Real distortion bad for football

Can it be?

afternoon Paul67

I was in conversation with a first team player at Burnley who said that Owen Coyle had said his goodbyes to the team. The comment was that he had his heart set on his beloved Celtic and was off. What persuaded him to stay; perhaps the thought of the balance sheet at Celtic being more important the scoresheet, perhaps it was simply the fact that Burnley put their hands deeper into their pockets to persuade him to stay. The latter is what was suggested during the conversation. It is disappointing that we appeared to have got our man and that he was prepared to crawl over broken glass to come to us only either for his greed or our refusal to match the cash that he didn’t come. Having said all that I am salivating at the thought of seeing football played the Glasgow Celtic Way.

Ye Mort. it is. Congratualtions to you.

Paul67,

interesting point on Stokes. Like Liam Miller he had a great opportunity and decided the gift horse to be the better option. Hell mend them.

Can you also send me you eamil address so I can organise a wee doantion to your Gowf charity. i lost you email when my old PC went "POP" and clicking your link no longer takes me to your email.

Cheers

MWD

I find the whole thing off putting, the game is now a plaything for the few.

give me a sign (ing)

Paul67,
Thats a humungeous (is that a word) amount of money Real are spending, all down to the success Barca had last year, I hope Barca maintain their domination in Europe until we've got our new look team up n running :¬)

vmhan
Hail Hail

Paul your comment about Real spending as they are yet Barcelona is the prime club is very true. More Than a Club.
Real's spending is not only unsustainable, but will allow large sums of money to float around as players are off loaded at huge prices.

Go go Real

Owen Coyle has done the right thing...for Owen Coyle. Good luck to him. He's got a very good contract but it is likely that he could be sacked in 4 months time. He will never be poor again despite that. He will then get another job at another club such as Motherwell or Hibs and make a very good living. He'll always be a Celtic man which is always nice to wake up to.

I like Mowbrey's style. Slightly understated but determined..and it seems his own man. I'll give him every chance to make it and look forward to seeing his initial thoughts in action in Brisbane next week.

Forget Owen Coyle, Mark McGee and the rest. We have a manager who wants to do us proud. Lets move on to 1 in a row!

...and a new signing or two!

Paul67,
Any idea whether we will be utilising the new connection with Willie McStay's Ujpest at all?

Just wondered if Tizsa was on our radar at all.

FREE THE UJPEST ONE!

/Bishop B

Paul67 :- I tend to agree with you that the current "superspend" by Madrid is unsustainable, I think the same applies to the top spenders in the EPL. To my way of thinking the problem with this way is that it depends on everything invloving income being maximised, a drop in sponsorship or TV revenue for example will have a catastrophic effect on those teams.
One phrase from your post I did find a bit ironic though considering it came from a Celtic fan (the same would apply if it were said by a Rangers fan)
"It belittles the meritocratic efforts of the many thousands who work in the game and is bad for football."
Isn't that just what Rangers and Celtic have been doing in Scottish football for almost it's entire history?
Almost any time a team manages to get a good batch of players capable of a sustained challenge together the reslt is that Rangers and/or Celtic then go in and dismantle that team by offering huge (by SPL standards) wages and transfer fees.

I see there has once again been debate on the new away strip.

I reckon it is the bumble Bee strip.

At the weekend I bought Mini MWD the new goalkeeper strip (rather nice I must add). The strip is Black with a dark grey front. the Celtic badge and Nike Tic is Lumo yellow a la lumo yellow from the Bumble Bee strip.

So there you have it. It must be.

So say MWD

Ferguson will be spitting teeth if Real land Benzema. He's managing the biggest club in the world, winners and runners up in the last 2 Champions Leagues, winner of 'the best league in the world' 3 times in succession, and he has dough to burn.

What is it about the great Italian and Spanish teams that sets them apart from the mundane?

Oh...and, sorry Paul, your article! Stokes should be a reminder of how we go overboard getting carried away, wanting to pay too much for over-hyped, previously unknown players. Wasn't that long ago it was a disaster we lost out to Blackburn??? for the star of the last Under 21 Championships. Some Dutch guy ...Marcio Hitgers???? or the like.

If anyone can tell me his name and where he is now I'd be impressed.

If we had signed him at the inflated rate proposed I wouldn't have been!

Paul67, you're really messing up my lunchbreak with this early new article business. :)

You are absolutely right about Real, of course. They're spraying cash around as if there was no tomorrow. Who does Florentino Pérez think he is? Gordon Brown?

It seems we dodged a bullet with Tony Stokes. He's only young as you say but his career isn't on the upward trajectory one would have expected a couple of years ago. The next Liam Miller perhaps.

Incidentally, I just found out Liam Miller was released by QPR last month and is currently unemployed. Hull and Cork City are said to be considering making a move for his services. Oh dear, oh dear. Good luck with your next move to a "bigger club", Liam!

The Battered Bunnet

The big Spanish/Italian clubs have the lure of the cities they are based in and their respective warmer climate. Also, the way football is played in these countries is totally different.

I think many good footballers are put off by the kick, punt, run, repeat style that is played here and in England. Many see that as a badge of honour that we have such a "physical" game but until we get rid of that mindset there will always be players who simply don't want to come here and the EPL is the same.

The only lure they have is money really.

Len Brennan

Who is the Ujpest 1? I do enjoy attempting to free people. :^)

Ed,

Since the demise of Fat Ecks site, where else do you get to contribute sensibly, apart from here?

It was a good site with only a few nutters. Simply the Best would apply to it as far as Rangers blogs go!

Is the big fella himself still around

cheers

Yarranabbe

His name was Maceo Rigters and I believe he's still at Blackburn :^)

Megansdad
,

great article from you on etims.

certainly worth a read everyone.

MWD

EdwardUrsus on July 2, 2009 1:21 AM

Tsk! Tsk! That takes the biscuit. :-)

Sir Furious might be managing the so-called "best team in ra wurld" but players do not like his man management.

Vewwwy Pwwoud

HAGGISHUNTER - I find it very difficult to believe that Owen Coyle would say goodbye to the Burnley players before being offered the Celtic job, on the basis that he had set his heart on the Celtic job.

Coyle, like Moyes, Mowbray, Martinez and McGhee and whoever else we don't know about, were asked if they were interested in the Celtic job. At that point, no money was mentioned. No wages, contract length, transfer budget - nothing. Just "Would you be interested?"

Only Tony Mowbray was offered the job. Only Tony Mowbray was told how much salary was on offer and how much the transfer budget would be. Owen Coyle never got as far as talking salary or transfer budget, either because he told Celtic he wasn't interested, or he said he was interested, but was never offered the job.

Finally, are we being asked to believe that, in the end, an embarrassed and contrite Owen Coyle returned to Burnley after the close season, to face the very players he had already said goodbye to a few weeks earlier, and sheepishly telling them, "Er...well...it's me again. I didnae get that job"?

I wouldn't buy that one in a million years.

CelticSephiroth

That's the guy. Does he ever get game?

Impressed!

Paul 67

Can see what you mean about Real Madrid. However as a mad Barca fan (second only to Celtic - having spent the 90s in Spain)I can't wait for the new Spanish season and the challenge from Madrid. Here in Ireland the media make it sound like the EPL is the only league on earth. The analysis of champions league games is regularly embarrassing - disrespectful to great European teams and also to Celtic. Man Utd play well and they are the biggest team on earth. They get done and it is down to their concentration, tactics etc. The EPL propagandists would have done well behind the iron curtain.
I think that Sky would get Celtic a higher profile than Setanta and hope that is the way things go. Kids here are not seeing Celtic enough (hopefully football under TM won't leave that comment open to scorn!)

Hail Hail

Yarranabbe Bhoy....

Rigters is still on Blackburn's books but has had loan spells at Norwich and Barnsley. Needless to say, I don't think we missed out to much there.

All that money and they have not addressed their problem area from last season, defence.

Would we accept £30m for Cauldenbuer?

Paul67

Do you not think if they're spending all this money, even if it goes against their traditions, that they should have started at the back. It's fairly obvious that almost all successful teams are built on a strong defence and spine. Real Madrid now have the most mouth-watering attacking line but no team has the ball for 90 minutes.

