Decisions over Scott Brown and Balde only likely issues for Strachan

1st?

Bring back Elvis

podium?

Let me just clarify what happened today:

McCurry put in charge if his last match at Ibrox before his summer retirement.

He gives a freekick to Rangers that where Novo fouled Hunt - Rangers score from free kick.

Noel Hunt brought down whilt clear through on goal. No decision givem - Davie Weir should have got a red card and a penalty given .

Broadfoot deliberatly elbows Noel Hunt in the face - no action.

Dundee Utd score a perfectly ligimate goal - diallowed forst beciase it hit the Utd player (it didnt) and then the linesman and referee decide that the goaldkeeper view was blocked by a player running accross him 25 yards away.

Daniel Cousin heabutts the second man is as many matches but this times gets a yellow instead.

I'd be curious to see how Brown and Robson work together but maybe we're best sticking with the tried and tested until the end of the season. I'm hoping McManus is back from injury.

Thompson has obviously been swayed by the media's reaction in recent weeks with Aberdeen's goal being chopped off (no mention of the disallowed Celtic goal obviously) and that corner against Motherwell which I'm still unconvinced it wasn't a corner. God knows what he's on about McDonald though, he does do the occasional dive which annoys me but I've never seen him get a penalty through it but I've seen plenty of times when he's been kicked about the park without getting any protection.

I'm sure I read that mcManus is fit so he will come striaght back in. I think Scott Brown will remain on the bench though.

Hibs have to take something from the game tomorrow so won't play entirely defensivelt.

A good convincing win backed by a CL style crowd is exactly what weneed after today's farcical goings on.

No matter who plays Celtic should have enough tommorrow. Hibs have to win for third, but we should have too much for them.

Traynor "how will Rangers get on on Wednesday without 2 of their main players McGregor and McCurry".

After McCurry refereed the old firm game I said I had not seen such bias in a long time. He is a cheat, however the first caller on Traynor's show bring us into it.

Total crap

I have argued this before .....

I do not believe McCurry is a cheat...

I believe, (like others realize), he just does not have the mettle, the character, the moral fibre, the fortitude or the cojones for the task......

....Lets see tomorrow if the 'supporters' in Paradise do.......

Sorry bout the long post, thought you guys may be interested to see this.

Games against Rangers
Celtic Games

Gordon Strachan

16th April 2008 Celtic 2 (Nakamura, JVOH) Rangers 1 (Novo)
27th April 2008 Celtic 3 (Mcdonald 2, Robson )Rangers 2 (Cousan, Weir)
29th March 2008 Rangers 1 (Thompson) Celtic 0
20th October 2007 Rangers 3 (Novo 2, Ferguson) Celtic 0 SPL
5th May 2007 Rangers 2 ( Boyd, Adam) Celtic 0 SPL

11th March 2007 Celtic 0 Rangers 1 (Ehiogu) SPL

17th December 2006 Rangers 1 (Hemdani) Celtic 1 (Gravesen) SPL
23rd September 2006 Celtic 2 (Gravesen, Miller - debut) Rangers 0 SPL
23rd April 2006 Celtic 0 Rangers 0 SPL
12th February 2006 Rangers 0 Celtic 1 (Zurawski) SPL

19th November 2005 Celtic 3 (Hartson, Balde, McGeady) Rangers 0 SPL

9th November 2005 Celtic 2 (Maloney, Balde/Klos o.g.) Rangers 0 League Cup
20th August 2005 Rangers 3 (Prso, Buffel, Novo) Celtic 1 (Maloney pen) SPL

Strachan's Record:
12 Games played in the league,
Overall: Won 5, Drew 2, Lost 5.....

Goals scored under Strachan against Rangers:
Balde 2
Gravesen 2
Maloney 2
Hartson 1
McGeady 1
Miller 1
Zurawski 1
JVOH 1
MCDONALD 2
NAKAMURA
ROBSON 1

Red Cards for Celtic players under Strachan:

Martin O'Neill
24th April 2005 Rangers 1 (Thompson) Celtic 2 (Petrov, Bellamy) SPL
20th February 2005 Celtic 0 Rangers 2 (Vignal, Novo)
SPL

9th January 2005 Celtic 2 (Sutton, Hartson) Rangers 1 (Ricksen) Scottish Cup
20th November 2004 Rangers 2 (Novo, Prso) Celtic 0 SPL

10th November 2004 Rangers 2 Celtic 1 (Hartson) League Cup

28th August 2004 Celtic 1 (Thompson) Rangers 0 SPL

8th May 2004 Celtic 1 (Sutton) Rangers 0 SPL

28th March 2004 Rangers 1 Celtic 2 (Larsson, Thompson) SPL

8th March 2004 Celtic 1 (Sutton) Rangers 0 Scottish Cup

3rd January 2004 Celtic 3 (Petrov, Varga, Thompson) Rangers 0 SPL

4th October 2003 Rangers 0 Celtic 1 (Hartson) SPL

27th April 2003 Rangers 1 Celtic 2 (Thompson pen, Hartson) SPL

16th March 2003 Celtic 1 (Larsson) Rangers 2 League Cup

8th March 2003 Celtic 1 (Hartson) Rangers 0 SPL

7th December 2002 Rangers 3 Celtic 2 (Sutton, Hartson) SPL

6th October 2002 Celtic 3 (Larsson 2, Sutton) Rangers 3 SPL

4th May 2002 Celtic 2 (Hartson, Balde) Rangers 3 Scottish Cup Final

21st April 2002 Celtic 1 (Thompson) Rangers 1 SPL

10th March 2002 Rangers 1 (Numan) Celtic 1 (Petrov) SPL

5th February 2002 Celtic 1 (Balde) Rangers 2 League Cup

25th November 2001 Celtic 2 (Valgaeren, Larsson) Rangers 1 (Lovenkrands) SPL

30th September 2001 Rangers 0 Celtic 2 (Petrov, Thompson) SPL

29th April 2001 Rangers 0 Celtic 3 (Moravcik 2, Larsson) SPL

11th February 2001 Celtic 1 (Thompson) Rangers 0 SPL

7th February 2001
Celtic 3 (Sutton, Larsson 2, ) Rangers 0 League Cup
26th November 2000 Rangers 5 (Reyna, Flo, de Boer, Amoruso, Mols) Celtic 1 (Larsson) SPL
27th August 2000 Celtic 6 (Sutton 2, Petrov, Lambert, Larsson 2) Rangers 2 SPL

