2011-12-04: Dundee Utd 0-1 Celtic, SPL

Trivia

• Celtic remain 4pts behind; Rangers win 2-1 day before.
• Scotland on Sunday newspaper quote (unnamed) that "Privately, the police have admitted that it is their intention to “smash” the Irish Republican, Marxist Green Brigade."
• Rumours are that Dalglish (Liverpool manager) was down in the last game looking to buy Forrest.
• World football legend Socrates (Brazil 82 & 86 WC squad) died in the morning.

Review

(Paul 1888 of KDS forum)
thought we were brilliant first half, second half was incredibly poor.

wanyama, big dan, forrest & kayal were the stand outs.

probably stokes worst game of the season, he needs to stop getting so frustrated with himself, it completely affects his game.

sammy had a fantastic first 20 minutes and again, a bit like wednesday, seemed to disappear after that.

strange substitution by lenny taking off glenda for brown then completely changing the formation and team around to suit him. i hope this isnt a sign of things to come as forrest is most effective on the right.

all in all, delighted to have kept on their back and it would be brilliant if we were going into the 28th, with a win sending us top.

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• Audio Report: Paradise Report

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Gary Hooper keeps Celtic in title pursuit with winner at Dundee United

Scottish Premier League 2011-12
Dundee United 0
Celtic 1

Ewan Murray at Tannadice
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 4 December 2011 15.23 GMT

Gary Hooper scores Celtic's winner
Gary Hooper fires home the winner at Dundee United to keep Celtic hot on the heels of Rangers in the SPL. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

As the season's second Old Firm match draws closer, the more intriguing it promises to be. Celtic's win at Dundee United, their fifth SPL victory in succession, cut Rangers' lead to four points. It promises to be quite something when they square off directly once again.

Over the weekend, neither Rangers nor Celtic were close to their best but, crucially, no points were dropped.

Amid a bright opening from Celtic, Gary Hooper slotted home after collecting a pass from James Forrest. By the second half, proceedings had regressed into something of a dull, nonevent.

Celtic's Anthony Stokes went within inches of scoring after 30 seconds, the Irishman just failing to connect with a teasing cross from Georgios Samaras. Hooper's cool strike followed, as did a Forrest opportunity which was held by Dusan Pernis.

By half-time any element of guile seemed to disappear from the match. The most notable aspect of the second period was Celtic's withdrawal of their centre-back Glenn Loovens. He had been guilty of conceding possession on more than one occasion, a matter pointed out to him by his manager Neil Lennon as he left the field. Loovens, by the look of his reaction, did not appreciate being substituted.

United's increased time on the ball was not replicated by chances to equalise and Celtic's goalkeeper Fraser Forster had a quiet afternoon.

Forrest went the closest to doubling the Celtic lead – the young winger shooting wide with three minutes to go.

Dundee Utd0-1Celtic

Page last updated at 14:42 GMT, Sunday, 4 December 2011 By Andy Campbell

BBC Sport Scotland

Hooper netted during Celtic's best period of the match Celtic returned to within four points of Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers after beating Dundee United.
The visitors dominated early on and Gary Hooper's 12th-minute strike broke the deadlock.

James Forrest failed to convert an excellent chance and Cha Du-Ri fired wide as Celtic continued to press in the first half.

United rarely threatened and were poor in possession throughout, a wayward shot by Willo Flood their best effort.

Traffic problems near Tannadice meant a change of referee with Calum Murray unable to make it to the ground on time and Craig Thompson stepping up from his fourth official role.

Celtic were on the attack straight away and Georgios Samaras burst down the left before firing across a low centre that Anthony Stokes was inches away from connecting with.

The visitors were pinning United back and Forrest skilfully evaded John Rankin and crossed for Stokes, whose header looped over the crossbar.

It was the turn of the Tangerines to exert some pressure and driven crosses by Rankin and Robbie Neilson required last-ditch clearances from the visiting defence. Chances became far and few between as the game wore on But Celtic soon opened the scoring with Hooper and Forrest combining well on the break.

The striker received Forrest's return pass, skipped past Gavin Gunning and slammed a shot across the bows of goalkeeper Dusan Pernis into the far corner.

Forrest then played a one-two with Stokes to beat the offside trap but the winger planted his shot straight into the arms of Pernis.

Neilson ventured foward to boost Dundee United's attack and managed to get a header to Rankin's cross but keeper Fraser Forster gathered.

United's frustration at having so few chances was demonstrated by Johnny Russell's hurried shot from distance that flew wide when playing in a teammate would perhaps have been a better option.

