201 to check on availability.

4/3/2003

PETER RAFFERTY

President Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters' Clubs

Cloud with silver lining

HAVING no football at the weekend just past, it has given us an opportunity to review what has happened over the last few weeks and to look ahead to the important times to come.

Jimmy Greaves, I believe, said "Football is a funny old game." I don't think we can disagree with that statement. Taking the positive first, the result at Liverpool was totally outstanding and would rate in the top five, at least, in Celtic's best ever victories in Europe. The only ones I can think that are better are, obviously, Lisbon in 1967, home and away against Leeds United in 1970, and the victory in Amsterdam against Ajax in 1982 - George McCluskey scored a late winner after Johan Cruyff went off to a hero's ovation, the Ajax fans thinking they had won.

The Anfield match is up there with those games. It was a massive victory for the club, which cannot be underestimated in European terms, putting Celtic firmly on the big stage once again, as in Stuttgart. Liverpool was first class.

Both sets of fans mixed and socialised well and it was great to see no segregation policy in place. It was shown that our supporters were in every area of the ground, including the Kop. The bond between our two clubs can only get stronger after this display of friendship. I only wish they had given us a larger " allocation of tickets from the outset, which would have been better, and not having black market touts selling on briefs at hugely inflated prices.

It has to be said it included Celtic End tickets, something new for us to deal with, and I am glad the club have recognised this so quickly, and hope that anyone involved with this practice will be dealt with severely by the club.

Unfortunately, the result at Inverness has taken the shine off the Liverpool win and in fairness to Martin O'Neill, he immediately took the blame for what was an extremely poor display, and making so many changes.

There are lessons to be learned in every walk of life and hopefully this will be the case here and, in a strange way, it will make our challenge in the league and UEFA Cup all the more committed in the games to come.

A lot has been said and written in these columns over a number of weeks in reaction to the right-to-buy scheme. I would just like to clarify our position on this as there seems to be some misunderstandings of why we are alienated to this policy.

Firstly, we do not have any problems with the club sponsors' box holders, investors and Business Class where, if they want, can entertain clients, bring guests etc.. to the various facilities found at a major club.

We need this type of finance but we can draw the line if other corporate areas can only be filled by offering a right to buy to the detriment of other fans getting a fair chance for tickets to away games.

I don't see in our season books anything saying `We don't have a right to buy.' This is a very emotive and important issue which I hope the club will address prior to the renewal of next season's books. It could make a difference in all our thoughts that a fairer method was implemented. We only want our views to be debated and understood.

The success of the team in Europe has definitely highlighted these concerns. On the topic of Europe, I wish the club would adhere to a policy that does not change from round to round regarding tickets and how they are allocated. Hopefully, valid lessons have been learned so that next season's Euro campaign will have the rules and deadlines agreed which will stay in place throughout the tournament and will be in everyone's interests. It will be a step in the right direction.

My next point is equally important - the telephone system which cannot cope with the demands made upon it. You can try constantly to get through to the various departments, but trying to get through to the ticket office can take hours and when you eventually make it, there is an answering service which can be equally frustrating.

This is in no way critical of the staff who work there but of the equipment they have to use. Surely it would be a wise investment by the club to invest in modern technology and a bigger call centre to satisfy the needs of irate fans who, after all, only want to book and buy tickets for upcoming games or get answers to their enquiries.

It would be money well spent and be a good public relations exercise on behalf of Celtic. We are approaching the most important part of the season for us. The team definitely has the quality to succeed. The bond between them and the supporters has never been stronger, as shown after the CIS Cup final. At the end you would have thought we had won. And also at Anfield, where Martin O'Neill, the full squad of players and the backroom staff acknowledged the fans in a show of togetherness, which was great to see.

This type of camaraderie will stand us in good stead in what can still be a very eventful and successful season, which I know we will play our own part in trying to achieve this.

4/2/2003

UEFA CUP SEMI-FINAL

Until we know the situation regarding match tickets for the game against Boavista we can’t at this moment in time put any travel arrangements into place. If indeed we can provide any travel for this game updates will be posted on our website www.affreg-celtic.co.uk as soon as possible.

PORT GLASGOW EMERALD CSC

The members of this branch who traveled to Liverpool recently for Celtic’s historic UEFA Cup ¼ final win have asked me to pass on their thanks to the following people, Julie from The Stanley Arms, Huyton for providing accommodation prior to the game and to Kay, Eugene, Niall & Gary Monaghan for providing the match tickets and accommodation after the game.

OLD CELTIC VIEW’S FOR SALE

I can be contacted by E-mail larrynr12000@yahoo.co.uk or by mobile phone no. 086-8894522.

CELTIC SUPPORTERS CLUBS BADGES WANTED

THANKS

Our thanks go to Barry Dunlop from Greenock for his excellent match reports for our website, any other supporters who may wish to submit reports of matches they attend are welcome to send the reports by e-mail to mdinning@yahoo.com

HOTEL DEALS FOR CELTIC SUPPORTERS

The Watermill Hotel in Paisley. Please phone 0141-889-3201 to check on availability.