CQN Five-a-side Cup 2008 Live Draw

estadio...,
for judge Peebles, read judge Roy Bean

All posters and Lurkers

In my best Bob Geldof voice " Give the CQN charity your *@!$ing money"

We all get great free entertainment on here so lets keep the great Celtic traditions and help others less fortunate than ourselves.

For all of us playing 5s tomorrow it looks like we'll be needing Flippers and Not Football Boots The weather doesn't seem to bad until kick-off time as well.

Looks like we're not going to get much luck weather wise but I'm sure it won't ruin the day for everyone. Oldtim, I hope you will be able to take your carry-out indoors!

Poor Alicia's wee mitts were rid raw by the end. Were they baws roastin or whit?

Nice one Paul, David Taylor had better watch his back, Alicia done the draw far more competently than that eejit ever could! Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy can take a back seat just for once, not every day you get to host such a glamourous event!

Just to recap on the draw

Group A
Brattback Mountain
Oenophile5
Il Verdiblancos

Group B
F.C. Paddy McCourt's Beard
Shergar's School for Left Backs
Sooside Celts

Group C
The Magnificent 7
Nameless
7 is the Magic Number

Group D
Borrheid Buckie Bhoys
Shut up Michael
Pulse8

ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL!

There is no danger of the weather affecting the proceedings, the pitches are brand new astrograss and can withstand anything. There is tea and coffees indoors if you're coming along, and display boards will be there too, and I see the weather forecast is ever more temperate anyway.

Hail Hail! (Followed by dry sunny spells)

I meant to include a link when I posted earlier.

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=G40%201HB

o1 Bhoy

Is that OZ champers you have been on?

Sheena Easton - Bellshill - surely she is american .... with her tattie scones and all.

Well done, Alicia. Excellent co-ordination and passing skills for one so young.

Paul67

Alicia handled the pressure a lot better than some of the boys did on tuesday night

I hear theres a vacancy on Countdown - is she any good with numbers?

Naomh Brid Abu -

Better than Lee Naylor perhaps? 8=))

Cyrul

Not to be paranoid, but I think the draw was rigged - only three balls in the bowl at any one time, have you been learning lessons off our chums at the SFA?

Best of luck for tomorrow, chaps, and hope you raise a load of goods and cash. Won't be making it along, and already have charity event donation commitments for the weekend and am not made of money (other half running the 10k in Strathclyde Park on Sunday), but I hope it all goes well.

Also from the previous article, that wee daftie nicking about in a Zenit t-shirt getting done for religiously aggravated breach of the peace (http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2462776.0.Celtic_fan_in_court_over_Tshirt_jibe.php), I notice his lawyer's defence was "just a bit of Glasgow banter". Not taken into account, so lets hope that attitude continues from the courts when we see thousands of Rangers fans arrested for racially aggravated BoP offences based around singing illegal songs...

CountingUnhatchedChickensCSC

My general impression, going by the recent AGM interviews, is that we have stopped banging our heads against a brick wall with regards to moving to another league, and are concentrating on squeezing the maximum possible revenue out of promoting Celtic overseas and while developing a better scouting network.

All very laudable, but I really think there has been a sea change in the way supporters feel about moving leagues. A hardening of attitudes to how are fans and players are treated in Scotland, along with the way football, especially in England, is going global has led to a dawning awareness of the benefits.

Football in Scotland is outdated and irrelevant to the neutral sporting observer. The level of ability, allied to the style of football played in this country, means that an Ajax-type approach to rearing players could never flower here. Add to this an unsympathetic approach by the myopic media - extension-gate is still fresh in the memory and has sullied my view of the national team beyond repair - and the growing ugliness and vitriol directed at Celtic fans and players through abusive songs and chants, what reason is there to stick around?

A few months ago I remember reading on these pages that back in 2001-2 (?) Celtic and Rangers were in talks to take their sides down to England but were eventually frozen out by the FA from even approaching the Third Division. If this door is firmly closed then so be it, but I can't imagine that a little prodding in the right places won't yield some result. When you consider that the Nationwide Championship is hortly to become the third richest league in the world, what price a move to the third division? We have taken our level as far as it can go in the SPL - 2 Champions League last 16 appearances is ridiculously good when you look at the status of that league - and are now running up the hamster-wheel when it comes to making progress. The resigned look og Gordon Strachan in the second half at Old Trafford says it all.

Let's devote our energies to escaping from this mediocre league (jettisoning Rangers in the process) and starting a new era for this club! What have we got to lose?

Well done Alicia, we're happy with the draw, we'll take each game as it comes and hopefully we'll get a result.

See you all tomorrow, I'll be the one wearing the Celtic top!

craggy island 7 is the Magic Number gaa

01bhoy

When is the Melbourne Cup in UK Time and what day?

Bet of the day Indian Blessing in the first at the Breeders Cup

It may seem a daft question but I'm assuming we have access to the changing rooms and showers tomorrow?

Hooray for Brattback mountain!!

Harald a camp cowboy icon?

As well as an accountant, star striker and jet pilot!

He won't die wonderin', that's for sure!

You're correct PAB it is a daft question :-)

As for the draw well done Alicia....I think, maybe we'll leave that until AFTER the games!

Look forward to making the acquaintance of the Brattback Mountain and Oenophile5 Bhoys.

BRING IT ON
HAIL! HAIL!
Token

24 hours before the big kick off, my 'big eye on the gorbals' does not make for pleasant viewing!

Bring a waterproof jacket...

Just wanted to reiterate how pleased we were with the draw as we are in it and you always stand a better chance that way

cigaa ;-)

Up over the goal

John Reid gave an interview to Gary Richardson on the Today programme on Radio 4 at 7.25 on Tuesday morning, available on iPlayer.

I meant to try to transcribe the main points at the time, but we all had other things on our minds.

He spoke well. Gary Richardson is good, he's the guy who, one rainy Wimbledon, kept everyone riveted by his roving reporter interviews from the stands, Cliff Richard of course, but then, out of nowhere, Bill Clinton. You may remember.

Anyway, John Reid the politician was back and he hardly let the bould Gary get a word in. Specific to your point, he said Celtic still hoped to move to a better league but that “that invitation is not on the table at this time”.

Reported today!

"The officials who awarded Dimitar Berbatov two offside goals in Celtic's Champions League defeat at Manchester United insist they were their first mistakes in 52 international matches.

Belgian referee Frank De Bleeckere and his two assistants, Peter Hermans and Alex Verstraeten, failed to chalk off Berbatov's goals in Tuesday's Group E clash at Old Trafford. They also wrongly ruled out a Wayne Rooney strike for offside.

Verstraeten said: "I admit to the mistakes, but we also ask for understanding. Offside decisions are the hardest to judge. We are only human flesh and blood."

He added: "This is the first time that we have made a mistake in 52 international matches.

"It is our bad luck that the mistakes came at goals. It is no consolation that Manchester United would have won without these decisions.

"Some players argue their case in front of us, but no Celtic player protested.

"That proves that the offside decisions were very tight. At the end of the match, I was surprised when I saw the television images."

De Bleeckere added: "At the moment itself, we were not aware of the error. There was no protest. I walked off the field with a good feeling. But when you see the images, it's a shame.

"The officials are a team. We did okay at the European Championships and in the Champions League. We must help each other and see it as a learning curve."

A few points on the above.
1) A learning curve!! The people in charge should be the best, at their peak and gone through the learning curve!

2) It is our bad luck!! No, it was our bad luck that officials still learning were appointed and got it so badly wrong!

3) "No Celtic player protested"...so it was ok? Is he advocating strong verbal protest at every decision!!! Beggars belief!

4) Offside decisions are hardest to judge! We are only flesh and blood! So change the law if it can't be managed or bring in video evidence!

Absolutely hopeless...and totally influenced the outcome of the game! As I said before we may have frustrated them and got lucky..but had no chance after two dodgy goals were given! Incompetence of the highest order....or was there organised cheating to suit some betting scam!
It does happen!!!

These were not difficult decisions where a player uses his speed to beat the offside trap. If Man Utd had pockets in their shorts Berbatov would have been stood standing with his hands in them, whistling Dixie, while poaching a yard offside!!!!!

Greetings, my people!

Just to confirm that I shall be arriving at around 11 tomorrow{listen out for the panther-like growl of the twin turbo-charged V8s of my F40!}

I shall then be available for photo-opportunities and autographs, and any questions my people may have about the great days of F1.

However, for legal reasons the following topics must be 'black-flagged'

a/ Moustache on/ moustache off. Health and Safety, tedious +++

b/ Murray Walker. Crazy as a coot, great guy, but really,really boring.

c/ Helen Mirren. Black flag AND a points deduction , sadly, but all I will confirm is there's no problem with grip in the wet.

On the other hand I am offering a prize of a Halfords voucher worth £100 to whichever of my people asks the most scurrilous question about that jumped-up swarthy tyre kicker Nelson Piquet.

See you tomorrow

Nige, the People's champ.

The first offside you can maybe give the benefit of the doubt because it's not clear who the ball struck etc and it's a fast moving penalty area; that Berbatov was basically the only player inside the 6 yard box was a clue however.

The second offside is a totally different story, it's one of the easiest decisions to get right becuase play is stopped until the free kick is taken.

It's called cheating, there's no coincidence about the number of debatable decisions that have gone against us to bigger teams over the years.

Aggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!

I cant begin to describe how much it winds me up when people (pundits, commentators, players, fans etc.) use the excuse that "no player protested the decision so it must have been tight"

We're continually told that players need to show more respect to referees...and now we've got a referee coming out and publicly saying that because players don't protest to him he uses that as a basis to make a decision!!!

Absolutely hopeless

Read the Graham Speirs book about Paul le Guen. Readable enough but not Pulitzer prize winning.

Two points he made that I haven't been aware of -

The major attempts that Murray made to get him sacked from the Herald which destroyed a friendship that had the Mint inviting him with others to his French holiday home.

Secondly, Speirs reckons that PLG probably took the job on the basis of his experiences playing against and managing teams against Celtic. He reckons that the Frenchman would have been better received, as to paraphrase, "Celtic are a more human and tolerant club".

What size of notepads/jotters should we be buying for tomorrow?

I should have got all this in a long time before now!

Celtic_First

What I would like to know, and maybe Paul67 or someone else can enlighten me, is what efforts are Celtic making in terms of proactively applying to the FA and division 3, rather than just waiting for an offer to flump onto the table!

Will try and catch that interview, although from what you've described, he doesn't say anything new.

I've never truly appreciated just how dangerous reading the newspapers can prove to be in terms of your personal health. I took advantage of surveying the Scots editions in the reading room at work this morning. Among the nonsense, my attention was drawn to the following -

1. After the vicious debating of Aiden McGeady (and now James McCarthy) and his decision to play for the Republic of Ireland, we have the Daily Retard championing Nacho Novo for Scotland ! Jaw-dropping stuff given the bile we have had to listen to from the media "experts" concerning Aiden and McCarthy.

2. Next up, in the Hootsman, there's a poorly disguised attack on Boruc. Under a montage of his various "crimes" there is reference to his "provocations" including "blessing himself". Stunning journalism ! What next? "Emile Heskey provokes Slovenia fans by just being black"?!?

3. Finally, the story of some idiot convicted of a religiously aggravated crime for wearing a t shirt with the words "dirty horribles huns" written on the back of it. Since when was this term equated to anti-Protestant sentiment? Is there a manual that I can look to in order that I am fully aware of what not to say? Have I been misguided all these years by referring to Novo et al as Huns?

The world has gone crazy my friends.

malceye

Repeat after me....

never ever ever read the papers

« In a parallel universe.
Show hypocrisy the red card
As a journalist you usually know you’re doing your job when people aren’t pleased to see you.

My family are pleased to see me, and my friends welcome me into their homes, so I don’t take it personally when people don’t want to see me and my press card.

Its only business it isn’t personal.

Billy Singh of “Show Racism The Red Card” (SRTRC) wasn’t pleased to see me at Tynecastle last Friday.

It is ok Billy this is business, nothing personal.

I had, since, mid September been trying to get an interview, a comment even, from Billy Singh of SRTRC.

I had spoken on the phone with two of his colleagues.

I wanted SRTRC’s view on the Famine Song.

Many people considered the song to be racist and it was sung at soccer grounds by Rangers fans.

The nice people at SRTRC told me that Billy Singh was dealing with the issue and that I would have to deal with him.

I left my number, but didn’t get any reply.

I had to go to print in the Irish Post on Friday October 1st with SRTRC having made no public statement about the Famine Song.

Later that day SRTRC made a statement via their website that singing the famine song could lead anyone singing it to be liable to arrest for a “racial breach of the peace”. This statement on the SRTRC website was, err, very similar to the statement released by the Ibrox club in late September.

At this stage I felt like one of the journalists who were piecing together the sequencing of the Northern Ireland Peace process. Who was writing statements for whom?

Still no call from Billy.

Finally on Monday 6th October STRC made a public statement via their website that, in their opinion, the Famine Song was racist.

Phew!

I know that several Irish community organisations had approached SRTRC in May to complain about the Famine Song.

Still my phone didn’t ring.

A journalistic colleague who works at the Scottish parliament told me that there was due to be a charity football match played between a SRTRC select and MSPs at Hearts’ ground Tynecastle.

No brainer.

A few clicks on the Aer Lingus website and I was good to go!

It is fair to say that Billy was surprised to see me turn up in Tynecastle, as the game was about to start in Hearts home ground on Friday 17th October.

I introduced myself and showed him my press card. I told him I was researching a piece on the Famine song.

I asked him why SRTRC had taken so long to state publicly that the famine song was racist?

Billy stated, “We have always considered the Famine Song to be racist! It brings nationality into it, it is racist and it is wrong.”

I asked Billy why, having been petitioned by Irish community groups about the song in May, that his organisation had only made a public statement two weeks before our conversation October 6th? Billy could not answer my question, but conceded that the October 6th statement on the SRTRC website was the first public pronouncement by the organisation on the Famine Song.

Billy stated that SRTRC was “working behind the scenes with Rangers football club and the Rangers supporters organisations.”

Billy went onto the field of play and slotted in at right back, he did very well.

As I watched the “Red Card Select” confirm to the MSPs that they would never have made it as footballers (I stopped counting the score after five to the Red Card).

I chatted with Red Card manager for the day Lex Gold.

A very amiable man he is.

He explained to me that the SPL did not have a songbook of banned songs and he, publicly, could not have an opinion on the Famine song, as he might be the guy to punish an SPL club if they were deemed to be negligent in tackling racism among their own supporters. There was, of course, a corollary to this. If the SPL deemed the club in question to be doing all that were possible to eradicate the illegal behaviour of their fans then the SPL would not punish the club. He agreed with me that, in a situation where the club could not be found to be negligent in tackling racism by their fans, but that if that racist behaviour persisted then it was a matter for the police not the SPL.

I also interviewed SFA boss Gordon Smith.

The ex-Rangers man stated that the SFA could not have a public view on the Famine Song as the SFA was, in effect, the court of appeal of SPL clubs.

If the SPL punished a club, for whatever reason, and the club thought this unjust or unfair then the club could appeal to the SFA.

Subsequently, Smith explained, the SFA could not have a public view on the Famine Song for that reason.

I also asked the SFA chief about the treatment of young James McCarthy who had decided to play for the Republic of Ireland. Smith was particularly adamant that young James McCarthy of Hamilton Academicals should be left alone “It is his decision; it was his decision to make. He should be left alone!”

In fairness he couldn’t have been clearer or more unequivocal. People should leave young James McCarthy alone and respect his decision to play for Ireland.

That was from the guy at the top of Scottish soccer as we chatted in the away dugout at Tynecastle. He had just came off the field of play where he had scored the goal of the match, a twenty yard curler with the outside of his right foot.

Smith’s goal was an absolute cracker. Even topping Chic Charnley’s swerving shot which was also from outside the box.

As the Red Card team celebrated Gordon’s goal Gary McKay started to sing to the MSP team “Are you the House of Commons in disguise?”

There is nothing wrong with rubbing it into your defeated opponents, nothing at all.

Everyone who assembled in Tynecastle that day was saying that racism could not be included in any song or chant in soccer.

Agreed.

I had been concerned that following on from Ally Ross’s piece in the Sun attacking James McCarthy’s decision to elect to play for Ireland instead of the country of his birth that he would be the victim of racist abuse.

I had been in phone contact with the club secretary Scott Struthers the week before I travelled to Scotland and I was impressed with vehemence with which he objected to the attacks on James in the media.

Moreover he told me that everyone in the club knew that James would declare for Ireland.

He explained to me that following on from the Ally Ross piece James was not speaking to the media.

This I fully understood.

I attended the Hamilton v St.Mirren match the following day at New Douglas Park.

I had called him the day before on my way back to Glasgow from Tynecastle. Scott was surprised that James had not been in touch, but it was absolutely no problem on my part.

I told him of my intention, as a journalist, to attend the next Hamilton match and sit in the away end.

I attended the Hamilton v St.Mirren match the following day at New Douglas Park.

James McCarthy was subjected to sustained racist abuse in the second half from St. Mirren fans.

Every touch of the ball was booed. In the second half Hamilton were attacking the away end. Each time McCarthy was on the ball for any length of time some chant or other would be struck up. “Plastic Paddy” was the main chant.

In the scale of racist chanting this wasn’t up there with the shameful treatment of Mark Walters by Celtic fans in the 1980s. However, it was, throughout the 2nd half sustained. There was a vociferous minority of St.Mirren fans at the back of the away end where I was sitting.

Every touch of the ball was booed from the time I took my seat with a few minutes played right through to the final whistle.

In the first half he was the only Hamilton player who was booed by the St.Mirren fans. In the second half as Hamilton chased the equaliser.

James McCarthy was regularly on the ball charging from midfield towards the St.Mirren goal.

On each occasion he was running with the ball the chant of “There’s only one plastic paddy!” would strike up from the hard core of St.Mirren fans.

After the match I went down behind the goals and introduced myself to a senior police officer. I showed him my press card and told him that I was in touch with Scott Struthers the Hamilton club secretary and that he was expecting me.

As we walked around to the tunnel area I asked the police officer had he heard the abuse directed at young James McCarthy?

“Yeah he gets a bit of stick doesn’t he?” stated the officer with a slight giggle.

I thought, little chance of this law enforcer approaching the match delegate though the appropriate channels.

After several phone calls and emails I got to meet Scott Struthers. Lex Gold had spoken of him in high terms and I had already made, as one does, an assessment of the disembodied person you are communicating with.

He is a fine man, with only the best interests of young James McCarthy at heart.

He was willing to go on the record about the booing. He declared that he was “disappointed” at the conduct of the St.Mirren fans towards James.

I was lead into the press box where the rest of the media were preparing words and images of the soccer watch we had all just witnessed. When I was asked what blatt I was working for a couple of the pack were interested in the piece I was researching.

One sports journalist who I won’t name to save his blushes stated to me that:

“This PC thing has gone mad hasn’t it?”

I thought of the event I had attended the previous day.

I countered with “ when is anti-racism political correctness? Surely it is beyond debate that racism is a social evil and that it should be confronted at every opportunity?”

“Yeah, but James McCarthy is white and Scottish so it can’t be racist!”

This, I suspected, was what he thought to be a winning polemical point.

“Well racism isn’t necessarily a matter of skin colour, although of course it can be. FIFA and UEFA are very clear that racism can be about nationality, citizenship or ethnic heritage. The abuse aimed at James McCarthy was specifically about his Irishness and his decision to declare for the Republic if Ireland. Hence the abuse was racist.”

His answer was a mumbled “ Yeah, suppose….”

I considered that if this was typical of the level of awareness of such issues in the pressroom what chance the supporters in the cheap seats?

Scott Struthers then brought young James out to be interviewed by me.

The first thing that strikes you about the young Irish midfielder is that he IS young.

I was standing in front of him outside the pressroom at New Douglas Park and thinking that this was a boy doing a man’s job.

It wasn’t the time or the place to have a relaxed examination with a hassled 17 year old about issues of national identity. So my questions on his wearing of the green were to the point.

“Why did you pick Ireland James?”

“When I was young, when I was a kid I would always watch the Ireland matches on the telly.”

For a fifty year old to hear a lad of 17 hark back to the days of his innocence made me smile, but it was a clear and precise answer from the lad. He felt drawn towards Ireland. He qualifies for Ireland through his mother’s side. Donegal people. His uncle Hugh Coyle had stated quite clearly in a piece in that day’s Sun that James was Irish on both sides of his family. In qualifying to play for Ireland he also was entitled to legal citizenship.

I told him

“You will need to get yourself one of these for your travels!” as I brandished my Irish passport. His smile said it all. James McCarthy is for the wearing of the green.

James told me “the Irish set up has been great.” James told me that in a recent 2-2 draw with Portugal his midfield partner is Owen Garvan of Ipswich town and that he hoped that they could strike up a partnership together.

I told him that he would need to learn the words of An t-Amhran na BhFiann. He promised that he would!