O'Neill's Record
20 Games played in the league, 27 Overall
League: Won 13, Drew 3, Lost 4..... 35 For, 24 Against
League Cup: Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 3.... 6 For, 6 Against
Scottish Cup: Won 2, Drew 0, Lost 1... 5 For, 4 Against
Overall: Won 16, Drew 3, Lost 8..... 46 For, 34 Against

Goals scored under O'Neill against Rangers:
Larsson 11
Sutton 8
Hartson 7
Thompson 7
Petrov 5
Balde 2
Moravcik 2
Bellamy 1
Lambert 1
Valgaeren 1
Varga 1

Red cards for Celtic players under O'Neill (incomplete)
20/11/04 Sutton, Thompson
16/3/03 Lennon
21/4/02 Hartson, Mjallby
7/2/01 Moravcik

Barnes/Dalglish
26 March 2000 Rangers 4 (Albertz 2, Kanchelskis, van Bronckhorst) Celtic 0 SPL

8th March 2000 Celtic 0 Rangers 1 (Wallace) SPL

27th December 1999 Celtic 1 (Viduka) Rangers 1 SPL
7th November 1999 Rangers 4 Celtic 2 (Berkovic 2) SPL

Barnes' Record:
4 Games played in the league, 4 Overall
League: Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 3..... 3 For, 10 Against

Goals scored under Barnes against Rangers:
Berkovic 2
Viduka 1

Jozef Venglos
29th May 1999 Rangers 1 Celtic 0 Scottish Cup

2nd May 1999 Celtic 0 Rangers 3 SPL

3rd January 1999 Rangers 2 Celtic 2 (Stubbs, Larsson) SPL
21st November 1998 Celtic 5 (Moravcik 2, Larsson 2, Burchill) Rangers 1 SPL
20th September 1998 Rangers 0 Celtic 0
SPL

Venglos' Record:
4 Games played in the league, 5 Overall
League: Won 1, Drew 2, Lost 1..... 7 For, 6 Against
Overall: Won 1, Drew 2, Lost 2..... 7 For, 7 Against

Goals scored under Venglos against Rangers:
Larsson 3
Moravcik 2
Burchill 1
Stubbs 1

Wim Jansen
12th April 1998 Rangers 2 Celtic 0 SPL

5th April 1998 Rangers 2 Celtic 1 (Burley) Scottish Cup

2nd January 1998 Celtic 2(Burley, Lambert) Rangers 0 SPL

19th November 1997 Celtic 1 (Stubbs) Rangers 1 SPL
8th November 1997 Rangers 1 Celtic 0 SPL

Jansen's Record:
4 Games played in the league, 5 Overall
League: Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 2..... 3 For, 4 Against
Overall: Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 3..... 4 For, 6 Against

Goals scored under Jansen against Rangers:
Burley 2
Lambert 1
Stubbs 1

Tommy Burns
16th March 1997 Celtic 0 Rangers 1 SPL
6th March 1997 Celtic 2 (McKay, DiCanio pen) Rangers 0 Scottish Cup
2nd January 1997 Rangers 3 Celtic 1 (Di Canio) SPL

14th November 1996 Celtic 0 Rangers 1 SPL

28th September 1996 Rangers 2 Celtic 0 SPL

7th April 1996 Rangers 2 Celtic 1 (Van Hooijdonk) Scottish Cup

17th March 1996 Rangers 1 Celtic 1 (Hughes) SPL

3rd January 1996 Celtic 0 Rangers 0 SPL

19th November 1995 Rangers 3 Celtic 3 (Thom, Collins, Van Hooijdonk) SPL

30th September 1995 Celtic 0 Rangers 2 SPL

19th September 1995 Celtic 0 Rangers 1 Scottish Cup

7th May 1995 Celtic 3 (Van Hooijdonk, Moore o.g., Vata) Rangers 0 SPL
4th January 1995 Rangers 1 Celtic 1 (Byrne) SPL
30th October 1994 Celtic 1 (Byrne) Rangers 3 SPL
27th August 1994 Rangers 0 Celtic 2 (Collins, McStay) SPL

Burns' Record:
15 Games played, 12 in the League
League: Won 2, Drew 4, Lost 6..... 12 For, 17 Against
Scottish Cup: Won 1, Lost 2..... 3 For, 3 Against
Overall: Won 3, Drew 4, Lost 8..... 15 For, 20 Against

Goals scored under Burns against Rangers:
Van Hooijdonk 3
Byrne 2
Collins 2
Di Canio 2
Hughes 1
McKay 1
McStay 1
Thom 1
Vata 1
o.g. 1

Hinkel is a doubt for tomorrow, Wilson on stanby although i'd play Caddis with Wilson at left back. Hartley and Robson must start, they're the main reason we're still in the race

Dirty Cheating Bs!

Still raging...Rev Mike MCurry how the hell can you live with that!

"Bless me father ...!"

'Scott Brown' and Balde' - surely if Scott deserves his full name Bobo does also.

