Mark McGowan
@markmcgowan.bsky.social
Glasgow Celtic Writer @ https://substack.com/@markmcgowan100?r=4abe5k&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile đź“ŚZaire
The prospect of such direct pace on the right, with the intricacy of Jota on the left is mouth watering. These are the difference makers; the 1 v 1 merchants we’ve been crying out for. Celtic have added a real weapon up front in Hogh. Hassan is the perfect ammunition. #Celticfc
Haissem Hassan(23)
Haissem Hassan is a box of tricks, with bags of potential.
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Hogh's 3 strikes yesterday, were compelling evidence that Celtic have got themselves a formidable weapon; a player of real penalty box pedigree, and a bonafide goal scorer. #Celticfc
Hogh, Hogh, Hogh
Now we have a machine gun.
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A decent, slightly dusty, opening to the season. #Celticfc
Flag night.
Celtic's opener, Kilmarnock(A) and a right - winger.
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With it being the eve of our new league season, I have slightly edited and compiled some of my writing to produce this kind of long form diary from the last 5 games of the last campaign. #Celticfc
Celtic: From shadow, to sunshine.
A diary from the final days of Celtic's 25/26 season.
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O’Neill has a job on his hands fixing the midfield. It’s about to be stripped for parts; in quantity and quality. It wasn’t exactly firing to begin with. Get it right and it could be truly transformative. #Celticfc
The engine room.
Celtic's midfield problem.
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The other night I fell asleep to the voice of a guy called Quinny – he seems brand new, Celtic crazy, but things are moving too fast. Unlike the transfers. Hold up though. A Norwegian, an Egyptian and a German? It's no joke. July's newsletter; free to read and free to subscribe. #Celtic
Letters from Zaire - July
Summers of discontent.
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Hi babe, it’s football. Don’t wait up, not coming home xx #England #Argentina #Messi #WC
Class made permanent. O’Neill still has the wily shrewdness; the arch, the faux-naif had most fooled until it came to the crunch. Whilst in situ, he took both Danny Rohl and Derek McInnes for a long walk without either of them realising. #Celticfc
One more time.
Class is permanent.
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#Celticfc. A look at Celtic's midfield, or lack of. Lots of work needs done this summer, but the midfield in particular needs transformed.
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
Matt O’Riley, peak McGregor and Hatate, propped up by a competent supporting cast seem like far flung heady days. Last season it would be a stretch to label it functional. Too often it looked sclerot...
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A cursory look at the squad list suggests a natural cull will be achieved quite easily. #Celticfc
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
A cursory look at the squad list suggests a natural cull will be achieved quite easily. Schmeichel has confirmed his retirement. Kelechi Iheanacho’s contract expires, as does Alex Oxlaide – Chamberlai...
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A monthly newsletter for Celtic fans. Free to subscribe #Celticfc
Letters from Zaire – May - A Happy Ending.
And….Scene!
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The biggest and most successful clubs have a reference to draw from, notes of previous success to look back on, from which they can plot the perilous course ahead. The most obvious and valuable reference this time, was Martin O’Neill. #Celticfc
From shadow to sunshine. Celtic do the double.
Celtic 3 v 1 Dunfermline - SCF - 23/05/2026.
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What’s genuinely crazy in all this is the fact that the only concrete evidence we have - during the whole season - of someone coming on the pitch and actually touching an opposition player is when Derek McInnes pushed an Aberdeen player. The player had his back to him at the time. #Celticfc
This Saturday will be Celtic’s 59th and final game of the season. It’s a shot at glory after a testing season, but will also - in many ways - signify a changing of the guard. Bookending an era of success, and hopefully the start of another. #Celticfc
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
This Saturday will be Celtic’s 59th and final game of the season. It will be the 8th Scottish Cup final we’ve played in the last 10 years. It’s a shot at glory after a testing season, but will also - ...
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The ending of the game was the perfect example of his calculated but also innate cunning. McInnes had spent his cards, while O’Neill had one up his sleeve. It was something like serendipitous that his old hat 3-5-2 would ultimately decide the game and the title. #Celticfc
Five in a row.
Celtic, like all football dynasties are built on a willingness to go to the limit.
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Kelechi Iheanacho is cool. Do you not what’s cooler than being cool? Ice cool. The Nigerian clearly carries a little weight above the waistline but it’s fair to say, he carries a fair amount just below it as well. #Celticfc
Too hot to handle.
Motherwell 2 v 3 Celtic 13/05/2026.
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Daizen Maeda took the roof off Celtic Park yesterday. In many ways, it was a reminder of what this club is; gigantic, successful, inspiring but ultimately, something else. Stood apart from all others. Miscellaneous and innately magic. #Celticfc
Maeda's moment.
For all the angst that has accompanied this season.
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It’s hard not to think about what ifs in his case. Only 29, his pure skill and wit is as evident as his lack of fitness. Finesse, with a hint of farce unfortunately, otherwise you can’t help but think he would run amok in Scotland. #CelticFC
Celtic: In general.
06/05/2026.
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The spirit of 86’ is a beautiful, bite size slogan. Encapsulating the job at hand and the opponents. It pays homage to and draws inspiration from one of the club's most magical days in its history. It seemed to work on Saturday…. #Celticfc
Letters From Zaire(April) – The spirit of 86.
A Celtic Newsletter (Kinda)
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Just paid ÂŁ6.70 for a Guinness on Duke Street. Na man. #Celticfc
Get to the club house on Saturday night with the job done, and we can sit back knowing that any good news on the Sunday, is a massive bonus, and a chance to swing again. #Celticfc
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
Get to the club house on Saturday night with the job done, and we can sit back knowing that any good news on the Sunday, is a massive bonus, and a chance to swing again. It may not count for a lot bu...
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An organic changing of the guard due to contract lengths, squad numbers and maybe even retirement. In some cases, it’s just time to call it a day. A cursory look at the squad list suggests a natural cull will be achieved quite easily. #Celticfc
Celtic’s summer exodus.
Regardless of how the rest of the season pans out at Celtic, whether it climaxes with a late, dramatic title win or whether it flounders ingloriously and we finish 3rd.
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Celtic fancied more. Good teams are merciless by nature, and this gives us some encouragement heading into the split. After some neat interchange on the left, the ball found itself at the feet of Iheanacho. #Celticfc
Celtic 6 v 2 St.Mirren (AET) - 19/04/2026.
Hampden in the sun.
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Massive opportunity this today. Time to turn up. #Celticfc
My monthly newsletter is now live on Substack. Free to subscribe. #CelticFC
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
It probably has lots to do with Martin O’Neill being the Celtic manager or the actual validity of this title race but there’s been a strange nostalgic flavour to this season for me. Like a crossing of...
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The afternoon looked doomed upon a first glance at the pitch. I shouldn’t really have to describe the terrain on which a top-level football match took place, but it made that thing Kilmarnock play on look like centre court on the opening day of Wimbledon. #Celticfc
Everything, everywhere, all at once.
The constant flux of this past 7 months, the transient nature of our management and playing staff and the immediacy of the title run in has created a kaleidoscopic view of the overarching, bigger pict...
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The strong will and defiance displayed at Ibrox(x 2) has calcified the team spirit. It’s also brought them closer to the support and that was evident on Saturday. The reciprocal, transactional relationship is now understood further by those that are only here for the time being. #Celticfc
Mark McGowan (@markmcgowan100)
The strong will and defiance displayed at Ibrox(x 2) has calcified the team spirit. It’s also brought them closer to the support and that was evident on Saturday. The reciprocal, transactional relatio...
substack.com