When I asked James could he hear the abuse from the St.Mirren fans?

“Yeah I heard it, but I just keep my head down and try and block it out.”

James McCarthy is a lovely young lad, polite and well mannered. As I left New Douglas Park I hoped that the fans of all Scottish clubs would heed the words of Gordon Smith and leave the kid alone.

The following day not one of the Sunday papers that covered the match mentioned the booing of James McCarthy.

There was no doubt that anyone in New Douglas Park that day would have known that James McCarthy was booed every time he got a touch of the ball. They may not have heard the “plastic paddy” chants from the knot of St.Mirren up at the back of the away end, but almost the entire away end was booing when James was on the ball.

There was no play related reason to be booing James McCarthy, he had not kicked or injured a St.Mirren player for example. So they would have had to discount the fact that the was being booed so they did not need to comment on it

So there it was, it didn’t happen. Within 24 hours of the Show racism the Red Card football match and the fine words here was racist abuse of a young Irish kid and not a mention of it in the papers.

The next day (Monday) I was on my way to the airport when a journalist colleague in Dublin called me to say that there had been a match report on the Hamilton official club website which had mentioned the racist abuse of James McCarthy by a section of the St.Mirren fans.

Luckily he had printed the screen because a short time later the match report had been amended and the reference to “racist abuse” had been excised.. I called Scott Struthers to ascertain what had happened. He confirmed to me that that there had indeed been such a match report on the club site, but that it had been altered. I asked him why and he said because there had been no abuse of James.

“Sorry Scott, but I have you on record as saying that you were disappointed at the booing of him every time he touched the ball”

“Yes” the club secretary replied, but there wasn’t any racist abuse of James.

I heard the unmistakable sound of goalposts being moved. I reminded Scott that I had personally told him after the game about the chants.

“Yes, but it was only you who heard them.” He said, “ There was no report by the stewards or the police.” I thought of the policeman who had taken me around to the tunnel.

I thanked Scott for taking my call and for all the hospitality and help he had afforded me on the match day and before in facilitating my work.

I remain of the opinion that Scott Struthers is a fine man.

Scott had told me that James had given an extensive and exclusive interview to the Advertiser the week that he wasn’t speaking to the press (after the Ally Ross piece in the Sun). It was a hunch.

I got through to Andy McGilvray who covers the “Accies” home games at New Douglas Park. I told him who I was and the conversation I just had with Scott Struthers.

“That’s nonsense I heard it!” I asked Andy where in the ground he was?

“I was in the main stand right in the middle.”

“Like, above the tunnel area?”

“Yeah”

“And you heard the ‘plastic paddy’ stuff?”

“Yes, everybody heard it!”

I asked him could I go on the record with this conversation and he agreed (or you wouldn’t be reading it now) I thanked him and hung up.

My cell phone immediately went off in my hand again, it was my colleague in Dublin. He had been intrigued by the censored match report between, lets face it, two not every unimportant Scottish soccer teams. He had gone onto a message board for St.Mirren fans and there had been reports of phone calls made to the Paisley club by St.Mirren fans about the original Hamilton match report.

A complaint from St.Mirren to Hamilton, I thought, seemed a likely explanation for the removal of the original match report.

I called St.Mirren and asked to speak to the press officer. I was told that he was on vacation. Ok could I speak to someone else? General Manager Brian Caldwell took my call. He denied that there had been any racist abuse of James McCarthy. I told him that I had heard the abuse and that I had been in the away end. He countered that he had also been in the away end and that he had heard nothing! Mr.Caldwell then asked me what I was doing in the away end with the St.Mirren fans. I told him, quite bluntly, that following on from the Ally Ross piece in the Sun and the Real radio football phone in that I feared that James McCarthy might have been the target of anti-Irish racism because of his decision to play for the Ireland.

“So you went there looking for it?” accused the St.Mirren general manager.

Well yes Mr.Caldwell I’m a journalist I was there checking out a story. It is what journalists are supposed to do! Journalists find stories and then report them to the public. I admitted that it was a small minority of the St.Mirren fans that were subjecting James to the abuse. Mr.Caldwell then stated that if it was only a small minority then it wasn’t a story. This I told him was a slightly different from “it didn’t happen at all”.

Silence.

At that stage it seemed almost impolite to tell him that a journalist from the local paper sitting in the main stand could hear the racist abuse of James McCarthy that Mr.Caldwell sitting in the same stand as the St.Mirren fans claimed he could not.

I thanked Mr.Caldwell for taking my call.

I am back home in Ireland now and I can reflect that in the space of four days I attended an event dedicated to eradicating racism from the game in Scotland, a soccer game where an Irish kid received racist abuse and found out, by looking at the Sunday papers, that such abuse didn’t make it into a single match report. Moreover there is a hesitance in Scotland to call what happened to James McCarthy racism.

You know, as a journalist, that you’re doing your job when you ask questions that people don’t want to answer.

This piece is from the mhans own blog
philmacgiollabhain.com

TMC & Solelybhoy,

Normally the home team gets preferential treatment. I feel that due to the ferocity of the atmosphere at Celtic Park on CL nights that the officials sympathise more with the opposition due to it and dont want to be seen to be influenced by the crowd, especially when playing a so called bigger teams. This coupled with our domestic situation has stymied our present mind set. I.e accept any injustice quietly and shrug it off.

Just came across this interesting piece from Belfastmedia:

Soccer
Everything was against the Celts
North Belfast News

Ordinarily the prospect of a defeat of any nature to an English club side is always a bitter pill to swallow.

If perhaps a few months ago someone had suggested that English champions Manchester United would beat Celtic 3-0 it would be a case of packing your bags and saying adios to football altogether.

Yet having watched Tuesday evening’s fixture I find it difficult to feel anything of this nature. The run-in to the game coincided with a disastrous run of injuries that left a decimated and patchwork side for Gordon Strachan to field.

By any standards and on that basis alone it was always going to be an uphill struggle. In every department of the pitch we had key injuries, most acutely up front with both Samaras and Vennegoor missing.

To our credit we held our shape and managed to contain the home side but also to create decent attacks of our own. What happened next was beyond belief?

We all know the frailties of human nature and the fine line between a mistake and the right decision. Irrespective mistakes are made and more often than not they can prove costly.

Sometimes a team rides its luck and gets the breaks in its favour. However to be given two goals which were clearly offside has to raise serious questions.

One error of judgement could be overlooked but two is unforgivable. Celtic fans have often been described as arch conspiracy theorists that sometimes wallow in a vat of self-pity.

On this occasion however there can be no argument. A blind man would have spotted what were two clearly off-side goals which it has to be conceded have put paid to Celtic’s prospects of another place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

It has often been said, particularly since the inception of the Champions League format, that wealthier clubs have had preferential treatment from match officials.

Whether this is by accident or design no one can really prove, but given the wealth of evidence over the years all the indicators suggest that all is not in order. Before anyone starts pointing the finger, this is not a case of sour grapes, the best team won on the night, however it has to be pointed out that with all their wealth and resources they don’t need any additional assistance.

Who knows what pattern the game would have taken without such faulty decisions.

What has been proven time and again since the inception of the Champions League is that the wealthier teams are definitely given more latitude and who can blame people for feeling such bias exists?

One final point in relation to this game was the allocation of tickets. Out of a potential 75,000 total, Celtic were only given 3500. A paltry figure that is nowhere near the normal ten per cent given to away fans.

If that weren’t enough, a large number of the remaining tickets were given to travel companies who in turn organised an all-round package for the game.

Not unexpectedly these trips are at a premium and are traded for an inflated cost thus pricing many fans out of the equation altogether.

Such practice is now commonplace in many sports with those able to afford it getting to events while genuine fans that travel on a regular basis to matches are denied an opportunity to follow their team.

Celtic with such a large following, and particularly far away games, feel this problem acutely. Some argue that this is the changing face of sport; personally speaking it is not a welcome development.

In the meantime Celtic’s bruised and depleted squad must pick itself up ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game against Hibs at Parkhead.

With Rangers involved in an earlier game it is vital we maintain our lead of the SPL. This is all the more imperative given that only one Scottish side will qualify for the Champions League next season.

The Scottish co-efficient, which is the measure of who qualifies for what tournament, is significantly reduced due to the poor showing of Scottish sides in European competitions. As ever the title should be our main ambition this season, anything else is merely a bonus.

So Quite Clearly someone likes us out in media land, shame it's not from Scotland where only Mark McGhee stuck up for us on the beeb.

Man U best team in the world or just another one of the get everything goings.

Hope Liverpool stick it up them. Not Liverpool fan but it would be sweet to see Taggart's face if he lost to the team he really hates down there.

Anyway

Mon the hoops tomorrow

Paul67

With talk on Nakamura returning to Japan in January, do the board have plans in place or a strategy (not just for naka but for any of our top players) to release money for the manager to replace the player, and i'm not talking 1 or 2 million as that would be a tremendous two fingers to the fans, but substantial money 3-4 million to acquire an adequate replacement? or will we be fobbed off with the loan signing of Jef Suarez as a replacement??

DD

DD

I think we will see that Nakas eventual long term replacement is Shaun Maloney

Hail Hail

Malceye

I tuned into Radio Scotland on Tuesday night after the game to catch further interviews with players and manager, left radio on and caught the start of the phone in.

First line by the presenter.

'Was that not just beautiful?'

The presenter is also the chief crayon holder for the records sports pages.

Raging I missed the draw, the early morning trains to Argyle Street are fully booked, the 263 bus is now four times the normal price and taxi drivers have added a double boundary charge.

For those wanting to keep check on Glasgow Weather Glasgow Cam

Porridgeandbananas, she sure did. I assume you are correct regarding showers.

Jinkysboy, I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Alicia, so can’t answer that one.

up_over_goal, I know of no active business Celtic are engaged in to move beyond the SPL.

Donegaldanny, I disagree with the premise of your point.

The last £4m player we signed (Scott Brown), in my view, contributed significantly less in the second half of last season that the loan player (Samaras) or £1m player (Robson) brought to the club in January.

In terms of being fobbed off, I don’t know enough about Suarez to give you a reliable verdict (nor do I know anything about him coming to Celtic), but I will note your information on the player, although I have heard differently from others.

The £4m Brown signing last year is at the top end of where I think we should be shopping, but I cannot see how anything less than this to replace Naka in January would be “a tremendous two fingers to the fans”?

I also think it is highly unlikely that the board have any plans for this. Football matters are the business of the manager and his scouts. If he needs to change his budget, he will no doubt ask the board, but I doubt that losing Naka 6 months early will make this likely.

awe naw

And yet again the squad gets weaker....:-(

DD

Paul, I've just e-mailed you about tomorrow.

Donegaldanny, “and yet again the squad gets weaker”.

Yet again? When was the last window the squad got weaker?

Paul67

I don't understand why we paid 4m for a player from the SPL and as you say yourself he has contributed little. Scottish Players will not advance us in european competition IMO. I'm not advocating going out and spending 4m on a scottish player (to do so in the first place I think was utter folley!) or even an inflated english player but I will ask, what do our scouts get paid for? is the limit of thier scope the SPL and UK???

As you will note if you read my previous post I did not give an opinion on Suarezs ability as I know little about the player. A loan deal for a established player I would not mind but another loan deal like crosas when in reality if they are any good at all they go back to barca and we pay a few hundred thousand for the privalege would indeed be a two fingers to the fans. If a star like naka went and we replaced him with a teenage loan signing or a 1m pound from the championship AGAIN! do you think that would be acceptable?

DD

DD,

in the words of Kojo

What has Naka done for me lately ?

I would love to believe that we will get 10m$ for Naka and invest it back into the squad but I am being a realist. It´s not going to happen.

I´m hoping that players like Caddis, Millar, Sheridan, Mac Gowan ,Hutchison etc step up to the plate one day. It´s happened before Murdoch, Mc Grain, Dalglish, Nicholas, Mc Stay etc.

I´m worried that we will recruit another Graveson or Jarosik or Zurawski or Donati. Aren´t you ?

HAil Hail

If there is no active business going on to escape the SPL, then this should be the new cause celebre amongst Celtic fans, never mind the left back obsession.

We are standing still. This will never change as we have done just about all that can be done interms of attracting the right quality of players to Celtic Park. £4m on Scott Brown is about as far as we can push it. I know that is about our limit in the SPL but for a club the size of Celtic it simply isn't good enough.

We need to move now or see the size of our world-wide support diminish.

Rise up, Celtic!

P.S. Should have said League 1 earlier, rather than Division 3 - stuck in the highlight of my boyhood Saturday afternoons watching the League results with the plummy voiced telly announcer.

BasilBrush csc

The departure of Shunsuke Nakamura, prepare to file under 'you don't know how good you've got it until you lose it'. I hope we can persuade him to stay until the summer but in any event he will be fondly remembered and badly missed.

Having said all that, McGeady on the right and Maloney on the left is an exciting proposition (domestically).

Donegaldanny

I admire naka's skills ability and composure and obviously his free kicks. I will remember him fondly when he leaves - be it jan or June.

He doesnt fall into the category of irreplaceable and to be fair the travel and desire to return home have shaded his effectiveness and matchwinning performances.

I for one would think he peaked the season before last and Celtic would see him as a luxury after this season.

How much we spend on a replacement for Naka would not be my biggest issue with Shaun, aiden, and to a lesser degree paddy and Mizuno there and also paul caddis must be in the frame for a run on that right of midfield.

My focus would be on a quality left back as a lot would wish on this blog.

Money is tight and I dont see CFC spending big on any player in 2009 - if we sign anyone at over £2.5m it would have to be dependant on offloading players for big bucks.

Paul67

Too many to count really, look at our defence, weakest it has been in many a year and we have Bobo Balde sitting there! and Darren O'dea being courted by Ipswich while we go out and spend 2.5m on Glen Loovens!!!

Our midfield minus Naka will find it hard to compete with TFOD once ferguson comes back in. We have never replace Neil Lennon despite many poor signings from WGS (Jarosik, Donati, Graveson). We have never replaced Stan Petrov with anyone who could score regular goals from midfield. Indeed WGS bought every good atacking midfielder in the SPL and has turned them all into defensive minded players. We have bought players to fill a squad not our first 11 (mccourt, mizuno, huthinson, killen, riordan)

Our strike force lacks a top class striker, not hard to get one see Kezman to PSG. McDonald is looking like a one season wonder, big Jan seems to be injury prone, we got rid of riordan, chris killen is absolutely dreadful even when fully fit.

IMO our squad is gettting weaker every passing season.

DD

Peter kenyon live on SSN " I dont see us being active in the january window - unless injuries dictate it"

Even the billionaire benefactors have pulled in the purse strings and that has a knock on effect right down the food chain as its their "outside" money that generates the smaller transfer funds at the lesser financed clubs

Donegaldanny, I suspect that even our best players (Samaras, McGeady, Maloney) would eventually be sold or loaned out if they were at Barca.

Again, not knowing the player, I suspect that Suarez would not be a fob off; we need to work smart angles to bridge the un-bridgeable gap, so I encourage working deals like this with Barca.

As Awe Naw suggested, we have Maloney for the same position, so there are several other places I would be keen to spend lots of money first.

up_over_goal, this has been a perennial criticism of mine about the club.

If there have been too many windows where the squad has weakened to count, lets flush it out. Name me the last one and we can look at who we lost compared to who we brought in.

IMO our squad is gettting weaker every passing season.

DD

Exactly, don't follow leaders, watch the UEFA co-efficient.

FWIW I think the strategy this year has been to ensure that sufficient is spent[!] on the squad to allow us to win the SPL.

Not win it in style but JUST enough to beat the Shame, even by the skinniest of skinny whiskers.

Any other income will be used to keep a tight rein on debt.

We are in Europe this year to make up the numbers. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it's us and not them but I still struggle to see evidence of progress under the current regime. In the past I've inclined to credit the Ginger Helmsman for this but I think there are other culprits.

Donegaldanny, that last paragraph, "If there have been..." was for you, not up_over.

awe naw

you have a point regardless of the amount of money we spend I don't trust WGS ability to pick a good player more often than not he has a roughly 1 in 3 record of success

cue the irate posters asking me to list the bad players!:-)

DD

Hope this is true.

£6.4m Naka?

Thinking about image rights he would earn them a few yen, I would expect a decent price, as mentioned here earlier in the week Naka is Japans Beckham PLC.

The SFA have released a statement saying they would consider Novo for Scotland, nail in the coffin.

I think this is the strongest squad we've had since 2004 but it doesn't matter what anybody thinks - it's the medals at the end of the year that count.

That's how success is defined in football, I'd say signing success is about 50% - and that's all a manager can hope for (ask Ferguson, Wenger or O'Neill!).

OK, so what do others think?

Are we going to move forward as a club or stayed mired in the SPL, with nothing to show for it 40 years hence save a few photos in the Hampden hall of crusty memorabilia?

We need to put more pressure on the board to engineer a move. Surely now is the time, given the perilous economic circumstances affecting many English clubs, who'd be grateful for Celtic's profile in their league.

The inter-generational support we have world wide cannot be taken for granted. We need to to move now or watch ourselves become just another small country club.

paul67

We lost riordan got sammi (but he was already there) we got Paddy McCourt as much as I like the guy it was embarassing for Celtic and IMO he will never be a Celtic player in the first team probably 4-5 games max in his whole career. We failed to get a left back AGAIN!! we got a loan signing from Barca whos 20 (good looking player i'll grant you) we were linked with international class defenders (tamas Basa) as we always are, and we end up with a boy from Cardiff who is no better than bobo balde who is already sitting there! We bring Maloney back but that doesn't count as we should never have lost him if we had paid him the wages he was looking for in the first place (which we probably do now??) and we were yet again in net profit.

weak IMO

DD

Estadio

£6.4 million for naka .........

How many players at Cp wouldnt be let go if someone bid that for them now, never mind one who is at the end of his career.

Whats naka's contract length - is it up in June with a years option?

Estadio 11.38
If you haven’t got a ticket I would forget it. Chief Supernintendo Rab McMason at Brigton Polis station has issued a statement urging ticketless fans not to travel stating that all boozers within a five mile radius of the park have been instructed to limit all customers to 12 pints of council lager, with no Tonic, Mad Dog, Callie or Super Lager to be sold from the time of 8.30am until 2 hours after the final whistle.

This is in response to the FollowFollow charity 5 a sides scandal of 2007 when Senga (Govanhill) Gub and Wilma Grandmistress Suck started a riot in the Loudon Tavern when the big screen portable broke down during the episode of Jeremy Kyle where Senga’s cousin (and half sister) malkeyed her boyfriend when Jeremy revealed he had been sleeping with his sister.

Both Senga and Wilma have since denied that they were involved in the riot claiming that it was Chelsea the Head Munter that was to blame.

vclxi

DD

I thought we were identifying a window where the squad was weakened not weak

If we lost Deeks and TG who were not getting a shirt and brought in McCoiurt (not getting a shirt) Sammi (top scorer) Crosas (a star in the making) and Loovens (not the ariel presence of Bobo but better on the deck) I cant see how that weakens the team or squad.

Gallagher: What a fantastic article wonder if any of our Scottish Media will pick up on this? Will Novo now be subject to chants of plastic kiltie? Or will he media welcome him? Will be intersting to see what they all make of it?

I wish James all the luck in the world!

Good luck to all tomorrow

DD,

I think its unfair of you to single out WGS. Celtic recruit by committee. We have John Park, WGS, ? Clarke, and PL all involved in the process.

Our scouting and recruitment policy needs sorting out that´s for sure. I agree entirely with Paul67´s assertion that we need to spend the money better. We need to get more from our youth setup thats for sure.

Too many wao singings prove disappointing

Too many signings and subsequent 1st team profile seem unfathomable

Too many sales prove crazy

The squad is highly imbalanced

I do wish that we gave up on the cups. It´s only for kudos they dont bring in much cash and I think it would be better for the rest of the teams in the league if they knew that the champions play a shadow team as it would give them more of a chance.

Our scouting seems very poor when compared with other European clubs. I think this is the one area where we have failed and it has been exacerbated due to the "glamour" signings not hitting their intended mark. In fact far from it!

Lets hope that Sammi (a snip) has bucked that trend. Maybe loan recruitment is the safer way to go for our recruitment team. They need to learn to walk before they can run.

Gallagher

I used to read the Irish Post regularly in the 90's and I remember Phil's articles then. he was always a fine journalist.

To me, this is such a revealing insight into how mainstream Scottish society cannot deal with some of it's Scottish born citizens celebrating and declaring their Irishness.

It's not a problem in England, America, Canada, Australia nor New Zealand. Nor anywhere else - to my knowledge - where Irish people emigrated to, when their children & grand children chose to celebrate that Irishness. Except Scotland.

Ironically, Scotland views with great pride (and why not) celebrations of Scottish-ness outside of Scotland, when people of Scots descent form cultural societies and hold Burns Suppers.