I don't suppose there's anything the club can say about this.

bhoy4life.com

If I remember correctly Alan Thompson was sent off in Gordon Strachans first game in charge....

PJBhoynyc

Yeah he did for his first tackle in the match I believe which was late and stretching tackle around the half way line, he was done by Novo's 'skill.' It should have been a booking

Was at the Holiday Inn at East Kilbride and the turn out for five-year-old Katie Currie from East Kilbride, who suffers from leukaemia was huge. The hall was packed with people, unfortunately I was just over the age limit of 40.

Let's not forgot about 5 years ago refereeing a aberdeen rangers game at pittodrie, Ricksen kung fu kicked Darren Young right infront of McCurry and he did nothing about it, only for the SFA to look at the video evidence and i think Ricksen got a 4 game ban.

Hail, hail,

Heard Levein and Eddie Thompson after their match at Ibrox.

Both very angry, and rightly so.

Levein called it right, they have been cheated in at least two games against Rangers this season, one for silverware and today's which could have a big bearing on their budget next season.

But the Dundee United manager did show dignity and integrity with a rational and measured condemnation of the ref.

There will be loads of debate over this in the next few days so I'll run a book on when we hear the Carmyle Cardigagn or one of his crowd trot out " these things even themselves out over the season".

Let's see the referring on Wednesday night. McCurry wont be in charge for that one, nor will any other fraternal brother.

But wait until Broadfoot gets penalised for taking a foul shy, or one of the neds get a booking for a tackle that he'd get away with in Scotland - obviously, the Russians will have paid off the match officials.

Let's hammer Hibs tomorrow. It's still our title. And nobody else wants us to have it.

STANDING UP

Paul,

Gordon must continue with Hartley & Robson. I thought Brown was off the pace when he came on last week, besides he needs to earn his place back in the team.
I also though we missed GC pushing down the right in support of AH last week, and for that reason I would go with O'Dea at left Centre Back if Mick is not 100% fit.

I wonder what Zenit spies would have made of that today, a bit like Ajax contingent a few years ago- a wasted journey.
Yes Mr Murray we are indeed the laughing stock of Europe!

Do baptists do confession, Mick? I really don't know.

Tainted Title?

Any remaining doubts removed today.

He just passed his interview for a position at SFA HQ.

Does anyone have a rundown on McCurry's record playing for Rangers?

'GG

pjbhoynyc

Are you for real?
You dont believe Mc Curry is a cheat and he's just incompetent.

If that was the case then his decisions would not just favour one team all the time.

He is a BLATANT CHEAT and today is the most brazen example of it.

Ricksen got a ban because he boasted about doing Mackie in the game on his website.....this brought the game into disrepute and thus was a disciplinary matter, similar to Sutton a la Dunfermline lying down. Do you think any buns are going to boast about giving any Arabs a doing today? Can any of them write?......

Guys u need to see this, genius

http://www.bhoy4life.com/HOLYGOALIE.htm

Sorry....forgot about ex-bun Bob 'Francis Terrance Peter' Malcolm......

Has the SFA's unprecedented backing of the huns against the SPL
heralded open season for the referees (their employees after all) to achieve what Gordon Smith and George Peat couldn't?

Is this kind of refereeing performance (McCurry's) an inevitable consequence of the strange, inexplicable even, events of earlier this week?

I think Peat and Smith's positions are untenable - and today is perfectly illustrative of the damage they have wrought in the supposedly neutral governing body of Scottish football.

It's a bloody scandal as far as I'm concerned, and seems to have disappeared from the media without much in the way of honest investigation?

Here's a quote from McCurry talking about the 9 bookings game:

"All referees make mistakes and simply pray their errors don't have a consequence on the outcome of the game. I'd analysed my performance at Ibrox and knew I'd done nothing to affect the result."

What will his analysis of today's game will show?

Having seen the hun game today and heard the subsequent interviews, I for one would be happy to contribute towards whatever fine is imposed on Craig Levein. He hit the nail on the head with regard to both Mc Curry's antics and the bias towards all things rangers.

Perhaps we should arrange an online collection? What do you think Paul??

KTF

For anyone who hasn't heard the Levein reaction after today's game.

Levein Fury

"...We had no chance of winning that. ......he didn't want to do it because he knew it meant so much to Rangers. You don't get any decisions here, but normally they are not as blatant as that."

McCurry is a cheat.

'GG

half n half

Correct.
I am for real.

The way I see it... What is 'blatant' is his fear.

The 'cheats' are the ones who not only allowed him to continue as a referee, but knowingly appoint him and his 'lack of character' for significant matches. They are the blatant cheats.

That is my opinion.
That is what I believe.
I may be right...I may be wrong.

Hartley and Robson please, SB on the bench.....

Sir Paul

The questions that you have raised, are easily answered.( Should that no be "risen"?...ed)(Only when one is discussing The LORD, or the Stock Market,pal!)

Mr.Strachan will promptly and without fanfare, re-introduce ... Scott Brown to the team..at the expense of Mr.Hartley,of course.

and...

As someone has already said...

Big Mick, will also be reinstated to his team position, as he is now pronounced to be fit.

Those questions were too easy... Ask me another?

Like...

How many goals will we score against Hibs?

On THOID THOUGHTS....check dat question!

I have just had the answer to that... handed to me, in a note, by a member o'
my Crack Research Staff..

It reads...

" Celtic will win the contest... by scoring more, than their opposition will do, do! "

Sounds good tae me,kiddo...

There ye hiv it!

Kojo.

Motherwell 0 Celtic 9

My team tomorrow would be:

Boruc
Hinkel
Caldwell(capt)
O Dea
Wilson
Nakmura
Brown
Robson
McGeady
McDonald
JVOH

Subs:

Samaras
Mizuno
Hartley
Balde
Caddis
Hutchsinson
Mark Brown

I'm not rising to Kojo's bait.

