Management is not as easy as it seems

Hola amigos

Suerte Roy

1up

No. I'd get a row.

Drat and double double drat!

Pablo.

i am sure you owe Paul67 a pint for that one.....

That's row as in rammy, not row as in four-in-a ... ;-)

70 quid !!!! ... the biscuit tin lives on !!

You're right Paul. Keane did not succeed, but what he did, he did with real dignity. Keane has time to learn his new trade properly now, if he so chooses.

Paul Ince, I hope feels a little foolish today and will reflect on his words after our defeat at OT, I doubt it somehow.

Well spotted, Awe-Naw. But the tannoy announcement at half-time would have said only £28.47.

Pablo

From last blog;

Klinsman

King Billy (the only one)

I wish we could buy the players that Keane has for £70! you'd have change left over for a left-back!

LazyJournalismCSC :-)

The board has been lying to us about spending millions.

creativeaccountancyCSC

Good Luck in wherever your career takes you next, Keano.

It was one my proudest days as a Celtic fan to see you run out in the Hoops for the first time at Celtic Park. And it was my birthday that day too.

We won't count the "other" game!!!

Hope the reports are wrong, but if not, then hope you'll be back soon.

craggy island gaa

£70, spent more on a night out.

WGS

From the previous thread, and it concerns two, young Czech players.

I have read that news yesterday. Good, that Celtic is searching for the young players in here. On the other hand, both who are in Glasgow are very young and cannot play now for your club. This is the melody of the future.. Pribram is not a big club in Czech Republic. They are the poorest in Gambrinus League, and now second from the bottom of the table.

Below, you will find my translation of the original source. I see, it stands to contradict with the articles from the Scottish press. If you take into consideration, that I translated Chovanec, their agent statement, you will probably see the differences. Usually, the agents exaggerate with the positive news about their pupils.

I remember short joke, which suits to this situation with a press.
One man meets the other guy, who was yesterday at the party in his home, and says:
When you were yesterday in our home, somebody has stolen my wife’s platinum earrings.
-I hope, you don’t think I have stolen them?
-We found them in our home yesterday, but the disgust still remains.

Translation:

“Two talented football players from the fist league club FK Pribram: Antonin Fantis and Milan Minus, flew to Glasgow today. They will take a part in trainings of the famous Celtic club. This information was confirmed by chovanecsport.cz. Scottish big club, is going to test them within next few days. It’s common knowledge, that the other club that is interested in these two players is AC Milan. Celtic don’t want to be beaten by Milan for these guys. That was the reason, they were invited for the trainings in Glasgow, “ said Ondrej Chovanec, the agent of Fantis and Misun.
They will take a part in ordinary trainings with the first team, in front of Gordon Strachan’s eyes. On Sunday, they will go with Celtic to the Hibernan’s stadium, to see the game. This is a big chance for both players. They are happy with that interest from Celtic.
Celtic, also observed another young player: Josef Hasbauer. After the qualifications tournament of U-19 National Team in Cyprus, Hasbauer came back to the club, for regular games, added Chovanec.

Hasbauer is only 18 too.

Cheers Paul !!!!

Now, can we move on please ???

Paul Ince, reep what yeh sow !!!

Why do clubs....................we'll leave that one !!!

From Celtic-Mad

Liking what I'm hearing from BROOOOONNNYYYYY more and more.

""I am a changed Man" Says Scott Brown whilst chewing on a Refs Whistle!

Scott Brown has today revealed that although he is happy with his current form so far this season he still looks to his Manager's opinion of his performances as the true barometer of his displays thus far.
Brown also stated that personal glory is not in his sights - it is all about the team for this Bhoy.

I'm happy with my form. I'm enjoying football and I'm happy playing in this team," he said.

"Is this the best spell of my Celtic career? You need to ask the gaffer. He's the only person I listen to. If he's happy with me and he thinks I'm playing well that suits me.

"If he says I'm rubbish, I'm rubbish. That's the way I work. I got the Player of the Month award recently and that was pleasing but I don't worry too much about personal trophies. I just want the team to keep winning."

Brown also hinted that a change in role and system may be assisting him to display his true potential. Could a change of personnel also be benefitting the Midfield Terrier?

"I feel comfortable in the current formation. The gaffer has worked with me and shown me how to play in this system. I've played on the right side of midfield, in the centre and just off a striker. I've enjoyed all the roles."

On the subject of his disciplinary record Brown is forthright in his response.

He said: "I'm a changed man so far. I don't know why I've not had as many bookings this season. Maybe it's because I've actually won the tackles and not kicked my opponents.

"In all seriousness, it's not something I've really thought about. I've just been enjoying the games and I think that helps. I've not changed my style of play as I still like to get stuck in but I think the referees have been fair with me."

Could this also be an indication that he is more content in his new role and also his new team mates? Poor disciplinary records can be as much of an indication of a frustrated player as anything else so maybe we are seeing more benefits to our newer systems.

Yours in Celtic

Clydebuilt"

pablophanque

Paul,

Reckon Keano would have been to buy at least half a dozen top quality...

Subbuteo teams with that sort of dough ;-))))))

craggy

Actually it was from Monthehoops.

pablophanque

Interest rates cut to 2%!

Keane bottles it , again.

First real test of his managerial credentials and he bottles it.

Not surprised really.

Big Liam

When did Keane bottle it before?

I think the family with be getting JJB bags with pressies this year

;)

donegaldanny.

I'm a big admirer of Owen Coyle myself and have been following his career both as a player and manager for a long time. Have often thought of him in the manager's seat and think he would do a great job. It'll be his one day I'm sure!

I'm a big Gweedore man myself - if you count holidays that is!!

In the meantime I'm still backing GS. Now you didn't expect me to agree with everything you said did you?

From the BBC

A run to the Scottish Cup final has produced a major financial boost for a first division side.

Dumfries team Queen of the South recorded a profit of some £535,915 last season thanks to a string of displays which took them to Hampden twice. Celtic´s net spend last year was less than 70£

pablo -

Have you been spouting forth more rubbish again? 8-)))

Fact of the Day -

The Marie Celeste was found abandoned on this day in 1872.

Ulryc

PS Where's WG these days? What is happening in TGITW?

£70 in 2 years - no wonder they are struggling ;-)

Pablo, from last post .............

Wim the tim Jansen, did he naw win the big cup with Feyenoord, and win the SPL thus preventing the ten in a row.... hello ha ha.

And don't give us percentages, more than 50 % o the posters (after you're post) on the last thread give some very good examples.

Just think of it as a wee cumuppence.....auldtim will be pleased to note I think lol

Long time lurker here,BUT defo best celtic website (only my humble opinion).Anyway thanks Paul67 & all you fellow CQNers & Onwards
to 4 in a row! At ICT game & a touching tribute to Kano on screen,
did everybody concerned proud,...thoughts are with Kano & family.
Hope Koki gets a wee bit more time in the side soon & Skippy finds
his shootin' boots OR stops moanin'..nae chance there then..ha ha

Really like Roy Keane, especially loved his master class at Mordor, that was worth bringing him to Celtic alone.
Principled fella who does what he thinks is right.
But please don't let the Strachan haters start a campaign on here for him to replace our second most successful manager ever.

Lurgan

Ah now if everybody agreed life would be boring wouldn't it!!??

Big Owenies family come from Bloody Foreland (Cnoc Fola) and surrounding areas and I'm told he's regularly back there for holidays so would love to see him manage us one day. He scored goals wherever he played and was mooted for a move to us early nineties but never happened.

DD

.

Curly....

'The Gout In The Wellies'....is Affecting.... 'The Gout In The Wood-Bine'....

WellieGout

Mon the JJB ffs

Through good luck I happen to have stumbled in just after a new article was posted.

On the Roy Keane news, funnily enough was talking to my Old Man about it at the weekend as a friend of Niall Quinn's was telling him some members of their Irish consortium thought Keane's refusal to sign a new contract was down to him being tapped up by Celtic to step in when WGS leaves.

As for our European exit, it disappoints me that some of our fans are only too happy to join the press in lambasting our club for being prudent with our finances. I am not one to ever say "Were you at the match?" or "How long have you had your season ticket?" so all I will say is this:

In my opinion, as a season ticket holder since 1986/87, who attends practically every game, home and away...

I have seen more disappointing European campaigns than this season and so I console myself by looking at the bigger picture.

Our club is in a healthy state, on course for 4 titles in a row, the best squad in Scotland, and no worries about financial wolves at the door.

Seeing as my first season as a season-ticket holder was The Beast's first in charge at Mordor, I hope you will all forgive me if coming 4th in our Champions League group does not have me throwing myself of a bridge.

And please note, I haven't even started on mitigating circumstances such as injuries, disallowed goals, offside goals, deflected goals, own-goals...

Anyway, that's where I'm coming from, but I respect all fellow Celt's right to their opinions, whether they go to matches or not.

Keep the faith.

Hail Hail

paul67

surely the Rangers contract in itself would be sufficiently attractive to a prospective purchaser ...after all it was worth £18 m at one point :¬)

seriously though, would that not be enough to have a administrator appointed ...who would almost certainly utilise such a substantial asset

eurochamps67
Re Keane @ Mordor.. loved with him & Lenny in midfield that day,
Capt Unbookable neva came near them...totally outclassed @ Snake mountain that day.It wid be great to really take the game to them on 27th instead of sittin' in and givin them too much respect@ home.

Good call Paul67.

Ince has always been all mouth. I remember watching "The Governor" when asked to take a penalty for England a number of years ago (probably against Germany) - he totally cacked it and was too scared to step up to the spot.

One other thing, as for Owen Coyle, he used to be in the same parish as my Granny in Glasgow and I used to get in trouble every Sunday for getting him to autograph my Mass Sheet!

He has family buried in Linn Cemetery, near where my Gran (and TB) now rests, so I still see him from time to time. He is an absolute gentleman and, like many other fellow Tims, one I keep my eye on for a future coaching role.

Pablo - what have the Romans ever done for us?! :-)

TTTT

Pablo, don't worry mate, it's nearly Friday night music night when you will be able to pull some of that self respect back. :o)

Oh Yeah - Steve McLaren (well I thought he was good) ;o)

Helicopter Thursday ,

Saipan , Man U. , and now Sunderland.

He talks a lot but can he walk what he talks?

Answer Clearly is a resounding NO.

Sunderland backed him to the hilt. Time has come for Keane to coach and manage his 70 million pounds + team and prove he has managerial ability but know he throws in the towel because financial constraints prevent him from spending more cash.

I'd be surprised if he even enters management again.

Pablo........auldtim told me to pass this on B'dumtish!

Are ye feeling paranoid yet?

Agree with Porridge n B........Please no posters speculating about Keano as the new manager. GS is enjoying himself and seems to be increasing the gap with rankers while not overspending, I look forward to another few years (or more)of wee GS and by that time Keano will be onto pastures new.

onwards to 4inarowCSC

Big Liam

Far more to the World Cup story with Eire than meets the eye.
I dont think for a second Keane bottled it as he had more than enough class and ability to mix it in any company.

As for Man Utd, he basically spoke out about the attitude of several of his tema mates which he thought were taking liablities and were not fit to wear the jersey.
Again, no lack of bottle......quite the opposite actually.

I think I remember reading a week or two ago that JB Sports was considering buying JJB. Presumably that would mean that the Rangers deal (were they give away all future merchandise money) would remain in place.

Sorry if this topic has already been discussed as I haven't had time to read back but:

A Hun supporting colleague has shown me a text that's doing the rounds amongst the Orcs giving the alleged address and telephone number of our beloved (well in my eyes!) manager, with the final line reading "now we know this, lets hound the b*****d out"!!!

Can anyone tell me if they've seen or heard about said text?

Panda Hands

Roy Keane
His display at Ipox was in the master class - him and Lenny were head and shoulders above Barry and his cohorts.
before the game the Ipox faithful were shouting from the rooftops about Roy and Lenny being over the hill and past it, they certainly showed them that they were far from being spent forces, the hoops stars controlled the game with a mix of guile and aggression that had Barry greeting to Wattie after the game "it's no fair Wattie they big bhoys were too tough and too good for me".

The 27th December looms large and as far as i'm concerned BRING 'EM ON.

Panda -

Is the address in G71?

I agree Keane is a total bottler which has been proved again. It wasn't a laugh anymore and he had people dare to question him so he threw the toys out again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!He's another one of the top player, poor manager category. I shudder at the thought of him coming here as a manager. Anyone who thinks he'd be a success needs to re-engage their brain. It's easy to succeed when you throw money at something in a poor division like the Championship. Like Wattie and Wiggy did for a while. But when real opponents come along like Wim the Tim and MON you get found out. I said last night Sunderland were the 6th biggest spenders in world football this year. Not Britain the world! Too many managers are lazy when it comes to buying and I think MON went that way. Look at who GS signed and from where. Who heard of the likes of Naka and Artur before we signed them? GS puts his work into signing players and gets results. Being lazy and throwing money at it gets you Tore Andre Flo for £12m and Anton Ferdinand for £8m!

I have to agree, Roy Keane at Ibrox was absolutely sensational that day.

It highlights the importance of a top class central midfield player in Old Firm derbies.

Natknow

No. G21

Legend of Peter Grant.

There may be something in what you say.

I believe Dermot Desmond is a big admirer of Gordon Strachan and wants him to stay on. However the one man who he would replace GS with is Roy Keane.

Roy Keane's post-match interview at Ibrox that day was also class. Think Booth was still their touchline reporter at the time, and he was all "so, are you surprised that you were put in the starting line up today?" "er, no, I'd be more surprised if I wasn't" "are you pleased to get the man of the match award?" "er, no, I'd be more surprised if I wasn't" etc. Can't remember the exactly details, but it was a brilliant display of "I'm so much better than you in every way, and don't you forget it".

I wonder if it's on YouTube?

Panda Hands - That can't be true. The red-tops would have run front page stories about "Text Message Bigots" by now if it were.

re Roy Keane

£5 mill for Chopra ...enough said

no perspective in the transfer market

reminded me a lot of Wee Dick ...plenty of money ...and ..collecting players with it

hopefully it will be the end of the RK for Celtic manager nonsense which pervades this blog from time to time

Lurgan53

I agree. Not for one minute do I think Dermot Desmond wants rid of Strachan, but in much the same way as he told Strachan to keep him informed before taking a new job as Martin might be leaving, I wonder if he's said similar to Keane.

OneAntonRogan

Tremendous performance that day - both on and off the park.

Curly 12:49

It was called the `Mary Celeste`. The Marie Celeste was a piece of fiction (Arthur Conan Doyle and created the whole `myth` of the disappearing crew etc

Startrek, however, IS a true story.

It's not on YouTube :-(

Also, I have no idea what "exactly details" means, so I should really stop ranting about poor quality sub-editors and Paul67's missing millions, shouldn't I?

glasshousestonethrowersCSC

RK
has acheived legendary status because of one good performance ( all be it very good/and against the huns )

he was paid a fortune / injured a lot and was part of the Clyde debacle

RK was a world class player ..but not for us ..he was fortunate that we took him ..not vice versa

he has an obvious appeal to some ...perspective please

a failure as an EPL manager and a bit part player at Celtic

imo ..nothing more

Panda Hands,

sorry. what did you say. ahe. what's that. can't understand you. what language are you speaking. what? pardon?

Oh I heard it that time.

Celtic fans are sending a text around with Walter Smiths tel. no. and address requesting that we keep the bar and his steward at REARS. God that's terrible. I 'll have to make up a story about that. :o)

Accies at Snake Mt on Sat...If they don't score in first 20 mins,
crowd will be on there back( Rearrangers, that is), Waldo & sally
didn't envisage this scenario after answering Minty's call. They
must be in a dark room soon looking at the fixtures coming up &
the prospect o' the Jan fire sale! LOL every day I hear aw the
bleating fae the red tops, Minty must STAY!!

Roy Keane a bottler ? I don't think so. I remember one clip from his playing days (think its still on you tube) where he basically challenged Patrick Viera to a square go out on the pitch. The only bottler that day was Viera, Keane wiped the floor with him in an immense display. I seem to recall he was sticking up for Gary Neville as Viera was trying to intimidate him. He might be a poor manager, yes, but a bottler, no chance.

I don't think for a minute that Roy Keane is a bottler. I believe that he is one of those rare guys in football who genuinely puts the interests of the team first, or at least, what he perceives to be their best interests, which may not always be the same.

Others will know the story better, & will have their own take on things, but the row at the world cup seemed to me because he felt that the team was being badly let down, & would not do itself or his nation justice, by McCarthy & the IFA. That may have been wrong- I don't know enough about the situation to take an informed view (I am not one of those Celtic fans who have any real interest in the ROI, so wasn't bothered enough to follow the story or its aftermath in any depth), but I don't doubt that it was a view that Keane believed to be the case.

Likewise, the remarks about the Man Utd younger players which brought about an end to his time at Old trafford seemed to have been made as a result of his concern that the new players were not putting in the effort & commitment needed to sustain the clubs success.

So, I believe Roy when he says, as he did at the weekend, that he would need to think about whether he was the right man for the job, & if not, that he'd go. I'd ve very surprised if he sought a pay off.

I like & respect Roy Keane. His achievements as a player are outstanding, & his values as a decent, family oriented, human being seem pretty good too.

However, I am far from convinced that he will ever make a good manager. His qualities as a player & human being won't necessarily translate into those needed to succeed in a totally different environment.

He is an intelligent guy, & if after some self analysis he thinks he can adapt & wants another go at the management game, then good luck to him. I will certainly wish him well.

However, under no circumstances, well, aoart from having proved himself over an extendedperiod post-Sunderland at another club, should he be considered as our manager when Gordon stands down, which I hope is a long way off yet!

roy keane world class player ,, championship class manager ,, but never a bottler

Guys - unbelievable, taken from Armchair Celts.

"The ink on the paper has barely dried since Roy Keane announced his decision to quit Sunderland and already the bookies are offering odds linking him to the Parkhead hotseat

A straight swap?

it's quite bemusing and somewhat flattering that Paddy Power are making Celtic manager the most likely next job for Keane. He is 5/2 to make that his next managerial job and with Gordon Strachan being linked with the Sunderland job left vacant by Keane, it could be a straight swap. Strachan is 8/1 second favourite with Paddy Power to be the Next Sunderland Manager and if he went it would open the door for Keane to fill his position as Celtic manager.

Keane played for Celtic in the latter part of his career.
I wouldn't rush out to place a bet on this unlikely scenario considering Peter Lawwell has given his assurances that Strach will be going nowhere and the wee man himself wants to remain on the throne"

Sheany,

That contribution from yourself wiped the smug smile that has been on me face since Paul's article about EU's team's finances. Mind you, JJB being in trouble hasn't helped my mood.

While Roy Keane seems to have conducted himself well, why would our board seek to replace our most successful manager since Jock Stein with him?

.

Sheany....

That Makes it a Over 30/1 Chance of it Happening....

001

I am sure that you do not need to be reminded that the Transfer Window is creeping ever closer. As such it is of vital importance that each and every one of you is fully aware of your responsibilities at this very important time.
Consequently I would like to take this opportunity to draw your immediate attention to the 'Daily Record - Transfer Window Style Guide'.
This is a document you should all be very familiar with. However, due to recent revisions it is crucial that you re-familiarise yourself with the guide as a matter of urgency.
As you know the style guide sets out clear and definite instructions on the coverage of all stories regarding the Transfer Window and related issues. Under no circumstances should these be strayed from.
Any queries or questions regarding the content of the guide should not be addressed directly to Sir David or Mr Bain but rather raised in the first instance with myself. After that all further communication will be conducted via your union/legal representative.

Transfer Window - Style Guide

(1) Rangers FC do not 'buy' or 'sign' players. They 'swoop' for players. The extraordinary nature of these swoops must be emphasised at all times by preceding the word 'swoop' with at least one of the following choices - 'sensational' 'stunning' 'exciting' 'audacious' or 'ambitious'.

(2) Celtic FC do not 'buy' or 'sign' players. They 'finally complete' deals. The hugely dull nature of this event should be emphasised at all times by using at least one of the following terms - 'protracted' 'long-running' and 'drawn out affair'.

(3) Any overseas transfer target of Rangers FC is, without fail, also being pursued "...by a host of Europe's top clubs".

(4) Rangers FC must then be referred to as "battling it out for the signature..." of this 'hot property' and 'wanted man'.

(5) The exact identity of these elite club's will be selected on a random basis but must contain at least one of the current top 4 sides in Italy, Germany and Spain. One of these may be substituted by Lyon but no other French club.

(6) If the said player signs for Rangers FC then the club have "pulled off a sensational coup". To avoid unnecessary confusion under no circumstances should the player be asked why he turned down these previously reported top clubs. Instead the player will "modestly refuse to comment on the speculation".