Mort (from last thread)

Is the difference not that we got guys like Larsson for £600-800k? Sutton was the real deal and we got him at a cut-down fee. Fortune is a nobody in the game and they're looking for £4m? Not saying he wouldn't work out but he'll be much more of a risk than the others and has very low potential for sell on value which is key.

Yarranabbe

They loaned him out a couple of times but I think he had a really bad injury and as such hasn't played much.

I can't recall him scoring a single goal for them. Don't think they're too happy with how that one panned out.

EdwardUrsus - I think the difference in the Scottish context is that Celtic and Rangers no longer try to live beyond their means, whereas Real are engaged in a reckless spending binge that even 90's era David Murray would have thought imprudent.

As you say, they're basically betting on ever-increasing revenues. One can see why the Americans who bought into English football in 2005 and 2006 might have thought this a good strategy in the midst of a credit-fuelled boom, but it seems crazy in the current climate of Moneygeddon.

Hi Paul67,

I don't often disagree with you, but in this case I do.

Celtic & Rangers have been monopolising the Scottish leagues since day dot.

Barca and Real are no different, where Real get their money from is neither here nor there, they appear able to sustain the club at the level their supporters expect, an endless supply of cash is clearly available to them.

Not that long ago it was the same at Celtic Park and Ibrox.

Will Real's bubble burst? Probably, but lets enjoy watching that team next year in the CL.

WMBT

Gold Coast Tom

Not sure about the rest of what Haggis Hunter said (can't believe he would've said goodbyes) but I can say with a bit of confidence Owen Coyle was preferred to Tony Mowbray but was not happy working with the transfer budget he was offered.

However I was quite keen on Owenie, probably Norther West Donegal bias mind you, but i'm glad now we didn't get him. If he thinks Fletcher is a good striker we made a lucky escape methinks.

DD

Paul

I kid you not, I've just been saying exactly the same thing to some anglo's down here, what madrid are doing is just plain stupid and seems to consist entirely of pi55ing off Alex Fergushun by taking his best player and then anybody who gets even vaguely linked as a target, all this in the sure and certain knowledge that when, not if, they go bust, the Spansish Government will use taxpayers cash to bail them out yet again, which must go down really well with taxpayers who dont actually support the " galacticos "

I'm afraid that I now refer to Real by a slightly different moniker, similar to the nickname above but it ends in unts...

I think your observation on young Mr Stokes is also valid, but could also applied to those more advanced in years, England is a hard place to play football with so many chasing the fairytale wages

Ming

Malone19

Not only that, but they've signed Kaka and Ronaldo who never track back, ever.

Gold Coast Tom
I take your point. I don't know if she said his cheerios to all the players, but the player I spoke to said he had said so to him. He went as far to say that the assistant manager had tried to persuade him with to stick with Burnley but apparently without success. It was only after an overnight intervention (sound a bit smutty that) from the chairman that things changed. Just goes to show what you will do if the chairman intervenes you during the night. Aplogies to any chairmen here - not armchairmen by the way.

Malone19....

Real also signed Raúl Albiol from Valencia who played in the Euro Championships final for Spain and looks a good, young defender from what I've seen of him.

He cost around 15m Euros and while he may not have grabbed the headlines like the others, he will be a useful addition. I have a feeling they may go for Arbeloa too.

CelticSephiroth,
He's the guy I was asking Paul67 whether we were looking at him.
His name is Tibor Tisza and is an attacking midfielder who is a freekick specialist.

Here's the wee clip I posted yesterday -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3_s-Bo8mZY

He reminds me of Lubo a wee bit.

FREE THE UJPEST ONE!

/Bishop B

I was going to start this by saying reading between the lines but you don't have to do that. It seems as plain as the nose on your face that Celtic/Fortune and Nancy are all trying to find a way to do a deal.

By all accounts Fortune and Nancy have agreed terms with Hull. Only reason why he's not signed is his favoured destination must be Celtic. TM must want the player the player looks as if he wants to come the only stumbling block has to be Celtic (if the deal was identical to Hull's then what's the hold up). Of course it's acceptable to do the best deal for the club but once again unlike other clubs (in this case Hull) it takes an age to agree a deal. Our slow pace, must have been detremental to us in the past and with no reason to believe strategy will change in the future it will once again hinder us going forward.

Fortune not my idea of value at what seems 3.8 mill + 25k plus a week.

However it seems for TM it does represent value, Celtic either need to back the managers judgement and conclude a deal or why appoint him in the first place?

Ah, unfortunately I can't access youtube at work, but hopefully will have a chance to look when I get in.

Still, I'm game!

FREE THE UJPEST 1!!!

WillieMillersBushyTache - What happened to Willie Miller's bushy tache anyway? Did it elope with Stewart Milne's toupee?

Willie Miller used to look like a strong man, like Stalin, or Saddam Hussein.

Now he looks like Willo the Wisp.

Latest reports from Spain suggesting Villa to Barca for Circa 40-50 million Euros. Yikes.

not about Celtic

but I dont suppose anyone on here knows a good site for finding Musicians around the Glasgow area..I.e. people looking for a new band to join?

I'm not having much luck..lol

Will Real be in for Aidenhinho next?

At least Real Madrid is a club which is up there. They will afford it even if they can't, if you know what I mean!! What I can't get is the sustainability of the Chelsea's and Manchester City's. They seem to be the Gretna's of world football...and just as vulnerable to individual tragedy.

I believe we should be careful in our spending, but not quite as careful as we currently are.

Thanks geebee1978,CelticSephiroth re info on Blackburn lad we were after at one time and thankfully didn't get!

philvisreturns

I thought Willo the Wisp signed for Celtic in January :^)

Gold Coast TomAuthor Profile Page on July 2, 2009 12:25 PM

Excellent response re Owen, who?

Wee Green Machine

What kind of band and what positions do you need filled?

YarranabeBhoy :- Although I lurk on a lot of sites this is the only one I post on now, it's the only one where you can get a decent level of debate as well as the surreal posts and jokes that come along at times. It also probably has the least percentage of posts that descend into childish name calling.
As far as the fat man goes I really don't know, I didn't attend many games last season and sort of lost touch with a few folk I knew. His site is sadly missed though and not just by me if some comments in local pubs are anything to go by.

LemonsTeeth :- I offer the defence of rioja :-)

EdwardUrsus

I was at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar last night and this talk of the defence of rioja sounds like an awesome technique to me :^)

I'm currently trying to perfect a choke which I shall dub the Valsalva maneuver after my doctor mentioned that one to me :^)

Why is 'Newsnow, Celtic' constantly filled with Di Matteo stories????????....but even worse Kris Commons to us for 3m!!!!!!

Hey Edward, thanks for your reply last night. I was in my bed at that time though!

It is interesting to get the rangers perspective on summer activity. I sometimes feel that the team who has won the league often feels that one or two good quality players will suffice.

Another reason for my own confidence is that the 'new manager' effect, I feel, is going to have a great impact on some of our under achievers. It is uncanny how a new manager can always get the best out of some existing players. I suppose these players see it as a new start. Petrov and Mjallby under O'Neill for example, Petta to some extent (I will never forget THAT day when he tore your full back a new one!) or McGeady under Strachan (eventually).

I am as excited about the improved performances of exisiting squad members as I am about new signings.

Rangers struggled badly last season until we gave them renewed momentum by throwing away points after our Ibrox victory in December. Had we maintained that lead for a month I think Rangers would have collapsed and we would be in the unusual position of having a new manager at Celtic and at Rangers. But it didn't and, well....

I found it interesting that you said most Gers fans are happy with the midfield and forwards. Having sneaked a peak at certain gers forums after bad results it would seem that 'ra peepul' have short memories in that respect.

If Celtic can get off to a good start under Mowbray i think Rangers may be looking at a long and difficult season.

But as you rightly say it is all conjecture at this stage.