I believe the only change against hibs tomorrow will be the reintroduction of McManus if fit.

We just have to keep winning and hope that the SFA appoint an honest ref for one of Rangers' remaining games.

'GG

You can count me in with a donation to the craig levein fighting fund,all mccurrys contentious decisions go the way of the manky mob,snyde are desperate for legal action to be taken,i think mccurry would have great difficulty proving he wasnt a cheat

Does anyone know who the ref is tommorrow?

At the Dundee Utd game i think we should have a banner demanding Peat and Smith's resignations.

SFA CORRUPT!!

PEAT AND SMITH MUST GO!!

chico,think i read that its dougie mcdonald

Kojo

We're home to Hibernian?

It would be very naive to think only Celtic fans predicted the outcome of todays match at Ibrox.

The people in football eat, sleep, talk, breathe football every minute they are awake just like fans.

Therefore I'm sure in private moments when speaking to the football community Levein would have had the following conversation a few times during the week:
Football man "How is the ref on Saturday?"
Levein "Mike McMcCurry"
Football man "Oh well thats that then!"

I'm sure Levein knew like us what was coming.
However like us he probably wasn't prepared for the sheer blatant nature of the decisions.

A lot has been said about the BBC interview and well saod Craig Levein but am I the only one disgusted with Eddie Thompson??

I quote -

"Wee McDonald. The wee Celtic laddie. Goes in front of guys all the time, down he goes, penalty and that's it. No difference"

Except the difference is Eddie, what your manager is talking about are events that actually happened in the real world, and you have just made up a lot of nonsense to pander to an "O** F***" agenda.

"Last week Celtic got a goal for nothing"

Oh really Eddie? Oh do explain please.

"Then there was Aberdeen"

Or more accurately the parts of the Aberdeen game that the media wanted you to hear about.

Thompson spent more time in this interview talking and making up lies about Celtic than what actually happened today.

The media's work in emphasising debatable decisions (note not SCANDALOUSLY OBVIOUS INSTANCES OF GROSS INCOMPETENCE/CHEATING as was the case today) involving Celtic and ignoring the same in relation to Rangers has proven a spectacularly successful move.

An SPL manger now goes public on the fact that a referee is a cheat and biased towards one club.

If mr McCurry feels he has been slandered then he has that protection of the laws of the land.

Your move Reverend.

Bhoy4life, superb!!

I listened to Clyde on the web and agree that they're desperate for Mc Curry to take legal action against the perceived slight on his (long gone) reputation. I don't believe this will ever happen as to do so would involve close analysis of all occasions when he HAS cheated. Can you imagine an expert witness e.g. Collina giving his verdict on some of his antics! Scotland's shame indeed!

I emailed Clyde about the disgraceful physical and verbal treatment given to Noel Hunt today. Needless to say, I didn't receive a reply.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear friend.... WGS

I see that ye hiv goat... Herr Hinkel at Right Back, in yer selection...

I heard.. this...

The German, is suffering from some kind o' ailment that may...Ah said... May... prevent him from playing agin da Hibs..

That bein' said...

If it is indeed true.... It would give everybody who is anyboady, among the Celtic Support...the opportunity, to see,once and for all... that

PAUL CADDIS IS THE BEST RIGHT BACK...not only, at Celtic Park...

BUT, IN THE WHOLE OF THE COTTON-PICKIN'.... COUNTRY!

This young man...I am told... is a stand-out at Training..and among his other sterling qualities, is his ability to put his Crosses where they present the most scoring opportunities to his strikers.

HE CAN SURE CROSS A BALL WITH ACCURACY and CONSISTENCY!

As I have proclaimed in the Past... that... I AM A VOCIFEROUS EXTOLLER OF THE PLAYING ABILITIES OF MR.CALDWELL...

I now Add the Name of PAUL CADDIS to my growing List of FAIR HAIRED BHOYS!

So far... that's Two Players who would be in my Team... AUTOMATICALLY..for every game!

Kojo.
Yer pal... who hopes that Paul gets a game.

An SPL manger now goes public on the fact that a referee is a cheat and biased towards one club.

If mr McCurry feels he has been slandered then he has that protection of the laws of the land.

Your move Reverend.

In tomorrows rags , ( C/0 KDS )

Irish soccer star Noel Hunt was the victim of racist chants by Rangers fans yesterday.
The Dundee United star was booed throughout his side's Scottish Premier league clash at Ibrox Park.
Sick fans even chanted “The Famine is over, why don't you go home” at the Waterford man.
Noel is the latest Irish star to become the victim of racist slurs at Ibrox
Roy Keane and Robbie Keane were also subjected to similar abuse and other Celtic stars even had potatoes thrown at them.
A source at yesterday's game said Noel was aware of the chants but refused to make any complaint.
"Unfortunately there's an element of this kind of behaviour and it's disgusting.
"Noel knew beforehand that it was going to be tense and because of his nationality he might be in for some special treatment.
"But what was chanted at him was just way out of order,"

From the Irish Sunday Mirror.

McCurraygate

The anger, the passion, the ungiven penalty, the ungiven goal, the head butt and all the post match drama on the wee screen.

Levein on Setanta

I wonder if his congregation will be able to take him seriously ever again.

'GG pinching from another board

Bryce Curdy:

Regarding referees for games for TFOD from the last thread -

McCurry 6
Clark 5
Richmond 5
McDonald 3
Tumilty 2
Thomson 2
Conroy 2
Murray 2
Dougal 2
Brines 2
Collum 1
Smith 1

These are for the SPL matches only. They don't include cup games.
Freeland 1
Winter 1

My dear,dear,dear,dear, friend.. The Place we call Paradise.

