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Frost was almost getting used to being out in the stand during Celtic's games now. The atmosphere was great, with only one downside: Stevie had ensured the season tickets he had sent the Frosts were close to O'Mao's own. Mark still suspected Stevie liked Katie's presence a bit too much, though he wasn't worried about losing her. He strongly believed Stevie also wanted the Frosts nearby enough to overhear anything that might sound like rallying support against his reign during matches. As if Frost would be so dumb as to publicly critise "his" Celtic.

Today, even that minor drawback of having the man he wanted to wrestle control back from wasn't there. O'Mao was in Edinburgh, with his Hearts who proudly sat on top of the BPL, 10 points from 4 games, without losing a goal. Until they drew 1-1 in Newcastle the day before Celtic's crunch game with Shelbourne, anyway.

Sunday 16 September 2012, Premier Division, Belfast Celtic v Shelbourne, Casement Park

Initially, the Celtic faithful were in for a shock. Despite their opponents being top of the table, and the only side to deny Celtic the title since the Belfast side's return to top flight football, the level of dominance displayed by Shelbourne was upsetting.

They did appear to be taking a leaf out of Celtic's Nantes-script though, controlling the game, but failing to score. Except Dessie Baker hadn't read it. Now 35, Baker had been banging in goals against Celtic for over a decade, and didn't intend to quit that habit today. Ten minutes from the break, he opened the score.

In first half stoppage time, Michael McCann thought he had doubled the visitors' lead, but in the process he had strayed fractionally offside, as replays would confirm.

As the second half got underway, no change in Celtic's approach was noticed. Frost was thinking back to his and George Best's double-act at half time whenever their team weren't delivering. It seemed to him Arena didn't know how to give half time speeches.

Well, if the manager failed to lift his team, it's good to have loyal support behind you. This Sunday afternoon, Celtic fans made so much noise the team couldn't give up. It inspired a fightback eventually capped by goals from Keddy and Healy. Despite a late scare, the champions held on to their hard-fought lead to go top on goal difference.

Celtic 2 (Keddy 63, Healy 78)
Shels 1 (Baker 35)
Attendance: 20,090

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Belfast Telegraph, Tuesday 18 September 2012

Ban on away fans upheld

Yesterday's ILCA meeting in Dublin saw an end to the debate on the possibilty of allowing travelling fans being allowed to away games again. By a narrow 20-17 vote, the 37-man ILCA panel decided against lifting the ban on away support in the wake of the end of the civil war. The decision is seen as a victory for ILCA chairman Jonathan Bartley, who in spite of calls from chairmen of the traditional big clubs had been against the re-introduction of visiting supporters to Irish League matches.

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Reading the paper that morning, Frost instantly sees another reason to attack his former adversary...

MF Guess what Katie? Bartley's still up to his old tricks. "Security reasons" my arse.

KF How convenient, that his club, with an impressive number of season tickets, continues to be able to sell their away ticket allocation to their own fans.

MF They'll need all the support they can get in their quest to return to the Premier Division. But without their little gem Dunlop they're as mediocre as ever.

PO'K I bet it's not even about selling a few tickets to their own fans. He knows those orange b@stard Rangers fans won't travel outside Antrim, and wants to stop our people coming in in return.

KF Nah, that couldn't be the reason. He's non-sectarian he says.

MF Yeah, just doesn't like Taigs eh? Well, whatever his reasons, he got his way. It's a blow to big clubs though. Big clubs come from big cities, and people in big cities suffered most in the war, and won't have too much time or money to come to the football. These clubs need to sell tickets to anyone they can.

PO'K That's O'Mao's problem, not ours.

MF It will be our problem soon. Some day soon either Stevie or that prìck Johnson will make a mistake, and then we're back in.

KF Your campaign in the press was getting good... But now that Celtic are top for the time being, it's no use spreading more rumours.

MF They won't be top for long. Rovers have a game in hand. And besides, it's Europe the fans want to conquer. Can't see our Celtic beat Glasgow's though.

KF Let's hope it won't take more than one bad year to get rid of the Americans.

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Wednesday 19 September 2012, European Cup, 1st Group Stage, Belfast Celtic v Glasgow Celtic, Casement Park

Eleven years after the resurrection of Belfast Celtic, they were finally up against Big Brother from Glasgow, the club they used to play every now and then in the first half of the 20th century. Since those days, football had changed beyond all recognition. In this second decade of the 21st century, more than ever, money talked. And in the money league, Belfast Celtic were a small player.

