Peterhead or Queens next for Celtic

let the people sing

Ulster-Celt

help

Garygillespieshamstring 1.33pm (from last thread)

I am surprised at the comment made by WGS re Aiden hugging the line. A far as I could see he seldom ever hugged the line yesterday and in the second half in particular he played more through the middle where he ran at the Dundee defence with great pace and effect. I have always maintained his talents are wasted on the wing and yesterday his direct running through the middle proved to be very effective and it provided the team with something that has been lacking for some time.

jinkysboy
getting better moved up to 2nd

Couldn't agree more Paul, I usually look for a decent game in the Scottish Cup but this time I'm glad of the tie we got. I think it will be good for us to hammer in a few goals, while giving some of the squad a game and get everyones confidence up again.

When I saw the tie St Johnstone got I feared we would end up playing at Tannadice, Tynecastle or Pittodrie. Thankfully we avoided them at this stage. Not that I fear those games, just for the reason I said before.

Have to agree with some of the other posters.

We are entering uncharted finacial times where all own income streams will decrease. Time to be even more careful as I suspect that there will be more teams like rangers from all over europe trying to sell on the cheap.

HOWEVER, a left back is required now, not in July.

I believe for the first time in my life I am obsessing about something and that is our need for a decent, dependable, reliable, competent left back, nothing more ambitious.Can we not buy one so that I can move on with my life......

bsm71

your comment re your obsession is more common than you think, and it struck a cord with me

we were assured as the window closed "things did not work out re signing a left back"

as soon as it was firmly shut the signing signals emanating from the bunker again were that as

soon as the window opened again "we will address the left back problem".

what happend the window opens and in pops an 18 year old left back!!!!!!!

call me cynical but do you really think celtic will spend real money on the left back

we have craved for years? don't answer that question.

auldheid

spot on comment re boruc.

yesterday they were jumping in with the same headlines they tried after his easter rd

gaff. artur is very popular at celtic park a massive hero therefore public enemy no 1 for the

media

From the last thread.

oldtim67

Good post. Full of perspective.

Gordon.

Do you remember Andy Kerr, centre forward for Killie?

He was a converted right back from Partick Thistle.

He was a very intelligent and graceful player and caused us a lot of problems.

What I remember about him was that he was the one centre that a young Billy Mc. Neill couldn't handle.

Billy was on his breakthrough season in the first team.

Bobby Evans was close to the end of his Celtic days and was always dominated by the physical strength and guile of Jimmy Millar of Rangers.

However, Big Billy could play Millar out of the game and whereas, Evans could contain Kerr, Billy couldn't handle him.

I reckon that Mc. Neill's youthful strength and mobility could counteract JM,whereas Andy Kerr's skill and football brain was more than a match for the fledgling Mc.Neill.

Re. Kris Boyd

Someone I know,very well connected in the Greater Tarbolton Metropolitan area, told me that he has heard that the Boyd transfer is because Walter the Great cannae stick Boyd, Ferguson and McGregor causing bother in the dressing-room any more.

I mentioned the £759 Million negative spondulics, £30-40M annual interest - from a year ago's MIH accounts -

but, oh no...big Boydy's getting too big for his big boots.

Aye right.

Paul67
our form over the last 6 weeks has not been good , hope its just a blip, as ever team has a bad few weeks every season, only good point is winning at ipox and not falling to only 1 point in front,we are now getting more of our senior squad back playing,which should bring a higher tempo and better football back for us.we need to start scoring when we are top and killing games off sooner.

A special season would be a treble season.

Im wondering if we get past Dundee United and Rangers somehow manage to get to the CIS Cup final we could have the chance of an era defining cup final.

7-1

There are now 2 missions[ if thet decide to accept them] for the scouting and management teams at the Park

1/ a left back

2/find Artur's brain. Wherever it is it is not in G14. The mistakes he is mistaking are the kind we all make when we're distracted; we can still do the difficult stuff but the basics go to pot.

Mark Brown was more than adequate in his previous spell in goals this season.

Anyways, for those of you who missed it- Leeds 0 Carlisle 2. Could be the start of a Piggottesque beautifully timed late run to the play-offs.

P&B, aye, better to avoid tricky away games.

Jamiebaby, yes, we always do have a difficult patch during the season, but I suppose winning at Ibrox during this time is no bad thing.

Estadio Nacional, it doesn’t feel like a 7-1 season, but I doubt 1957 was any different.

Wigan beat Spurs with a goal in stoppage time. Gareth Bale started for Spurs. Since has he been at Spurs, they have not won a league game he has started. 17 games!

The opposite of 'Barry Robson syndrome'.

Homer and the Donuts

By

Cormac McCarthy

The sun came through in shafts through the sweetcorn curtains. She had bought on a whim. Homer stood abreast the counter. He considered the day in front of him. Beyond the glass he took in the grey clouds forming in his known space and scuttling onwards towards his home like some gun metal harbingers of some feared and potent storm. The donut box lay on the counter before him. The lid half way prised like some promissory shade giver. Therein lay three donuts of different shade and hue and sprinkles and dusting. He lifted the first looking down as the sugared dust moved and its motes peppered the formica counter like some snow wisps blown off the peaks of the sierras by some migratory sirocco stirring up a commotion that in itself detailed its own existence. The muted tones of a neighbour praying reached his ear. Some holy canticle spoken in tongues understood only by a dark and vengeful God. He lifted the donut further. A smile breaking on his lips as he considered the action a new birth of some communion. He wondered what attendant prophets might converge on this spot and what prayers might be given up for the transubstantiated soul that would reach for the heavens through the mastication of this sugared God. He bit deeply. Chewing through the sweet dough. And to the second. Homer paused as he reached for the third donut. A sadness so complete as to stop his very heart overtook him. He knew as he reached that after this act these donuts would be gone and too their pleasures and he knew as surely as the departure and arrival of the sun and the moon that although these donuts could be replaced he knew the absolute perfection he felt right now could never ever be replaced and he knew completely that all the donuts in the world would leave a deep and keening hunger for the trinity of these donuts and the moment in space and time he and they inhabited. His legs grew weak and he reached for the nearest chair and he sat and he dropped his head to his right hand whilst his left held the last donut and he wept. His dog drew forth from the other room. Driven by the faint scent of sticky goodness. It fed rabidly on the last donut. Taking no care over its master’s fingers. Homer moved to strike the cur and to throttle the very last sprinkled breath from in mange ridden hide when he indeed stopped. The strike in a second transformed into an embrace. Homer clasped the dog deep to his ample breast and he cried and he howled. And Homer’s dog raised its own snout heavenwards and screamed and howled its own lament for it too knew the loss that Homer felt. And they cried. They cried as some sin-eaters charged by every God and Prophet to moan and howl and bear witness to every man’s every sin. For every single soul dead or living or yet to live.

Re Celtic interest in Anas Sharbini

Let's give a chance to your media to find the news. The news about Celtic interest in the Croatian midfielder I have found on their main web site for sport. That was posted by them only 17 hours ago. That all looks reliable and true. You will find the news in your media soon.I don't know much about the player yet.
When I see more about Anas Sharbini there I will post later on.

Once again the source:

http://www.sportskenovosti.hr/index.php?cmd=show_clanak&clanak_id=7770

zbyszek.here is the translation..

Celtica coach Gordon Strachan are raspitivao for Anas Sharbinija!
What I have said? Facts. The young, talent is interesting, and for Celtic, his right leg was stronger than the left, usually plays on the left side of the line interface - says manager Racki
For Anas Sharbinija interested in the Celtic in Glasgow! Contact Glasgow - River was established on the basis of long-standing friendship between the main Celticova coach Gordon Strachan and Rijeka managers Pede Račkog.
- Strachan called me and asked for Anas - Racki story. - What I said to him? Facts. The young, talent is interesting, and for Celtic, his right leg was stronger than the left, usually plays on the left side of the line interface ... For now, this is only the interest without any official insignia but this is so only because Strachan has never led a player without him before he or someone from his team looked in real life. I will take him DVD's in Glasgow, but Celtic will Anas check at work. They shall look on him in the next game, probably on a friendly.

Strachana, therefore, are not of interest other things, details. Only a few "generalija."
- Asked me for a very important element, character. I told him: "Character is .. Like all great players. "

Money can not be a problem

I probably missed someone posting this earlier, but the Rangers melting crest in Scotland on Sunday today is very funny in an evil laughter way.

The editorial meeting must have gone something like:

"Who's for cracked crests at the top of our super 5-page special 'Rangers in Crisis'?

"No, that's Celtic's thing"

"What then? Shattered into 759 million pieces?"

"Too complicated graphically"

"Flood at Ibrox, plague at Murray Park and locusts at the Loudon Tavern?"

"Too biblical... and stop eating that pencil"

"I have it...minty-in-meltdown, badge melting...that's it...pub!"

Bournespice
Cheers. I think that folk are seriously underestimating three things. In reverse order
The media's wish to keep a bandwagon rolling to make sales and also weaken us.
The extreme weather yesterday. It is one thing sitting in a stand well wrapped up it is another standing around in such conditions as I was on the touchline of a public park. It was mind and body numbing.
The impact of a relationship breakdown on a person. I'll repost here what I said in reply to Kojo last night to try and impart a flavour. How we as a support back Artur (which does NOT preclude dropping him) is a test of the kind of support we are. Informed and compassionate I hope.

Kojo

The effect of a marriage breakdown, no matter the cause, can have strange results depending on the meaning the person involved gives to it.

One such meaning might be "I've been rejected by a woman.That means there is something wrong/unattractive about me. I'll find another one to prove to myself and the world that there is not"

It is of course not the answer, but it is a route that many take. A detour for sure, to a dead end too, but some have to go that road to find it is not the way. That is where a map comes in handy.

Another effect to someone raised Catholic is "I will become a divorcee. The church does not approve of divorce, that means God does not approve of divorcees. I am beyond God. Another wrong turning that comes from missing the sign post pointing to Mercy and Forgivenessville. Again a map for the right road would be handy. But again folk working with no map have to think wrong meanings and experience the results before they start to think right.

Going along these wrong roads takes time, which is why real patience of the loving kind, is required for the individual and why I said it would take at least a season just to realise a map was needed never mind follow it. But as soon as a map is found the corner is turned.

Your experience tells you when the financial situation will improve, in the same way mine tells me about the wrong roads and the maps.

It also tells me that it can take a while before someone realises they need a map. Lets face it women might have no sense of direction but men hate asking for them :).

I would give up the Scottish and CIS cups if I thought the sacrifice meant Boruc finding his way. In the most perfect of worlds I'd even give up the SPL if it meant another soul coming to its senses, but I'm not perfect and I do not have the faith that it would work.

Only Artur can find his way home, but first of all he needs to realise he needs a map. He is not there yet as far as I can gather.

masty

Thanks. Later I'll be checking Croatian web sites for more news about him.

Thomthetim

I remember Andy Kerr, Bobby Evans and Jimmy Millar and it was as you say in all respects.
Kerr was a more than useful player who caused Celtic problems whenever he played against us.

Zbyszek,

possibly another one "for the future"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anas_Sharbini

Hi Paul just wondering is there any truth in the ched evans rumour
also have you heard any reports on how Arthur Boruc is doin in training recently like is is form poor in training too?

Abbot of Clonmacnois on January 11, 2009 3:38 PM

Have not seen it but I was asking the KDS resident Photoshoppers yesterday if they could do a melting crest a la Salvador Dali (second image down at

http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/dali/dali.htm )

Paul,

I was interested in your comments around Rab Douglas, you must have been watching a different Rab Douglas from the one I did. In my opinion it was his appauling goalkeeping that cost us Seville "Eyes wide shut".

Artur Boruc is the best keeper Celtic have had in my generation. There is no doubt he is off form and probably out of condition. There is also no doubt that he has some serious personal problems he is trying to deal with.

I listened to that idiot Keevins at half time yesterday go on about Artur, "joke figure for every opposition support" no Hugh "HATE figure for every opposition support". He then asked that bastion of impartiality Alex Rae who agreed, away and give us peace Skelator. Scott Brown had huge personal issues last year and we gave him sympathy and support while he played through his poor form and the sad conclusion of his issue. More importantly the press were sympathetic to Scott, but then again Scott doesn’t show Catholicism to the masses (crap pun).

Artur Boruc goes through personal issues and they slaughter him ............... why ?

Anti Celtic agenda? From some but probably not all
Anti Catholic, most certainly.

Let's get behind the best goalkeeper of our generation and we will reap the rewards.

On the Scottish Cup draw,

financially speaking good to see another home tie for us.

If Rangers get past St Johnstone (which is a medium sized if) sadly for them another away tie against the crowd pulling Forfar or Forres Mechanics. Not a home money spinner they would have been looking for.

They just cannot buy a break at the moment....if you pardon the pun!

"writes Stuart MacDonald

James MacMillan, Scotland’s most prominent composer and a practising Catholic, has launched a scathing attack on the chaplain of Glasgow University, accusing him of becoming involved in an “sectarian brawl”.
MacMillan said comments by the Rev Stuart MacQuarrie, a supporter of Glasgow Rangers, were inappropriate and inconsistent with his role.
In a debate on sectarianism on a BBC Radio 4 programme, MacQuarrie said the song, The Fields of Athenry — a favourite among Celtic supporters — was “anti-British” and “racist” because of its reference to rebelling against the crown. He later told The Sun newspaper: “I regard The Fields of Athenry, with other Rangers supporters, as vile, vicious and racist.”
The Church of Scotland minister, who has conducted weddings at Ibrox and presided over the funeral service of Rangers legend Jim Baxter, criticised Tommy Sheridan, the Solidarity leader, for singing the song on Celebrity Big Brother, last week. He said the playing of the song reinforced the impression that Catholics were always “victims” of sectarianism.
Writing in today’s Sunday Times, MacMillan described MacQuarrie’s comments as “incoherent” and “embarrassing”, adding: “He has not been shy about associating himself with Glasgow Rangers.
“There is no problem with that, of course, but in such circumstances caution and diplomacy are fundamental requirements, especially when turning to issues of inter-faith relations and the scourge of bigotry in these parts. MacQuarrie has shown no such attributes.
“There is a lot still to be said and done in the campaigns to clear sectarianism out of the Scottish bloodstream, but it appears that the Glasgow University chaplain has done nothing positive in this regard.”
“If university chaplaincies are to build a legacy of lasting affection and admiration among learned people, they must first ensure that they have staff who can carry themselves with respect, intelligence and dignity.”
MacMillan said The Fields of Athenry was a love song with “minimal” political content and dismissed as “rubbish” suggestions that it was sectarian.
He accused MacQuarrie of “trying to draw a political and ethical equivalence between the song and The Famine Song, which some Rangers fans have been criticised for singing.
MacQuarrie described the allegations made by MacMillan against him as “unfounded”. A spokesman for Rangers said MacQuarrie had no official role at the club and refused to comment on MacMillan’s claims."

pablophanque

jinkysboy

Was referring to your non-belief in my pulling prowes ;-)

Vmhan,

First time for me at BB's yesterday, wasnt aware it was a strange atmosphere, I think it could have been my piroeting at the bar before you all came in that might have caused it.

Hail Hail

On the previous article there were some posting's about Setanta OZ and the North American Federation of Celtic Supporters Association (NAFCSA)
Here in Canada and also in America the federation does the negotiating with Setanta for all of the North American clubs, they bargain the best price for all Celtic games televised in total and then they go to the individual clubs and ask them for payment considerate of the numbers of members or people attending, someone on the last article said we get hit for a hefty price, well most clubs charge a $15.00 or there about fee and for most of us, and definately me, we'd rather fight the snow and early rise to be at the club with like minded people than sit at home watching it on the PC, there are some clubs with as little as five members and some in their hundreds, with the cost sharing that the NAFCSA institutes it means we all get to watch.
I'm fully aware that many supporters are not anywhere near a club and when it comes to watching on the PC or not watching Celtic at all we all know which way we'd jump.

Due to the awful weather yesterday at the game I have decided to stop using public transport to get into Glasgow. I'm gonna start saving up for one of these wee beauties.

Next Season's transport

News of the Lodge today -

1. KRIS OF LIFE Boyd Brum deal back from dead [EXCLUSIVE by Kenny MacDonald & John McGarry]"Kris Boyd's move to Birmingham City may be back from the dead. It's understood the Championship high-fliers have not written off the deal - even though they were actively watching potential alternatives yesterday."

So the deal's back on... except Burmingham are now looking at other players.

"But for the £3.8million switch to come alive before the end of the window, Boyd and his advisors will have to temper their wage demands. A source close to the player insisted ast night that would not happen - leave the move in limbo"

..or dead Kenny. So the story really should be - 'Boyd Brum deal not back from dead'

The News of the Lodge refuses to go overboard about THG's mistake referring to Artur as cock-up keeper on the back page, "blundering Bhoy,"blunder keeper>/i>" in size 22 font in the headline fn the next page", and alludes to his private life.

More good news for Celtic on the same page - "I'M NAKA'D WITHOUT MY PAL" translation = Mizuno will be a shadow of his former self when Naka leaves.

"This won't faze Kris, storms Ally" which was posted in a previous thread. Needless to say Super Sally is wheeled out to placate the loyal masses.

Davie Provan may be on of the first lapdog worms to turn - " With 51 points still to play forin a championship that's worth an automatic £15m Champions League place, who in their right mind would sell their top scorer inless their arm was up their back?"