But to be Irish in Scotland is a step too far it would seem.

Well done to Phil MacGiollabhain for a great example of investigative journalism.

Tully.

Minx / Gallagher

Surely nacho is still holding out for a place in the Spanish national team.

Then again - peeple who sit on Walters bench should walk straight into Burleys team - Im sure Duffield would instruct GB to pick him to avoid another dummy spitting incident with TFOD superstars.

Pggtips, we are approaching the fifth anniversary since our last game in the Uefa Cup, which is why the coefficient is not where it once was.

If we had lost to Benfica in the last two Champions League group stages, instead of beating them, perhaps we too would have gained all the coefficient points they did?

Or if we had tumbled out of the group stages like Rangers, maybe we would have faced considerably easier pickings than Barcelona?

If we finish third in the group this season we will earn more coefficient points than we did in the last two seasons by finishing second.

Donegaldanny, we lost Riordan, agree, but he was very seldom a first choice (maybe 10 games a season?).

We brought in Maloney, a really key player for us, as well as Crosas and Loovens, both of whom I expect to play more than Riordan did last season.

If that is the extent of our squad weakening, great.

Can I say that much as I like Mr Novo the idea of him playing for Scotland is just a joke and should never be allowed. I think it should be strictly enforced that you only play for your country of birth or the country one of your parents came from.

Vclxi

Great stuff, I was planning a day sampling the cultural delights of Brigton. Think I will head in tonight for a wee stroll around their cosmopolitan beer cafes to see if there is any spares kicking around.

If not, at least I will be able to sample the thriving local folk music scene, the reviews I have seen have said 'It has to be seen to be believed.'

Paul67

Your acceptence of mediocrity astounds me and I'm sure i'm not the only person. Left back??? Paddy McCOurt are you seriously defending that as a signing? As much as I like the guy I have to say.

And is Loovens any better than what we already have? I don;t think so

Awe naw

Agree to a certain extent we too often spend the money on poor players as I say WGS has around a one in three strike rate hes bought far more bad players than good.

DD

Awe naw

I agree that the cups are not a priority - even the big cup comes after the SPL.

I would be happy to see the midweek Killie game taken as a cahnce to give some squad players and less travelled players a chance they would not get in the SPL - while resting the first team between the two Embra challenges

How about this for a team against Killie

Brown
Caddis O Dea Loovens Robson

Mizuno Hartley Maloney McCourt

Hutchison Sheridan

Gallagher 11.12

Thanks for posting this informative and revealing piece. An excellent example of real journalism if I may add.

donegaldanny,

Impressed with your posts so far-keep it up.

Come on DD stop letting your passion frsutrate you and boil over and cloud your judgment. How can WGS and the recruitment team;-) have brought in "far more bad players than good" at less cost and bettered MON´s record ?

That statement alone must empower all those at Celtic Park to get WGS on a ten year rolling contract.

Edward

Is Walter not Nachos uncle ????

Did you read the piece on the Irish journo with Kick racism and at the Hamilton game? whats your thoughts on that piece.

Are you coming to the 5s?

Ed- my current final year student is from.. Kilwinning!

She is making excellent progress after only a week under my expert tutelage and is no longer eating cheese with a spoon.

Excuse my ignorance can somebody fill me in on how Novo qualifies for Scotland?

Paul67

Maybe, but none of what you say was/is certain, certainly not the bottom part, finishing 3rd, earning more points etc and the co-efficient is a very fair barometer of overall performance and standing.

Paul67

Having a few grammar problems today? Try and get hold of that English school teacher who was around yesterday,it can only help.

24th October 1995,

Moira Brennan RIP,

Martin.

jinkysboy,

Very good but I´d play Bobo and Donati even if they are on the way out. It at least gives us a fighting chance and lets Maloney and Loovens know that they are 1st teamers. That leaves us finding a solution for Sir Barry Robson.

Jinkysboy :- I thought it a good bit of writing from someone who took the trouble to follow up a story.
Sadly I won't make it to the fives though looking at weather forecasts thats maybe a good thing :-)

DBBIA :- I hope you haven't given her a fork or anything sharp.
P.S How does she cope with the monosyballic grunting that passes for language down that way?

Gallagher

I'm sure you won't mind if I point out that AndyCol posted the Phil MacGiollabhain article on CQN last night.

I too thought it was excellent, but am bound to say this. He was admirable in his taking to task of St Mirren, Billy Singh and Hamilton Academical, but we all know that the real problems are just about to begin when young McCarthy runs out against Rangers.

Will there be an exposé of what the Rangers support shouts, of what their media machine says afterwards and of what the chat is in the press room?

My point is that shining a torch on St Mirren and standing up to Hamilton Accies is fine, but not if we all just cower in a corner when it's big bad boys.

I live in hope, but I fear it may turn out to be a bit like Duffield getting on his high horse in the Linlithgow Rose Scottish Cup tie over the Big Jock banner only to change his tune when slightly bigger teams became embroiled.

Raveheart35,

residency ...

Arteta too see www.evertonbanter.co.uk

I can play for Germany but I have turned them down three times and Joachim has told me he wont be coming back. I expect the phone to ring after he´s had his faw oot with Mikey ;.)

Martin42 :- My thoughts go out to you on this day which must be full of bittersweet memories. I hope that today all the happiness and joy you had together are the thoughts that crowd out the rest.

Martin 42, and Paul and Kevin

Here's a wee shoulder to the heavy wheel on a difficult day. God rest Moira. Requiescat in pace.

Tully57

Has there ever been a St Patricks Day parade in Glasgow like Boston or New York, where due to the high percentage of Irish dispora they celebrate their Irishness.

Ed - she copes well with the monoSYLLABic variety, ken.

For monosyBALLic we send her to a vets in Mauchline.

I've only read the BBC report of the Novo non-story thus far:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7688703.stm

I think we can guess which newspaper he admitted it to (I might be wrong), but the point is, it's a non-story. It was a "journalist" (I use the term loosely) asking him. I remember the same story surfacing years ago about Agathe, Amaruso, Thommo - it just seems odd that they would be wanting a Rangers benchwarmer in the Scotland squad when we all know how disgracefully George Burley treated the last one at his disposal...

(not to mention the timing, when people playing for countries not perceived to be their first choice is such a delicate issue)

Was there not a possibility that Agathe might play for Scotland under the same rule as Novo a few years ago? Obviously this never happened but I seem to recall it being mentioned somewhere.

Hail Hail and that

Donegaldanny, I’ve spoke about a left back many times and if you want to discuss this instead, fine... we need a left back and I sincerely hope we sign one in January. We agree on that, OK?

But, I was addressing your earlier point, that the squad was weaker after the summer transfer window. Can I conclude that you agree that losing Riordan and gaining Malony, Crosas and Loovens, in fact makes the squad stronger?

Do we agree on this too?

Pggtips, it is not certain, but it is true that Benfica (twice) and Rangers failed where Celtic succeeded, but still earned more coefficient points.

In fact, if memory serves, every team who dropped to the Uefa last season ended up with more coefficient points that Celtic for the season.

Our last Uefa Cup coefficient point is almost five years old, which makes coefficient points a very poor measure of Celtic’s success.

Discostu, I’m just pathetic, though it’s great to know that you keep reading. Well done with the “Paul67”, I got it first time.

o1bhoy

Just read your news on last night article..

well done you..... :)))))))))

i will now go back and read todays comments.....HAIL HAIL

The Daily Record spin on

"... a Scottish FA spokesman said: "At present, he does not hold a British passport and is therefore not eligible to play for any of the Home Nations.

"If that were to change then he would be considered like any other player."

is, wait for it...

"THE SFA have told Nacho Novo the ball's in his court if he wants to play for Scotland, by suggesting he apply for a British passport. ..."

That's the preview bit on Google News, I really don't want to read any further.

Paul67

So you agree your pathetic?

Awe naw

Forgot about Balde and Donati .......... well im trying hard to

Yeah suppose should get them in the mix

If that team I put together cant beat Killie when they are all mostly trying to prove themselves - then that would say a lot about our squad - compare their values and wages with Killie.

But - I wont hold my breath

Edward

Dont you know the sun always shines on us........

Martin 42

As someone who lost his son 5 years ago I know what its like to lose a loved one. Always in my heart and in my thoughts - but hes up there talking to TB and Jinky and big Jock. My heart goes out to you today

DD: Didn't we all go WOW!! at the signings of Graveson, Donati and Jarosik, the latter I think giving the best return and I was actually sorry he left. For whatever reason, what we think are good signings initially sometimes do go belly up and shouldn't always reflect on the Manager, all of them had good pedigree.

DiscoStu

I take it your English school teacher jibe is aimed at me.

I'm not English and I'm not a schoolteacher, as I said yesterday when you asked. I was only trying to help.

Celtic_First

Why are you so sensitive in describing what I said as a jibe.No offence meant at all.What is being English got to do with being an English teacher?

Discostu

Im quite pathetic too - well Mrs Jinx used to call me that whe I came home drunk, skint and with a kebab down the front of my shirt.

God how i miss those "pathetic" days

By oneantonrogan on October 24, 2008 9:48 AM

Sorry if this has been raised already as I have had little time to catch up on yesterdays topics but...........

Can anyone explain to me exactly how the young boy in the Herald article is guily of "religiously aggravated breach of the peace" because Constable Andrew Gunn found a T-shirt offensive (or was it the Celtic top underneath?).

This is a genuine question to all posters as I am struggling to find the religious aspect of this crime never mind a breach of the peace.

Did I have miss something?
Celt33

Discostu,

Having a few grammar problems today? It's "you're" not "your". Try and get hold of that English school teacher who was around yesterday,it can only help.

Therags...

Discostu

I misread you. You wrote English school teacher, not English teacher.

If jibe is too strong I apologise, but you were having a dig at Paul and seemed to include me in it. All I tried to contribute was some constructive criticism.

Discostu, absolutely; bad to the bone too. It took someone with your wisdom to point it out, though, so I find it encouraging that despite this, which is now self evident, you keep coming back to my blog.

Thank you, you are my world, never sound pathetic, and are a true beacon of the Celtic spirit.

CF, thanks.

Celt33

Im not saying its right - in fact I posted at the end of the last thread how out of line it was given the other stuff thats going on from TFOD etc

But tecnically the offence is - behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace" You dont even need to breach anyones peace.

Therefore the Plods could deem that should young Michael walk onto the busy Paisley Rd he could cause a breach of the peace by inciting a "hun" with the writing on his t shirt. No argument there - just that its not conistent

Im sure if this was not the case (which trust me it is) his lawyer would have got it thrown out of court - in fact the PF would not have even went near a sitting with it.

With my love for the national team on the wane anyway, if Novo plays for Scotland I'll not support them again. This is just another example of how standards are going to hell and it's a free for all in international football these days.

My humble opinion - only where you're born unless your parents have moved country then you have a choice. I know it's gone on for year but it's not my personal preference.

These days France hardly have a frenchman, Germany stole 4 Poles, Portugal do it, Scotland (too many to mention), England, Poland (with Roger the Brazillian guy) Ireland ( see Scotland for further details, God even japan have done it! The whole lot would do it if they could!

The whole system is breaking down!! AAARRGH!!!!!

Oh, and I really don't like Nacho Novo to boot! He is a horrid little man at times.

Oh, I think it's ludicrous, and I think basically they've given Rangers a free rein to get offended by the word Hun as religiously prejudicial. Or something. I have no idea. I was adding the further point, to that discussed in the previous article, that dismissing it as "a bit of banter" didn't work for his legal team, so look forward to that argument being dismissed in a court of law when the thousands of people singing illegal and racist songs finally get their day in court.

Jinkysbhoy, I can see how it could be seen as likely to incite a breach of the peace, yes. but on the grounds of religion? Come on...

I personally don't like Novo and neither do I think he's good enough to get into the national team. I'm of the opinion that people can grow to love and adopt a country though and if that's the case with Novo then I wouldn't grudge him playing for Scotland, but if it's simply a case of him trying to get any intentional football now that he's finally resigned to the fact that Spain don't want him I'll have to say no thanks.

Oneantonrogan

We all know the reason he was pulled in (Paranoia rippping out of my chest) but in court religion would just be a side issue.

Im actually surprised that the court even used that phrase and wonder if it was actually his lawyer that dropped it in to the dialogue to get his client off.

It makes you wonder if wearing a cricifix outside your shirt could now be deemed as "behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace"

Or how about - marching down the public heighway in a group of thousands, banging drums, playing tin whistles and singing anti-catholic songs while your pals carry big manners, drink in a public place and pee anywhere they like.

Or is that just crazy talk

Martin42

hope today isn't too sad for you and your family..
God Bless....

BT

Krakow Bhoy

Would we not then become Novo Scotia

I would have as much trouble as I did when Judas played for Scotland

Thing is, a crucifix *is* an outward sign of religion. A Celtic shirt, or a T-shirt calling Rangers fans Huns isn't, neither are a signifier of one religion or a denigration of another.

KrakowBhoy,

Are you saying that if I say yes to Joachim Low your not going to support me ?

Martin42,

I spent nearly many weekends and summer school holidays in Carfin when a young laddie. Whenever I see you post I always think of 47 Links View where I had some of the best days and memories of my life. You may not know this but usually ;-) every time you post it cheers me up no end as it reminds me of my idyllic childhood weekends, The Whiskey bond, May Conway?? shop. Those that looked after me then have all gone a long long time ago but you link me with them every time you post and I´d just like to thank you for that as those are priceless memories that can interrupt the flow of my life anytime.

STANDING UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS AND YOU ON THIS TOUGH DAY

Hail Hail

You can arrange the punctuation in that sentence any way you like in order for it to make sense :-)

Just saw Thomas Sorenson on TV there - what a nasty injury to his eye courtesy of Mr Alan Hutton.

He really was lucky he didnt lose an eye.

The Judge Roy (peebles) Bean,
this episode reminds me of a sketch from "not the nine o'clock news".
The bhoy was guilty of wearing a loud shirt in a built up area :oD

CF

Not that I disagree much with yourself, but on the McCarthy issue I would say that the best example of the real problem is the Hamilton/St Mirren game as opposed to when he plays against Rangers.

Rangers fans will boo in large numbers, but then what will that tell us?

Their anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-Irish racism is well established and understood.

Perhaps what isn't so well understood is latent anti-Irish feelings amongst mainstream Scottish society, as evidenced during a football match between 2 small teams whose supporters are neither rivals nor overtly bigoted.

Estadio Nacional - not to my knowledge. There's increasing numbers every year at the St Patrick's celebration in Coatbridge, but I don't think there's ever been big parades in Glasgow. Probably because the Irish population over the years have known such huge displays of Irishness would be unwelcome.

Tully.

Oh! Paddy ,dear and did you hear
The news that`s going round
The shamrock is forbid by law
To grow on Irish ground
St. Patrick`s day no more we`ll keep
His color can`t be seen
For there`s a bloody law agin`
the wearing of the green

When the law can stop the blades of grass
From growing as they grow
And when the leaves in summer time
Their verdure dare to show
Then I will change the color
I wear in my cabeen
But till that day I`ll stick for aye
To wearing of the green

Gianni Versace and the fashion police CSC

oneantonrogan.

do have kekbab stains down the front also today? I feel that jinkysboy should be told ! :-)

Oneantonrogan

Point taken - but thats you suing logic, fact and common sense.

Thats not allowed

BTW - my old mum wears a crucifix I bought her 5 years ago. She lives in a housing complex originally built by the Church of Scotland (my mum is a proddy and goes to the nearby Sally Ann).

A couple of the old yins queried her wearing the crucifix and my mum told them to sod off and mind their own business.

The Gate In The Wood, Episode 63

Wilma: Scottish Football Association, Wilma Waddell speaking - how many tickets would you like to purchase for our Argentinian Homecoming Hallowe'en Ball in association with Chaughey Chill ?

WC: Wilma, it's Willie Chaughey here. I believe you'll be changing your sales pitch shortly. Gordon Duffield please.

W: I'm afraid Sir Gordon has popped out to procure some Worcestershire Sauce crisps.

WC: He can stick his crisps up his back passage as far as I'm concerned.

W: Precisely, Mr Chaughey

WC: When can we expect the Chief Executive back, Wilma ?

W: You're either in or out of luck. He's just come through the door. I'll put you through to his orifice.... er.... office shortly.....

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

GD: Gordon Duffield, Chief Executivie, how may I assist you ?

WC: You can assist me by tearing up the Scottish Cup sponsorship contract, Duffield

GD: I thought we had an agreement, Willie. Why the change of heart ?

WC: Does the name Wio Ferdinand mean anything to you, Duffield ?

GD: Banchester United's England internationalist ?

WC: That's him Duffield. The very man who had me spreadeagled over a chilled cabinet in the Holy Trinity Lounge, Old Twafford and threatened to stick his pwick in me.

GD: Wio Ferdinand pwicked you Willie ?

WC: No, someone mercifully stole his compass or you'd be talking to the new Asa Hartford

GD: So where do I come in to this sorry tale ?

WC: When we managed to calm Wio down he said you had personally identified me as some guy, Winston Gemmell, a fellow Celtic fan with republican anti-masonic leanings

GD: Oh I see. Winston Bergkamp Gemmell is my nemesis, Willie. He is anti-SFA and is waging some personal vendetta against me. I'd hoped Gemmell would meet his match at Banchester but evidently he has duped us all yet again. He's the bloody Emerald Pimpernel, the bane of my life.

WC: So you didn't speak to Wio on Tuesday night ?

GD: How could I ? I wasn't even in England. I had to check on the fitness of Fergus Barryson, our captain, who was making a return from a career-threatning injury.

WC: So who was posing as you and putting my life in danger ?

GD: Winston Bergkamp Gemmell obviously. He detests me Willie.

WC: But surely he doesn't detest ME, Gordon ? I'm a Tim - the same as him.

GD: It's not the way he sees it, Willie. He needed an escape decoy and picked on you because you've been helping me out with the sponsorship deal. He sees you as a traitor, Willie.

WC: I think we need to bring Gemmell to heel, Gordon.

GD: Careful - he's a ruthless individual, Willie, don't get on his bad side.

WC: I intend to get on his GOOD side, Gordon. Change from the inside. Are we cool on this, Gordon ?

GD: Supercool, Willie.

Watching Mark McGhee having a good debate on Setanta Press Box programme with Graeme Spiers and 'the voice of a football' repeated at 2pm.

Going over the Man U game, Boruc and Mr Smiths comments on his support.

The more I hear of Mark McGhee the more I like.

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo thanks....

Is there not anyone who's any good that could qualify under this rule? Probably not I suppose if they were any good they'd be playing international football already.

Martin 42.
To you and yours.

Be happy.
God bless.

Couple of things. As an Irishman born in Scotland, I would be astounded if Scotland are that bad, a wee scumbag of a man like novo would get a game. If he does then whatever allegiance I had to them is gone. He would be a Hun to far.

Secondly cracking wee debate about the merits of our strengthening or lack of it this season. My two pennies worth is we haven’t.

We have no cover at left back.

Crossas is a loan signing and whilst a good enough player not the leader we needed

Riordan is a strange one a good player but a bad team mate perhaps in Strachans eyes. He may return to haunt us.

Loovens sorry he is no better than what we have and not strengthening the team. Slow and tactically inept.

We did not purchase a striker and infact tried to do a spurs and punt JVOH on the last day. We did extend Sammy but he was one of three already and we need four.

Maloney is a squad player no better than aiden or naka but as we all know naka is off in January. He must be as lawell has said he is staying.

As the Huns have shown and to a lesser importance man Unt we are not as strong as last year and to say we have strengthened is perhaps very very generous to Lawell and Dr Reid indeed. The biscuit tin must be opened in january.

Finally, we must beat hibs tomorrow but I am at a loss to see how we will score a goal.

Raveheart35,

I´d take the Arsenal goalie and Arteta for Scotland

Awe naw

Mrs Jinx threw that shirt out ages ago - she didnt notice me taking it back out and my old mum washed it for me. ha ha

You can hardly see or smell the salad and sauce now

Discostu- Paul67 is well able to fend for himself, but I would say if you have to have a go at him today might not be the best day.

Martin 42

Just read your post.

Prayers are with you and your family.

Martin
Go ndeanna dia trocaire ar a anam...I shall include Moira and her family in my prayers this evening

Oh i forgot about Volunteer McCourt

Whilst it's good to have some of the derry brigade he is never a celtic player.

Sorry paddy but at least your living the dream.

paul67 12.39

No, we brought in numbers thats all, bar maloney none of the players we brought in were better than what we already had, so if we want to go into semantics maybe we didn't get any weaker but we ceratinly didn't improve. We were already weak to start with thats what i'm saying. you can try and defend the transfer policy but alot of fans i'd say a majority feel its just not good enough. If you say we should spend the money we have better, then what are you saying about WGS signing record, surely by definition you are agreeing its poor??

billyimatim 12.44

Does that not say more about our management team that they couldn't handle the players that were wow and had pedigree?

