Reading the report on Celtic’s 4-2 victory over Morton in the Reserve Cup at Lennoxtown, you see the usual suspects getting accolades: New signing Jonathan Afolabi hits the mark at the 19th minute, Armstrong Oko-Flex successfully coverts a penalty kick at 37 minutes, and Karamoko Dembele comes on in the second half to add to the score late in the game.
What’s buried a few paragraphs down in the report is a goal at the 51-minute mark by winger Cameron Harper, the Sacramento-born, Southern California-raised 17-year-old who wears the Hoops for the Reserves.
According to the Celtic FC report, Harper took a pass from Liam Burt, took a touch, and then drove a shot that went in off the post (you can see the goal on the YouTube highlights (below)starting around 1:48).
Or as it was relayed by the Celtic FC Academy Twitter:
51’ – HARPER! ????
Cameron Harper picks up the ball from @LiamBurt10, takes a touch and drives the ball off the post and in!
CEL 3️⃣-1️⃣ MOR pic.twitter.com/2Keni2SdNE
— Celtic FC Academy (@CelticFCAcademy) September 24, 2019
“Harper is traditional winger who is right-footed but comfortable with his left and doesn’t have a preference for a side of the field,” writes Brian Sciaretta in an article earlier this month in American Soccer Now. “He likes to play out wide, get into 1-on-1 situations against defenders, make runs, cut inside for shots, or stay out wide to hit crosses. Like many in his age-group, he is confident like those in recent cycles.”
Harper played for the celebrated Pateadores Soccer Club in Costa Mesa, California. His play at Pateadores drew the attention of the U-16 team, according to the ASN article.
“It was with the U-16 team at the 2016 IMG Cup where he drew the attention of a Celtic scout who arranged for a trial later in 2017,” the ASN article continues.
“Celtic were impressed by Harper on trial and he eventually joined the club.”
While Harper has a bright future ahead as he laces them up for Celtic and the U.S. U-21 team, it makes this Californian proud to see a kid from the Golden State making headway at the club. Harper definitely needs to stay on everyone’s radar going forward.
Larry Cafiero
The new blog ’67 in the heat of Felton provides a view of Celtic FC from the Central California coast and is edited by Larry. If you are curious about a new Celtic blog emerging in California of all places then the explanation is below, in the words of the man himself…
My name is Larry Cafiero, and I am a former newspaper editor, currently a freelance writer, a family man, tenor, and a “sewer socialist” who is active in the Democratic Socialists of America. I discovered the joys of the beautiful game this past season (2018-19). As it turned out, I fell in love with Celtic FC (and FC St. Pauli, for related reasons, but more on that later).
Why Celtic?
It all started last August with a discussion on a leftist political thread about football clubs with a political/antifascist outlook to them. Several posters had voiced their opinions on teams with a political slant that would align with ours — FC Barcelona for their anti-Franco (and Catalonian independence) stand, FC St. Pauli for their staunch pro-freedom and antifascist positions, and Celtic FC for their history.
Celtic’s history was the selling point for me regarding the club. Brother Walfrid, a Marist brother from Ireland, started Celtic in Glasgow in the late 1880s in order to raise money to feed the poor of Glasgow (mostly Irish immigrants at the time), and the history of the club — generally pro-independence for Ireland in an arguably hostile Presbyterian Scotland — constantly overcoming pro-Unionist adversity was nothing short of inspiring. Additionally, the affinity of a large part of the Celtic support for the plight of the Palestinian people made being a supporter an easy fit for me.
Also, there’s 1967: There are few more phenomenal and outright Hollywood-worthy stories in all of sports than a group of players who grew up in Glasgow taking on the mighty FC Internazionale Milano — Inter Milan, for short — in Lisbon for the European Cup. They still sing about it at games to this day, and the song is where the name of this blog originates (although my favorite is this punk version by the Quadrofenians).
I have a distant connection to Scotland: My maternal grandfather, Robert Fowler, was born and raised in Dunfermline, Fife (the birthplace, incidentally, of Scott Brown), though as far as any known family lore reveals, he was not a Dunfermline FC fan at any time. So I think I’m clear there.
This blog will be my view of my chosen club given from 5,060 nautical miles and eight time zones away, from this impassioned fan who (among other things) is looking to start a CSC in the Santa Cruz area — if you live near here and are interested, contact me. Chances are that some FC St. Pauli news will creep in here as well, but for the most part it should be all Celtic all the time.
I can be found at times opining freely and often on the Celtic Noise forum, an excellent forum where discussion abounds on all things Celtic (and some things not exactly Celtic). I would invite everyone to join the discussion there as well.
Mon the Hoops!
Larry Cafiero – you can check out his new Celtic blog HERE.
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
‘After all the whinging, bleating and accusatory behaviour from the fans, our cup runneth over…’…see HERE.
Sutton’s Praise for ‘work in progress’ Bayo – ‘He’s powerful, and he is good in the air’…see HERE.
Boli’s Home Sweet Home – ‘It’s amazing to play in Paradise, so I feel more comfortable now’…see HERE.
Returning Hero Scotty Sinclair praises ‘unbelievable reception from the fans’…see HERE.
‘I’m very grateful that the manager gave me a chance,’ Debut Bhoy praises Lenny…see HERE.
Just how ‘Tangled Up’ were Celtic following Rangers FC liquidation? Asking for a (Res 12) Friend…see HERE.
‘Celtic should run their own streaming service and call it Caflix,’ reckons Chairman Lmao…see HERE.
‘The scoreline didn’t flatter Celtic,’ admits Jags boss McCall after five goal thrashing…see HERE.
‘What Kenny Miller does in the privacy is no business of the Green Brigade,’ David Potter…see HERE.
Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic 5 West End Thespians 0…see HERE.
‘Tom Rogic was simply breath-taking.Take a bow Olivier Ntcham. A masterclass,’ Niall J…see HERE.
Celtic’s five goal thrashing sets up semifinal against Hibs…see HERE.
‘Hail Hail, les Celts sont ici’ – Matt Corr’s Rennes Diary…see HERE.
