MATCH 1591 - Saturday, 7 February 2015

Season: 2014/15
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP
Venue:  LIBERTY STADIUM (1)

SWANSEA CITY    1    SUNDERLAND    1

Scorers: Ki;  Defoe

37 hour marathon to follow Sunderland to Swansea and visit a new ground!  Trip started just after 8pm on Friday with a train into Glasgow, then overnight travel on the Megabus sleeper service to Cardiff. The final leg of the to journey to Swansea was completed by train plus the local No. 4 bus from town to ground. We eventually arrived home at 9am on Sunday.

This was my first match in Wales therefore a new ground.  The modern Liberty Stadium is neat to say the least, holding just over 20,000.  There is a good atmosphere at the away side of the ground.

As for the game it wasn't a classic so the goals were welcome.  A typical Defoe strike out of nothing opened the scoring giving Sunderland a half time advantage.  The equaliser came in the second half from ex-Celt Ki Sung-yueng.

Personal note:
14th country to watch football in.
67th top division match in England
33rd Sunderland match in 8 different grounds
2nd Swansea match (other one in Carlisle Apr 2008)

Cardiff, 7.30am

Swansea Train Station

The away support

MATCH 1590 - Sunday, 1 February 2015

Season: 2014/15
SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP Semi Final
Venue:  HAMPDEN PARK

CELTIC    2   RANGERS*   0

Scorers: Griffiths, Commons

Two first half goals gave Celtic a comfortable victory over their lower league opponents which booked their place in the final.  This was the billed by the media as the first "Old Firm" game since the liquidation of the former Rangers club in 2012.
Apart from the two goals the game lacked any quality throughout.

From the back of the Celtic End with the young W Gorman CSC crew

Personal note:  

• 30th match of season
• 112th match at Hampden
• 98th Celtic League Cup tie
• 2nd Rangers match since 2012

MATCH 1589 - Saturday, 24 January 2015

SEASON:  2014/15
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:  NEW DOUGLAS PARK (2)

HAMILTON    0    INVERNESS CT    2

Scorers:  O.G.,  Ross

The 10p game

The stunt by Hamilton to have a ridiculously low admission price certainly worked as the crowd was more than double the normal size for this particular fixture.

At half time though I wondered if the game was worth the admission price.  Despite a lively opening period from the home side no side came close to breaking the deadlock.

In the second however Inverness stepped up a level scored two and also brought out the best in the Accies keeper, McGovern.

Their second goal was worthy of the normal admission price. Great piece of football.

Personal note:

23rd time seeing both these teams

962nd SPL game overall of which only 6 have not involved Celtic

Pictures from away section.

MATCH 1588 - Wednesday, 21 January, 2015

Season:  2014/15 (28)
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE (961)
Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    4    MOTHERWELL    0

Scorers:  Van Dijk, Griffiths, Lustig(2)

The game in which right back and half time substitute came within an inch of a hat-trick when his right foot shot hit the bar.  His second goal the highlight of the match was a flying header which completed the scoring on the night.

Personal note: 
11th SPL match of the season - all at Celtic Park
my 94th SPL match between the clubs
This was the 113th time watching Motherwell in all competitions

Football in 2014

OVERALL  50  MATCHES ATTENDED

34 Celtic and 16 not involving Celtic

30 at Celtic Park and 20 matches at 16 other stadia including 1st visits to Etihad Stadium, Ochiliview, Bayview Stadium, Prenton Park & Recreation Park.

41 in Scotland and 9 in England.

32 League matches, 10 Cup ties,  6 European ties &2 Friendlies

MATCH 1587 - Saturday 27 December 2014

Season:  2014/15 (28)
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE (961)
Venue:  CELTIC PARK (889)

CELTIC    4    MOTHERWELL    0

Scorers:  Van Dijk, Griffiths, Lustig(2)

The game in which right back and half time substitute came within an inch of a hat-trick when his right foot shot hit the bar.  His second goal the highlight of the match was a flying header which completed the scoring on the night.

Personal note:  11th SPL match of the season - all at Celtic Park

MATCH 1586 - Sunday, 14 December 2014

Season:  2014/15
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    4    ST. MIRREN    1

Scorers:  Brown(2), Forrest, Stokes; Kelly

Top v Bottom clash and it showed throughout.  Had Celtic's finishing been better they would have bettered their top score of seven against the Saints which has been achieved on a number of occasions over the seasons.  However like so many games this particular season the finishing was well below par.

Personal note:

55th League match between the sides;

64th St Mirren match overall since 1981

26th match of the season

MATCH 1585 - Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Season: 2014/15
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    1    PARTICK THISTLE    0

Scorer: van Dijk

Second meeting of the Glasgow sides at Celtic Park this season but no repeat of the six goals scored in the League Cup tie.

Overall - my 31st match between these two - 26 in League.
First of these matches was in 1982 when I watched the first from the "Jungle" first half anyway before moving as you could in '82 to the behind the goal at the old "Rangers end".  Thistle were 2-0 up before a late comeback forced a 2-2 draw.

MATCH 1584 - Saturday, 29 November 2014

Season:  2014/15
ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP
Venue:  STADIUM OF LIGHT

SUNDERLAND     0     CHELSEA     0

Despite the blank score line it was an exciting match enhanced from playing under the floodlights of the aptly named stadium.

Personal note:  6th Chelsea match all in the north of England spanning nearly 30 years.

MATCH 1583 - Thursday, 27 November 2014

SEASON: 2014/15

Group Stage

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    1    RED BULL SALZBURG    3

Scorers:  Johansen; Alan (2), Keita

This was the 9th Europa League match Celtic have played since the competition was revamped and despite a defeat to a good Austrian side Celtic progressed from the group stage for the first time.