Discstu

Cheers!

DD

Discostu

If you are challenging grammar, may I point out that your question to Paul should have read. "So you agree you're pathetic"?, as opposed to "your" pathetic.

:--) emuwhodisnaeteachenglish

also why on gods green earth do we have a video of Kenny miller on the official website???

Get if off now!

DD

Discostu

Which particular Discotheque do you frequent

I well rememember the Ultratheque - way beyond the disco

I could cut some shapes then. John Travolta eat yourt heart out.

Used to carry a gallon of white emulsion around with me and drink 7/7s (never ever did figure out what the heck that was)

And my flairs and platforms were spankers.

Ah the old disco days - takes me back to before the Greeks exported kebabs and lager as 47p a pint.

Martin42 -

O

WG

Quiz

Who said

"When I was born, I was bought a toy Celtic football. That mapped out my career."

Awe Naw

David Murray

donegaldanny

Bertie auld said it like it is in the telegraph yesterday

The experiments have to stop lets get a settled plan and stick to it.

for me in january
Buy a left back, centre half to work with cauldwell drop mcmanus and loovens

A Midfield of Brown Robson New General Aiden

Sammy and new striker

then its 4 in a row and uefa cup time

Oh i forgot that would mean spending money and we seem to be alergic to that.

Awe naw

Scrub that - I thought you said " a toy celtic football club"

and cos he could never afford the real thing he bought TFOD

jinkysboy.

LOL

I dont know the answer but I´m beginning to look foolish

any help much appreciated

Hail Hail

David Weir just cranked his zimmer frame into a press conference to be asked about Nacho Novo Scotia on Reporting Scotland. "It's not ideal, you'd rather have a team full of people who were born and bred in Scotland". Methinks his PR folks need to have a word with him about toeing the party line.

Aw Naw -

Maurice Johnston, he then swapped it for a toy Rangers football and a map of the USA

I like the way Celtic are going about our business these days. It's very rare that we sign players who are in their late twenties/early thirties which is a good think in my opinion. We are building a team around a nucleus of young players who we hope will develop together. The problem with this approach is that it requires some patience on our part as we demand things instantly, but if we are patient then we will be rewarded well I think.

Crosas 20
Andreas Hinkel 26
Glen Loovens 25
Mark Wilson 24
Scott Brown 23
Massimo Donati 27
Paddy McCourt 24
Shaun Maloney 25
Gorgious Samaras 23
Koki Mizuno 23
Ben Hutchinson 20
Gary Caldwell 26

Even Chris Killen in only 27

As players don't often peak until around 28-31 years of age, we have still to see the best of these signings. Take Gary Caldwell for example, we signed him in his early twenties for nothing and at the time most Celtic fans considered him not good enough and they were judging him by his ability at the time. After a couple of years he has developed into a key player at Celtic and for Scotland as a player who can hold his own in the big games.

There are also the young players in the youth team who we've signed:

Luca Santonocito
Marian Pop
Tomislav Pavlov
Richard Filaret
Daniele Giordano

(Not including the Irish lads either who were also scouted at an earlier age)

On top of these, we have the rest of the young players who will hopefully also push for a first team place.

It is clear that Celtic have a long term game plan in mind and it's the most sensible approach for us as we cannot afford to buy good players currently at their peak. We are still in the early stages of this signing policy and we're still awaiting the first batch of young players to peak together, I think it will be easier once the conveyor belt gets into full flow.

Awe Naw

Was it mother Theresa of calcutta

bhoy sean

So are you saying then we will be a good team in 3 or 4 years

bhoysean

Perhaps in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.

Caldwell i grant you has got better but jeseus what has happened to mcmanus?

bhoysean

you are having a laugh with that post eh? You're being sarcastic, please god say you're being sarcastic??

DD

gweedorebhoy,
if I remember correctly you initially had high hopes for Mr McCourt, since the lhad has joined us he has got his head down to improve his fitness which appears to be working, I really never expected to see him till next season, but with the injuries we are picking up, it could be late this season, why have you changed your mind on him ?

Can't believe I'm leaving THIS to come up to the picture that Estadio posted earlier :o(

Scottish weather is rubbish !

pablophanque

On more than a few occasions, I wished for Celtic to ditch the shirt sponsor and replace it with a worthy charity. (I appreciate the ramifications that such an action would have attracted). They did not do it... Aston Villa did.

I subscribe to Setanta and I pay an annual premium. It runs out in January next year. I have not switched on, or watched, ‘any’ game on Setanta, since early January this year. (My own little vendetta) I have a season ticket for the South Stand at Parkhead and I will renew it again next year, even though it is looking less likely that I will get to take my seat for more than one game this season. I also subscribe to CH67. Twelve pounds a month, almost twice the cost of Setanta and a much thinner product.

These last two weeks I have seen the biggest boom… I have ever known in my lifetime, inexplicably deflate into the most draconian scythe of redundancies and brutal pay-offs… I have ever seen in my lifetime. Callous would be a most kind word to describe it. I spoke with many concerned and financially worried people today and quite a few of them were Scottish and one or two of them were even Celtic Supporters.

Like just about every other subscriber to this blog I have financial commitments. The paramount ones being paying the mortgage and putting food on the table for my children. I have school fees to pay too (Catholic education in Australia, although sought after by many denominations, is not state funded). Like every other concerned parent I will do all that I can to meet ‘my’ financial obligations. I’m quite lucky I was told I have a job for the next nine months at least. However, that was six hours ago.

Like CQN, CH67, is one of my biggest pastimes and sources of personal enjoyment.

Two questions:

Will Celtic Football Club be proactive in acknowledging and ‘addressing’ the hardships that many of their supporters are now enduring?

Will Celtic Supporters please wake up to the harsh reality to the weeks in which we now live in - and appreciate - that our club, for all our ambitions, must prevail with the economic cards with which they’ve been dealt?

Oh! In addition, ‘Setanta’ they’re getting the boot.

(Please Celtic, do something to prolong the lifespan of the overseas CFC ‘Supporters’ Clubs’).

And please don't let MON's Aston Villa pre-empt our empathy again.

gweedorebhoy

At least give Paddy the season to prove that he's isn't good enough. By recent showings in the reserves, it looks like he's finally getting nearer to match fitness and as a result he's starting to show what he's capable of. Look at the goal he scored last weeek:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CdIgZLX0WK0

He was also part of the Champions League squad which shows that he's finally edging closer to first team games.

donegaldanny,

I agree with you, our team gets weaker every year, partly through lack of investment and partly through bad signings.

canamalar

I said he had a great name and background. For the republican wing of the support one of us. He was a romantic hope never a realistic signing.

He blows out his arse every reserve game sadly.

bhoy sean

One swallow does not make a spring

Watch him he is as fit as skippy but slimmer i grant you.

bhoysean

So if we buy a player aged 20 we should keep them until they are 30 in the vague hope (sorry, I mean part of the grand scheme) that they'll become a world class player.

pablo

Its not too bad

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/webcams/

Paul67

The day you try to elimate people like me is the day the blog dies.Go back and read my posts yesterday and re-look at your replies.I know we/I am having a bit of a laugh here but I did raise a serious concern and I really do feel that it is a problem of major worry which should not be ignored.It's quite an eye opener to see how many supporters you have here regardless of how weak your defense is. In saying that I don't know why you always feel the need to defend weaknesses in the current set up.I believe this blog(and others) is a vehicle which could be usefull in collating ideas/opinions of the fans to ultimately benefit the well being of our club.Surely that is our common goal.

Pablo- how the CQN fives will look after a couple of beers.

jinkysboy

No, I believe we have a pretty good team at the moment but I think it's a team which will improve. It was only a couple of weeks ago that we were banging loads of goals in and playing some of our best football in years, yet after a couple of weeks of injuries and losing away to the European champions the mood seems to have changed.

Look, I'm disappointed as everyone that we didn't get a left back in the summer. If we had signed a good quality left back I'm pretty confident that people would be a lot happier about the transfer dealings over the summer and the squad as a whole.

...

On another note, what is the latest on Dominic Cervi? Are we awaiting a work permit?

KrakowBhoy,

You say that "Germany stole 4 Poles". I am interested to know who these players are. Podolski moved to Germany at the age of 2, and Klose at the age of 7 - both are allegedly "ethnic Germans". So their case is not exactly cut and dried.

Gweedorebhoy,

You are very quick to dismiss Loovens. Do you have coaching badges? I ask because you describe him as "tactically inept". I recall that you said Gary Caldwell wasn't good enough when he joined Celtic. Perhaps you should learn from some of your previous hasty judgements and give Loovens just a little more time.

DBBIA

What team is that?

I thought I caught a glimpse of F.C. Paddy McCourt's Beard

By Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

Sorry mate I was busy. In answer to your question NO but I'm tired of all this country sawp that goes on. I agree with Edward Ursus on that one, country of birth or parents.

Ask a Pole about the 4 guys for Germany (Podolski really hurts some folks here, even though most laugh about it).

It just isn't Cricket or Kosher or whatever is correct and proper in your eyes.

It may gain results or not (Especially if your Scottish or Polish for that matter) but it ain't right just another loophole to be exploited - Tony Cascarino anyone?

BTW if we are talking useless national teams I think Scoltand and Poland would get the shout for biggest bottle merchants or underachievers or anything of that ilk.

Kenny Mcdowall has coaching badges, and now he's coaching badgers.

italiabhoy

Apparently we spent £7m in the summer tho no matter how i try i can not get where that figure comes from

To al you reborn Gary Caldwell supporters out there,He was quite good the other night and is doing well in SPL.Please don't think he is the answer to any of our problems.

lubomiraculous

Caldwell is still not good enough for celtic but he is better than we have because McManus is probably the worst captain in living memory. He has advanced slowly while we have reversed dramatically.

I don’t have any coaching badges just a humble season ticket and a TV set.

This club is going backwards and we must invest. We have the cash why not invest wisely.

Therefore, to answer you my judgement was neither hasty or incorrect.

Caldwell is just the best of a bad bunch.

Loovens will be like most strachan signings a dud.

bhoy sean

Its friday and I have my wind up heed on

I was just having a laugh

I actually dont subscribe to the doom and gloom merchants

I would have loved a LB and still hope we get a cracker

But Im a realist - We will improve - to Man Utd / Chelsea standards - only if they regress due to financial constraints

I often say Strachan has taken over an old losing team - and turned in 3 in a row with 3 CL campaigns and 2 last 16s. Reduced the wage bill and the average age dramatically.

Keep the faith

On the Gary Caldwell argument

Most English newspapers described him as pretty average and indeed the Guardian gave him a 5 - he was not that great

Martin/ Paul,

My thoughts are with you and your family today.

I know you have many wonderful memories and I hope these are of comfort to you all today.

Martin42,
condolences and prayers with the berieved.

Tully57

I take your point. I agree that this shows the depth of anti-Irish sentiment in Scotland and call to mind a game I heard on Radio Scotland a few seasons ago, Dundee away to Motherwell. Dundee scored and their fans broke into the Billy Boys.

Gweedorebhoy,

"We have the cash why not invest wisely".

Ah, now I understand what the problem is. We haven't invested wisely. Thank you. You are very wise.

That team must be...Brattback Mountain!

Only the other day Harald was lamenting that he was no longer a big football star

'You are big' I said' it's the goals that got small..'

Lubomiraculous

Podolski isn't as cut and dried as all that. He wanted to play for Poland but the Polish FA cocked that one up because he wasn't a first team regular for his club at the time or so I've been led to believe by folks here, maybe Zybszek will explain but the boy wasn't celebrating his two gaols in the summer, both his parents are Poles and he speaks the language so he's kinda the same as Skippy. He is a strange case indeed. And when I said stole them I was quoting my mates here.

From what I understand Podolski moved to Germany FROM Poland at ayoung age, speaks Polish and wanted to represent Poland first. I could be wrong but many Krakovians tell me this.

Klose is another case and many view him as a traitor a la McGeady and McCarthy.

Tim Borowski isn't as discussed nor is the other fella whose name escapes me but someone filled me in here.

I could be wrong but to believe dubious nationality taking in INternational football is ok is taking the Michael.

Martin42, my thoughts are with you and all the family on this sad day. I know what Moira meant to you and all who knew her and I know she is never far from your thoughts and prayers.

pablophanque

pggtips2

No not at all, it is up to the manager to keep an eye on the progress of the players and decide which ones have peaked and decide who should be moved on.

Let me just ask, what is so inherently wrong with signing young players with potential and developing them ourselves? We have wasted millions over the years signing players who only give one good season (many less than that) only for them to fade away into obscurity with a healthy wage packet.

Our signing policy is the same which is adopted by the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal and many more. We do it on a smaller scale clearly as we cannot attract the really top young players (the likes of Rooney and Fabregas) but we try to do it on our own level by stealing guys like Luca Santonocito from Inter.

During the later parts of Martin O'Niell's era I spoke with many Celtic fans who believed that we should only sign young players and develop them ourselves as the policy which we were following wasn't sustainable.

I'm not saying all the players I mentioned above will make, clearly some will stand a better chance than others. Samaras in particular looks like he has the potential to be the best striker SINCE Larsson (I'm not comparing!) and Crosas clearly has the talent to be a player which we could build a team around for several years. With regards Crosas, he may move on but at the very least we will make a profit out of him unlike guys like Gravesen.

Evening Times - Friday 24/10/08

Power and pace will propel Cillian in his pursuit of prestige

BIG Cillian Sheridan lacks nothing in terms of the physical attributes that could give him a fighting chance of carving out a fine Celtic career.

Experience is the only thing missing from his locker, although plenty would have been banked from a cameo performance against Manchester United this week in the Champions League.

Clearly, the young Irishman is being groomed for a major role by Gordon Strachan, given the public votes of confidence he has received.

As is the way with most young players with something that bit special, Sheridan is fuelled by a major desire to make it as a top-level striker.

He trusts his manager in the way he is handling his development, which Strachan says is about being careful not to push him too soon as there have been some problems with growing pains as he fills out his tall frame.

But there is always that straining on the leash, a trait many undaunted youngsters on the periphery of first-team life at the Old Firm have, and Sheridan wants to make his mark.

The current striking crisis that has hit Strachan, just as Celtic enter a hectic run of games in three competitions, may well see the door being opened for the 19-year-old, who has impressed everyone at the club with his attitude to work, and his understanding of what he has to put in to ensure his natural talent can be fulfilled.

Reflecting on events, he smiled: "I am really enjoying the step-up, and getting on up at Inverness last weekend and then again at Old Trafford was a fantastic experience for me.

"I'm still a young player and I have a lot to learn, but to be gaining that kind of experience against teams like Manchester United is great.

"Being involved in the first- team picture with so many top players here is really helping my game."

He added: "The training, the experience of being in the squads, the advice from the coaches and manager, it's all crucial and I try to learn as much as I can every day, and also when we are away like during this week down in Manchester.

"Like everyone, you want to play. I want to play for Celtic and score goals for the club, but there are top-class strikers here and I just need to wait for my chance.

"When that comes is down to the manager. It's unfortunate for Georgios Samaras, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Chris Killen, who have injuries right now.

"But I just need to keep myself prepared and be ready every time the manager needs me. That's what I'll be doing."

Sheridan, who appears to have that invaluable asset of genuine pace even though he's over six foot, embraces the concept that the modern striker has to have plenty in their armoury to cut it.

At Old Trafford he got a close glimpse of the very best; the touch, presence and grace of Dimitar Berbatov, and the sheer raw power, speed and class of Wayne Rooney.

These men are operating at the very top of the business, but Sheridan admits that working hard to improve himself is something he has to do.

In the build-up to the United match Strachan, quite rightly, spoke of how it would be unfair to throw the youngster in from the start, given he had only played in a handful of first-team matches so far.

He also highlighted how a step up to first team training levels for the first time, and the pressures that come with that physically, are the things Celtic are keeping an eye on.

"You see the top guys like Rooney and Berbatov the other night and they have everything in their game," Sheridan added.

"I watch a lot of strikers to try and learn things and, of course, try to pick up things from training and playing alongside Sami and big Jan here.

"I know that a lot of the game now is based on pace and power, so building myself up is something I will keep working on to improve."

Sheridan certainly carried no inhibitions into the Theatre of Dreams when he was pitched on for the final 15 minutes of Celtic's 3-0 defeat that leaves them heading towards a Uefa Cup battle with Aalborg unless they can glean a major points haul from the three group games they have left.

A couple of darting runs, and a real directness in his play certainly suggest that Strachan is right to have faith in the player.

It was a personal high for Sheridan to enter that kind of company, even if the result left him as disappointed as everyone else in the Celtic camp.

Reflecting on his Old Trafford experience, he smiled: "The manager just said to me try and score a goal'. That's my job as a striker, and I went on and tried to get forward when I could.

"There were a couple of things I felt I could have done better with, and a header I maybe should have got on target, but it was a good experience even if the result was a blow.

"We knew it would be tough against them, but it's the ultimate dream for young guys like me to play in these kind of matches.

"I would like to be involved in the return game, but we'll see what happens. We need to try and win the match when they come to Glasgow. But we have important games in the SPL and in the cup before that, so we'll be focusing on them."

lubo

we have not invested and infact given the amount of dross signed by the management we have not been very wise at all.

Must be great being a sarcastic twat.

Novo for Scotland? Even ignoring the obvious, surely the fans will never accept a a player turning his back on his country of birth, will they?

Paul67

I bet some times you must say to yourself "why do I bother with this blog". Quite a few times I disagree with your opinions but that's why this is a great Celtic site, there are a range of different opinions on here, I enjoy reading the debates and poster's opinions of the quality of our players and managers (strangely the debates only seems to a heated head when we lose) but the personal abuse you receive you sometimes here is not warranted. So even though I disagree with your opinion on the worth of Mr Reid and Mr Desmond I like to say keep up the good work of maintaining this wonderful blog and your good charity work and thank you for your efforts especially on days like today were you and your family are reflecting on past memories.

I hope my grammer was gud.

Post-Modern Education must be better than the sixties and seventies education because back then we use to say "Modern Eduction is Rubbish!"

Martin42, you've got mail.

TNT

Well said - I think we would all echo your post

Is Paul67 related to Martin42 ?

if so is Paul Martin dad ?

I thought that 67 referred to Lisbon but now I´m not so sure

bhoysean

The problem lies with comparison.

Does Shaun Maloney merit 25K a week just because Petrov, Balde, Larsson were all paid more money?

My joke about the Celtic wage bill not shrinking to fit an inferior squad is a serious one.

We paid 40K/week for Larsson and the rest of the squad feel they are due a sizable proportion of that value or they all go crying to their agents and the Celtic pundits in the media looking for a quick 10K to sell their souls to the Record and the NOTW.

If Celtic set a 40K ceiling for a Larsson, the board have a difficult job getting players to accepting the proportionally correct amount in wages to what they will offer on the pitch. That I would agree is a very difficult job, but its a job they have so far failed to do.

Bringing in younger players like Riordan (was on 8K I think) is all fine and good but after one good season as is the case with McDonald, they are up to 20K and well out of proportion with their value.

Awe_Naw, Martin42 is Paul and Kevin's dad.

pablophanque

Krakowbhoy,

Sure, Podolski speaks Polish, but he also speaks German, having lived in Germany from the age of 2. There were a lot of "ethnic Germans" in various parts of Eastern Europe who exercised the right to move to Germany. However, I have no idea whether Podolski is more German or more Polish. The Poles may complain, but you will recall that they had a Brazilian in their team at Euro 2008, a guy who was given Polish citizenship so that he could play football for the national team. I assume he doesn't speak much Polish.
By the way, Tim Borowski doesn't seem to have any Polish connection at all and was born in Germany. Quite a lot of Germans have Polish names, just as lots of Scots have Irish names.
However, I agree with your general point about the farcical free-for-all in international football.

I never knew that !

Standing up for you too Paul and Kevin.

Does Kevin post as Kevtic ?

Pggtips2

I was under the impression the wagestructure for 1st team squad had 3 bands dependant on experience / age etc.

I believe only a handful are on the top band with the younger guys in the botto end bracket.

"When I was born, I was bought a toy Celtic football. That mapped out my career." - Scott Mac Donald

Gweedorebhoy,

Yes I was being sarcastic. It's just that you come over as a know-all ("Loovens is tactically inept"). I'm sure you are not, and like me you just want the best for Celtic. But if, as you say, the management keeps buying dross, then the management must be damn stupid and we should be calling for change. Strangely enough, I'm not.

Lubomiraculous

I think the point about Podolski really is that the boy considered himself to be Polish but wasn ot allowed to represent the country of his birth and first language because of the people who run the Polish FA (they make our lot look like organisational geniuses at times).

The Brazillian guy Roger was mentioned by me in my original post and I said that was also laughable. I thnik he does speak Polish though as he plays in this league here. (how much, I'm not too sure, but probably more than me - Dzien Dobry, Jak sie mas? Jestem KrakowBhoy i jestem Szkot is about my limit).

