 Saturday, March 15, 2008
SPL rules offer an opportunity to end Fir Park shambles
Irony can be a cruel judge. Gretna were forced to move from Raydale Park because their “ground did not meet SPL standards”, but in allowing them to ground share with Motherwell, the league failed to consider the ground itself at Fir Park, which is unsuitable for two clubs to use.
While it would be easy to indulge in an orgy of righteous indignation at “the suits” who administer the game (if only they had you or I on the committee, we would have told them last summer that Fir Park would be a marsh by now), apart from making us feel superior to the games administrators (a lift to the ego is just waiting to be picked up here), there are mitigating circumstances.
Ground sharing has happened before without problem; most notably when Celtic benefited from spending a season at Hampden Park.
The truth is, I suspect that if both you and I were on the committee asked to approve Gretna’s application to share Fir Park that neither of us would have anticipated the wet winter and raised water table.
So I will forgo the opportunity to wallow and point to an obvious solution to the predicament.
Clydesdale Bank Premier League rules state that, "Clubs are under obligation to take all reasonable steps to maintain the pitch of their Registered Ground in good order. The [SPL] Board are entitled to direct a Club to take such steps as it considers necessary in order that an adequate standard of pitch may be secured."
Motherwell and Gretna must, without further delay or inconvenience to paying spectators, be directed to take steps necessary to secure “an adequate standard of pitch”.
Both clubs should be instructed to find an alternative venue for home games scheduled for the next few weeks. I am sure Grenta would welcome the opportunity to play their remaining games away from home, starting next week at Celtic Park, it may just bring in enough cash to allow them to survive long enough to finish the season. Their creditors certainly would.
Football has several interests to cater for, none more important than spectators and creditors; time for some swift action.
106 Comments:
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firts no?
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done it to me again paul
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Blantyretim, nothing deliberate, promise :-)
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closest I've ever been - wish I was paying attention
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I understand why this would favour Gretna and Celtic.
However, surely a fairer solution would be for them to use Hampden or Murrayfield.
Lubo.
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Just posted on last thread before the cut.
"Irrespective of where the flag ends up this season, I, for one, can't wait for the season to be over.
I have never known one so fraught with off field incompetence and downright headless chicken administration.
The SPL has been run on an ad hoc, seat of the pants manner, with decisions taking arbitrarily, depending on whose needs were to be served.
There has been no thread of consistency, e.g. Hun game called of "for the sake of.." and Aberdeen refused.
The Scotland v Italy taking precedence over a league game was another hostage to fortune.
Nobody can anticipate weather induced cancellations, except that given the Scottish climate, there is always a likelihood of such events.
The allowing of ground sharing at Fir Park was gross incompetence, when you consider that SPL teams are required to play their own reserve team games at another venue.
No wonder Gordon Strachan has called for the SPL to clean up their act and present a competition that does not draw derision on the game in Scotland. I echo his appeal.
Roll on the end of the season.
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extremely disappointing, after the brothers and dad lost out on booking 2 flights for the 2 postponed rangers games, 1 brother got the train up from london yesterday, booking another day off work, to go to the match
theres only so many times ordinary working class people can be put out of money like this
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Lubo, it us up to Motherwell and Gretna to secure a venue, but I am sure Gretna would prefer to play at the ‘away’ ground for financial reasons. Motherwell may well ask Clyde or Airdrie to share.
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EDB/Paul
From previous thread;
Accies have promised to replace thier pitch if they win the league;they are relocating the pitch for the community as it is used for kids; according to Billy Reid on tv a couple of weeks ago.
Paul i know i'm paranoid but not that much;)
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Paul
I believe Strathclyde Police would have a major say in switching our fixture at such short notice. Are TFOD at home on Saturday next?
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It's a disgrace the game is off again but perhaps a blessing given our current form.
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The Original Danny,
All was not lost.
Yer brother is away to the St Patrick's Day Parade.
Hail Hail (Glorious)
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Emusanorphan
they are at home to Hibs on Saturday
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Emu, Rangers are at home on Saturday, but our game with Gretna is due to be played Sunday.
The Gretna administrator is bound to be a worried man right now. I’ll give allow this article some momentum and post a new one later on whether Celtic fans should buy tickets for next week with this uncertainty.
If the administrator is sufficiently concerned about income, I am 100% sure the venue will be switched, if not to CP then elsewhere, but CP would realise most money for Gretna’s creditors.
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apologies if this has been mentioned before but I think we should set aside a moment of contemplation for the end of a great
or maybe a snigger
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Paul,
I agree that this would help Gretna financially. However don't you agree that this would be unfair on the other teams who have struggled to balance their books if Gretna were to be 'subsidised' in this way.
