MJC_MKI

Well me and you are going to have to agree to disagree on the issue of political demonstrations within a football ground.(indeed yourself and UEFA are going to need to agree to disagree). You are perfectly entitled to hold that view if that is how you see it. I must however take issue with the IRA/al-queda...terrorist/freedom fighter part of your point though. You quite rightly acknowledge the 'one man's terrorist' argument on the IRA's part but dismiss it on al-queada's??? Like it or not they too would claim the 'one man's terrorist, another's freedom fighter' stance and if you can accept that from one terrorist group then the same must apply to any other, regardless of what their cause is. However, all of this is moving away from the real issue of this topic and that is that a group of Celtic's support caused mayhem and thousands of pounds worth of damage inside Fir Park in December and despite them and the police vowing to weed out the culprits, very little has come of this and indeed the same group which were undoubtedly responsible have now been allowed to return to attend Celtic matches.

UEFA rules prohibit any demonstrations or messages of a political or ideological nature, these were the grounds upon which Celtic were fined for their 'William Wallace/Bobby Sands' banner earlier this season. Therefore it is illegal to stage any form of political demonstration within football grounds so by doing so Celtic's Green Brigade are committing an offence.

Well firstly, as has been said already, football grounds are not the place for political demonstrations, a view shared by UEFA who take a dim view of football being mixed with politics. Celtic's support, especially that particular group are more like political activists who use football grounds as a platform to air these views and many people object to having this nonsense shoved in their faces within football grounds. Celtic fans bring a non football angle to things and I and many others have a problem with this. Secondly, they are openly supporting an organisation which has been outlawed in this country as a terrorist group and whle I am not particularly offended by IRA promoting chants or banners, support for a terrorist organisation is against the law so they shouldn't get away with it. Substitute IRA for al-Qaeda inside a football ground, do people think this would be tolerated? And thirdly, the thing that really rankles me with Celtic and their support even more so than all of the above is the rank hypocrisy they display time and again. They were up in arms about the 'Armed Forces' day at Ibrox last year, complaining that it had no place in a football ground and brought in a non football angle, they were up in arms about a song telling them 'to go home' yet constantly sing in support of Irish politics and Irish Republican terror groups. Well, they can't have it both ways but that's what they appear to want.

They knew fine well that the perpetrators of the damage was the Green Brigade - a group that has a history of violence and political demonstrations within football grounds and whom Celtic have vowed to ban on numerous occasions - both directly by doing it themselves and indirectly by orchestrating others joining in. The huge 'Green Brigade' banners at the front of the stand in the middle section where the worst damage and pyro took place was a bit of a give away as to who was behind this incident. Why were 128 supporters 'suspended' if they hadn't some idea who was behind the trouble or had no proof against anyone? They must have had some proof or reason to suspend folk.

I said at the time when folk were giving Celtic pats on the back and saying fair play when they..ahem..suspended a number of supporters in relation to this 'incident' that it was nothing more than lip service and that's how it's turned out. Well...nothing has come of the downiright thuggery and loutish behaviour they displayed at Fir Park, or the political shite they were peddling a week or so before and the same group have yet again been given the green light to continue their 'antics' so I hope that all those who tried to defend them with "we're just as bad because some of our fans smashed up NDP "are taking note. We were condemned for that...do you see Celtic's equivalent being subjected to the same condemnation???

So...what I said about United ripping us to shreds at Fir Park in November when they beat us 4-0 isn't factual??? They boy Gauld didn't run the show? It's not true that we couldn't get near him, Mackay-Steven and Cifcti? We didn't struggle with their pace and attacking prowess so much so that they looked like they would score every time they crossed the half way line???....I must have imagined all of that then. In that case, there's no need to worry about them doing it to us again on Friday, especially given our absentees.

This. They destroyed us with their pace at For Park in November and without a recognised full back then their wide players could have a field day against us.

Getting gubbed here I think. 3-0 to United.

Charlie Miller always used to get it tight when he played against us for Dundee United.

Crazy stuff today but delighted with the win in a match that really could have gone either way.

He certainly didn't cover himself in glory for their first goal. It was an outswinging corner to about six or seven yards and he - like the rest of the defence I might add - stood rooted to the spot until the ball hit the back of the net. That was the league cup... In the league Nielsen undoubtedly cost us crucial points against our closest rivals for second place. Again, that was Aberdeen.