Yes,pal.. I can clear up your doubt...

We Are for sure... at HOME, to Hibernian, on Sunday...

Howevaaaaaaaaaah!

We are playing AWAY! ... to Motherwell.

I hope this helps.

Kojo.

yer pal....who likes ye.

Whoops.

That line should obviously come after Freeland and Winter so as not to avoid any confusion.

Oh heck!!!

Where's the bin?!?

That last line should have said 'so as to avoid any confusion', although I feel I may be a tad late....

Look I'm still recovering from getting blood taken today. I hate them needles.

The Clyde idiots can't imagine why a referee who is likely to belong to another profession would favour one club with their decisions.

CSIAL

Thanks. So he is top with Kenny Clark second. Do you know if any of the other club have had the same referee six or more times this season? Is this sort of information easy to get hold of?

Decided to scratch my itch and had a quick scan around a few news sites to see what people where posting in relation to today.

The Huns are delighted and claiming one or two decisions went against them as well in the match and they would have won either way.

Our fans are quite rightly disgusted and trying to address the ridiculous claims of the huns

The rest of SPL fans are bleating on about the old firm getting everything.

This is while its all still fresh! By the time the sunday papers run their 'version of events' today's decisions will just be an extension of our - now infamous - corner kick decision.

CL did well today but its not going to stop the media killing this one and everyone will fall into line again.

We owe it to our children to break this cycle.

Bryce Curdy,

I get my information from www.soccerassociation.com

You have to pay for the site though as it's used by agents etc but I can have a look at every other team and compile the stats.

I'll try and get it done before I leave to go out.

Paul,

Do you think there is any chance that Celtic will consult UEFA on the behaviour of referees and the SFA? It's cheating - pure and simple and millions of pounds ride on it.

The SFA Wistleblower site lists all Category 1 referees. When you click on the name, their is a wee profile - Craig Thomson likes pasta, that kind of thing.

One referee is missing from this list. Can you guess who? Odd.

Category 1 refs

CSIAL - thanks again. If you start and find six doesn't particularly stand out don't waste too much time. If it was the most though.....

Big Liam 6.17 - Wonder what the "Behind enemy lines" hun supporters club make of the famine go on home song? Well you have tobe thick to be a Rankers supporter I suppose.

Someone posted earlier that McCurry was smart to give Cousin a yellow for the butt as it now can't be appealed. I'm not so sure as it demonstrates that the referee seen the incident and either bottled it to send the hun off or blatantly cheated. If he ignored it he could plead that he didn't see the incident.

If he consciously made the decision to book the player to avoid an appeal then it that level of cynical cheating really beggars belief, but then the whole refereeing performance today just beggared belief even for a hardened cynic like me who saw it coming. The media campaign to scrutinise all debatable decisions relating to Celtic to an intense degree really was the primer.

Radio Scotland now reporting that Dundee Utd will launch an official complaint on today's travesty of a refereeing performance. They may well do, but I suspect they'll end up coming off worst given the way the football authorities react to any club taking action of this kind. TFOD will be having a good laugh about this I'm sure. Let's hope they get their comeuppance on Wed night and in at least one of their remaining SFL games.

The consequences of the revered minister's cheating today are that:
Hibs will no longer be able to catch Motherwell when we beat them tomorrow.
Motherwell, St Mirren and Aberdeen have nothing left to play for.

Ergo, McCurry hands the Tainted Title to Rangers.

'GG

Our beloved team's MiB's for the season so far -

McCurry 5
Thomson 5
McDonald 5
Brines 3
Clark 3
Freeland 3
Richmond 2
Dougal 2
Smith 2
Winter 1
Somers 1
Underhill 1
Collum 1
Murray 1
Conroy 1

I find the referee distribution process baffling to be honest and it only leads to controversy. Games should be randomly distributed between the referees with each having an equal amount of games refereeing each team. The only time a referee should be individually picked for a game should be the semi-finals and the final of cup competitions with the ref being picked on merit for their performances over the season. After all why should Celtic and Rangers only get the 'good'(haha) referees?

By the way Terry Butcher deserves credit as well. His comments are usually fair.

Bhoy4life, thanks for that summary. You have missed the “red cards for Celtic players under Strachan” figure, I’ll give you Alan Thomson for starters.

Goldstar10, agree.

Fabrizio, an excellent idea.

Kojo, I look forward to that result.

One Star, Uefa would not listen to any complaints about referees.

I didn’t watch the game today as I knew what to expect. Rangers were always going to win this one, we need to take care of business tomorrow.

Here's the third place team Mothers -

Thomson 5
McDonald 5
Freeland 3
Richmond 3
Clark 3
Conroy 3
Smith 2
Dougal 2
Allan 2
McCurry 2
Underhill 2
Finnie 1
Boyle 1
Collum 1
Murray 1

All this talk of legal action against Craig Levein is a red herring.

Any defamation case would require Mr McCurry and the SFA to prove that the allegations were untrue and that the comments were unjustified and that the defence of "fair comment" didn't apply.

This would force Levein to collate evidence refuting McCurry's allegation of untruth. In other words, Mike McCurry and or Kenny Clark would be forcing a situation where all of their performances were forensically analysed.

If a jury found that the balance of probabilities was that a reasonable person would conclude that McCurry or Clark had cheated Dundee Utd, Levein would be cleared, McCurry, Clark and/or the SFA would be faced with a whopping bill and the findings would likely require a criminal investigation.

Does anyone think McCurry, Clark and the SFA will pursue that route when they can just sit in judgement themselves and throw out any of Levein's arguments.