It would also be unfair on teams who have played them away twice already.
On the face of it, it seems like a win-win, but for me it would be a poor sporting decision. Celtic should not need this type of favour to win the league.
The SPL is already a laughing stock. This would not improve their status as daftest league in Europe.
Motherwell sharing with another club would surely cause the same problems if you have a wet spring in Scotland.
Lubo.
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On that point:
Gretna v Celtic, anticipated ticket sales:
At Celtic Park: 25,000.
At Fir Park: 6,000.
At another venue: 6,000.
There could be around £300k – enough to pay the Inland Revenue – extra if the game goes ahead at CP.
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Lubo, valid points. I’ll worry about them after the season is finished.
Right now the clubs and administrators should concern themselves only with the comment made about by The Original Danny.
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Anyone else worried that TFOD will have more .extra games to play in Europe?
I genuinely think DU have a great chance tomorrow. Levein is a decent manager who has turned that club around. His teams are well organised and the "UEFA Cup Winners Elect" may well be tired.
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Posted some of this a few articles ago, but apparently its still somewhere in blogger.com cyberspace:
If we lose the league, we lost it in December. If we win the league it will be won in March and April.Why are some of the TGFITW,ahem,tossing in the towel now?
Is it over?
We all have the right to be mad.I'm nervous, you're nervous, the manager and players are nervous.
Now is the time to stand firm. As our good friend Martin says
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS.
We need steel not style in the team right now.
Naka,Donati and McDonald should be used as subs right now.
We need to be agressive and physical in our games.
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Martin42,
You have mail.
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i agree with lubo. you cannot have a fair league with some teams not playing their home games at home. or more to the point the away team playing at home.
gretna is not our concern and celtic fans shouldn't be expected to pay for gretna's mismanagement.
it's a shame for the fans of all scotland's clubs but the spl and the sfa have shown themselves to be incapable of running a league and thinking ahead.
whatever happened to the atlantic league?
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Paul,
While I suppose it will do the confidence the power of good to win a game, I have watched the last 3, either on TV or at Parkhead. Against Barcelona, we lost to a team, members of whom obviously thought we should not have been on the same park as them (Henry and Ronaldinho for starters). We could have beaten Aberdeen 4 or 5 - 1 and Dundee Und too. It's not as if we have been playing poorly and not ctreaing chances; we have in both games. I don't think we are a poor team. We have good players but we seem to lack leadership. We need a real captain. Maybe JVOH?
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anyway, now gordon has some days to work on the team. let's hope they are put to good use.
hartley to start please
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Emu, we can hope. I believe that Rangers biggest asset right now is momentum and that this can be upset.
Parkheadcumsalford, interesting point. Hmmm.
Not right now.
Canajunbhoy, hear, hear.
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Paul,
Any news on Koki?
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Paul,
I don't think us playing at Hampden is a proper comparison, as that ground was not regularly used by another side.
It didn't take a crystal ball at the start of the season to know that there would be problems with Fir Park. It's not normally one of the better pitches at this stage of the season and anyone with a brain should have known that playing twice as many games as usual would create a mud patch.
I'm sure the financial argument for moving the Gretna game to Celtic Park is a strong one. And that is the administrator's main concern.
There is no real footballing disadvantage to Gretna - they are relegated even if they survive the season. And playing them twice at home and once away would be exactly the same as the fixtures of our main rival, so that could not be seen as unfair.
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Paul
I agree 100% on their momentum. If it isn't upset then we could be searching for the remote control to fast forward to August.
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For the Aberdeen replay I've been moved from 414 to 114. Looks like they don't expect a massive crowd.
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NO. First I set my alarm clock for 6.15am. Alarm goes off, remember the clock have not gone forward in Glasgow yet, get an extra hour in bed. Up at 7.15, sort the dug settle in the game and logon to find the game is postponed. Bummer.
Disgraceful situation in this day and age. M'Well should be forced to make drainage improvements or drop out of the league. They would not be missed.
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Did anyone see Lee Bullen on Soccer AM? The Sheff Wed captain said the best player he ever played against was The King. They showed a clip of Bullen playing for a Hong Kong Select against England when he was 1 on 1 with David Seaman. The England keeper was out like a shot to block his effort. "That's always been a problem for me" he quipped.."Seamen coming out too quickly"! :-) They needed a mop and bucket for the guests who got it.
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Gordon J,
I argued the same point with Paul on Wednesday night about Celtic using Hampden.
We were not seeking promotion to a league where our stadium did not meet the neccesary standards.
We were simply upgrading our stadium.
If we had been refused permission to use Hampden, Fergus would simply have played at Celtic Park and renovated the stadium in a different way.