"the attempted transfer of Boyd reeks of desperation. Of the type supporters will easily see through" But not Traynor, Bentfoot, Hateley etc.

"With the media's help [not so paranoid now are we Davie?], Murray has fooled some of the people all of the time. Ex-Ibrox hero, Mark Hateley even described the potential sale of Boyd and Barry Ferguson as a "master stroke.

"Take a powder big fella."

"Despite figures of £3.75m being floated, I'm assured from down south the fee is much nearer £2m"

"Let's be clear on this. The Boyd deal was agreed with more than three weeks left in the transfer window. Three weeks during which Martin Bain could have binned some of the fringe players who have no future. Yet Rangers chose to bite Birmingham's hand off for Boyd instead."

Auldheid

Agree again, you put it better than i can.

but the Artur fresh air kick ( and that is all it was ) is like manna from heaven for the media.

Celtic and the Celtic support at logger heads with one of their heroes makes great writing and
reporting for the so called neutrals. How come we never heard a single iota about Barry Ferguson being at war with Le Guen? He dropped him, and was gone days later. No story until after the events.

Just ask AIden McGeady about media coverage another player they would love to see driven away from Celtic park. They even managed to report his return to the side as a negative with BBC headlines "McGeady is back in the Celtic side but not everybody is happy"

Turns out the unhappy person was a Dundee defender.

Lazy Journalism or Black Propaganda? - I know what i call it.

... and to add to my News of the Lodge post above... Provan balances out his column to prove his impartiality with a "Strachan-McGeady only temporary truce player could still be out the door" piece.

Thomthetim [3.13]- Andy Kerr I don't remember so well but in my time of watching the Celts I would say our most difficult opponent was Willie Miller.

A very good Celtic team, full of attacking players, again and again foundered on the Red rock of the Aberdeen skipper.Jim Leighton was a competent goalie but thanks to Willie he usually had few saves to make. Mcleish was a good foil but Willie had the class.

We could beat them; but it was always a close and tight game.

I don't know if this has been posted on a previous thread so apologies if it has but there was a piece in The Sunday Times today regarding Unicef investigating and "monitoring" Ranger's fans behaviour.

A few months ago Rangers signed a deal with Unicef through their Rangers Charity Foundation to provide £300,000 over three years for educational provision in India.

You may remember the lashings of "over the top" praise they got for this and were at the time unbeleivably compared to Barca who allow Unicef to be branded on their shirts. The laptop loyal did their jobs once again.

Anyway Unicef in London have since the deal was signed been monitoring the singing of TFS and the odious chants against our greatest manager and apparently have let Rangers know that they are not exactly best pleased with this.

According to the article Unicef have asked Rangers to crack down on the singing of these two songs in particular.

Although the article does state quite clearly that the relationship between Unicef and Rangers is not being reviewed the implication is that if Rangers don't do something about the chants of their supporters then Unicef will review the agreement.

Not even in charitable purposes and good causes can they get it right without their follow followers letting them down.

Sorry for not being able to post the link - tried to do that before and failed miserably but it is an article by a guy called Stuart Macdonald on page 12 of the News section tucked in beside a larger article on the recent comments by Glasgow University Chaplain going on about the singing of The Fields.

By Bhoydell 3:50 PM

Keevins at half time yesterday go on about Artur, "joke figure for every opposition support"

------------

How many of the opposition would swap their current keeper for THG (on purely footballing terms). Joke figure indeed. Take a look in the mirror Flanders.

You are absolutely correct - hate figure - but Flanders hasn't the cojones or the inclination to call it as it is, so it has to be spun spun spun as 'joke' figure.

Hail Hail

I have a better one than that from yesterday.

Chick Young and Richard Gordon discussion on RS on McGeady.

Young. Looks like he might be selected. Kudos to WGS for handling this so well.

Gordon. Yes but it is a weakened Celtic team and might not his selection mean that he is now seen (as a player)in this light by WGS? (he meant as a second choice?

What a load of %^$&!!

Does some researcher look for negative spin on anything Celtic or do the Richard Gordon's of the world make it up themselves?

No wonder WGS has such disdain for the media.

From the BBC report of the Ross County v Hamilton tie:

"Cerny had a scary moment a minute later when he dropped the ball with Steven Craig in close attendance, but claims the keeper handled the ball outside his box went unheeded by referee Crawford Allan."

How many column inches devoted to this one? Oh, that's right, Hamilton don't sell papers. Goalie makes mistake, hold the presses! Just ignore them and their witch-hunt.

pablo

James Mcmillan can always be relied upon to GIRFU them

in this occassion well merited

i had missed the senseless ramblings of this fool

what a embarrassment

come on then McQuarrie explain yourself ...don`t hide behid a sngle word reply ...i wonder what he makes of the hun version which includes some outrageous language and despicable content

pablophanque

You obviously posted the Sunday Times piece on James McMillan's retort to McQuarries rant about The Fields just at the same time I posted on the other little article re Unicef attached to that piece.

Page 12 of The Sunday Times was obviously the sectarian interest page today - didn't notice that there was also a piece right at the bottom on the Hokey Cokey as well.

A Royal history of accusations taken from SCotland on Sunday

Prince Harry's great grandmother Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was accused of being a racist bigot by Edward Stourton, the former BBC Radio 4 Today presenter.

In a book about political correctness, Stourton last year described a lunch with the Queen Mother in the 1990s in which they discussed the EEC.

Stourton revealed that the late royal referred to "Huns, Wops and Dagos" in an extraordinary xenophobic tirade against Europe.

Stourton wrote that the "The Nation's Favourite Grandmother was in fact a ghastly old bigot."

In 1986, the Duke of Edinburgh told a British student in China: "If you stay here much longer, you will go home with slitty eyes."

In 1999, he caused more offence when he was shown a fuse box at a hi-tech factory in Edinburgh and remarked that it "looked as though it had been put in by an Indian".

AuldHeid

Bang on. Exactly like the clock.

SoS have a 'special' on the week that RFC have just had.

A few contributors saying what Paul67 and others have been onto for years. Thye've spent far too much for their income, Murray's ego got the better of him under Advocaat etc. etc.

What was fascinating to me though was that the tone thoughout was very passive in its condemnation. It's as if they still think that David Murray is the man and will pull off a financial stroke of genius any day now.

A half-decent line from Tom English was quoting Mark Hately saying that selling Boyd and Ferguson could be the masterstroke to end Celtic's domination in the SPL!!! English says: "Earth to planet Hately, come in planet Hately..."

Re the Richard Gordon comment. Richard is a mate of mine, no anti-Celtic agenda there, a genuin Aberdeen fan. These guys have to keep talking for 4 hours so any topic that gets a discussion going is a good one.

I loved the comment from one of the phone in's yesterday

"Get rid of McGregor, he's crap, Neil Alexander is just as good "

I was almost most amused at the pub on Friday night, the huns giving it "European league this and that", "Murray has to go", "where did the Manchester money go"

This great.........................

Auldheid - I heard that one too. Unbelievable. It's hard to come to any other cpnclusion that they consciously make the effort to find every conceivable negative angle regarding anything Celtic related.

By the way, Richard Gordon is far from the worse on that programme, but I remember after we beat TFOD at Mordor (think it was 1-0 Magic the scorer in early 2006) he was complaining about Lennon "provocatively" smiling at the Orcs when he was leaving pitch.

Not making cigar smoking impressions, not giving them the fingers [leave that to Boab FTP], not the sign of the cross [a crime in Scotland]... no... smiling.

Even Traynor had to ask him what the hell he was on about, cue shovels out and further hole digging "these occassions are unique, experienced players should no better.." etc etc

No Richard, what you'll find is that particular ground and its supporters are unnique.

Abbot

did Hateley really say that

if so

did an explanation follow such a ridiculous statement

One last thing from me on the Scotland on Sunday melting huns special.

Andrew Smith says that the 1990s was Rangers' best decade ever for winning trophys. And, Celtic need 1 more to make this decade our best ever!

Bhoydell - I have no doubt Richard Gordon is a genuine Aberdeen fan but he peovides a great example of just how strong the bias towards TFOD is because he gets sucked in to the mainstream media line.

I know fans of other teams [not TFOD] who aren't mini huns, have as little time for them as us, but fairly regularly come out with some Daily Rectum propaganda almost verbatim without realising it [Boruc is a headcase, Thomson twice the player Brown is etc), because in their eyes the media are biased to BOTH of the O** F*** ergo the Rectum etc. are actually impartial when it comes to Celtic and TFOD.

If the terrain is heavily skewed in one direction then the middle ground will still fall on one side even subconsciously.

Richard Gordon probably believes this is a perfectly impartial line to take despite the lack of scrutiny of other players in similar situations (i.e. CApn Unbookable and PLG) because he hasn't thought about it, probably because he doesn't think he needs to safe in the knowledge that impartiality = bad as each other/media equally biased to both

PF Ayr

this is what hateley wrote in his DR article

"While large sections of the Ibrox support will be vehemently against the sales during the transfer window, this might just turn out to be the masterstroke which ends three years of Celtic domination.

"

RRC

:-)

Let them 'masterstroke away,eh!

:-)

SwanseaBhoy

PF Ayr

some on FF were clingiing for desr life to it.

:-)))

In fact, I hope there are more 'masterstrokes' to come.

Mark Hately - you are comedy gold!

PFAyr

Hateley was quoted as saying it (...could prove to be the masterstroke...) this week. He probably doesn't write these articles though. Murray's hand was all over it in my opinion. It read to me like a "prepared statement" for the day after Boydy's supposed departure.

comedy gold sounds like the shade of tan he has.

RRC @ 4:27pm.

LOL

I wish I'd said that!!

SwanseaBhoy

"Unicef: Famine Song banned

January 10, 2009

The club has been asked to crack down on bigoted chants as it partners Unicef in charity work Stuart MacDonald

Unicef has sought assurances from Rangers Football Club that it will crack down on supporters singing the Famine Song at matches, amid concerns it might damage the club’s involvement in a campaign to help deprived children in India.

The United Nations’ children’s charity is continuing to monitor the situation at Ibrox to ensure that the song, which mocks victims of the Irish potato famine, is not sung.

It has also expressed concern about an apparent campaign by Rangers fans suggesting the late Celtic manager Jock Stein ignored the sexual abuse of boys at the club during the 1960s and 1970s.

Some Rangers fans have sung the slogan “Big Jock Knew” at matches, held up banners and posted videos featuring the taunts on the internet. The campaign has grown in popularity since attempts to nominate Stein for a posthumous knighthood.

The Rangers Charity Foundation signed a pledge in October last year to raise £300,000 over the next three years to help fund a Unicef education project in India.

The money will support a campaign to increase school admissions and improve facilities in more than 200 schools, helping more than 45,000 young people. Manchester United, AC Milan and Barcelona also work with Unicef.

Following a complaint from a member of the public, David Bull, executive director of Unicef UK, said the charity had assessed Rangers’ efforts to tackle bigotry among fans prior to entering the partnership.

Bull said: “Your concerns are valid but it is my absolute belief, based on extensive communication with Glasgow Rangers, that they are working at a number of different levels, to address these issues”.

Rangers said any suggestion that their partnership with Unicef was in jeopardy was “not true”.

Full article here

pablophanque

RRC/Abbot

thanks for your replies

i have no wish to labour the point and feel that i already know the answer to the question i am about to pose

why oh why do editors allow such drivel to be written ...he may have had reason the suggest that it could indeed be a masterstroke ( although i very much doubt it )...why not give us some insight into his assertion ..ie...WHY?????

a very bold statement to make .....yet no attempt at explanation ....lazy journalism laid bare

It was in the Daily Record

they called us
Thugs & Theives

i guess the ditor wasnt asking why that day either

Test Your Reactions Here.

"Ambling Armadillo"

*blush*

pablophanque

Rev Mcquarrie could usefully take Matthew 7:5 as the text for his next sermon.

1-0 half-time at OT[Vidic]

Anus Sharbini looks great on the youtube link - hope we get him - he reminds me of a young Charlie Nic ...

Afternoon all

Very happy with the draw today, I was just looking for a home tie but we couldn't really have hand picked a better draw.

As for THG, I love the guy as he is by far the best keeper I've seen at Celtic Park in my life time but "a few dodgy errors" are now becoming more regular & you have to ask is he now becoming a "liability". Not sure what the solution is as I don't think Mark Brown is the answer but WGS has to address THG issue. Wonder if Bobo can play in goals?

1-0 manchester united by the way

Ariel Photos Of Glagow c1948

pablophanque

HT Utd 1 Chelsea 0

Goal right at the end of the half. Utd had a corner and the ball was headed in but the linesman cancelled it as the kick was taken outside 'D'. Retaken corner and Vidic heads them into the lead.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Masty. @ 3.37.

Thankyou for the translation.

I noted with significance, one of Mr.Strachan's questions to the Croatians.

That which...Concerned the CHARACTER.. of the Young Player who was the object of Celtic's Interest.

It was very significent because it tells me, that Mr.Strachan is in lock -step with at least One o' Kojo's Rules, which cover the Vetting o' awe incoming Celtic Transfer Targets.

These Rules are Inviolable.

Mr. Strachan's inquiry is in relation to that extremely important aspect of qualification, which is covered in Kojo's Rule .. Numbah 3.

Good, fur Gordon!

He knows, ye Know~

He has shown me that he has learned from our most unrewarding and vexing, Riordan Fiasco.Plus of course, the "Tommy Dinnae Care",Expensive Lesson~

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes ye.

Latest!

Armagh second half performance gave them a 4 point win over Queen's University in the McKenna Cup. Lurgan's Ryan Henderson star man with 2 - 3 to his name.

I know you've all been waiting for that news.

An Lorgain

The Sunday Times has a story that Rangers were in a furious row with agent Willie McKay over whether the agent was authorised to contact Newcastle with a list of their players available for transfer.

Acoording to McKay the list included Ferguson, Mendes, Boyd, McGregor, Burke, Adam and Hemdani and was given it by Bain who told him 'you can get things done'.

Moonbeams

'There was a conversation and he asked Martin who was available, but that did not give him a mandate to approach other clubs'

He is denying that those players are to be sold, just that the agent is not involved. Newcastle must have been offended after being offered that bunch.

In further Moonbeams

'Its not because we are under pressure and if we dont sell anybody this month the club will be fine' He stressed
'But if I dont demonstrate I am tough just now thats mismanagement. I can't let employees in my other businsses or the bank see me pour money into a football club where there are already too may people there who are being paid who dont play.
It realy hit me recently when I visited the training ground and saw there weren't enough pegs in the changing room for the players we have. We have to put the hand brake on that.'

'By next summer we hope to get our squad down to 20 plus 6 young players and then have one in one out.'

All week we have been hearing that they have a squad of 28, given the 7 players on that list and Gow you can see how he gets his 20.

If its that bad that they cannot buy a few extra dressing room pegs I will buy them for him.

Adam,

Where in Canada are you?

kojo, it's my pleasure my NEW friend..the fact wgs is making these calls personally makes me think he is very interested in this bhoy

Celticeoin, sorry, no info on either matter.

Bhoydell, I don’t think I passed comment on Rab’s performance in Seville, yesterday, only how his performance would be described if he performed as well as Boruc did.

Estadio Nacional, how bizarre. They spent all that money and still don’t have enough dressing room pegs.

Peg count is an even more bizarre way to determine squad size.

Is it possible to say if they are in worse shape financially than we were before we were rescued by the great Fergus Mccann?

Estadio

If it's simply a case of getting rid of players who aren't playing then why would they be getting rid of their top goal scorer, their captain as well as other key players? hmmmmmm

Paul67

Ha it was weird that it was just a recent reaisation, if it wasnt for those pesky pegs..

Bhoy sean

Moonbeams at his best, I like the idea of a 6 player youth system.

I guess he's banking on the reserve league being scrapped.

from wikipedia...
Smoke and mirrors is a metaphor for a deceptive, fraudulent or insubstantial explanation or description. The source of the name is based on magicians' illusions, where magicians make objects appear or disappear by extending or retracting mirrors amid a confusing burst of smoke. The expression may have a connotation of virtuosity or cleverness in carrying out such a

Paul, you didn't pass comment on his Seville performance, what you said was
" we always need a scapegoat, Rab filled the requirement for a while, but was/is a solid performer".

What did you think of his Seville performance?

Rab was a scapegoat for one good reason - he was absolutely awful. A very average goalkeeper who should never have graced a European final. I think we all accept Martin could never buy a decent keeper (just like Jock). If Boruc had been between the stick's the UEFA CUP would have been sitting in our trophy room.

I love Boruc, I love his quality, I love how he is fantastic with the ball at his feet and most of all I love how he refuses to take the easy life and bow to the anti-catholic press and establishment in Scotland. How come it needs a foreigner to stand up to them?

Maybe we should do what the press want and drop him? put Mark Brown in again - do we remember what happened in December 2007 when we did that.

Lets support Artur and I for one hope he is at Celtic for many years to come.

DBBIA, a subjective question but I could certainly argue the point.

At the point Fergus took over, the bank had refused to meet our debts when due. Rangers are not at that point yet but.....

Their debts are much larger.

They have no rescue option – and it should be recorded that some believe the bank chose to decline payment in 1994 because they knew there was a rescue for Celtic available.

Celtic had huge scope to increase all revenue streams by contrast, Rangers have huge potential for revenue streams to diminish.

Estadio Nacional, yes, must have been a peg plot.

Bhoydell, it was bad.