Just interesting to hear a footballing view tinted with blue specs, just as mine are green (and NOT with envy I might add)

Is anyone likely to leave this season BTW? What has happened to this squad trimming exercise that was supposed to take place last january? was that a curve ball aimed at Celtic do you think? Perhaps it was the January shenanigans that stopped us from speculating to accumulate? Who knows.....

TG's Summer Sizzler Shopping list

Left back - Asier Del Horno
Age - 28
Height - 6'0
Club - cash strapped Valencia

Central Midfield - Michael Johnson
Age - 21
Height - 6'0
Club - Man City

No.25 - Yassine Chikhaoui
Age - 22
Height - 6'2.5"
Club - FC Zurich

Striker - Felipe Caicedo
Age - 20
Height - 6'1"
Club - Man City

Striker - Tibor Tisza
Age - 24
Height - 5'9"
Club - Ujpest FC

Go on Tony, you know it makes sense

Yarranabbe

Newsnow picks up any article with the word "Celtic" in it on the news sites that they have set up to search. In each of the Di Matteo articles it probably says something like "Di Matteo has come in after former manager Tony Mowbray moved to Celtic earlier in the Summer."

hey mate! not seen you in a while!

How's tricks?

EM..good question..it's alt rock..em kinda like Old Nine Inch Nails (downward spiral)..but with Orchestral elements and less "screamy"..lol

I'm looking for the full lot really! I might have another Guitarist..but I dunno

How come mate?

As you say, they're basically betting on ever-increasing revenues. One can see why the Americans who bought into English football in 2005 and 2006 might have thought this a good strategy in the midst of a credit-fuelled boom, but it seems crazy in the current climate of Moneygeddon.

philvisreturns

Unfortunately i think the parallels are closer to that of our banks. If they go bust the taxpayer will probably step in (again) and bail them out.

CelticSephiroth

Sorry that last message was for you..I forgot to put your name in..my phone kept going!

sorry that should read:

philvisreturn says
As you say, they're basically betting on ever-increasing revenues. One can see why the Americans who bought into English football in 2005 and 2006 might have thought this a good strategy in the midst of a credit-fuelled boom, but it seems crazy in the current climate of Moneygeddon.

Unfortunately i think the parallels are closer to that of our banks. If they go bust the taxpayer will probably step in (again) and bail them out.

Ultimately in all financial matters, you reap what you sow...The EPL are now feeling the effects of their raising the bar to idiotic levels

Madrid , even with this recent spurge, will have a debt level of half of Man United's and still less than Chelsea and on a par with Liverpool

They have no fear that UEFA will act against them, having tolerated much higher debt levels from EPL clubs. A further reality check for UEFA is that Madrid are in a much better position to justify their debt than Liverpool rr Chelsea , or even Man United.

It might not be sustainable, and it's not, but they have hugely greater income than Chelsea or Arsenal or Liverpool, and are not dependent on any one single owner for their survical. Being a members owned club, like Barcelona, the club itself does not get saddled with debt just to facilitate a change of owner...as has happened at Liverpool and United.As an aside, if the Glazers sell, the debt is highly unlikely to disappear. It will just be passed on the the next owners .

Their spending can be argued to be immoral, unethical and bad for the football industry....and i would agree with all 3 of those opinions...what it is not, is worse than the way the EPL have conducted themselves in recent years

Much as i enjoy Barca thumping Madrid, i acknowledge they are a world force and possibly the highest profile club on the planet. Only Barca and to a lesser extent Man Utd could contest that position

When you see how Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesborough and West Ham have behaved financially, they are much more culpable than Madrid. Those 4 clubs have no heritage to compare to Madrid, no position of importance outwith their own immediate post code and have mispent themselves almost into oblivion. They tried to be something they could never be....a short spell of success locally decades ago is hardly a European heritage.

They have neither the profile or the fan base to be a European force. The money they spent was aimed at turning them into that, and like Parma, Fiorentina and sadly Valencia, it was always destined to end in tears....Almost every other EPL club could be accused of the same irresponsible practice of putting ambition above resources...

Rangers are another example of ludicrous spending, destined to fail...they at least have the excuse of a large fan base .....although that doesn't mitigate any of Murray's excesses, and coming back to reaping what you sow...the final chapter has not been played out yet at Ibrox, although it might well have been in the throws right now, had our team and manager performed last season and had our ceo done what we were all crying out for him to do

Regardless...Barca still to win La Liga and the CL this coming season

Ed,

As a Celt his site was always up there. He had a passion but remained quite objective for the most part. The posters where excellent too. He lost it at the end, but the pressure game after game to get a post up must have been enormous. He did the right thing and went before it/he collapsed.

he will be sadly missed by what seemed a decent, but dedicated group of individuals.

Maybe some of them ( not all) could post here and get a good debate going. It would be good for a while until the loonies took over. We can but dream.

cheers

I am getting seriously worried about myself!

Is it wrong to take so much pleasure at the cuttent situation of Anthony Stokes and Liam Miller?

Don't care actually.

I'm lovin' it!

53

Estadio Nacional on July 2, 2009 12:27 PM
All that money and they have not addressed their problem area from last season, defence.

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

actually they've signed centre back and risning star raul albiol and have been linked with other defenders like arbeloa.

this time they look like they're concentrating on more than just the attack. plus, they still have pepe (ball playing centre back) to play alongside albiol and sergio ramos and a good young left wing back in marcelo (though expect someone to come in ahead of him). and of course the best goalie in the world on his day (IMO).

Tictical_Genius

They certainly won't be cash strapped if they sell Villa.

We may recoil at the thought of Real's spending but remember, it's all relative. Perez has said he'll spend up to 250 million euros on building a team for 4-5 years....to do this he's securitised 150 million euros worth of (almost) guaranteed TV money. That meant they already had a nice wee pot of cash generated from this seasons lack of success. If he has success next season, domestically and in Europe, he's done the job....if not, he'll still have next seasons pot of 40-50 million euros to buy again. I think that's the difference between us and them...a poor season (early Europe exit) means a big hole in the finances. For them, it's a speedbump cos El Rey is there to rattle the collection tin for them, like he did the last time.

Remember, in his first year, O'Neill bought big and look at the success that brought.....the added filip was the 'Murray Masterplan' that had Celtic 'quaking in their boots' at the thought of being 'left behind as Rangers step up a gear'....into a £50 million hole! Only time and 'told you so' will tell for Real....is this their version of the Murray Masterplan or could it deliver Real silverware?.....

Wee Green machine,

I think there will be plenty of musicians on the streets of Glasgow on Saturday, oh yeah and Belfast next weekend for you to choose from. Nice ghuys I hear and seemingly it is a festival atmospheric parade of colour and jot they wwill be attending. (Cough splutter)

good luck.

MWD

Wee Green Machine

My tricks are magical and nearly always involving the use of live rabbits. However, I am still healthy and good despite this. :^)

Alt rock you say? I like things that are weird and different. Wasn't a huge NIN fan but I've started getting into Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin alot as well as more ambient stuff.

I ask because I am a drummer and, blowing my own trumpet I know, a reasonably talented musician. I'd be interested in helping out.

Check out some of my previous work at

Kurious George and the Electrified Fence

Twilight's Kiss

I played drums in both bands. If you need percussive assistance ask away.

I also have alot of friends looking for bands.

Barca Bhoy - great post. Made me think. The only time Celtic were ever 'reckless' with money and nearly went out of business (for what is, by todays standards and even allowing for inflation, a paltry sum) was when it was being wasted in ways other than splurging on players.

One could argue that the only time we ever came close to a 'splurge' was in MON's first season.

The success of Celtic FC despite never having been a big spending club at any stage in their history, is absolutely remarkable when you think about it. Unbelievable really.

As Billy McNeill said 'There is a fairytale quality about this club...'

Paul67 et al,

Dont know if anyone has noticed or even if its in the papers yet.
Our South side neighbours have re-hashed their procedures for loaning players out.

What they are implementing, allegedly, is to ensure players dont come back early, therefore going back onto the payroll. A few players who werent playing for the loan team last season, opted to return to murray park before the loan period ended.

So now there wont be any short term loans or return to base clauses. If you go, you're gone for at least 6 months, but the idea is to get their wages off the payroll for at least a year.