Or we could be a top 2 side and in the final of the League Cup...

1-1, Faddy the scorer.

That was an almighty sickener right enough. There was nothing between the sides throughout and to lose out in the manner we did was gut wrenching. Although not quite on the same scale, I was gutted after the 2011 League Cup Semi at Hampden against Rangers. We got level in the 2nd half after a poor opening period and again there was nothing in it until Craigan failed to pick up Naismith late on for their winner. Then we missed a gilt edge chance to level right at the death.

Another horrific away day for me was in January 98 against Killie. It was an awful day weatherwise, pishing down, blowing a gale and on the way down to the game listening to the radio there was some doubt if it would even go ahead. But it did and we lost 4-1 and then to top it all there was an announcement mid way through the 2nd half to say that the main road back was closed. Awful day.

2-1 Hearts I think.

2005 Semi Final at Easter Road v Hearts.

0-3 against Partick Thistle at Firhill in April 2003 which all but confirmed we would finish that season bottom. We were a shambles all over that day an Dubourdeau in particular had a nightmare.

The two best chances we've had in recent times, May 2011 apart, were the 2012 Scottish Cup and this season's league cup. On both occasions we fucked up in the Quarter Finals against Aberdeen and on both occasions the circumstances should have seen us progress. 2012 because Aberdeen were rank rotten and we were on form and this year because they were reduced to ten men and we hadn't a clue how to break them down. Considering that Rangers have went out of the game and we've had our best sides in years in that time I'd say that this period was our best chance to end the wait for silverware, but we have failed miserably and while 'there's always next year' I fear that it will be a long time before we get such a good chance again. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, I would take a cup win, League Cup or Scottish Cup over Euro qualification any day of the week.

The 'support your local team ' argument is a poor one to say the least. Like it or not some clubs have bigger fanbases than others for a variety of reasons, ie. Success, family/friend connection and yes, politics and religion in this part of the world. Its understandable that Motherwell fans dont like to see fans of other clubs who hail from our nrck of the woods, however there are plenty of Motherwell fans who live in Hamilton, Bellshill, Carluke etc, none of them are supporting their local teams who would surely be Accies, Bellshill Athletic and Wishaw Juniors so I'm afraid that argument falls flat on its face.

Yip, which is presumably why the club are now reviewing the season ticket holders being able to use their tickets for the first cup games of each tournament. No doubt that won't go down well with many but you can hardly blame the club for taking such action when we are falling short in the cups every year.

It depends on the circumstances, ie. how they left and the club they now play for. Aberdeen aren't exactly popular with our fans given recent years events with McGhee, Brown and our Cup record against them so its understandable that some of our fans don't like to see Reynolds playing against us for them. On the other side of the 'popular' debate then you can take Derek Townsley for example, who was never popular and upon joining His referred to us as a 'stepping stone', right away he was always going to be villified by Motherwell fans and he compounded this by running the entire length of the east stand when he scored against us in order to taunt us. Therefore he got far more abuse and 'booing' than Reynolds will ever get - unless he does a similar celebration perhaps - but the fact that Reynolds is an ex player playing against us for Aberdeen is always going to attract some booing.

Because they didn't all play for us. No football fan likes to see one of their ex-players, especially a popular one playing against them and especially doing so for a club they don't like.

That's a poor analogy. I'd very much doubt that if Mark Reynolds was to walk into the Electric Bar on any given match day he'd get Motherwell fans booing in his face. As I said, I really don't think that it's anything personal with Reynolds, but when he's on the park as an Aberdeen player then he's trying to hurt us, to do us damage so as an ex player then it's understandable. I'm sure that away from the game Reynolds wouldn't get any grief from our fans.

Because he's an ex player playing against us trying to beat us, that's reason enough for me. I've no ill feeling toward Reynolds on a personal note and I'd be surprised if there was a Well fan out there who did but when he's playing against us for a club that isn't well liked by our fans then its understandable that some may boo him. Phil O'Donnell got the same treatment when he played for Celtic and he was a '91 winner so if its good enough for him then it's good enough for anybody.