Dropping Boruc is neither here not there, it would be a token measure, but I am concerned that we have already seen the best of him, indeed, if this was his first season at the club, calls for a new goalkeeper right now would dwarf comments on a left back.

I'm a regular on the Kerrydale Street Forum..a well respected poster on the site has stated that Roy Keane will definitely be taking over from Gordon Strachan from next season

paddysmum,no way keanos ready for the big chair, unless of course mr desmond has promised sufficient funding.

masty. I tend to agree with you ..but the poster who made the statement is a well respected figure on KDS and I would doubt that he would make that statement unless he had good information

Paddysmmum

Cant see it. It could be a potential disaster, a John Barnes type appointment. I dont see how Roy has proven himself as a manager with enough experience to manage a club of our size and with our supporters expectations.

Gordon Strachan. A public apology to you sir, I never believed that we would see McGeady again in Celtic shirt, the fact we have shows me that I seriously misjudged your good self. Here's to 4 in a row!

paddysmum, wasn't having a go,just expressing my take on it.

StevieNoBread..I'm not totally convinced about Keane's experience or ability to come up here and make a success of being manager either and like you I would be happy if Gordon Strachan stayed for a little while longer..but as I have already said..the poster who broke the news is well respected on KDS

manure tearing the london huns to shreds..3-0

masty..I know you weren't having a go..don't worry about it

Paddysmum, just visited and saw who posted it. I am a wee bit concerned as he isnt one for wind ups!

Paul67, heard anything about this Roy Keane thing?

paddysmum

I hope not, he spent a fortune at Sunderland on some very average players. I'd rather see him back as player than manager :0)

hang the dj, he gave almost £1m for ross wallace...nuff said.

Multi million pounds worth of Chelsea hammered 3-0 by Man United.

No offside goals that Im aware of.

would this respected poster on KDS not have been better advised not to start a rumour that will be all over Celtic cyberspace and eventually get into the press and potentially undermeine the manager at this important part of the season?

Ulster-Celt

Full time at Old Trafford. Man Utd 3 Chelsea 0.

Looking back, our perormance at OT wasn't as bad as the cockney huns. Thought we put up a better perfomance. No dodgy offside goals in todays game.

Wonder if Ince will be there to provide a soundbite?

Strachanista

If recent acquisitions and current speculation on further recruitment of young players is correct, would it be fair to suggest that our youth development, over the last few years, has been unsatisfactory.

Have we been recruiting the wrong type of player, i.e., boys who show a level of skill, at a certain age, but fail to develop through the grades.

Is it possible to make any reasonable assessment of how tall a young player can become.

A five foot three 14 year old is big enough for his age, but if he only grows another inch, then we end up with a diminutive squad of players, like the current reserve midfield.

There seems to be a rather large wastage and it is not all about discovering Booze, birds and night clubs.

More Kyle Laffertys, I say :>)

By mjallbear35 on January 11, 2009 11:35 AM
I heard a rumour that Boruc is living with a guy now, not that i have a problem with homosexuality

Let me tell you, I sit directly in front of a hospitality box in the South stand, where Arturs new partner attends every game. If thats a guy I wonder if he has any brothers....

Just too good not to post this song.

Moonbeams Murray

StevieNoBread, I hear Queen Elizabeth is coming as his assistant.

Bobby Russell

Maybe that's the answer. Artur is distracted, like you :>)

DBBIA - re the Goalie's brain is missing, you're right it's not here in G14, SCOTSTOUN!!
I'll keep looking though.... :-)

TTTT

Paul67
Thank goodness for that.

phew!

Auldheid at 3:38.

Interesting. I missed the beginning of your discussion on this subject, but I want to say something about God disapproving of divorced people. God's love knows no bounds. He loves us all and we are all sinners.

In the Gospel (Mark 10.9, Matthew 19.6, Luke 16.18 and so on) Jesus makes it clear that God joins a woman and a man together in marriage and that we cannot undo that. We all know situations in which life has taken people down other roads and good, holy, faithful people have suffered severe hurt through feeling or actually being excluded (much less often, especially these days, thank God) from the sacraments, very often through no fault of their own.

It's an ideal. Jesus is appealing to us to try our best to be perfect, to get as close as we can to the ideal. But we are all weak, we all fall, we all fail, if not in this aspect of life, then in others.

In the same chapter of Matthew, Jesus says that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven. And yet the rich are not excluded from the sacraments. It's an ideal.

God does not single out divorced people. No one is beyond God.

I apologise if I've picked up the conversation incorrectly, but your comments caught my eye, and I did not want to leave the above unsaid.

NewTestamentCSC

(By the way, loving DBBIA's work with Mt. 7).

TTTT are you on the beer yet?

Pablo or anyone else who has it can you please send me the list I thought I had kept it but erased it by mistake.

DBBIA when i saw the mighty blues score coming in yesterday I said you would be happy...unlucky for me my mate had picked Leeds in our line.

StevieNoBread, thank goodness? She’s rubbish.

Celtic First,

In fairness, I think Auldheid was referring to how a troubled mind may perceive his situation to be, rather than having been condemned by his Faith or Church.

Nevertheless, a good post and a very concise explanation of the Love and Mercy of Our Lord.

TTTT

How did things pan out last night?

paddysmum,
even the most respected posters here and elswhere get it wrong, I tend to be in the "believe it when I see it" camp.
and I haven't seen it so I don't believe it.

gsu

Paul67,

She's got plenty dosh though.Welcome aboard sugar mummy !

Paul 67 you wee rebel you - show some respect for HRH!!!!

Paul 67

Lovin' yer work at the moment matey!

Apologies for being "off topic", but given the off-field shenanigans at Mordor just now dont you think it odd that BBC Scotland home page is carrying nowt, nada, zilch on SDM or TFOD?

We briefly exchanged views on the apparent footballing sympathies of the BBC Sport Scotland bosses recently, which is why I bring it up again.

I think its a bit odd especially when you recall the lingering prominence they gave to McGeadygate in all it's speculative splendour.

Cheers!
Bankiebhoy1 (Dogwithbonecsc)

Thomthethim

Thanks for explaining. I hope that, whatever is at the core of Artur's troubles (I assume Auldheid meant him, sorry if that's wrong) he doesn't feel that he is beyond God.

Fellow Tims in Barcelona - sorry to hijack the blog but I am looking for another bit of advice.

I posted a few weeks ago about plans to take the family to Barcelona and tie it in with a Barca game- it now looks like we are settling for April.

There will be me, Mrs TMWT and two kids - ages 10 and 13.

I am looking for advice on an apartment.
Ideally looking at a budget of around €150 per night, two bedroom apartment and well placed for easy access to local amenities without being too noisy (if that's not too contradictory).

Can anyone offer any advice or suggestions on suitable apartment hotels?

Thanks for indulging me - and sorry to post off topic on personal businss.

Thomthethim, I agree with you, a couple of times i`ve noticed Big Artur takin his eye off the ball and looking up, cos that woman just can`t keep her eyes off of me...

ayerightcsc

http://www.rent4days.com/barcelona-apartments/luxury/

try this

Boruc is fat, costing goals and now and again points.

He is so fat he cant get over the other side of his goal in time for a half decent free kick. He has let one or two of those in this season that he would have got when he was thinner.

Can you imagine if it had been Lee Naylor who was to blame for all these gaff goals?

Boruc is getting away with what only a few in the team would.

Are we scared he walks out?

Ive been browsing the web for coverage of the TFOD's financial woes this afternoon and watching the Man Utd game over the top of my laptop.
They had a goal chopped off when Rooney tapped the ball out of the corner flag quarter circle and then nonchalently pretending the ball wasn't in play until anothe Man U player walked over and quickly crossed the ball leading to a goal that was then disallowed.

I seem to remember Peter Grant (?) and another Celtic player trying this in a European game in the 80s. Anyone else remember this more clearly?

highlights from yesterday , in case anyone missed them.
http://kirkintillochemeraldcsc.magnify.net/video/celtic-v-dundee-highlights

Nakagod

I never ever ever ever said anything that doubted your pulling power - the term "your wife looks like she could be your daughter" has been used on me by CQNers a few times - take it as a condiment.

Paul67

Could that last statement about ER not be construed as treason or one of those old laws. Deleted - language violation

(Jinkysboy is now running around the hoose a whooping and awailing)

Celtic First,
As a camel CANNOT go through the eye of a needle, does that mean a rich person CANNOT get into heaven?

By johnnyquest on January 11, 2009 12:43 PM
While i know that to revel in anothers misfortune is wrong,and,i am aware of the notion of extending a helping hand to all sufferers,i just can't help but enjoy the current state of rangers football club,all my life i have been treated as a second class citizen by that organization,now,when all the troubles of the world are on their shoulders,i really should not be so happy,so,why do i want to find some way to make things worse for them?what is WRONG with me?

In a word, mate, NOWT. Ok, maybe its not really a word, but i`m sure even you wouldn`t pick me up on that at this present extended festive period. I also remember very well the way they went about their business in the 90s when we were downtrodden. The swagger, the merriment, the cash acquired unchallenged 9 in a row, ridiculing us at EVERY opportunity, they even made up a song about us buying floodlight bulbs from Queens Park that were surplus to QPs requirements. Well, as they say, (I still wonder who `they` are) revenge is a dish best served cold, and let me tell you, its F`in freezing in Glasgow today. I reside in the South side, and can tell you that its extremely dismal just now, although every cloud has a silver lining, not that there`s much in the way of THAT colour on the South side these days. There`s even a rumour that a man in a wheelchair with a dodgy looking beard and glasses was in Cash Converters with two big cups the other day. And no, none of them were THAT big! Succulent lamb indeed. Enjoy

Boruc,he has been afforded a great deal more latitude than most would have been for displaying similar form. At this time I trust him 100% in a one to one situations and still think he would intimidate opponents at penalty kicks. But the basic bread & butter goalkeeping I am finding it harder to trust the man. Whether it is is manna for the media or not, he is a liability in this form. Teams will be a bit more adventurous & try things that they would not normally do against us putting him under pressure to try and force a mistake.
I think it is debatable whether he can recapture his previous form at Celtic. Mark Guidi (I know Mark Guidi???)made a comment yesterday saying that he was aware of a number of Boruc misdmeanours that have not been made public which if true can't be good for team spirit if he is getting away with things while others are being chastised. Bottom line, what is Borucs worth now in the market?

TimMaloneWillTell
http://www.leoro.de/holiday-home-vacation-rental/central-sunny-quiet-apartment-w-private-terrace/barcelona/catalonia/spain/en/o101623.html.

Bob

Hotsmokedsalmon

I'm sure if you were rich enough you could get needle manufacturers to customise their product accordingly.

I don't make the rules.

Bobby R
I would have thought there was quite a lot of silver in the South Side. Isn`t that the colour for second?

Celtic First
Excellent reply.

Celtic First

You did not quite catch my drift. I spoke of the MEANING a person in such a situation COULD give to what has happened and what was necessary to correct that wrong meaning.

I called it a map.

What you refer to is part of the map. I say part of because there are othe elements, but an understanding of Jesus's understanding of the nature of God is a vital part of correcting many of the misperceptions we all can suffer from.

The point I used to make was that divorce/separtation is a like a major emotional, indeed spiritual, accident. You cannot X ray anything to see which bones are broken or blood vessels ruptured for it is the spirit that has been hit and damaged, maybe broken.

We do not ask folk who have had a broken bone accident to do what they did before until they have recovered. We know that it takes time to heal.
In the same way we should not expect anyone who has had a long term relationship breakdown to go on as if nothing has happened. They need as much time, spiritual support and understanding, whilst staying grounded, as a guy who has broken a few bones.

That is the information I am trying to convey.

Paul67- thanks for that; I also imagine that as this is the biggest financial crisis since the 1920s then any rescue will be much more difficult to put together today than in 1994.

GL2- the Superblues could have turned a corner...

C1st- assuming that the Uni is no different from any other Kirk, and the Minister is appointed by the Congregation, then I'm surprised Rev Mcquarrie is following this rather neanderthal line.

I expect he'll turn out to be from Ayrshire.

for all those calling for artur's head

what do we do?

play an inferior goalkeeper, to sanction artur until he "gets his head right"

then when he comes back into the team he won't drop another clanger?

forget it, there are no suitors. if there were they would have been here during the summer

next thing you know he will be getting it in the neck for being fat!!!!

oh yes, we've been here before.

leenayloristhinCSC

Paul67

When comparing their number of home games compared to this year you can understand their desperation to arrange a friendly against Milan.

5 champions league games at home, remember they had to play 2 qualifying rounds. 4 home Uefa home games before the final and several CIS and scottish cup home games including replays,at least 30 home games producing all that income.Remember the press telling us they would make £5 million just from the Uefa cup final.

They have significantly increased their wages with the players they have brought in.

My God, no wonder they are in trouble this.

RRC 4.47

The Rectum editor didn't mind a front page proclaiming Fergus McCann to be worse than Saddam Hussein either.

Re Hateley's "selling Boyd and Barry could prove to be a masterstroke" - as always with this ghost written guff, note at the bottom of the page says "as told to Colin Duncan"

Hard to tell who would provide the most pro-Rangers spin, Hately or the Rectum hack.

From The Sunday TimesJanuary 11, 2009

James MacMillan: The Fields of Athenry is a song of love, not hate
University chaplain’s involvement in media brawl over song sung at football match required and dignity and intelligence James MacMillan
I have a great affection for university chaplaincies and their chaplains. My first encounter with the Dominicans was in the shape of a young father, Aidan Nichols, in my freshers week at Edinburgh University.

Fr Aidan became a leading theologian and has written many powerful and influential books in the 30-odd years since.

I am proud that his first book, The Art of God Incarnate, is dedicated to me. Through him, and subsequently through Dominican chaplains at Strathclyde, Aberdeen, Cambridge and Leicester Universities, I realised what a significant Christian presence in a place of learning can actually mean for the intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of university communities.

Imagine my sadness then, about the recent bizarre behaviour of Glasgow University’s official chaplain, the Rev Stuart MacQuarrie, who has become embroiled in an unsavoury and unpleasant media brawl about sectarianism.

MacQuarrie has not been shy about associating himself with Glasgow Rangers, a football club mired in perpetual controversy because of the sectarian and hooliganistic nature of a section of its support, and is even regarded as its unofficial chaplain. There is no problem with that of course, but in such circumstances, caution and diplomacy are fundamental requirements, especially when turning to issues of inter-faith relations and the scourge of bigotry in these parts.

MacQuarrie has shown no such attributes and has waded in embarrassingly, with an attack on Celtic supporters singing The Fields of Athenry, an Irish folk song.

He was reported in The Sun newspaper to have said: “I regard The Fields of Athenry, with other Rangers supporters, as vile, vicious and racist. The song with the reference to rebelling against the crown is anti-British and if you consider the British people a race, it is, in that context, racist.”

He was later reported in The Herald newspaper as saying: “This is an Irish rebel song [that] should not be sung on television, or indeed anywhere.”

This outburst has been a surprise for many — the song has been sung recently on The Royle Family, the BBC television comedy, when the London Irish rugby team play their games, and by the English-born singer Shayne Ward.

Before it was adopted affectionately by Celtic fans, the 1970s ballad by Pete St John was recorded many times, all over the world, notably by the Dubliners and James Galway, but also by pop bands in Serbia, Poland, Hungary and the US. It appears in films such as Veronica Guerin, Dead Poets Society and The Matchmaker.

The Fields of Athenry is a love song and its political content is minimal. There is reference in it to rebelling against the crown, but how this makes it racist or “anti-British”, as the overheated reverend claims, is beyond all objective analysis. According to his fevered logic, O Flower of Scotland and The Star-Spangled Banner would also qualify as rebel songs and both should be banned.

Rangers fans have been justly criticised for their adoption of the revolting Famine Song, which mocks the victims of the Irish Famine and calls for people of Irish descent in Britain to stop referring to it, and to return home to Ireland.

I suspect MacQuarrie is trying to draw a political and ethical equivalence between this nauseating chant, which has been universally condemned, and an Irish ballad of exile and lost love, sung and celebrated internationally by people of various ethnic and religious hues.

Tommy Sheridan has been singing The Fields of Athenry on Celebrity Big Brother and a petty campaign has got going up here, with one newspaper comparing Sheridan’s rendition with the racism row involving Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty which led to the show being dropped last year.

The sound was turned down on Sheridan’s singing and some journalists spun this as proof of Channel 4 being concerned about possible controversy and offence being created. The actual reason for the sound being faded was connected with potential breaches of copyright. A Channel 4 spokesman said: “All music or lyrics are generally removed from live streaming given such may be subject to copyright.”

It is disappointing that MacQuarrie has proved such an incoherent contributor to this debate. There is a lot still to be said and done in the campaigns to clear sectarianism out of the Scottish bloodstream, but it appears that the Glasgow University chaplain has done nothing positive in this regard.

I would not be surprised if MacQuarrie has caused profound embarrassment in university and Church of Scotland circles with his elephant-in-a-china-shop bumblings.

If university chaplaincies are to build a legacy of lasting affection and admiration among learned people, they must first ensure that they have staff who can carry themselves with respect, intelligence and dignity.

James MacMillan CBE is a classical composer and conductor and a practising Roman Catholic

Celtic First/Hotsmokedsalmon etc -

the 'needles' in question were the portals in the city walls - the camels COULD indeed pass through the portals but only when they had been unburdened of their loads. The moral is - Shed Yir Unnecessary Baggage

Sx

............similarly, ye canny drive fast through Pather

THG needs our support through this shaky spell , he is still the best we've got and will prove it.