(7) Any overseas player purchased by Rangers FC under the age of 21 years is a 'wonder kid'.

(8) Any overseas player purchased by Celtic FC under the age of 21 years is an 'unknown youngster'.

(9) In recognition of the club's international stature it is appropriate that the transfer fees received and paid by Rangers FC should initially be quoted in Euros. After this initial use the term of currency quoted should be dropped and thereafter, whenever possible, the figure referred to only by approximate amount.

(10) Should Rangers FC purchase a Scottish player from a domestic rival then this story must be accompanied by a double page spread praising the club's willingness to invest in home-grown talent and how this is of the benefit to the national side and indeed the country as a whole.*

(11) Should Celtic FC purchase a Scottish player from a domestic rival then this story must be accompanied by a double page spread condemning the club's willingness to rape rivals of home-grown talent and how this is to the detriment of the national side and indeed the country as a whole.*

*Billy Brown and Jim Jeffries are again willing to contribute. However, please note due to current financial constraints within the company the expenses department has placed a limit of four fish suppers per contributor

(12) Any player linked with Rangers FC who has not made a strongly worded denial of the said move should be referred to issuing "...a come and get me plea."

(13) Clubs unwilling to lower their asking price to meet the perfectly acceptable bid placed by Rangers FC must be strongly condemned. All stories of this nature must include the words/terms "staggering asking price" "inflated fee" "outrageous demands" and "holding to ransom". The player involved in this deal must be referred to as "the want away star' and it is imperative that any story fully informs the reader how the immoral stance of the selling club could "jeopardise a dream move to Ibrox" for a player "whose heart is set on a switch to Glasgow".

(14) Clubs unwilling to up their bid to meet the perfectly reasonable fee placed on a player by Rangers FC must be strongly condemned. All stories of this nature must include the words/terms "insulting" "laughably derisory bid" "on the cheap" "deliberate attempt to unsettle" and "outrageously low offer".

(15) The signing of an overseas player by Rangers FC must be accompanied by a two page spread stating how they will become as good as their nation's most famous footballer. For example: Rangers' Romanian new boy was last night tipped to be the man who could finally fill the boots of Gheorghe Hagi. Mark Hately is willing to contribute to this article.

(16) The signing of an overseas player by Celtic FC must be accompanied by a two page spread questioning whether they are good enough for the SPL. Gordon Smith is willing to contribute to this article.

(17) If Rangers FC sign a player who has - at any point of their career - been watched by any member of the Celtic Park staff (including Superstore employees, programme sellers and outsourced catering workers) then they will have "...sensationally snatched" the said player "..from under the nose of the Parkhead club".

(18) If Celtic FC sign a player who we previously linked with Rangers FC then it will be because "After initial tentative interest Rangers decided to pull out of the chase" thus "...leaving the road clear for Celtic". The player in question "..represented poor value for money.." and was "...no better than the players already available to the Rangers boss."

(19) The fact that Sir David Murray owns a private jet and a vineyard in the south of France are integral elements of any Rangers transfer story and failure to recognise this will see copy spiked.

(20) Finally, as in previous years our colleague at the Sunday Mail will again be organising 'Operation Moonbeams' which is as usual planned for the first weekend in February. Our duty is to ensure quality follow-up coverage. While details of the current operation are being finalised you are advised to familiarise yourself with Glasgow City Council's Draft Regeneration Project for Govan and NASA's proposed manned mission to Mars.

/Bishop B

Gordon Strachan:
-Kept Coventry in the Premiership for a lot longer than they otherwise would have been;
-Took Southampton to their best league finish and an FA Cup Final appearance;
-Won the league and league cup double in his first season at Celtic despite massive cut-backs in the playing staff and football budget;
-Retained the league and added the Scottish Cup in the face of a French Revolution at closest rivals Rangers. Beat Man U over 2 legs to qualify from the group stages of the Ch Lg for the first time in club's history;
-Overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to win his third title in a row, having been 10 points behind Rangers with 7 to play (Rangers had 8). Qualified for the latter stages of Ch Lg beating European Champions AC Milan in the process;
-Leads his team to a 7 point lead before November is over in his 4th season and that with only 2 new signings.

Roy Keane:
-Spent lots of money to turn Sunderland's fortunes around in the Championship and took them back to the Premiership (as Mick McCarthy and Peter Reid did before him).
-Spends obscene amout of money and keeps Sunderland in the Premiership by the skin of their teeth.
-Resigns with Sunderland staring relegation in the face having spent lots of money.

Who would you rather have in charge of your team?

Craiginho

Stand up for the Celtic manager CSC

If JJB goes down the tubes, does that mean Wigan is not that far behind? Are they not both owned by the same person?

I know who should buy JJB. Celtic. That would be unbelievably funny.

Don’t expect me to have the slightest sympathy for Paul Ince, I never liked the man before his “men against boys” comment. He’s 39 years old, an adult, he knows exactly what he’s doing and he knows the implications and risks associated with it. If he doesn’t then he’s just another naïve idiot who will fall foul of this harsh world. No reason for him to have any of my sympathy, it’s in short supply.

As a general rule I have no time for these young managers who have displayed very little aptitude in management (never mind high level management) and yet manage to get promoted beyond their abilities. Like many in this world they have decided to “go for broke”, they know they can fall flat on their face but they also know if they pull it off the rewards are massive.

It’s a high risk winner-takes-all strategy that can backfire. Fair play to them if it works, but likewise no sympathy if it doesn’t. But don’t put all the blame at the club’s door, no one put a gun to anyone’s head.

weeminger,

The post of this or any other month. Here's hoping our board read the blog and do precisely that immediately. Has to be THE win/win situation to beat all.

Some of you are at it again with speculation about replacing Wee Gordon! Much as I enjoyed RKs small spell with us, just because he's like minded as Bhoy doesn't qualify him to take the helm.

Likewise Coylie, although he's doing a terrific job at Burley it's all early days. The powers that be will not fall into that trap of employing inexperience, both MON and WG served their apprenticeships the right way, resulting in all these great years we have been getting. I get the impression that as long as the new man is a Tim then it's ok! Get a bloody life and see reason!

Wonderful however, to see a sprinkling of Scots influence with Burnley, sticking it up all those Johnny Foreigners at Chelsea, Arsenal and co. Definetely my second team at the moment next to Celtic reserves of course.

Outstandin Bishop B, just one other I would add;

Clubs unwilling to lower their asking price to meet the derisory bid placed by Celtic FC must be congratulated. All stories of this nature must include the words/terms "penny pinching Celts" "biscuit tin mentality" and "insulting offer". The player involved in this deal must be referred to as "the want away star' and it is imperative that any story fully informs the reader how penny pinching Celtic could "jeopardise a dream move to his bhoyhood heroes" for a player "whose heart is set on a switch to Glasgow".

01bhoy.

8/1 second favourite,that must make the Favourite at long odds-on for the job.Who could that favourite be,It must be one of the top managers in world football.

Or is it a big wynd up.

Thats the biggest certainty,it's a wynd up.

Guys,

That is not my opinion, I am flabbergasted that someone has penned that article.

There is absolutley no chance that we will swap Strachan for Keane.

And I would not want it to happen.

Keane is a flop as a manager and since Saipan in 2002 I have had nothing but contempt for the man, I was gutted when he signed for us, and do not believe he should have been given the honour to wear our famous hoops.

Please read my last post before assuming that this is my opinion.

Thanks.

We should defintely make Keane Manager, with David O'Leary as his assistant & John Barnes as Director of Football

Wonder are these the same bookies who were offering odds of 1/2 that Gordon Strachan would not be Celtic manager come the start of 2008/09 or odds of 14/1 that Rangers would win an "unprecedented" quadruple.

.

Oldtim67....

No It's Probably Right....Basically they haven't a Scooby Doo Who Sunderland Will go For....The Fav will Probably be 3/1 or 4/1 in a 30 Man Field....

001

Old Brigade in the 3:20 at Wincanton....@ 5/2....

VargasShampoo-

If we are playing dream team, what about having Sir Dave Dignity of moonbeams fame as owner/chairman?

Sometimes things just don't work out for a player, a manager, or any employee at any company.

Paul Le Guen, for example, is a good manager who made one poor career decision and is now back on track.

Sammy Lee is a great football coach. Players love working with him. But he struggled at struggling Bolton.

Martin O'Neill fared badly at Norwich City before going on to much better things.

Roy Keane is very young in football management terms and this does not necessarily mean the end of the road. Maybe it's best to start at the bottom and work your way up.

SonsOfErin on December 4, 2008 2:26 PM- Agree with your point regarding Paul Ince the person.It is Paul Ince the person who deserves no sympathy, the "men against boys" quote should be put in the context of the arrogant man that Paul Ince is!!
This is a man who will crash on the same rocks as Hoddle, Barnes, Souness, Wise, Collins etc, all of whom considered themselves to be the best there is.

Celtic_First 3.07pm

Absolutely agree. Would Alex Ferguson have been the same manager had he been thrown in at the deep end with a top-tier club?

He cut his eye teeth at East Stirling, progressed onto St Mirren, then took Aberdeen to uncharted heights.

The move to Man Utd didn't have the best of starts (about the first 4 years) but like him or not, he proved he is a winner, who has rebuilt side after side with Man U.

Albeit with a near blank chequebook, but a mangerial great nonetheless.

craggy

The farcical situation where we get some Celtic supporters looking to supposedly 'Celtic-minded' people as the primary candidates for roles (that are already filled) is perhaps the single most depressing thing about supporting Celtic apart from European defeats and having to co-exist in the same city as Beelzebub's eleven.

I sometimes think as to why Strachan bothers when there is an utterly MORONIC section of the support that would still rather see a 'friend of the club' come in his place no matter what he has achieved because 'he isn't one of us'. These are the kind of clowns that would give their brother-in-law a job even though he might be a certifiable idiot just to keep it in the family.

For all the talk of being an open, welcoming club (and I sincerely believe it is) among some fans the mentality can be depressingly like that of being a closed shop- and for a club that was built on the foundations of providing support to those who were outsiders in an unwelcoming society, I find that particularly perverse.

But tell ye what, bring in Keano, let him bring in 45 players on 15 year contracts, never play a settled side ever, but he's from Cork and a Tim so it must be right.

Paul67 said Paul Ince will have cause to ponder his "men against boys" comment after Celtic's October defeat in Manchester, his Blackburn Rovers team have since dropped into the relegation zone and fared poorly in Manchester last night.

Aye I've been watching them closely since Ince described our defeat as embarrassing. Since we lost at Old Trafford Blackburn have played 9, won 1 (a Carling Cup tie against Sunderland), drawn 2 and lost 6 - losing 5 goals to a Man Utd second string in their last game. I wonder if he's embarrassed yet...

billyimatim @ 2:36.

Bit of an over reaction mate.If you think Keane's resignation will pass without him being linked in some way to other teams - in particular Celtic then I would find it surprising. The bookies are in there straight away for goodness sake! Its inevitable!

Keane for Blackburn?

Salve Salve Guys;- Roy Keane was a truly great player, sacraficed his chance of CL final place by showing true leadership when 2 nil down against Juve, got himself booked but he grabbed that game by the scruff of the neck Awsome imho. HOWEVA!!!! as my very good friend Kojo might opine I would never have let him near a Celtic Shirt. If he was that big a Celtic man he could have come to us when he was 30 or 31 when he had still something to give as a player. All we did was lower our aspirations and standings to accomodate the whim of an over the hill player who gave us nothing in return. he can come to paradise any time if he wants to coach our youths or pay to get in :- Never a manager
Greenwells

Nemo dat quod non habet

ThusSprakeZaramoravcik

Maybe I've missed something but has anyone ACTUALLY said bring Keane or Coyle in at the expense of Strachan?

And for you to say you believe the club is open and welcoming then say people are moronic is a bit of a contradiction is it not?

That holier than thou attitude while name calling others is a contradiction in its self!

DD

ThusSprakeZaramoravcik

For goodness sake! What on earth are you on about??

ThusSprakeZaramoravcik.................I agree with you're post and don't even think we should add credence to it by discussing it, you lost it a bit though when you call you're fellow Celts morons and clowns IMO.

4 in a row under wee GS , he deserves it!

What is the more fearsome fixture? The Old Firm game on October 4? Or Celtic’s Annual General Meeting on October 3? Brian Quinn, the Celtic chairman, will probably need a defence every bit as stout as that possessed by Martin O’Neill, his manager, when he turns up for an inquisition by investors with his fellow directors, and he may wish he cut as imposing a figure as Bobo Balde. The former Deputy Governor at the Bank of England will again sound like a mother dispensing Cod Liver oil to a wailing child — “you won’t like this, but it is good for you”.

Just as O’Neill’s team is a pragmatic one, so too, Quinn would argue, is the board’s approach. Celtic are a model of financial probity compared to many other clubs. Their tax bills paid up, their wages-revenue ration well within the industry guideline of 60 percent. Their debt, just under £18m at the last count, manageable when set against a turnover of £60m. Given that they have a responsible manager, though, couldn’t they indulge in a little risk management? Quinn’s answer to such queries is basically: Do You Know Your History? “It should never be forgotten that financial mismanagement almost closed this club 10 years ago,” he says. “No-one is more ambitious for Celtic than the board members but we won’t risk financial ruin for Celtic.

“And those who think I’m scaremongering should have a chat with the chairman of Leeds. The fans there enjoyed a run to the semi-final of the Champions League, only to see their team haemorrhaging money, flog their best players to service crazy debt levels, escape relegation and almost go out of business.

“We’ve lost £20m in the past three years and that’s despite a run in the Champions League and getting to the Uefa Cup final in Seville (the highlight, says Quinn, of his seven years so far at Celtic). People think there must be money somewhere but it’s simply not true — the fact is that we have been spending more than we bring in, and it would be highly irresponsible to do anything other than take the hard decisions we have been taking.

“This isn’t going to win us any popularity contests. It’s understandable that we have been criticised. Fans — and I count the board among them — obviously want to see ‘big name’ players coming in every summer, but we won’t put the club’s very future at risk simply to deflect criticism.”

Martin O’Neill has probably already argued that there is a middle way between Celtic’s excess caution and Leeds’ excessive spending. An approach where you invest in the right players, they help you to success and then you sell them at a profit. The manager continues to emit frustrated comments at his press conferences, but Quinn denies they are at loggerheads and says the club’s management structure is evolving around O’Neill’s excellence on the football side.

The board hope to have a new chief executive in place by the AGM. O’Neill cannot veto any appointment but he has been allowed to meet and vet the leading candidates. “We have made mistakes with this appointment in the past and that makes you humble,” says Quinn, a reference to the adverse publicity which plagued Allan MacDonald and Ian McLeod — he was part of the board which appointed both men. “You can’t really tell whether somebody can handle the attention that goes with the post until they are in it. Football clubs are different to other businesses because the football drives the whole business. We saw that when we went out of the Champions League in Basel, but then it picked up again as our Uefa Cup run gathered momentum. Martin drives the football side of the business and we have taken all possible steps to ensure that the successful candidate will work well with Martin O’Neill. We also have to make sure that the responsibilities of the new person are fully complementary with Martin’s own pivotal role.

“Martin is very sensible when he approaches the board. I am on record with my admiration for the intelligence he shows when he comes to our board meetings. In that respect, he is far more impressive than the other managers we have had in my seven years on the board. We have faith in his judgement of players and he has a good sense of value for money. I have a good working relationship with both Martin and Dermot Desmond (Celtic’s largest single shareholder).

“We have had disagreements, as people involved in any business do, but Dermot and I tend to reach the same conclusion on most things, although I prefer to do it with a piece of paper and a pencil, and he has the intuition of the entrepreneur.

“We did not refuse any specific request Martin made in the summer and we were working to bring several players to the club right up to the deadline (including Emerson and Dino Baggio). The budget is not set in stone — because of the nature of football a budget must be flexible. Football is like the dotcom industry in that there has been a global collapse in its market and I think there might still be a couple of years of that to come. They might not be exciting times but we have a responsibility not to let our football club go the way that others have. Thereafter, we can get back to a more manageable position and I would urge the fans to stick with us through these short-term problems.”

There will still be some spending, however. The club continues to look at the possibility of creating a new training ground, said Quinn, although it will not be on the same scale as Rangers’ £14m complex near Milngavie. “It will not be a Murray Park clone. It will be smaller and cost less because I think the change in the transfer market means there is less money in developing young players than there was previously. That is the feedback we have had from the clubs in England who have built academies. Martin and I agree that it shouldn’t be too far from Celtic Park. We don’t want the players to be seen as remote from the fans. The priority is to ensure that the best young players are on the books at Celtic and we’ve greatly increased our scouting network throughout the UK and Ireland. There are 400 young players within our training programmes.”

Quinn added the board will back O’Neill in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Henrik Larsson to play the rest of his career at Celtic Park rather than heading off somewhere warmer as he has, repeatedly, said he will. “Henrik is a man of few words and he knows his own mind but, against that, Martin can be very persuasive.”

Larsson’s departure is due next May, after seven glorious years. Quinn’s exit may come around the same time. He will then have served eight years since answering the call of Fergus McCann in March 1996, if he feels his role as a key witness at a trial into the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in 1991 requires too much of his time.

What may prove Quinn’s last AGM at Celtic, could provide some handy practice for the court case to come because he will certainly face some hard questions about money.

....a few random things:-

Gordon_J : Given the hi-tech world we now live in, have you thought about the possibility of teams being able to take part in the quiz remotely "on line"? I know some our lads would be keen for this.

.....anybody else concerned that a combination of us gein' the Beasties a doin' on the 27th in conjunction with the 'credit crunch' (that phrase again) may see a very limited (if any) movenent by us in the Jan transfer window?

....next, congratulations to Inter RS who became the first Brasilian side to win the Copa America do Sul (the S.American UEFA Cup) last night by beating Estudiantes 2-1 over two legs.

Sadly, the game was more like a competition to see who could cynically foul and simulate the best, but there you go.

Estudiantes had Veron (remember him?) as one of their best players and look out for Angeleri (only because he looks like Russell Brand on a fitba pitch). Isn't there a Celtic connection with Estudiantes?

Finally on this one, Estudiantes are affectionately known by their fans as "Las Pincharrata" (the rat stabbers). So no chance of Novo signing for them!

Oh well onto Sunday now and the very real prospect that Vasco maybe relegated in the last game of the season.

Ate mais..........

Spare a thought for the beleaguered coaching staff at Real Madrid.

Berndt Schuster has just had the old vote of confidence/kiss of death from the club president. He said he was sticking with Schuster "unless there was a real catastrophe", which included the crowd really turning against him. I think that means he has to win the game against Barcelona on December 14.

Míchel González, one of the famous Quinta del Buitre, has just walked away from his job as head of youth development. He said irreconcilable differences with the president were the reason. The president, Ramón Calderón, said it was nothing to do with him, but a matter for the technical director, Pedja Mijatovic.

I love lurking on here, and, crikey, it never fails to amuse me that the mention of something (even if no one has advocated anything) can cause ww3 to break out. The blog where you can argue, even if no one holds the opposing position!

HoopDreams.

The blog where you can argue, even if no one holds the opposing position!

LOL!!!

Rioskorrie,

The inaugural CQN Quiz will be very much a low tech affair - less to go wrong that way! Hell, I might not even bring my laptop along!

I have run on line quizzes before and they can be a lot of fun. Something to think about ... but let us get the Quiz Night out of the way first!

My e-mail list for the Quiz is growing almost by the second - it is looking like we will have a good number of teams and a great night will be had by all.

Thus Sprake - well said sir. Unfortunately there is a horrible cringe factor element within our support that beat this nonsense 'Irish catholic' drum. Don't get me wrong i am both a proud Roman Cathloic & from Irish descent, however the very identity of Celtic Football Club as you have said was based upon providing support to outsiders into an unwelcome society and when you see how our story has developed since 1888, it has unquestionably been influenced by characters outwith that irish/catholic profile. When you look back down the years & see all the players from other nations/cultures/colour of skin etc - it is this all embracing attitude combined with our irish heritage that makes Celtic such a unique entity in World Football.

Apologies if already posted

http://www.etims.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2412&Itemid=29

sounds like the tanks are warming up their engines :)

http://sport.scotsman.com/celticfc/Lawwell-warns-18m-profit-wont.3347408.jp

vargashampoo

there is also the horrible cringe factor when moravcik has went off on one about somethig no one has actually advocated from what I can see! Again i'll state maybe i've missed but did anyone actually say get keane or coyle in at the expense of strachan???

Plus as a staunch celtic and irish man I wouldn't let keane anywhere near the celtic job! I couldn't care if he was the next pope! he walked out on ireland and hasn't been very good as a manager! Although I'll give him the game at Ibrox just for the moment he took Prso clean out of the game!

