The Celtic Underground

It’s the international break, so naturally there’s absolutely nothing to talk about….Apart from balaclavas, tennis balls on the Old Course, an extraordinary late-night statement from Dermot Desmond and the seemingly endless civil war between Celtic and sections of the support.
Harry and Andrew attempt the increasingly impossible task of seeing both sides of an argument, asking whether anyone involved actually wants a resolution or whether we’ve all become rather too comfortable shouting at each other.
Along the way, Andrew recalls being thrown out of a Celtic Christmas party, failing to interview Johan Cruyff and the joys of dealing with angry supporters, while Harry brings some inconvenient arithmetic to the campaign to remove Dermot Desmond.
There’s talk of ownership, strategy, the Celtic Trust, the coming AGM and the increasingly elusive pleasure of simply enjoying the football. Ninety minutes of trying to find a way out of the madness, only to conclude that everyone’s dug themselves into a hole and nobody’s brought a ladder.
Game, set and match? Not even close.
Enjoy…
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Some names in Celtic history stand out because more than one player has been called this.
In the case of John Divers, there’s been a ‘hat-trick’ of such men!
This latest podcast describes these three men’s experiences.
Every week, you can listen for free to more tales from Celtic’s past, as told by Matthew Marr (Hail Hail History).
From next month, you can also buy Part 1 of the two-part book series ‘Green, white and silverware’ by Matthew Marr, describing Celtic’s less well-known trophy wins.
For pre-order information, visit: https://celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com/books-and-articles/
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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew, Stephen and Anthony start with the important stuff - whether £200 for an Oasis ticket is an act of devotion or a cry for help, before somehow ending up asking what’s happened to football itself.
There’s international-break fatigue, Celtic injury chat, memories of great gigs, Manchester City and the financial black hole of the English game, and a surprisingly thoughtful wander through why Celtic still means something when so much modern football can feel increasingly soulless. As ever with a Chin Wag, the route from Liam Gallagher to Lisbon Lions is neither obvious nor especially direct, but they get there in the end.
Enjoy…
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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Some people never pull on the famous Celtic shirt but still influence the club.
Robert Kelly is one such example, a man renowned for his iron grip on control of the club in the 1950s and 1960s.
This latest podcast tells the full story of this.
Every week, you can listen for free to more tales from Celtic’s past, as told by Matthew Marr (Hail Hail History).
From next month, you can also buy Part 1 of the two-part book series ‘Green, white and silverware’ by Matthew Marr, describing Celtic’s less well-known trophy wins.
For pre-order information, visit: https://celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com/books-and-articles/
Enjoy…
Apple podcasts
Spotify
Amazon
Player.fm
Spreaker
Audioboom
Youtube


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe

Another defeat to Rangers leaves Celtic with one win in twelve against their city rivals and, more worryingly, a team that increasingly looks as though it has forgotten what it is supposed to be. Harry, Andrew and Keith pick through a derby where the change to 3-5-2 quickly descended into tactical roulette, with Celtic starting without a winger and eventually ending up with three of them, while Rangers simply proved stronger, sharper and rather more certain of what they were doing.
The discussion moves beyond another poor ninety minutes to the lack of physicality, fitness, identity and leadership throughout the side, the recurring weaknesses of individual players, questions over the coaching structure and whether keeping Martin O’Neill beyond last season's rescue mission was ultimately a mistake.
With rumours already circulating about another managerial change, there is also the rather extraordinary prospect of Celtic entering a fifth managerial period in eleven months. It is a fairly sombre assessment of a club badly in need of a spark, although we do establish that Celtic Park's main entrance is currently better defended than the team, Liam Scales may still be tying his bootlaces and, if all else fails, a EuroMillions might just provide enough cash to tempt Pep Guardiola.
Enjoy…
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Spotify
Amazon
Player.fm
Spreaker
Audioboom
Youtube



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecelticunderground.substack.com/subscribe