Their Glasgow namesakes, on the other hand, were one of the biggest brands in football, possibly even bigger than the benchmark at the turn of the century, Manchester United. The formation of a British League was the best thing that ever happened to Celtic. While it may have taken them a while to get used to, an adaption process taking longer than Rangers, Celtic did beat their Old Firm rivals in the race to become Glasgow's first British champions. In 2009, the championship was theirs. Of course, both Glaswegian giants had been overshadowed by the amazing success Hibernian had booked, but slowly, order appeared to be returning to Scotland.

While Celtic failed to defend their so far only BPL title, they did follow it up with three consecutive runner-up finishes, good enough for a crack at the Champions' League every time. In 2011, just over a year ago, they beat Internazionale in a repeat of the 1967 European Cup Final. Celtic were back among European football's elite, and reached the semi final again in the past season. Led by inspirational superstar Rafael van der Vaart, that was the side travelling to Belfast, to face a side who so desperately wanted to make their own mark on Europe...

Belfast Celtic rose to the occasion perfectly. Matching the visitors for effort, there was very little to choose between the two sides, and half time came and went with the teams inseparable. When it came to stamina and experience though, the Scottish side slightly got the upper hand in the final 20 minutes. That was the right time to replace Rees and Scholes with Foley Sheridan and Healy, as manager Bruce Arena for once showed an understanding of the European game.

His persistent faith in Barry Burns paid off too... Thirteen minutes from the end, Burns latched onto a Foley Sheridan downward header, and was free in the penalty area. He chipped goalkeeper Adam Leonard as Casement Park held its breath...

But the ball came off the underside of the bar! Keith Andrews showed why he was made Celtic captain though, by reading the game better than anyone else, and reacting quickest. From close range, he stabbed in his first goal of the season, to give the Irish champions a priceless 1-0 lead.

The British side were shellshocked, and needed over five minutes to regain their composure. A massive upset was on the cards, and they knew it. That realisation stayed on their minds, as Belfast Celtic played out time to record a famous victory, and go second in the group on head-to-head results as well. Would this finally be their year?

Belfast Celtic 1 (Andrews 77)
Glasgow Celtic 0
Attendance: 26,984

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Late that same night...

MF You know what this means George?

GB It means our Yankee friends will be made saints... Two good performances in Europe... If they qualify, we can forget about getting Celtic back.

MF It can't last can it?

GB I dunno... He IS riding his luck, but then, so did we at times...

Best quickly downs another wishkey

MF I can't sit around and do nothing George... If I can't get Celtic back, I want to work at the FAI.

GB You can get most clubs Mark, and you know it.

MF I don't want another club. I want to bring the European Cup to Belfast. Arena doesn't believe in that, he'll settle for the odd second round.

GB Very few people believe in it.

MF Do you?

GB I used to. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe the UEFA Cup one day...

MF There's no reason why Ireland can't be the 6th or 7th biggest League in Europe. Other clubs have won it from that position...

GB Not recently though, and it will only get harder.

MF Well, I'm not giving up the dream. But until I can work on it, I'll try and make myself useful in Dublin...

GB Not if Bartley can help it.

MF Fück him. The little prìck won't stop me...

retired_mellnet

Stevie and his sidekick Johnson were riding on a high, first in the league and two impressive fighting performances in Europe. But they weren't smiling at because of that, rather Stevie was presenting to Ireland Belfast Celtic's newest acquistion in the transfer market, Anna Kournikova.

Stevie and Marcus covered a variety of business topics while they watched Anna handle the crowd of lonely sportswriters.

MJ Damn she looks better in real life than on the internet. What did you have to pull of to get her to join the club?

SO'M About the price of a new striker! We signed a major deal with her to represent the club in between her first round losses on the court. She never was the greatest tennis player, but good thing her looks haven't failed her. Just wait to you see the new Celtic calendar, it surely will be a big seller.

MJ Wait a minute! Look at Keith Stuart, I think Anna has turned him to goo.

SO'M That's why we brought her here, to melt the minds of our advesaries. She will be worth at least five Roy Keanes to the club.

MJ Is it true that she likes Hockey players?

SO'M If it is, I'd put on the ole' skates for a chance with her. But you know what surprised me?

MJ What?

SO'M She is rather bright and well-spoken.

MJ Oh, that reminds me. What about your daughter? She has been hanging around the club driving me crazy. I mean I can't just pick her up and tosser her out the window like I would George Best now can I?

SO'M No I guess not. Give her a job and keep her busy.