Believe it or not a lot of Poles actually support Germany but that's all Stalin's rearranging that caused that. Some ukranians are really or want to be Polish Lvov etc. Redrawn borders make this more difficult to put a rubber stamp on but there is too much of this free for all rubbish now.

I know Alfredo Di Stefano and Puskas did it but we have to have more stringent rules. The same as we should have these reules regarding Champions league seeding and money but it's what suits those with influence and money there.

Awe Naw

No wonder he acts like a spoiled wee bhoy

When I was born I was bought a chimney sweeps brush and was up that lum every morning before crawling out into the close to look for kindling for the fire.

Modern fitba players dinnae ken they are born

pggtips2

I understand what you are saying and it is difficult to manage those sort of situations. I think that signing players like Gravesen and making them the clubs best paid player in history makes it much more difficult though. For example, you have guys like Shaun Maloney playing brilliantly on a moderate wage only for an over hyped player to come in and get much more despite their performances not justifying it.

I think we have started to introduce a system were we pay players at a level which they have merited. Despite the criticism of Boruc and McDonald and even McGeady, they have earned their wage increases through their endeavours previously. In all truth though, we had little choice if we wanted to keep them. It was well reported that Premiership clubs were sniffing around them, so it was a situation were we either sell our best players or we pay them better. They are probably still on a pay level which is less than the premiership clubs would offer though and they still seem to be within the wage budget. Boruc may be over a bit but that's allowed for arguably our best ever goalkeeper, just like it was allowed for Larsson.

Awenaw- did it come with a Big Mac and extra fries?

"I don't feel that from the media or the supporters this team gets the support that it deserves,"

"This team will deliver but the younger you are the more you need support."

The Supporters' Trust shares the managers view that the matchday atmosphere needs galvanising.

"Sometimes fans forget just how young our players are given their quality and that they need encouragement on the pitch."

"I'm a great believer in the quality of these young players and in the quality of this team. But I ask you as well to be proud of them and to show them the support at a moment when it is vital.

"I think this team needs a stronger guide than ever and I want to be this guide. I want to get this team to deliver this year, not next year, this year."

"The structure of the team we have built is fantastic but very young. That means tomorrow we will be better than yesterday and also that nothing dramatic can happen to this club

Antsman @ 2.08

I spotted that marking also (by Ewan Murray) in the Guardian... he made Stven McManus our best with a 7 rating....like most on here I felt Gary Caldwell was our best.

What caught my attention was how close his ratings were to Italiabhoys (score on the door @ 10.59 21Oct) for which Italiabhoy took some stick.

Italiabhoy Guardian
Boruc 5 4

Wilson 5 5

Loovens 5 5

McManus 6 7

Naylor 3 4

Caldwell 6 5

Nakamura 3 4

Brown 7 6

Robson 6 3

McGeady 5 5

McDonald 2 5

Toatl 53 53

In the case of McDonald where the marking differed sharply the
difference lay more in different perception of the cause of the problem

Italiabhoy McDonald (2) invisible ...Guardian (5) needed a partner..never a clear sight of goal.

In the case of Robson the Guardian only awarded 3 because of the freedom united had when attacking down the left.I must say this chimes with my view as it seemed to me that Neville had a free hand to overlap on the left.The combined scoring for Naylor/Robson is not that diffeent Italiabhoy 9 Guardian 7

Thanks to all who left kind thoughts.

Donegaldanny, if that is the case then we do agree that the squad was not weakened in the summer window, this is the point I was making.

For the record, I believe Maloney has already proved to be an improvement on Riordan (and therefore a strengthening of the squad) and I expect Crosas to do likewise before the season is out.

Discostu, when I think about it, I’m also too big for my boots.

Narrowbhoat, I’ve faced bigger challenges than such trifling matters.

Awe Naw, year of birth, all round. Kevin doesn’t post at all, he is far too big for his boots to even bother.

DBBIA,

A Super mac and a Paul Hartley sized Milkshake

Jinky,

thats nothing at least yer ma bought you something. I had to buy her something ....kids today

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on October 24, 2008 2:45 PM

Is it a quiz to guess who made the quote then my best guess is "WGS"

Paul67,

A Carfin boy born in the sixties !!! I kind of picked up that you were from Uddingston. My mistake

We must have been separated by just a few bodies on many a Sunday at St. Francis´s ... I should have cornered you after mass ... saved some typing ;-)

Hail Hail

TNT close but not right

How would the courts deal with a guy wearing a T Shirt that said

I like Catholics,Protestants,Muslims,Jews etc
but I don't like Huns?

How could that be religious incitement?

If asked, a Hun is anyone REGARDLESS of their religion, who is incited by my declaration of love for all religions.

That should befuse and befuddle the real huns who get incited.

Maybe we need to start getting clever on this one?

Pronunciation: \ˈhən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English Hunas, plural, from Late Latin Hunni, plural
Date: before 12th century
1: a member of a nomadic central Asian people gaining control of a large part of central and eastern Europe under Attila about a.d. 450
2 a) often not capitalized : a person who is wantonly destructive : vandal b) usually disparaging : german ; especially : a German soldier

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

Then I guess my "best" wasn't good enough, I was going to say Gary Pendry but I haven't established yet if he has learned to communicate verbally as all I ever see him doing is pointing at his jotter, so my next uneducated guess would be that it is either Captain Mick as he likes to talk or it is the Ghod-like Caldwell. I go for Mick.

lamartine,

wow, always considered myself a guardianista!

Awenaw- the good Doctor?

TNT

it was Arsene Wenger

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7687370.stm

Auldheid,

I think you might have just stumbled upon best T shirt slogan of the century. As Ali G would say "wicked"

Hail Hail

in Belfast a hun is a protestant.

Ulster-Celt

minx1888
tully57
emusanorphan i too thought it was a very good article.
Celtic_First happy to be 2nd,just important to spread the word.

I went to a lecture in the mid eighties in Whitehall London given by Phil Mac Giolla Bhain of the Celtic League which was excellent.
It was called "The Irish in Scotland true guardians of Celtic culture or despised aliens" As a Scotsman of Irish descent on my mothers side,Donegal to be precise, i felt coming out of the hall that night as though i understood myself and this small country Scotland a whole lot better,i just wish that some historians,politicians,journalists et al would take off their blinkers, remove their gags and start portraying some home truths to the population of what could be a great small country before it becomes "Wot the Sun says innit"

bhoy sean on October 24, 2008 1:45 PM

The top post in a day of good posts.

The present set up at Celtic reminds me of the state of the team in the early to mid 60's, pre JS.

We had talented players who suffered from inconsistency. Some days good, others, not so.

They were a young team, the Kelly Kids.

However, it took the Big Man to turn them into the all conquering unit that they became, as they matured physically.

I wonder if GS's brief is to recruit and coach the present squad to a desired level and then pass the job on to a recognised "big name" manager.

I think that Gordon's skills are in coaching, but managing and motivating demand other qualities that perhaps he doesn't possess at the top level.

Just a thought.

paul67

Will you admit we agree Strachans use of transfer money has been poor?

Ok I'll give you maybe we weren't weakened but we were weak anyway, we certainly didn't strengthen IMO

DD

Paul67

I'm sure you are well able to stand up for yourself.Well balanced folk do that.

Here is a little trick I use when someone has a go at me to hep keep my balance.

I take the view that the issue in question is really more about what is going on in the one projecting their view than the one at who it is aimed.

So positive projections tell me the "projecter" is at ease/at balance with himself and negative projections suggest the opposite.

When faced with criticism, especially if someone is trying to project a guilt trip on me I have this metaphorical imaginary small mirror in my hand that I softly hold up to reflect the negativity back at the source.

It is a trick I would love to pass on to Artur Boruc. Not a gesture, not incitement just a device to reflect hatred back to its source to keep oneself balanced in the face of sustained negative attack.

But perhaps Artur has had enough of Scottish hypocricy.

DBBIA :- Damn. Those big words get me all the time :-)

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

The Proffessor himself, easily adaptrd to the bhoys

The way forward for the club is to give youth a chance . Without totally abandoning the signing of expensive foreign prospects we should invest more in the Sheridans, Caddis, etc. We've got to be more adventurous with the young guys coming through. Why sign Big Ben if we end up giving him less playing time than Middleboro'?

No more Gravesons, Donatis, Jarosiks if they are to be shedded having contributed little. All three have been huge disappointments to me, but each are good enough players!

We've bought foreign and to be honest the home grown players have shown up better, for the most part!

Lookin' forward to seeing the Celts out here against the Gold Coast in 2009!

Ulster Celt

Indeed. And all the more reason to be clever.

Auldheid,

If your David Icke I think we should be told !! :-)

Hail Hail

Not going to argue all your points THOMTHETHIM, but who done the motivation to complete the run-in last year? I don't think it's motivation but lack of application and some shitty rotten luck.

Awe Naw, you have missed by a few miles. I only arrived late in the 60s (May 67 no less) but before the decade was out had moved from Newarthill to Holytown.

Donegaldanny, we are getting closer to agreement.

Gordon Strachan could make a stout defence of his transfer record based on our historic three-in-a-row and CL last 16 for the first time, which I agree with, but I also think that we must get much better value for money in the future if we are to progress.

This, of course, is easier said than done. For example, we need more like Boruc and less like Gravesen, more like Robson and less like Jarosik, but there is no formula for this, certainly not spending ever more money, which I would object to.

Auldheid, I cannot argue with that, despite every inch of my being compelling me to do so :-)

The way forward is to give BIG youth the chance. When I see the reserves on Celtic TV I'm disappointed at their lack of height and althleticism.

Maybe that is why we need some foreign influx and whilst I like what Naka has brought in I would prefer someone with that skill but the build to get stuck in.

Trouble with me is I remember Bobby Murdoch. What a difference a player like Bobby would make today.

Aw Naw

He was one of my more errant pupils :)

Thomthetim

I agree wholehearterdly on the physical maturity thing. I watched Bobby Murdoch become the player he was but the downside was that we won nuthin as Bobby matured.

The SPL/CL hamster wheel that Celtic have to tread to even stay at the present level does not allow youngsters to mature in the firsr team.

Perhaps we should be doing a lot more loans out than we already do.

btw anyone know what happened to Charlie Grant a midfielder in the reserves who looked like a fast Neil Lennon a while back?

Yarranabbe Bhoy

To some extent we are doing that now but there is a fine balance to be had, our support is not patient enough for what you are suggesting, there are titles that must be won if we went with youth and the huns win the league our support would immediately demand the head of the manager. Youthful squads need encouragement as Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo post on Wenger October 24, 2008 2:45 PM said. Look how a section of our support got on to Sno, whether he would have made it as a Celtic player if the support encourages him we will never know. We must have the most intelligent supporters in the world when it comes to football for there is quite a few supporters out there that can judge a new or young player after a couple of games and say that they will never make it as a footballer they're rubbish, I don't know why we don't hire them to be our scouts it would save us a lot of bother and money..

gweedorebhoy
1:38

I agree with you but we have Darren O'Dea and if John Kennedy should come good, we don't need a centre back.

For the rest of us
I know we all have a lot of issues with the board and management and what we should do re spending etc. but lets not tear apart the bhoys we have just now. It is a big game for them tomorrow and they need all the support we can give them. Its bad enough that the manager states that they are not good enough without us joining in.
Brendan Crossan's column in the Irish News just about sums it up for me.

Prayers and best thoughts to Martin42 and Paul.

Paul 67

"Gordon Strachan could make a stout defence of his transfer record based on our historic three-in-a-row and CL last 16 for the first time, which I agree with"

I disagree with that entirely - that reflects well on his management 3 in a row does not make Gravesen, Virgo et al less of a waste of money.

How much of our money has been wasted on the likes of these guys, why have we got such a high turnover of players? That does not point to an effective record

Donegaldanny / Paul67,

If you cast your minds back to November last year against Shaktar, John Kennedy started and was then replaced by Steven Pressley and Naylor was injured and replaced by Paul Hartley. Whether the starting XI was strengthened by the signing of Loovens only time will tell, but the defensive options certainly were.

Incidentally this match was also Jiri's finest in a Celtic strip.

Therags...

The Gate In The Wood - Episode 64

GMP: Greater Manchester Police, Roxanne speaking, how may I help you ?

FA: May I have the Wost Pwoperty Department pwease

R: I'm afraid the Lost Property Department is still on transferred duties, cleaning up the city centre following the UEFA Cup Final

FA: Wook, Woxanne, I need to weport a missing item. I am deadwy sewious.

R: May I have your name please sir ?

FA: Sir Fergus Awexanderson of Banchester United Football Cwub.

R: Your lucky team cheated Celtic on Tuesday night, you should be ashamed of yourself.

FA: I'm not phoning for a wecture, Woxanne. I've wost my Cafe.

R: Look,Alexanderson, by lost property we mean credit cards, mobile phones, Celtic scarves not property as in business properties. The credit crunch has claimed less deserving victims than you. I couldn't give a fiddler's fart about your God-forsaken greasy spoon. You've more money than Wock of Gibwaltar could sh...

FA: ....Give me your full name immediately Woxanne. I'm weporting you to your supewior.

R: Roxanne Rosemary O'Reilly - feel free Fergie.

TBC

What is the most common fixture in European World Cup qualifying?

Apologies for bringing this over from previous blog but the article shows that its not just Celtic who are playing in a non competitive league but also what needs to be and can be done because its not dependent on anyone but ourselves in Scotland.

Having watched the West Brom game I was thinking on the same lines in terms of the gulf.

Originally posted by Just Champion.
Cracking article from the Telegraph this morning

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/scottishpremier/celtic/3249893/Memo-to-Celtic-Money-isnt-everything---even-in-the-Champions-League.html

Paul67

Alicia

was more adept in her role than Alex Smith and Alex Fergusson have been of late

she did very well considering that she was working with amatuers :¬)

ghuys and ghals -

that's the last of TGITW for this week you'll be relieved to know

HH

WBG

AweNaw

England v Poland

the rags

No they weren't

If naylor went off in a champs league game we'd still need to use Robson there so that hasn't changed.

And no one can say for certain that glen loovens is any beter than pressley yet, from what I've seen he's certainly not any faster which is worrying for a guy 9 years younger than pressley.

As an aside I met Pressley last season at a supporters do in Edinburgh and a thoroughly good bloke I have to say, and a grreat professional.

DD

up over goal 9:54

I posted this yesterday and it meets the sentiments you expressed about the need to change. My view is that the debt must be capped and clubs who fgail to cap it should be handicapped.

The measure is simply one that football introduces to protect itself from becoming just another kind of business and losing its sporting identity.

What is needed is an Ethical European Football League based on manageable debt. If we take £20m as a debt limit just as an example the following clubs would be eligible using Forbes Soccer Evaluation based on 2006/07 accounts

Bayern Munich £0m
AC Milan 0
Chelsea* 0
Inter Milan 0
Hamburg SV 0
Werder Bremen 0
Marseille 0
Juventus 5
Barcelona 7
Lyon 7
Celtic 11
Roma 12
A Villa 12
Spurs £15 m

If you go to £30m Real Madrid would sneak at £27 as would Everton at £30 and West Ham at £23m but their position must have deteriorated sharply since then.

* I am surprised Chelsea appear but that is probably because of the kind of debt they are based on, an interest free loan from Abramovic. Whatever it is its excessive so boot them into touch.

Now that looks like a league that would attract a lot of attention.

If you order by operating income of the clubs with debt less than £20m the order would be:
Barcelona
Bayern
Spurs
AC Milan
Roma
Celtic
Hamburg
Juventus
Inter
Lyon
Marseille
Werder
Chelsea* GTF
A Villa.

Now who fancies playing in that league instead of the SPL (or EPL)?

The big boys would be told they can join as long as they follow the same borrowing policies and ratio of debt to income as the named teams and are points handicapped until they do.

So hun is now a religious term, is it? I, like many, use it to refer to supporters of a certain cash strapped southside club. Many of its fans may be protestant but by no means all. I'm sure there are a smattering of other religions in there and many of no religion.

Should we start calling them vandals instead? Or is the name of that particular tribe unacceptable too?

pggtips2

Not even one of them !!!

Danny,

Robson is an improvement on Hartley, even at left back.

I agree that things aren't perfect but when Strachan signed Loovens he was honest in his assessment of our situation. He can't afford to buy complete players so he has to take a risk on players that need development. Sometimes that works sometimes it doesn't. But that is now the market we exist in.

My Mum met Pressley at a similar event and spoke very highly of him. She is from Donegal as well so she is a good judge of character ;-)

Therags...

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

It is probably a couple of wee diddy teams like Faroe Islands and Scotland

billyimatim..,

My comments were not meant to reflect badly on GS.

My main point was in comparing the young inconsistent team of the 60's with the present young team.

Auldheid quoted the example of Bobby Murdoch, my favourite player of that time, and his lack of success during his maturing years.

It took a bit of tweaking for Bobby to become the player he was.

He was moved from the inside right position to wing half and it was then that he blossomed, as he had the game in front of him.

He was blessed with power and vision, allied to the ability to make the pass that his vision spotted.

I wonder if it would take another manager to complete Gordon's task.

Simply put. I believe GS is a coach, dedicated to improving player's ability. MON is a manager, dedicated to getting a team to play in an effective manner.

It would be interesting if the two could work together. interesting but non feasible.

billy,
I agree with you about the rotten luck, to a point. I firmly believe and have done for years, that it is not really rotten luck that conspires against us it is blatant cheating by officials who understand the rules of engagement for major competitions.

Strong television nations must prosper. Look back over CL, World Cup and Euro competitions for indefensible "mistakes".

No one is looking for a team to drag us into massive debt.

A large majority of fans just want the board to match the words they spout with hard cash. Many fans go through financial hardship to support our great club.

It would take a spin meister on par with Mandelson or Campbell to say we as a team are moving forward with the squad we have at the moment.

It can be much better without a downward spiral into debt.

TNT

As the british press would report not on the mainland;-) but on continental Europe

the rags

I see the point you're trying to make but whether it be robson or hartley your point that we have more defensive options doesn't stand up its still a midfielder going to left back albeit a left footed one.

What part of Donegal? Not that that has a bearing on her judgement! :-) Good stuff!

Will we see the An Gorta Mor banners again tomorrow?? lets hope so!

DD

Paul67 :- Right. Answer this right now. Sorry that was just another example of a middle aged man trying to still be cool by using what seems to be the latest fashion :-)
Without trying to be sycophantic I would like to point out that on all the time I've posted on this blog I've never known you to deliberately ignore a question. Even when we have disagreed (which seems to be most of the time and with our respective alliegences probably always will be) you have always taken the time to answer in a polite and courteous manner. I know you don't need me to defend you I've always thought that far from pathetic you are one of the good guys.
The above might sound crawling but after losing my favourite Rangers site due to the blogger finding it impossible to run the site and give time to his family plus make a living I wouldn't like to lose this one. So if the thought ever crosses your mind remember that although lots of us may disagree with you for different reasons we all apreciate the site and the work you put into it.

On a totally different note my post to your Dad earlier applies to yourself and Kevin as well.

Ed

I've never known you to deliberately ignore a question

He needs lessons from you ;-)

interestingly....

pedro mendes heads the first goalscorer market? does he take penalties? do BET365 know something?

also Gary Caldwell is a massive 40/1 to score first. great each way shout.

Ulster-Celt

mugsgamecsc

Antsman, no argument about Gravesen or Virgo, but those were not the signings who won him three in a row (I’m sure I don’t need to name those who did).

Agree he made mistakes, but they all do, even Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill.

Gordon achieved something remarkable; he won the league by downsizing the wage budget by 13% in his first season, or 21% from two seasons earlier when Celtic last won it, which would be a higher percentage still if we only consider football wages.

The only way to do this without making mistakes would be to make no signings at all. Mistakes in the transfer market are always regrettable, but always with us.

Fortunately, we judge on results, where your mistakes get a chance to balance against your good signings.

Hartleysmy hero, thank you.

Therags, good point.

PF ayr, :-)

Edward, thanks for that kind thought. We see life on here, including those blessed with great wisdom.

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

Austria and Germany

A bride on her wedding night says to her husband 'I must confess darling, I was a hooker!'.

He says 'That's alright, dear. Your past is your past, but I must admit that I find it quite erotic. Tell me about it'.

She replies 'Well, my name was Nigel, and I played for Wigan !'.

hatcoatCSC

Hey CQN'ers

Special request from Celtic daft family in California:

Please pardon my interruption.

My brother is taking a close friend over to Edinburgh for Father Fernando's mass in a little over a week -- a bit of a sad situation -- and would love to get them tickets for the ManU return CL fixture.

I'm not looking to hit up anybody hear for tickets, just some advice as to best route to take in terms of buying tickets, e.g., names of reputable brokers (well, reputable for ticket brokers), to whom one might inquire, etc. Not looking for special favors or anything, we know the cost will be steep, but this is a unique situation and all are able and willing to pay to make sure this trip is happy one.