As it was, it took all of three years, if we had done it any other way, it may have taken a further year.
Our using Hampden in 1995 can not be in any way similar to either Falkirk, I T C or Gretna ground sharing.
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS THAT ARE AND WILL BE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
Martin.
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Spent the morning rushing about getting things done so I could settle to watch the game, didnt even consider that it could be off.
Came in to this?
Im also in Blantyre and the weather is fine, back garden fine as well, I know it has not had second rate football games played on it but if a game is off in weather like this then there should be a midweek inspection and if the pitch looks dodgy then I agree that the fixture should be swapped.
This amature stuff is wasting a lot of peoples time.
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I'm standing Martin!
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Reposted...
Kojo.. A Bull with the Bears..
Can we take that to the bank?
Your contradiction is revealing...
Your positive vibes about the Bears on Wall St is truly remarkable. The blood is nowhere near the street yet Kojo...Its working its way down from the penthouse. There are far more issues to current events than the subprime debacle/fraud. It is not Bear Stearns that is on life support (as the news reports)....
It is the whole banking system. IMO it is in seizure. The whole system is infected. Liquidity is a dangerous problem right now.... And there are many Pants On Fire....
I attribute your optimism to the natural instinct of a believer in the ways of the free market...
Optimism, belief and faith that the unseen hand of market forces will make everything workout. And you absolutely correct, without optimism, belief and faith...The system would indeed collapse. Trust me!
Strangely...Your optimistic support for the market is almost identical to my support for Celtic. I attribute my optimism to the natural instinct of a believer in the ways of Celtic..
If you were throwing the towel in with Wall St Bears...
Well...Wise man I would say...
But throwing in the towel with Govan Bears....?
C'Mon Kojo gie us more Bull..
Too many astern Bhoys...
Get amidships to get through the storm...
And hold your head up high...
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Is there a points/goal difference benefit if Gretna close before next week?
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Right on PJ
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Celtic and Motherwell have announced a fund-raising tribute match in memory of Phil O'Donnell on Sunday May 25 at Celtic Park.
By the way:
Rangers lose tomorrow and they won't have celebrated winning a trophy in 1029 days.
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from prev thread...
Paul 67...
i havent thrown any muck , ive merely ran through a list of the defenders that he has signed???!!
Now there is a super book ; 'Fooled by Randomness'
It describes how we are some times hoodwinked by lucky people.
You said suggesting that Strach got lucky with Boruc was 'priceless' and should win a prize !!??
Was he lucky with Boruc? Did he know he had signed one of the top 5 goalkeepers in europe for £1m? How many times had he watched him ?
Of course he was lucky with Boruc.
If you sign 10 defenders and 1 of them turns out to be good , id suggest that you had a poor grasp of what makes a good defender and got lucky with 1 of them.
(likewise someone like Fergie will sign 8 or 9 good defenders and get unlucky with 1 or 2)
Defenders Strach has signed;
TELFER, PRESSLEY, MARK WILSON, LEE NAYLOR, CALDWELL, BORUC, MARK BROWN, DU WEI, DOUMBE, (TRIED ROSS WALLACE), ADAM VIRGO, MO CAMARA, DIONE DUBLIN, HINKEL
(Apologies if I missed any)
Can I ask a question?
If you had to sign 10 defenders for Celtic, do you think you could have done better.
do you know something I reckon I could!
Full respect for your blog
but ive never quite understood why you respond so aggresively to posters (like me) that you disagree with.
Im not throwing muck.... that would mean discussing personal issues. And I reckon ive shown that signing 10 defenders and landing 2 good uns , indicates that he got lucky with Boruc.
If you want to award me a prize. Thanks.
What do you reckon our manager should be awarded for saying yesterday...
''It wasnt till I got home (after match) that I realised how young our team was''
Martin 42.
Id say the main indicators are
A. a woeful record against his main opponent and
B. not knowing his best team.
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McGrory,
your list includes some non defenders.
if this is your "bad" list, they are not all "bad" IMO.
The quote you attribute to Strachan: you are trying to make the man sound stupid. I and many others have said things like that. Why are you taking it literally?
Try balance some time, you may enjoy it
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I guess that I am in a bad mood because of today's postponement, coming on top of our dropped points on Wednesday and our draw to Aberdeen in the Cup - it's a highly frustrating time. I can only imagine how WGS is feeling right now.
mcgrory-for-arsenal, you may have something about us some times being hoodwinked by lucky people but I would be appalled if your analysis hoodwinked anyone. It counts as one of the biggest pieces of drivel that I have ever read on this site. Of course, that's just my opinion.