Remember last season when he was out and all the points we dropped , nearly lost us the league.

Dont worry he'll come good.

More interested in seeing the lads wipe the floor with a few teams , it's been a while and a little overdue.

Selena x
An even better response! I didn`t know that.Makes total sense now. From where did you get that information?

Boruc is fat! No point saying he is not when it’s so obvious. Is Boruc above any criticism at all now?

If you are fat you are more likly to be unfit, that will not help if you are in a job where jumping is important.

For me it’s an insult to Celtic that Boruc is out of shape and taking us for granted.

On Hately

" While large sections of the Ibrox support will be vehemently against the sales during the transfer window, this might just turn out to be the masterstroke which ends three years of Celtic domination."

The use of the words "master" and "stroke" subconcsciously brought together in such a context tells you much about the nature of the author.

robertressell

My take on the shamrock strip made by Nike.
http://www.designfootball.com/component/option,com_joomgallery/Itemid,8/func,detail/id,667/

Selena x
....and it would be very difficult to be rid of the baggage that the people of Pather may carry!

Auldheid

Thanks. I agree with you.

Selena
Yes, the needles were the portals in the city wall, but Jesus does not talk about passing through a needle, but through the eye of a needle. In the portals in the city walls, what bit were the eyes?

TTTT

I'm not sure, but I'm hoping it was SFTB's programme that was digging into my back during the car journey...

Saw the discussion on CQN over the past few days re the 'Shamorck strip' and coincidentally came across a photo of it today -

BOBBY LENNOX SHAMROCK STRIP

Looking at those Celtic designs a new top brand sponser would be fab!!

Not a shared one with the ugly ones , maybe something with a far east connection like Toyota , Fuji etc,

think they would be interested.

Sttigg

you got something against fat people?

Boruc cant be dropped , no offence but M Brown just aint good enough

Auldheid
`Master` and `stroke` comment= very funny. Will Hately now say that keeping Boyd should provide a fitting climax to the SPL?

Celtic First
I have just assumed that the portals` design included a part described as the `eye`.

StevieNoBread, :-)

West Wales Celt, trust me, she’s coming to CP.

bankiebhoy1, thanks.

Jinkysboy, treason, hmmm. In that case, I was talking about the recently dead one with bad teeth, who didn't like "huns".

DBBIA, I believe so.

bsm71, aye, but I believe the Milan game looks like costing them money.

STIGG

How slim was Andy Goram?
you're Being a bit harse on Boruc there, but I understand.

to balance some criticsm from his inattentive performance
yesterday I like to remind some of you of a recent important one
on one save from a southward bound Kris Boyd.

He has not been in his best form this season but has still shown
glimpses of his true quality.

"working title" cant think of a good one right now

but he is thin!!!!!

Angus
I liked that Emirates strip but think that it is the club`s emblematic clover and not a shamrock.

timsinyyz
I'm in Southern Ontario

Auldheid

you`ll see from my earlier post what i thought of Hateley`s statement

how such a significant statement could be made without any reasoning being given for it is mystifying

btw i think that Ranger`s financial implosion could just be the masterstroke to end Celtic`s domination ....you may ask why ...i am not telling you :¬)

Hotsmokedbanana

final climax, even funnier. Cheers

well said, everyone is allowed a dip.

it was freezing yesterday standing in a howling gale , 1/2 empty stadium , i'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Hotsmokedsalmon

Your are correct however a real shamrock design is on the screen in Photoshop as I type.

AY

Has Tommy Sheridan been voted off the show yet

AC

Loads of Celtic strips here...

Celtic Strips

I thought there was a pic of the shamrock strip in here, there isn't, but worth a wee look if you're bored..

Old Celtic Pics

Fat Lubo.

Celtic First -

the portals were the eyes of a needle, apologies for not making that clear

Hotsmokedsalmon -

just something I picked up but true nonetheless

I always think about going through the eyes of a needle at customs in airports on the continent en route to watching The Bhoys not win . There is but a small gap to go through at Passport Control.It is easier to go through the eye of a needle than for Celtic to win away in Europe. I blame The Brush if we're carrying too much baggage - he's the kitman after all.

Sx

Dontbrackback

Sorry to say but rev mc quarrie is / was labour councillor
in rutherglen, my hometown.

He is also sinister minister for local orange hall,
Ruglen has enough bigots dont need another.

If we can get the two main issues solved now whilst we have a bit of breathing space and a relative easy run in the cup then next season i reckon we can go and get record points and a great crack at the CL.

WGS and PL must be as pleased as punch with the nonsense over at Snake Mountain.

I just hope and pray Boruc gets his head together. For me we have to send him home for a month, the big man needs a month running, finding his faith and spend time with his friends and parents. Brown is going in the summer so i am sure he would snap WGS hand off for a 5 match run to get a good move.

HAIL! HAIL!

Celtic First

Cheers I could see where you were coming from. I mentioned maps and you said something about Artur which suggests you might know his situation.

Have a look at this link. Its a sort of map room. Some of the material might be useful e.g The Grieving Process

http://groups.msn.com/DivorceCareSupport/yourwebpage1.msnw

MSN are closing down their groups in February although I understand this one is moving elsewhere.

Here is another although most programmes are in England.

http://www.beginningexperience.org/index.php

I once met the wee nun who started it all. Some programme.

those old pics were fab and quite humbling , what a club we are.

Anybody get the impression that the Boruc gaffe has encouraged a few interlopers from the dark side to post on the blog?

It's a bit like wee boys kicking doors and running away....

Which brings me to the rather vexed question of The Eye of Cleopatra's Needle - if this particular eye had an infection would it be bathed in Optrex Goat's Milk Bath ?

Sx

Yet more news, not to be sniffed at, eminating from govan way.

It was widely reported alan gow failed a medical recently for bio-chemical? reasons. Dont know if there is any connection but minty is currently in rehab receiving treatment for 'solvency abuse'.

Paul67

When you spoke the other day about Rangers reducing their wage bill to around 41% (£16m) of ours where did that come from? Was it publicly reported?

The only figures I see reported is £25m.

SwanseaBhoy

Celtic First -

I hope this isn't going to lead to an angels-on-needlepoints debate

Sx

I cannot see Keane taking over in the summer - why would WGS go as the support now like him and he can have a good 2-3 years of winning everything?

Makes no sense.

I need to be brought up to date. I can hide my ignorance no longer.

#1 How many transferee rules does Kojo have, and what are they? I personally remember how Sir Furious judged players (probably still does) in the same way as racehorses - "it's in the eyes."

#2 What, in the name of God's green terra firma, prompted the Daily Record's resident purveyors of half-truths and downright piffle to compare Fergus Mcann with the late, unlamented dictator of Baghdad?

SwanseaBhoy, it was reported in a number of places. £25m is the level they are operating at this season.

Goodnight all. Time to eat and watch Dad`s Army....an organization, the running of which, reminds of the current plight of those on the South/Dark side.

I noticed today in the Sunday Herald that that, "bead rattling Hoopy" journalist Kenny Hodgson (?) is back in the fold.

TimMalonewilltell, like who?

eye (needle) right?

Chris

dont know if any one can help! mY auld man has declared that the first shamrock strip was bought and presented to celtic by none Other than BING CROSBY...IS HE YANKING MY CHAIN?

Thanks Paul

No big song and dance being made about it? Bizarre, eh?

SwanseaBhoy

I wonder if the Rev McQuarrie will be as quick to attack that little ditty God Save the Queen, with it's anti scottish 3rd verse which makes it racist under current equality leglislation.
Same would apply if the SFA decided it had to discipline CFC for any of our songs referring to previous wars or acts of aggression by a foreign govt.
I am sure thr Rev McQuarrie will wish to attack GSTQ as quickly as possible and we should contact Glasgow Uni. to have him removed from his formal position as his comments are sectarian and grossly insulting

Whats the odds on a treble now?

More interesting words from the Rev McQuarry. He was indeed a former Labour councillor, initially in Glasgow pre reorganisation and then in South Lanarkshire. He was well known as one of the few Rangers supporters in the old Glasgow District Council, but his recent public utterances have brought him back into the public eye for the wring reasons.

Debating the exact meaning of single words in biblical text is a pretty futile exercise, given that it was cobbled together by a committee and has been translated through several languages since. There are as many opinions on some of these questions as there are writers.

Oh, and a decent cup draw for us too!

CatchingUp CSC

working title

Re Sponsors

The media value to such a global brand as you mention would be miniscule.

Important to remember in terms of significant media exposure we play to 5 million people.

Maybe a few others globally, but nothing significant on any global networks.

McCann set to break with tradition and axe Celtic crest -
Football
Sunday Times, The (London, England)
October 16, 1994
Author: David McKinney
Estimated printed pages: 1

CELTIC are preparing to break with years of tradition by changing their club crest. The current image of a four-leaf clover could be replaced or amended as the club attempts to create a new corporate identity.
Top-level meetings have taken place as the club's managing director, Fergus McCann, seeks to make the club more attractive to the Scottish business community. A thistle and the Celtic tartan have already been mooted as possible symbols of Scotland which could be included.

Peter McLean, the club's PR officer, confirmed last night that Celtic are working towards tighter Scottish links.

``We are a Scottish club, and would hope some sort of Scottish element will be incorporated in the new crest," he said. ``There is a question mark over the two or three different logos currently being used for different purposes and we are looking for one which will fairly depict Celtic Football Club.

``There are two or three being considered at the moment, although we haven't yet reached a final decision. We would like a Scottish/Irish image, because we are very proud of our history, and I don't see us moving far away from our traditions."

The move, however, will anger sections of the club's support who jealously guard Celtic's history and traditions.

The four-leaf clover not a shamrock as many believe has been part of the club's heritage since they started playing at the present Celtic Park in 1892 and found a four-leaf clover growing on the centre spot before the start of their first game.

There are already signs of disquiet among many of the club's supporters, as they see sentiment making way for a hard-headed American-style business approach under McCann.

A compromise on the crest could be a decision to bring back the Celtic Cross displayed on their jerseys for the centenary year, which proved popular with supporters from Scotland and Ireland.

Supporters might well have the chance to influence the decision. ``We haven't made a final decision yet, and we would consider any suggestions sent in by the supporters," said McLean.

Ulster-Celt

ooahsamaras,

Coral were advertising 11/2 for the treble during the game yesterday.

I'M FATTICUS

RE: passing through needles/Boruc miskick

"It is like a finger pointing at the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory"

Fancy a ton on that!

Why dont we sign that City left back Gorrido is it? for 6 months until the big Czech lad is ready.

theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E,

I think it was bio-mechanical not bio-chemical ;-)

up over goal - it was about 1999 as a result of the Macari case when he tried to suee Celtic (McCann) for unfair dismissal.

As we know the judge found in Celtic's (McCann's) favour but made some rather unflattering remarks about Fergus along the lines of him being dictatorial.

Of course, as is their way with Celtic, the Daily Rectum went to town with a front page with pictures of Fergus and Saddam and a headline along the lines of "one is a ruthless, bloodthirsty dictator and the other is the president of Iraq".

I've little experience of the legal process so am not sure if it is customary for a judge to flirt with defaming a defendant's character when passing judgement in their favour. I presume he/she was a hun.

I AM EVEN FATTER FATTICUS

Advise needed. Guys not footy related but suggestions very welcome.

I have 12-15K to spend on a second car.

Criteria:-

Must have 4 seats
Must be under 6 seconds to 60
Must be classy

I was thinking of Audi S4 Cabriolet or Maserati 3200 GT or Mercedes CLK 500

Thanks guys

bournesouprecipe @ 6.55pm

You said

"for all those calling for artur's head

what do we do?

play an inferior goalkeeper, "

Our survey said

"We thought we were already playing an inferior goalkeeper."

Seriously, he is a shadow of the Boruc that we signed and played so well for us. He is the best keeper I have seen play for Celtic ever, but not at present. A manager's faith in an off form player is wonderful, but there has to be a reward for that faith, and at present there is scant reward evident. He did make an important save against TFOD, but then earlier in the same game he dropped the ball almost at their feet, from a simple cross. To follow your own analogy, do we really keep playing a gifted but currently erratic goalkeeper who has focus and fitness problems in the hope that he will get his head and fitness right on the job?

Comparisons have been made with outfield players who make errors and still retain their place, but I really question whether any outfield player who continued to make simple basic errors would continue to be selected as easily as THG is. Goalkeeping, as we all know, is the only specialized position in the team and their training and some might say personalities reflect that. The best analogy I can come up with is if our regular penalty kick taker kept missing from the spot (sounds familiar), should the manager keep insisting that this same player should take the PKs until he gets his confidence back, because he used to be so good at it?

I am a huge fan of Arturs but the errors are totally basic, avoidable and persistent. Concentration, focus, fitness, attitude..I don't know what it is, but he has lost his edge and I would rather he found it without costing us goals and points. He needs and must get support, but his therapy must not be at the expense of the team/club chasing 4iar. I aslo think that the longer he plays under this cloud, the greater the pressure he must feel, which will only make his focus less sharp.

Mark Brown is not in ABs class, but the old AB - not the one we have now, so until AB gets back on top of his game and his life, Brown has to be considered.

Come on Artur, show us what we have been missing please, and get back on top of things.

HH

after having spent many many hundreds of thousands in legal fees to separate rangers from mih when the debt was circa £80 million a few years ago, there is a delicious irony in the current situation.....rangers were brought back into the mih fold when the debt was transferred to the parent and the current crisis is affecting both parties......
its not only rangers who are being squeezed just now....does anyone really think that any MIH company is escaping....business is unforgiving and when creditors and potential customers alike smell blood they are merciless.....anyone thinking of buying anything from any MIH company knows that they can drive a very hard bargain indeed just now...it might get even worse....the debtors might adopt the arrogant and unethical practices employed by large construction firms when times were good....offering 70p or 80p in the £1 to settle outstanding invoices.....in business terms the ingredients are there for a perfect storm...

on a unrelated note.....it is now standard damage limitation practice to put misinformation into new media as well as the old media....in fact companies like media house are very adept at using sites like this to try and stir up discontent amongst the celtic support by making wild statements and then referring the old media to said sites who can then claim the celtic support a) want boruc out b) want the manager out or c) want roy keane as manager

equally they will put the pro murray spin out through rangers sites as well as the obvious willing accomplices in the old media...although as i posted last week, the old media are turning and at least one major newspaper group are considering a policy change to have a go at murray as they think there will be more sales by attacking him rather than exclusives by pandering to him.....

weebobbycollins & gordon

Thanks for commenting and responding to my post from the other day.

Back then, in the days of silent radio, i used to suffer from Friday night fever, the usual symptoms being sweats, constant awakening during the night resulting in major sleep disruption, all due to excitement..........to see Celtic play.

Used to question the sanity of my dad & uncle that they would willingly choose a can of pale ale , rather than, a bar of Mcgowans toffee. (maybe it had something to do with the built in toilet facilities).

Was convinced the matches started at 3.15 until i twigged.

Precious times indeed, with a very proud dad that i took such an interest in his beloved Hoops. He would wax lyrical about the talents of Tully, Collins & Fernie and how the hammer throwers would try to kick them off the park as we tried to play the glasgow Celtic way.

His favourite though, not often mentioned in despatches, was Malky Mcdonald. The best allrounder ever at CP ? anyone on here who saw him play ?.

I can still recite the 7-1 team like the alphabet (learned at the same age) that was always my 'party piece' at the weekend parties that were so prevelant then, when, by law, everyone had to sing.

Could always see the satisfaction in his face as his wee bhoy rattled it off parrot fashion.

Although i dont live in the past, quite the opposite in fact, its nice to share our early Celtic memories, i find it therapeutic.

Nostalgia IS what it used to be.

snakebeltsnshorttroosers csc

Sorry to anyone bored by the FF'rs but some of these are irresistable.

Seemingly the News of the World is reporting Dr Reid taking a seat on the board of the Security Company that provides stewards at Ibrox; cue permarage outbreak over there and the following gem from 'MaxPayne1972':

John Reid now to consult with Rangers security

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each and every time I read this type of thing , I literally feel as if SDM is urinating onto my head .

I'm at the end of my ****ing tether

The poor laddie literally feels.... you read the rest. It makes me smile so much.

SwanseaBhoy

Leo Messi hits the post after ten minutes. What a player.

ooahsamaras

Alfa Romeo 159
Sharp, Sexy, Stylish

0-60mph 7.1secs(3.2L) 8.4secs (2.4L)
bit shy of your target but a damn fine car.

ooahsamaras

Alfa Romeo 159
Sharp, Sexy, Stylish

0-60mph 7.1secs(3.2L) 8.4secs (2.4L)
bit shy of your target but a damn fine car.

Too slow, but good idea - i had the 156 before

Celtic First

Hope he is not badly hurt.

Roma 1 AC Milan 0 HT

AC Milan have Maldini, Pirlo, Seedorff, Kaka, Beckham, Ronaldinho, Pato all playing.

Apart from Pato they have an aging squad competing for the title.

There is no way they will play a strong team in the game for Moonbeam Aid.

oisin71

Yes you are totally correct, my mistake, dont want warfare breaking out.

Nice wee song for the bigot chaplain

http://theceltsarehere.blogspot.com/2009/01/song-for-glasgow-university-chaplain.html

When do they play & is it on TV? Hope they spank the mini hearts

Bhoy from UNCLE

Very good.