DD

English clubs received £4.14m and Scottish clubs £359,196 from Uefa for releasing players to play in this summer's Euro 2008 tournament.

Arsenal were England's top recipients, earning £732,760 for the efforts of players such as Spanish European Championship winner Cesc Fabregas.

In Scotland, Celtic earned £272,989, compared to four figure sums picked up by Inverness and Rangers.

German side Werder Bremen were highest earners overall, taking in £935,107.

What´s £272,989 - £70

£272,919CSC

VargasShampoo

Not looking a fight here but can you provide examples of this "'Irish catholic' drum.

Clubs receive Uefa Euros pay-out

From the BBC:

English clubs received £4.14m and Scottish clubs £359,196 from Uefa for releasing players to play in this summer's Euro 2008 tournament.

Arsenal were England's top recipients, earning £732,760 for the efforts of players such as Spanish European Championship winner Cesc Fabregas.

In Scotland, Celtic earned £272,989, compared to four figure sums picked up by Inverness and Rangers.

German side Werder Bremen were highest earners overall, taking in £935,107.

As far as I can see there is no "Pro Keane" faction. There is definately an "anti Keane" faction but I think their reaction borders on the hysterical.

Calm down boys.

An Lorgain

HoopsDreams - thats a bit contentious mate - you looking for a fight?

AWE NAW...

Does anyone know ,who in the rankers squad played in european championship?

And us women get telt we're hysterical!

Hail hail

SORRY.

EURO 2008.

Lurgan: Not denying the bookies will make something of it, inevitable as you say but when our own fans start the whispering,
it get's up this big nose of mine! Happy to start the chant "Only one Gordon Strachan". Optimistic it will gather momentum soon.

Don't you just love it when Inverness and Rankers are mentioned together!

I wonder how many titles/cups Gordon Strachan will win before he "earns" the respect he already deserves IMO.

Surely it is time he had a wee terrace chant.

This is/will be the man in the hotseat overseeing the demise of the cultural institution.

voguepunter, none of them played in the Euros, unlike Inverness who managed to produce one and us who had two, or three if you count Sami who was a Man City player at the time (there you go, mentioned together twice!)

um, that's Rangers and Inverness, mentioned together, for Raveheart.

BlogNeedsAnEditFunctionCSC

Donegal Danny & Lurgan 53 - You can guarantee that in the coming days, weeks ahead etc that if Celtic drop points or play badly that this daft 'Keane for Celtic' chat will rear its head in the chip wrappers, boozers, phone ins & taxi's of Lanarkshire.

I just want to do my best to ensure that doesn't happen & there's no debate at all about it as that would only be a distraction to the most important thing & that's getting behind the Manager & his players to wrap up 4 in a row.

an a wee chant thats a lot more respectful than the last wee chant a heard roon aboot April this year....

Some people need to spend more time reading posts before jumping to conclusions.

I certainly haven't seen a "sack Strachan" post on this blog today.

Oh, hang on, I just read back there. I could have sworn they didn't have anyone at the Euros. Hmmm.

I retract 'Moronic/clowns/idiots and would replace it with 'lacking in a sense of perspective'.

Let's just say I am not looking forward to going into the Celtic pub in my hometown (a boozer that, for the most part, collectively turned it's back on the tv when Strachan got his hands on the trophy two seasons ago) and hearing 'bring Keane in' the next time we fall to a 0-0 draw with someone we should have horsed.

CQN is generally quite dis-passionate about the more ludicrious debates and I was getting my retaliation in first for the inevitable conversations I will have to face at some point within the next couple of weeks.

Of all the managers that have been mentioned on here name one who could better WGS record. We all should be careful what we wish for.

Angus.

Naw-am-urny-Bhoy on December 4, 2008 4:13 PM

Well said mate!!!

Roy Keane destroyed a man's career with a disgraceful premeditated tackle, do people not remember that? Remember the disgust when the benfica player did Skoosh last year. How would you feel if we signed Joey Barton? I would never want him to manage Celtic and I didn't like the way he breezed in here for 6 months to have a swansong and line his pockets. There is a delicious irony that Mick McCarthy gets the manager of the month award on the day he resigned. If GS were to go i'd want a proven successful manager with a bit of character like Mick to come manage us!

ThusSprakeZaramoravcik

Oh right that makes sense then, now we're going off at people BEFORE they say things and JUST IN CASE they say things! says it all really! especially since I get called a hun most of the time for answering things people have ACTUALLY said!

Lurgan

I'm not anti-keane just don't think he fits the bill for us and what he did in Japan still annoys me when you see what aiden has to go through just to pull on that green jersey although I know dermot loves him.

DD

.

I See Sir Alki's Multi Million Investment Group Has Hit the Wall....

001

Perhaps Rangers got money for any referees that Scotland sent to the championship.

No worries DonegalDanny we are all friends.

Did rangers euro money not come from the scottish ref's contingent that went to the Euros ;-)

.

DD....

I Have Never Heard you Talk as Much Sense....As You Have Today....That Gweedorebhoy Must be a bad Influence Oan Ye....

001WinnieThePoohCSC

The euro money includes players who played in the qualifiers - hence Sionko got them some loose change before he left.

001Bhoy

Cheers! Gweedorebhoys off to Gweedore and I'm off to Mayo next week so maybe thats taken the mind off going out of Europe finally!
Easter Road on Sunday should help too!

DD

.

De goedemorgen Gerrybhoy71 hoopt u een goede slaap… Met Je Mijsee....

001FeijenoordHerenCSC

With Celtic receiving Celtic £272,989 from UEFA and Rangers receiving £28,736 should David Murray's new mantra be "For every tenner Celtic get from UEFA, we will get £1"

mort lol
right on the money ha ha no pun intended

4 and more

What about a move forAndreas Hinkel mate from Stuugart. Timo Hilderbrand is on a free transfer from Valencia.

.

Bhoys....Tech Heads....

Every time l try to Refresh it get's Stuck @ Panda Hands @ 1:16 PM....

l Have to go back Click Home then Click the article again....Problem Sol-ved....

Is anyone else getting this Problemo....

001

Whilst it was specifically quoted at £272,989 that Celtic received as their Euro2008 contribution, does anyone have any idea as to what the "four figure" sum received by Caley and the other team was?

Or does anyone care to speculate?

Incidentally, come the January window, will Murray Speculate to Evacuate.

Smug (for the moment) CSC.

thomthetim
i dont know about the other team but caley probably got it for marius niculae playing for romania in euros

Mort,

The sum you quoted has five figures.

Did the BBC get it wrong?

wicklowbhoy,

Yea, but it was the actual monetary figure I was looking for.

Keane as manager-NAW!!! I didnt want him to join,Im firmly in the camp that says if players want to play for Celtic as a bhoy then they should do it in their prime.To me Keane's a hypocrite in his wholesome image he projects and in no way whatsoever could he lace Gordons boots in management,period!

Gordon is an ambitious guy who has bided his time in football and served under and alongside greats,he was made for the modern day Celtic job and listening to him I think he knows it and wants to really make a name for himself and in the current footballing climate,especially in Scotland,only a fool would leave Celtic with any such desire to be successful in the game or stay in it.

Strachan.....Sunderland??????

Bookies or no,away n bile it!

Thomthethim

Rangers received £28,736 from UEFA so once again the BBC are showing their anti-Rangers bias (that's another thing the fellows from FF can put on their dossier of evidence against the Beeb) by claiming they only received a 4 figure sum.

The Bears will see right through this pro-Celtic and anti-Rangers agenda being run by the BBC.

sorry thomthetim i just realised that after i posted

001 Bhoy

most times when I come into the blog my screen freezes and I have to go through the rigmarole.

If Gordon Strachan left under no circumstances would Keane be a good replacement. He clearly has a lot to do to prove his managerial capability.

Same goes for Mr McCarthy for me... thought I suspect if they get promotion he'd be very unlikely to leave anyway.

I'd take Mr Levein. Hun-hater, eloquent, teams play good football... his only blot was Leicester and even that was due to his team being sold from under him.

I actually think Mr Strachan may decide if (and hopefully when)he wins this League to call it quits. Can't see what else he can prove... I'm not quite convinced with his financial advantage that he's got Celtic playing the entertaining footie he seems to desire. Still maintain we're too slow and weak.... but surely that's for another comment.... Ultimately though we have won which I guess has to be the final analysis on his tenure.

B

Wicklowbhoy,

Nothing at all to apologise for. Thanks for the response.

Mort,

Perhaps RFC issued the "four figure" sum details for tax avoidance purposes.

The BBC get blamed for everything around here. :>) (smiley face to indicate sarcasm)

Roy Keane was one of the greatest footballers I have ever seen.

I was delighted when he signed for Celtic. so where the majority of the support.

if we are to learn anything from the past,it is we should never again have a rookie manager.

Gordon Strachan is still learning, but is entitled to 100% backing from the fans and especially the board.

if in the future Roy Keane proves himself capable then I would have no problems having him manage Celtic.

Ulster-Celt

I’ve never really been into speculating over who should have a job that’s adequately filled at the moment.

And that goes equally for the manager, the goalkeeper and the captain.

Sir Paul

You have raised an interesting Wrinkle,ole pal.( Whit?...ed)( Ah Know, I dinnae get that wan, eether,pal.)

Is that a good thing or the reverse?

Shall it be a Benign Wind that will blow toward Ibrox, should JJB face Corporate Dissolution, in the near term?

Contrary to many another.. I answer...Mebbeso, or Mebbenoso.

I am leaning, minutely, tae.. Mebbenoso.. and Ah will tell ye why.

In my studied estimation of what could follow, should that ...Ambivalent Event, occur.. I believe the G.A., would then have the ADDED BURDEN,of deciding ...on top of their already quite substantial Host of Dilemmas... on how to .. not to put too fine a point on it..FLOG THUR TOGS!

Dye no think so,kiddo?

The question wull now be...

Shall the Ibrox Lordling, reconstitute his former Tog Floggin' Empire?

An newly acquired Unforseen EXPENSE?.. to bring up that Nasty woid.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..

Tough wan, I am afraid.. canny gie ye an instant answer oan that wan,buddy.

Wan too Ponderous a Ponder, to give you a quick solution.

Ma Name is, Dolan.. No Solon!

Shall the Ibrox Peer.. shrug off the added burden of disposing of his Flim Flams oan his already mean and lean, Home Catalogue Bizness?

That is wan way tae go.

or will he stick to the obvious...and open a snazzy, Red Whit and Blue Stall... at the Barras?

Or Shall Zsa Zsa, look for a Middle Man?( Well , she hiz Tried every other kind... so why No?...ed)( That's a thought.)

Na,pal..

I only see that this possible turn of Events, in the diposal of G.A. Memorabilia etc.. could, for The Ragged Peer.. Turn oot tae be wan ... Pukkah... Excedrin Headache!

Whadya Say,pal.. Whadya Say?

Kojo.

My fear would be that Levein would leapfrog Sally into the plum job over there.

I think that GS sees his tenure at CP as long term, judging by the spread of his scouting of young European talent.

I think that he will want to see the results of his plans. I envisage an Alex Ferguson type of management, i.e. the long haul and developing successive teams.

There are no bigger clubs than Celtic and I think that Gordon is a proud Scot, who wants to see his club sitting at the top of the pile.

No English club can give him that patriotic feeling.

He is investing in youth and has a responsibility to follow through.

In contrast, MON stated that he was not interested in 16-18 years olds as he would be "dead by the time they came through".

Meaning, of course, that he could not afford to wait for their development as immediate results were his priority.

Strachan has, I believe, bought himself time at Celtic.

Today's stat has been ruined.

This morning, 20% of the managers in the so-called 'Greatest League in the World' were employed by Celtic -

Moyes, Keane, Mowbray and MON

01bhoy.

re your problem,maybe your battery's are low on the keyboard,only a suggestion,but it could be the problem.

thomthethim

Quality comments. This is evactly what WGS is doing. It also goes hand in hand with the spending plan of the club. This should be backed 100%.

Angus

thomthethim December 4, 2008 5:10 PM

Congratulations on the best post of the week

Kojo

Alright mate.

Are you saying it will cost the one of "Mute Planet Emitt'it Mirage" more coinage to produce and distribute his Rags n Staffs than is worth?

I've just logged on to see what the main headline from Paul67 was, only to find all this crap about Roy Keane possibly being our next manager.

There is absolutely no chance of him getting the Celtic Park hotseat in the distant future. I believe that we have learned our mistake by getting a rookie in. John Barnes, anyone !!!

There are better Celtic men, whether a fan or former player, out there learning their trade. Paul Lambert springs to mind. Here's a guy starting in the lower leagues, getting to grips with all that is required in becoming a good manager, and a true Celtic legend to boot.

Gordon Strachan is the man at the controls just now & as long as we keep winning the SPL title, i for one will be happy at that. After all, that is our real bread & butter.

Hail Hail

Angus, Awe Naw,

I am truly humbled by your responses. I sincerely thank you.

.

Pete The Beat....

41.666% (666 Hmmmm) of SPL Managers are Employed by Sir Dodgy....He Just Cant Afford to Pay Them....

CalderOrange....Billy Reid....Jefferies....Walt Disnae....McPherson....

001

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Bradford Bhoy.

Frankly, pal..

I Really dinnae know ...Whit Ah Am, saying...

That is why Ah threw in so many posssiblilities as to whit could be the ootcome .. Steps,that could,would, mebbe, taken by the Master o' Murray's Folly.

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes tae like ye.

Bradford Bhoy, what "wholesome image" does Roy Keane project?

Alf Inge Haaland might want a word about that.

.

Thomthethim @ 5:10pm....

Donegaldanny & Gweedorebhoy have been saying that for Weeks....:O))))

Sorry 'Bhoys' Couldnae Resist.... ;o((((

001BhoyoftheoldBrigadeCSC

Keane & Ince - inexperienced

Kinnear - experienced

It may be simplistic but experience is key.

And as for changing for changing sake .... !!

Some intereting discussions on management. All academic of course, as we have one! End of.

It was no shock to see Keane going. What was interesting was the support he had from his chairman. No pressure despite the results, not even the dreaded vote of confidence. Keane knew it was time to go so he left, and I think he deserves credit for that.

There was some debate about great players who became great managers, and I don;t think there are too many on that list. Mist of the best managers seem to be ordinary players at best, with a few honorable exceptions. Just proves that football management is not easy and that it requires a very different skill set from that of a player.

Big Sam is the clear favourite for the Sunderland job. Used to scrapping near the bottom of the table, I suppose. It will be Quinn's decision - womder who he has in mind?

Scottish clubs actually received 420,000 pound I wonder where the BBc figures come from - after tax ???

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefa/KeyTopics/78/02/83/780283_DOWNLOAD.pdf

.

Taken from Fanzine Fanzone....Times Online....

Sunderland deserve better than Roy Keane

Everybody seems to be missing the point. Commitment is paramount and backbone is crucial. Clearly Roy Keane possesses neither and that is why he is no longer manager of Sunderland AFC.

The club has bent over backwards to accommodate this man. They gave him a chance at management and continually supported his decisions no matter what the consequence. Yet when all we ask is for him to replicate the favour and give us a chance he leaves. Good riddance, Niall Quinn deserves better.

The common consensus is that since his arrival Keane has performed minor miracles on Wearside. That statement to some degree is true and I'm entirely grateful to him for what he has achieved at the club, he's given us some unbelievable highs. But all the good things he has done have now become tarnished, tainted by his ability to bite the hand that fed him and leave the club that put him onto a pedestal so high, he could shake hands with Ferguson in the clouds of management safety.

Since Drumaville, Quinn and Keane arrived at the club, Sunderland has been branded as one big force, all pulling towards the direction of success. Drumaville and Quinn have kept to their side of the agreement, yet ironically the biggest winner out of them all has walked, for the apparent best interests of Sunderland AFC.

Absolute bollocks. Forget the apparent 'crisis' we're in, the illusion that we are spiralling out of control has come from Keane and the players, not the fans or the board. I'm sorry but four points off 10th place and the middle of the Premier League does not spell crisis to me, it spells a very realistic chance of progression in a league that has become tighter than ever before.

Therefore during this 'crisis' all we needed was a little bit of stability and a touch of perspective. If anyone had watched the games we've lost they too would agree that with a bit of luck we'd have picked up a lot more points. However that hasn't been the case but so what? Losing a few games doesn't make you a bad team, nor does it make you a bad manager.

The biggest downfall in English football is everyone's ability to get far too carried away when things are going well and to get far too disheartened when things aren't going to plan.

So why has Keane left? I don't know and to be honest I don't care. Niall Quinn is what is most important at this club, if he leaves then we're in trouble. I'll repeat what I said in my article after the Bolton game because it basically sums up how I feel, and probably how a lot of Sunderland fans feel.

What I can 100 per cent guarantee is that now Keane has walked away he will forever regret it because the blind faith he received here will never be replicated at any other club. It's his loss, not ours.

I'm sorry but this is the perfect case of thank you and goodbye in my eyes.

001

Payment calculation
The club's share was calculated by the "per player per day" amount multiplied by the number of days each player was at UEFA EURO 2008™. This started two weeks before the first match of a player's national team until the day after his team was eliminated. From this, the relevant percentage of the share was calculated to be passed on to the club(s) with which any player was registered in the preceding two years prior to the start of the final tournament.

I presume that it must somehow be linked with Sionko

To all concerned in being concerned.

A Supreme Court Justice of the U.S.A. was once asked the following question.

"How would you describe, Pornography?"

He answered..

" I cannot.

Howevahhhh....

I know it.. When I see it!"

Now what does this opening sentence, have to do with Celtic?

Listen, men, and ye shall be apprised, much tae yer surprise~

I say that I cannot tell ye, if So and So. is worth his spot in the CELTIC TEAM or no.... based on his PAST FOOTBALLING SKILLS.

Howevahhhhhhhhhhh..

I do Know an IMPROVING PLAYER.. when I see Wan...

And in

BIG MICK ...I see a Rapidly Improving Player and a Most worthy addition to the Cause...

IN THE PRESENT!!!!

and after all..It is the PRESENT TIME which we are most interested in.. Not in the Past, PAST.

Please try to bring this so salient fact.. into your cogitations..whenever, ye ur moved to pass Judgment on the Performance of a Celtic Player.

I say, without fear of contradiction... well, mebbe a wee tremor here and there, which Ah wull Ignore.

That..

Mr.McManus, is NOW, at this VERY Exact Spot, in Time..
Presenting, Himself as a Solid and Inspiring Figure in the Celtic Defensive Set-up... and also .. showing an increasingly mature and serious disposition, in carrying out his Captainship Dooties~

So, gentlemen..

How dya like Dem Apples?

Kojo.
ye pal.

Fergus STB ... My team this week is Leicester incase I dont get on tomorrow.

Kojo,

only you could equate porno with the Celtic captain ? ;-)

"The gaffer is the only person I listen to."
"If he is happy with me and if he thinks I'm playing well, then that suits me.

"If he says I'm rubbish, I am rubbish. That's the way I work. _ skoosh today

Amen.

Kojo agree totally,
Mick's taken a lot of fan bashing. I think he gets it in the neck more because he came through the system and gets compared to the greats. People have bemoaned the left back problem and rightly so but having a weakness in the left side has given Mick a number of problems not of his own making.
I think it is no coincidence that Gary Caldwell's had a great spell in the jersey now Hinkel has come on to his game. We are now solid/confident down the right hand side not so on the left. Mick can only do so much when the play is on top of him. Get a decent left back in and then pass judgement. As for him being a poor captain/leader I think that is also unfair. A bad captain gets found out quickly especially when the going gets tough. I can't think of a tougher time than the end of last season. Mick was not found wanting then and will not be in the future!

Kojo

Nae bother!

OneAntonRogan

I mean he's always come across as morally superior,the big brave protector.....whatever,to me he's a bit like his old boss that way,aye he mightve been a very good player but he's not without his faults like other players and between McCarthygate-Inge-Halaand n treating Celtic like a last pay day then yes,thats what I mean as well as being another footballing ego-maniac.

No way should he be linked with Celtic especially after todays events.

Wholesome,indeed!

BTW,
did anyone see the news report about the Premier League managers meeting yesterday. GS, Yogi and Mark Mc came out all Tims together. The Waistcoat came out with guess who? That's right Tango of course! Says it all really.

Just been sent this. Taken from a game in South America this weekend I believe.

We think our refs are bad

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vxoDXCtn0Xw

Awe Naw

Cant say when my gaffer tells me Im rubbish I agree with him

Direct link

Bad decision

Jinkysboy,

be you own gaffer ! problem solved. :-)

On the Mr keane non debate, can I be the first to say I hope Celtic get rid of Mr Strachan and bring Mr Keane in to replace him.