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Calton Tongues
I got chatting to him there, he didnt seem too down, the St Patricks festival certainly seemed to have lifted his spirits!
I hope you are well mo chara
Tell Ziggy he is and will always be a babe repeller!
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any chance of the players using today to watch the werder bremen game?
just to look out for how easy their players found space by MOVING OFF THE BALL
and how many chances they created by playing at a FAST TEMPO
2 things I have forgot what its like seeing Celtic do and do well.
And 2 ways we can destroy Rangers in the remaining 3 games
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emusanorphan:
I knew Lee Bullen when I lived in Hong Kong. He is a pretty decent guy. Even got to play in a couple of bounce games with him.
I was at his wedding which was in a Chapel next to the Race course in Happy Valley.
That day was the first day I ever wore a kilt. I was lent it by Steven Spiers, one of the great guys from Hong Kong Football Club who lost his life in the Bali bombings.
Quite a few of the guys who were going to the wedding were meeting up at The Bull and Bear, an English pub at the foot of the American Building in Admiralty.
I was first to arrive, at around 12.30,and was stood at the bar having a pint and I couldn’t help but hear all the American and other women passing comment on how smart the full regalia looked.
In walks one of my mates, who was then, the sports editor for the South China Morning Post and when he was still but twenty yards away from me he almost shouts… what are you doing ya plonker… you’ve got it (my kilt) on back to front.
I have never been so instantly deflated in my life. All present wanted that I put my mistake right there and then. I couldn't.
The guy (Lee) is not a Celtic man but he is good company.
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mcgrory
You don't want any more defenders from Wolves or Southampton. I take it you would have knocked back Lescott, Bale and Bridge then?
Mark Lawrenson played for Preston & Brighton (David Beckham plied his trade at Preston on loan too). Keegan came from Scunthorpe, Waddle from non-league.
In more modern times, Jagielka came from Sheffield Utd; Steve Finnan from Welling Utd., and Notts County, Hreidarsson played for Palace, Brentford and Ipswich, McCartney for Sunderland as a Championship side, and Lucas Neill from Millwall.
Don't look at the packaging, look at the product. Some will still fail that test but don't sneer at them because of where they came from.
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Is this not a common occurrence in your local?
mundane headline
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Paul67.
I'm glad you came on early with the news that the game with Well was cancelled,another half hour and I'd have been on my way.
Thats my hotel booked for the Golf Outing,I really enjoyed the company last year.
Taggs.I'll sponsor the par three's with a bottle for nearest the hole at each.
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McGrory For Arsenal,
You mention the list of Defenders Gordon has signed,
I don't understand why you have then included 2 Goalkeepers and a Striker in this list.
Dion Dublin could play in defense if need be, so could Chris Sutton but I don't think we can class them as Defenders...can we?
Also why even mention Ross Wallace in brackets as he wasn't signed by Gordon...
I'm just perplexed as to why they have been mentioned in this particular list?
I also don't think Du Wei was actually 'signed', I'm sure he was on trial...
All the players you have mentioned that actually are defenders...the majority of the ones we still have are actually quite good.
The ones that aren't here anymore - thats a hint that the manager didn't want to keep them.
I am under no illusions, each player has their faults and has played poorly at different times in their Celtic careers, I don't think there is any player who is 100% consistently perfect throughout their Celtic career, is there? It feels like thats what we expect these days but as I stated previously, what else can the defense do when the stats read like this...
8 clean sheets in the last 10 league games.
3 goals against in the last 10 league games.
Who would you have signed instead of our current defensive players?
Jonathan88
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radio scotland just announced next weeks game against gretna will NOT be played at fir park
someone in power must be reading the blog
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Sir Paul.
Disappointment upon disappointment....
There be no joy in Mudville,tonight!
Concerning my Apostasy...( Yeah! Is der a loat o' dat goin' aboot?...Is it catchin'?)(Na! No bloody likely!... 2 or 3 cases... that I can think o'...dat's awe!)
Did you ever have an Epiphany...and didn't know it?
Sure ye did...but, as ye didna hear the penny drap... it nevah happened.
I had an Epiphany... and, like ah said... I didna hear the penny drap...
Howevvvvvvvvvah.... here it comes...
Then....
The disappointin' Aberdeen Cup-Tie... jogged the memory...there seemed to be something that I had being thinkin' aboot...way,way,way, back at the back o' ma mind...
Aha!
My thoughts returned to Inverness...
Celtic... Two Goals ahead... and
Cruisin'
Then...Can ye believe this!...
Inverness, equalized...and horror o' horrors....
INVERNESS CAME BACK!
From bein' TWO GOALS DOON... That wee TEAM..... CAME BACK TAE WIN!