They'd love to meet up with any CQN folk in the gallowgate before the match and sport a pint or two as well!

Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

Many kind thanks,
Casey

feel free to contact at casey[dot]mcgannon[at]gmail[dot]com

This one should make you Oz based fans happy, I'm sure.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/10/24/17895_gold-coast-sport.html

Billionaire Clive Palmer and his lavishly backed A-League plaything Gold Coast United are keen to host Celtic in Australia's Glitter Strip to take on his team.

Celtic, whose asking price of $2 million have jumped to the top of the queue with negotiations now under way aimed at bringing out Gordon Strachan's team, which includes Socceroo Scott McDonald, in early July to christen the club's Skilled Park stadium.

To play the game at a venue which holds just 27,000, United are seeking to enlist the support of Gold Coast Tourism and the Gold Coast City Council with a view to attracting expat Scots from NSW, Victoria and even New Zealand for the clash.

United's head coach Miron Bleiberg explained: "We're interested in playing them -- it would be a good way to make our entrance into Skilled Park -- but there's a lot of talking to be done yet. We need to see a business plan which might go along the lines of the model which first brought the LA Galaxy last year when they played Sydney FC.

United turned their attention to the Celtic offer after a proposed glamour game against Sao Paulo was scrapped because the Brazilian giants refused to guarantee bringing out their full first team

Celtic would be a different kettle of fish,with the 42-time Scottish champions backed by an army of fans in every continent.

donegaldanny,

She and my father are from Gaoth Dobhair. I was lucky enough to spend many great holidays there and consider it home.

I live in Leeds now and don't get up to use my season ticket as often as i should, so I haven't seen the banners 'in real life'

However I will be at the game tomorrow, thanks to the wonder of CQN, I am getting a lift from Exiled Hoop in Yorkshire.

Therags...

TNT,

2nd strike!

paul67

explain how the rags comment on more defensive options was a good point? I'm intrigued i really am.

No offense The Rags by the way

DD

The Rags

Same as my good self no doubt they probably know my folks!

DD

Danny,

I know you are not convinced by Loovens but he is certainly better than having to rely on John Kennedy being fit and Steven Presley.

It is sad to say but I don't know if the type of players we want at Celtic, want to be at Celtic.

Therags...

"A man boarded a plane at Sydney airport and, taking his seat as he settled in, he noticed a very beautiful woman boarding the aircraft.

He realised she was heading straight towards his seat, and bingo! She took the seat right beside him.

Eager to strike up a conversation, he blurted out: "Business trip or holiday?"

She turned, smiled enchantingly and said, "Business. I'm going to the Annual Nymphomaniac Convention in the United States ."

The man swallowed hard. Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen sitting next to him, and she was going to a meeting for nymphomaniacs!

Struggling to maintain his composure, he calmly asked,

"What's your business role at this convention?"

"Lecturer", she responded. "I use my experience to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality."

Really?" he smiled, "What myths are those?"

"Well", she explained, "one popular myth is that African-American men are the most well-endowed when, in fact, it's the Native American Indian who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is that French men are the best lovers, when actually it is the men of Greek descent. We have also found that the best potential lovers in all categories are Scottish."

Suddenly the woman became uncomfortable and blushed.

"I'm sorry", she said. I really shouldn't be discussing this with you, I don't even know your name!"

"Tonto", the man said. "Tonto Papadopoulos but all my friends call me Hamish."

Ulstercelt what are the odds on wee Derek [if he's fit] scoring against us tomorrow?

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_No

It's the bottom of the ninth, bases are loaded Mighty Narrobhoat is at the plate and he swings Holland vs Belgium?

Just read that GS still harbours thoughts of making the last 8. Assume he means next year?

Even if we were to do the unthinkable and win our next three games with goals to spare (stop tittering at the back!) we could still see ourselves going out on 10 pts while Man U and Villareal close out with a mutually beneficial draw.

Anyway, I'm a believer in football destiny - what odds on us getting Martin O'Neill's Villa in UEFA? One thing's for sure, there's no way he'd sacrifice a run in that competition for a few points in the Premiership.

Auld heid at 3.57 - that looks a sexy league in theory, but that's all it is. There's no basis for it other than on a piece of paper. Jet-setting football players and cash-strapped fans who can't travel to away games is not the way I want to go.

DBBIA

10-1

Ulster-Celt

TNT

Walk off home run

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

Am I right? then it is a Grand Slam

TNT

you are right

I thought grand slam was only in tennis and rugby

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

You haven't been following the "Sceptic Tanks" are night with their baseball patter, a grand slam home run is when the bases are loaded and you knock it out of the park, when you round the bsases you are suppose to tip your hat at the crowd but it is the height of bad manners to spit out you chewing tobacco while you are rounding the bases. So I am tipping my baseball hat to the CQN crowd as we speak.

Ulstercelt- cheers. Unfortunately my shirt has already gone on the lovely bhoys of Brattback Mountain winning the 5s.

2-1 Celts tomorrow, Maloney and Brown. Wee Derek to score for them.

Don't forget my perfect cousin Pablo and myself will be flogging the legendary CQN badges to the brave souls at the 5s tomorrow.

Guaranteed rain and wind proof.

Oh, and Saturday night the clocks go back an hour on Saturday, so we'll all have an extra hour in our scratchers to thaw out.

I played for Liverpool.
I captained Scotland.
I won a European Cup but not with Liverpool.
Who am I?

TNT

is that true or are you free basing at the moment ? :-)

Wee Johnny Wark?

John Wark won his EC with Liverpool

Awe_Naw,

Sir Matt Busby??

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Casey

Good luck, with the Mass and the match tickets. Wish I could help, but let's hope some of the better connected people on here might have concrete suggestions.

If people want more background, the Mass Casey's talking about is in St Cuthbert's, Slateford Road, on Monday, 3 November. Fr Fernando is Fr Fernando Suarez, from the Philippines, but based in Ottawa. He is a priest from a congregation called the Companions of the Cross.

He is only allowed to travel to celebrate Mass and then healing services with the written permission of the local bishop, so we have to assume Cardinal O'Brien has given the go-ahead and that it's all bona fide.

Fr Fernando will be in London on 1 and Milton Keynes on 2 November.

Paul67

Not convinced what you say strengthens the argument that winning 3 in a row automatically makes his trasfer record a success unless you say winning the league automatically makes all the signings a success.

Last season for example McGeady carried the team for quite some time, not a Gordon 'signing' We signed Donati,Hinkel, Samaras and Scott Brown last season none of them were successes yet we won the league? Does the success of Barry Robson mean they are all successes because we won the league?

TTT,

go to the top of the class. You see thats what happens when you rub shoulders and other parts ;-) with Awe Naws family

Jimmy Rimmer

Awe-Naw :-)

I saw you earlier mentioning the Whisky Bond in Carfin.
Did you know that my house is built where the Whisky Bond used to stand? Your big brur was quite taken aback at the changes in Carfin when he paid a wee visit to us a few years ago.....might have been his last visit to the auld country?

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

kenny burns

TTT,

I never knew that! I need to come over and check it out the next time I am there but I am not promising. Its always the same though when I come over. Never get a chance to do what I´d like to do. Too many people to see and visit. Keeping GF´s, Mums, Brothers, Sisters, kids happy, seeing Celtic, obligatory shopping for the hairy macaroon bars etc.. I have practically lost all contact with my own friends due to the demands placed on my time just by immediate family when I come over.

But I need to come over and check it out make sure your keeping my wee cousin in the manner that she´s accustomed too ;-)

At least I know where you live now !!!

The Narrowbhoat Tim,

Good to see that the baseball posts are educational!

MLB.CSC

TTT

got it Matt Busby

To be honest Awe-Naw I didn't know for definite that he captained Scotland, but knew he played for both Scotland and Liverpool amongst others. Obviously knew he won the EC with man u.

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Its normally the EC that most dont get as they associate it with playing "a durty curve ball" in baseball parlance

Anyway gotta go Bhoys, have a good evening and lets hope that the Hibees are as clueless against us this w.e as they were against the Rangers last time round.

HAil Hail

Casey McGannon, good luck with that one, but your brother will be extremely lucky to pick one up.

Donegaldanny, as Therags pointed out, I agree that Loovens is better than Pressley or a seldom-fit Kennedy (and with his subsequent point that Robson is a better left back than Hartley) and that this was Jiri’s best match for us.

Antsman, when did I say that winning the league makes all the signings a success?

I give up.

Awe-Naw,

If i tell your wee cousin you know that she will hold you to that!
BTW do you actually ever get any time to yourself when you come back over for a visit???

As to her accustomed living, she leads the life of Reilly.
In fact as we speak she is over in Belfast for the weekend for a wee swally with her pals.....in fact one of them is another of your wee cousins of the McAllister variety!

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Paul67

you said

"Gordon Strachan could make a stout defence of his transfer record based on our historic three-in-a-row and CL last 16 for the first time, which I agree with""

That suggests your basing the defence of the record on winning the league? In fact you use the word "based"

That therefor heavily suggests winning the league is the baromoter of a transfer record.

I would argue than man for man we have had more failures than successes citing the turnover of players as evidence.

Where does value for money come into it?

Up Over Goal

No. Unmanageable debt is ruining the game in England as well as the continent. That is something that is becoming a recognised fact rather than an opinion. The Ethical League is based on this emerging fact.

Something will either be done about it or the system will topple over because no element of competition remains (unless the competition becomes who can get into the most debt or get the richest immortal oligarch on board.

UEFA are concerned about it, non English leagues are too and the EU parliament has a policy on football with regards to the solidarity of the game that massive debt is endangering. Something is gonna give.

There are social, cultural and economic forces at play that will bring about change not to mention a few oligarchs popping their clogs.
Its a matter of when and what shape change takes.
Celtic will be keeping their eye on what is going on. They are not waiting for an invite as John Reid says, they are waiting for opportunity.

Gordon_J

I actually been to quite a few ballgames, I use to watch the Blue Jays when I lived in Toronto, one summer before they moved to the Skydome I was unemployed so I use to go and buy the cheap tickets ($3), sun myself and drink beer at the afternoon games, never use to pay attention to the game. Me and some english friends booked a hotel room overlooking centre-field for the sixth game of the world series when Joe Carter came to the plate bottom of the ninth with the count 2-2, he hit a three-run home run to win the World Series, I also been to the old Tiger Stadium, Chicago and Yankees stadium. Skydome killed any enthusiasm I had for the game, Baseball has to be played outdoors that and the corporate greed of Companies like McDonalds who had the catering contract in the Skydome where they charge twice as much for their product than the McDonalds outside the stadium.

I found that when I moved back to the UK over 10 years ago I lost all interest in North American sports I only watched it to fill a void that not being close to Celtic created, my favourite was Ice Hockey (lived near the Maple Leaf Gardens for awhile too) and US College Football, just love New Years day with all the Bowl games, the one sport I just couldn't get into was Basketball, I hate it.

WinonefortheGipper CSC

Antsman

I think the point paul is making is that winning the league within the budget justifys the managers action period.Both good and bad signings

If results are not forthcoming then the next thing you look at is his ability to judge a player.managers who dont win things are open to that criticism

We could all list the many transfer disasters that rangers had in thier 9 in a row era, but because they kept winning it didnt really matter in the bigger context.

Paul67

From memory, our signings - how many would you say were a success overall? Nowhere near the majority

05/06

Wilson
Keane
Du Wei
Telfer
Virgo
Naka
Zurawski
Boruc
Camara
Dublin

For me only 2 indisputable successes, 3 years on only 3 remain

06/07

Kenny Miller
Caldwell
Jarosik
Sno
Riordan
Naylor
Hesselink
Gravesen
Pressley
Mark Brown
Doumbe
Hartley

7 of these guys have now left, how many made a major contribution?

07/08

Skippy
S Brown
Killen
Donati
Pavlov
Hinkel
Mizuno
Hutchinson
Samaras
Robson

How many made an impact in that season......? How many are in the first team?

08/09

McCourt
Samaras - permanent
Crosas
Loovens
Maloney

Firstly - how does that add up to £7m quoted by Peter Lawell? Secondly - to early to tell but only one a regualr so far

TTT,

Truthfully not enough. Biggest problem is that my family here in Germany dont want me to EVER go alone and them miss out on all the fun. They want nay DEMAND to come too. So that makes it more expensive 3 flights instead of one etc. Then they are helpless with regards language and driving licenses when they are in ML2. So my time is already highly diluted before I even step off the plane. Then you have immediate family and even there theres a visitation war going on. Extended family is not such an issue as they now expect it to be a hit or a miss with me and are much more understanding. I have to take in the hoops that´s understood and not encroached upon. Then there´s the Taxi shifts that I do. Mainly shopping, quick visits etc.

Over the years because of this I have lost contact with most of my local friends. I still keep in touch with a few buddies who have subsequently moved on from Scotland

There are also many ex pats who I have befriended in Germany , who if they catch wind that I am on the Island will attempt a visit normally North - so the answer to your question is NO. That´s not to say I dont enjoy it I love it but I´d need a year to get round every one to properly catch up

If I upset anybody more about not turning up or not remembering their daughters middle name or birthday or disturbing the family hierarchy over visiting rights I might be on the verge of ex communication !!! so I´ll try my best but dont hold me to it.

promisespromisesCSC

smelltheglove

The bottom line is that Gordon's transfer record overall is poor, and there is an opportunity cost attached to that.

I said quite clearly his winning the leagues despite that shows good management. Nobody gets it all right but we get far to many wrong

Sir Paul

On Loovens:

Palomine,for anyone to question Glen Loovens Woith ,as being a useful addition to the Celtic cause..at this very early stage in the young man's tenure.. is tantamount to idiocy.

Good woid, that "Idiocy"... it says exactly whit it means.

There is an old saying.. which fits..well, sorta.. but I am sure you know what I am driving at.

"A Child and a Fool.. should not comment on a Job, Half- Done."

I myself, have lauded this young man, for his accuracy in Heidin' da Ba'...and that accuracy in that isolated skill dept. has been obvious,by him... to me, to me.. since his very Foist Game...and it has paid off.. in Melons.. Twice.

So mebbe, in that case, I am being Hypocritical... which, in my case.. fits my personality to a Tee, anyway.

Concerning the rest of Glen's Skills, I have not quite reached a conclusion, in either the positive or the negative...

It is like the Israeli gentleman said.. to the New Yorker..

" I withhold my opinion.... For ... I gotta see how fast that you walk,foist!"

That... is a Classic Comment... of which you, and a few others,I am sure ..are well aware of the true meaning.

So, in the same vein, as the Israeli Gentleman...

I follow suit, in the Case of Young Mr. Loovens.

I have not enough information at this time,pal...to vent an opinion.. so let the Woild take another couple o' whirls..and give Glen anither few games...

And I shall get back to you.

My advice to the dissenters of my opinion, is this...

"Gie the Young Bhoy a Chance.. dinna be sae skeech to prove that ye ur right,in yer criticisms."

Kojo.

I see Walter Smith has been sticking up for Celtic after Tuesday's match down South.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7689580.stm

Smell the glove

"We could all list the many transfer disasters that rangers had in thier 9 in a row era, but because they kept winning it didnt really matter in the bigger context"

You sure? is that not why Rangers have no money now the knock on effect of poor transfer dealings?

Just as you think it can't get any worse it does! Markets plunge again to-day!

This hopefully will cheer more people up than it distresses (the one who resisted the advice to put their money into banks). A quick recap shows the following based on a 10k investment spread over the four banks in the month of December:

RBS at 440p
After 3 months (330p) the 2.5k is down 25%

After 6 months (220p) the initial 2.5k is down 50%

After 10 months (60p) the 2.5k is down 86%

VALUE = 350 (LOSS = 2150)

HBOS at 750p
After 3 months (550p) the 2.5k is down 37%

After 6 months (400p) the 2.5k is down 47%

After 10 months (60p) the 2.5k is down 92%

VALUE = 200 (LOSS = 2300)

LLOYDSTSB at 460p
After 3 months (400p) the 2.5k is down 13%

After 6 months (320p) the 2.5k is down 30%

After 10 months (160p) the 2.5k is down 65%

VALUE OF LLTSB = 1625 (L0SS = 875)

HSBC at 830p
After 3 months (740p) the 2.5k is down 11%

After 6 months (820p) the 2.5k is down 1%

After 10 months (671p) the 2.5k is down 19%

VALUE OF HSBC = 2025 (L0SS = 475)

VALUE OF INVESTMENT = 4200 (L0SS = 5800 = 58%)

Now imagine what would have been the loss if you bought every 3 months to average the cost price..........A LOT OF MONEY!

Moral: DON'T BANK ON BANKS!......YET

The Narrowbhoat Tim,

Didn't realise you had lived in North America.

The NFL is my second sport, followed by baseball. I could never get into basketball either, despite spending much of last March in the US with friends who love the college game. Ice hockey has never really gripped me either.

Celticlover

Interesting post, particularly that HSBC has lost relatively little

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend... Antsman.

I am very sure that Pierre, has given an accurate figure of the Transfer Expenditure,by Celtic, in the last window.

Pierre, is obviously quoting the FULL amount, in Tostados.

Remember, the actual Up Front money is just the commencement.

There are.. WAGES..and other Emoluments.. Bonuses, Back- Handers etc..that are never noticed by the General Public.. but are nevertheless, part and parcel of any Incoming Transfer Expense.

I hope that this info. helps to clear up your puzzlement.

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes ye.

antsman

Rangers financial woes deepend significantly when they stopped winning the league.

If manager A is set targets of progressing in Eurpe and winning the domestic league and he does that within the budget set then you really cant ask for much more.

Your in-depth analysis of successes and failures in the transfer market is totally justified and for what its worth, i agree with most of what you say.However...its job done to date, therefore our manager ,by his results, has put himself beyond that type of criticism..for now

Stennaline sailings cancelled tomorrow!!!

Grrr!!

Gordon_J

When I moved to Canada I found Ice Hockey (the national sport)easier to follow as it works on the same principles as football, Goalies, Defenders, Forwards, Nets etc. I found American style football at first hard to follow but then I learnt about it from a TV show from Buffalo NY, they would show an hour highlites of Notre Dame game the day after the game on a Sunday, at the time Joe Montana was the Quarterback for ND, his back-up was Joe Theisman (who later played for Toronto)and it was through watching condensed ND highlites that I learned the game, since then I always prefer College Football, I have been to a few games and love the pre-game party, the best in any sport.

Kojo

I like chipotle chilli peppers in my Tostados with melted cheese, these days I have to put the Bog roll in the freezer when I have chllies.

Some men have lots of money I have piles CSC

bhoys/ghirls

looking for a favour

just in and haven't read anything sinc e lunchtime, going to dalmuir cfc tonight for 10th aniv dance, any on here,

oldtim67 hope to make it tomorrow as nephews football cancelled due to weather, why????

smelltheglove

I agree in so far as the job he has done ie 3 iar and in europe is beyond criticism, his record in the transfer market is not after all it affects the chance of future success by reducing resources

blantyretim

Is there a band playing at dalmuir cfc dance? I sometimes hang about Dalmuir

.

ThenarrowBhoatTim....

Sorry for the Late Reply....l Was Off(maheid)Line for a While....

The Melbourne Cup is on the 1st Tuesday in November @ 3:50pm 4:59am (GMT)....

jinkysboy.....

Yes The Champers was Good....But the 'Sheena Easton' Nightmare was a Bit Scary.... ;o((((

o1bhoy

NBT

r u up tonight?don't know where it is or anything about it?

i'll get back in a few minutes

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. celticlover.

I see you are still handing out financial advice.

Good for you.

Well, I cannot fault your arithmetic, it is accurate.

But, I can fault your closing advice.

You have contrived to present a strong case,in favour of your side of the blanket.

But, I will tell you.. straight and to the Point..

In my case... None of what you have written, applies.

I am doing very well..and am still following my own advice,pal

And with Both hands And Feet!

AND I will continue to do so...

NOW, IS THE TIME TO BUY..

To quote a more famous man, than either of us...

"Get Fearful, when others are Greedy... And.. Get GREEDY, when others are FEARFUL"

That is my mantra,which I have followed for umpteen .. Up and Downs in the Market...

I SOLD..last AUG.2007, right at the PEAK OF THE MARKET.. why.?

Because, everyone else were being too Greedy.. besides.. the time was right.

I was One Hundred Per Cent Right, then..and I am One Hundred Per Cent Right Now...

The Trick of course is the Pick the Right Horse...in the Recovery Stakes.

And then it is just a question of scooping up the Bargains... until the Clouds Roll By...

And, pal...

They WILL...

We are in a Depression, in the U.K. and the U.S and the rest of the World... so what else is noo?

I saw it coming and right on Schedule...

COINCIDING WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL CYCLE... right on the Button.

And we shall Recover.. WORLD WIDE... starting Foist in the good ole U.S. in the Foist quarter of 2010... right on Schedule..

So, jist be patient.