Bryce the oft repeated cliche that really annoys me is when guys like Frser Wishart state why would refs stake their professional reputation by giving a biased decision.

The answer is simple their reputation is never at stake because bias and "honest mistakes"look the exact same and its this fact that refs and apologists can hide behind.

Ah while back i trawled the net looking for court cases involving sporting bias,its almost impossible to prove bias so the the standard is"would ah fair minded person given the facts surrounding the claim feel that the POSSIBILITY of bias took place"

Would the selection process of referees stand up to this test ?

Would Mike Mccurry's 7 Rangers games stand up?

I think Rangers are doing a good job this season at turning the rest of other SPL against them. Throughout my life the other clubs have generally been anti-Celtic and pally with Rangers from my perspective but this season Rangers have repeatedly insulted the other clubs through their actions and occasionally their comments. In the process they are getting teams like Dundee United to really despise them and we already have the Aberdeen fans, I don't think Hibs like them too much either. This might work in our favour in future seasons as they might try harder against them than they have done in the past.

Paul: How have other cases in Europe been uncovered? Surely if the member association doesn't exercise its duties fairly, the next call is to UEFA or the police.

Paul67

Cheers for that,

I put a link to your website on mines,

I am not doing a forum so hopefully it will get you more people.

Any chance you could put a wee link for mine, just a small one in your Celtic links section.

You have got to ask

One Star i've been meaning to say but never got round to it,you and Tony Bananas are fantastic posters keep up the good fight.

Someone asked earlier but Ive still not seen a reply so here goes again

Did De Vries get booked for scoring??

Panda Hands 7:05pm

Yes, Apparently he turned to McCurry and asked if he was going to disallow that goal as well

Just heard it was davie weirs birthday today, suppose that makes McCurrys decisions ok. No penalty against him, no red card against him and last but not least no own goal.

Gary67

Thanks. Hunbelievable.

Im still trying to calm down 5 hours after the match

Bhoy Sean

Cant agree with you more I was in my local watching the game which just so happens to be 5 mins from Gorgie Road and witnessed 3 Jambo's being evicted for the abuse that was directed at both McCurry and his Mob. I hasten to add they were gone on landlords orders and this decision did not sit well with other fans of both teams playing in Edinburgh today

De Vries booked for dissent after his goal according to bbc live text

One Star, the cases in Italy and Portugal were both uncovered after witnesses came forward, supported by taped conversations on both occasions.

Bhoy4life, I don’t do reciprocal links (as you will see) but maybe I should. I’ll ask consul what they think. Thanks.

TerryO'Neill: Thanks very much. I'm really honoured (and agree about Tony).

Sir Paul

Regarding the request for a reciprocal link...

I know what I would say...that is, if you held my feet to the fire... and squeezed from my humble self... a very reluctant opinion on this matter...as I am the very last one to offer advice!

I would advise ...

Absolutely.... No way, Hosay!

Why?

Well... Tottie why!

It's ma baw!..

Kojo.

spirit of Arthur Lee

The game Ricksen got away with the kick on the Aberdeen player was interesting.
Aberdeen also had a stonewall penalty turned down when Ferguson took a player down.
The linesman missed both incidents although both happened right in front of him.

The same one as today Stuart McAualey. Funny that.
Mr McAuley was also the linesman who was involved in a shouting match with Petrov at Fir Park on Black Sunday, it happened right in front of me in the main stand and he was trying to goad him.

I'm still trying to calm down after that travesty today. I watched/ listened to Levein's interviews on the BBC and Setanta and he was spot on. This was flagrent cheating, pure and simple, in a manner so blatent that it said "I am untouchable and I know it".

I hope that a formal complaint is made by Utd, although I very much doubt that it will do a great deal of good. The "impartial" SFA that was trying so hard to help Rangers the other day would clearly rule that McCurry may have made mistakes or may not have, but that the word of the ref is final. That's what all the rule books say.

The difference in other countries was that it could be proven that referees benefitted financially from their cheating. Tryng to prove that a referee cheated simply to help his own team is almost impossible to do.

I'll be interested to see how far Craig Levein is prepared to go with this. I get the feeling with Eddie Thompson's keeness to point the finger in our direction that he may get left out on a limb by his club.

Was he not prepared to take the SFA to court before when he was at Hearts but the SFA 'settled' as it were.

If we see Mr McCurry at Pittodrie on the 22nd we know exactly how all this will pan out. He surely wouldn't ask for our game at Tannadice would he. Or was today his last game so he asked for Ibrox?

Paulo - to back up my conversation of last night.....

we should of course be in no way surprised by todays outcome. They HAVE to win the league they cannot afford not to.

Oh how sweet it will be.........

I had an interesting chat with my Mother today. Living in the same block of flats as her is a guy who is friendly with the ex referee (Jim?) McGinlay. He told this guy that when he first refereed a game at Castle Grayskull John Greig came up to him and said 'You do know that you don't give penalties against us here don't you?' This was said straight faced and not in a joking manner. I don't imagine things have moved on a lot since those days given McCurry's outrageous performance today.

Gentlemen,

I haven't posted for a while - rather busy these days (I'm sure many of you will be happy for that.

However ahead of the next two weeks which will be very interesting I just thought I'd say that Craig Levein has gone up in my estimation - not only do his teams play good football but he appears to have the mettle to criticise Rangers. Make no mistake he will be punished severely - but he will have made the point. Then again perhaps they will keep it quiet - can't have debates such as this in public.

There will be a few people at the SFA and Ranger's shifting uncomfortably in their seats at the thought.

Now if we had a Board worthy of our club they would push this point home - we should state that we do not believe McCurry is impartial and that he should not referee Celtic games.

But then we know they wont do that dont we?