Wiz that the Scene o' My Epiphany that never was?
But, Hey, wait a minute...did I just hear a penny drap?
After that insipid display I had just witnessed agin' Aberdeen...when when we LUCKED OOT at da Death?
Na!
It didna occur...then.
That elusive Penny, wiz still woikin' it's wey doon tae da tray!
Then....
Celtic versus Dundee United..
Game over... 7O percent o' da play.. and Celtic still canny sink the opposing Coracle~
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Clang! Bang! Ca- Ching!.... Ca-Ching!...
Bells Whistles.... A Klaxon... or..tae be mair precise... A TOCSIN.. wiz beltin oot is warning, tae!
The Penny had arrived...and in style!... wit' a resoundin' and earth shaking CLATTER!
This Celtic Outfit are a bunch of WOOSES!... in Sheeps', Clothin'...and DAT statement, is Over-Estimatin' their GRIT!
A Conglomeration... o' Wet Noodles~
They hiv nae HEART!
and
Altogether, Noo....
" YE GOTTA Have HEART!"
"The cause of our troubles rests NOT with our Manager...dear Horatio... but in thy Players, themselves!"
And that, Gentlemen.. is how I arrived at my Surprising ...to some, to some... APOSTASY!
Makes sense to me..... but...
Awe...
Ah don't want tae go intae that agin!
Kojo.
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SFTB :-)))))
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Kojo,
I can't fault you on your Epiphany. I believe that many Celtic supporters are waking up to a reality, whether we stand up, sit down or shake it all about.
I am taking the liberty of re-posting a comment from our Polish friend, which I think is pertinent to some of your observations.
At 13/03/08 21:43, Blogger Zbyszek said…
I’m sorry to hear that this year championship is much difficult to achieve for Celtic. I’m also very sorry to see my Legia worse play this year. Last week we lost against the poorest team. We are third now.
I say about that, because I wanted to tell you what Artur said about Legia.
“There are to many foreigners playing for the club. They don’t have emotional relations to Legia. For many of them Legia is only the stop on their way to the bigger club. They don’t know the club they are playing for. Legia will always be Legia. It will always be the club which is fighting for the greatest results. Due to the lack of the proper relations, the magic name of the club has been devaluated.”
We have good players, good coach but poor results.I don't say Celtic has poor results. I needed to tell you that because I see some similarities between our clubs now. I don’t want to blame somebody for that in Celtic or Legia. It’s really difficult to arrange good team. If we talk about Celtic, the specific one, THE SPECIFIC ONE…well, you know it better. There’s no Lennon, no Hartson. You can name the players who are really emotionally related to Celtic. In my opinion they are not enough to enliven the spirit.
Finally I would say: it is not the club that must salute (honor ) to the players, the players must salute to the club Celtic. They must work hard to keep up the fame of Celtic.They must know the club they are playing for. Money have not to much to do with that.
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Maybe its because i'm a salesman, that difference of opinion has always facinated me.
How do you get the other guy to consider your point of view ?
From Pauls post thru the week advocating Donati/Robson midfield partnership up till today we have the usual rancour, disagreement insult and polarity of opinion.
Kojo's thrown the towel in Tinytim has detailed why we will lose the league,Han Solo,PJBhoynyc,Setting Free The Bears and others have come at it differently.
I'll pick out Tinytim for my take on things.
I've met Tinytim and i liked him straight off and still do.
I have a difference of opinion with him re the destination of the title thats fine.
Tinytim if your reading this at some point, i would like to disagree with you in an unusual way.
I'm not going to point by point challenge your detailed post
"Our skillfull players lack physical presence and heart e.g. Donati.
Our hardworking players lack technique e.g.Brown.
Our Central defenders lack aerial dominace e.g. McManus against Miller last week.
Our fullback's strengths lye in attack and not defence.e.g Wilson, and Hinkel.
Our hardworking fowards lack composure.eg. Mc Donald.( who has been a very good signing despite his failings)
Our composed players lack endeavour.e.g Jarosik( i know he has now gone)and i fear the same with Samaras.
I could go on forever,but we are about to lose the league to a side ,that has a much better physical presence.
They have a better structure to them.They have a team that will beat us ,more than we beat them,in a dogfight.
We have had a similar budget to them .Walter has built a better TEAM,on similar money.
Mr Strachan has had a lot of rope ,he is hanging himself with it.
This is the first year that he has had to compete with a serious consistent opponent, and he is failing.
Rangers will win the league ,despite having much more fixtures to contend with.
In my book they are strong favourites to do a treble.Infact my best hope is that DU can cause an upset on Sunday.
This is possible because they have a manager who know's the physical importance of building a team and being able to nullify and create a goal threat from set pieces.