Watch this space - again you wont see the truth in the papers.

tojo - jet lagged

MWD

I know what you mean. Once those drums start up I just can't stop my wee feet a tapping. There was a wee walk on in the town last night. Satan's bunch round the back of the big church and a few harty souls in Celtic tops eyeballing them.

Couldn't stop though. Had a carryout to fetch!
Priorities - know what I mean?
53

Itsgonnabealongwalkhome CSC

Moonbeams wet dream @1224. Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you liked it :-)

RobertTressell :- I would agree with the short memories bit, most forums tend to go overboard in one direction or the other depending on the last result.
As far as those leaving goes I think the right offer and anyone will be sold. However I think the ones they will try to hang on to and who will need a huge offer to be let go are as follows. Alexander, Boughera, Papac, Davis, Mendez, Edu, Thompson, Boyd, K.Miller, Lafferty. When I say huge offers I don't mean tens of millions but substantially above market value. Then there are those that are actively being touted for various reasons. MacGregor, Ferguson, C. Miller, where I think any half decent offer would be taken. Almost anyone else and the market value would see them leave.
All of the above is just my own opinion and not from anything official.

If anyone would fancy an alternative 12th of July Brisbane offers more than most this year.

Malone19....

I read that Valencia's debt is close to 400m Euros and have the highest debt in Europe in comparison with turnover. It will take more than simply selling David Villa to get that club back on track.

In fact the papers will spin out another puppet headline

'Murrays entrepreneurial loan deals'

tojo

Now then - have we signed anyone yet - anyone, anyone, bueller, anyone?

Still the tumbleweed blows across CP.

CelticSephiroth

Awesome..see dont you just love all things Celtic!!!

Love Aphex twin...you sound like you might just be the dude I've been looking for!! (in music terms that is)

Now how do we swap details on here?

yeah I have kinda went off NIN..but the template is still valid!
I had a lot of good stuff happening with my last band..nearly got signed! but then we split up.

I'm doing a lot of diffrent stuff along side that so it's hard to explain but here is one of my things http://www.myspace.com/kdmproject

Moonbeams,

could be a business related spanner in the works for the 10th mate.
Am awaiting further news from problem area before being able to confirm or otherwise.

I'll get back to you asap on this via email.

But thought I should put the warning flag out just in case.

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Wow, big Jan was playing for a new deal last season, who would have thought it, to me it looked like he was going thru the motions, a bit like Magic was towards the end of his contract.

Lurgan53, I think it is called Schadenfraude and I think most of us are experiencing it. It particularly irked me when Miller left having been developed by the club, give a massive platform to perform on, been supported to the hilt by the faithful and then to leave on a free. I mean, sign a three year contract, then express a desire to leave, get sold for a few quid, agree a 'reasonable' get out clause with Celtic as a way of saying 'thanks for getting me here'. Stan Petrov style.

But no, go on a free, get a bigger signing on fee and maybe better wages.

I hope he is reading this. I hope he realises his talents could have been nurtured further at Celtic and he could have built a good solid foundation for a lucrative career.

As for Stokes, well, you snub Celtic and you get what you deserve IMO.

ED,

you're just a big fat smelly beardy currant nyah nyah nah nah nah! :-P

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

ChildishNameCallingIsGreat CSC

Wee Green Machine

Always happy (and indeed, hoopy) to help out as music is my passion and first love.

If you want to get in touch you can contact me via my myspace which is my blue spanner link above.

From there we can get chatting properly.

Alternatively I can always be found in Rufus T Firefly or Classic Grand of a weekend ;^)

I'm the sober one. Yes, there is only me.

I was about to NIN it up just for you and say "there is no you, there is only me." ;^)

cheers for that Ed.

KnowyourenemyCSC!!!!

CelticSephiroth

Groovy do's

Well I'm in my Myspace just now So i'll send you an Add and we can have a chat!

My god I haven't been in Rufus t's in ages..It used to be my haunt!

Not a bad Song but I'm more in the "gave up" mould!

cheers for the answer mate I'll send you that Add just now!

Moonbeams wet dream

Maybe not..the kinda people I was thinking of..but keep thinking!! lol

ANOTHER NEW KIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry that's disgraceful. How many kits will that be now under Nike? 11 since 2005 not including the goalkeepers. Paul an article on this blatant ripping off of the fans would be better served than talk of Real Madrid. Families are finding it tight enough without having to shell out for 2 new away kits in the space of 2 months. We also had 5 new kits in the last 2 years of the umbro deal. This is not on!

I agree there should be DEF no one off kits

Home Top = 2 years
Away Top = 2 Years
International/3rd = 2 years

no less please celtic

TheTokenTim :- I'd like to deny it, but it's the truth, so I'll dignify it with an adult answer.
Ye'r a wee, plooky, baldy faced, specky gowk (thumbs nose at you)

Real Madrid's Mr Perez is a billionaire in his own right therefore I see no issues in him speculating to accumulate. After all, he is simply trying to end Barca's recent dominance in La Liga. Also, as previously stated by many - Celtic & Rangers as well as Man Utd & Chelsea have siphoned the best talent their respective countries have to offer.

There is no such thing as a level playing field in football - it is now international big business.

The great thing about it is the amount of people in England who are outraged by Madrid - they're simply jealous that their league or team can no longer be considered the best!!

Tictical genius - I've watched Caciedo of Man City play on a few occasions & he is an utter dumpling! He's similar to Coco the Clown (Samaras), but a bit stronger.

The most disappointing thing is that Mr 67 has to divert the attention off the team & onto other less important matters because there is simply nothing interesting going on about the Tic. The last 3 articles have had absolutely no relevance to our beloved....at least let's rally the troops into a stir by announcing that we're after a big name player or a short named one!!!

regardless of how much money etc real madrid have spent

fair play play to them

they got a doin last year by Barca on every front
their fans were hurting

they go out and spend big to cheer up their fans and make a statement of intent

i wish we could do that to make up for the disaster of last season

still makes me feel physically sick that we did not win 4 in a row

jealous bhoy csc out

Families are finding it tight enough without having to shell out for 2 new away kits in the space of 2 months.

"Having to"? No-one's making people buy this stuff.

If it's kids demanding the latest clobber - stand up to them: you're a parent, that's what parents do, or ought to do. If it's adults ... ffs!

Real wont win the league next year, its the galaticos era all over again,

savo01 - I didn't realise we were under obligation to buy every single kit Celtic put out....

damo

if theres nothing much celtic to talk about do you want paul67 to make something up?

mr perez may well be a billionaire but he's not speculating with his own money. the only reason he's back in charge at madrid is because no one else could come up with the 50 odd million euros surety.

lennondinho

perez isnt signing all these forwards to win the league, its not like he's learned from thier mistakes.

if he was making footballing decisions he wold have spent 180 million on a back five and a defensive mid. real madrids goalkeeper hasnt got a single cap for spain.

savo01 on July 2, 2009 1:28 PM

ANOTHER NEW KIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just say "NO".

If you are under pressure from children , or others, keep saying "NO". It works.

It's not like PAYE, where you have to pay it.

Resistance CSC.

Zsybzek,

What do you make of reports on Michael Kucharczyk?

What can you tell us about the player, and the rumour?

Mr Z,

Legion of Warsaw 18-year old Michael Kucharczyk. Any news?

Real Madrid's goalkeeper has nearly 100 caps for Spain, Victor Valdes, on the other hand, has the same number as me!

Yarranabbe Bhoy,

Big Eck works in the same office as myself - he chucked the blog as it was taking up too much of his life - he is a Gers obsessive, but also a total footie anorak, loves German footie, for some reason.
His was a (lonely) voice of reason in the madness of Gers blogs.

CB.

Damo, what games did you see Caicedo in?

Seeems to be a lot of cash floating about in Spain at the moment...surely we should be utilising the guys in Celtic TV to be putting together some Michael Owen esq collateral on tape to try and flog some of our prized assets..Boruc, McGeady etc etc oh and Big Mick as well

Ever since the introduction of the Champions League it's just meant that the big clubs get bigger and the rest are left in a different league...there is no competition in Europe now in the bigger leagues, it's becoming dull and with the cash that Real are floating into the market to Man U, Lyon, AC Milan and potentially Bayern if they buy Ribery then it just makes it worse in those 4 countries where these teams already dominate..well apart from AC Milan....

