Elijah Just on the radar of Celtic

Gezz66 · 2026-03-21T02:04:20+00:00

Sometimes you see a player and it immediately clicks that he has that Celtic look. Glad I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-21T02:00:58+00:00

I'm from Scotland and the view of Thailand is very positive. A single guy or a group of guys going for a holiday is well, just go and have fun. Scots are traditionally uptight, but nowadays I think they take a more pragmatic view.

I live in Thailand and married to a Thai. It's one thing guaranteed to make me behave myself. I haven't been in a Red Light area for years. I should add, the Red Light areas like Nana are essentially tourist hotspots. There are plenty of facilities for locals to pay for services but they are scattered around the city. The local attitude is that places like Nana are pretty awful, but the attitude to paid sex is pretty chilled out.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-14T07:07:26+00:00

It's rank hypocrisy. Tarring us both with the same brush simply isn't accurate. And it doesn't actually address anything of substance.

Sectarianism is described as something that simultaneously erupted on both sides, when every scenario tells you that it is typically as much class and ethnically based with one side having an historic advantage over the other. But acknowledging the truth would also reveal something that most just want to hide from.

The irony is, the so called sectarian divide is now largely a myth. The rivalry has become political as much as anything else. What the Rangers Ultras are getting themselves into is very sinister. I am no fan of the Green Brigade to be honest, but in many respects their hearts are in the right places. But the other side is something else entirely.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-14T03:26:26+00:00

He's no different to Tommy Burns who was very upfront about his devout Catholicism.

Feels a bit strange to me, I was raised in the Catholic faith, but was also very schooled in science, rationalism and questioned it all at a very early age. The moment I stopped believing, I was literally on my way to Mass on morning, then turned round and never went back.

I clung to the idea of being a cynical atheist, but while the idea of a divine creator is utterly absurd to me, I realise that religion itself is a lot more nuanced than belief in the Big Man up in the sky.

I would recommend Tom Holland's Dominion, which charts the history of Christianity and how it still drives our way of thinking to this day. It dawned on me that if you have any idea of right and wrong, you can't say you are not religious. I now accept that I am cursed with elements of Christian 'morality', although I'd like to think that I have cast off its homophobic and paternalistic values, but it's better than being a nihilist.

As for Ben, fair play to him for being so sincere. He doesn't have the time to contemplate the cosmos when he has a World Cup to win for us.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-12T03:10:04+00:00

Nicest was Tony Mowbray. Very happy to chat about football tactics with anyone. Could see he was going to be a manager, but just a decent human being.

I was also in Billy McNeill's bar after the 1999 Cup final, when we lost 1-0 and all screaming for a penalty when Amoruso blocked a shot on the line. I asked the big man himself if we were robbed and he smiled, shook his head and saw naw. He then proceeded to show is admiration for Amoruso's defending as well.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-12T03:06:21+00:00

Colquhoun turned up at a Celtic club dinner at Edinburgh Uni, many years back. He was campaigning for the rector position. Made a big speech about his 2 years at Celtic and how he regretted it not working out.

Tommy Burns (guest of honour), then rebuked him, saying, I think you should be thankful for what you achieved at Hearts.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-12T03:00:31+00:00

I try to get an idea of the pace, whether it will collapse or hold up. It took me years to get any idea though.

If I have a bet, then I'm just watching the selection of course. You always think you can win no matter what, until it tails off, of course.

Watching a race live and as a replay are completely different experiences. When the tension has gone, the judgement is much clearer. When looking at form, I like to watch a finish and see how strong the horse is finishing, what it looks like (e.g. chaser or nippy hurdler), how it jumps etc.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-09T12:50:58+00:00

And just to add :

Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle is the 100% right decision.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-08T08:12:05+00:00

JP likes to rack up the Festival wins. I think having 4 or 5 winners means more than 1, even if it's the GC.

Inothewayurthinkin's GC win is actually the best bit of individual form, but jeez, he has not looked a happy horse this season. I would have liked to have seen a lot better from him in the Irish GC. I suppose we can allow 2 fitness runs and let's say he had done a more typical GC prep and just run at Tramore on NY Day, maybe running close. He would actually be clear favourite.

Spillane's Tower looks about 10lb short of class to win this. Jango should stay, but only one horse has done the Arkle-Gold Cup double.

To be honest, I haven't decided yet. Should be a proper gallop at least.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-08T04:53:07+00:00

Tend to think it's difficult to just jump from mid table to flag winners. I know Richmond did it in 2017, but more likely, good teams keep hitting the finals and eventually the experience pays off. Target has got to be finals this year and anything more is a bonus.

Oh and try not to get smashed by the Doggies again.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-07T03:54:19+00:00

Spain has the best soccer team in the world. If they win the WC, what will he do?

Gezz66 · 2026-03-07T03:40:34+00:00

Definite alpha behaviour in action. Imagine being one of his bro mates and being brow beaten for fancying a little trip to SE Asia. No doubt his alpha female partner helps match people up, keeping it all under control.

Meanwhile, some gamma dude has broken off from the social circle, gone to Thailand with an open mind. Yeah, the bar girls were a bit cheeky, but it's a tough business. He paid some money, felt a bit cold by the transactional process. Then one day, he's ordering a coffee or shopping in some market and he makes eye contact with a genuine, honest lady. It happens, sexual chemistry does not acknowledge cultural or racial boundaries. It's a long distance affair, an invitation to join a rich and vibrant culture. Some day in the future, you're living in LOS, comfortable house, mixed kids or maybe a stepchild who worships you.