Selena
Angels on head of a pin we can perhaps leave for another day. I am happy to leave the theology discussion here if you are and concentrate on football.

thomthethim @ 3:13 & Auldheid @ 3: 44...

I do remember Andy Kerr, more as a Kilmarnock centre than a Partick Thistle right back.

According to the records he actually played at full back for Thistle (in both games)in our first league Cup final victory in 1956.

He certainly scored a few times for both Thistle and Kilmarnock when playing in direct opposition to Billy McNeill.

My most painful memory of him though is from a game where Billy didn't play. It is from the 6-0 hammering at Rugby Park in March 1963.

Andy Kerr scored 2 that evening.

Isn't it a very sad coincidence that both John Cushley and Jimmy Johnstone made their Celtic debuts that night and both were struck down by the same illness?

As far as centre forwards giving Billy a hard time is concerned, I always thought that it was accepted "wisdom" that he struggled against Jim Forrest.

Certainly Forrest scored 6 times against us when playing at centre forward for Rangers, though only once when playing for Aberdeen.

To lighten the mood, and on the subject of goalkeeping howlers, Bob Crampsey told a funny story about his brother Frank who played in goal for Queens Park.

"Hampden is deserted, and Queens are playing and end of season fixture in 1956. They were virtually sure of promotion, which they eventually won although they had lost 2 games at home.

On that evening they were playing Montrose,were 4-1 up, lost a silly goal to be 4-2 ahead and then a long ball came down the midddle.

My brother Frank came racing out of goal, tried to kick clear, took a swipe at the ball and missed by about a foot, the ball going in on its way peacefully to the back of the net.

The ball was centred and my brother, mortified, noticed one lone small boy on the terracing behind the King's Park goal. Wearing a black and white scarf, this urchin made his way right down from the rim to the track and shouted "Hey goalie!". Play being at the other end Frank turned round and said "Yes sonny?"

"You're a mug!"said the small boy fiercely.

And having delivered himself one of these heart-felt sentiments, he began his long trek up the terracing and over the skyline.

Can we please (quickly) have the old Artur Boruc back!

EN

I can see the Moonbeam Aid game becoming a disaster

i don`t imagine that the Hun will stump up cash to watch their depleted squad( after the january sales) get the run around from Milan .

IMO ..an embarrassing cancellation , with ensuing legal action from Milan to get there unpaid wedge is on the cards ...now wouldn`t that be really funny

ooahsamaras

Should it drive through the eye of a needle?

Chris

Is it easier for the rearrangers to offload their top goal scorer than for Celtic to sign a quality first team ready left back?

:-P

PF Ayr

I hope that is a game they pick to boycott after the transfer window. February 4th, a cold Wednesday night and a pointless game.

AC Milan will be due a decent fee.

Brilliant.

the Bhoyfrom UNCLE,

I never saw Malky MacDonald myself but he is one of my Dad's all time favourites, along with Johnny Higgins (kicked out of the game, he always said, by Shearer).

Dennis47,

You are correct Kenny Hoggart (?) is indeed in the Sunday Herald today writing a really weak piece on Lubo - it is totally out of place. I'm sure the SH sports editor at the time of his apology over "beadrattlers" said Kenny H would not write for the SH again.
They must be really desperate for staff if they bring back that clown.

Parkheadcumsalford

John Higgins was my grandfather`s cousin

What do you know of him ...way before my time

Great story Gordon, and typical Bob Crampsey stuff.

Good fun yesterday, just didn't get enough chance to chat, and hear such gems as the story you have just shared.

Also good to see the cream rise to the top in the quiz !

Touchdown Eagles - Celek, surely a good omen

4th quarter Eagles up by 9.

Hail Hail Celek

Thanks, tonybananas

Always good to fill in those pesky gaps in my knowledge.

Maybe Fergus had invited Traynor to his Glasgow digs and served him Buckfast along with some succulent tofu.

Gerrybhoy71

Any reason for the Eagles preference vs Giants ?

Apart from the color of the uniforms.

I had understood the Giants ownership were more aligned with Celtic ?

Parkheadcumsalford

My dad was Parkhead born like yourself ?

I seem to remember that you went to St Michaels, i used to play for the boys club in the late 60's.

eastenders csc

Eto'o scores on the stroke of half time.

Osasuna 0-1 Barcelona.

Barça going for a record eight away league victories in a row.

Bhoydell,

Sorry - but I had some supsicions about a specific poster whom I didn't recognize.
Checked a wee bit using google and he/she has posted in the past - so apologies for casting aspersions.

A big thanks to Barcabhoy and Celtic Bob for their help regarding Barcelona.

Gerrybhoy,

The Giants have missed two field goals by vet John Carey - they should have let our man Lawrence Tynes kick!

Greens over the blue n whites by 9.

Burnley 78

I lived in Philly for a while and still have a soft spot for all their teams..

and with a Celek player whats not to like ;-)

theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E,

you don't get away with much on CQN...

Bio-Chemical - It could have been the start of a good rumour though!

elbhoy1

o.k. good reply, and i see where some celtic fans are coming from on artur's seemingly endless
form dip.

i saw his gaff yesterday, and his blunder at the end when he dropped the ball again. even when he
is not making absolute blunders his excellent handling and domination of the box are all a thing
of the past, it would seem.

i also maintain that he was at least partly at fault for both, almost identical free kicks lost against aberdeen
and dundee utd, at celtic park where he clearly in my eyes, is not properly positioned.

with regard to him being called fat and unfit, this is where the arguement for dropping him gets silly, he is a highly paid professional in full training all week, i don't believe for a second that celtic park or lennoxtown is a haven for players getting away with slacking do you? Some daft fans might be taken in by the anti's in the media. I'm not
and i'm confident celtic handle artur properly.

mark brown i've seen enough of to know, that not only is he not a threat to artur, he is not a serious option supposing artur never recovers.

and anyway as the man says 'form is temporary, class is permanent'

we all want artur back.

Swansae Bhoy 8.09

"I literally feel as if SDM is urinating onto my head"

Fantastic!

Keep them coming!

wits all this I'm hearing about Roy Keane ...........................

On THG

If we sign Lukas he will be cup tied for both formats so we would need to depend on THG or Brown. Given (No not Shay) that we have at least 3 cup games - assuming we beat Peter or the Queens - and maybe a LC Final and further in the SFA Cup, surely we either have to get THG ready or just put Brown in his place

To me Lukas can stay where he is until June

I'm in Malaga at the moment and heading up to Granada for a few days.............anyone knows of a pub I may watch St Johnstone on Tues. Also, I'm in the Marbella area got the Hibs game..... any place to watch it?

Thanks

John Carneys scottish too, did a big thing on him after he kicked the winning field goal to win the superbowl last year.

He was a Celtic fan growing up.

McNabb 40 yard throw to Jackson PPhilly at the 1 yard line

WOHOOOOOOO

the BhoyfromUncle,

Yes, I went to St Michael's (both the old school in Salamanca Street and the "new" one in Springfield Road). Actually, my Dad was born in Springfield Road. Jimmy McGrory's sister lived in the same close. I met her daughter, who is the same generation as my Dad, for the first time last summer.

Giants hold tehm to a field goal

12 pt lead Philly

2 score game with 4 mins left.

theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.EAuthor Profile Page

My father also waxed lyrical about Malky Mc. Donald.

Believe it or not, I actually did see him play.

It was probably in the late fifties and he was in a Celtic Old Crocks team playing against a Maryhill Juniors team at Lochburn Park.

The bit I remember was him standing, hemmed in at the corner flag with an opponent crowding him.

Without seeing his feet move, the guy was nutmegged and Malky was away before the guy knew what was happening.

He must have been some player in his day.

Gordon,

You and I are obviously of the same vintage. I lived in Maryhill when younger and Firhill was my football limit until i was seven.

Andy Kerr was their right back ,with Tiger Mc. Gowan on the left. Tommy Ledgerwood was the goalie. They were a good team then and it was "Firhill For Thrills" then.

I also saw Willie Waddell play for a R. reserve team up there.

Small, nippy players are a big centre half's nightmare and Forrest was dangerous, though he never survived the ignomany of Berwick.

Gerrybhoy71

Not a bad year for Phily sports fans I guess ?

I mentioned before that I was lucky enough to go to a couple of superbowls. One saw an amazing Ravens D crush all before them on the road to winning v Giants in Tampa.

After watching Ravens last week, and last night, and the final is
in Tampa again this year....I wonder if it might be worth a punt ?

The Ravens story re Art Model does feel a bit like David Murray. Selling his future ownership of the club to bankroll a crack at the superbowl in the year 2001. The difference is that Art Model did not try to hide that he was doing that, and did sell the future right to the franchise, unlike SDM.

That was Tynes, who's from Greenock. Don't think Carney has any Scottish connections, although he did come out of Notre Dame.

From last night, Baltimore have a linebacker called Nakamura. Little bigger and more physical than our Naka, though.

Roy Keane's transfer dealings in full - two and a half seasons, 39 players, 80million quid.

It's a no for me.

Haven't seen much posted re attendance yesterday, but god help us if we go back to the ave 25,000-30,000 mark. I know we moan abut the lack of atmosphere on occasions even when stadium is 3/4 full, but sitting in a less than half full empty stadium is very depressing. Unless we signal an intent I can see this being the norm.

Roy Keane is in no way ready for the big chair but more than that..Gordon is in no way ready to give it up!

Loving the texts that are going around re their current predicament, an earlier poster spoke about the Celts for Change movement I was involved in a small part, at the time I was ridiculed by a few rangers supporting friends who paraded around like peacocks!

I am not strutting mearly sitting back with a smug smile on my face, revenge is indeed a dish best served cold and I for one am enjoying serving it up! Anyone for seconds!

The Bhoyfrom.. my Dad talks very highly of Malky but to be honest never heard him say a bad word against anyone to wear the hoops!.. ok there was nearly one when petitemerde but he restrained himself!

Still Standing Martin42!

Gordon Carney is Scottish

Philly intercept........Wohoooo

Burnley 78, RAVENS Played well yesterday, got to go to probably Steelers, who can be beat, it might be worth a punt

Go Philly

bournesouprecipe

Totally agree about Artur's positioning at free kicks. It was the game against Gretna last season at fir park I really noticed how poor his position was for that free kick, since then I have been watching him closely at free kicks & although only really Aberdeen & Dundee utd have taken advantage Artur's positioning has been poor.

I don't feel that Mark Brown has the mentality for a big match keeper. I always thought he was decent at motherwell & inverness but if he lost 2 or 3 goals with any of them then t was expected & nobody saw it as a big deal but if he loses 1 goal with us then he is the main focus of every one's attention.

haven't been on or read from last night,
celtic v queens park/peterhead,,,wow 20,000 yesterday how many for the next match, the away crowd won't be as much as dundee had with them, unless we buy we won't get many people at the next match...

burnley you might need to get the full south stand for the next cup tie. :0))

tonybananas

Here's another for you:

Can I sue Rangers?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well Murray, Bain and/or Walter for the emotional distress they've caused me?

the last 3/4 days have had me demented. What are they doing to our club?

i have developed a nervous tick over the last few days, i'm even having trouble sleeping.

this talk of needing £3m and anyone being for sale, the fact he said he didn't want to put the sound footing of MIH at risk for the sake of a few footballers (can't believe no one has picked up on that comment!)

in fact, i can't even begin to list my concerns here, as my mind is jumping from one to an other in an incoherent fashion

think i might just need to log off and avoid the papers for a week until i can get my head around it - but i find i'm more addicted to phone ins, newspaper articles and internet forums telling of our demise than ever before.

anyone else feeling this anxious nervousness

it's that bad, i'm not even that bothered that we are 5 points behind them - that's the least of my worries right now!

masty

re: celtic Shamrock strip

"Belfast Celtic presented one of the best away strips ever to be worn by Celtic, a white strip, with a green collar and a large green shamrock as the crest. This was worn in the 1950's."

Shamrock strip

jeromek67,

Sorry for not replying earlier. I have been out for a few hours.
I wasn't at the game yesterday so I could only go from what I heard on the interview.

I am not sure if "hugging the touchline" was the exact phrase he used but I think he was trying to say that Aiden was playing to instructions to stretch the Dundee defence. I was more interested in the last part of the interview which seemed to me to be giving both WGS and Aiden a way out of the impasse with neither of them having to lose face.
However I am also unsure as to how the piece on BBC was cut together from the whole post match interview.

Bhoy from uncle

Malky McDonald was my old man's favourite of all time. He said that he played every position for celtic, including in goal in a five a side tournament and performed well in any position. I think we have a photograph somewhere of a five a side team with Malky wearing the keeper's jersey!
Funnily enough he thought Lubo was the closest he had seen to Malky McDonald in terms of technique.

ggh

Auldheid from previous thread : I agree. I dont think Boyd really wants to leave but I think that he probably feels that if his hand is being forced he might as well get as much as he can.

nakagod/jinkysboy/vinny/danny

had a good day with you guys yesterday, sorry i wasn't feeling to good....(thats why i didn't get out of car at park yesterday bhoys)

naka keep the faith, we shall overcome...

Game over in the Meadowlands. Eagles win, baby!!

The Philly double is on!

Turnover by the Giants

game over

Philly move onto NFC championship game

PF ayr

John Higgins was one of the most skillfull and effective players of his era.

His career was cut short after a cartilage operation. Back then, of course, a cartilage removal usually spelled the end of a top flight career.

He played in the midweek Scottish Cup replay against them, when Shearer kicked him up and down the park at will.

All to no avail as we stuffed them 2-0.

John returned after injury and I remember seeing him against Airdrie in the always welcome surroundings of Broomfield. He wasn't the same player.

We never had another real winger until JJ came along.

ivereadanough

I am not too sure that the larger size of crowd = better atmosphere. Certainly not at CP.

I thought the Livi game was one of the best and the stadium was only half full that night. Certainly better than the normal 50,000 moan fest we get for league games IMO.

We really would need to drop a lot to get to 30 or 40,000 though. We currently have a record 54,000 season book holders.

A plea to CQNers on the off chance... although its unlikely any sane person would keep archives of the Sun newspaper.

I don't suppose anyone out there has a copy of the back page of the Scum from Monday 9 December 2002?

This was the Monday after we had lost 3-2 to the Huns at Mordor, Sutton had scored the fastest goal in an "Us v Them game" and the laptop loyal were calling a white van for MO'N after he described us as "magnificent".

They had a picture of Big Feck on the touchline gesticulating madly to his players [presumably] and the image was doctored to show MO'N sitting in his pocket. I think the headline alluded to MO'N being in his pocket and the article was attribured to Bill Lackie.

I would quite like to get my hands on that. The Mitchell Library is a godsend for showing up the lies and spin of the Rectum, ET and Herald but being an English rag there is no equivalent for the Scum.

Of course, the delicious irony for Mr Lackie was from that day we beat them in the next seven Us v Them games. Funnily enough neither Lackie or any of his Lapdog colleagues felt it necessary to doctor up any unflattering images of the dignified Rangers manager over the course of this abject failure.

Swansea Bhoy keep the posts from FF coming absolute comedy gold. Thanks

Osasuna equalise. Eighteen minutes into the second half.

1-1.

I wasn't at all surprised at the attendance yesterday. Not on the season book, a first division opponent and just after Xmas as the bills begin to come in.

Gordon J
did you find a flight to Philly ?

I am heading to Vegas for the Superbowl,booked my flight yesterday..

Philly will destroy Kurt Warner next week in AZ Superbowl beckons.

Hail Hail Celek

swansea bhoy 9.14 -

fantastic again! but....

...surely a tim imposter??

celtic_first

no news yet in blantyre..
BT

Gordon

Also managed to visit Sarajevo on way inland after Mostar. A strange time in the old Yugoslavia, just before the break up. There was a real tension in the air in every place we visited, not just between myself and the long suffering Mrs Burnley.

Trips like yours and mine that year do have memories which the modern, sanitised Milan, Barcelona, and Lisbon cannot quite match. For me places like Aalborg, Donetsk, Moscow and even Teplice are actually much more interesting and fun.

RRC, so the auld tin was yankin ma chain

BobbyRussell @ 6:03pm

ha ha ha. that did make me laugh ya wee happy man. :o)

thomthethim
thanks for the info
interesting what you say re Higgins and JJ

both were Viewpark bhoys

BlatyreTim

Was thinking about you earlier. Hope the main man chooses well.

Valdés saves Barcelona after a Messi mistake. He gave up on the ball when someone looked (to him) to be down injured.

Not as good as Facist Facist but worth a wee peek to perk you up on a dreich Sunday night.
friends of rankers

001 Bhoy:

Yes the 'Simpson'.

burnley 78, did you know mostar was totallyand i mean totally destroyed during the recent war?including the bridge built by the crusuaders

Gerrybhoy71,

Just trying to finalise a couple of things for a wee trip - Philly for the superbowl weekend and then up to NYC for a few days.

If the Eagles win in Arizona, the city will be wild for the big one.

With Harry Redknapp saying that there will be no more signings at Spurs. Does this mean Appiah aint joining them? Hmmm.....!!

Minx,

Nice to hear from you.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Like Inkybhoy and Martin42, I know that you too will still be standing.

Martin.

BT

Hope that "excuse" worked on your faither !!!!

The team, the goalie and some of the fans had problems with wind all day.............

2 1 osa

Walter Pandiani makes it Osasuna 2-1 Barcelona. Just over 15 minutes to go.