CelticFirst @ 4.25 :- Wouldn't the money would have gone to Celtic?

Thomthethim @ 5.10 :- I hope you don't mind if your fear is also my hope :-)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=poREl_EVWXI&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WL2l_Q1AR_Q&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7L2fsubA2-c

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CZGIn9bpALo

MappleCSC

Scanning the Roy Keane quotes in the press today, one stands out:

'Sometimes you wonder, do they understand the game of football? We're 1-0 up, then there are one or two stray passes and they're getting on players' backs. It's just not on.

'At the end of the day they need to get behind the team. Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch.

I daresay fans from our own club will be shifting uncomfortably in their seats as they read that. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the North Stand, with Celtic 1-0 up, and a loose pass or a ball not brought under control gets the Glasgow hardman treatment from some around me.

Though my feelings are mixed about our away support, I'd be among the first to say they provide non-stop positive back-up for the players the whole 90 mins. Not sure what needs to be done to encourage that attitude at Celtic Park. I think the problem is most people, whether they admit it to themselves or not, are there to observe and react rather than support - hence you only get noise from them at a bit of skill/goal or a frustrating pass.

Savoy01 @ 6.19 :- I'm not sure I see what's obvious, are you saying it's OK for "tims" to come out together but not managers who have a feeling for Rangers? Or are you making a comment on the divisions in Scotland?Or are you drawing attention to some sort of "tim" conspiracy where they avoid being seen coming out the same door as "non tims"
It does sound like you are trying to flag up a problem where non exists.

Bottom line with Keane is this. He got the job too easy. If he had to work his arse off through the lower leagues then won a big job he would have fought for his life to stay in that job. Regardless of whether he jumped or was pushed. For the above remove Keane and insert one of the following; The Beast, Dalgish, Keegan. They all jumped when it got too much.

Angus Young

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,frien.. Awe Naw.

In order to C.M.A. against future accusations of libel and slander, concerning my imagined insinuation, as to the State of the Libido of Big Mick... from the usual suspects.

No aspersions are being cast, from my good self..in reference to the state of the character of Big Mick..which could be mistakenly construed, because of my unorthodox literary style.

I hereby pronounce, that in my studied opinion, Mr.McManus, is a shining example of an individual,imbued with Pristine and Unimpeachable Morality.

Kojo.
yer pal..who likes ye a loat.

ED @6.28

I think Savoy was highlighting a certain way the league was won during Celtic's Uefa final....perhaps? lol

Angus

With Liverpool Dalglish´s was understandable imho

Greenlion2

So that's where Mc.Curry is operating these days.

EdwardUrsus,
It was meant as a laugh and they came out the same doors but at different times! But maybe it does highlight a division between the Scottish managers. We all know Tango's feelings towards rangers and his belief they should have won the league last season. Or maybe it's just a highlight of the understanding between managers who like to play decent football and those who play a 10-0-0 formation!

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend... Angus Young.

Verily, Verily, my friend.. You speak the truth.

Mr. Keane(sic?) jumped oan... intae... a Formula Wan Caur.. afore he hid passed his Driving Test.

One must Creep... then Roll... Then Crawl.. afore one should be handed a Premier Premiership, Cunard Liner... tae Pilot.

To understate my claim...

Mr.Keane(sic?) was glaringly, Over Matched.

As faur as the chance of him ever being tapped for the Celtic Park Helmsanship?

I dinnae think so.

Kojo.
yer pal .... who likes tae like ye.

The fiver in the Guardian has a story about Keane quitting under a photo of the band followed by a "no such luck" take on it. Maybe they could take over at Sunderland and Roy could release rubbish modern music

Kojo,
Respect!

Kojo keep up with the program ;-)

I thought you were referring to his leopard jock strap and had some inside info ;-)

Savo01 :- My apologies, not for the first time I've taken the wrong interpration of a post, in fact I'm quite well known for it.
BTW I hope you don't mind me pointing out that if managers of the bluenose persuasion are only allowed to field 10 players then it's hardly surprising you look the better team at the moment :-)

Ed,

when did Wallace get sent off ?

Limerick-

There was a wee moose called Keith
Who circumcised men with his teeth,
It wasnt for leisure
Or sexual pleasure,
It was just for the cheese underneath!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/dec/04/football-hearts-wages

Looks like it was not a temporary blip after all at Tynecastle.

ANNAOAN :- 23rd Aug 1305 :-)

Awe Naw,

I think a lot of the condemnation of Mc. Manus comes from shallow thinking band wagoners, who are unable to form an opinion of their own.

Part of the campaign against Stephen is, I think, an unsubtle attack on the manager.

It amazes me to read of Mc. Manus' flaws as a captain whilst in very recent memory I have witnessed the two most uninspiring on field leaders in my looooong years of supporting Celtic,i.e. Messrs. Boyd and Mc. Namara.

I am not talking about playing ability, merely their leadership and inspirational qualities.

Bradford Bhoy - very disgusting and very funny!

Kojo,

Don't want the guy anywhere near Celtic Park. Just cos he is Irish he should be linked with us. So is Louie Walsh

Slightly off topic here..but...after their public slanging match a few weeks ago an absolute gem of a soundbite raised its head by no other than Mssrs Reid, this was the " Without Fear or Favour" comment. After a drunken night and easy access to an online sign making company we ended up with a 8 by 3 banner with this phrase on our hands which we plan to show at the Villa Real game.

After speaking to Paul today he suggested that this would pack more punch at Mordor on the 27th. This never occured to me as i cannot get a ticket to this game...so...here's the question....is there any of you good Celtic men out there who would like to take this along to the game on the 27th and show a bit of support and more than a pinch of a windup to Minty and his crew of vagabonds and miscreants (present company excepted..ED)

Let me know if you are up for the challenge and i will get this to you before the game.

GAWF

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Awe Naw..

Glad to see that you and I are in agreement,pal..

That makes at least Two of Us..

Who knows an Improving Asset when we see it.

As I have said afore..and will continue to do so, until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane...

Show me steady Improvement by ANY Player, and I will be content.

And Mick is soitenly showing a loat o that good stuff.. as is, Ange...

Not so... Mr. McGeady and Mr. Molly

iden McGeady, is struggling to re-produce the promise. that he once promised.

This young man is a disappointment to me.

Howevahh.....speaking of,

Mr. Molly.

He Is is in Full Regression Mode.. and speedily going down for the Thoid Time.

Please Mr.Manager...

Gie Koki Bendi, a Shufti...

It is his time.

Kojo.
yer pal..who likes ye a loat.

Pete The Beat

Im cringing now!!

Kojo

It's true Maloney hasn't exactly set the heather on fire recently, but he also hasn't been given a consistent amount of time in one position. I also think that, unlike the way Mcgeady has been heading, Molly has a quiet determination about him so I think he will come good.

Agree with you about Koki though. Would love to see him in action on Sunday, though I fear Strachan can't afford to be seen taking that kind of risk. Have you seen him play, or is it that he shares your atention grabbing consonants?

Bradford Bhoy,
Flags up, you're offside.

TTT,

I think a lot of it comes from people who have no idea what is required of a centre half first and foremost. There is definite room for improvement .. it´s just a pity that LB seems to be a problem for Celtic and therefore a problem with Mick whose whole Celtic 1st team career has been ensconced within this particular issue

Kojo,

all special players go up and down in form with so many factors involved even Celtics all time greatest player!

Greenlion2 @ 6.19pm,

I think its obvious what has happen here.

The strikers laces were undone (those extra long ones that wrap around your boots about 30-times) and the defender from 3m away deliberately stood on them to trip him up.

Stonewall pen. Good decision by the referee!

Cadizzy - When Hearts go bankrupt, I'll raise a glass of cheer. Their fans deserve nothing less.

Kojo

Koki Bendi ... can I ask where that term of endearment comes from ? as its what my Ma used to call me when I was a nipper

philvisreturns,

be careful what you wish for !!

Here´s a video of Rangers Management team discussing that very topic

Watty, Ally, Kenny, Davie discuss Hearts demise

As long as it all goes in the right order with this one. Rangers first , Hearts second

Sorry Ed but then you can support us without worry !!! ;-)

If Hearts go bust, will this mean the Huns getting their 3-points back that they lost to them the other week?

I rather see them stay afloat if this was the case.

If not then I couldn't give a toss about them!

WGS to Sunderland.
Roy Keane to Celtic.

Next joke please only next time make it funny!

I hope HEARTOFMIDLITHUANIA go to the wall as I dislike them fan for fan slightly more than the REARS.

Now Keane has left Sunderland, where are we going to get big money for our rejects ?

Anyone think we may get the young Irish striker that chose Sunderland over Celtic 18 months ago. His name escapes me now but as soon as I submit it will come back to me

Think they paid £2m for him - he did well in the SPL but hasnt cracked it down in England. Could be a £500k deal now

This from the Glasgow evening Times...
Paddy Power are making Celtic manager the most likely next job for Roy Keane.
He is 5/2 to make that his next managerial job and with Gordon Strachan being linked with the Sunderland job left vacant by Keane, they are taking bets on a swap.

Please...

What's the point of changing horses in mid stream?

Gordon Strachan is a better coach / manager than Roy Keane
No?

And,
No one will convince me that Gordon Strachan is not Celtic Minded.
I ain't buying it!

Anthony Stokes

jinksyboy

anthony stokes. had his chance and blew it. tough luck i say.

jinkysboy

he refused Celtic/is guff and i think is on loan somewhere in the Championship

they can keep him imo

TTT 6:56

Good point about Mcmanus. If he played for Rangers, he would be described as `a no nonsense centre half who is virtually unbeatable in the air`. We would then have people on here complaining about Loovens and wishing we had someone as solid as Rangers` Big Mick !!

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend... Awe Naw.

On the derivation of the phrase.."Coakie Bendy"

Where that appellation comes from, Ah hiv nae idea.. but, there was an old Irish Nurse that Ah had.. when Ah wiz a child.. who used it constantly..

And now and agin... she threw in ..

a .."Honey Bunch" as weel...

Personally, I preferred "Honey Bunch" as It reminded my o a Sweetie!

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes ye.

Anthony Stokes - a self professed Celtic fan who had the opportunity to play for his boyhood heroes. Didn't take it and went to Sunderland where he ended up getting loaned out to Sheffield United.

What a TUBE!

Wouldn't give him a second opportunity. He is a disgrace to himself. If he is a true Celtic fan let his penance be living with this regret for the remainder of his living days on this earth.

Kojo,

Coakie Sparrow was another term of endearment, sadly I have fallen from grace and am now refereed to as the big galoot ;-)

Hail Hail

Anthony Stokes indeed

Betcha his name is linked with us over the next few weeks

I think Keane tried to build a whole new team in the EPL and bought about 12 players for £27m when he should have got 4 players for that.

Walking along Sauchiehall St today I passed the Celtic shop. Somehow it always puts a smile on my face.

10 seconds down the road I happened to notice JJB sports. 95% of everthing posters up. I grimmaced at the thought of them going bust.

I returned to the office to read Paul67 latest article. "Rangers have had a litle financial cheer recently". My stomache churned with a feeling of sickness.

Discussions of WGS going to Sunderland in a straight swap for Roy Keane. Made me giggle.

Jam Farts unable to pay players wages. I howled in pleasure.

Just an ordinary day in the life of a Celtic fan.

Everyone who spotted the “£70” mistake ho, ho, ho!

Busy week, who has time to read as well as write?

Welcome hoopy's fleas, good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words.

PF ayr, an administrator may have to try to resuce JJB, but if he fails, the rights will revert to Rangers.

NatKnow, aye, self-styles, Governor, too.

Parkheadcumsalford, worry not on the manager issue.

Cody, I bet he knows all about embarrassment now.

Kojo, if Zsa Zsa goes to form, he will flog the rights previously sold to JJB to the next available sucker, which, on this occasion, would/will be Sports Division, who recently tried, but failed, to sign up a popular Glasgow soccer franchise.

up_over_goal, you (and Roy Keane) touch on a good point, support is meant to be support, not the exact opposite. For reasons of congregation, away fans tend to be more vocal, and therefore more supportive, although the I know some players who will tell you they can be no less critical.

Tomdickfoolery, it’s an absolute must.

RRC, forget the bookies wild bets from this afternoon.

RRC

The MD of Paddy Power was on Talksport this evening and reported that they had recieved a few bets on a swap deal as soon as the news broke, however once people started using their common sense, very large bets were placed on Big Sam and he is now odds on fav for the job

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Up over Goal

I have only seen Koki play in his reserve outings on Chan 67.

Nevah,evah, in the Flesh.

I totally discount his ... cup of coffee and a kick at the cat,brief appearances...that he has been stingily allowed, by Mr. Strachan, in the Foist Team.

Howevannnnnnn..

I do have sources at Bhoys Town.. who keep us informed what is going on, on the playing field.

And ..those sources are very Gung Ho, on Koki..and ..also Padraig, as well.

Padraig, may make it.. if given a Sporting Chance.

Koki, wull make the Foist Team.. whether, he is given a Sporting Chance or no..

He is THAT good... in the opinions of my informants.

Kojo.
yer pal... who likes yer style.

Oisin71 7:49
live `with this regret for the remainder of his living days on this earth.`
Who are we talking of here? Peter Sutcliffe? Myra Hindley? Fred West?
No? Oh, Anthony Stokes; 18 year old footballer who was beguiled by the lure of `the greatest league in the world`.
A bit harsh Oisin. Did you not make mistakes at 18?

yivhadyerchanceCSC

Hotsmokedsalmon

Oisin`s only 17

when he reaches 18 he`ll realise that you can make mistakes at that age :¬)

Oisin sorry couldn`t resist that on ......Stokes can stew in his own juice imo

Reposted from last night for those who may have missed it ...

CQN Quiz Announcement

The news I know you've all been waiting for! Details of the inaugural Celtic Quick News Quiz Night:

When: Saturday 28th February 2009, 6:30pm for 7pm start
Where: The Winchester Club, Bell Street, Merchant City, Glasgow

This advance notice is simply to get the date into diaries and for those who need to make accommodation arrangements. We are at home to St Mirren so hopefully a lot of us will be in Glasgow anyway.

All communications regarding the quiz should be sent to: CQNquiz@Gmail.com

Full details of how to enter a team will be posted on the site early in 2009.

I will also create an e-mail list of everyone who drops a note to the above address asking to be kept in touch.

Hotsmokedsalmon,

that would have been one mistake I would not have made (had I been given the opportunity of course)

For all his other indiscretions over the years...I absolve him of those!!

But you're right I was a bit harsh on him...still reckon he deserves it though. But I wouldn't have him locked up or anything...unless he joined the Huns or something stupid like that.

hotsmokedsalmon

(that monikers a bit of a mouthful BTW)

Agree with that post 100%. If I was held accountable for every error I made up to now I would be hung drawn and quartered.

I would think Keane and Niall Quinn would have been able to use the Irish connection as well as the EPL as major motivations to get the young man to Sunderland.

Sir Paul

You are very possibly accurate in your assumption,pal... as where Zsa Zsa would turn, to unload his Haber Dashery.

That was on alternative that I failed to include, in my shot gun method ,of picking a choice that Zsa Zsa would pick.

Although,if I had my druthers.. I would be delighted if The Pauper Prince..would be reduced his Peddling His Wares from an Occupying Spot... in Paddy's Market.

Kojo.

Evening all

Been lurking and catching up on the past couple of threads.

Thomthetim

I know a few others have saluted your post at 5.10 and I'd like to say hat's off to you too. Excellent post and I absolutely hope that Gordon is around to build on his success and build steadily better teams and squads year on year. Onward to the GOD!

On all the Keane chat I'd have to say that he's one of the best midfielders I've seen in his pomp (not really with us, Ibrox apart) - that display in Turin in 1999 was unbelievable.

As a manager I'd not be as harsh on him as some here. He's spent a lot of money but Sunderland needed that - he's had too good seasons and if, for whatever reason, he feels he can't take them forward, then fair play to him for being big enough to resign. How many other money grabbers would have hung around to get sacked and collect a pay off (albeit I know his contract was up at the end of the season)?

I hope he proves himself to be a great manager in the future (if that's what he wants) because overall I like the guy.

But as most have said, let's have no more talk of him in our hot seat. Gordon's doing a grand job as it is.

Nothing to see here - move along please....

EHIY

FERGUS STB

queens park at home on saturday 10/11

PF ayr,

would that make Stokes an Irish Stew??

GordonJ

The CQNQN rolls off the tongue better

oisin

that`s a s crap as my own joke :¬)

Talking of Celtic managers,
MON`s team 2-0 down at home to Zilna[?] after 25 mins.

PF ayr,

no, I think you'll find yours was slightly worse!!

For all those attending the quiz night.

Let us assume that there are five houses of different colors next to each other on the same road. In each house lives a man of a different nationality. Every man has his favorite drink, his favorite brand of cigarettes, and keeps pets of a particular kind.

1. The Englishman lives in the red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The green house is just to the left of the white one.
5. The owner of the green house drinks coffee.
6. The Pall Mall smoker keeps birds.
7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhills.
8. The man in the center house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The Blend smoker has a neighbor who keeps cats.
11. The man who smokes Blue Masters drinks bier.
12. The man who keeps horses lives next to the Dunhill smoker.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The Blend smoker has a neighbor who drinks water.

The question to be answered is: Who keeps fish?

gordon j

how many in a team

Jinkybhoy

I was going to change it but was talked out of it!

macjay

Just turned it on but heard he was putting out a bit of a 2nd string.

Bloody hell that's a great goal!!

So they're back in it 2-1 down....

EHIY

Just watching the Villa game
Struck me that it looks like us in our away strip 2-0 up.

was a nice image

PF ayr,

I'm thinking up to 4 in a team for the CQNQN (nice idea Jinkysboy)

BTW, I may have a team of Advocates competing, although I'm assured that Mr Findlay won't be invited! Might we have a team of defence lawyers?

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

You,ve been watching to much Balamory ....Is it Archie the inventor who keeps fish ?

gordon j

by 7pm on a sat evening most self respecting criminal defence lawyers will be lillian gished :¬)

see what i can do

Awe Naw

Der Hun?

Kojo, Paddy’s Market has recently perished among great nostalgic wailing. Not from me.

some say criminals and lawyers are one and the same thing:o)

Gordon J

I'll enter a team that have been criminally prosecuted and badly defended. I just need to find 3 others from this site.

Did you catch my post in reply to your Strahclyde Uni University Challenge query?

Once a tim,

Sorry Archie is not the right answer or is he now mmmhhhhh ?

Hotsmokedsalmon is right. Der Über Hun ... well done.

I once witnessed Archie Mac Pherson referee a game between Yoker and sighthill I think - long time ago where archie was wearing a Rangers tammy and a scarf along with the refs outfit so Once a tim you may be right

I suppose one good thing that has come about from Roy Keane's resignation (I won't call it speculation as its not that despite wht some on here would have you believe) is that it has galvanised support for Gordon Strachan - and that can't be a bad thing.

Now if only someone could whip up a rumour that David O Leary is to be appointed Celtic manager. THAT would result in GS being offered a 5 year contract!!

I do believe The Boul David was seen at Celtic Park today .....

PF ayr

self respecting and criminal defence lawyers in the same sentence.

sftb,

I did - thanks. I had always been led to believe that the episode was never shown by those who passed on the story (I started in '82). Seems they were wrong.

And I didn't know there was a Celtic connection!

Gordon J

Can I be captain of the redtop journalists team in the CQNQN?

Right, who's in my team?

inkybhoy,

If we can have lawyers then why not journalists too? All are welcome.

Lurgan53,

I agree wholeheartedly.

Keane was never a great player for Celtic IMO. He may have sold a few shirts but what is good today is the appreciation of what we have.

Ironbhoy.

Gordon_J

Smashing. Although I may have trouble getting another three people who want to sit with me.....

Roy Keane Pictured leaving Sunderland

SFTB

Im already in Team Pablo with Oldtim but sounds like I should be in yours

Gordon J

Unfortunately the episode was shown though only one example of the bad behaviour was included, and, yes, it was, largely, a Celtic supporting crew who disgraced or brought much needed publicity to the Uni.

We remained in disgrace, until Stirling stole our crown as Scotland's shame. Wonder who holds that title now?

celticlover.

You have mail.

Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo,

Has that conundrum no been on before..?

Like weeks ago..?

Headburstcfc.com

Ironbhoy.

I disagree with many on here that Keane has been a failure at Sunderland. He wouldnt have been the first manager to spend a fortune in their first season in the EPL only to end up back in the Championship. He has left Sunderland in decent shape and with a fighting chance of retaining and consolidating their EPL place.

