MATCH 1912 - Saturday 18 March 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  3  HIBERNIAN  0

Scorers:  Jota, Oh, Haksabanovic;  Campbell

Oh Hyeon-gyu 

Hibs are reduced to ten men very early in the game after two bookable offences for their forward, Youan.  The 10 men then take the lead from a VAR awarded penalty and hold the lead until half time.  Early  in the second half Celtic equalise and the second goal of the match is also via a penalty. 

Celtic take the lead with less than 10 minutes to play and it's a special moment for recent signing Oh.  

Personal note:

• 30th Celtic match of the season
• The 120th time seeing this fixture

MATCH 1911 - Wednesday 8 March 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  3  HEARTS  1

Scorers:  Maeda, Kyoto, Haksabanovic;  Ginnelly

Celtic came from behind after Hearts took an early take to level midway through a stop-start first half due to VAR checks and injuries which meant six minutes were added from the first 45 minutes.  In the second half Celtic score two very good goals - a well workedpassing move and a solo effort - to eventually see off third place, Hearts.

Personal note:

• Milestone - My 100th league match between the sides
• Overall the 117th match I've attended between the clubs
• It was also the 122nd time seeing Hearts which includes matches v Barcelona, Sunderland, Motherwell & Hibernian.

MATCH 1910 - Sunday 26 February 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP FINAL

Venue: HAMPDEN PARK

CELTIC  2  RANGERS*  1

Scorers:  Kyogo(2);  Morelos

For the second season running Kyogo is the League Cup hero with a final brace.  Celtic control most of the match and go two up in under an hour and although Rangers pull one back Celtic are able to see out the remainder of the match comfortably and should have sealed the win in the last few minutes with a third but two is enough to clinch their 21st League Cup victory.

The wee guy that makes a big difference

Personnal Note:  

• My 21st Scottish League Cup Final - 19 involving Celtic
• The 9th time Celtic v Rangers(7)/Rangers*(2)
• The 13th time I've seen Celtic lift this trophy since my first final in 1982 - the winning managers being McNeill, Jansen, Dalglish, O'Neill, Strachan(2), Deila, Rodgers(3), Lennon, Postecoglue(2)

MATCH 1909 - Saturday 18 February 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  4  ABERDEEN  0

Scorers: McGregor, Hatate(2), Abada

A fast start from Celtic sees them two goals up in the opening 15 minutes in front of another capacity crowd at Celtic Park.  

The game is secured in the final 15 minutes with two more goals to complete a big win over the Dons.

Most impressive player in the match: Reo Hatate

Personal note:  

• The 130th time I've attended this fixture, 108 in the league all since March 1981
• Overall the 135th time seeing Aberdeen.
• The first match 28 March 1981 at Celtic Park, score 1-1

28 March 1981 - George McCluskey after scoring the equaliser 

MATCH 1908 - Saturday 11 February 2023

SEASON - 2022/23

SCOTTISH CUP 5th ROUND

Venue - CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  5  ST MIRREN  1

Scorers: Maeda, Hatate(2), Oh, O'Riley

Evening kick off of 5.30pm as match is live on satellite TV.  Four of Celtic's five goals are scored by three of their Asian footballers including a first goal for Oh of South Korea.

Man of the Match: Cameron Carter-Vickers

Personal note:

• 7th ocassion attending this fixture in Scottish Cup
• One other St Mirren fixture in Scottish Cup was against Airdrieonians at Broomfield in 1983 Quarter Final tie
• Overall the 73rd time seeing St Mirren (all bar one - the match above - v Celtic)

MATCH 1907 - Wednesday 1 February 2023

SEASON 2023/23

SCOTTISH PEMIER LEAGUE

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  3  LIVINGSTON  0

Scorers:  Taylor, Maeda, Kyogo

All goals were scored in the first half to make it a comfortable evening for the home side.

MATCH 1906 - Tuesday 24 January 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH CUP 4th Round

Venue: PRESTONFIELD

LINLITHGOW ROSE  0  RAITH ROVERS  2

Scorers:  Gullan(2)

A day after the biggest Scottish Cup upset (Darvel beating Aberdeen) I went through to Linlithgow to visit a new ground however Raith Rovers show no signs of panic and comfortably advance to the next round of the cup.

Prestonfield is a tidy little ground and there are 2,000 fans in attendance.  The match will be best remembered for the worse collective officiating since the 2015 Scottish Cup semi final.  The ref and his standside linesman missed two penalties and wrongly called a goal from Raith at the start of the second half as offside when the home sides centre half clearly played the ball straight into the path of the Raith striker. 

MATCH 1905 - Saturday 21 January 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH CUP 4th Round

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  5  MORTON  0

Scorers: Mooy(2), Kyogo(2), Turnbull

A comfortable cup tie win for Celtic with a helping hand from their former player Efe Ambrose and VAR.  A quite awful decision from VAR to award a penalty at 0-0.

Celtic took full advantage and before half time were 4-0 ahead and on their way to the next round.

At the break Celtic introduced new signing, Tomoki Iwata from Japan and late in the game gave a debut to young Irish defender, Bosun Lawal.

Man of the Match:  Aaron Mooy.

2,000 fans from Greenock.

Personal note:

• 17th fixture I've attended between the clubs, 5 in Scottish Cup.
• Meeting at Celtic Park 12 times and 5 times at Cappielow.
• Overall 19th time seeing Morton since December 1982 - the other two matches were v Airdrieonians (original club).

MATCH 1904 - Wednesday 18 January 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  4  ST MIRREN  0

Scorers:  Abada, Kyogo(2), Turnbull

In a extremely cold night in Glasgow, Celtic turned up the heat on their opponents playing some lovely football and scoring four quality goals.

Yuki Kobayashi made his debut

Match report:  LINK

Personal note:

• 62nd league fixture between Celtic and St Mirren
• Overall 72nd time seeing St Mirren - all v Celtic except one game v Airdrieonians 
• Making them 10th on my list of teams seen

MATCH 1903 - Saturday 14 January 2023

SEASON 2022/23

SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP Semi Final

HAMPDEN PARK 

CELTIC  2  KILMARNOCK  0

Scorers: Maeda, Giakoumakis

For the second week running these two sides meet in Glasgow.  This time at Hampden in the League Cup and the match ended with the same scoreline as the league match seven days earlier.

The rain poured down all game making it was a real slogg for the players to fight through the nineties. Sitting low down in the East End Stand (Celtic End) we had a limited view of the far box so only saw the ball hit the net for the opening goal after a good delivery from a free kick.  We had to wait until injury time to see the second goal after two VAR calls ruled out two other efforts for offside.

Pre-match

Personal note:

• 83rd time attending this fixture - Celtic Park 49 + Rugby Park 28 + Hampden Park 6
• Visit number 133 to Hampden Park
• 130th tie in the Scottish League Cup since 1981 - 121 of them involving Celtic