Anyway more importantly...any white smoke from CP yet...it's JULY come on get the cheque book out!!!

Guys,
my girls only 5 month's old so no pressure there but i'm sure plenty of parents will be under pressure. It's more the principle of the thing. 11 kits in 4 years too much. Man U got loads of abuse in the '90's for their kit turnover I don't see why we now have to accept it. especially if it's going to be just a re-hashing of a kit that already was dodgy to say the least.

Dean_moriarty

I forgot they had signed Raul Albiol, not seen too much of him but even with Pepe, Ramos and the attacking Marcelo they were shaky last season. Barcelona 6-2 game for example.

Their new manager has got a wee job on his hands trying to get them all playing as a team.

EN

Does anyone know which channels, if any, that our friendly fixtures and CL qualifiers will be on

I've just realsied that i fly to Spain on wed the 29th which is the date of the first game. Damn!!

When is the draw??

Damo

I had a chuckle when I heard English media declare Real Madrids spening as obscene. Man U just lost out on Benzima, Chelsea will probably loose out on Ribery and Man City had an offer accepted for Kaka.
One pundit I heard moaning about Real Madrids spending was a Chelsea supporter.

EN

In regard to the comments re home / away strips, does anyone else agree that all teams should be made to wear their respective away strips for all away games.

It seems pointless to me having an away strip when it's only worn half a dozen times a season.

As for the 3rd strip, that's just a complete rip off. It may be worn in pre-season games but that'll be it.

Anyway lookimg forward to the new season and hope the likes of Mizuno, McCourt, Mizun, Ferrie, Caddis & Hutchieson all get a chance under the new gaffer.

I definitely feel that if these guys were given a chance last season, their displays would have got rid of the staleness and given the proverbial kick up the backside for a few of the under achieving first teamers. We may have won the league.

Hail! Hail!

Naka'sLeftPeg

ur right mate re; the strip, unless it clashes with the home teams top that is

paddy mccourt would have won us the league
am tellin ye

said it here months before we lost it

Celtic should wear green and white hoops every time we take to the field, unless playing another team in green and white hoops of course!

quiz question!!!

this is very difficult and I have been struggling with this for a while. here goes.

what is the point in Celticfc.net?

I would be very obliged if someone could give me the correct answer.I have had one suggestion that did not seem too far fetched,apparently it is supposed to be the first stop for all up to date news regards the comings and goings at the club. but having logged on to the site for quite some time I don't think this is the right answer.

any help appreciated

Ulster-Celt

Michal Kucharczyk went out on lone yesterday

celtic4orme

i didnt say they would mate, barca are phenomenal and will be hard to beat again next year

but i am sure the real fans will be very very happy after barca winning the lot last year

my point was they have made a statement of intent
to which their fans will be delighted

sure the last galacticos didnt exactly bring lots of trophies, but the team that had zidane did win the champions league remember

and the team with beckham won the leagie in his last year

so it wasnt exactly trophyless

how could you not be happy signing 3 of the best players in the world

just saying i was jealous bud

The Token Tim,

No probs. Pick another Friday suitable to you apart from August 7th.

Lurgan53, what! no white socks and gloves. ;o) i bet you joined in.

Wee Green Machine, what is the problem? they are great musicians only with music on their minds.

Megansdad, you are welcome

NakasLeftPeg :- Firstly an aside, shouldn't you know drop the "peg" part of your name :-)
I disagree with you on the strip wearing, I feel a team should whenever possible wear it's recognised first choice strip when playing away, only if there is a colour clash should the second strip be worn.

E.U LudditesRSC

Tictical_Genius and WGS

Radio Yerevan?
Not Legion of Warsaw but Legion Etrangere
Not Michael Kucharczyk but Michael Schumacher
Not Glasgow but Gibson
They asked Michael Schumacher to test new tank on Gibson Desert in Australia.

Now seriously.

Yesterday Celtic Glasgow sent concrete offer of buying Michał Kucharczyk from Swit Nowy Dwor. The striker is 18 years old and since few months was on the radar of the richest Polish clubs including Legia Warsaw, Lech Poznan and Wisla Krakow. He is regular player in our national teams U-? Swit NDM is the town near Warsaw, north direction, very close to the big city. The club is currently playing in our third league. As I said Lech and Wisla were very interested in the player and made offers. Player’s agent Cezary Kucharski was Legia Warsaw striker in the past. When Legia came for the player all sides signed initial contract on Monday. Celtic made the offer yesterday, one day too late. Kucharski said that he had to reject Celtic offer due to that reason I mentioned above. Article says that main problem between player and agent on one side and Legia on the other side is compensation sum in the contract. Legia stated that agent suggested very low compensation sum in the contract between the player and Legia.
In another words Kucharski said: I’m playing fair with Legia Warsaw, confirmation of that is the fact that yesterday I rejected concrete Celtic offer. We were after initial contract with Legia Warsaw.

Thismancraig

so he has, my mistake. I was of th same opinion with barca - too much concentration on attack and didn't think they could be described as a great team when they defended so poorly. I'm not a fan of the Harlem globetrotter school if footbal - it's not real football for me. But guardiola proved me wrong by getting the whole team to defend.

If reals next manager manages to do that with a bunch if galacticis then he's a genius. The old bunch didn't do defending.

Pelligrini may turn out to be their most inspired addition....

Afternoon all,

Big Jan and Paul Hartley have been released by the club, Tony didn't even have a conversation with Jan, a real statement of intent from our new boss!!

AFB

Zbyszek

So if he wanted to go to Celtic he'd have to (or rather Celtic would need to) buy out his contract which had just started. Bit of a nightmare.

Naka'sLeftPeg / thismancraig

The colour of the shorts and socks now comes into it (which is a bit ridiculous in my opinion) and this is why we seen the Yellow strip so much last season.

Zybsezek, Malone and Tictal,

My point would be, if Celtic were interested in this guy why did they allow this to happen. I mean surley they would have known if Legia were sniffing before making an offer. Somebody obviously never done their home work on our behalf. Bit lax.

An Fear Beag

TM asked JvoH to come up to his office, he is still on his way there.
Good luck to the big fhella.

EN

estadio, the 6-2 game was more due to general disorganisation throughout the team, particularly in the midfield.
the individuals are still very good players, they just weren't prepared well by ramos.

i think pellegrini is probably the best signing they've made (agree with geebee1978).IMO he could make real madrid a lot better without any signings, using the same squad as last year. i'm gonna be very interested to see how he handles bigger names and egos though. also, how he's gonna put them into a cohesive unit. la liga should be good this season, even better than last (most entertaining league in europe, and that's what counts most to a spectator like me).

WGS

I was thinking along the same lines, we've either just let a guy who could be an up and coming star slip through our fingers as we procrastinate or else it was just unlucky that he signed up (probably too fast for his own good) without knowing of Celtic's interest.

Malone19

I don't know what was in the initial contract. I hear that if the agent and Legia Warsaw cannot find the compromise for the compensation sum the deal will collapse.
I suppose Michał Kucharczyk is Legia Warsaw fan and dreamed about playing for our club. His agent Kucharski finished his career at Legia three years ago. His club in the past will be always closer for him than some other clubs.

Maybe the initial contract was very short and it was only said in it that Legia is first for the player and untill all sides negotiating no one else can buy the player. It clears up why the agent said: I had to reject concrete Celtic offer.

Lennondinho

fair enough, Apologies for the beligerent tone I think perez is putting ego before success - both his and the clubs ego. I get the impression that this sort of thing is important to real madrid fans, so maybe he really is giving the fans what they want, but real Madrid are the biggest club on the world and the team on the pitch hasn't mirrored that for a while. If it was my team I'd want the best manager and the best team, not 4 or 5 outstanding individuals and a load of second-raters.

I don't now why I'm getting so worked up today, I think the heat's getting to me.