7 months on but the reference to "..and we miss Chris Burke" gives it an almost poignant contemporary feel to it

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Rp1IlsR5A

PF and Tomthetim,

I saw John Higgins play.

I was (then) very young, IA remember him as slight, but very tricky with a great cross ball.

STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS,

Martin.

jinks
the wind is easing a wee bit in blantyre tonight. ;0))

i bamed my father for waiting for me, he was asked to drop the ticket off after church yesterday morn, double bluff....

Gordon
Philly will win in AZ, they won't be able to handle the Philly blitz.

Your right Philly will be crazy with th eEagles in the Superbowl..

Hail Hail

Bojan on for Keita.

Getting a bit frantic in Pamplona.

There is a fair bit of fog, not an excuse for Barcelona, who should be doing better against the bottom team.

Valdés has just made another good save.

masty

Yes it was as tragic as current events elsewhere. Even more so given the mix of ethnicity / religion / language which had seemed to co exist fairly well under the much maligned Tito.

Don't know enough about the politics, it just seemed such a waste, but even then so helplessly inveitable

BT

I doubt he fell for that line. Told you that I should have took the Derry. I get the blame of everything on here anyways so one more would be water off a ducks back, Quack Quack

Xavi equalises.

Still about ten to go.

tonybananas

To be honest that's what I thought but he's got 17 replies and not one 'Timposter' accusation. Maybe the brethern are feeling the same pain.

One guy on the thread got called Declan (and this is no joke) because his spelling an grammar was correct!!!!!

Sir Flim Flam Murray and his predicment really is the gift that keeps on giving at the moment. It's tremendous.

The Germans need to invent a new word for Schandenfreude - it doesn't come close to describing what I'm feeling right now.

SwanseaBhoy

celtic_first
i left that one to you.. hail hail
BT

benjybhoy

Had a wee look at that site and after having a laugh at their views on their current predicament, I had a wee look at "Legends in Blue". It seems that they had a centre forward called RC Hamilton who was affectionately known as "RC".

I take it his signing didn't cause the burning of as many season tickets as the next RC they had at centre forward.

ggh

burnley78, they have since rebuilt the bridge brick by brick

Iniesta comes close. He started this game on the bench by the way.

Messi wins it. What a goal.

Actually there are still seven minutes to go, plus stoppage time.

Messi has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far this season.

I wonder if Birmingham City are considering a bid.

Bhoys

I have 4 spare tickets available for Pittodrie.They are available at face value.

I also may have 4 for the Dundee UTD cup semil final at hampden.

Folks,

Scotland's hottest new band, Hip Parade have made it through to the Semi Final (The Last 5) of the Channel 4 programme 'Orange unsigned act'. Not bad from over 7000 entrants.

Anyway, two reasons to support (or even vote for them)... Two of them are my nephew's - the handsome ones before you ask :-)

If you would like to see them or get details for voting, i've posted something on Here.....

In the interests of balance, Tommy Reilly is also in the semi final, he is also Scottish and very, very good.

Paul, sincere apologies for abusing your fine blog in this way, but... Hope you don't mind.

Lubo.

Spead the word about Hip Parade CSC.

GARGILESPIESHAMSTRING

Now that you've visited the darkside Friends of Rankers go and wash your hands 3 times at least.

hang the dj

if the fans can see it, then surely it has been addressed by the coaching staff at celtic, i was waiting on a goal when against utd and in it went, again. ..... aargh

too leave a bigger margin in the goal to the side where the wall is lined up, might have been fashionable in football in general at one time, but its old hat because teams learn to exploit it
by hitting the ball over the wall and into the massively disproportinate space he leaves.

get it sorted celtic.

hail hail

GordonJ,

You got 2xmails,

Martin.

Full time.

Osasuna 2-3 Barcelona.

Barcelona go 12 points clear at the top, over Seville and Real Madrid.

Plus the record of eight away league games in a row.

GirdonJ,

More mail,

Martin.

tonybananas
I am sure the game Sutty scored a quick goal was the 6-2 game in paradise. If he did the same at Mordor and we lost I tend to close the door and lock the lock on those type of bad memories.

hah Lubo, small world, I was at the same school as your nephews!

been following the program every week!

although calling them a new band when they've been gigging for 7 years is bending the truth a bit! ;)

Thom,
I remember hearing tales of how good John Higgins was but I think his name was brought up around the time that Brian McLaughlin was injured in 1973. I remember Brian and he was brilliant, he was on the same wavelength as Kenny Dalglish but never did recapture his early form with Celtic after his bad injury.
He would have fitted in nicely with Gordon Strachan, a right winger who liked to cut inside on to his left foot.

benjybhoy

Don't worry, I am no friend of rankers. Hands will be washed three times in Holy Water.

Which makes me wonder : Is "drinkin holy watter out of the cup" a sectarian song?

ggh

Moonbeams,

Big Chris scored in a record 19 seconds to put us 1 up.

Cannot remember who scored the Rangers goals I think one was either Amoruso or Moore from a corner.

Martin.

moonbeams

sutty scored in the first couple of minutes in the six two game.

did he not get send off at ipox in the first couple of minutes of the second half?

Moonbeams

tonybananas is correct i was at that game

bang Sutty goal 20 secs#

still celebrating ....bang/bang/bang....3 -1 down

i remember as it was one of my last Mordor attendances

i had cajoled a mordor boycotter to go with me

at half time

he stated

"cannae believe you talked me into coming to this midden ..i`ll never be back"

bournesouprecipe

I agree with your last two statements, and would actually connect one with the other (which is what you meant, I know).

There are three issues I think, one is Arturs form and health, the second is do we have anyone else to play in goal and the third is does THG's erratic form affect the central defenders playing front of him.

I'm sure, like you, that the club are working on THG's form and health and have been. But there are so many variables that kick in when the issue is not physical (I'm ignoring the silly phat nonsense, because that is almost definitely connected to his mental health). Balancing act for him and the club..Is it better to persist with him knowing or suspecting that his mind is not on his game, in the hope that it all comes right? OR Do you give him time out of the spotlight to regain full fitness of mind and body and then play him? There is pressure on him and the manager with both options. THG is already a legend and will be fine, but we all know that GS's status is about as reliable as the weather with some very fickle fans. GS has shown faith with THG and that is to his credit, but imagine that he continues to play him and the errors persist resulting in dropped points. Both player and manager will be under pressure. The same could be said for GS if he drops him and we drop points!
The point is that THG is receiving support, but he needs to put a few good (error free) performances together to show GS that he is responding to that support.

When THG was suspended Brown deputised and did ok, not brilliant but ok. Do we really have a first team squad keeper that the manager doesn't want to play? Is Mark Brown at his best, worse than THG as he is at present? Are we doing THG any favours by playing him regardless of how he is playing? Is this tantamount to saying to him, you will never be dropped, and if so, is this helping or hindering both him and the team.

Do you think that THG's recent form has affected the confidence and concentration of the central defenders? Seems to me that it might be affecting them, just might. THGs form and play is so important to our team's better performances and I know that a confident, in form keeper will inspire his defenders to better performances.

Anyway, GS has some decisions to make, but THG can make it easy for him if he gets back to his real form. I and all Tims want that.
Artur, can you hear us?
HH

hello minx1888

hope you're keeping well

I remember going to the Celts For Change meeting at Tolcross Park when Terry Cassidy spoke. To be honest, although I understand he was a Celtic supporter, I got the impression he didn't know fully what he had taken on in terms of starting work for Celtic).

Also, I think I was on the TV news footage of the time of people walking into the meeting. (me and another Condorrat bhoy)

I've looked on youtube to find it (in order to frighten my wife)
but without any success.

The Dharma Bam (who used to be Dharma Bam)

moonbeams - yes sutty scored early in the 6-2 but also scored after 18 seconds at mordor. they went 3-1 up helped in no small measure by our poor defending including letting Amaloser score from a corner, before BBJ pulled one back early in the 2nd half.

Cue siege to Klod's goal, hit the post and bar, Klod man of the match but to no avail. When MON alluded to this in his post match interview the guy on Radio Scotland (Roddy Forsyth) more or less said 'you must be joking' which seemed to irk MON ever so slightly leading to the famous 'we were magnificent today' statement that had the lapdogs questioning his sanity.

Bad memories right enough but I'd like to get a hold of that back page somehow.

Lubo,

I thought "orange unsigned" was a reference to Kris Boyd.

ggh

Moonbeams

Tonybananas is spot on. Chris Sutton scored after 19 seconds that day, the fastest goal ever in a game between us and them.

This led to Martin O'Neill coining the phrase "astonishingly brilliant".

i think wallace scored in the 6 2 game, from a header and gould caught it on the line,they gave the goal, i think the second was a pen suprice...

sutty scored the first and last that game did he not?

some things aren't opinion...they are fact

its a fact that leo messi is the best player in the world....by miles

cristiano ronaldo isn't in the same league...and messi's a class act as a person as well

his performance tonight was sensational

i wasnt going to the nou camp on wednesday, but i think i will now

In addition to what I have posted about Celtic interest in Anas Sharbini I can say that two other clubs who are for him are Standard Liegie ( 2nd in Belgium now)and Hajduk Split (second in Croatia now). Transfermarkt values Rijeka captain at 3 M Euros. Sharbini's agent says he would be happy with the transfer fee 2 up to 3 M Euros.
Rijeka tried to sign new longer contract with Sharbini but the player and his agent are not ready for extension. Rijeka is poor club and will be happy with the cash injection if the transfer realises.

blantyretim,

You'll be telling us the penalty was dodgy next. :)

ggh

Graeme,

Small world indeed! So you're from the best bit of Glasgow then...

The boys have done great so far. Next Sunday is the big one.

Cheers,

Lubo.

PF Ayr, Martin42

as I said I tend to lock those bad mems away and through away the key. Thankfully. No need for me to know anymore.

Blantyrtim,

that was one of the all time Celtic Orc games I have attended. I was stilling excrement(ing) myself with about a minute to go for some reason. That was 6-2 going on 10-6.

BT

Sutton 6
Lambert
Petrov
Larsson x 2
Sutton

huns

Wallace 2
Dodds (pen)

I was leafing through a copy of the Sunday Mail during a hospital visit today & couldn't help laughing at an email sent to one of their "writers" (for want of a better term) by a member of the Tartan Army.

The guy suggested that if Walter Smith sells Kris Boyd to Alex McLeish the headlines should read as follows;

"Judas sells Judas to Judas"

blantyre 10:05

Re: 6-2 game, Wallace had goal - apparently wrongly - disallowed just b4 HT at 3-1.

I recall being distinctly nervous until the henrik 9-iron made it 4 ha ha

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDm-R50pIYM&feature=related
6-2 game
Bob

squire d

I was nervous until Sutton made it 6-2!

ggh

garygillespieshamstring :-)

Re Boyd, it could be ...

Orange Unsignable
Orange Unpalatable
Orange Unintelligible
Orange Unlikeable

etc, etc....

Lubo.

blantyre tim - you're right about wallace. I'd have to admit to thinking the ball probably crossed the line, but only after about 5 replays on telly when I got home, but the ref couldn't wait the give the goal without the benefit of any tv pictures. Ditto the penalty.

The ref also [shock horror!] disallowed another effort by Wallace that was extremely borderline in fact possibly even I have to admit not offside.

I also remember at 3-0 Henke being put straight through on Klod and thinking for a second "no way can we go 4-0 up this must be a dream". Unfortunately the KOK tried an over elaborate drag back and the chance was lost. He made up for it though with a couple of not bad goals.

ggh
all pens against us are dodgy, especially if awarded to the smelly mob..

moonbeams
every game against the ravanis mob have me filled with those feelings.

barcabhoy
messi is the best, ronaldo is a cheating git, don't get me started on rooney, he is the bazza man of munre he can't get booked, the thug should have been off the park in the first half, no respect...
rant over
BT

gordon @9.15..

you have just put me in a very cold sweat with the munich/mostar story..was twoed up in the hotel in munich with the guy who got lifted in connection with the window of the carpet shop getting put in(sunday night)..police raided the hotel looking for leather goods as well..
had the door kicked in by two special branch (armed) with a turk in tow bout midnight wanting to search the room..didnt answer door straight away as was knackered and had just raided the mini bar..said police wanted to arrest me as well till turk said I wasnt involved..anyway they searched the room fortunately they didnt find the leather jacket that I had taken with me..had to make call to two prominent members of the london road supporters club who were in the same hotel to come and sort it out..guy got released in time for the bus leaving for yugoslavia early monday morning..

Thankforthememoriescsc(bob hope division)

Moonbeams

have you no bottle - I remember cacking myself until we scored the 6th but then feeling assured they couldnt score 4 in 5 mins or so!!!!

No logic to these games whatsoever !!

pf,suire,tonyb

our minds are alway clouded by the great days against tfod,forgot about henriks miss and their offside gooal...

it was still 6 2 tho....:))))))
thats 6 smiles btw

I was reading The Sunday Times there, Moonbeams explaining that with all this carry-on, all he is trying to demonstrate (apparently) to his other businesses and the bank that he can be tough, and will be, as anything else would be mismanagement. Talk about bolting the doors after the horse has done one.

He goes on to say that it hit home to him when he went to Murray Park and saw that there were not enough pegs on the dressing room wall for the number of players they had.

I wonder what would happen if a manager of say, an IT company, that had 50 desks and 50 computers decided to employ 60 people.

What would people think and say about his management/leadership of that company?

It has firmly come home to roost. The ego has landed, and I love it :)

Burnley 78

Tito had a simple philosophy
You could be a good Jugoslav or you could be dead
No time for Croats,Serbs or Bosnians

Anyone else amazed at today's non investigations into the buns troubles ?

Tom English gets 3 pages to write down everything that Sally and co spew up

Ask a question ? Me - a journalist ?
Even manages to have a go at GS on the back page

What does Edward think of the coverage ?

Martin42 - here's details of the Book we discussed yesterday.
I look forward to buying a copy of your's during one of your signing sessions in Waterstone's , etc. :-)

Standing up for Martin42

TTTT

From someone who can't be part of the CQN get togethers on game days...

It's great to read the positive posts from all those who meet up and share their stories about BBs or elsewhere and carousing, or just meeting up and blethering.
So just in case any of you guys are still on line, thanks.

HH

jinkysboy

You can never be sure how many penalties they might get in the last five minutes.

However it was not long until cacking ourselves became pashing ourselves.

A great day, but I am still not convinced it eclipses the night ten men won the league.

Unfortunately, the 7-1 game was before I was born.

ggh

Flynnbhoy

So the Mints logic was "theres more players than pegs - better punt some players"

He obviously has no idea on the Japanese Kanban system either then

blantyreb - there is no question we were well worth the result 6-2 going on 10-3.

That was also the game where a bit fell off the linesman's flag prompting Davie provan to go into a mental rant about a coin being thrown onto the pitch and "this is an absolute disgrace to Scottish football"

Maybe he was talking about Bert Konterman right enough.

hibs/hearts on bbc just now

Lubo and Garygillesoieshamstring
Boyd

Orang(e)etang

Harry's Bhoy,

If you have a couple of tickets for the Aberdeen game I would be delighted to take them off your hands?

Cheers

Jinkynewton

Can i just ask all Celts to get behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the Superbowl as they have a player called Brent Celik.He is number 87 and scored the important touchdown against New York Giants tonight.It is so funny to hear the American commentators shout CELIK when he scores.
P.S. there is no truth in the rumour very big Artur is signing up as a defensive player for the Eagles to use his big hind end.
Hail Hail.

TTTT..did you get the mail??

elbhoy1
we mortals just try to get the feeling of celtic as a family on this site, it may annoy other people but if it give supporters far away a wee bit of our togetherness..thanks..

BT

awalk - got yer mail and look forward to meeting you on the 29th!

Harry's Bhoy - so are we collecting blog names here or what?! Go back to your original name, you dodgy geezer.
When do you need to know about the Utd tickets?
You were, as ever, great company yesterday and we had a great laugh in the evening.
I've had a few curers tonight to keep the sweats at bay!

TTTT

ggh

even the buns couldnt get 4 pens in the last 5 mins...................... could they!!!!!

Well according to them we have the refs in our camp now

benjybhoy,

Quality mate.

Although I think there may be a few objections from offended Orangutangs...

Lubo.

Watching The Sunday Night Project on C4 and they had a great rap song about GL2 called MOOBS!
Watch yerself out jogging, big man. ;-)

TTTTinfomercialCSC

TTTT

Im watching that - hilarious

i have a friend who is going to switzerland next saturday to ibs training site in wolfsberg(sp)not germany. looking for help for the game next sunday..
BT

TTTT..looking forward to it..

sorry UBS
i was thinking about the wind in blantyre again :0))

HARRY'S BHOY @ 9:46pm

If you do have spare tickets for the semi I would be interested in taking 2 of them off your hands.

Mail me at antondecks@gmail.com

Thanks

HAIL HAIL

The Dharma Bam I remember well those meetings! From Ceasers pub in the Southside where only 6 attended to the one at candelriggs with Hugh Pim reporting!

I always felt sorry for Terry Cassidy the board had seen the need for change and felt he was the man or escape clause! At the time I was lucky enough to know Jinky through work. Jinky came into the office and in the reception of our office I had a slight disagreement with him about the merits of TC and I could see where he was trying to take Celtic, confirmed business man need to move forward etc but how hard it was with the shackles of the board tied firmly round his ankles. Cue Minx's Dad coming into office and giving me a right ticking off one I had not had ever from Dad "don't ever let me hear you arguing with him again!" Jinky heard my Dad giving me into trouble and was laughing his head off even came over to my Dad and said did you know she was also saying...."

