First We Take Paradise, Then We Take Bergamo!
Italian journalist: ‘I have never experienced such love for a football club in all my years of reporting.’ And that, my friends, sums up the wonderful sense of camaraderie which Celtic supporters espouse…
The swings and roundabouts in Celtic’s footballing playground has plunged us into a tizzy this week. Relinquishing a two-goal lead against an on-form Aberdeen outfit in Fortress Parkhead had some sharpening the knives in their after-match commentaries.
Others, me included, were more pragmatic, and relished the possibility of a genuine challenge this year, and not from the usual quarters. Sure, nobody is happy about conceding a couple of goals, one which was engineered with genuine quality.
However, Celtic has played eight games in the league this term; won seven and drew one. Any team in Europe would be delighted with that stat, but in the mindset of the modern day fan, that draw felt like a defeat. Fair enough.
Fast forward to Wednesday night in Bergamo. This medieval Italian city was swamped with Bhoysterous green-clad Celtic supporters, and the charming bars and cafes became the lucky recipients of some of the most fervent supporters on the planet.
MORE REACTION ON CELTIC SHORTS…Celtic players react to battling point away to Atalanta
The revelry and vocal fortitude of the Bhoys in Green may well have been reminiscent of the Roman Legions of yesteryear, and the locals were in awe of the celebrations played out before their eyes in their home town, even before a ball was kicked.
In truth, we had no right to go into this Colosseum with anything other than fear and trepidation following our horrific capitulation at the hands of Dortmund in our last battle against a major foreign force.
But, we are Celtic! The last time we ventured onto Italian soil we toppled the Roman giants, Lazio. The celebrations which followed that win became one of legend, and this spirit followed the troops into Bergamo.
I don’t believe that one of us thought we would come out of this clash unscathed, rather, it seemed a matter of keeping the scoreline down to ‘not too bad’, especially in the absence of our mighty general, Cameron Carter-Vickers.
I’ve been a big fan of Atalanta since the ‘Golazo!’ days when Serie-A became the staple for everyone who relished their Saturday morning tv. Napoli, Sampdoria, Juventus, the Milan twins, Roma. They were a joy to watch, and after producing a documentary featuring Atalanta, I fell in love with their charm, culture, and history.
On Wednesday evening though, my only love was Celtic, and my heart gave the Italians a ‘dizzy’.
You all saw the match, and I don’t need to regurgitate the incidents. Rather, I’d like to applaud Brendan Rodgers and his warriors on the night for putting up the fight of their lives. From Kasper Schmeichel and his Colossus-like defenders, through a proficient midfield, onto a forward-line which battled back and forth as if it were their last ever match.
Yes, this is what we needed against the reigning Europe League Champions, and this is what we got. Sheer guts, and a will to obliterate the memory of a recent German nightmare. Unfortunately, the nightmare continued after the match when the brutal Italian mafia, sorry, Police force, drew their batons and weighed into a peaceful, celebrating Celtic support making their way back into town.
MATCH REVIEW ON CELTIC SHORTS…“Celtic defended very well, I have never seen them defending so deep,” Gian Piero Gasperini
This is not an unusual scenario when our support ventures abroad. But, it’s 2024! Surely Celtic Football Club officials and security officers must be forefront in protecting their followers with vocal condemnation and assurances of future engagement which excludes unprovoked attacks on our citizens by their law keepers?
Conversely, the sights and sounds of the ‘Celtic End’ when the whistle blew was phenomenal. To go to a place of such repute and come away with a scoreless draw sent our fans into raptures. After all, we did a ‘Catenaccio’ on the Italians!
Bergamo’s local newspaper salutes the ‘brave’ Celtic fans in shorts and their capacity to drink beer and create a party atmosphere’!
Bergsmo si colora di biancoverde: in città 1.300 scozzesi https://t.co/gdGmENdNiL— Ronaldopatrizio (@ronaldopatrizio) October 23, 2024
The local press was gushing in its praise for the green and white hordes who partied like we had won the Cup itself. They spoke of the noise, the colour, and…the amount of beer consumed.
One outlet ventured that they ‘have never experienced such love for a football club in all my years of reporting.’
And that, my friends, sums up the wonderful sense of camaraderie which Celtic supporters espouse, and has encouraged global fan bases of rival clubs abroad to embrace us as ‘brothers’.
And for that, we should be proud.
Hail Hail!
Eddie Murray
READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic at Atlantas