Davy Moyes is the same.
I am sorry but until Mr Strachan realises this, we will play second fiddle to sides built by Walter Smith.
You have to win your individual battles all over the park.I am afraid we do not have enough players capable of doing this.
The recruitment of the players lyes at Mr Strachan's door.
If Rangers win on Sunday they will do the treble.
This is not what i would call a GOD.
There are many who have slaughtered me.There will be much more after this rant.
There will be those who say that, even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Whilst many have had there heads in the sand,and have been blinded by success during a period of almost no competition .I have never been fooled.
The time is coming where all my fears will come home to roost.
I could not be more gutted.
What is coming was all so avoidable"
Tinytim when i start up my computer my screensaver shows a picture frozen in time, Naka striking that glorious freekick winner against Man Utd .
Whats your point caller ?
Bear with me.
That picture has Heinze,Scholes,Rooney,Saha,Ferdinand,Carrick and Van Der Sar.
The Celts in the frame Jarosik Gravesen and Naka.
Al the reasoned argument in the world cant change that picture or scoreline.
Celtic since then have beaten teams(Spartak Moscow, Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica, AC Milan) all with the following superior attributes compared with us.
Superior Technial ability
Superior Physical presence
Superior Pace
Superior Composure
Superior ability to nullify.
Superior set piece execution
Superior Structure
Superior Budget
Tinytim could you tell me,how did we achieve that with our numerous failings ?
Is it possible for us to beat the current Rangers team with all their superiorty to us ?
Al gie yae a hug when we win the league.
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Terry
Hope you do not mind me giving an alternate take on what you just said.
Celtic since then have lost/ drawn to teams(Inverness, Hibs, Killie, S Mirren, Dundee Utd) all with the following inferior attributes compared with us.
Inferior Technial ability
Inferior Physical presence
Inferior Pace
Inferior Composure
Inferior ability to nullify.
Inferior set piece execution
Inferior Structure
Inferior Budget
Terry could you tell me,how did we achieve that with our numerous strengths ?
Is it possible for us to lose to the current Rangers team with all their inferiority to us ?
Al be greetin' in ma pint with you when we lose the league.
Hope I'm wrong.
Frank
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If any club are not in the position to play a game or are financially mismanaged they should be shut down now.
Right now that closes four teams.
Motherwell. They dont have a pitch.
Gretna. They dont have a pitch. Their financies are a shambles.
rangurs. The have had games postponed due to their pitch being unplayable, due them no fancying it/squad no being sufficient (gretna postponement)
Their financies, well where do you start?
Hertz. Financial shambles.
Shut the lot of them down now.
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Frank i anticipated that response,my answer is that rather than contradict my point it confirms that nothing is certain in football.
For every reasoned argument as to why we will fail you can point to a succsess achieved against the odds similarly with your contrary argument.
I believe we will win the league for all those weaknesses.
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Message for Lex Gold :
Dalkeith Thistle are currently playing a competitive match on their pitch at Kings Park in the Midlothian town.
Dalkeith Thistle are not a professional football club subject to SPL rules.
Question for Lex Gold :
Why is it that the prospects of watching a match at Kings Park are far greater than Fir Park. Answers on an Andrex toilet roll, please.
Advice for Lex Gold :
collect your jotters.
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My dear,dear, Friend...Thom the Thim...
Thanks, pal..... for being gracious enough to read my explanation... as I said...
It makes sense....tae me!
In furtherance...and in order to clear up any doubts harbored by my readership, as to my retained loyalty to my beloved Celtic .... here, is an addendum.
My love for Celtic.....is as solid and steadfast as ever...that will never change.
However, I am a man...who has built his life around the fact...that in life,if you ever hope to succeed.... one must always steel oneself...to be true to oneself.
Not always an EASY TASK!
To Grasp the Nettle...and face the evidence that can no longer be ...swept under the Linoleum( Linoleum?.... whit dat?....ed)( Way, way before yer time,pal...)
And believe, in doing just that, in Throwing in the Towel, on Celtic's Championship Aspirations.... it ... HOIT,pal... IT HOIT!
I read Mr. Z.'s submission,as well... and just like you,pal...
I agree with everything the guy said...
In fact, I stated as much, in my reply to him...
As I told him... putting it into Plain English......
"Ye Gotta have inherent .....LOYALTY.....to the Club that you are playing for...
NOT ERSATZ MERCENARY LOYALTY!( Is dat woid,English?......ed)( Which woid?) But UNCOMMON, and Not the Garden kind!
Loyalty, to your Club, based on LOVE.... which,is the very best kind of Loyalty...
And that type of stuff, cannot be purchased at the Five and Dime!