Carlsberg don't do renditions of A Grand Old Team...

All this talk about a loan deal for Ched Evans. Should be Javier Garrido instead.

All this talk about a loan deal for Ched Evans. Should be Javier Garrido instead.

SFTB - he is Paul Anka....after about 20 pie suppers!!! ;-)

Jinky - Rachel Stevens on now. I'm dribbling.....

Thoughts and prayers with WDH.

TTTT

TTTT

In my best Homer Simpson voice - Rachel Stevens..............

when i came up to the park yesterday and saw wdh said to jinksboy that i hadn't heard from him for a while,
sounds like he has had a problem..
my prayers are with his family..kano and nakagod, anyone else, prayers for you too

goss bless
hail hail and keep the faith...

BT

blantyretim

When the first CQN US convention takes place, maybe you'll make it over. Until then, tales from CP and BB and all places in between are good for the Celtic soul.

Thanks
elbhoy1

elbhoy

I never ever buy a drink in BBs or the club - Im also the CQN rabble rouser and the rest are all big girls blouses

elbhoy1,

Where are we planning on having the first CQN convention?

Maybe we should do it in Las Vegas in June?

elbhoy1 - it's the duty of all CQNers around the world to gather with any like-minded saddos in their vicinity, get totally drunk and talk absolute pesh with complete conviction about all things Celtica!

All hail the Rachel and her pert wee bum!

TTTT

elbhoy
i can confirm jinksboy's post.:)

we try to keep the byhoys/ghirls home and way in our wee blog,if i am lucky enough i will get to the convention in vegas one of these days, mrs t will need to get the lottery on though..

Timsinyyz

You have mail from me.

jinkysbhoy

Big girls blouses indeed!

I'm getting Celtic Sephiroth to train me up as a cage fighter.

I'm starting off with budgies, working up to guinea pigs, and then I'll go for the wilder beasts:-)

Then you'll be sorry!

Emile Heskey will rejoin old club Liverpool in the summer. Good. Puts that one to rest then.

Jinkysboy,

At the opposite end of the scale, I give you .......

Gregor Stevens

ggh

sftb
he in now a lanarkshire bhoy, you better watch out, with his connections in greenock,glesga and now lanarkshire you might need a big cage...;))))

SFTB

Im sorry already.

GGG

beauty and the beast

plus he has been off the drink for 4 months now...you can't get a wilder beast than that....

jinks

No prizes for guessing which one is the beast then?

ggh

TTTT,

Thanks for that. I Googled it last night.

Guess what E D B did after the game, he just went home without "The Butcher Boy"

I just hope and trust that Alex still has it under lock and key.

Signing in Waterstones, I really doubt that, more likely in the Carling Suite or Champions Lounge or even BBs.

"A Load Of Old Bull" right enough

Martin.

Celtic_First,

Got it yesterday. Did you not get my reply. Thanks for the kind words regarding my promo.

MOTD2 with Manure versus London Huns highlights just starting on Beeb2.

Hope Liverpool don't bottle it this season, just to get it right up Swalex.

TTTT

Jinks

Doffing of hats all round to you then. Would it be an idea to think of a photo site/page or link? There might be some objections on royalty grounds/image protection etc from some prima donnas but then again...?

Bit flat here today after the Panthers were mauled by the Cards last night.
Know any good QBs?
Or Offensive and Defensive co-ordinators?
Or Coaches?

My son and I watched it last night and he said it was like watching the Packers last year against the Giants, (sorry for bringing it up). He is first and foremost a Packers fan after Celtic of course, so he was hurting too.

Anyway sounds like a good day yesterday for all concerned, and thanks for the posts that bounce back and forth, even if I don't always get the joke or significance of some comments.

Will be ordering my CQN badges this week from Pablo.
HH

I haven't been able to spot Rachel Steven's pert bum.

Is she playing for the Steelers or the Chargers?

SFTB

I think she is a tight end.

ggh

elbhoy

Go into Bebo - berniek31

You will find a folder on my page with BB and the club pics as well as the jinky statue and Kano tributes

TimsinYYZ

Nothing came through. Please re-send and let me know if your news is in the public domain, excepting Celtic blogs.

Celtic_First,

Resent now. The news is not public yet. It will be announced at the press breakfast Thursday morning in Orlando.

Jinks - good luck tomorrow. If anyone has built up brownie points with the big man upstairs recently, then it's certainly you.
Onwards and upwards.

TTTT

A wee bit out of date... Hit Bush with a shoe

TTTT

Cheers mate - Mrs J asked if I was nervous

I said Im not but they should be........... ha ha

Thanks for your help again mate

Off to bed now

God bless Kano and all who need our prayers tonight

Keep the faith

His name is Artur - he's our goalkeeper.

He needs our support.

TimsinYYZ

Still nothing this end. Not sure what's up.

So, you expect me to sit on this news until Thursday …

Cubist - honest answer....should we have sold him in the summer?

He's had more screw ups this season than his previous 3 years put together. Still the best I've ever seen at CP, but where do we go from here?
I'd pay the extra and get the other Polish lad in now with MB moving out to Utd or Hibs. I think we'll get the benefit.

TTTT

why spend money!
we might be able to win the league with the present squad.
so why spend?
take a chance and don't strengthen in the window.
this year we will have no debt.
how many major clubs have no debt?
we must have the best balance sheet in scottish football.
rangers are skint and we might win the league without spending money so why spend/
wee fergus was right!

Paul, folks....

Seeing into the future is a gift that few people have. I'm not saying that anyone at Celtic has that gift. However, whoever was setting our fiscal direction was doing us a very big favour. There has been some debate over the years on here (and elsewhere) about what our approach to debt management should be. The current financial crisis (and it is a crisis) has vindicated our approach.

Debt Nutter 1 Nutters 0.

However, this isn't only a credit crunch. It is a cash crunch. Those who usually have oodles of the stuff now have very little. Including - or especially - the banks. This means that those who are owed money simply want it back. They don't want to extend terms or remortgage. Why? Well, banks need to be able to meet demands of consumers. You want to make a withdrawal? The system requires that you get it. Now.

The minute a financial institution can't pony up? Nothern Rock.

So,where am I going with this? Burnley.

It is common practice for teams to buy players with something like 33% down with subsequent installments. It is also common practice for teams to move these payment dates down the road by offering a premium. Or stretching the patience of the selling club. VERY ironically, you may want to cast your minds back to Killie moaning for their Boyd money.

Not any more. Teams want their money. They can't just get more from the bank anymore. They need to collect what is owed to them. No extensions. Burnley want their money.

So, to murray's predicament. They will survive financially this time. They will find 3 million by March 31st.

Impact on us? Not much. We will sit tight, not getting any stronger than we are, while they get weaker. In the short term, Gordon needs to ensure we keep our eye on the ball and avoid our usual winter slump.

Longer term, things become much more interesting. In these uncertain finacial times, the only things that are guaranteed are players contracts. As english teams wonder how much less their Sky money will be in 18 months time, they will be careful about extending already inflated contracts. Players will not allow clubs to push them out. A journeyman in england on a 30k per week deal will know that his next deal will likely be for much less. Players will see out their contracts. Think Bobo.

After that, their will likely be a fair number of decent players on Bosmans. Who will be in a position to access this market? Teams with cash.

Don't be too hard on Peter Lawell if we don't spend much in the next 2 windows. If Gordon can get us title number 4 with an already strong squad, the next 5 (or more) might just come a tad easier.

Lots has been said (rightly) about Fergus and our debt to him. Our recently retired Chairman has done not too badly for us, too.

tttt..Im with cubist on this..still the best we have/had..zaluska to me not much better than M.Brown..sure the point needs to be made to THG that the level has dipped markedly and the proverbial needs to be extracted but as someone on here said before concentration can be sorted..ability cant..

awalk/cubist - a number of us were calling for THG to be dropped after yesterday's performance, but "Harry's Bhoy" said that he just needs the right arm put around him.
I hope he's right. Over to you Gordon.

TTTT

weeron..posted a few days ago that sir minty tried to buy the boyd clause out from killie six weeks back.agreed that sillly money cant be spent but a few obvious problems do exist.ie left back or lack of..we may get away with not buying a striker but the left back needs addressed either a loan or permanent.

Artur, sort yourself out and STAY.
We will understand you!

Nite y'all
TTTT

tttt..we know its beyond the laughing stage with AB and its getting silly but would dropping him cause more harm than good??I think it would but agree that one more mistake may well tip the balance against him..as for cashing in..while hes making a few blunders then people would be very reticent to pull the cheque book out for him..

tttt & awalk - maybe we should give him a break for a couple of games, maybe not. He's lost his way - like everyone has/will.

To quote Bill Withers - 'Whatever happens - we left some love along the way - but it ain't easy'.

Many are those that would do our club harm.

Clarence staring in disbelief at Artur's fingertip save - Anton Corbijn's Miles Davis in Black/Red.

Whatever happens - his name is Artur.

By weeronn on January 11, 2009 11:53 PM

That sound an analysis it could have come from Peter Lawell himself. Another full season before effect of existing contracts ending to be really noticeable but it starts this midseason.

I don't know a lot about Anas Sharbini but I read this that a Croatian fan had written about him. So don't shoot the messenger...

he is a talented kid who has good technique and a good vison for the pass..his problem is he thinks he is a star already and has a very bad attitude..he is also not the hardest working player either..last year he could have been sold for 5-6 million euros but this year he has not played that well and clubs are being turned off by his attitude..he can probably be had at 2 million euros now..not a player i would take a chance on if i were celtic..he got kicked off the croatian under 21 team.. that just shows you what kind of charachter he has..

Celtic_First,

I'll send you a note from Orlando when the green lamp is lit.

A link to an article from Keep the Faith showing the richest owners/shareholders in British football.

http://www.keep-the-faith.net/index.htm

Dermot Desmond comes in joint 8th with £1.2bn while Sir Moonbeams comes is 9th with £600m.

Basic sums tell me that means that for every fiver Sir Moonbeams has Mr Desmond has a tenner.

That sounds strangely familiar...

TTTT...couldnt have put it better myself..mind you if could tell me how the red car got in the fountain and who put it there then I would be eternely grateful -)

Tinseltowncsc

Cubist..hes far from being a lost soul/talent..a bit of focus on all sides will sort this no worries..

west craigs..

you 100% right!...as i said in the previous thread

with the current climate i would rather get our existing squad all back fully fit...this is a squad more than capable of securing 4-in-a-row and we can do so without pushing ourselves into debt this season.
It is of my opinion that come the summer world football will be 'hit hard' by the financial climate..
clubs will be panicking trying to reduce wage bills (ala rangers style)and this includes the premiership!
No longer will clubs be offering unrealistic wages for average 'bosman' players everyone will be tightening thier belts excluding the man u's and real's of the footballing world as banks will be insisting on debt riddled clubs to get thier house in order and use thier television cash to service those frightening overdrafts.
so taking that into consideration come the summer we will be debt free (there wont be many clubs worldwide whom can boast that!) and we will be in a fantastic position come the summer to buy from a bigger shop window.....better players reducing thier wage expectations within our wage structure.

so as i said....

lets not lower ourselves to minty anf TFOD level by spending big in order to 'stick a hose down thier throat' were classier than that and they now mean nothing to us.
With the astonishingly bad place they are heading to compared to ourselves namely our next five year plan with no debt,a new muti million £ shirt deal,new muti £million sponsor deal,lennoxtown complex and area regeneration/stadium facility upgrade for the commonweath games (paid for by the government) in place certainly signals exciting times ahead for our wonderful club and minty may well have crippled the club completely by sticking that hose (if he hasnt done so already) in his own mouth.

csial..tunes ok last night??got no feedback re the neil young track..

If you notice that Chelsea are offloading with no intention of buying during the transfer window, it tells a story in itself ?
The big Russian has lost a fortune with the price of oil dropping below 40.00, hes still not skinty pooh but in the last 5 month he has lost value of over 50% from his oil stocks taking a severe pummelling...........

Oil and steel who would have thought they were bad investments :-)

Hail Hail

gerry..re roman..having watched that mob getting tanked today it would suggest that the fires going out big time..though his collection of private jets are still intact unlike daves..

awatr,

I conked out again. I think I had a dodgy pint in The Crown...

I've now shown myself to be a lightweight two nights running. Once for you and once for pablo.

Did the Neil Young track have overtones that I would have been aware of...?

Csial..not directly..but credit crunch related..its about 12.mins long..and would recommend..

chilling with the mccluskey brothers on the media player..

Csial..

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/neil%2Byoung-ordinary%2Bpeople/video/x37hk_neil-young-ordinary-people

Hi just to add to the debate about spending in the transfer window, i have bee watching the tic fo 37 years and one thing i know is never discount Rangers, over the years even in their darkest days late 70s early 80s they could beat us when u least expect it.If we strengthen now we could just about guarantee champions league football come sept, the teddies will have to play 2 games to get into the champions league i for one dont think they can win those games so they will be in deep sh** so it is imperitive we strenghten now while we can

awalkacross.
Aye the private jets, poor Minty ( literaly )

Hail Hail

Gerry...if they exist..think the us army would want the technology for daves stealth bomber-)...

might make him a few quid..

arthur c.clarke csc

Dedicated to moonbeams..

ABC..

That was then this is now

awatr,

Excellent stuff on the Neil Young track. Goes very well while sipping on a nice malt.

I've been revisiting a lot of Sinead O music over the last couple of nights.

CSIAL..the album version is 18mins...and close to the mark..

Sinead not high up on my playlist Im afraid though she has participated in the odd gem

Sinead singing You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart from the OST to In The Name Of The Father.

001Bhoy, Magnus, macjay et al

response from Setanta re Dundee game:

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for your enquiry concerning the Celtic vs. Dundee Scottish Cup game this weekend.

The reason we did not show the game is that there weren’t sufficient cameras at the game. Neither Sky Sports nor BBC Scotland chose to send cameras- therefore the game was not available to be shown anywhere in the world.

Our scheduling department were under the assumption that the cameras were being sent to the game therefore initially included the game in our schedule.

We would like to apologise to you for any inconvenience.

Yours in Sport,

Setanta"

I guess they're happy to send cameras to McDiarmid for the visit of Glasgow's see club as that's on their schedule for Wed morning?

csial..her best..even with the eccentric former PIL member Mr Wobble..

visions of you

hola..it was live on C67 so someone deemed it to be of broadcastable quality...grant you there wernt the amount of cameras at cp that there were on BBC Scotlands first choice game on saturday nights sportscene which came from Somerset Park Ayr..

Hola..the game from Perth is BBC Scotlands live choice from this round..hence the coverage..

awatr,

Good but one of my personal favourites from Sinead is Thank You For Hearing Me.

Csial..will bow to you on that..just finishing off a rather large vodka and about to retire..will trouble the turf accountant in the morning for a donation..

£10 treble..

man yoo 11/8
hearts 6/4
dundee u 1/5..
a profit..

media player has james currently playing..

awatr,

Nice one.

Middlesbrough beat me yesterday for just under £100. I mean Saturday...

paul..

just before I retire..the figure you quoted re the clubs wages of £38.9m was that all inclusive or did bonus payments and tax requirements feature in that sum..

anyway all..im off..take care..

goodnight and may your god go with you

Paul..

should have read.. did the figures quoted include bonus payments or was that basic??

csial..it wil pay for 29/1..

am off(again)..

goodbye..

This "camel through the eye of a needle" adage is a bit of a misconception. In ancient times, towns and cities were surrounded by walls. The entrance or doorway into the town was in the form of a stone archway. This archway was known as a needle. If you entered the needle on the back of a camel, or leading it through on foot, it was a rather tricky manoeuvre, rather like driving a big car into a tight garage with an inch to spare on either side.

It was never intended to mean a sewing or knitting needle.

PF ayr,

I don't know much about Johnny Higgins myself. He was an outside right, I think. I'll try and get back to you with more information from my Dad.

I see this morning that noted truth dispenser Willie MacKay has unhappily cut across Rangers' denials that they asked him to sound out the market for Captain Scissorlegs and several other "players". The news has turned Martina Bain a funny colour, and forced him to wheel out yet another semantically bloodied denial.

Pauloantony,

You're right we can't discount the huns. This is why we do need to bring in 1 or 2 quality players - not least an LB. Not splash the cash, nor save the pennies but prudent investment...

'prudent' - that's the credit crunch for ya - brings you out all Gordon B!

Sorry this is off-topic. I'm looking for some financial advice fholks. I've just been offered a job in Brussels which I'm quite keen to take, but the pension scheme is pretty basic. My current pension is a final salary scheme, with about 17 years' service (I've 17 years to retirement also). The scheme for the new job is 7% non-contributory, but just involves investing in the bank.

With a final salary scheme, would I be better transferring it to the scheme for my new job? What would happen if I just left it there? Any idea about how much of a salary increase I would need to compensate for the pension difference? I expect some of these questions are of the 'how long is a piece of string' variety, but any general advice would be helpful.

I'll check things out with my current pension scheme when I get back home, but I think they might want to talk money with me today before I head back. Any thoughts/advice gratefully received.