He was also the best box to box midfielder in Europe a the height of his pomp.

I would welcome him as Celtic manager, mainly due to the passion and drive he would bring to the job, but only and its a big if Gordon Strachan decided to move on for whatever reason. Swapping the two right now would be mental.

And can we also knock this mince on the head about Celtic fans only wanting managers because they are Irish Catholics irresective of their qualities. I dont know one single Celtic fan who thinks in this way and I think it does a great disservice to the Celtic support to suggest there are people out there who do.

Roy keane pictured leaving sunderland

jinksybhoy

My criminal record is for playing football in the street. I was fined £2 in Govan Sheriff Court. I tried the defence of saying there was more criminal football being played not a stone's throw from this courtroom. But then I got fined £2 more for throwing stones.

To this day, I am claiming the status of ex-professional footballer as there was a monetary outcome to my performance. If you'd seen me play back then I'm sure you'd agree I was worth every penny of that -£2.

MediaQuickNews...

Bosses at The Herald doing a line in bitter irony. 24 hours after they make 250 redundant to apply for 200 jobs, they trail a new ad campaign on STV tonight. For the Appointments Section.

EDB

not when your in the dock with your pretty little A in a sling

WDH

NAE MARE AMARONE FUR YOU YA BAM

inkybhoy

You can approach some well known journos as they all have different specialisms.

Uncle Hugh Keevins specialises in exclusively predicting the next Celtic manager.

Dawyll Broadfoot is your man for over-stretched metaphors.

Keech Jackson does orifice cleansing

& Ewing Grahame specialises, like many of his kind, in getting his name the wrong way round.

It's a team you wouldn't tire of skelping.

SFTB

Like I want to sit with them!!!! :)

Incidentally, seems Gary Caldwell is set to sign a contract extension

PF ayr

Never been in a court. Always hoped I'd be the foreman of the jury in a big trial.

Guilty m'lud. The rankers jersey is a dead giveaway.

Right, Am I the only one owning up to a criminal record?

In a blog full of greenock bhoys?

Hotsmokedsalmon at 7:44 - I remember the outcry when Ted (aka "Billy") McMinn turned up at Ibrox after he signed wearing a green shirt. "He's wearing whit!!!???" *&@*

I think some (OK - pretty much all) of the permanently raging Ibrox hordes would be less than impressed if they had a "big Mick" in the team ;-))

Hail hail
HB

sftb

Cliff Richard has more criminal records than anyone I can think of.

SFTB

Govan Sherriff Court - I grew up in Govan and didnt even know there was a court there.

been in Orkney street more than the once but it was Glasgow Sherriff court

stokes had his chance..

i dont care about mistakes when you are 17/18..
you are a fan,you are offered the chance take it
or live to regret it...
you are 17/18 you are offered the chance to go out with
linda evangilista(sp) take it or regret it....

celtic live for ever women age.....

BT

Whit?????????????

If our manager still believed the lad Stokes would do a job for us and the terms were fine for us then why not bring him back?

I say this now with the wisdom of my senior years.

PF ayr

Not the first time I have had similar said to me.

jinks
i dont know, have only read some of the comments,,

if you had a chance to join the hoops, why turn it down?
if you had a chance with a supermodel why turn it down...?

i take it i will be the runner at the quiz night?

red wine utd....:))))

BT

Red Wine Utd eh! is that the team name for the quiz?

He was just a boy then - even Sally turned down TFOD 3 times then went on to be a leg end there.

Would you take Henke back - and he left us for pastures new. We took Shaun back.

BT

And I would not go out with marcus shenkenberg !!!!!!!!!

jinksybhoy

there must have been a Govan Sheriff Court.

It was too elaborate a scam to deprive 6 boys from Castlemilk of £2 each for playing fitba in the street with a burst ba' too.

We even had lawyers presenting evidence of how near we were to a major bus route, and the guy up on the plinth was wearing the white wig. Can't remember the address as govan was foreign territory.

SFTB,
a couple of things-
your quiz team where is the voice of authority (cartman)?

Leo Sayer posts on here so you know your not alone with the criminal record.

the treble will have to do
hail hail

jinks
i din't want shaun back because he turned his back on celtic..now that he is back he has my full support.

once a bhoy always a bhoy...no excuse for turning down celtic.imho.

Jinks
:))

i didn't know they did male models :p

SFTB

can you advise of the year of the "crime"

I dont remember any Govan Court from 1977 = will ask my maw as we lived in Broomlaon Road when the tenements were still there in 1955 till 1965.

BT

Sexist comment there - you cant assume all supermodels are female

Tyson Beckford is another supermodel

Wolfsburg are beating Portsmouth 3:2 but should have been one more goal to the good as they had a penalty missed by Misimovic.

The clue's in the name, I guess.

If Bate Borisov win their final Champions league match and qualify for the next round they could meet Motherwell's French conquerors.

Then we could have a manly affair between the Nancy Boys and the Batty Boys.

I'm expecting another fine for that one.

jinksybhoy.

I was in early years secondary school so between 67 and 71, I'd guess.

I'll catch your reply later.

SFTB

It would be more than £2 for that one mate

jinks
i will accept my punishment...,

i didn't see any male supermodels in the george michael video..:).

Michael Collins

Agree 100% with your last point. Don't know where this absolute tripe is coming from. Someone posts it once on here and it seems to be accepted as fact. Maybe some will be happier if Irish, Catholic, ex Celts were barred from becoming manager.

SFTB

my maw says it was next door to the police station in orkney street. not been there since the early 70s.

apparently they built the new sherriff court in Glasgow with all the cash they made from the Castlemankies !!!!!!!

setting free the bears

Have no criminal record to admit to but recently the locksmiths I work in was doing some work on one of Cork Prison's prisoner transports and I had to phone them to say it was ready.

During the conversation I was asked what exactly had been done and had to tell the guy I didn't know as I wasn't the one working on that job and hadn't even set foot inside the van. My reply to him saying that I should of had a nosey around was "Feck off I never set foot in one in 35 years in the North I'm not going to start now!" all done in, what my darling wife calls, my best booming Ian Paisley voice. The call ended to the sound of hearty chuckles from the prison warder.

BT

Where you eyes trained on the singer in the leather jacket and boots?

michael collins / lurgan 53

i think that roy keene should take a wee break from football, didn't wgs do the same thing?
i don't want him as our manager because i think we have the correct man in place..

A mariage made in heaven between film and musc.................

Perfection

pablophanque

jinks
i only have eyes for you big bhoy...

Is it past the watershed yet can we have a wee bit o muzic ?

A wee song for those who have lost close family:

Ode to my Family - Cranberries

Derryghirl is singing away to this!

V

no the irish catholic ex celt. has that not been done to death.
can we no just accept each manager/player on there merits whether that be Irish/Scottish/any other nationality, Catholic/Protestant Catholic/any other religion/no religion, ex celt/ex whatever, merits.

We could get a good irish/catholic/ex celt or a bad one
We could get a good scots/protestant-catholic/ex celt or a bad one
We could get a good irish/protestant-catholic/non ex celt or a bad one
We could get a good scots/catholic/ex celt or a bad one
We could get a good welsh/muslem/non ex celt or a bad one
We could get the feckin Dali Lama for all I care. As long as he/or even she has the credentials and the ability to put a winning team on the park, preferably with a bit of style too boot I will always be a happy bhoy.

Now can we leave it.

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's enjoy WGS and GoD and worry about our next manager/players merits when the current one/s have gone.

Hail Hail

The news about JJB fits nicely into the piece below. I wonder if Paul67 would be so good as to tell us whether or not he believes the JJB cash would significantly change the scenario?

In my view it gives them a little breathing room, but a very little at that. Murray has proven time and time again to be a man with a short-term view. Hanging on to their own merchandising rights would make the club a fraction more feasible for a buyer; Murray however cannot afford to wait. This years revenue is, presumably, already gone. He can release some new jerseys in the coming season, but if he has to replace his manager he must give any incoming one a transfer kitty.

Would he hang onto the rights, or put them up for auction once more? And where does he sell his clubs merchandise anyway? The Rangers Shops are gone, so what does that leave?

No, JJB doesn't change much in the long term. The pumps on the Titanic bought the ship time, nothing more.

In the end the thing still went down, violins playing or not.

THE END OF RANGERS?

Written by Che Timvara

Wednesday, 03 December 2008

In 1937 two brothers in Monrovia, California, started a hot-dog stand at the airport. Three years later they opened a restaurant, and eight years after that they customised it with a brand new concept, which they named The Speedee Service System. Business took off. They were making money hand over fist. They soon added new restaurants, and before long they had a chain.

In 1953 they began selling franchises to others. One of the first guys to buy one was a milk-shake salesman named Ray Kroc. He opened his restaurant in 1954, quickly became the senior partner in what was a rapidly growing company, and in 1961 bought the entire thing for a mere $2.7 million.

Ray Kroc did not found the McDonald’s fast food chain; he simply made it what it became, and this is why so much of the Empire bears not only his imprint but also his name.

Kroc was a businessman with a savage mentality, one that made him fabulously wealthy. Like most entrepreneurs, he believed not only in carving out a share of the market place, but in dominating it. What set him apart was that state of mind. Others may have been content to absorb the competition, but Ray Kroc wanted to crush it. Perhaps the most revealing statement he ever made was on this very subject, speaking about his competitors. ”If they were drowning to death,” he said, “I’d put a hose in their mouth.”

In 1988, David Murray took over Rangers, and he brought with him a little of the Ray Kroc mentality. Murray, like Kroc, was not there at the beginning of the business; he merely made it what it became, and for a while it was golden. How close it came to being a runaway success can be measured by the fact that a mere six years later, the Bank of Scotland called in the receivers to Celtic Park, and we came within cold inches of vanishing from the world of football forever. The depths to which we fell can be measured by hard numbers; in his first seven years at the helm, Celtic had a fifth place finish in the league, two fourth place finishes and four third place finishes; yes, you are reading that correctly. In his first seven years at Ibrox, Celtic did not even make the top two.

Let’s be in no doubt about this at all friends. That man tried to stick a hose in our mouth.

The year we almost went out of business, we finished fourth in the Scottish Premier League. The following year, the same. We endured a further two years of being second best, before Jansen produced the miracle and we were once again Champions. Having taken the prize he thought would be forever his, Murray threw more money at his club than has ever been spent in the history of Scottish football. He famously said “Whoever takes over Celtic next had better have very deep pockets,” and uttered the line for which he will forever be famous “For every fiver they spend we will spend ten.”

In those words lies the core of Murray’s deepest, darkest wish for us. In those ideas is expressed clearly his yearning that we had drowned, and not satisfied with almost having done it, he set out to try again. Could Rangers have survived without Celtic? Murray wanted to find out, and had he gotten his way we would have been gone.

The publication of the Murray International Holding accounts for the year up until the end of January 2008 reveals the scale of the reversal in fortune. The depths of the hole are vast. The consequences could be the most far-reaching in the history of the Scottish game, and the debate it has prompted in some quarters is far and away the most interesting in many, many a long year. Murray and Rangers, wound together so tight they are inseparable, are drowning in red ink.

In short, could this really be The End of Rangers? And if it is, what does that mean for us? Has the time now come to stick a hose in their mouths, and could we survive without them?

Before the question of What If can be answered, we need to examine where the respective clubs are at the present time, so we can gauge whether or not this discussion is worthy of serious debate.

Even a perfunctionary glance at the figures quickly brings any person with a modicum of reason to a couple of startling conclusions, the first being that MIH really is in serious peril. This is not supposition, nor blind optimism on the part of a few febrile minds amongst our support. This is real. Net debt is now hovering at or near the £760 million mark, putting the assets v liabilities equation perilously close to tipping the whole organisation into insolvency. Only vastly inflated estimates on the value of Murray’s real estate holdings are keeping the wolf from the door, and these numbers reflect the position prior to the global economic crisis, which has impacted real estate as much as any other sector. Is MIH actually insolvent at the present time? It is more than possible. Far more formidable companies than this have gone to the wall in recent months. Entire banks have been either wiped out or forced to merge with rivals, Murray’s largest creditor, HBOS, amongst them. These cold, hard facts can’t be hidden, and their effects cannot be hidden from. MIH is in trouble.

If Murray International Holdings goes under, Rangers are gone. The ties that bind are wrapped too tight, one around the other. Only those inside the Murray Empire know how deep the rabbit hole goes, but it is inconceivable that Rangers would survive the sudden crash of the edifice into which they are built. In those circumstances, they would be just another piece of the jigsaw through which the banks would be sifting looking for assets to dispose of. Debt ridden, no major source of income but gate receipts, and those dependant on uncertain success, with a worldwide reputation in the gutter ……….. only a madman or fool would take on the remains, and that would leave the club in the hands of the receivers.

This is more than possible. It is tangibly within reach.

As Rangers debt continues to rise, creeping steadily towards the high waterline which caused panic throughout the Murray Empire last time, the pressures from inside and outside that Empire will grow until yet another crisis point is reached. Last time, a little creative accounting saw Murray move the bulk of that debt elsewhere. Even if the entity MIH survives the present crisis, this is a one-time trick that will not be repeated. In its present form, MIH will never again be able to act as guarantor to the debts of one of its subsidiaries. With HBOS no longer on hand to keep the ship afloat, any Murray subsidiary consistently making a loss will simply be disposed of.

Lloyds will not be as forgiving of their debts as HBOS, not when there will be considerable pressure on the company to show they can turn the HBOS balance sheet on its head.

Celtic, on the other hand, are in rude health, not simply posting profit but reducing debt to the point where we will soon have no debt to speak of, a position once thought impossible for a successful football club. Those who talk about a board lacking ambition have missed the big picture by miles; when the Premiership TV market collapses, as is inevitable, the issue will not be about which clubs succeed and which clubs fail. It will be about which clubs survive.

Rangers’ fans have a far greater worry than vanishing from the Earth entirely though. That is a rare thing in football, and would probably be a blessing in the eyes of many compared to a far more likely scenario for a club of their size.

Rangers could end up in administration.

Only four years ago, the former Rangers director Hugh Adam forecast exactly that when he looked at the three-year plan being floated by then chairman John McLelland. That plan should have concluded by now, but it was buried as the ego-mania of Murray brought him back to the fore, and no sooner had he returned to the top chair but up went the debt again. The chances of administration have not receded; the situation is now unmistakably grim.

So, might that be their future course?

This too is impossible to dismiss as mere fantasy. It can happen. It has happened, and to clubs across Europe who were once considered untouchable. Fiorentina almost vanished for good in the nineties, and they were not alone. Leeds United, the most famous example in recent history in the UK, were Champions League semi-finalists in 2001, with a squad filled with top class players. Three years later, crippled by debt, every player of any value whatsoever gone, including their entire crop of youth talent, they were forced to sell even their training ground to stave off total financial collapse.

Now a third-tier side in England, they have just suffered the worst result in their clubs history, a one-nil defeat to non-league Histon in the second round of the FA Cup.

In England, the administrators have been called in at professional football clubs 48 times since the year 2000. And here, in Scotland, as if we need further warnings, Motherwell, Dundee, Dunfermline and others have been forced to trim their squads by tearing up contracts en masse in recent years, and Gretna vanished altogether a bare two years after competing in the UEFA Cup.

The idea that top clubs will end up being bought by wealthy foreign owners is not as concrete as once was thought either. Both Everton and Newcastle have For Sale signs up right now, and there is limited interest in either, and they are Premiership clubs, with the massive European and international prestige that comes with that tag, and West Ham are known to be in serious trouble.

Debt brings down football clubs. It’s a fact. The history books are littered with the corpses. To believe some force could prevent Rangers from becoming one of them is to believe in the wares of a travelling doctor’s shop. It is based on blind ignorance and a wilful avoidance of the facts. To say Rangers are too big an institution, too much a part of the fabric of Scottish football, for them to crash to such depths is to ignore that it almost happened to us, the club which brought this land more glory than it ever dared to dream.

The truth is simply this; had Celtic minded people not been there to pick us up, we would have been gone because no one else within the Scottish game was going to come along and lend us their hand. Quite the opposite, in fact. A lot of people here, including Murray, would have happily stuck the hose in our mouths and killed us for no other reason than to watch us die.

If Rangers end up in administration, what happens?

Clubs in administration are not football entities at all whilst they are in that position. They exist only to reduce debt. In recent years, no less a figure than John McLelland has stated openly, and somewhat brazenly, that Rangers will always have debt because of the way the club is run. In other words, this is a club that in its present form will never be able to sustain itself in the long-term. This sort of language is the stuff of nightmares for administrators.

Rangers, as a single business entity, might as well apply for non-profit status at the moment. Even at the apogee of their latest downsizing, they were still losing money. Player sales might give them one good year out of five, profits wise, but despite selling the entirety of their playing squad, Leeds United still went from debt into administration, and they had better assets to work with.

Yet, Rangers have downsized in recent years, and the financial results would still have been horrendous but for the sale of top stars. To downsize further would mean a vast reduction in the wage bill and the playing squad, leaving them with the bare bones of a team. In the twenty years of Murray’s reign there has been one season during which they have tried to live within such limited means, and they attempted to offset the decline in talent on the field by hiring the best man they could find off of it. His name was Paul LeGuen, and despite replacing him late in the day with Smith, to stave off complete disaster, they finished third in the SPL.

Right there is the most tangible proof of all that this is a discussion worth having, and not some flight of fancy. Rangers may survive, in fact they almost certainly will, as a football club, but the tantalising question is in what form will they survive?

The decline of Rangers to a point where third place finishes, or worse, become the norm is a prospect so real it makes my mouth dry. It is right there in black and white, in the history books for all to see; they have finished third in recent years when financial problems forced the downsizing of the playing squad. At present, they are seven points behind us in the SPL. The self same gap separates Rangers and their closest rivals, Hearts, for that third place. The press, as ever, focuses on what Rangers need to do to close the gap on Celtic. They appear to be largely ignorant of the forces that could tip the club the other way entirely, towards Hearts and the UEFA Cup spot.

Murray himself supports the conclusion that we may be on the verge of just such a seismic shift. He talks about January with trepidation so open you know the worst is being hidden. Players must be sold to reduce the size of the playing squad. No transfers into the club are planned. Even his long-term ideas, if such exist, appear predicated on hard times ahead; the talk is of promoting from within, giving the job to a novice, Ally McCoist. It is almost hard to believe this is the same chairman who brought in Advocaat and LeGuen.

In talking about McCoist he is admitting that the financial muscle to attract a genuine name is no longer at his disposal. If the appointment of Smith was a backward step, as I have long argued, then giving the job to a man with no experience at all in the modern game would be gambling with charcoal dice on a table soaked in lighter fluid where all the assembled players are smoking cigars. The most combustible part of that scenario would be the reaction of the Rangers support; if they turned their back on the club, as has happened on other occasions in their history where there was no success, the fall in season ticket revenue might offset the measures being taken to stabilise the balance sheet and then even rapid downsizing might not save them from the prospect of financial oblivion.

Rangers are in serious peril. This is a fact. The first question therefore is answered. This is a realistic debate to be having; we really could be looking at The End of Rangers, if not entirely then certainly as a force in the game with which we would need to contend for many, many long years to come. The questions we are left with are these; with the present situation as it is, should we endeavour to stick the hose in their mouths and watch them drown, and what would be the future for Scottish football and Celtic if we did?

I’ll answer the first question simply. Not only should we do it, but I am convinced there are people within Celtic who are trying to.

Take transfer policy for instance. In recent years, a number of players initially targeted by Rangers ended up at Celtic Park. Riordan, Miller, McDonald and Scott Brown are the most obvious. Of the four, two are still with us, as bankable assets. Miller went on to Rangers, but via Derby, in a deal which netted us a profit. When he signed he was a free transfer. Not only did we make money from Miller, we also forced Rangers to buy a player they initially thought they were going to get for free. In snapping up Scott McDonald, we forced them to spend £1.5 million on Steven Naismith, and our pursuit of Brown whilst he was at Hibs was instrumental in forcing up the price Rangers paid for Kevin Thomson. In signing Glen Loovens, the man Murray himself admitted was their principal transfer window target, we forced them to pay an inflated fee for Boughera at Charlton.

This is not simply about flexing financial muscle either. All of these players were first-choices for Rangers, and in signing them we forced them to change well-laid plans and pursue options at a time when the financial realities had forced them into narrow focus. The hilariously staged pursuit of Carraciola last year was a convenient cover for the simple fact that we had blown all their plans by snapping up Giorgios Samaras and Barry Robson, other players they had coveted.