Nice chatting,pal.
Kojo.
yer pal.... who likes the way ye think.
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At 15/03/08 11:41, Paul67 said…
Lubo, it us up to Motherwell and Gretna to secure a venue, but I am sure Gretna would prefer to play at the ‘away’ ground for financial reasons. Motherwell may well ask Clyde or Airdrie to share.
*it's surely in both clubs best interest as the "home" side to secure funds, nae gemme the day but the players still have to be paid, well at least the 'well players, the utilities bills and other salaries tae.
I don't know how it is at Fir Park or any Scottish ground but in North America a huge emphisis is put on concessions, food, programmes, souveniers etc.
Nae gemme, nae extra gene tunney.
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Malceye
Someone has just posted on KDS a picture of an amature game which took place this morning very close to fir 'park'.
Says it all.
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Epithany? Many.
Propino tibi salutem
Nescio quid dicis
Mea culpa
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur, ita, ego postulatio vos tenus sapio ego licet comedi vestry tempus cum somnium.
Nemo est sine culpa
Qui timens vivet liber non erit umquam.
Re vera, cara mea, mea nihil refert.
Tempus fugit.
Semper fidelis
et
Diem dulcem habes
You’re a clever guy I know you can translate this.
Please excuse the grammatical errors.
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Thom the Tim.
I find your post extremely alarming. Not that I disagree with it. I don't. I find it alarming in that we have a goalkeeper who knows what is wrong with our club and a management team which don't.
Now I am not one for hailing the "play for the jersey" policy. All clubs need good stromg professionals who can ply their trade well no matter which team they play for. And we have, over the years, had many many of them.
HOWEVER. Playing for Celtic is different. We also need footballers who recogiise and accept the privilige it is to play for our beloved Hoops. They need to realise how much Celtic means to the thousands of fans worldwide whose lives are affected by our club's performances on a daily basis.
Over the years many such players have earned my respect and admiration. Roy Aiken, Peter Grant, George McCluskey, Neil Lennon. epitomised the type of footballer I am talking about. Henrik Larsson - witness him, his wife and chid belting out "The Celtic Song" - was another whose pride in our club was so obvious both on and off the field. I would have to point out that Rangers also had this type of player - John Greig, "Bomber Brown" and Barry Ferguson - spring to mind. No matter the abuse and indeed obscenities I would scream at them -it could not hide the grudging admiration I have for them . They are "Rangers" men and love their club.
To put it bluntly we don't have enough of this type of player at the moment. Rangers have them aplenty. Its not all about technical ability and finesse when you play for the OF. Its about heart and pride and awareness of responsibility. You need to love the club to serve it properly.
Its certainly not about "high fiving" ex teammates after a disastrous defeat. Such acts as these certainly affected me - and it would seem such acts are not missed by Artur either.
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Jim Traynor doesn't really have sympathy for those Irish supporters who left for the game at half past two in the morning. They should be supporting their own teams in their own areas.
What a grotesque that man is.
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Gretna team against Aberdeen doesn't seem very strong[!]. Supposing they get beat 20-0,or an equally farcical score.
Chaos theory will decide where the SPL title goes, which is as it should be.
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Just would like to say 'Come on Dundee United(Hibernian)'.
Don't know if there is anyone to blame about the postponement and to be honest I'm rather glad the players have some extra time to rest before playing Aberdeen.
Oh and by the way the league is still in our own hands to win and I'm positive Gordon will enjoy winning this season more than the first two.
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It's going to be a long boring weekend, unless DU cheer us all up. So I'm reposting from the previous thread as Paul pulled down the barrier just after I posted it and went back to sleep.
1970
The year of Nijinsky. The triple crown of the Derby, the St Leger and the 2,000 guineas were all won comfortably. Only an attack of worms prevented a win in the Arc. Even then the legendary horse was beaten by the smallest of margins.
The year of Brazil’s world cup triumph in Mexico. We watched in wide eyed wonder, and for the first time in full colour, as the legendary Brazilians staged a soccer samba in the rarefied atmosphere of Mexico. The names of Pele, Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostao will forever make fans of a certain age go misty eyed and wistful.
The year of Leeds United. Well nearly.
England’s team of the decade were the darlings of the media and were carrying all before them. At the end of March they were strong favourites,
at least down south,
for a unique and unparalleled treble, ….
at least down south.
They had steel in Bremner, Charlton, Hunter and Cooper. Finesse and no small amount of skill and goals in Giles, Gray, Lorimer and Clarke.
As of the 28th of March they had lost only three games in 52 encounters.
However, by the end of April their season lay in ruins.