Another Celtic one-two, this time between Cha and Hooper, put the defender through but his shot was well wide.

The home side's inability to retain meaningful possession continued after the break but Celtic were doing little to turn their superior territory into a more convincing lead.

United manager Peter Houston decided to take action and sent on Lauri Dalla Valle and Stuart Armstrong in place of Gary MacKay-Steven and Scott Robertson.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon also made a change with Glenn Loovens withdrawn and club captain Scott Brown continued his return from injury from the bench, Victor Wanyama dropping back into defence.

Flood's inswinging corner was beaten away by Forster as the game became ever more scrappy.

Flood then blazed wide from a promising position and that proved to be the midfielder's last contribution as Ryan Dow came on in his place.

At the other end, Forrest was also off target with two efforts from the left as Celtic closed out the game.

Celtic unlikely to be hit hard by UEFA

THE UEFA disciplinary hearing on Thursday into “behaviour of an unsporting nature, namely illicit chanting” from Celtic supporters during last month’s Europa League match against Rennes in Glasgow could conclude with the club being found not guilty.

It is largely forgotten that when the first charge of “discriminatory chanting” was made against Rangers supporters after they had been in Villarreal in 2006, the control and disciplinary body cleared the Ibrox club of the offence, their verdict subsequently overturned after UEFA lodged an appeal.

It will be the same committee – which can be up to ten strong but requires only a chairman and two members to rule – who sit in judgment on Celtic, following video evidence lodged by Strathclyde Police understood to show chants of “ooh, ah, up the RA” emanating from the section of Celtic Park that houses the Green Brigade. In turn, Celtic have offered their own written submission. They requested to have a representative attend but this is not standard and perhaps reflects the minor nature of any possible sanctions. Not that any outcome is being viewed in those terms by Celtic. “It is a concern because you don’t want to be up on the charge in the first place,” said manager Neil Lennon.

Celtic are being investigated under Article 11.2 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations. That rule states sanctions can be imposed on a club over suppporters’ “use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, in particular if it is of a political, offensive or provocative nature”. It’s a catch-all that allows UEFA leeway to punish practically any support, should they so wish. But they tend to use their powers sparingly and if the “ooh, ah, up the RA” chants are deemed a “first offence”, the likelihood is the worst case scenario for Celtic will be a small fine and a warning over future conduct.

Celtic’s IRA chants certainly fit the Article 11.2 charge sheet. But then so too would Barcelona fans hanging a Catalan separatist flag at the Nou Camp that was banned by the authorities. Or Atletico Bilbao supporters holding up banners demanding the release of convicted ETA terrorists. Or, indeed, Scotland supporters singing Flower of Scotland.

UEFA have, in the past, been keen to steer well clear of penalising “political” chanting because of the complexities inherent in deciding what is, or isn’t, acceptable. And what that decree could leave them open to if a precedent was set.

In late 2006, the then UEFA head of communications William Gaillard held a press briefing in Hampden at which he was asked why it was that Rangers fans had been pursued for “discriminatory” singing – in the form of the sectarian The Billy Boys – but UEFA have never investigated Celtic over their IRA chants. Gaillard described these as two separate issues and said Celtic could be bracketed with many clubs whose supporters championed nationalist causes and who UEFA did not see as meriting disiplinary procedures. Only when it came to the Balkan countries was the situation different, with clubs in those nations handed sanctions for their chanting for political organisations who, in pursuing ethnic cleansing, were by their nature discriminatory. That did not apply to the IRA, he stated.

In an effort to seek clarification on any potential shifts in policy from UEFA over the past four years we sent the governing body a list of questions covering the above issues. They declined to respond. The reality is that the disciplinary hearing on Thursday is not the product of any deep-seated disquiet in European football circles over Celtic supporters’ songbook. Instead, it has been brought about by the climate of clampdown in this country ahead of the new bill governing offensive behaviour and football grounds and the authorities’ concerns over the Green Brigade.

Privately, the police have admitted that it is their intention to “smash” the Irish Republican, Marxist Green Brigade. They are willing to go to extreme lengths, in terms of their use of survelliance and a wide range of extraneous powers, to do so. Meanwhile, Cetic would privately welcome a slap on the wrists from UEFA this week since they, and the vast majority of their supporters, want Celtic Park free of the embarrassment they feel over paens to the IRA – as the stadium was for the decade before the Green Brigade was formed. The complexities on these matters do not begin and end with what comes from supporters’ mouths.