Sure, we are in for a Rought ride.. it has effected a lot of poor and unpreparted people..It always does... since the days of the Ant and the Grasshopper, life shall always punish those who only live for the moment.

There is always a Down side to the Good Times...
And Now we ar experiencing the Full Brunt.

Howevahhhhhhhhh...

I believe that we have seen the woist... from now on..

Unemployment, will kick in, and with it... the start of the Recovery...

For you see...

Unemployment of masses of people is the FOIST STEP TO RECOVERY...

IT ALWAYS WAS... And It always WILL BE.

Remember, that folks...

When the Good Times comes Back... and they will...put a little more away in your sock than usual.. and always be prepared.

Kojo.
yer pal..who likes ye.

blantyretim

No it is just sometimes my cousin and his band plays the CSC around that area, if you have been to a wedding, birthday party, dance,Bar Mitzvah or a pub with live music in the Clydebank West-end area in the last 25years chances are that you have seen my cousin play.

does anybody else on this site think that kojo should sponser brokeback mountain for the 5.s tomorrow?(poetic justice & money to charity)

every time he posts the blog gets buggered for a few minutes ;)

blantyretim.

The weather's going to be hellish tomorrow so I think I'll bring some kind of carry-oot,keep me warm if nothing else.
According to the forecast we're in for a downpour between 11am & 4pm,and heavy rain before and after,so it's going to piss down all day.
If theres little wind the rain won't bother me in the ground,but if it blows from the west I'll be drenched,I'd consider a golf brolly but I don't think the supporters behind me will act too kindly to that.

BBs looking better by the minute.

i've got a mcgrainspain minute here.

how do you iron jeans with wrinkles(or what ever they are called) without taking out the said wrinkles?
mrs bt at school disco so i'm in a bit of a state....

.

BlantyreTim....

Kojo is a 5 A Side Team Himselfs.... ;o))))

o1bhoy

nacho nae caps

o1 bhoy

thought you might be out on the celebratory? trip.u know what i mean.

hail hail

.

BT....

4:50am Here....The Pubs Are Good Here....But Not That Good....l Have a Champers 'Headache'....The Dog's got a Bone 'Toothache'....

o1bhoy

Antsman 5.45
Im sure the 7m PL quoted would include the pay off to TG, if I can recall correctly something like 3.18m was set aside for payoffs in total. There goes our transfer budget.

I see that some young lad wearing a t-shirt which made reference to "huns" was convicted of a, "religiously-aggravated breach of the peace".
So it's official then that "huns" means Protestants.
Who decided this?

Dessybhoy

I am sure he said "invested" which clearly gives the impression we get something. We never spent £7m onfees that is for sure

no dalmuir bhoys here then?
i won't wear my cgn badge..

KrakowBhoy

I don’t know if you are still in here. 3 times UNBELIVABLE! Take my bows. Even if your blood is Scottish, you are at least 40 percent Polish, by ethnic absorbtion.
It doesn't make sense to make a list of Poles who play for other countries.

Lubomiraculous

Unfortunately you are mistaken in some points. Lukas Podolski was born in Gliwice. His father was a Polish League champion with Szombierki Bytom. KrakowBhoy was right. Podolski wanted to play for Poland. He speaks Polish without the foreign accent. He has Polish girlfriend. Every year he is in Poland for the holidays. Sometimes he is in Zakopane to support Polish ski jumping star Adam Malysz. He is absolutely ethnic Polish. One week ago I have seen the interview with Podolski. He said: I was very sorry. There were no news from Poland. When they called me, it was too late. I got a call from the Germany coach before that. I promised them and couldn’t break my promise. Miroslaw Klose’s father was the Polish champion too. His mother was a Polish champion for hand ball. There was a scandal in Germany two years ago. The journalists demanded Podolski and Klose to learn and sing the German anthem. They demanded no more Polish conversations on the pitch between Podolski and Klose.
More Polish players in the German team? Sebastian Boenisch , Paul Freier ( Sławomir Paweł Freier) , Piotr Trochowski.
Now our FA started doing something to keep the contact with a Polish players. Sebastian Tyrała(Borussia Dortmund), 20 years old, who played for the Geraman U-21 will be playing for the Polish National Team.
There is a long list of Polish players, or players who have Polish roots and Passport, and who play for other countries.

At the end, does anybody know what is the pseudonym of Hernan Crespo?

I did grow up at the top of Mountblow Rd if you count that. I used to have great fun sneaking on the golf course in the evenings

Thank God CNQ wasn’t around in the 1990s.

.

Question....

Who is Going to Score Our Goals against Hibs....????

l Would Hand The Sheridan Bhoy a Starting Place....

o1bhoy

Denis 47

As someone earlier posted - at least over here Hun = Protestant.

Ok, to keep everyone happy why don't we just call them Barbarians?

Kojo

Its always a highlight to read your posts.

I disagree with some, agree with most, but always have cause to think on all.

Dont go away

Zybsek,

He's signing for us in January.

Kojo.

I have been thinking of taking advantage of these fallen markets and dipping my toes into the stocks and shares puddle. You say the trick is to pick the right horse in the recovery stakes and this is something I have been pondering over the last week or so. Any horse advice seen as you are so wise!!

Hail Hail
Jamiebhoy

Antsman Smell the glove,

You both have emphasised my supposition that Gordon is not solely responsible for recruitment and that he and the club take on a very pragmatic view with regards recruitment. I reckon that some in a position of influence would still be happy working with WGS if his record was not impeccable. The reduction of debt , wages, age of squad and increased level of income will endear him to those with the responsibilty as custodians. His readiness to work under these constraints for some will be considered weak others will consider the ability to work together in harmony as being very positive. I use harmony specifically as they may not be in agreement but just a will to provide stability within the club.

They know the parameters and constraints that they are working under so the recruitment policy is what I´d call pick and mix. I do believe that some of the Bosmans that we have recruited have been of the gift horse in the mouth variety. Miller worked out Riordan didn´t.

Market expanding signings such as Boruc and Namkura worked out, whereas Du Wei and Keane didn´t.

Known, supposed rest assured signings such as Graveson, Hinkel and Donati didn´t.

The number of youths that have moved on for not a meagre amount have been surprising (ihmo) Sno, Marshall, Beattie, Wallace and the lack of youth coming through and claming a 1st team place indicates problems at youth and recruitment levels. Although it has to be said that anyoen we have mobed on has not set the heather on fire afterwards.

Shaun Maloney departure was an indication about playing hardball over agents and wages.

I highlight this as I dont believe that there are core recruitment parameters within the policy. Different areas of the organisation whether its at board(PL), Management(WGS) or youth(TB WmcS) and recruitment(JP) have had different levels of success with their differing and varied recruitment initiatives. So nobody can point the finger and say this is the way to go as this is proving successful.

I do believe that they know they have made mistakes and would like the chance to improve on their record but until the conditions are right (TG & BB ) off the wage bill. Banks not collapsing etc then we wont see substantial surgery.

As long as they keep winning the SPL then as smell the glove rightly points out they have more than earned the right to continue in that capacity.

I just hope that they dont consider themselves as being good at it because we are going for 4 in a row and are doing well financially. I do honestly feel that we could be doing so much better and getting more for the money that we spend and have a much more coherent way of doing things. It certainly appears to be slap dash but nobody can deny that we have stood still.

Hail Hail

jamiebhoy

Not a stock market guru myself but generally companies that make things provided they have cash in the bank will come out the other side and do well in the future.

I've been looking at mineral (Iron, Coal, Zinc) companies which are all currently in a huge trough at the moment but provided their finds are solid and long-term, should remain a good prospect.

Its still a gamble and like any gamble the best thing to do is research your subject before diving in.

Hernan Crespo = sharper nonce

ANTSMAN
Your 6.30 post shows that you appreciate Gordon`s success. Why, therefore, are you, seemingly, so keen to highlight failings in the transfer market? If my horse makes mistakes but still wins, then it has performed better than horses which made fewer mistakes.Is that not what counts? Is criticism , although always acceptable, really justified in Strachan`s case?

PositivecommentsCSC

I was informed on CQN that any wage pay offs would not come out of the transfer budget. I found that a bit intriguing as I thought that a transfer failure from previous should in fact take the hit in this years budget. A case of holding up your hand admitting your mistake and paying for it now rather than later. If it is the case that TG was paid off out of this summers transfer fund then it is another indication of how haphazard the recruitment of players can be. Maybe any of the finance wizards out there can clear this one up.

FARE Action Week reaches peak this weekend

Over the weekend the European Action Week of the Football against Racism in Europe (FARE) network will hit the highest point with a series of high-profile and grassroots events involving fan groups, players, clubs, NGOs and ethnic minority organisations.

The 9th edition of the FARE Action Week running from 16 to 28 October is engaging an unprecedented number of 40 European countries in the fight for a football world free of discrimination and exclusion.

Last night in the UEFA Cup Sampdoria joined FK Partizan in Belgrade in a remarkable symbolic action: On the pitch both teams dressed in FARE t-shirts and presented cards with the message “We don’t divide Black and White – We Unite.” This week the UEFA Champions League provided a massive public platform to spread the integrative message of the FARE Action Week. More than 570.000 people were directly touched by the message at the 16 stadiums.

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers marred by racism

A series of racist acts during at FIFA World Cup Qualifiers played last week demonstrate the need for continuous vigilance of all stakeholders of the game.

Kurt Wachter of the Austrian FARE-founding organisation FairPlay-vidc said:

“In fighting against racism in football we have come far, but there is no time for complacency. At the qualifier in Bratislava we have witnessed anti-Semitism and racism on the part of Polish fans, in Zagreb Croatian supporters chanted - once again - Nazi and anti-Serb slogans during the game against Andorra, and the match between Bulgaria versus Italy saw blatant fascism amongst both fan groups. To stand up against racism is still very much necessary.”

Scandinavian players show racism the red card

A highlight of the forthcoming weekend will be the strong involvement of the players and professional clubs all over Scandinavia. The Norwegian "Gi rasisme rødt kort" campaign coordinates anti-racist events in the Premier League, First Division and the Women's Premier League. Also a school contest has been launched at the start of the Action Week. In neighbouring Sweden the players union is also organizing a “Ge rasismen rött kort” campaign. Campaign flyers will be distributed to an estimated 135.000 spectators. At the team line-up a short DVD will be shown and players will hold up Red Cards. In Denmark the players union will stage an anti-racism event at Randers vs. Ålborg. Players will show the red card and an anti-racist penalty competition will take place during half-time. The previous weekend the Finnish Football Association and the national league (Veikkausliiga) were involved in the FARE Action Week.

New drive in Russia

In line with the emphasis of the FARE network to campaign in Eastern Europe for a football culture free of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination, FARE has lent financial support to a growing number of initiatives and human rights NGOs in the former Soviet republics.

Maccabi Moscow, a Jewish community football club, is organizing two multi-ethnic football events in the framework of the FARE Action Week. In St. Petersburg an organization working mostly with homeless people called Put Domoi have hosted a "Football Against Racism" tournament for homeless and refugee teams at the Metrostoy stadium. In Georgia FARE supports a project of the NGO Bridge of Friendship "Kartlosi" which uses football as a means to involve both ethnic Georgians and Ossetians living in the zone of the very recent armed conflict in the border Thskhinvali region.

EURO 2008 host country fully behind the campaign

All clubs of the Austrian Bundesliga and the campaign FairPlay. Different Colours. One Game work together to convey a powerful message for diversity and against xenophobia. From the pitch three players of each team will make a personal statement against racism. The motto "I am against racism" will be present in the stadia on banners, on the vidiwalls, on the t-shirts of the escorting children and on the white & black cards shown by the players and referees.

English Premier League on board

In the English Premiership the games on Sunday 26 October between Chelsea vs Liverpool, Portsmouth vs Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur vs Bolton Wanderes and West Ham United vs Arsenal will all be dedicated to the celebration of diversity and the eradication of racial abuse.

FARE is confident that such high-profile action will successfully communicate the philosophy of the Action Week to the entire European football family, including countries and leagues where racist behaviour and harassment still pose serious problems for football and for society at large.

(End)

Notes

For the List of European Activities visit:

http://farenet.org/default.asp?intPageID=180

Full details about FARE and the Action Week in English, German, French and Italian are available on www.FAREnet.org

For further information please contact:

Danny Lynch, Kick it Out (London), Tel. ++44 20 7684 4884, danny@kickitout.org

Markus Pinter, FARE coordination office c/o FairPlay-vidc (Vienna), Tel. +43 1 713 35 94-93; pinter@vidc.org

For Italy: Daniela Conti, UISP (Rome), Tel. ++39 06 40815681, d.conti@usip.it
For France: Fanny Lucien, LICRA Sport (Paris), Tel. ++33 1 45 080808, sport2@licra.org

bhoy sean,

The Barbarians are a good rugby team that plays with style. Not appropriate then. I think vandals is the way to go.

I still say that huns = them rather than protestants though. That's how I use the word.

TNT & Gordon_J

As we have no baseball tonight might as well start the chat just now, who do you both fancy in the World Series?

hang the dj,

I'm sticking with my Phillies, no surprise there.

1 -1 in Fla is a decent start, and we could have won last night if we had atken the chances we made offensively. The next three games are in Philly and them Rays don't like playing outside in a proper ballpark.

I suppose the obvious strike force to go with tomorrow would be Maloney & Skippy but I'm not a fan of 2 shorties up front & also don't like Maloney up front, why not try Hutchison up front with Skippy

I can see Sheridan getting a start with Skippy tomorrow.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Smell the Glove.

Well, ain't ye sweet... I thank ye fur yer gracious remarks,pal.

Na...

I wull no go away.. at least no fur a while.

My postings are meant to stir controversy... that is my aim.. that is whit ah Dae.

As you know,the written woid, only tells half wit the spoken wan diz.

Be that as it may, or no. as the the case may or not be ..

The whole point of a Public Forum is the exchange of ideas.

And.. Ideas come and go... but, good sense wull ayeways prevail..( Have he bin knoshing that Chinese, again?...ed)( How dae ye know?.. as a matter o' fact.. Gabriella and me, hiv jist finished wan.)

Thanks again,pal..

Kojo.
yer pal.. who ayeways likes ye.

Narrowbhoat Tim.6.38pm

Am I right in thinking your a cousin of the famous Mick T???

Aw Naw
I used to hear BQ say that there was not a pot for this [transfers] or that, so everything is done from turnover, the money to pay off TG came from within the turnover ,and therefore in my way of thinking which may be flawed as I'm no accountant, means less to spend on other things.

Celtic captain Stephen McManus would welcome Rangers striker Nacho Novo into the Scotland squad.

Spanish-born Novo could be selected to play for Scotland - if he became a British passport holder.

Novo, 29, has spent eight years playing in Scotland and admitted to newspapers he would consider switching allegiance to his adopted country if asked.

"He's a good player and you want good players playing for the country," said national vice-captain McManus.

"It doesn't bother me in the slightest, you want good players to be playing for your country and Nacho Novo is a good player."

--------------

Now what I have read today the SFA have said if he wanted to change passports he could then be considered. A bit like me I suppose. Novo is saying that we would need to ask him to change his passport. He wants a guarantee. Anyone else suspect that their has been movement behind the scenes on this one already?

Is the national team becoming a shop window for Rangers in these trying circumstances ?

Has Novo not been following the Kris Boyd saga ?

Lurgan53,
Thanks for that info. I didn't know that.
I at least, don't know anybody here in Scotland who thinks it means, Protestant.
And the fact remains that the boy was convicted in a Scottish court.

Evenin all.

Ed....Don't know if anyone has asked this of you...if so, apologies for asking again. Do you yourself consider the term hun offensive or indeed sectarian? Just curious.

Lurgan 53... Hun = Protestant over there you say.Is that a legal definition or just some kind of locally accepted term?

Is the upshot of this nonsensical judgement by a Glasgow Sheriff going to be that any song that begins "Tell all the Huns you know...." is now to be considered sectarian and therefore actionable by UEFA?

Gordon_J,

The Phillies ar playing a team that already beat the best!

Look for the Rays in six!

gsu

jonnybhoy

Got it one, the Ghodfather of Clydebank Pop!

hang the dj

As I said before as soon as I moved back to the UK I lost total interest in North American Sports, I actually prefer to watch cricket than baseball now but if I had to choose I always go for the American League team so Rays it is then.

NBT.Ha Ha....

Mick and Martin C are pals of mine and played at my wedding and 40th birthday.We are currently all involved in a not very successful betting syndicate(small time)

THESMALLWORLD CSC

Ed Urs - you have been posting FARE stuff here for a while so I assume you active in some way, perhaps not. I appreciate that you might well get a bit cheesed off for being everyone's soft touch here for having a pop at the huns but this is a genuine question.

Given anyone with a good grasp of interhuman relations will see the song many many of your mob sing as racist, have you ever thought about contacting any of the anti racist organisations around for support as an active anti-racist rangers supporter?

How can these organisations support guys like you who are obviously agin all this nonsense? Just wondered if you'd thought about it and what you think.

McGrain

evening all

winningemmell The Gate In The Wood, Episode 63 - superb keep them coming

catching up on the blog , always the same when we loose , players are poor, signings are bad , board need to spend
doesn't matter who we loose to bottom of league or euro champs

anyway i am in the happy clapper camp , guess I remember the 90's and prior having enjoyed MON and Seville and now GS with 3 in a row hopefully 4 , sure we haven't all got the best out of the signings I don't know a team that has , we have some good players and some good promising youngsters,

so bring on Hibs always a game to enjoy hopefully we will be open and attactive scoring a few goals , the players will be hurting and want to show they are better than Tuesday.

still standing

£15 to get your kids picture taken with the SPL trophy. Shocking. That is a ridiculous price to ask anyone to pay for this privilage. We are the clubs fans which in turn makes us the heart and sole of the club. Without us there would not be a club. Shocking.

Edward Ursus
You quoted the report were Kurt Wachter of the Austrian FARE-founding organisation FairPlay-vidc said: “In fighting against racism in football we have come far, but there is no time for complacency. At the qualifier in Bratislava we have witnessed anti-Semitism and racism on the part of Polish fans”
I’m sorry to say that, but Kurt Wachter is stupid ignorant, or he knows something , that nobody in Poland, or in Slovakia knows. Please send them the email, and ask them what sigs of anti-Semitism and racism did they see in Bratislava? I’m serious, please ask them and paste the answer on the CQN. I say that with a respect to you, my friend. We are very sensitive on racism and anti-Semitism. Last year one of the Premier League games was 30 minutes kept back because the referee wanted fans to take off the small flag with a fist on it. After the game, the journalists checked what exactly was on the flag? There was a fist with a symbols of the trade union. That’s the example. I can tell you truly about bad habits in Poland, we are not free from that, but it’s unfair to say lies. If there was something in Bratislava, I would have heard about that.

jonnybhoy

I haven't seen Mick for over a year, he came down to help me take my Narrowbhoat to the Cropredy Festival, say hi to him for me, talking of betting syndicates I must go and put my Breeders cup bets on.

.

Hi Yooo Ghuys....

Gee It's Sooo Goood Tooo Beee Talking Tooo Other Scotteshhhh Folks....Workin 9 tooo 5....

BTW....I Did Not....I Repeat....I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Bhoy....That o1bhoy....Not Now....Not Then....Not Ever....

Howevvaaaa....I Did With 'Beffy Steele' Becuase He Played The 'Big Drum' in That Walk thing Yooo Folks Dooo on the 12th of Joooly....Bye Ye Alllll....

l Need toooo Goo Now....Prince is a Calllin....And Sheena is a (insert naughty word).... ;o))))

Sheena Orr....

NBT, WILL DO.

Good luck with the Nags.

Edward Ursus

Quotation irritated me. Now I'm searching the articles about racism and anti-Semitism in Poland.

Here I have very interesting article. Interesting not only for you.

http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/04/23/racism-in-poland-what-you-didnt-see-on-the-bbc/

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Jamiebhoy.

Now is the time to start to make yer move...that is if ye are serious.

Noo...whit Horse should ye pick?

I have ayeways used a Bank Stock.

The reason for that is so simple.. that it makes me blush.

Because..dear friend.. That is where the Money is.

Now....

Not all Bank stocks are equal...

Howevah..... have a look at the certain few Bank stocks.. although, they have fallen considerably ,in value, like the rest... have.. stood out from the crowd, in being in a much stronger position to batten down the hatches that the majority of their compatriots.

These few Bank Stocks have shown by their ability to withstand such a tremendous financial Upheaval that we have gone thro.. that they are not only made of the Right Stuff.. they are solid citizens.

They are

In the U.K.

HSBC, Lloyds Tsb, Barclays...

in the U.S.A.

Banc of America, Wells Fargo...
Strange, as it may seem .. to some people...

These are the ONLY Bank Stocks where I have always directed my interest, from the very beginning of this world wide Financial Turmoil.

How lucky can ye be?... I guess I have just been lucky.