MJ What can she do?

SO'M I don't know. She is seventeen, she has to be able to do something. I mean I'm sure her mother sent her to school. Just give her a job somewhere. Now let me enjoy a moment of quiet.

And Stevie sat there and enjoyed his day in the sun. Bringing Anna to the club was surely a stroke of genius. Her smile and charm were more than a match for anything the gathering cloud of darkness had to offer. But only one thing worried him, what Frost would think. Not because it wasn't a brilliant move, but Frost had a way with making brilliance a mere dull luster.

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I liked part 2 better, when Frost was in charge

retired_sander

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Raptor:
I liked part 2 better, when Frost was in charge <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You would i prefer any part with Telegraph sports chief keith stuart in it

Raptor

Love him or loathe him, whenever Stevie O'Mao turned his attention to Belfast Celtic, he managed to do something good for them this season. When the 2012/3 calendar was published, the Raptor Group man instantly identified the weekend of 22-23 September as one he wanted Celtic to be exempt from domestic duties. Knowing full well the champions' only chance of qualifying from their CL group (if they'd qualify for the main tournament in the first place) was by getting a good start to their campaign, O'Mao appealed to the FAI to help them out in their quest for a European breakthrough.

That weekend was one of League Cup action, and in Stevie's book, that competition would have to make way for the European Cup. He'd also have to maximise income, especially in these hard times though, so not participating at all would be stupid. Knowing the League Cup needed Celtic more than Celtic needed the secondary cup competition, he had Marcus Johnson take care of postponing the Belfast side's fixtures until after the halfway point in their European group. The FAI were strongly influenced by the ILCA though, and their chairman Bartley appeared to hate Johnson even more than he hated Frost. When O'Mao heard rumours Celtic's request would be turned down, he personally went to Dublin to clarify the club's position. Stevie wasn't going to leave without his desired postponement, and duly got it.

As a result, Arena could take Celtic to Rotterdam as early as Saturday morning, a full four days ahead of the crucial third group game.

Raptor

Wednesday 26 September 2012, European Cup, 1st Group Stage, Feyenoord v Belfast Celtic, De Kuip

Celtic's thorough preparation paid off initially. The squad witnessed Feyenoord's disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Groningen on Saturday night, and saw with their own eyes the Rotterdam side were beatable. They also identified the Dutch giant's weak spots, and ensured they made the most of that knowledge on Wednesday night...

In the first half, Celtic were all over Feyenoord. A very aggressive approach had the home team on the ropes early on, and if it wasn't for an impressive performance by Dutch B-International Cor Varkevisser in the Feyenoord goal, Andrew Rees and Glen Keddy would've bagged two each in the first half an hour.

Celtic would get their goal though, and before half time. With 35 minutes gone, Milisevic swung in a corner kick from the right, and on the end of it was David Healy. Wasting no time, the striker took it on the volley, which finally beat Varkevisser.

Within a minute, Feyenoord should've been level, as star striker Andre de Groot broke free of the Celtic defence. John Dodds grasped the opportunity to prove himself to be as good a goalkeeper as his Dutch counterpart though, producing a more than fine save.

Relieved their energy-consuming opening half an hour hadn't been in vain, Celtic pressed forward again, and doubled their lead, again through Healy. Two-nil up at half time, the Irish side's fans (just happy to be able to travel to an away game!) couldn't believe their eyes. A week after beating the 2011 European Champions, the kings of 2010 could be their next high-profile scalp!

During the interval, Jan van Dijk tried to earn his money with a motivational teamtalk. For all of five minutes, it appeared to have an effect, as Feyenoord came out of the dressing room the stronger of the two sides. Then, Celtic eased their nerves and took control of midfield again. The worst threat to their lead from there on in were their own fitness levels. Cheered on by thousands of followers, and 2-0 up in one of the most impressive stadiums of Europe, the players never felt tiredness or minor injuries kicking in. After the final whistle, they went on a well-deserved lap of honour, after securing an arguably even more impressive result than the week before.

As Glasgow Celtic beat Nantes at home, the two namesake clubs now topped Group D with six points from two games. Nantes were two adrift in fourth, and Feyenoord were bottom on a single point. There were still three games to go, and Celtic's management hoped the three-week gap between this and the next game wouldn't upset their superb form, but already, a UEFA Cup ticket looked secure. With two home games left, so much more seemed possible now though...

Feyenoord 0
Celtic 2 (Healy 35, 40)
Attendance: 51,156