Damo on July 2, 2009 1:33 PM

All i seem to hear from you is moan after moan after moan about paul....his articles....his much needed control over the blog .....

here is a solution....

if yee dinnae like it.....go somewhere else!

there are plenty of forums to choose from...talk celtic,celtic minded,FF or wanejurs meedeah

GO! fill yer boots.

you see....

i come on here to get away from the whining from my good lady...

and now im hearing it from you?....in fact ....oh no!

is that you honey?

just had an email from celtic about the new upcoming away strip, by looks of stuff already for sale on website it def the bumblebee, and is going to bee eye searingly bright.
Will have to start saving up me pocket money i suppose :-)
ps
Open letter to celtic
I will buy one of your new strips, if you will stop messing aboot and buy me a decent player to watch wearing it!!

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

free the bumblebee!

http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/talkceltic-pub/62879-celtic-away-kit-09-10-a.html

Anyone walking on the 12th ?

I will be ...

up to my seat at the Suncorp Stadium.

Go on you good thing.

The PopesXI in Oz. Am I flippin dreaming?

Mon the Hoops!

My smile has started now and will not be gone to the 14th July when I will be storming the Bastille.

Mon Les Hoops!

So the negatuvity stops now. I have my wish in a Strachless Celtic.

C'mon big Tony ..... a few Nancy Bhoys or some new faces. It would be a dream come true to see us give the Hun filled Roar a real doing as I need to get the memories of all those poor pre season results in the US out of my memory banks.

DownUnderCSC

Re the new Kit

I was told in the Celtic shop in Belfast that somewhere on the official kit it tells you how long that jersey will be worn by the team.

Anyone know where? I have just checked my kids home and away shirts. No sign of it.

Also, riddle me this - 8 year old sons Home top made in Tunisia, 8 year old sons Yellow away jersey made in Morocco
6 year old daughters yellow away jersey (which came as a complete set, shorts, socks etc) made in Morocco?

Hmmmmm

Kris Commons?

Thats a Mowbray type player right enough, very decent player.

DD

There is indeed a buzz about the place:

http://www.kitbag.com/stores/celtic/products/kit_selector.aspx?selector=65

Paul67 is there any sign of your analysis of last seasons debacle? Maybe I missed it. I have been looking forward to your take on it.

Afternoon all,
Here's the latest update of the list.

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

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS IN:

Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Mowbray---------47------WBA----------------Club----------£2M
Venus-----------42------WBA----------------Club----------No fee disclosed
Grant-----------43------WBA----------------Club----------No fee disclosed

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS OUT:
Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Nakamura--------30------Espanyol-----------Various-------Free
Balde-----------33------Birmingham/Burnley-Various-------Free
Hesselink-------30------Ajax/Larissa-------Various-------Free
Hartley---------32------Iraklis/Ipswich----Various-------Free

UNCONFIRMED SHAMPOO RUMOURS:

KEEPERS:
Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Gordon----------26------Sunderland---------The Independent-No fee mentioned

DEFENDERS:
Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Sylvinho--------34------Barcelona----------Various-------Free in July
Rat-------------27------Shaktar------------The Sun-------£4m
Cech------------26------WBA----------------ET------------No fee mentioned
Castillo--------23------Real Sociedad------Various-------£100K (special clause in contract for non-Spanish clubs)
Robinson--------30------WBA----------------Various-------£1M
Bjarsmyr--------23------Gothenburg---------The Sun-------£400K
Ottesen---------25------SönderjyskE--------LOTW----------No fee mentioned
Jones-----------29------Hibs---------------Various-------No fee mentioned
Ricketts--------27------Hull City----------Vitalfootball-No fee mentioned
Petkovic--------23------Eintracht----------NOTW----------£1.5M
St Ledger-------24------Preston North End--Hunday Mail---£1.5M
Atouba----------27------Hamburg------------Hunday Mail---Free
Caceres---------21------Barcelona----------Frech press---Loan
Diaz------------25------Wisla Kraków-------Eurosport-----£1.5M
Calvé-----------25------Nancy--------------French website-No fee mentioned

MIDFIELDERS:
Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Kljestan--------22------Chivas USA---------Footylatest---No fee mentioned
Valero----------24------WBA----------------KTF-----------£4M
McCarthy--------18------Hamilton Accies----Various-------£750K
Sharbini--------21------NK Rijeka----------Express-------£3M
Stilic----------21------Lech Poznan--------Various-------£2M (Possibly due on trial in July with a Lech team mate)
Vargas----------19------Cobreloa-----------The Independent-£1.5M
Beuzelin--------30------Coventry City------Express-------Free
Meghni----------25------Lazio--------------Various-------£2.5-£4M quoted (Possible Donati plus cash deal?!?)
Zemmama---------25------Hibs---------------Arabic site---£2M
Ferguson--------17------Newcastle United---The Chronicle-No fee mentioned
Marques---------24------Iraklis------------Express-------Free
Hasebe----------25------Wolfsburg----------Tribalfootball-No fee mentioned
Aguiar----------28------Hertz--------------The Independent-No fee mentioned
N'Guémo---------23------Nancy--------------French website-No fee mentioned
Commons---------25------Derby--------------TheRams.co.uk-£3M

STRIKERS:
Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Janko-----------25------Red Bull Salzburg--Various-------£5M
Owen------------30------Newcastle Utd------Various-------Free
Mandzukic-------23------Dinamo Zagreb------TNFP----------£8M (WIT!)
Arango----------29------Real Mallorca------Setanta-------£3.4M
Kamara----------28------Fulham-------------Various-------£5M
Naumoski--------25------SV Mattersburg-----Express-------£650
Lewandowski-----20------Lech Poznan--------Various-------£5M (Possibly due on trial in July with a Lech team mate)
Reyes-----------25------Athletico Madrid---Express-------Free
Campbell--------23------ManUre-------------Daily Star----£6M

CONFIRMED SHAMPOO RUMOURS:

Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

KEEPERS:
Turnbul---------24------Middlesbrough------SSN-----------Signs for Chelski for undisclosed fee (01/07)

DEFENDERS:
Hreidarsson-----34------Portsmouth---------Daily Rectum--Signed new 1 yr contract with Portsmouth (23/06)

MIDFIELDERS:
Gomez-----------24------Espanyol-----------Various-------Signed for Wigan for £1.7M (19/06)
Gercaliu--------23------Red Bull Salzburg--Express-------Signed for SC Wiener Neustadt for undisclosed fee (30/06)

STRIKERS:
Fortune---------27------Nancy--------------Various-------£2.5M (Nancy have accepted £4M offer from Hull)
Fletcher--------22------Hibs---------------Various-------Signed for Burnley for £3M (01/07)
Cox-------------22------Swindon Town-------Teamtalk------£2.5M (Swindon have accepted £2M offer from WBA)
Kucharczyk------18------Swit Nowy Dwor-----Polish press--Signed for Legia Warsaw for undiclosed fee (01/07)

RUMOURED TRANSFERS OUT:

Name------------Age-----Club---------------Source--------Fee

Naylor----------28------Various------------Various-------No fee mentioned
McGeady---------22------Spurs/Hull---==----Express-------£8M
Donati----------27------Lecce/Sampdoria----Various-------No fee mentioned
Brown (S)-------23------Spurs/Villa--------Various-------£9M
Boruc-----------28------Bayern Munich------Mirror--------£8M
Killen----------25------Wellington Phoenix-Various-------No fee mentioned
Caldwell--------27------Wigan/Burnley------The Sun-------£3M
Loovens---------25------Birmingham---------Daily Rectum--£5M
McDonald--------25------Hull---------------Daily Rectum--£6M

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

/Bishop B

poll888 - it's a bit of a give away isn't it?

dean_moriarty....

Agree with your post. The performance of Pelligrini is something I will be keeping an eye on. Will he be able to mould this collection of players into a side that can challenge, or will he be La Liga's "Sam Allardyce" if you like - great with lesser players and low expectations?

I for one can't wait to see.

All,

I loved the bumblebee strip, definite favourite of all time so can't wait to see it return. We also did our bit for road safety with everyone running around in luminous hats, scarfs, tops etc.