If you believe that, pal.. well...

At the moment there is a lot of things taking place behind closed doors, with negos between the Banks and their Governments..
It will be a few months before things are made perfectly clear and the markets then will settle down.

What is causing what has bin mis-identified ,as the Last Death Throes of the World Wide Financial Markets...
IS THE Massive Selling by the Huge HEDGE FUNDS...

if you watch the gyrations of the Dow Jones.. for example.. the last few weeks have witnessed STRONG SELLING into Strength..in other woids.. during The Trading Day..

EVERY TIME THE MARKET RECOVERED and went into the Black..Right on cue.. there was a wave of selling driving the Market Back into the Red... this Pattern is Continuing and wil continue until the HEDGE FUNDS are Sated.. and have disbursed all of the monies that they can scramble up to their WORLD WIDE WELL HEELED INVESTORS... who at this moment are cashing in their Investments in these HEDGE FUNDS... Billions.. Maybe even a Trillion or Two have been Lost by the Hedge Funds.. They started the Whole business of Easy money , in the Derivitives Game..and the sub Prime.. etc.etc.. and they are now paying the Piper..

I say.. that is a good thing..

The Stables Needed a good Cleaning and .. Boy.. Have they gotten one!

In summation..

Things will now start to stabilize, once the Hedge Funds are Out of the Picture..

They will be back... no question.. but, that is in the Future.

Regarding, your question..

This is a good time to start considering your market strategy.

The question is ..

Do you have the stomach?

Everything is telling you.. Dinna dae it,pal.. the Market it caput!

But remember this...old wise canard.

"Buy LOW and SELL HIGH!"

and ye kin bet yer bottom sou.. that when it is Easy, to make the decision to Buy... then it is a cinch that then the Price of the Security, is not at the LOW!

Back to the Trick, again...

I cannot give Financial Advice, and I will Not.

No way, no how..

Whatever investments that you wish to make is strictly up to you, my friend..

I have only given you a somewhat Simplified scenario.. of how we got where we are..and where we are going.

Kojo.
yer pal..who likes ye a loat.

.

The Narrow Bhoat Tim....

is there Breeders Cup Racing Tonight....????

o1bhoy

best Wishes to all those participating tomorrow.

On the weaker squad debate.

Does anyone think the team has been strengthened, at best we've stood still.

Apologies if this has already been posted; I noticed it after seeing the report on BBC website re Walter Smith defending Celtic and Scottish football after Paul Ince's comments, particularly the "men against boys" and "embarassment" remarks. Cheers Mr. Ince, Hope WGS posts that in the dressing room before we go out at Parkhead against Man U; team talk done. The last time I heard the "men against boys" remark was ??? Oh Yeah, Graham Souness... boss of Blackburn, and we know what happened then :-)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1079893/Blackburn-boss-Ince-says-Celtic-defeat-embarrassment.html

P.s. I sincerely hope Blackburn get stuffed the next time they turn up at Old Trafford.

Hi Paul67 and the CQN family,

I've been an avid viewer of the site for a few years now but thought I would sign up and start contributing from now on.

I must first of all congratulate you Paul67 on what is the best Celtic fan site on the net, there simply is no comparison. Your dedication and sacrifice to provide us all with this outlet and community is something that imo will never be underestimated by all that use CQN, I tip my hat to you Sir.

For a few years now I have laughed, cried, thrown objects, nodded the heid, shaked the heid, screamed, laughed, gaffawed and been educated by the simply majestic, humble and downright crazy contributors to your great site. I look forward to sharing thoughts, locking horns, stroking ego's, making acquaintance's and getting my tuppence worth in in the months and years to come.

in the spirit of the site. I say 3-1 the morra

Hail Hail

NBT

Reading an earlier post re. Joe Carter. Have a Blue Jays top from years back with Carter 29 on the back.

Didn't like baseball until I visited relatives in Canada and really got into it. It did help when it was explained to me in very simple terms what the players in all the various positions were supposed to be doing.

Also I guess I was spoiled as my first game was against the Yankees.

Looking for a bit of advice guys. I was planning to bring a friend to the game tomorrow (and probably take in the fives). My daughter isn't going so we were thinking he could bring his 14year old on my daughter's ticket. That seems to be 13 and under. Do people think we would be ok? Or would the stewards have a problem with that?

How many clubs are there in Scotland with a Protestant background and whose fans spout anti-Irish, anti-Catholic bile, or have done in the recent past?

Answer: a lot.

How many clubs are known as the Huns?

One.

How, then, can Huns be a synonym for Protestants?

My understanding was the Huns was a reference to their previous nickname as the Gers or the Gerries. Not for use in polite company, perhaps, but certainly not sectarian. Maybe Jorg Albertz or Stefan Klos could have argued it was racist, but that's a separate question, and I don't believe for a second anyone referring to Jorg Albertz as a Hun would have been referring to his nationality.

Which brings me to another point. Jorg Albertz is a Catholic, so is Chris Burke et cetera. If they are still Huns, how can Hun be a reference to their religion?

I hope the lad with the T-shirt is appealing.

I wonder if Blindlemon, PF Ayr or any other legal eagle is around. What is the legal community's take on this court decision?

.

Sign Larsson

o1bhoy

The guy must have had the worst lawyer in Britain. I can understand how he get done for inciting trouble but for him to get done for committing a sectarian offense is crazy.

o1bhoy

It surely won't be long before we sign Jordan Larsson. And unlike Nachito, young Jordan is eligible to play for Scotland so ought to be a hero all round.

dalgetybhoy think you would be ok, the concession/junior tickets light yellow on entry no matter the age
think they are looking for adults going in on a yellow light

.

Celtic First....

Hope So....He's Still Got His Scottish Accent....Unlike Sheena.... ;o))))

o1bhoy

Lubo's kid must be getting to right age as well

bhoy sean

I heard his name was DONALD cant think of his second name

Love

Zbyszek,

Thank you for correcting me about Lukas Podolski. The name Klose sounds German, but I may be wrong about him too. At least they have lived in Germany for most of their lives, so I suppose there is some connection with the country which they represent. I certainly sympathise with Poland, especially if Trochowski is also Polish - he is a very good player. At least you have got your land back! You have lost some good footballers, I have gained a wife (my German mother-in-law was born in Wroclaw - formerly Breslau).

Good luck to Legia.

Hail, hail

Not often I do this, but here is the original copy supplied from the press agency that covered the case of the bhoy getting done for the T-shirt.

STANDING UP...in work, so don’t be surprised if I answer too many questions in the next few hours

t-shirt-charge-cpa-xyz 23 Oct 15:35

GLASGOW COURTS PRESS AGENCY
By VICTORIA WELDON
With PIC OF DEVLIN OUTSIDE COURT.
A CELTIC fan was arrested on the night of the UEFA cup final for wearing a t-shirt which predicted Zenit St Petersburg's win, a court heard yesterday. (Thu)
Michael Devlin was spotted wearing the top which had "dirty horrible huns" scrawled across the back just minutes after the crucial Rangers match.
The top also had "Zenit St Petersburg, Champions UEFA Cup Final 2008" printed on the front.
The 20-year-old was walking along Glasgow's Hillington Road South with friends when two police officers noticed the t-shirt and stopped him.
The street is a stones throw from the home of Rangers Football Club Ibrox Stadium.
They lost the match 2-0 in Manchester where Rangers supporters later clashed with riot police.
Sheriff Iain Peebles told Devlin: "This was an act of gross crassness and stupidity taking into account the timing and the place you were when wearing the t-shirt."
At Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday, Devlin, of Gleddoch Road, Glasgow, was convicted of committing a religiously aggravated breach of the peace on May 14 this year.
The court heard that Devlin had been watching the game in a house with friends when the group decided to go out and get a takeaway at the end of the match.
PC Andrew Gunn told the court that he and his colleague were out on another call when they spotted the Hoops fan with a crowd of youths at around 10.10pm.
PC Gunn said: "I informed him that the t-shirt was offensive and told him to take it off. He had a Celtic top on underneath.
"There were members of the public there and Rangers fans were walking along Paisley Road West nearby.
"There were no other difficulties, just that he was wearing that t-shirt."
Defence lawyer Bob Mackinnon told the court that the top was just a bit of "Glasgow banter".
He said: "From school to university to working life, almost everyone in Glasgow is effected by this divide and will get on the case of their friends and colleagues.
"That someone was wearing this t-shirt it just part of the banter that goes on regularly in Glasgow between Rangers and Celtic fans - they love winding each other up."
Mr Mackinnon also argued that then offence was not religiously aggravated because Rangers FC claims that the club is non-religious.
He added: "Both Sir David Murray and Walter Smith have went out of their way to make it clear that Rangers is not a religious institution.
"The word Hun originates from a tribal group in Central Asia."
But prosecutor Mary McRory said that despite the efforts made by the club most people still perceived it as being protestant.
Sheriff Peebles told the court that his decision was based purely on law. He deferred sentencing Devlin until October next year for him to be of good behaviour.
ENDS

.

The Notorious B.I.G.

o1fortheCarltonCrewCSC

Celtic 1 ManU o
Celtic 2 Villareal 0
Alborg 0 Celtic 1

Any chance? if so we could go through !!!!!!!!!

Inkybhoy

Thanks. Who writes that claptrap? Is Victoria Weldon really a welder?

I mean, 'stones throw'?

'David Murray and Walter Smith have went out of their way …'.

In all my born days.

It makes some of your colleagues look like Dorothy Parker (though not you, you understand).

Man On

Cheers for that. I wasn't sure if there would be a 3rd light for over 13 but less than 18

'But prosecutor Mary McRory said that despite the efforts made by the club most people still perceived it as being protestant.'

To me, it sounds like he has been prosecuted because he mentioned Rangers in a derogatory way, as they are perceived as a Protestant club. So therefore, not only Hun but any other phrase which you could use to insult Rangers fans would result in a sectarian offense being committed.

“Prosecutor Mary McRory said that despite the efforts made by the club most people still perceived it as being protestant.”

Aye, very good Mary.

Does that mean everyone who is Protestant is a Hun?

What an appalling lack of logic.

bhoy sean, Lubo's boy must be about 20 now. He was pretty skilled. While Lubo was here his son went to St Aloysius in Garnethill. Sat Higher French in 2nd year when he was only 14. Mind you he had been brought up in France so spoke it like Bobo. I saw Lubo waiting for him one day. Plucked up the courage to ask him who he thought would the CL that year. He said "Real Madrid". They did win it. Wotta player , wotta tipster.

Inkybhoy

What I mean is, you already look like Dorothy Parker (from your writing, not the way you go about).

InaholesostopdiggingCSC.

heatleader

Cheers for that Heatleader, I never realised he would be that old. I wonder if he is playing at any level back in Slovakia. I miss Lubo, simply a gift from God.

viewfae

i like your thinking
it looks possible - well i think so
got to be worth a punt

Good luck to all that is entering the CQN five a side tournament. Some of the couts will be out in force i'm sure:)

Celtic First

I said it was the original copy, not good copy. :)

Already tonight I've had to excise the phrase 'from beyond the grave’ from an intro.

I've got a wee analysis of the case but not in a position to post it at the moment.

STANDING UP

Inkybhoy,

"A stones throw from Ipox"

How many people do you know who can throw a stone from Ipox an just fall short of Paisley. Hillington road id fare distance from Ipox. In fac is it probably further away from Ipox to the west as the city Center is to the East of the REARS den.

Hunbeleivable.

I hope the Bhoy appeals.

Celtic fans should club together and pay for a decent defence solicitor for the Bhoy.

I would suggest said Sherrif is probably a hun as well as the officer Gunn. In saying that I do not mean protestant catholics but actual huns because they support the REARS.

I have no religion and no hate towards anyone of any religous persuasion but Huns are still Huns. Except I now prefer to call them REARS. Give it a year or 2 and that will be sectarian too.

Hey Inky, do you know where I can get a copy of that illegal t-shirts! I'd love to see the Bill try to arrest me in Carmarthen with it on!!!!!

v easy to slag manager on not getting a left back yet.
And yes his transfers have been hit and miss.
But one person on here who honestly wasnt jumping up and down with excitement at signing jirosik and graveson (or even deek).
To anyone who claims they saw something other than complete success in those signings i say really?
An eastern european who has experience of premiership and champs league.
a scandinavian with experience of premiership, champs league and signed from 1 of best teams in world.
young scotsman who scored over 20 goals 4 years on the trot in league for a team that on least one of those years finished bottom 6.
Its the players faults they werent successes not the management team.
To all those who predicted the failure of those signings - what are the lottery nos for tomorrow please.

.

Gwen...."It's My Wife"....Live....

o1notaGhirlCSC

"This was an act of gross crassness and stupidity...."

Since when have crassness and stupidity been offences????
If the guy decided to take his life in his hands by his own actions - have to admit I would not have been brave (stupid???) enough to do what he did - then surely it is up to him?

I sincerely hope this guy appeals (if possible) and the case is thrown out on its ear!

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

I have always thought the term Hun was the rampaging horde kinda Hun!

THEY tried to call us Huns when I was a bhoy. It just stuck with them…wonder why?

Celtic First

If I could be half as witty with the written word as Dorothy Parker, I'd be delighted. :)

Moonbeams

It's a rubbish cliche, but I'd try lobbing a half-brick

West Wales

You don't have a sectarian police force, isn't it. Mon the Sons of Glyndower!

STANDING UP... with the stepawayfromtheshovelCSC

Seriously now, I really, really want 1 of those t-shirts. I have a right to be crass & stupid - I live in Wales you know!!!

Inky - the web link or my mates from Glyndwr might be visiting a cottage near you any day soon.... Cymru am byth after all me ole mucker.

Fraternal regards in bi-lingual comradeship,

WWC

Kojo

Thank you for your reply. Let me lay my cards on the table (or should that be tables?)

1. I recognise you as one of (if not THE one)the posters who is best known and best read.

2. We have never met and probably that will remain the case (although I hope it is not).

3. Your postings reflect a very successful business person who is also a wordsmith but in reality we all hide behind a blanket of intrigue on this Blog and only our family and close friends get close to the truth but even then can misunderstand us.

4. I might, actually I will be brave and say that I have been involved in the market longer than you have (43yrs)and I have seen a few collapses in my time but because of heeding the best advice I received, "don't play if you can't pay", I habve managed not to top myself when all appeared black and disastrous around me.

5. If I could be assured that none of your many acolytes has taken your advice (or followed your personal investing strategy)I would sleep easy at night but I am fearful that some have.

6. I am sure you will agree with me that to follow your strategy one would require deep pockets (without any of those holes which I am always seemed damned to have!)to allow you to weather the storm.

I wish you well in your travels through the capitalist system but I do hope you travel alone.

No hard feelings

Yours in love with Celtic

CL

Scotland shame,

I think you can include Hinkel and Donati in that list as well. I was excited by those two. Having seen what´s happened before with Jarosik, Zurawski, Graveson I have given up on those two already.

Shouldn´t our management and recruitment team be doing better than us though?

Hillington Road South does run to Paisley Road West, but at least two miles from Ibrox. That's a hell of a stone throw.

Geography CSC

Fred C Dobbs

I recall, reading/hearing something about us being called huns during the First World War because of the events in Dublin in 1916, since most of the support were first/second generation Irish.
It was seen that the Scots Irish were disloyal to the Crown (excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor laughing....as if!) so they were branded with the name reserved for the Germano-Prussian enemy, and cousins of the King.

Not that I'm suggesting you are of that spectacular vintage..possibly a post Second World War era you are referring to yourself. No offence.

Can't remember where this comes from, hopefully someone will scource sources for confirmation.

Just been loused, back later.

STANDING UP

WizardofOz @ 7.51 :- I can't say I find it offensive and my first post on here was using the name KilwinkieHun. I tend to equate it with "Tim" as a sort of generic term.
What I would say though is that I'm hearing more fans that say they consider it sectarian. I wonder if this is one of those times when a word changes in meaning.

McGraininSpain @ I've never thought on that to be honest. I'm not active in FARE beyond passing on news of events and campaigns. I'm not sure how an organisation could help me but it is something to give some thought to.

Nach Novo is a hun.
Le Merde is a hun.
PLG was a hun (got out before it stuck)
Lorenzo Amoruso was a hun and most likely still is.
Albertz is a hun.
John Spencer was/is a hun.

They all have one thing in common.

Anyone?

Moonbeams

They all wanted to play for scotland?

Ed

How do you expect the REARS to get on tomorrow away to Hamilton?

I fancy it for a draw.

TSoAL

doh. :o)

May you get capped by Scotland, Nacho Novo
May you get capped by Scots, I pray.
May you get capped by Scotland, Nacho Novo.
It might shut them up about James McCarthy

Where did all this blood purity view come in about football internationalists?

Is Scotland, which alongside Wales and Norn Ireland,constitute the only non-national international team now more concerned about blood purity than higher ranked footballing nations (England, Germany, Spain) or more martial nations (Croatia, Ireland) who shed real blood for independence?

Ireland played Tony Cascarino, who had no ancestral connections, as it turned out, and Mark Lawrenson, who reverted to being the Englishman he always was before he was capped. Now, there may have been some revisionism going on nowadays when Ireland has a decent crop of home grown players, leading to Irish blood purists turning up their noses at McGeady and McCarthy but there was a general re-awakening of pride in the ROI team which set in with Uncle Jack's loose policy to capping English league pros with widely varying accents because it led to rare success in Italy and the USA.

Spain play Senna, England play Hargreaves, Germany play their Poles and Kuranyi but somehow, Scotland has to have higher standards of self respect than these lesser nations.

During the Vogts era, Didier Agathe was touted in the same way as Novo, but, despite our greater need at that time, the proposal was greeted more cooly than the current MacNovo campaign. It was greeted even more cooly than the Amoruso proposal too even though he was quite a Scottish centre half as he was a bombscare and a big di... diddy. I remember Celtic fans singing to Didier at the time "You're French and you know you are!" with an admirable disregard for the nuances of French colonial policy.

Like Ireland, Scotland has a diaspora. We have already diluted to accommodate Bob Wilson, Stuart McCall, Goram, Matt Elliot etc; And we must be a highly forgiving nation. Did we not elect to the Hall Of Fame and a place in the al-time Scotland XI to a guy who regularly withdrew Rangers players from the National Team and threatened a Dumfries born player, who was considering whether to declare eligibility for England or Scotland, that he better choose the former or his game time would be limited at the club he managed?

So, I'm all for accepting Nacho Novo's application to become a Scot.

We can then continue to overlook the hopeless wee runt every time we select a football squad. it would also scupper his chances of being selected by a team at his level, say Liechtenstein.

KOJO

You might well appreciate the efforts of our Chairman a little bit more now?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5010659.ece

Did the press not try and get Nigel Spackman a game for Scotland?

Does anyone really care that much if Novo plays for Scotland? After all, he will probably pull out of most squads anyway.

Oh the REARS ar floccinauccinihilipilification.

Zbyszek :- I'm sorry if I upset you it wasn't my intention. With your countries recent sad history I can well nderstand your sensitivities to racism. I can't vouch for the veracity of the report however I'll e-mail them with a copy of your post. If I get a reply I will post it on here.
Thanks for the link to the article it shows how things can be slanted in the press.

Ed

" hearing more fans that say they consider it sectarian" - could that be equated to clutching at straws in the politically correct world?

i.e. choosing to be offended, when convenient and all else fails, rather than actually being offended.

Just a thought

Cheers

Alex

Kojo.... The Sword is Still Hinging o'er the Heids...

One for you.....

From The PPT on Wall St

Yer Pal....

Moonbeams @9:43

Ar***oles? (Well, mibbae no PLG)

And one for that poor Bhoy with the T-Shirt...

Who was hung drawn and quartered by .... (What was that cops name?)

Scottish Justice

Anybody object if i right another piece about our captain? I know i probably peeve a lot of you guy's about my constant criticism of the guy. Sorry if i do it is not intentional, but he half doesn't make easy for me.

In second thoughts i better keep my mouth shut, else i'll get a banned from the site for harrasment :) I'll end upsetting somebody as well.

Excellent news on Caldwell if he get's another contract. He has earned it. Hopefully we might see young Ben tomorrow. I would like to see what this guy has got in his locker.

Not got time to read tonight. I'm under strict instructions from the manager to finish this bottle of Shiraz and get an early night. Of course I'll ignore that; there are two bottles of Furstenberg in the fridge.

One question I have though. Can I use my usual five-a-side vocabulary tomorrow or do the CQN language rules apply?

Inkybhoy,

Naw I’m a very old (53) :¬) .I remember in the 70s fans of most clubs sang “go home ya Huns” when the game was won.

At that time some thought the origins were Germany the War etc…some (like me) thought Attila and his chums, but NONE thought Protestant!

I think it's quite philanthropic of Ms. O'Sullivan (one of ours?) to arrange separate schooling for them.

time for a separate schools debate?

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend... celticlover.

I have taken not the eensiest weeniest umbrage fro