Hail! Hail!
GAB

Morning all CQN'ers,

West Wales Celts, morning bud, prudent Gordon Brown? He wants us to be prudent while spending all our hard earned on failing banking institutions Hoooops

Sorry..... on to footabll matters, Paul67 it's great that we got another home tie but with a less than half empty stadium, unfortuntely I think we may have been better off with an away tie as the atmospere would be much better and the players would get a lift from said Cellic fans. I think you'll agree it was more than a bit flat on Sat. due to the low turnout. I laughed but was also embarassed that the Dundee hmmmmm fans were chanting "shall we sing a song for you".

4iar will do Hail Hail.

Pau67,

Forgot to add to the above post that(it's a wee bit early) of course financially speaking it's better to have the home tie, but I do worry about playing at home to a small crowd with a half empty stadium, it must be a bit of a downer for the players.

Haol Hail

vmhan

Vmhan AW

One of the attendance issues on Saturday, outwith competition, weather, time of year etc, was the fact that both upper and lowere tiers were open. Home fans were spread out a bit and yes the atmosphere was not the best

I went to the replay against Aberdeen last year, which I think was the first time the club did the kids for a fiver deal, as was the case on Saturday.

Only the lower tier was open to home fans, and that made a difference to the crowd...although the sheep won and we had to listen to them singing "*** all, you'regonan win **** all". Thankfully, that didn't turn out to be the case..

I think that if you are getting opponents like Peterhead/QP it makes sense to change seating etc.

inkybhoy
re the bottom tier only, god help them if it's another day like saturday....

Hooooooooops, Mon. mornings don't ye just hate them (well dislike them)!

Inkybhoy, thanks for that as I never realised, it seems then that seating arrangements are a factor for lower attendance games. Maybe sit where you like for specified areas would help as it means you can actually sit with the friends you travelled to watch the game with.

While I'm on whinge, I would really love some standing room behind the goals for a bit of increased atmosphere, get the singing going again......oh for the jungle noise/ atmoshere again.

vmhan

Paul 67 Shun

We need to seriously rethink our strategy for home cup games against the smaller teams

I think the attendance was around 25,000 on saturday.
say 20,000 adults at £15 = £300K
say 5000 kids at £5 = £25K
say average 12,500 purchase items from Kiosk at £5 = £62.5K
TOTAL INCOME FROM 25,000 CROWD = £387.5K

Lennondinho18 Strategy:

Guess 52,000 attendance
42,000 Adults at £5 = £210K
10,000 kids at £2 = £20K
say 32,000 purchase items from kiosk at £5 = £160
TOTAL INCOME FROM 52,000 CROWD = £390k

I am not saying this would exactly happen, but it is def worth a shot. More people at less price per ticket could well indeed return a greater income. If we market this really well, I am sure we could get the numbers in, esp with most teams still charging very high prices for tickets

I know that more people would mean more stewards etc but this is def worth a try as the current strategy does NOT work, fact.

This was going to be my question to PL at the AGM, but then i missed it!

Lennondinho !8
I was just thinking along the same lines (but withiut the detail. I am just a dreamer!) Anyway, if you and I think along those lines, we can almost guarantee others do as well. Also agree that good marketing is essential but I am not too sure we can rely on much help from the Media.

BT

I know the weather was utterly gash, and it's nae fun in the bottom tier wi rain like that

Vmhan AW

Sitting with who you travelled with would make a difference. If that was done, with only the bottom tier open (and the club must know how many people they expect to get through the door well before the match), you wouldn't have people spread out all over the place and so help create a better atmosphere.

Lennondinho18

Not a bad idea

Good point Blantyretim but we would have done a huddle under the covered area, and all the singing would have kept us warm.

How are you feeling today? hows the stomach ?

ps I'm in Port Glasgow the weekend of the Hibs game (family do) so I'll probably go up the gallowgate early with Jonathan if you're up for it.

Vmhan

Vmhan aw, Dundee fans were good value but I’m happy to be at home again.

Welcome Tobago.

Lennondinho18, The demand for games against Queens of Peterhead will never reach 52,000, even if you gave the tickets away for free. I know a few people who had tickets to give away on Saturday but couldn’t.

Awalkacrosstherooftops, that included all salary related costs.

Weeronn, totally agree.

vmhan aw
made it out of bed today for work. taking the painkillers as per nakagod.

might be a wee bit late that day, have a meeting that Saturday morning. try my best to get there asap...

when is the next round of the cup?

I don`t know,Paul. Queens of Peterhead could attract a big crowd out of curiosity!

BT
Sat Feb 7th 3 o` clock KO

Hotsmoaked :¬).................cut oor Paul a bit of slack it's Monday.

V

Hotsmokedsalmon.
thanks ....

GerryAdamsBeard

I'm not a financial expert by any means but I was in a similar situation to you a few years back, as regards having a final salary pension and moving job.

Much better to leave your final salary fund ring-fenced as opposed to transferring it to new scheme. It will give you a guaranteed pension at retirement of whatever value you've been given just now plus annual RPI-linked increases.

Best to get a decent IFA to advise you.

Lennondinho18

Great shout.

Tully.

"Martin Bain asked me to find possible buyers for Barry Ferguson and a number of other players." Willie McKay

Bain said: "It is categorically untrue that I asked Willie Mckay to find a club for any specific player."

as Paul would say ..Hmmmmmm?

As we the tax payer will be 43% owners of the new superbank(lloyds/hbos) can we put extra pressure on our MP to get the debt owed paid back as soon as possible...or get the debtors declared bankrupt...
BT

I wouldnt have thought it would be in the banks best interest to get the huns declared bankrupt

Hotsmokedsalmon -

"Hmmmmmmmm?" indeed. Maybe the devil is in the detail, especially the part of the deeply coloured ones quote "...any specific player."

In other word, he could have said (allegedly, possibly, maybe) "Willie, dae us a favour and get any price you can, for any of the duds that we have"

That is not specific, but a sweeping, general statement that would cover anyone over there.

Yurcl

The Jaiket

i was just being flippent, i don't have any financial knowlwedge.

GerryAdams'Beard @ 8:28...

I can direct you to expertise in this area.

You can get my contact details from Paul67.

Gordon

Prince Myshkin at 4.15 am.

Thanks. This explanation had already come up in the earlier discussion, as you will have seen.

I think it's interesting that people have been using this explanation for centuries — rich people, of course.

I also think it's worth noting that the ensuing discussion between Jesus and his followers, Jesus does not say anything supporting the notion that it's a tricky old thing getting a camel through the gate in the city wall and that you'll have to take all the baggage off the beast to stand a chance.

He says (Matthew 19.26) that it is “impossible” for us. Only with God's help will it be possible.

Scary stuff if you're rich, which we all are.

tully57

cheers shun

Another good article by Graham Spiers in the London Times. It is a poor thing when the only sensible articles (in the old meida - I nearly plonked my foot in poo there, Paul) on the politics/ economics of Scottish football are published in an English paper owned by an Australian tycoon. Interestingly Spiers' radio feature on sectarianism - where he broke from the traditional 'two sides of the same coin' line - was broadcast on Radio 4 -- it's difficult to imagine hearing it on Radio Scotland. That he routinely slags his colleagues in the Scottish press as Murray's lapdogs is revealing, but also makes me wonder what the atmosphere is like when he enters the press box. Does anyone know what his falling out with the Herald was about?

Paul67

Very Possible shun

just trying to think of all avenues to change the way we currently deal with home cup games

I don't think we have tried as many 'tricks' as we could have as it seems to be the same old

£15 a ticket number

new ideas are certainly required me thinks

Was watching "For the Love of Lubo" video last night and was struck by the quality of players he had as team-mates. Now Gordon Strachan has achieved more than the Celtic of the Lubo era, with the three titles and the CL last 16 places, yet surely all of the following would get a game just now (and I've probably omitted some).

MacNamara
Agathe
Valgaren
Mjallby
Mahe
Balde (!)
Lambert
Lennon
Viduka
Larsson
Sutton

Given that all of these guys, at their peak, would walk into the current team suggests that Gordon Strachan is doing remarkably well with the squad at his disposal.

GAB drop me a mail at mbradso2003@yahoo.co.uk and I will try to help you out this evening

Who increased the font size?

Another idea, if by the Wednesday before a home cup tie, we have say 30,000 tickets unsold

then we should be heading to as many schools/youth centres etc as possible, handing out 20,000 or so free tickets

this would still leave plenty for a late rush

but would also guarantee an increased revenue due increased sales at the food kiosks

Ideas on a postcard please to the usual address

Hotsmokedsalmon :-)

WalkOnTheWildSideCSC

Lanarkcelt, SoS produced a five page special ‘Rangers in Crisis’ yesterday. The story is slowly coming out.

may67, Mahe!

Paul

I'm pretty sure the bold Stephane was a better left back than the present incumbent!

Paul

I haven't read back through the blog yet and I apologise if someone has already asked but do you see any more news coming out this week regarding Rangers perilous financial position? I'm being greedy I know but I enjoyed last week and hoping it will continue!

Just thinking about Murray's comments to the media last week and it seems to me to have been far too hasty considering Boyd hadn't concluded a deal with Birmingham. Chairmen now know that they desperately need money so they now have a choice. Do they pay what Rangers are asking for at the present time or do they wait until 31 January (or hopefuly February 1 or 2) when by that time it will be 'any offers accepted'? I know what i would do if I were one of those chairmen whose manager was interested in a Rangers player.

Squeaky bum time for Murray if he doesn't get a body or two out the door pronto.

Lennondinho18

great idea to give away free tickets to schools, but im afraid your proposal has one big flaw - its riddled with common sense ; )

Camel Quick News in unmeltdown over whether it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a competent left-back to walk through the door at Celtic Park.

Vmhan aw 8.34 AM

Agreed the atmosphere was flat on Saturday and I too laughed at Dundee fans chant of 'shall we sing a song for you'. Funny yes, embarassing no, remember this is a so called 'big' club who brought 5,000 fans down for their cup final....what a pity they cant attract that amount to their league matches, they might not be in the perilous position they're in...just a thought.

speaking of low attendances against Dundee, one of my earliest memories of a league cup final was against the Taysiders captained by big Tam Gemmell. It was a horrible, horrible day, the snow fell and I think Gordon Wallace scored the only goal - drat. The year, I think, was 1973.....

Just a thought but our 'incompetent' left back's have cost us way less points this season than our, presently, incompetent goalkeeper.

How much does it for Dundee United to part with Zaluska four months early?

I missed the comments this weekend so apologies if this has been debated to death, but does anyone know if we are likely to offer United money this window to take their keeper early?

What has happened to Artur, I was all for giving him some time due to personal problems but this to me, is the time to drop him. We have already lost opportunities to "bury" Rangers against Hibs and D/United and I fear we could drop more points in close run games due to stupid goalkeeping errors.

Paul67/Kojo - Any inside gossip on the possibility I discussed above?

I'd have to agree full at half price is better than half full at full price, just for the add on sales, programmes, hotdogs etc. Even if kids go free with adults, the pester power of kids in the superstore and food areas can be remarkable and if mum and dad haven't had to pay for the ticket they might persuade the olds to buy them a programme, a hotdog and a new scarf!

DBBIA

You're excellent reference to Matthew 7 yesterday notwithstanding, I'd venture to suggest that those babes have no chance. Not with all those fancy adornments.

Shocking syntax from me there. Apologies.

Was renowned fitba journo and Stirling Albion fan (aye they lied back then too), Alex 'Candid' Cameron not famously wearing a camel coat when he was unceremoniously buttocked by the hind parts ay a big hoarse - Alex Camelon from Camelon ?

hazyjane, deep in the MLs

porridgeandbananas on January 12, 2009 10:49 AM
More news dripping out as investigation into Sir mintys bluster continues to refute his claims. Apparently they need to raise £7m. Bazza fee equates to his salary for the rest of his contract. They are desperately trying to get McGreigs away for £5M tho Bourgherra looks most likely at £4.5M ( and they can spout of making a profit on the £2.5M they paid) Mendes doesnt look likely to be going anywhere and it transpires from Brum that Boyd fee was actually £2.2M and not £3.8M as told by the Scottish Media! Ahhhhh those scamps!! Always talking up the fees that RFC receive, the rascals that they are!!

On Saturday's attendance,
I find it unlikely, cost made much of a difference, in fact its more than likely that there were plenty of people who had tickets and never turned up. The Weather IMO was the deciding factor.

the treble will have to do

hail hail

Luckbhoy & Lennondinho: Don't mean to sound negative on your ideas but if the regular attenders got wind of this, wouldn't they also hang back and wait for the free tickets at the later stage. I think they should just bite the bullet and say "look we need the attendance improved so lets have a massive reduction in prices all round, and kids under 12 go free"! Surely they would still have an otherwise increase in revenue with the expected higher attendance this would bring?

Although I'm a committed season book holder I'm sure we all agree the product on show hasn't been as good as it should be and understand when fans pick and choose the games to go to. Also it doesn't help when you have to pay through the nose for cup games especially in these hard up times.

Paul67

to quote..."SoS produced a five page special ‘Rangers in Crisis’ yesterday."

You haven't been breaking your promise I hope?!?

cta!

don'treadtheragscsc

Did anybody see Scotsport on Saturday night ? The Celtic game was relegated to the status of an all 4rd division tie. We seen the goals and that was it. By contrast we had extended highlights of that huge game between Ayr and Killie, and those Thistle Giants of Inverness and Partick.

That, and the fact that you could hardly see half the games due to rain and misted up cameras made for a decidedly amateurish show. What a joke of a program when put alongside the English version.

4rd is obviously 3rd......

Paul67,
any chasnce of another wee financial report on scotlands shame, as every article by you seems to send them and the press nuts.

the treble will have to do

hail hail

Celtic linked with left back!!!
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2481052.0.celtic_interested_in_man_city_kid.php#

holahoops,

Thanks. I got the same reply from SetantaOz.

To quote freely "I was astounded of forehead"!

In what other country does the sporting media choose not "to send cameras" to the home ground of the reigning champions when they are involved in a 4th round tie of a major tournament?

My original email sent in solidarity with y'goodself:

" To Whom It May Concern

Why do we fail to get significant games such as the Celtic v Dundee Scottish Cup either live or as a replay?

I note that the Rangers v St Johnstone game is scheduled for Tuesday however.

Have you any idea how many Celtic fans depend upon Setanta for a decent view of their team's games? And the teams that provide the opposition to Rangers and Celtic get their only opportunity when these games are broadcast.

Why am I paying extra when such games are totally omitted from the
scheduling?

I enjoy Rugby as much as the next person but your scheduling in this instance is totally unbalanced.
Regards,
etc"

Magnus

Javier Garrido getting linked today.

Hmmmmm.....!!

Has somebody been listening to me.

Thought for today as another blog will probably take over.

Is Sir Tom Hunter, described by Robert Peston in his book "Who Runs Britain" as a well known Scottish philanthropist (which I do not doubt)the sort of camel Jesus had in mind?

He is still rich but his mindset is most generous. What would count at the end of Sir Tom's days, the balance in his bank account or his mindset?

(there are many Sir Tom Hunters out there.)

HENRIKS SOMBRERO
i have to agree with you 100% after waiting for an age to see celtics game they show 2 mins of highlights and about 20 mins of the game you referred to with misted up cameras
3rd rate at best

dontbrattbackinanger -

why is the front camel foaming at the mouth ?

camel cremola foam ?

the foam-mouthed camel reminds me of one wild-eyed celebrity Ranger and pyrotechnic wizard, Mr ............oops I've forgot his name, the one Thommo was tired rippin it out of...........????

Hazyjane

Auldheid. Agreed. He's committed to giving it all away. His inspiration was Andrew Carnegie.

Philanthropy is taking a back seat for 2009, but Tom Hunter is still only a young man. DBBIA won't like your example as Hunter is from Ayrshire.

Hi guys,

I was looking through my favourites on my browser and found this little gem

http://video.stv.tv/bc/sport-sportinterviews-20080814-david-murray/

Ricksen, that's the one - bug-eyed brain of straw

The coverage of Saturday's game was very shoddy.

They missed most of Artur's Folly, (mercifully) and we had close ups,when wide angle shots were required.

Headless players were also in evidence.

No company worth their salt would have paid for such poor quality camera work.

I'm glad I never had to pay for the privilege.

Parkheadcomesalford PF Ayr

John Higgins was the Apprentice Training Officer at Babcock & Wilcox(Renfrew)in the mid sixties when I joined the company. Although I had passed the entry test, I still had to pass the dreaded interview. John put me at ease immediately, a perfect gent. Any time you had problems with your training, you knew you could always go to John for advice.
I still remember him running to the canteen every lunchtime, still looked pretty fit.
I think there was a bit of controversy in the seventies(I had already left the company by this time), when someone complained to the unions that John had been carrying out a one man Affirmative Action recruiting policy on behalf of the RC community, but I cant remember the outcome.
I cant say I remember thinking that there was a bias towards RC`s in the apprentice intake, but there you go.
I do remember my first job outside the training area was with a fitting squad, and I was the only Celtic fan in a squad of 10 or so journeymen and 4 apprentices, read from that what you will.

A McB

Wicklowbhoy - the other 'top' game they gave extensive coverage to was QOS V Falkirk. Absolutely incredible. They even had the QOS manager in the studio.

billyimatim

my free ticket idea was only for the weans

so wudnae affect any current season ticket holders

new article posted.

May67, I would contest that matter.

P&B, I hear an offer from Newcastle has been accepted for Ferguson, who is considering it at the m