That McDonald, Robson and Samaras helped us win the title last year is the icing on the cake. That Brown is blossoming into the midfielder we all hoped he would be is adding sprinkles. Loovens may or may not become a star, but he would certainly have improved the defence at Ibrox, which teeters on the brink of disaster game on game, and which has helped turn their four point lead into a seven point deficit during a three month spell, during which, despite being crippled by appalling injuries, we won every domestic game.

Transfer policy pales into insignificance compared with the damage being done to their reputation by the consistent good work being done by websites like this, exposing them for what they are, and, of course, by men like Peter Lawell and Dr John Reid. Make no mistake about it; the recent highlighting of The Famine Song was more than an attempt to protect our name and our Irish fans. It was a cold-blooded, ruthless demolition job on the standing of that club and its entire customer base at a time when Murray has all-but exhausted his options and is looking to get out at the earliest time.

For who in their right mind would take this club on, even if it were debt free and in good health? The riots in Manchester put their shame on every television screen in Europe. The Famine Song has exposed the whole club, from top to bottom, supporters, officials, everyone, to the most ruthless interrogation since UEFA’s investigations, and even in the face of a damning verdict they remain staunchly determined in their ignorance. They are a PR disaster waiting to happen for everyone associated with them.

Is it any wonder the one consortium bid floated publicly in the press was headed up by a hard-line former Ulster Unionist MP? This gives you a fair idea of the sort who are likely to be interested in taking the debt-ridden, scandal wracked institution out of Murray’s control. Only someone who’s own proclivities match those of the Ibrox faithful could go into that club with their eyes open and not be appalled. The limits on their viability as an investment are heightened by the behaviour of their fans. Dr Reid’s recent statements, in particular, were a source of great fear by everyone inside Murray’s Empire, and this, of course, was intended. Dr Reid is not a man who plays to lose; in fact, in his political life he showed time and time again a ruthless streak Ray Kroc would have found himself most at home with.

It is very much within Dr Reid’s mentality not simply to stick a hose in Rangers’ mouth, but to go to the tap and make sure the water is on full blast so as not to make a mistake and leave the victim alive and kicking at the finish. This is a man who believes in the Machiavellian creed that says, “If an injury is to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance is not to be feared.”

Dr Reid’s other statements bear considerable scrutiny too. When he talks about our club as an entity separate from Rangers he is openly discussing a future without their baggage around our neck. More, he is darkly hinting at a footballing landscape without them in it. He is saying that our survival, our existence, is not dependant on theirs. He is saying that our club is not defined merely by the rivalry between us and could do perfectly well outside of it.

Peter Lawell, perhaps surprisingly considering Dr Reid’s background in the political world, is subtler about things, but his statements at times indicate similar thinking, and he never misses a chance to put the boot into Rangers. How many times in recent years have Celtic released a statement which seems deliberately timed to embarrass or cast a bad light on Rangers? Late last season, as the Famine Song debate was gathering steam outside the press, Lawell nevertheless did not miss a single chance to make comparisons between our fans and theirs. How many official club statements were released, praising our fans, shortly following disgusting displays of hatred by Murray’s blue-shirted storm troopers? How many press interviews with Lawell have included references to “other less well run” clubs?

Our two most senior board members are in lock step on this one. The objective might not be stated in public, perhaps not even in private, but there is no discomfort with the idea and our policies seem to be geared in its general direction. Neither man would lose any sleep over The End of Rangers, and that says enough.

This year’s title win will be decisive in bringing this to bear. If we can make it four-in-a-row Rangers will be forced into unpalatable choices, like whether to sack Smith immediately, and who to replace him with if they do. If not McCoist, then they would need to promise the new coach a transfer kitty, which is beyond their means. Would they be willing to risk further debt on the off chance of catching us? Or would the decline become more marked?

Neither would bring the end at once, but nor would either choice pull them out of the danger-zone. If four-in-a-row happens, the best they can hope for is that for the next decade at least they will be at most two bad seasons away from a situation from which they might not recover. If we make it five, the end is in sight.

And what would the End bring for Celtic? Undoubtedly, people will say the clubs are too tangled financially for one to prosper without the other, and others still will say Scottish football would lose its potency if they were reduced to an insignificant rump. I dispute both views; I actually believe both Celtic and Scottish football as a whole would go on to greater strength without their influence.

Let me take the second point first, that the game in Scotland would be somehow devalued without them.

In Murray’s first season in charge at Rangers, the challenge came not from Celtic but from Aberdeen. Looking at the modern day, people may be forgiven for believe there must have been an enormous gulf between the two sides; actually, this is not the case. Rangers finished the season on 56 points. Aberdeen finished a mere six points behind them, and yes, back then a win netted you only two points, and had the present system existed the gap would have been far larger, but by no means were Rangers out of sight.

A seven-point gap the following year was reduced to a wafer-thin two points in the year after that, even as Murray’s financial muscle should have been putting them on another level entirely. Two seasons when Rangers won the league by miles were followed by what amounted to a three horse race in 1993/94. A mere three points separated Rangers and Aberdeen and a single point separated them from Motherwell, with Celtic a distant fourth, four points behind the Lanarkshire club and a dismal eight behind the Ibrox side.

Of course, the year that followed was horrendous in more ways than one, as Celtic came within an ace of vanishing altogether and the Pittodre club imploded. They fell from their second spot, and their position as Rangers principal challengers, to a shattering ninth in the league table and the fifteen point gap between the Ibrox side and their nearest challengers, Motherwell, was more than simply a consequence of the change to three points for a win.

That year, we were fourth yet again, of course.

What changed in Scottish football was not that Rangers outpaced the rest by miles, but the re-emergence of Celtic as a genuine force. With our revival in the years that followed (we came within four points of the title the following season, when under Tommy Burns we lost only one league game) the balance shifted. With two clubs at the very top, far out of sight of the rest, the struggle for European places became desperate. The influx of foreign talent bled our domestic game of youth, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The break-up of the Celtic-Rangers axis would have positive benefits for every team in the country. Take Hibs for example. With a genuine chance of Champions League football, the numerous players who left the club for other pastures, with many going to Glasgow, might well have stayed. Certainly, the prospect of European football would have given their board greater latitude in wages, and thus they might have emerged as a genuine threat built on youth.

A virtuous circle effect would take hold. Attendances would go up as more sides saw a chance to stake a claim for that Champions League spot. Teams would take greater risks on the field if three points put them closer to that reward, and within a few years the standard of the game here would be vastly improved.

With no direct challenger to our power, we too would be encouraged to try new ideas. Youth would truly be allowed to blossom, and in time we might develop the Ajax-style system we have long talked about and dreamed of. The old rules would no longer apply; we would not be so focussed on the endless struggle to stay ahead of Rangers, and that would give us new focus and a new strategy.

Financial investment in the Scottish game, some of it long delayed as a result of the hated Old Firm tag and the perception that it is all about hate, would be encouraged by the end of that despicable term once and for all.

Eventually, Rangers themselves might recover, as youth would be the way forward for everyone, but they would do so in a national game utterly transformed. They would no longer be a principal power, just another club trying to catch us. Their enforced spell from the top table might also have the effect of removing once and for all the detritus and filth that surrounds the club. Maybe.

Soon enough the game in Europe will change, and when the debt that hangs over the Premiership finally drops like an anvil this process will be not long delayed, and whilst our immediate future is certainly in the SPL the more distant future will see us in some form of European League. There we will have the competition we need to satisfy the fans, and Rangers remaining relevance, as a team to give us a run for our money, will be gone with it.

And that, actually, brings me to a final point. Who in the end is going to argue that providing a challenge to us is reason enough to want to see Rangers survive anyway? The entire structure of the club is rotten to the very core, and if they were gone I would certainly not miss their malign presence or influence on the culture of this country. They are a detestable organisation in every way.

In the end, I think our ethos and our traditions and our ideology is strong enough that we can cope with their absence or, at the very least, their significant weakening. A penniless, powerless Rangers, on the very fringes of the game, or hampered so terribly that they fell, Leeds like, into the lower reaches, would be a source of amusement to me and I suspect to a good many others. Who would not salivate with unrestrained pleasure at seeing them humbled by the likes of Alloa in cup competition? Who amongst our number would not be overcome with excitement, or nearly paralysed by joy, on the day that they were relegated from the SPL for the first time?

In all honesty, if the worst fate of all befell them and they collapsed entirely, I would be delighted beyond measure. I would be content to a Zen-like degree, utterly at peace with the world and all in it. My mood would be akin to that of a man who has woken from a dream into a reality that is infinitely better. I would watch with bated breath as the removal vans came to clear out Ibrox. I would clap my hands with the delight of a child in a sweetshop as the pitch was bulldozed for a new shiny shopping centre. My sweaty palms would be clasped together in thanks to God for giving me the eyes to see the weeping fans laying wreathes and for giving me the ears that let me tune into the phone-in shows as they paid their tearful tributes. My happiness would peak at the moment the Rangers sign was taken from the stone wall and cast into the nearest empty skip.

Gone forever would be the institution that brought forth The Billy Boys, that gave us The Famine Song, that lorded, arrogant, over the rest of our game, and stained our culture with its filth. Gone for good would be the monument to superiority and hate constructed whole out of an ideology of Empire, built as a reminder to many of us that for a large number out there, our place here is that of barely tolerated guests and not as citizens with equal rights.

Napoleon once said “Never interrupt an enemy when he is making a mistake.” Over at Ibrox they have made plenty of them, both fiscally and in management style. The rent is about to come due, in a big way, and we have two choices;

We can stand and watch, and wait, to see what happens, or we can stick a hose in their mouth.

I’m with Ray Kroc on this one. This is about more than just one title win or a mere Generation of Dominance. This is about The End of Rangers, and if ever there was a goal worth shooting for in our history, then surely that is it. Would they want us to survive such a plight? They wouldn’t. They didn’t.

I would not mourn them. I would not miss them.

pablo's out of his hole.

picks himself up. dust himself down. comes out with all guns blazing. nice one.

vinny_bhoy

it early gies a break,
had a hard day at a funeral today...

blantyretim.

I agree we have the right man in place. I wouldn't want to change GS until the man himself wanted to go. There is no issue here as far s I'm concerned.

What does concern me is the seeping anti Irish sentiment creeping into this blog. Over the past few weeks the Irish fans have been accused of orchestrating poppygate, attempting to force republican songs at matches and now its forcing an Irish manager on the club. For my part I am absolutely a Gordon Strachan supporter, a board supporter, view Glasgow Celtic as a Scottish club whom I am lucky enough to have grown up supporting. But I feel I am being marginalised because I am Irish. Many other Irish "happy clappers" would echo this. Rangers fans don't have to sing TFS. Its being whispered here.

vinny_bhoy

i'm onto linger now....fab.....

Pablo

Great track - one of my boys faves. Loved the video - Ronnie looks really wee bit so alert - dont see THG concentrate like that.

Love that shot of the fans celebrating TGs goal - how much would you pay to go back to that day and be in that stadium in Lisbon

Watching the Maestro - him beside Scott Brown in CM would do for me.

My old boy called Bobby Lennox "the buzz bomb" was this a common nickname

BT

;-))))

lurgan53
i have given my views on the songs debate;i have been to more supporters functions in ireland than in scotland.. i know my family, know our roots and i am proud to shout about them..i am always on your side..
i am scottish, 3rd generation..
i know my/our history....

Lurgan53

I know most on here dont think like that or say anything against the Irish. Most are 3rd gen Irish so would never even think it.

have said before Im not sure whether Im scots / Irish or Irish / Scots - someone clue me up.

jinks
the buzz bomb and wee lemon...

BT

Im convinced your half french - all that wine you sink you must be.

BT

yeah wee lemon - where did that come from ?

Im happy they called the new training complex after him

vinny_bhoy

zombie now....with their tanks and their bombs...

jinks

im a rioja man.. 1/5 spanish

lemon was the players name for him...

Lurgan53, an absolutely outrageous statement to make on here. Couldn't disagree with you more.

pablophanque

BT

Apologies on me not being a vino connosseur(spl) - Rioja - will remember that - is that more like El Dorado (greenock), buckfast (ML) or Lanliq (Govan)?

Jinkysboy

I'm convinced Celtic fans should have a special passport all of our own.

Pablo

Cheers for that - Celtic and Oasis - perfection right enough as far as I'm concerned!

EHIY

Michael Collins

A great idea - it would have to be hard wearing cover with all the european travel this last few years

Lurgan53

A wee song for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13MQFCfCYdQ

Pablo.....you posted the 1st tune at 9:43 and I posted 2nd tune at 9:44, ye'd think it was a plan! great video bud.

Blantyretim.......I was saving Linger for later ....damn blast it lol.

Jinkysboy......wee buzz bomb ha ha My two sons slagged the back off me when they heard that, now every time somebody in the team shows a turn o pace they say he's a wee buzz bomb as a wind up. That was the term used for Bobby Lennox fur he was a wee buzz bomb.

Sinnead O'Connor- Streets of London

Vinny

hi 53
a we word of support, have they been corrupted by the dark side of the force

vinny

Not sure we have any buzz bombs at CP now.

I just posted Sinead then you did 1 minute later - are you sidekick

lurgan53

Tomorrow morning have a look back at your postings of this night. You'll be disappointed.

Paul67, Gordon_J et al

Help please:

Anybody know how to post from a "smart phone lol"? The usual option to sign in doesn't come up, just an option to input name, email address and URL, but no option for a password ?

Vinny

SFTB :- I'll join your confessional, I got fined 75 pound for getting some pheasants drunk. For some reason they thought I was going to go back and pick them up later, I thought I was just being kind giving them rum soaked raisins.

keep it coming ghuys
late start tomorrow.....
ma dad wants carried out to the foggy dew; the pp isn't too keen.

father murphy/boulavogue please bhoys

James Forrest,

An exceptional read. Thank you for the time it must have taken to put all that down. I'm with you on this one all the way. I'd love to see the end of them.

I'm sure it would do Scottish football no harm whatsoever. Lyon are hardly killing off the French League despite dominating for nearly 10 seasons now.

Please let it be so.

LURGAN 53

i have often agreed with your sentments

but come on pal

catch yourself on

a more insulting statement i have never seen on this blog

Another Derryghirl input:

White Flag

V

Lurgan53

I don't see any anti Irish sentiment on here. I see a lot of healthy debate but I don't think anyone is being marginalised.

Gweedorebhoy and DonegalDanny have had a wee bit of stick from certain quarters for being a bit negative but just as many have stood up for them (or at least their right to post their opinion - myself included - even if they haven't agreed with their points), but I wouldn't consider it anti-Irish.

I see a lot of posters encouraging us all to be inclusive of ALL rather than shut anyone out.

My reading of it is people are keen to remember our roots and our history but to be progressive and look to the future too.

I would hate to think that anyone Irish or of Irish descent (which I would imagine is a significant majority, myself included) would feel that they were not amongst friends on this blog...

EHIY

EDB

have you been waiting until i went back onto the bevvy?

pablo,

That was a great video. Thanks for posting it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lurgan53,

Shocked by your last comments, and disappointed.

James Forrest, correct, having paid £2m to close the Rangers shops, they no longer have a direct route to market, so flogging the merchandise rights to Sports Direct would be the route. He would get considerably less than JJB gave him, with possibly no money up front (which business can raise cash for the like of this at the moment) and little or no more extra per year than he is getting at the moment.

To the Che Timvara question, could this be the end of Rangers?

Of course it could. There are a few currents at play:

Income is likely to dip £30m this season from last to around £34m. This will force debt up and plunge the club into a serious financial loss.

They need to fix the above scenario, no one is pretending that Rangers, or MIH, can support large losses, and to fix it, they will need to cut spending, there is no other route to increase income.

All football fans will face issues when it comes to renewing season tickets in the summer, Celtic are concerned about this and Rangers will be too. Celtic, at least, will have the opportunity to spend money as usual, and are likely to have another league championship to buoy things along.

Rangers, on the other hand, will not be able to “change the menu” as Murray was fond of saying. They will have to downsize like never before, and if ticket sales are worse than this year, that downsizing will be all the more severe.

Will they be able to break into a profit in the next two years? I sincerely doubt it.

If losses continue, and the resulting debt requirement rises further, will Lloyds Group be prepared to lend? This is the key question.

HBOS, RBS, Ford and General Motors have either just run out of cash, or are about to, and all need government help to stay in business. The carnage in the economy is real, you need money? Tough, your credit rating said no.

Any business which is in debt and has structural problems which means they will make losses for the next few years is in serious trouble – and it will take 10 times more money to rescue them than Fergus raised when he rode into town in 1994.

One thing Che is 100% correct about is the view of our man, who told me today “we want to win this league again, drive it home”.

vinny_bhoy, it is dependent on your smart phone operating system, many of which do not allow such features.

James Forrest,

that was worth 10 minutes of my lifetime. I have been tinkering on the edge with this very subject. Do I want them to die, do I want them to limp along or do I want their horrid competativeness. I am now swayed. I want them dead and buried as a club. No offence Ed but I am sure you would feel the benefits in the long term.

vinny_bhoy

watch yourself mate :))) have you heard the words?

BT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hHq-jlj6zQ

Edward

I think you may have a complaint there - a rankers fan gets fined £75 for feeding pheasants rum while a Celtic fan only gets £2 for the blatant crime of playing fitba in the street with a burst baw.

EdwardUrsus - am surprised you couldn't convince them you weren't a pheasant plucker!!- :)

ElDiegoBhoy1 / Pablo

I don't have to wait until tomorrow. And disappointed doesn't cover all that I feel having to write it. Despondent maybe. Disillusioned.

Read the post at 3:22 and 3:48. Didn't notice you challenge either

blantyretim

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jinkysboy :- Maybe they took the view that you couldn't eat the football later so it didn't deserve as big a fine, either that or knowing all folk from Castlemilk are great guys they let them off lightly :-)

Sicoclockatthechapel :- That's a bit like the fishermans friend defence, don't you think I was in enough trouble :-)

Cheers Paul67, I'll look into it a bit more, just received the phone and playing with it, maybe I'll have to lurk when I'm not near a PC, its a hard life innit lol

A wee song which shows my age, seen this band 3 times in concert:

Steve H and Cockney Rebel

V

vinny_bhoy,

What kind of phone are you talking about? And what browser?

I have no problem posting from my BlackBerry using Opera Mini which is fantastic.

EdwardUrsus : Thanks for the information on the games from last night. I think that pretty well confirms that 0-0 fixture as my first derby game.
I was also at the 3-1 and 2-0 games so I had a fairly decent record for a while.
I would think you might be a bit of a dark horse for the CQN quiz night.I wouldn't mind being on your team!
Thanks again, always good to hear from you.

ggh

Vinny and GordonJ

Stoooooaaaap Boasting ya pair of techno gadget heids.

Im away to work out this weeks shoping budget on my abacus

lurgan53
as i post there has been over 330 comments on this article posted by paul at 12.29
if 2 annoy you then i feel for you,i have lived through a lot of abuse in my life from supposed celtic fans;
live with it rise above it and be proud....hail hail

jinks
thanks..

lurgan 53

if you stand by what you have written then it begs the question why you frequent this site

one should never be so conceited as not apologise nor admit when one is wrong

Paul67,

This years race for the title is becoming more and more like the race to land on the moon in the 60's. When we win this tile it will be 'One large step for humanity'.

Let's be cruel to be kind. By getting rid we will be doing humanity in this the so called best small country in the world a very large favour.

Good to hear the club is of that opinion.

Hail Hail

Greetings (Again) Paul67/General Timlord,

I have just returned in my newly refurbished model 12 machine. News of my demise was inaccurate. To think me, a Level 9 timverse agent would perish in a machottie accident. Many things to attend to in the current timverse. Plasmaball linecords have been infiltrated by the hunverse, much work to take care of. Have you been tending to your potato patch oh great wise one? Your stocks are rocketing forward in 2276.

To Infinity and Backwards!!

James Forrest,
hail hail

and just for a wee bit of spite, the chirch of rome to build steepled cathedral in scotland on the site.

the treble will have to do

hail ahil

Garygillespieshamstring :- Thanks but I don't think I'd be that much help, when it comes to Rangers games I have them all on a spreadsheet so I'm sort of cheating :-)

As far as the 1970 games go it must have been one of those rare years when we were both happy (though I was only 13 so easy to please) as we win the league cup for our first trophy in a while.
One sort of interesting fact in light of some recent posts about being old enough if good enough is that the LC final was win by a goal from a certain 16 year old (D. Johnston)playing his second game and at 18 he then got a medal for the CWC.
I know he is a figure of some fun on here but he was some player who sadly like a lot of young players let his lifestyle shorten his carreer..

James Forrest,
hail hail

and just for a wee bit of spite, the chirch of rome to build a steepled cathedral in scotland on the site.

the treble will have to do

hail hail

.

Good Morning CQN....

Is Sir Gordon Strachan Still Our Manager....????