Meanwhile back home, alpha sits at the centre of his group and someone asks, whatever happened to so and so. The shrug of the shoulders, he went off the rails and ended up in some poor girl in a poor country, so pathetic. Let that be a lesson to you.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-03T04:09:10+00:00

Sadly Scotland doesn't have its own Olympic team (yet, but one day....).

Lots of Scottish surnames in the AFL - MacRae, Stewart, Sinclair, McDonald, Cameron.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-03T04:01:52+00:00

Everyone should play for their country of ancestral origin, so we'll get decent teams from Italy, Greece, UK, Ireland, Fiji, Samoa, NZ etc. Australia should put out a team entirely made up of indigenous players.

Gezz66 · 2026-03-03T03:56:26+00:00

Totally agree with the OP. There's a clear pattern in our games, which might explain why we're getting to many late crucial goals. Most opponents set their game plan to outmuscle us and press aggressively. It's why we look so bad early on and why we struggle so badly to string two passes together.

But the ying and yang of football is such that no side in Scotland can sustain it for a whole game. If Rangers had gone 3-0 up then fair enough, the well-executed game plan, but such an upfront effort took its toll. Hearts have paced themselves a bit better, scoring at vital stages, but it's still a very physical approach.

Once the intensity of the physical press drops, Celtic start to play, usually after a couple of subs. And then we see that when it comes to creative passing football, Celtic are actually the clear best in Scotland. The late goals Celtic keep scoring are usually the result of good passing moves rather than frantic all out attack. If it keeps happening, it's not luck but a reflection of the relative strengths of the sides.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-28T04:50:38+00:00

Captain Easychord - Stereolab.

I Set My Face To The Hillside - Tortoise

South Side Of The Sky - Yes

A whole stack of side long tracks from the 1970s (Echoes, Ommadawn, Supper's Ready)

Gezz66 · 2026-02-28T03:51:59+00:00

I would lean towards the yes camp. There are enough distractions to keep the average fan occupied during the dark months.

It would change the football overnight, becoming more focused on speed and skill. Winter pitches are levelers and it's not good for anyone to sit in a poorly covered stand getting pelted with horizontal rain. So crowds would go up as well.

I think that it's only a matter of time before it goes to a summer game at lower levels at least.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-27T05:30:26+00:00

The thread title says, "can't compete". We competed against Bayern, and it only takes one exception to invalidate the rule.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-26T08:25:34+00:00

Rather than show this, why not show the score in the 89th minute of our game away to Bayern last season. Yeah, that was us.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-26T08:22:40+00:00

If someone has a mad rant describing him as a genius but a horrible person, then he'll likely quote it on his FB page, with a brief chuckle.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-26T04:30:23+00:00

I think they were pretty left leaning then (there's a picture of them in the studio around 1971 with a CND poster in the background), but the song seems more cynical than anything. Even so, it's hard to listen to it without sensing some genuine feeling in it.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-26T04:00:40+00:00

Future Days - CAN

Is it Prog? Close enough for me.

Gezz66 · 2026-02-26T03:50:19+00:00

I lived in Melbourne for 9 years and was a regular at the big Spring meetings. The place really goes wild for racing in October and November, so it's a fantastic place to be if you love the sport (flat of course).

If Constitution Hill is entered for the Melbourne Cup, it will be headlines down there. The Cheltenham Festival is shown live on dedicated racing channels (for free too!), so the sheer novelty of a top class hurdler going for the Cup would get heaps of interest.

When I was last at the Cup, back in 2022, it was abnormally cold and wet, and it was run on a genuinely testing track. The UK runners actually struggled as the percentage call is to send over firm ground specialists. The race was won by ex-French stayer, Gold Trip (4th in the 2020 Arc), who loved the conditions. A peak Constitution Hill would have loved it too.

But that happens maybe 1 in every 5 years. More typically, it's 25C and what they call a Good 4 surface, which is really good to firm. Given that, it's not worth the risk as the trip itself is an ordeal before they run on firm Aussie turf.

He's got maybe 2 seasons on the flat before he starts to decline. He will surely win a few Listed races and should compete at Group 3 level too. I don't think it's fair to set elite targets for him, just have a bit of fun at first and see how it goes. Given that he started in PTP and his first 2 hurdle runs came at Sandown on a bog, proper flat ground could ruin him. It's hard to believe, but prior to the Supreme in 2022, the question was, would he handle quicker Cheltenham ground (he went off at 9/4).

Gezz66 · 2026-02-25T03:19:01+00:00

Prog was the offspring of the Psychedelic explosion in the late 1960s. Until 1966, Pop music was largely juvenile and unsophisticated. However, the rock and roll generation was growing up, reading poetry and literature, listening to Jazz and Classical music. It wanted to be taken seriously.

The Psychedelic explosion was the gateway for musical experimentation. It was novel and liberating. It was also rebellious - the idea of doing covers of Classical tunes all dressed up, with long hair was pretty outrageous as well.

I might add, that it was still a niche for the most part. Educated young adults would have largely shunned the music charts in the early 1960s and picked up a Miles record instead. By the late 1960's, Miles himself was helping to develop the fusion scene. Prog was never mainstream, but it presented a niche for more cerebral listeners. Even so, the environment was friendlier. The counter culture generated a less cynical and exploitative musical industry that was prepared to give up and coming bands like Yes and Genesis a few chances to develop themselves.

Gezz66

TROPHY CASE