The Celtic Underground

Well that was the PSG double header then…12-1. We all knew we would get beaten by the most expensive team ever and whilst none of us like heavy defeats, to channel my inner half glass full guy, there were some positives to take from that game…not many, but more than the home leg.   Immediately following the game i decided to ring up my pal Mark in Argentina in an attempt to pick the bones out of t...

This week I am joined by St Anthony in a chat that was supposed to be about our marvellous 100 yr record breaking achievement but in typical Celtic Underground Podcast fashion it went on a meander.   We started with the Anfield Wrap (neither of us could remember the name) briefly touched on the winning run and then got onto the meat and bones of the team and the challenges of team building.   It f...

This week Harry is joined by Guardian Football and Golf correspondent Ewan Murray.   If you pick up your copy of the Guardian at the local paper you will be aware of Ewan for his coverage of the major games in Scottish football and perhaps have worked out that he is a Jambo.   If you’re aware of Ewan from his online presence you will either like him or loathe him or see him simply as a “hurting Hu...

Celtic have fanzines older than some top flight clubs - Not The View is 30!   For fans under the age of 40 it’s always been there but for those of us of a certain age it was an essential part of Celtic culture growing up.   Perhaps it was the arrival of Souness at Rangers that spawned it or perhaps it was just luck but with everything that happened at Celtic in the first 7 years of its existance N...

This weeks podcast extra is Brendantastic.   We start off with a brief chat before Brendan went on stage for his book launch at the Armadillo in Glasgow and then we have both Brendan and Leigh in fine fettle after the 1-1 home draw against Kilmarnock.   There is irritation in from Leigh about the failure to get a win and frustration in Brendan’s body language but none of us will complain if we get...

Sorry for the break for the past few weeks but we’ve been busy but we’re back.   A football fans podcast from the guys behind The Celtic Underground and now in our 12th season possibly the greatest time in those 12 years to be a fans of the hoops and maybe longer.   Officially the best football fans in the world, we support a great team that is also in a different league to the rest of Scottish fo...

Following the comfortable 2-0 victory in our second Glasgow Derby of the season (after a more tightly contested game against Glasgow’s second club at Firhill) we now have perhaps our most important Champions League game of the season coming up.   With such an important fixture I thought I’d continue our new podcast guests with a foreign based journalist, from Airdie, working for a French news agen...

We Battered Them   Make no mistake, whilst this wasn’tanother 5-1 victory we once again showed, on their patch, that the newest version of Rangers Football Club are a million miles away from competing with Celtic.   Not only are they a million miles away from competing with Celtic but as today’s league table shows, they’re quite a way from being the second or even 3rd best team in Scotland.   Audi...

This week Michael McCourt of The Celtic FC Foundation joined us to discuss the new fund raising initiative the Hail Hail Trail.   Time to coincide with our 130th Birthday on 6th November, Michael explains how everyone, everywhere can get involved in this 130 mile walk over a 6 week window - listen in and see what you can do (already 2 sistsers in San Francisco have signed up).   Prior to Michael w...

Tonight (as we record this) Celtic were on the reciving end of a 5-0 defeat to PSG.   I expected to lose so I’m not too down because I believed that this group would always come down to the head to heads between ourselves and Anderlecht for European football after Christmas.   Mark & I therefore discuss the game and highlight our flaws, but hopefully in not a too negative way.   Personally my bigg...

The Champions League is returning to Celtic Park and we will have a team with over £800m worth of talent gracing the green green grass of home… and PSG are not too bad either (boom boom).   Prior to the UCL first group stage game, there was the usual round of press conferences and we managed to get the audio from Brendan and Olivier Ntcham pre-game.   There is a wee bit of the translators in there...

With the wonderful nature of modern social media and without any overhyping from the club, fans have managed the make the return of Patrick Roberts the signing coup of the last few seasons.   That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, just a wonderful way the fans have whipped up the fervour on this.   As we pull this audio together it’s looking like another French translator may be required at the club,...

The end of summer is signaled by the Champions League Draw.   It is the moment when Europe’s elite are drawn together for nights of excitement under the lights and today we got glamour and and possible hope for Europe past Christmas.   Harry spoke with Hullbhoy and the two discuss the draw and how we got there with the victory over Astana.   we also hear from assistant boss Chris Davies and Kieran...