Cheers

NA

Evening all!
long time lurker and first post
ive enjoyed the debates on hear so i thought i would contribute

Today was fairly predictable. what i've been pondering over is how we tackle what many of us believe is a blatant bias.

Unfortunately our response is fairly predictable too which is why the media can follow their usual formula and ridicule us as paranoid connspirators and repeat their mantras of 'old firm' and leveling itself out etc. This allows them to dismiss us with ease (as they do if you listen to the various phone-ins) instead of debating the points.

Then you have revisionism where convenient facts are ignored (samaras goal against aberdeen, late corner at motherwell) and other points emphasised to support their agenda.

I respect all the people who take the time to email, call etc their opinions to the media, my point is I feel its often easily dismissed and after many decades of us complaining, we, with some justification, still feel there is a bias towards the 'establishment' club.

So my question is how can we best tackle this and expose elements of the game which dont play with a fair hand? without being so easily dismissed by the establishment?

Im still pondering but will come back with some further thoughts! :-)

(Incidently I think part of the answer is continuing the fine work carried out by Paul in this site!)

Pastyface,
I agree with you.
Todays shenanigans will make our victory taste even sweeter.
Its going be our league.
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS

Bhoys,

Without a doubt the worst performance by a referee in any professional game that I have ever seen. It was not incompetence, it was cheating. My missus who knows nothing about football was shocked to the core and she never even comments on whats going on 'in that oul football'.

If that was an amateur game the ref would've been going home with a black eye.

He is a cheat, he is a hun and thank god he retires in the summer, although no doubt the SFA will have a junior waiting to take his place like they always do.

Anyway, the league hasn't been in our hands in a very long time, all we can do is win our two remaining games and hope for somebody to take somthing from the huns.

LIVID about today but STILL STANDING!!!!

STILL CHAMPIONS!!!

Is it overly optimistic to hope that Levein and his players' ire at their mugging today will still be burning so brightly that , if it comes down to the last day of the season , they might not be minded to be stretching every fibre and sinew to beat us?

tlwio

That's just what we needed. They've got three away games and McCurry has just made it very difficult for a referee to favour them blatantly. Well it's a point of view.

tlwio: I think it is optimistic - and I don't want any team to lie down to us to win the league.

Of course, they have nothing to play for now but pride. But Craig Levein isn't a man who would put out a team to cheat, I am sure.

We have a hard match ahead of us that day.

Once a Tim

not so much todays shenanigans as much as the entire season.

PS if Eddie Thompson wants to look at rubbish decisions by refs he should have a look at our game at Caley Thistle. He might realise exactly which team it is that gets all the decisions and stop trying to drag us into it.

Evening all,

Apologies if this has already been posted, if you have Sky+, then on anytime tv is Lord of the Wing on the ESPN classic channel.

Guys - McCurry was a disgrace as expected today. Scottish Football took 100 steps backwards. If Murray thinks that people were laughing at the SPL last week...what are they thinking now??

a further disgrace was the fact that smith was not asked a single question re the decisions in his post match interview on setanta. WGS is always asked this type of question... last week he was queried on a dubious corner!! for goodness sake...a CORNER!!!

But THE biggest disgrace was the continual and incessant racial abuse of a young man doing his job. Pressure must be put on Murray to make an apology on behalf of RFC to Noel Hunt. In any civilised country, that pressure would come from the head of the players union (wishart) and the head of the sfa (duffield)...problem is we have patsies and apologists in these roles.

They will stand in front of the world on Wednesday...and the world will damn them.

Apologies if this has been posted before. Just received it as an e-mail.

IF you have ever sat on yer fathers knee and listened to tales of Celtic heroes past

IF you have ever played fitba in the street a scored a hundred hat tricks for the Hoops

If you have ever sat in front of the telly and leapt into the air bursting it with your joy at a goal.

IF you have ever travelled to a game they said we could not win but in your heart you knew.

IF you have ever stood beside your fellow Tims and watched them sing in defiance of all that seeks to destroy us and said, these are my people.

IF you have ever linked arms with your friends for collective strength as one of our heroes prepares to take a penalty.

IF you have ever walked up London Road or the Gallowgate and on seeing Paradise felt you were going home.

IF you have ever read a paper that blatantly attacks our club and thought these people have no honour.

IF you have ever travelled or watched our fans abroad and felt pride at being a part of something that is a credit to us all.

IF you have ever listened to those who hate us try to demean what we have achieved and think to yourself, you will never defeat us.

IF you have ever been so proud of them that tears well in your eyes and you feel no shame at others seeing them

IF you have staggered around in a group embracing as a goal against them destroys the silence

IF you have ever felt that no matter what may come, what trials we face, we shall not be moved.

IF you have ever felt that to love this club is an honour and those that do are your brothers and sisters.

IF you have then you are a Celtic Fan my friend, and for that we are all truly blessed.

Hail Hail

pablophanque

Neg Anon, I can only shake my head at some of the tosh you post.

Only you could take a flagrant act of cheating in a game not even involving Celtic and use it as a stick to hit the Board.

Don't get me wrong here, I think some of what you (and others) write is valid, but stuff like this only diminishes your credibilty.

Does anybody know of any developments re Scotlands Shame singing of "The famines over". A few posters have lodged complaints and mentioned that it is being reported in tomorrows Irish Sunday Mirror after they directed it at Noel Hunt today.
As usual it will be swept under the carpet unless pressure is applied from outwith this bigoted little land of ours.
While i'm on, any more news on the offensive "Nakamura ate my dog" banner. An earlier poster suggested the content of the banner had reached high levels of the Japanese government.
Possibly It's old news, but my PC's been fecked for a couple of weeks so I'm a bit out of touch.
Come on the hoops!