GreencrosscodeCSC

remember the last bumble bee coming out. was in Belfast and hadn't seen the papers or adds for it. round about 15th August and was on Internment commemoration march down Falls road. Never saw as many new Celtic tops in my life other than at Celtic Park. Bumble Bees everywhere.

They looked mighty in the Belfast sunshine despite my having the mother of all hangovers that day as a result of a day and night spent at the Ardoyne Fleadh Ceoil.

they spawned a ridiculous amount of new scarves, hats, etc etc.
Memories!

BTW the new training gear - are we going for the St pauli look?

That apology of a strip, the bumble bee, horror of horrors, is reputedly to make a comeback. Why? Apart from it being hooped, it has no relevance whatever to Celtic. Bin it NOW.

While I was sorry to see Liam Miller go in the way he did and was saddened that Stokes picked Sunderland (?) instead of ourselves, I can't bring myself to feel anything but regret for them that their careers didn't develop in the way they hoped. Miller showed real class in the Hoops for a wee while.

why did this just pop up on my computer? Nothing dodgy:

http://www.net-news-daily.com/?s=VC_Pop20n

these lads from AS Nancy..

gotta trust our management BUT

nancy only missed out on relegation last year?after losing 16 of thier 38 games winning only 10...half of which against the bottom 3 teams.

they even afforded to allow fortune to leave on loan in the january when they were even then hoovering over the relegation zone with a pre agreed £1.5m transfer fee in place? what does that tell you?

roberttressell - not half! also, the home kit will be worn again this season but a new one will be launched for 10/11 campaign.

I liked the last bumblebee kit, looking forward to this one

pauloantony

We bought stubbs from a team that was relegated..I wouldn't be too bothered about where there former teams finished.

the bumblebee was well class. A hope they have the hooped socks again, well impressive for a game of fives!! And with the tartan shorts being released a think Nike must have got some new designers in this season ;-)

Parkheadcumsalford on July 2, 2009 3:11 PM

i am the complete opposite....

stokes and miller? both chased the £££s and what are they doing now??

whatever extra £s they made in contract they signed will have been lost due to the downturn in careers at present.

They made thier beds...but is there any of that money stashed under it???

if so...well as they lay in it dreaming of what might have been.....it should be very comfortable.

Roberttressell,

Those adverts for "Google Biz Kits" are scams, they offer you a CD with some course on Google Adwords for a couple of dollars, but don't mention that you will be billed a monthly membership fee as part of the deal.

If you have no other pages other than CQN open, i'd run spybot/adaware etc

can't wait for the bumble bee top..was the first top i ever actually purchased. I'll be getting one for me wee lhad as well...be easier to find him if he runs off as well!

I agree and think it's significant that it appears
someone is decision making at the club on
who does and doesn't get another contract.

Not alot of tears shed at the players who are exiting
but I don't think TM decided he didn't want Paul Hartley
for example, simply by looking at the Dvd's from
last season?

I think Peter Lawell is much more involved in
player choices than some would have you believe.

WG

Is buying a large Glass jar to catch all these big Bumble Bees

Is Mark Wilson fit yet.

Love

think i will invest in a wee mix n match...

tartan shorts complimented by bumblebee top

sure fire way for the missus to disown me!!

MigraineCausing CSC

its been a long long time...

but good to see the revival.....

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.mediastorehouse.com/preview_485929_0_450x500_0_0__1_538659_b41bf0d944a8fe00822d0ce97aee3d21.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/celtic-chat/63187-bumblebee-black-magic.html&usg=__QmA0HEEVOD5ctCzbzpYCJjzLFdU=&h=513&w=600&sz=86&hl=en&start=43&um=1&tbnid=d1FlnUO9MhRiZM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dceltic%2Bbumblebee%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GPEA_enGB304GB304%26sa%3DN%26start%3D40%26um%3D1

SOAL :- You better keep WG away from any players in the bumblebee kit next season or Celtic will have no wing play

I had a close encounter with a bumble bee at a christening a couple of weeks ago, for some reason best known to itself, it decided to fly up my trouser leg and then it panicked with that high pitched buzzing sound, which led to me doing a rather impressive Michael Flatley impression in front of a packed church, somehow we both escaped the incident unscathed, the bee is attending counselling.

The bumblebee shirt will will matter little if its the same old faces filling it! Ahem sorry attempting to fill it.

So ten days til our first pre season game and no sign of new faces as yet...

On a lighter note the now absent GweedoreBhoy tells me he was sitting a few rows away from Owen Coyle at mass on sunday in the blessed townland of Brinalack Co.Donegal.

DD

Wouldnt it be great seeing your team buy top class players, one after another, kaka, ronaldo (who i dont really have much time for), benzema and now ribery wants to join.

My greatest delights are that all the top players want to join "the" best league and not the epl, and esp man utd.

Nowadays id settle for a good loan signing

Bournesoup..

I think that if anyone studied Paul Hartley's videos last year, they will see a disaster in the midfield holding role.

He hadn't the legs for a forward playing role and was guaranteed to give the ball away at least twice in a dangerous position.

Apart from a couple of useful goals, I'm afraid Paul's Purple patch was with the Maroons.

colourmegreen CSC.

Anyone find it strange that the club have made no official mention of Paul and or Jan moving on other that the mention by TM to the press.

Usually a word of thanks would be forthcoming.

donegaldanny on July 2, 2009 3:37 PM

Do I detect you slipping back to your old ways? Not even a ball kicked in anger?

Hang in there, it's early days.

Owen Coyle should not have been in Brinalack. He should have been out looking at players, unless of course he was eyeing up the Gweedore Celtic's big, attacking, ball-playing, two-footed crossing left back !!

Ted

WetherspoonGuzler

Is now drinking with rich poker champs.

Love

BigSwee

http://www.celticfc.net/news/stories/news_020709150916.aspx

Love

Cheers SoAL.

Started typing that comment earlier having checked. Good this t'inter'web thing'innit?

:o)

thomthethim

I totally agree with you on Paul Hartley, my point is
I reckon that Peter Lawell agrees with both of us.

Tony Mowbray didn't need the DVD's

Hail Hail

thomthetim

Not at all just hope the money we've saved in four wage packets now gets used to full affect.

I'd imagine Owen was in Brinalack for personal reasons and you can't grudge aman a weekend when the premiership season doesn't start for a good while IMO.

Maybe he was trying to get a game for Gweedore Celtic never mind scout them!

DD

Five goalkeepers training today...Boruc, Zaluska, Cervi, Brown and Fox. Funniest event at Lennoxtown today? Record's Keith (Bling) Jackson leaves his open-top BMW in car-park whilst he attends press conference...yes, you know what's coming next...sudden cloud-burst and the car fills up with water...tee hee!!

SOAL

Mark Wilson is always fit during the close season.
It's when he's got to run about alot we've to start
worrying.
Hail Hail

I love the bumble bee, wore it as a goalies top at fives a few months ago and the guys loved it, am very impressed that its making a comeback

I also agree with the previous poster who suggested the mix and match with the Tartan shorts, pure dead brilliant as we used to say

All we need is Michael Owen to model it, job done...

M

Ed,

pretty accurate description of TTT there except for the wee. You obviously have not met him. :o)

TTT,

I see you never got back to me on your first 9 inch record!!!! Was that a Coltness format ? Did you use a bolt instead of a needle on that player ? :o)

pauloantony - tongue in cheek my friend...are you sure you're a man cos that was a moan similar to my good lady!!

My comment was not specifically directed at Mr67 as I often find myself passing time surveying this website.

I was merely commenting on no "wow factor" drivel being splurged on the tabloids, then discussed on here...pretty disappointing. I've become accustomed to Celtic being linked with Pavluchenko, Gudjohnson, Michael Owen etc, but now it's someone common & a fountain! I just like to live in a wee dreamland for a short period of time during the window when there is only meaningless footy being played & other uninteresting sports (although the women's tennis is the exception..grunting et al)

Let me live in my bubble paulo for a while anyway..please

Tic Genius, his stats are very poor 06/07 Basel Played 22 Scored 0 07/08 basel & Man City Played 14 Scored 0 08/09 Played 24 Scored 8

weebobbycollins

Do you live in Wales and have the initials S mc F ?