Happy Sinterklaass (Saint Nicholas) Day When it Comes....(In over a Hour)....

Jinkster.....

Thank You Kind Sir....It's 9:45am and Were (001 Ghirls) on the Chocolate Already.... ;o))))

001BhoyOfOz

Edward

No wonder you got blackballed from FF - cheater

Agree that as a player DJ was a good youngun. Remember some crashing headers. Like all pundits though he talks mince and Im sure you agree we slag off Nickerless, Walker, Burley etc too.

blantyre

You miss the point. Where were the challemges?

PF ayr

I agree entirely. Now. Can you walk the walk?

Lurgan53, I found those posts no more objectionable than Gweedorbhoy's ascertain that Celtic is an Irish Club. Both had elements that I agree with and in my opinion, doesn't make me (or them) anti-Irish, just as my indignation at GB's statement doesn't make me anti-Irish.

Our's is a club open to all and owned by anyone who cares.

pablophanque

Moonbeams, I like your moon analogy, but I’m sure we can come up with a better one.

The moon race was always going to produce a winner and a loser; after which, both combatants would return to normal business.

Any further suggestions?

j titor, great to hear from you, looking forward to those stocks in 2276.

001 bhoy

happy birthday when it comes in just over an hour..

Gordon_J, its a Blackberry storm, what is opera mini ? I'm a heathen bud, any info. would be appreciated Mo Chara

Town I loved so Well

A wee song from gods country especially for the Lurgan clan.

Vinny

.

yohB 100

....dessiM neeB evaH uoY kcaB emocleW

rotit j

Jinkysboy :- I agree, I think he actualy gets off quite lightly on here compared to others in that he is more treated as a figure of fun. Maybe it's because he doesn't try to hide his bias.

JTitor :- welcome back, I take it you have decided to return to our present as you were sick at the fact that very soon fortunes turn with Rangers winning everythingand Celtic becoming the second best hooped team in Glasgow.

Edward

As far as DJ is concerned I agree with you wholeheartedly
He had the potential to be one of the finest CFs Scotland has produced
Being only a young guy in the 1970s - perhaps I am misrembering but I felt he was always a threat- especially in the air and even up against big Billy

He really should have come to us !

vinny_bhoy,

Opera Mini is a browser for mobiles and the like and it's a lot better that the default BB browser.

To download, open your BB web browser, go to http://mini.opera.com/ and click on Download Opera Mini. Then just follow the instructions.

Opera Mini will then be a separate application on your BB. Its icon is a big red O. Open it up and browse away!

vinny_bhoy

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=U8CVA90PveU

oooooooooooooooo1bhoy

Many happy returns - just for you amigo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKuwdufwxpg

Jbj713 :- I'm not sure but I think there was a chance of that at some point but Rangers got in first. As far as Mr Johnston goes he would have been happy to play for Celtic at the time.

Paul67

you are correct although I do like the 'One large step for humanity' even if I do say so myself.

Is that the SSM driving that digger

Blantyretim & Pablo ye have mail

Jinkysboy et al, a wee ballad:

Grace

Vinny

Edward

I met DJ in 1981 at a charity event for kids in Govan. he was a decent big guy. I admit Im biased towards my team - nought wrong in that.

BT -

oooooooooooo1bhoy is about 11 hrs ahead of us so he was partying today just around lunchtime here

lurgan53
if you objected you could have said. i don't always read back..

2 out of 300..+

James Forrest,

a fantastic article by Che Timvara.

Haven't read anything this good in a long time.

As I've said before, we must all do our bit for the demise of Rangers FC to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Che has certainly done his bit.

Spread the good word!

V, returned.

pablophanque

jinkysboy/anybpdy
how's kano ??

rotit j

(hguoht kcab eb ot doog) esidaraP weN ta semag emoh emitflah gnirud remrofrep tca yteirav gnirusaelp fles gnizama eht ,lrihg1 sa ytinretne rof deredner era uoy ,yohb10 fo noitanitsed emordnys erp ruoy ot denruter gnieb uoy fo daetsni nehw stluser suotamalac ni sdne erudecorp eht hguoht yldas .deifitcer eb lliw siht 8102 ni hguoht yllufknahT .emordnys msitigid delbuod evah yam uoy raef I .noitanitsed laro ruoy ot sa dexelprep maI hguoht ecivda ym dewollof uoy ees ot dalg ma I .uoy ot sknaht ynaM

,namedakcolbsirinoisivniarB/yohB 100

EdwardU

How long did it take to put together the spreadsheet? It sounds like hard work. It takes me long enough to put together a wee post for CQN.

Like you, I was only into my teens in 71.
I must admit that I now sway between viewing DJ as a figure of fun and finding him really irritating but when he played for your side the first time around I always thought he was a difficult player for Celtic to deal with.

As you rightly say, his off the park stuff probably shortened his career.
Looking back, I also wonder if the lure of the English gold drew him to England when he would have been better off here, another problem to afflict a number of young Scottish players.

When you compare Kenny Dalglish's success in England with the careers of Dereek Johnstone and Charlie Nicholas, I can't help thinking that a lack of maturity (and greed in Nicholas' case)
took them to an environment where they could not really cope with the demands.
I have to be honest and admit to taking a great delight in seeing Charlie Nicholas fail to do well in England and would not have allowed him back into Celtic Park unless it was as a paying customer.

ggh

Gordon_J, many thanks I'm downloading now, there's a pint on its way to you sometime soon..........whoooooosh!

Paul67 another example of the camaraderie on this site.

Lurgan clique any tunes from you bhoys n ghirls ?

Vinny

canamalar

Progress - slow but progress all the same

His bro says when he hears the scores or news of our efforts on his behalf like mail etc it makes him smile

Wish we could do more for him

v back to you..

jinks
would you stop picking on me just because i an the youngest on here.

tinytearscsc

Lurgan 53 - I'm unaware of any such anti Irish sentiment creeping into this blog or indeed amongst our support. Earlier today when the news of Roy Keane's resignation from Sunderland broke, i posted something with regards to the piffle that will no doubt run in the chip wrappers & be heard in the boozers & taxis of lanarkshire should Celtic drop any points in the coming games. Every man & their dog knows what Strachan has acheived for this club & it doesn't take a genius to see that the financial shambles going on at Ibrox is hardly a foundation for them to halt 4 in a row. In light of this i'm in no doubt that The Evil Daily Record will be the firestarter in mischievious 'Keane to Paradise' type baloney that is solely invented to upset our focus as its unlikely that Kyle Lafferty, Kirk Broadfoot or Charlie Adam will conjour up anything resembling sexy football.

My point or fear is that there is still a section of our support who will foolishly add momentum to this tabloid piffle & this stems from their unhealthy blinkered idea of Celtic's identity. Don't get me wrong i've had the fortune of being in the company of Celtic fans down the years who care not a jot about religion/skin colour/blah blah blah. Infact the majority of our support would reinforce these sentiments.

However l felt it necessary to try & nip this one in the bud (god, that sounds horribly like Billy Davies speak) as it really grates with me that Gordon Strachan has had to endure a conveyor belt of doubt in his time at Celtic largely due to his lack of a 'Celtic minded' profile - whatever that means. I hope you don't feel marginalised by any posts. I am proud of my Irish ancestory & the club's very beginnings in helping irish immigrants settle in an unwelcome society.

The story of Celtic belongs every bit as much to the Stanislav Varga's, Rudi Vata's, Paul Elliot's, Jock Stein's, Lubomir Moravcik's, Johannes Edvalsons etc as it does to Tommy Burns, Pat Bonner, Brother Walfrid, Paddy McCourts etc

This land is your land....

it must be getting close to one of those windy thingys as the travelling wilderbury is back. Hail Hail J Titor sir.

TO-INFINITY-AND-BEYOND-IN-A-ROW

After reading Che's article earlier today, I'm still of the opinion that "we" need the huns as our main rivals. firmly believe e need a strong challenge to help us perform bette in Europe ad although they may not be providing it right now, I hope they will be in the future.

And before anyone jumps down my throat, I'd just like to add a couple of comments :-

My heart would make me the person to be holding the hose and I'd definitely have my boot on their head just to make sure !

Mt head says I'd love to hate the huns as our main rivals without their sectarian baggage. I want to hate them because they are our rivals in football only. I don't want to hate them for all the things they stand for right now.

pablophanque

BT

Think young Roccobhoy may just beat you as the team baby.

Is the vino done yet ? Im on ginger beer here - hardcore drinking

EdwardUrsus,

many thanks Ed. I fear though you did not follow the advice I gave you on my last stream to the pre CQN Blogosphere. May I suggest you follow the advice I previously parted to you and that you maintain wearing the green tinted glasses for not less than the rest of your natural vessel longevity period. As you may not know due to your rather pathetic cranial capacity indexing of -4.456 (due to hunverse allegiane) failure to do this will eternally leve you looking stupiranged mode.

To Infinity and Backwards!!!

Moonbeams Wet Dream,

The Admiral is very very proud.

Now this is how to put the boot in !!!!!

From Celticminded.com

Ouch !

BTW, that's scanned copy of the original from the Celtic View !

pablophanque

J Titor

Good to see you are back boldly going where you were never going to go again and have already been before.
If you know what I mean.I am not sure that I do.
Do you have a beautiful time travelling assistant, a wee mechanical dug or any of the other trappings of a famous time traveller?

ggh

.

BlantyreTim....Jinkster....J titor....

Thank You Sirs....

All Hail CQN and It's Many Caricatures and Nom De Blog Personalities....

001 & o1bhoy

Blantyretim........A wee song jist fur you (my wee brother loves this as well)

madness or just a normal Sat night in Blantyre lol

Night all and god bless Kano.

Vinny

jinkysboy,
progress is what we all wish him.
god bless kano
prayers with him and his loved ones

the treble will have to do

hail hail

Its that time again - at least its friday soon

God bless Kano - in my prayers as always

many happy returns 001bhoy.

mines is but a few days away. I will be sharing it with nigh on 60,000 at a mid season up friendly hastly arranged for preperation and fitness build up for the 27th of december.

Hail Hail

garygilliespieshamstring,

Sadly I am currently at odds with Admiral Moonbeam for the demeaning afront of providing me with a mere Level 2 new recruit from the Training Inclusive Timverse Superagent (T***) Division. Although obviously ultra beautiful to dazzle hunverse agent lurking inside the timverse, Agent Lingus is tiring my tongue with the constant tongue lashing I am having to dish out to her. I find it strange this bizarre enjoyed of my tongue lashings, I fear the Division has implented new tactics in the training programme.

Praise the Lawell!!

A massive own goal by my alma mater today in awarding Sir Dave of Chateau L'Enron an honorary degree. Quite apart from disenfranchising me, you would think that a wee gander at the financial records of MIH would make them think twice.

On that note, anyone with a ticket for Sunday thinking twice about coming thru - let me know

01Bhoy, happy manies !

pablophanque

J Titor

I think your new recruit may have a cunning plan if I am not mistaken.

Be careful. One slip of the tongue and you are in the ...t

ggh

malceye, still stunned at that mate ! On what grounds FFS ??

pablophanque

Malceye

Who gave the dishonourable one the degree? I missed that today.

ggh

Only pressed it once, honest !!!

pablophaque

Great giver of the hums,

Could I request if you maintain your presence until after this daily plasmaball traverse into the next daily traverse a little number by Water floatation hazard awareness device Dickens Ghost. I believe the audio vibration is called named Singular digit CelticFc

Titor

Garrygillespieshamstring :- Luckily I didn't have to fill it in, I downloaded it complete, it covers every game since 1873 through to 2005 - 06.
I agree with your point about young (and sometimes not so young) heads being turned by lifestyle rather than what is best for them football wise is does seem to be pretty common over the years.

garygilliespieshamstring,

I have demanded multiple cases of what you call "Listerine" for that very eventuallity, as way of compensation. Although The Admiral informs me that sometimes this event may prove worthwhile in opening up a passage to extract promises of timeline payoffs.

Titor

.

Pablophanque....

Cheers Buddi....Waiting till Tomorrow To (Wet Ma Own Heid) It's Our CSC Xmas Dinner Dance SingSong Bevvie Session....Been Aff it Since The Giggs Goal....

Hail Hail

001 Bhoy

garygillespieshamstring...

That 1970 New Year game?

I also remember Billy having a goal disallowed.

According to the match reports, it was the referee, J W Paterson (Bothwell), who chalked it off for reasons unknown!

I feel that there is a body of opinion forming among the Celtic support that says we will turn up at Ibrox on 27 December and take the points.

I don't see it that way.

Very few Celtic teams have ever done that.

We will have to be prepared for a battle as always when we go there.

Honda pull out of Formula 1

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article5289884.ece

A quick question to all the bhoys up late

I'm looking to book tickets for the Dundee Utd game on the 3rd Jan and when clicking and looking at the available seats on the Celtic website some of the available seats are on row '0A'. I don't go to Celtic games much because I live in Essex so I was wondering if anyone who knows a bit more about it could tell me whether that row is at front of the stand or not?

Cheers

DaveBhoy67

Gordon,

Thanks for that. I am glad my memory is not playing tricks.

I agree with you about 27th Decemeber. I am sure that Celtic will need to be prepared to stand up to a very physical challenge that day and that WGS will have to select his players carefully, making sure that we have a team of players who have the stomch for the battle but are able to keep their discipline.

On that note, I have been pleased to see Scott Brown keeping the heid of late without losing the drive from his game. I think it has helped his play.

ggh

jt, still no idea what you're talking about, so have this one on me :o)

On The One Road

Nitol.

BTW, work's night out tomorrow and I have no idea if the hotel has wireless, but just in case, I'm taking the lappy !

pablophanque

DaveBhoy - that's right at the front. So I'd say at that time of year best avoided. Not to mention the possibility of people walking in front of you constantly.

James Forrest,throughout that most miserable of time 89 to 98 I considered Murray for what he was.A man intent on crushing the life out of Celtic Football Club.His sole intent was depriving us of the very air that we breathed.

At every opportunity he struck.With every big transfer he drove the spikes home.Here was a man who derived immense pleasure from our situation.Murray tried to bury Celtic.

Thankfully,history has shown that fate intervened and roles are reversed although I don't believe Celtic want to bury Rangers.I firmly believe they should, for Murray would not have hesitated to deliver the final blow to our Club.

I dislike Murray.I have always seen him for what he was.A master at that time of delivering sickening blows to the Celtic support who suffered greatly under him.

When he goes i will gladly light the funeral pyre.

DaveBhoy - forgot to check upper or lower tier. Obviously if it's the upper tier my argument is blown from the water and you snap them up.

Just got back on the blog to find that only EU and myself have criminal records and the link is that we both lived in Castlemilk in the 60's/70's.

Did you guys not have a police force?

Mind you I think my crime is more socially acceptable than interfering with pheasants- was it rohipnol, Ed?

I'm assuming that the crime was not committed on the grouse moors of Castlemilk or did you damage the birds out of season?

weeminger thanks very much

also it's a pain in the backside trying to get 4 seats together as well haha

Ah Great Humgiver,

I will unliterally join you in the dark part of the plasmaball traverse. My unilator has unencrypted the titles. I believe we are looking for Bob Marley and One Love. Unfortunately recent vegecuts have limited the agency in their provision of updated langeuy databanks. If only General Timlord was promoted to Head Prober, these problems would not persist due to his megatot empire.

To Infinity and Backwards!!!!

Edinburgh Uni awarded the honorary degree - I couldn't bear to read what for. I just saw the headline and the photie of his "partner" and his two sons.

You know, there's shades of Conrad Black with this character. I think its too much to ask for prison, but I can readily foresee the day when his "mates" shun him as his smoke and mirrors routine is finally revealed for what it is.

SFTB :- I was a wee bit older at the time and had moved to Ayrshire though it was on a moor, the Fairlie moor rather than the Cathkin Braes.

BTW, it's more than a coincidence that Murray flourished under the most evil woman that's ever lived and I hope to live to enjoy his dotage in the same condition. The man is evil and has profited from evil and that makes him the hate figure that he is to me.

pablophanque

SFTB :- I was a wee bit older at the time and had moved to Ayrshire though it was on a moor, the Fairlie moor rather than the Cathkin Braes.

There is a Glasgow connection though as the said birds and land belonged to the Earl of Glasgow

Lurgan 53

Before I retire for the night, could I add a word in your support. There were a lot of raw feelings on display in the run up to Poppy gate and some harsh and insensitive words were said.

When I saw the tone of the replies from disparate posters such as yourself, Big Liam, Dublin Bhoy and Ulster Celt, I knew that people from across the sea had been offended.

For what it's worth, I don't think it was anti-Irish sentiment per se, but some statements came close to blaming our predicament on the stubborn refusal of the Irish to see things through our eyes because the poppy was not such a loaded symbol over here.

If we ask that you attempt to see our point of view then, maybe, we have to try a bit harder to see yours. We lost one of the above named posters because of enraged feelings at that time.

I hope we lose no more and that you continue to speak out with your views. There is no board orthodoxy here, nor should there be.

Lazarus:

Considering the scope of the discussion, that is a very very apt name my friend! We have risen from the dead and by doing so we have pushed them closer to their own version of Hell.

Murray's influence of the game in Scotland was less than good. That's why his anniversary was deserving of the article 20 Years of Unsurpassed Bigotry. I think the man DOES hate us, and when I read Graham Speirs recent book on Paul LeGuen I was not altogether surprised to learn of the level of his detestation for Martin O'Neill and that the feeling was entirely mutual.

What Fergus started, he was not around to see completed, alas, but I loved the fact he came back to unfurl the flag when O'Neill was at the helm. He laid the groundwork for what Martin accomplished, which was to deliver notice to Rangers that we were not simply back as challengers but that we'd replaced them as the dominant force in the domestic game.

There is no evidence to believe Murray hates Strachan with the same passion, but then Strachan is merely an enormously talented football coach, not the antithesis of everything Murray and his club stands for.

Yet I believe he fears Strachan more. What Fergus started, what O'Neill ultimately developed, Strachan has continued, and taken forward. I believe the wee man may well be the one who sees Murray off. For sure he is going to consign Walter Smith's reputation as the Greatest Manager in Rangers History to the bin.

Burying them as a club comes next.

I don't normally post unless I see the mineshafters out in force, but couldn't resist posting this link:

Welcome back, Donald Finlay QC!

It's great to see him back - I hope he is as 'upstanding' this time round than he was when he was a Director.

A "right good old sing song" - should be right up his street!

That David Murray Honorary Degree Citation in Full:

SALUTAMUS DAVIDUS MURRAII, CHAIRMANUS RANGERSUM SECTARIANI QUOD RACISTI BAMI SOLATOR , PRODIGO A TENNER PRO SULUM QUINQUE ID RIDEO RISI RISUM IAM EGOMANIAC MURRAI ORTUS , NOMEN IN RUGGER BUGGER JERSEYS , NEQUAM 9 IN A ROW SIC QUIS JJB OOPS DODGIUM PACISCOR , NON VULTUS BONUS JANUARY VENDITIO WORHTLESS INHONESTUS WORTHLESS STIPES HA HA

Professor Skint McForeclosure, Professor Emeritus, Business Studies, University of Edinburgh

gscbhoy:

Holy Hell! They really are beyond parody now, that lot! Have they reached the point where the just don't CARE what a negative message they are sending out?

The biggest threat to the idea of The End of Rangers is that someday they will realise they have to change. That they MUST go down a new path or die.

That day is far distant. At moments like this is seems too far forward ever to be reached in time.

They deserve everything they have coming to them.

gscbhoy

Couldn't open the link for the dinner menu as one needs to register... any suggestions as to the food on offer :-)

Edward,
I feel our paths have crossed given the Brockburn Road allegiance albeit across the road.

BFDJ scored the winner in the LCF 2-1 to the darkside.

Went home with my Tim mates and met my darkside mates. OK there were just the three of us. Two mourning one happy. 3 bottles of big Whitbread and 1 bottle of Eldorado.( My introduction to wine). I gave away my whitbread for that sweet scented beautiful drink for my whitbread. 20 minutes later, propped up in the close behind my door and they ran away and rang the bell. " Oh my God whits wrang wi ye", " F&*k all maw". " You're gaun tae the priest,", " F*£k the priest" was the reply. Then a wee 5'2" wummin proceeded to kick me up and down the hall, which wisnae that long, but it was sore until I had to be sick, until my Da came in from the Knights and said, "Well ye,ll no dae that again".
Sadly I did.

Bloke 109:

Fantastic! Absolutely first rate!