In just over a month, they lost 4 games in the league, were beaten in the FA Cup Final replay by Chelsea and had been embarrassed, outclassed, outplayed and thrashed TWICE by an inspired and inspiring Celtic side in the European Cup semi final.
Debate will rage whether they choked or were suffering from the rigours of a long season and the shortcomings of a thin squad. I believe every team has a bad patch sooner or later and their’s just came in April.
The point of all this reminiscence is that a less skillful, less gifted and shallower Rangers side has a chance, albeit slim, of completing a quadruple or at the very least a treble. Unlike ourselves in December, they have not yet hit a sticky patch. Our hope, and fervent prayer, is that come 29th March, they will be suffering the rigours of a long season, succumb to the pressure of playing on multiple fronts, pick up a few injuries and like Devon Loch fall at the run in to the finishing post.
'GG
A Happy St Patrick's Day to everyone.
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Stoir
The fact that you do not know what I am saying....
Says it all....... I think?
And ...
"Frankly, pal.....
I don't give a Damn....either!"
Have good day!
Kojo.
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Having just listened to the an interview with John Boyle chairman of Motherwell, it seems like the problem with Fir Park is a combination of poor soil through compaction or a combination of poor soil combined with a misuse of the undersoil heating.
The verti draining of the pitch is a good idea but not on the morning of the match. This should be done days in advance. The bubbling up of water means the water has no where to go, it has no more capacity to handle the water.
If the pitch is not draining properly you have to sort that first, not by relaying a section of the pitch that has been a problem area in the past.
BFtechnicalCSC
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lurgan53,
It was Zbyszek who quoted the comments from Artur.
At my second reading of his post, I realised that Artur was talking exclusively about Legia and it was Zbyszek who made the connection with Celtic.
It does not make the observation any less true, however.
On reflection, the "playing for the jersey", syndrome in place at Ibrox is the most significant factor in any success they are achieving.
We currently lack that. There is a malaise at CP and I sense a siege mentality in place.
Unfortunately,I think that perhaps the staff are aware of the factions within the support who are disunited and feel ostracised from elements of their own fans, instead of everyone having a unity of purpose.
I haven't a clue as to what the answer is, unless it is back to the drawing board.
As I said before, I wish this season was over and done with, no matter who wins the league. It has been one of bewilderment and frustration, on and off the field.
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Kojo:
time!!! it's all about time.
But I enjoyed your retort.
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My dear,dear, friend..... Stoir..
That reply from your good self... earned a Double Dear...
We are slowly... amblin' towards a rapport.
Let's cut the cackle....
I am willin' ...if you are, willin'!
who said dat?
My! ..... I just did.....
Kojo
yer pal... who kinda likes ye...efter awe.!
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Kojo:
if you'll stand and fight I'll be the best mate you've ever known.
And when it's all over, no matter the outcome, away we all go again next year.
It's just easier if we go there together.
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It looks like Kojo's epiphany took place on the
Road to the Isles
This version with the Massed Bands
is spine tingling.
'GG
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so why did noel90 become Han Solo?
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Paul67
the public parks at Wishaw General ( a mile up the road )had two games on at 2 o clock today
maybe the groundsmen from the council could look after Fir Park
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I have tuppence I'd like to share
There's more than a few on here are verging on talking up Rangers to the point of an unbeatable juggernaut.
Yes they are organised, and physical - at the back. But they are goal poor and violently ill-disciplined and are reaching bare bones up front. Please let me stress I do NOT think they are mince.
BUT...
We can beat this Rangers team. We've plenty in our locker and more available besides to beat them. Whether or not we can beat Rangers and a referee who allows their strong arm tactics three times in a row is something Gordon and the bhoys will know.
Watching on Wednesday split my thinking and feelings - I've seen us play like that and take two or three off teams sitting in like DU - But I also agree with people's views in regards to GS's subs.
I've always got the feeling with GS that he knows how he wants his team to play, but is maybe unsure of the players to be utilised to do so.
But I expect GS to outsmart the cardigan when we next meet - because at this point that's the only game in town - no point worrying about the other derbies to come - winning this next one puts a whole different complexion what follows.
We enter into the sublime when we take on the mantle of 'underdogs'
We find the fire in our bellies when they imply the tag of 'underdogs'
We relish being the pain in the establishment's backside
We have hopefully lost the poor traits we displayed when smugly hectoring Sebo - inviting the last laughs
And again when we childishly proffered cheap gags at Hibernian's expense - a team we are now very relieved to beat.
We are hopefully back to supporting Celtic - it's what we do best and it's what the team responds best to.
And as for the future?
The uncertainty?
Who'd be free from doubt?
That's what faith is all about...
Keep the faith.
UMCG
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