If a picture paints a thousand words
Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show
The you I've come to know.
And if a face could launch a thousand ships
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you;
You're all that's left me
too.
And when my love for life is running dry
You come and pour yourself on me.
If a man could be two places at one time
I'd be with you tomorrow and today
beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving
spinning
spinning slowly down to die
I'd spend the end with you
And when the world was through
Then one by one the stars would all go out
Then you and I would simply fly away.

One Star Means More @ 6:51 PM

Excellent post that reads like the notes I have been studying to pass a few exams this time of year.

Reads like you might be studying for the same ones ?

Having watched the final 15mins of that game today and the analysis thereafter, I am still sick to the pit of my stomach. Despite all that has gone before I still like to see the best in people but today was a different level. "Why bother turning up" asked Levein. The same reason we fight any injustice.

Walk tall, walk proud, walk on.

Woodybhoy

Gents money and corruption in Scotland comes from one main source.

Which organisations controls and demands the most after dinner speakers in Scotland.
ASK DUFFIELD

Who appoints and selects the people who attend these events.
Which multinational and Scottish government departments seek and support these organisations.
Why do many major firms and government organisations in England demand to know if you are member of this type of organisation?

To be a top earning speaker in Scotland you need the patronage of this organisation.
Ask all the broadsheets and redtop journalists and, god forgive, Celts who work for the media.

The list of retired MIB is endless as are the top people from the SFA - DUFFIELD, FARRY (you will never have to buy a drink again), BURLEY, and PEAT ETC
However the very top earners are from an old firm club in the true sense of the words.

An Orange man walks down the road and declares his hatred for you.
These are not the true enemy
You know it makes sense. Expose these people at your peril.
Expose them at every opportunity.
We will overcome
Hail Hail

for anyone who has'nt heard levein yet

Craig Levein

Still livid can't seem to shake today's disgrace off for some reason. signed up and keep posting!

Regarding the 'famines over' song can celtic not release a statement on this or have they done this already and I missed it.

We are not talking about a small minority here its heard clearly at all of their games.

At the start of the season this would have caused an uproar but the powers that be are too excited now their team is winning a few trophies to let a little thing like bigotry and hatred get in the way.

I reckon i speak for the vast majority of Tims - and indeed Scottish football fans in general - when i say 'WELL SAID, CRAIG LEVEIN!' It's about time that somebody actually spelt out the fact that the SFA/Rank Rotten fc/Scottish meeja are nothing more than a bigoted, biased alliance( the REAL Axis of Evil!).
It is imperative that we now sweep aside the opposition in our remaining games, and watch as the bluenose bandwagon falls apart - and fall apart it will! The pressure is on and they CANNOT handle it. Dick McFlurry aside there'll be no more favours for Rank Rotten fc this season(thanks to Mr Levein). C'mon The Hoops - show them what REAL legends are made of.

Wee Tim, who still believes, who still has faith

Totally scunnered but not unexpected by the ref . Most of us predicted it through the week.

Craig Levien (I have predicted for long enough our next manager)really showed his mettle again today ...as for his chairman ridiculous statements. Even Lorraine Kelly was fuming on 1 of the links posted but then turncoat Traynor manages to put in the OF term. I never heard them mention the OF tag last Saturday over our corner.

I saw the decisions against DU on a link so the huns had 4 major decisions given for them (I still have not saw the free kick for the first goal) and I wonder if it will get the same coverage in the media tomorrow as our corner....

I hope mccurry can live with his faith tomorrow when he says his sermon.

Paul and Terry looks like a ratings war on Wednesday night us against the huns.

Thought Davie Provan was very poor tonight on the radio. Lacked gumption. As he did of course for years when Doug Rougvie of Aberdeen came near him. Big Johnstone was warning callers that legal action could be taken against them if they persisted to call McCurry a cheat. So much for a phone-in !
Let's face it. No Celtic fan expected anything else from today's game once the news was released re: the ID of the ref. It's the predictability of it that gives the show away.
2 questions: did Peter Martin change his name from McQuire? And if so,is there any reason other than the obvious one?
Also in the Celts v Huns Dryborough Cup Final at Hampden around 1974 which went to pens did wee Jinky take the last one by running without a stop and then lashing the roon thing, which was on the spot a centimetre below the bar and into the net? I have told my sons this, even to the point of going out to display a re-enactment but sadly they do noy believe their Da.

Delighted to see ICT were beaten by Falkirk. I was in a hotel in Dunfermline for lunch (don't ask!) and the ICT players were in there watching the huns game on the telly, giving huge roars at their goals. It really shows you what we're up against, when opposition squads can get so much enjoyment out of watching another team in the same division. You can't tell me that lot would go out and try the same way against them as they would us. Angered me big style! Not quite as much as McCurry though...

Today was odds on to end like this. It was a very astute move by Murray et al last week to get the 'everyone's against us' headlines in their favourite media outlets. They knew that there was no way they could extend the league unless they let them play games at a later date to everyone else, which was never likley to happen. However, they also knew that they could pile the pressure on all the officials of their upcoming games. Obviously, the alternative [and more accurate] view is that it was a convenient way to call in some favours for those who agreed with their stance...

Paranoid 21:04, agree 100%. Celtic should make a statement and embarrass them before the charade of the "friendly final".

We have kept a silence on the BJK vitriol at the behest of the great mans family - this is different and it is wrong. Pure and simple. The media/sfa is complicet in its silence.

Who will be the next group of people told to go home by the peepil?? Pakistani's, Polish, where do we draw the line?

Tomorrow will be interesting. We may get a major decision in our favour so they can all say we get the same or else there may be all out blatant cheating and we will get hee haw and be expected to live with it.

If the media report it tomorrow how many times will they claim we get as many as them.

Im going for 1690 times

george peat said the