Bloke109 :- Vos tribuo nos latin orator a nocens nomen , EGO reputo vos lego nimium secretum oculus :-)

JackRegan :- It doesn't matter how big you are or how small your mum is there is always only one winner :-)
We probably have met before but I don't recall any names, it was mostly just faces you got to see and nod hello to on a regular basis when at jobs.

paul67 and anyone who understands accounts

Rangers had agreed to sell Cousin to fulham for £3m at the january deadline 2008, the deadline passed with the agreement still in place, and EPL and SPL requirements satisfied though the transfer never went through due to UEFA rules.
As MIH financial year ended on 31st jan with the transfer window and the agreement in place, did rangers/MIH included that £3m in their accounts?
Surely they must?

That would account for a lot of their profit if so.

second part......

If Hutton's transfer was in installments, does that mean the whole fee goes through the profit and loss, but only the money actually received goes on to the balance sheet?

Does the reverse apply when rangers have bought players (Mendes, Davis, Bougherra, Lafferty, Edu), with the fee to be paid in installments?

and finally..........

who will be their willie falconer?

patnmick

Ed,
Sorry been called to bed.
And its no ma mammy.

Ed

I've only got O Grade Latin but yes go on, I'll have a
Magners thanks :-)

SecretumOculusCSC

JF

Thank-you sir.

JackRegan :- Lucky you, sounds like you are living up to your namesakes rep :-)

.

James Forrest.... Et al....

At our CSC Meeting on Wednesday a few of us were Talking about Fergus (We Were watching The History of Celtic DVD) and One of the Auldhauns was Telling us Fergus Moved to Melbourne after The Feijenoord Final in Milan (After he had Lost all his Cash) He Lived just along the beach from here....and Seemingly has fond Memories of OZ....

Is Thier a Fergus Book or Does anyone Have any Literature on The Bunnet's Life....l have heard a few good Stories on here Re; The Bunnet....My Family are Close to The Dempsey's....And l was in Holland at the Time of The Takeover (Don't Remember Much ha ha) so Don't Know The History so to Speak....

If Anyone can Point me in the right Direction Much Obliged....

All Hail The Bunnet....The Visionary....

001 Bhoy

Bloke109 :- Fair enough if we are ever in the same pub the first drink is on me.

E.U
GlendaSlaggRSC

James Forrest

"For sure he is going to consign Walter Smith's reputation as the Greatest Manager in Rangers History to the bin."

I think you are absolutely correct in this assertion. Objectively speaking, the man on the Clapham omnibus would feel a degree of sympathy for Mr Smith. And for a moment, I confess, a teeny weeny tiny bit of pathos ran through my veins when thinking of Walt.

Reminds me, I must give blood tomorrow !

001 bhoy
don't know much of the bunnets life but I do know he took no s**t from anyone .
farry tried it and fell on his sword,the three amigo's tried their arm and were told where to go ,he took monaco the whole road and I believe that was the only time he lost his case . when players sign contracts then come looking for more cash when they do what they are paid to do ,owners need to be brave and stand their ground .IMO if more chairmen took this view then the game would not be in the state it is in today .
hail hail
pfayr ,greenlion got your tips thanks lads .
hal hail

.

Talking of Walt's Demise....

How Many Rankers Managers Did Jock See Off During His Spell as Celtic Manager....????

001

anyone got up to date news on our treatment table ,are any bhoys on their way back .
hail hail

.

Fergus....

If It's True that He was living Here in a Bedsit Skint....To Come back the way he did is Superb and maybe Explains His Canny Scot Mentality....He Didn't see Fools Gladly did he....

001

001Bhoy...........Happy Birthday.

From your post at 4:38.
Ik slappen goed met mein kliene mopje..

sugarpiehoneybunchCSC

setting free the bears

I must've missed the posts about criminal records.
You can add me to that list.

Busted at Bristows heliport with an oz of hash on my way to the Texaco Tartan oil rig off Aberdeen in 1990.

that was a fun day...

001 bhoy .
that would have surely have had an influence on him .
the day some fans booed the wee man unfurling the flag was the day I realised the laptop loyal could set the agenda at CP .Thankfully sites like this are helping to negate the redtops .look at TRS and poopygate ,IMO murray knew he had lost the battle against the bigots at rangers and realised his only option was to drag us into the cesspit with them ,murray and the laptop loyal were gutted that only 60 supporters walked out and protested in a civilized manner ,as is their right .they scoffed at wee fergus when he started his bhoys against bigotry campaign ,now look how far ahead of the gers we are in this respect .In fact did he not reside over a minutes silence for the victims of the ibrox disaster in his time ,maybe someone could help out with that one
hail hail

.

GerryBhoy71....

Cheers Buddi....

I Find it Amusing That Our 3 Main Strikers Are From The Three Countries Where l have Lived Half My Life....

Which Reminds Moi of That Dutch Joke....

Their are People Who are Tri-Lingual....

Their are People Who are Bi-Lingual....

And Then Their is The 'English'.... ;o))))

001 BhoysOfTheWorldCSC

PS. I Also Speak Australian Cobber.... ;o((((

re roy keane leaving sunderland .
are we going to run a sweep for the time of the first press puppet to ask GS if he is leaving celtic, they will get plenty of mileage out of that one .
hail hail

token tim.......EPL
blantyre .......football league championship
greenlion ......fott lea one .....leicester
estadio.........foot lea two
jinksy .........spl
pfayr ..........sc div one.... queens park
fergus .........sc div two
celtic bob......sc div three
two down six to go
hail hail

pf ayr
queens park are in the Scottish second division ,your league is the Scottish first division .
hail hail

pfayr
did you mean queen of the south
hail hail

As the huns fortunes deteriorate and they descend lower and lower in the football hierarchy one unfortunate side effect for us as Celtic supporters is that they may turn even more nasty.

They will revert to type and fall back on all their old "cultural traditions". Any work to eradicate sectarianism from Ibrox will be put on the back burner as they are forced to accept the orange pound as it will be their only currency.

All well and good as they will be even further disgraced in the eyes of the world but the level of violence they display will increase exponentially. Celtic fans and catholics in general will become targets especially on derby day, if they are still in the same division as us.

Even today when we play Rangers I know that somewhere some poor unfortunate Celtic fan will be on the receiving end of the Rangers fans version of loyalty to the crown and will be left with the wounds to prove it.

It will only get worse.

Be careful out there.

This health warning was brought to you by the Sydney Celtic Supporters.

Safedownunder CSC.

paul67

This from todays Daily Mirror.......

"Quinn held a board meeting last night to discuss his early options. Strachan, is a surprise contender, and others who are expressing an interest include out of work David O'Leary, Alan Curbishley and former England boss Steve McClaren".

This clearly suggests that Gordon has said to someone he's interested, now I know we should know better than to pay any attn to the red tops but please re-assure me its a load of old tosh.

Morning all..........I take it downunder CSC and the ameriTIMS are all away to their kip?

Jinkysboy no run this morning or gym aaaaaaaaaagh, need to go for a fix after work today.

Looking forward to the Hibs game and the wee huns next week, bring it ......we are Celtic Supporters faithful through and through.

Vmhan aw

Naw-am-urny-Bhoy its all paper selling bull, to be taking with a pinch of salt.

I think GS is really enjoying himself despite going out of Europe early, he has a strong pool as is evident by the recent victories at home while being unable to field his preferred team for specific games, he has a real chance of doing a double or treble this year while doing 4 in a row, putting him right up there with Jock Stein and McGrory.

Why would he want to leave that for a struggling Premiership team.....oh I see, the money.......Paul67 .......help me oot here!

Morning Naw-am-urny-Bhoy

Vmhan aw

Naw-am-urny-Bhoy

they make it all up, don't you know

Ulster-Celt

Morning Ulster-Celt.............................

Whits the craic amigo?

Happy Friday and get some work done!

Gordon_J .....Vinny_Bhoy told me to pass on his thanks for the info on the Blackberry last night, we both think yir a star turn and you're team is favourite for the CQN Quiz.........I might run a book!

ideasinactionCSC

Would be devastated if Gordon “The Wizard” ( copyright BigJoe ) left

And even more devastated if Roy “quitter” Kean……………………………

took his place………………………………………………………………

BigJoewhoDosentHaveAgripeWithR.K.butIdontWantHIMback

Vmhan aw

90

Ulster-Celt

There was a wee debate on here last night about PERCEIVED bias against our fellow Celts in Ireland. I have to say that I can't see it Lhads n Lhassies, I wouldn't stand for it and it would chase me away from this site if it did happen. It's maybe people getting carried away with the debate (whatever it happens to be)and not following normal conventions that you would normally adhere to in e.g. a debate in the pub, I'm talking about repect for each other and their views etc. That's why Ed on here gets on so well, everyone knows he's a re-arranger, but he respects others point of view while standing up for his team (of re-arrangers lol).

I'm ranting so toodalooo the noo!

Friends of Ireland & IrishcliqueCSC

James Forrest,
Great post last night and a fantastic article by Che Timvara.
Dead and buried for me,murray and his cohorts hate us it's pure sectarianism.Let's leave them in the past and move on and enjoy the future.
Hail.Hail.

The wizard and Paul L………………………………………

Need 2 come out a quash this rubbish ASAP,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The longer the don’t………………………………………

The more this thing will grow arms and legs………………

BigJoeWhoISENTGoing2getWoundUP

and a good morning back to you Vmhan aw

hope your right guys and they do just make it up,

mind you, when they made up stuff about MON he made them pay,

lets hope Gordon does the same.

Ulster_Celt.............

Confused.com..........flash ....brain connects.........

Oh the craic was ninety in the Isle o Man!

Hi Bhoys

Looking for a kick a about this weekend

willing to play any position

thanks

DJ

01bhoy.

Can I offer you a belated happy birthday to you missed the post where you hinted it was your birthday.

All the best to you,and have many more.

Where's Kit,these days.

RRC

That's three of us criminal masterminds. We would need a fourth to form a quiz team and sit between the advocates and defence lawyers so we can copy their answers.

I see the greenock clique are following their local equivalent of omerta and saying nothing. Their crimes must still be outstanding. Maybe in both senses of the word.

Catch you all later.

Oh and happy birthday 01 and 001 and 0001 Bhoy.

Ouch !!!

"ETims Hunlines

Written by Hugh & Derek

Thursday, 04 December 2008

12 in a row...naw I'm no gonna smile...naw naw naw....pins pins pins
WGS, Glumville

7 points clear and it’s not New Year…..doo dah…..doo dah!
Celtic supporters everywhere……well, almost everywhere!

Gordon, you’re depressed? How do you think I feel!
Watty, Background

Watty and Gordon, You two are depressed? How do you think I feel?
Kyle Lafferty, 2 left feet Alley

Lafferty’s depressed? How does he think WE feel?
Rangers fans, Wine Alley

No half as depressed as me….you seen the accounts!
Sir Moonbeams, Morningside

Don’t worry lads, wae a cheeky wink tae the camera and a hearty laugh, super Ally will save the day, what do you mean that doesn’t help us win games against mediocre opposition?
Sally, Bridge of Weir

Its okay All, we don’t think you will have to worry about the pressures of the Rangers managers job after all. Whenever you’re ready Mr Murray!
Messrs Burley and Butcher, Hampden Cars taxi rank

One can only imagine the abuse Gordon Strachan would be receiving from the media if his Celtic team were 7 points behind Rangers and yet Walter Smith gets off scot free. One can only wonder why this is…..?

Spiersy, Times of London.

Erm, cough….splutter….. what day is it?......og right…..Celtic in crisis……Yes, Celtic in crisis.

Hugh, Derek, Peter, Darrel, Darryl, Fraser, Chick and the entire Daily Record office.

Sellick?....Sellick?...yon Lawwull’s lucky ah um an Arsenal fan so ah don’t need to ever commentable on Sellick
Charlie Nicholas, Sky Sports

Nicholas, the name rings a bell....wasn't he the guy they called the David van Day of Celtic?...oh, I’m good!
Peter Lawwell

Yes Peter, you are good, so, so good, can I get a biscuit! Woof!
Paul67, CQN

Biscuit? Biscuit? I bet it’s a capitalist chocolate one!
Gaudd, ETims

Hoi, forget the politics, what about the team. That’s another win, if we get the league sewn up for Valentines Day, can we get a big hug....grhhhhhh, tiger!
Sami, Cuddletown

Fitba...oh aye, haud oan...Hearts, Hearts, glorious Hearts, oops!
Paul Hartley, East Kilbride Jambos SC

I just can’t recapture my form at all, I mean last season I managed to get into 4 fights without the papers finding out, this year I’m hopeless!
Aideninho, Infirmary

I could stay, I could go, it’s not as if the team will suffer, after all I'm just a luxury player according to the Scottish press. Although for some strange reason I think they don’t want me here!
Naka, Shining light

Haud oan, I’m back in the team, how come we're no successful, do the referees and opposition know who I am?
Bazza, Bothwell Chinese

Who are you?
Setanta viewers, last Saturday 12.30-2.30pm

It is okay, I do not want to leave in the January window, I will fight for my place (aka take the wages for nowt)
Signed
Jean Claude, Stevie W, Stevie S, Nacho, Andy, Graeme, Kenny, Lee, Kyle and 20 others

Now its not as if I NEED to sell the club, its just well, you know what its like being the worlds greatest businessman...ahem.....I'll let you rename Murray park, come on, someone, please!
Sir David, Skint

Aalborg knew fine well that the mighty Gers had a better chance of catching Celtic if they were still in Europe. Don’t they Danes know anything? I bet they go to Catholic Schools. Close them now!
Lawrence, Funny Farm"

pablophanque

Naw-am-urny-Bhoy, forget it, it’s a non-story which was subject to a great deal of hilarity at Celtic Park yesterday.

There seems to be a lot of triumphalism around at the moment, with the Championship and the demise of the Huns already being celebrated.

I think it's all a bit premature. A natural pessimist, though not a mine-shafter, I can't help but think that December could yet see us with egg all over our faces.

There's no reason why we shouldn't beat Hibs on Sunday, but we've lost there before so let's not count on being seven ahead at the end of this weekend's games until 2.15 Sunday afternoon.

I think Rearrangers will drop points at Tannadice, but I'm not convinced we will take anything from Ibrox. We are streets ahead of them man for man, but apart from the two wins at CP last season, since "Walter" returned I've always felt they've wanted to win the derby matches WAY more than we have. They have lost their most potent weapon against us by selling Cousin, but I'm still not convinced we will turn up there and steamroller them.

If we are seven ahead on the morning of 28th December, I will possibly allow myself to dream of four in a row, but it is not inconceivable that the deficit will be only a single point by then.

Let's not celebrate too early, like the Huns did in March last year.

St. Michaels Bhoy

Agreed! Nothing is set in stone yet and while 4IAR and the demise of our neighbours are good thoughts, that is all they are for now.
The team must do it first. I believe we will. If we beat Hibs then I can only see the gap getting bigger before we play them as
Dundee UTD seem to be a bit of a bogey team for them especially at Tannadice.

BTW anyone see my wee team Zilina stuff Villa last night? Some of their players are worth keeping tabs on and they look like us in an away kit.

Paul67

Glad you knocked that one on the head.

With Premiership managers falling like stones I think Gordon will be approached sooner than later by someone and I think now represents an opportune time for all Celtic fans to let Gordon know how much we all think of him starting at Hibs on Sunday with a rousing chorus of "There's only one Gordon Strachan" or "We love you Gordon we do, oh Gordon we love you" all the way through the match.

Oops, hope I haven't started another songs debate ;-)

Hail hail

Mort (Definitely a Gordon Strachan fan)

Paul,

It crosses my mind that the worst possible scenario for Rangers given JJB's current difficulties, is for JJB to go into administration, and a leaner fitter JJB to emerge from the other side. One focussed on the top performing stores only, with the other half of their retail outlets closed.

This reinvigorated JJB of course maintains its exclusive license to sell Rangers kit, but has only half of the high street footprint of before.

Sales targets triggering royalties to Rangers would not be met, and Rangers would therefore generate no revenue from merchandising, with only the amortising initial fee, long since spent, remaining on their accounts, serving as a reminder of past follies.

Rangers would then be left with Hobson's choice of sorts; Accept that fewer kits will be sold, and hence less revenue than anticipated, or buy out the remaining time on the license and invest in building a new retail operation.

after Ibrox, away to Hibs is are second hardest away fixture according to stats.

we have won 9 of our last 20 there.

of course we have won 12 in a row and have won our last 6 away league games since drawing against Dundee United.

1-2

Ulster-Celt

excellent, Thanks Paul.

The Battered Bunnet

Sounds good however one has to wonder how many kits have to be sold for Rangers to attract more royalties from sales as they failed to do that last season when playing in a UEFA Cup final.

I seem to remember that Celtic released a new kit in the run up to the UEFA final in 2003 which no doubt brought in a lot of extra revenue and if Rangers didn't bring out a new one in the run up to their final last season then they missed a trick.

Krackowbhoy 09.44

Agree on Zilina. How refreshing to see their style of play particularly when they broke from defence at speed. I don't know if they play like that every week but they certainly look like a side which can go far.They played a style of football which epitomised the` pass and move 'mantra. Particularly impressed with their striker tho he was anything but their only quality player.Pity tho that a team blessed with their quality needed to resort to some pretty blatant fouling near the end of the game.

I thought it was quite unusual also to see players who all look like each other in terms of height and build almost like they were out of the same mould !!

Re- songs debate

There's only one Gordon Strachan,
One Gordon Starchan,
There's only one Gordon Strachan,
One Gordon Strachan
There's only one Gordon Starchan

Moonbeams, youve got me thinking, the first ascent of Everest is an interesting analogy. Brings in the empire bit from Che timvara. The 'glorious' house of hannover, sorry windsor, empire claiming first british ascent of everest, despite the fact the boy eddie was a kiwi and the small minor detail that it was in fact a wee sherpa called tenzing from a tiny nepalese hamlet doon the road from the khumbu glacier who made the top first.

then we have the 'glorious' race to the south pole, the house of hannover sorry windsor, sponsored scott fiasco - meanwhile back at the igloo the hardy bar stewards from Nog land where cruisng their way to victory using indigenous inuit methods whilst husky dog hamburgers for brunch.

As the ethic goes in climbing, its not getting to the top that counts its the style in which you do it that matters, so for football read this as being The Celtic Way

to the south pole and beyond my friends in Celtic!!

Hoops being linked with Stilic Again.Cant do the link thing but it can be accessed via Newsnow.

re suggestions re a song for oor manager, how about.....

Gordon!.............Ah-Aaahhhh!!!
Saviour of the Celts
Gordon!.............Ah-Aaahhhh!!!
He saves everyone of us
Gordon!..........Ah-Aaahhh!!!
He's a miracle!
Gordon.............Ah-Aaahhh!!!
King of the Impossible!

Or we could sing.....

we love you, Gordon oh yes we do, we love you Gordon, oh yes we do, when your not near us, we're blue, oh Gordon we love you

Tough call.

.

The Jan Veneegoor of Hesselink Story….Happy Saint Nicholas Day….5th December….

Saint Nicholas Day is a festival for children in much of Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus, as well as the Anglo-Canadian and British Father Christmas, derive from these legends. "Santa Claus" is itself derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas.

The history of the festive Saint Nicholas celebration is complex and reflects conflicts between Protestantism and Catholicism. Since Nicholas was a canonised saint, Martin Luther replaced the festival that had become associated with the Papacy with a Christkind ("Christ child") celebration on Christmas Eve. The Nicholas celebrations still remain a part of tradition among many Protestants, albeit on a much smaller scale than Christmas. The Protestant Netherlands, however, retain a much larger Saint Nicholas tradition. Many Dutch Catholics, on the other hand, have adopted Luther's Christkind.

SinterklaasSinterklaasNetherlands

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve (December 5) is the primary occasion for gift-giving, when his reputed birthday is celebrated. In this case, roles are reversed, though, in that Sinterklaas is the one who gives the presents.

In recent years, Christmas (along with Santa Claus) has been pushed by shopkeepers as another gift-giving festival, with some success; although, especially for young children, Saint Nicholas' Eve is still much more important than Christmas.
In the days leading up to December 5 (starting when Saint Nicholas has arrived in the Netherlands by steamboat), young children put their shoes in front of the chimneys and sing special 'Sinterklaas-songs'. Often the shoe is filled with a carrot or some hay for the horse of St. Nicholas (called Amerigo). On the next morning they will find a small present in their shoe, ranging from a bag of chocolate coins to a bag of marbles or some other small toy. On the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas brings presents to every child that has been good in the past year (in practice to all children). This is often done by placing a sack with presents outside the house or living room, after which a neighbour or parent bangs the door or window, pretending to be Sinterklaas' assistant. Another option is to hire or ask someone to dress up as Sinterklaas and deliver the presents personally. Sinterklaas wears a bishop's robes including a red cape and mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops and is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dress, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' (Black Petes).

In the past number of years