So close you can almost touch it.   Wasn’t Wednesday fantastic?   Reaching this round of Champions League qualification is very special.   We know we have European football until Christmas but these two games will determine whether that in the Champions League or the Europa League.   The anthem starts, the nerves jangle and the game gets going for a crucial double header.   There was much debate o...

CU Xtra - Brendan & Astana Manager   If you thought only Colonel Gaddafi held press conferences in a tent then you’ve not been to Celtic Park on a Champions League night.   Following the stunning 5-goal victory we had the press conferences.   I expected the defeated coach to say a few words and go.   Unfortunately he was first in and he talked.   And the transaltions were long!   To avoid the pain...

This weeks podcast features Danny wilson, Franz Ferdinand St Anthony and Harry Brady - quite a collective!   St joins Harry to discuss the great start the the campaing with the thumping of Hearts in the league and then Kilmarnock in the league cup.   we discuss who played well and our thoughts on various players but are stunned mid podcast as we discover the startling news that Rangers have been d...

Saturday saw the opening game of the new season with the league flag unfurled for the 6th consecutive year and the umpteenth year if we discount the cheating years.  After the game Jon Daly, Leigh Griffiths, Christophe Berra and Brendan Rodgers spoke with the press.  We couldn't be arsed getting in to hear Daly and therefore missed the newsworthy chat!   Anyway, here's the others who took part.  P...

This weeks podcast is all about the finances of Celtic - is there scope for growth or are we all maxed out? We know that the only thing that matters in football is winning on the pitch but that is determined by the quality of player and quality of manager at the club and THAT is largely determined by the money you have to spend, specifically when it comes to the Champions League and European Footb...

There is nothing better after a nail biting game to be able to listen to some Celtic chat, whoever is producing it.   There is nothing worse after a defeat than recording said Celtic chat so my night was on a knife edge.   Not only with the Celtic game but whether I would be having an enjoyable or frustrating podcast chat with Mark Cooper.   Fortunately it was the former.   Mark Cooper and I discu...

This past week has seen the feel good factor kicked the the baws at Celtic Park with the stramash over the Green Brigade followed by the Rangers Fraud whitewash and then the lack lustre home performance against Rosenborg.   The Rosenborg game was played after this podcast was recorded and this is actually part 2 of the long chat Hullbhoy and I had about all things Celtic earlier in the week.   Par...

So, what do we have to talk about….Harry and Hullbhoy pondered that question and the chat quicker meandered into 2 hours of Celtic chat so we’ve decided that this should be cut down into two podcast - one mainly football and one mainly banners.   This is mainly football, with a bit of what to do with cheats.   The bhoys discuss the recent Linfield victory and the forthcoming tie against Rosenborg...

The world famous Celtic Underground Top Ten is finally here. Celtic are about to kick off in the first competitive game in season 2017-18 and so we thought it about time that we finally unveil who you, the Celtic Underground podcast public voted for in the top 10 players of season 2016-17. We pulled together some of the team and we all sat around a Skype mic and ran through that ten. Lachie Mor, M...

David Friel is a former journalist at The Celtic View and has previously written a Celtic Book - The Century Bhoys.   If that wasn’t enough to put him off David has taken the bravery pills and dived into the world of football authors again to write about the Invincibles.   We have a copy of the next book to give away and the question is at the end of the podcast.   David tells us about the book an...

The big talking point in Scottish football is the Supreme Court decision which confirms the scale of the Rangers cheating during the latter half of the calamitous David Murray era.  We will no doubt have a detailed podcast on that soon but one key point to know - The top clubs DO have a large say in the actions of the football authorities.  Pressure from Celtic, Aberdeen and perhaps Hibs & Hearts...

This week Harry is joined by Martin McCardie…you may not know his name but you will be aware of his work.   A writer and producer on River City, Martin has also starred in, written and produced many well know works on Scottish TV and also written and starred in Scottish plays.   Martin is here because he has also re-written the ply Lions of Lisbon, 25 years on from its debut to fit for its 50th an...