Hail Hail

I see that Paul and Big jan are away for def!
So that's

Paul
Jan
Bobo

I think Someone else is away, but I cant think who it is off the top of my head..any idea's?

and how many others do we think will head out the door?

Man this window has been painful to watch.

WGM

Mollie Sugden

Love

Wee Green Machine
NAKA!

FREE THE CELTIC ONE

anyone think Collins John is worth a shout considering he is out of contract?

big strong and fast...give him a 1 year deal and see how he gets on

masty

bloody hell, shows what a lack of sleep can do..I was just saying to someone the other day I was gutted about him leaving! thanks mate that was really bugging me!

Paul67 - Any sniff's of whether BTM will be changing the club captaincy or sticking with Big Mick?

RogueLeader
thats the first decison i personally await...i admire big micks heart but imo, he's no way a celtic captain.

TM has already indicated that he is working on something thats bigger than we expect, any ideas anyone ?

Can anyone think of any decent names that were being linked with WBA in Jan and then didnt happen ?

M

When the Bumble Bee strips came out in 1996 we got them for my two sons who were 10 & 8 just before heading off to holiday in Florida

Trying to keep track of kids in a theme park is pretty difficult.
The Bumble Bee shirts really came into their own.

Panicked " Oh my God where are the kids?" was usually followed about 2 seconds later by a loud sigh of relief " there they are"

Not too perturbed about its return so long as Tony remembers that.....

"The Bumble Bee does not shrink to fit inferior players"

The Onlooker

Heard a rumour in Edinburgh from a Hibbee that Celtic are said to be interested in Beuzelin....

That surely must be nonsense??

DD

I hear TalkSport are running with the rumour that Man Utd are in talks at an advanced stage with Michael Owen on a pay-as-you-play deal.

Great deal for both imo and one I would have loved to for Celtic. When fit he is still a class act goalscorer.

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

I seem to remember that Pat McCourt was on the verge of joining WBA when Celtic jumped in for him. Surely this means he'll be in the first team (barring injuries) if TM liked him enough to sign him then.
A big cheerio to the big yin, JVH and the wee man, PH. Good luck in the future bhoys.

Just thought of the revenue we've lost from those replica JVH shirts! At a quid a letter we nearly had enough to buy a new player.
Only buy players with long names TM, you know it makes sense!

roberttressel

Miller's a wee shite.
Stoke's is a big shite.

53

ExiledBhoy - "TM has already indicated that he is working on something thats bigger than we expect, any ideas anyone ?"

Where did you read this mate? You got a link?

ExiledBhoy on July 2, 2009 4:24 PM

"TM has already indicated that he is working on something thats bigger than we expect, any ideas anyone ?"

When did he say that?

Sounds exciting.

Well we've lost Bobo, Naka, Jan and Paul, would have liked two of them to stay.

However with all four off the wage bill(30k,25k,20k and maybe 10k = around 85K) that must give us scope to bring in two quality players.

In an ideal world we would get rid of other deadwood, we have too many players
who should not be near a shirt. Would think their wages would not be as significant as
the four that have already left. However a squad place is valuable and better should be sought
than the players currently filling the spots.

In regards to a new captain, with Mick being injured it makes it easier to give the armband
to another player. IMO that player is not at the club, we need to buy a captain infact 2 or 3
leaders is what we need.

Thanks Jan & Paul - all the best for the future.

Anton Mor had some difficulty locating Big Jan.

He should have checked the treatment room!

53

WeeBobbyCollins

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. How was TM with the media guy's? Arue looks the size ogf John Hartson. Some serious work needs to be done i think.

Was there a buzz about the place?

RogueLeader,

I thought it was quite interesting to hear TM, by gettingrid of Jan and PH it allowed him more scope to put his stam on the team. I reckon there could be a few from GS era still to go and i wouldn't be suprised if it is a new captain.

I find it interesting that we are getting linked with a centre half especially. Fortune, getting linked with a central midfielder and centre halves. Think Tony realises he needs a solid core and spine and trying to build one with new pplayers and some old ones.

WGS - I think we would get £3m for Big Mick and for me Loovens and Caldwell are decent with O'Dea and 1 other pushing them. So selling Mick would get some dosh in aswell as solving the problem of actually having to demote the previous Captain as he would no longer be there. Demoting a Captain is not something managers would do lightly.

I think it makes sense personally. if it happens it won't happen till mid August when Mick will be fit enough to pass a mediacal but I really cannot see a lack of offers from lower Premiership sides for the Scotland Captain to be honest.

Rougue,

I fancy McLeish to maybe take him

Roougue,

It appears to me as if TM, MV and PG keep a close eye on us last year. MV did admit they had been up for a number of games last season, so i'm thinking they know what might be some of the issues already need to get the team back up. I also think they will have good contacts in the game to sound out as well.

Have to say i am pleased with Tony's decision.

That is circa £70k of the wage budget gone including bobo and doumbe. If we can now look at shipping out some of the following

Wilson - too much time on treatment table
M Brown - not good enough with Zaluska in
Killen - Not good enough full stop
Kennedy - see mark wilson
Robson - asset management, need to get some value from him and i would expect no longer a first team pick

I would personally keep Naylor as a back up meaning we have Hinkel/Caddis and new LB/Naylor

I would also consider selling O'Dea if he ain't going to get in first team perhaps his stock is at its peak from a selling point of view

Donati - for me a TM call after seeing hik in training

WGS

I think you're right, if GS was on a one year rolling contract he would have to give notice a year before he left (I may be wrong).
If so that would give the board a while to look at their next management team.

http://members.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2009/07/02/1359860/celtic-reach-an-agreement-for-nancy-duo-fortune-nguemo

Naka and JVoH both gone and not a penny in return. Disappointing.

RogueReader 3 million for McManus.
Let's hope Gordon gets back into management very soon.

DougieBhoy

I'd take John Collins though to add some craft to the midfield.

DD

It wouldn't surprise me, Beuzelin is available for hee haw and has been quoted as saying he'd like to come back to Scotland.

I read the thing about Beuzelin saying he wanted to come back to Scotland I'm only shocked it's taken this long for the link to Celtic.

I don't think there would be much in that one.

200
and nothing doing o(

Lurgan 53 @ 4.34 pm

Thanks for clearing that up :o)

The site is slow.

Must be the commuting hour.

I am not so sure of this scoffing at the failure of Liam Miller.It looks like the lad has found his level after punching above his weight for half a season with Celtic.

Had we have secured his services on a long term contract at that time, rather than Man Utd, then we would have called into question the judgement made by our then manager.

I will remember the hysteria at the time.The indigination of the vast majority of the support at his decision to sign for Man Utd highlights the fickle nature of the support.

He is very much yesterdays man, but the next time we see a rising star, we should recall Liam Millers tale before encouraging the board to spend the clubs money on raw potential.

Paul67.

We.That is Celtic are near the bottom of a very long ladder.We shall never be able to compete until we can get at least half way up that ladder,even then we won't be in the class of the Reals, Barcelona,The Italians, or the top English teams.

Teams like Hibs & Hearts,Aberdeen & the rest,complain that they can't compete with the big two,Cetic & Rangers,We complain that we can't compete with the big boys in England,because of the unbalanced way the English Premiership is financed,If there was no T/V deal,then we'd be up there among the top in Engand.

Real is leading the way in this vulger spending spree,there doesn't seem to be and end to it all.
Chelsea were a nothing team until Roman Abramovich came in with bottomless pockets,now their supporters swagger to their games,knowing that as long as they have their sugar daddy,they'll still be at the top of the tree.
But the English premiership isn't as good as it's made out to be,All that glitters is not gold,The two fly-by-nights at Liverpool could eventually bring the club to their knee's,And the Glaziers,who purchased Man U, and will be paying the debt off for evermore.
There are more,Newcastle for one,down in the Championship,where they could stay for a few years.

No English football is not all that it's made out too be,Swamped with money,but still sinking in their swamp.

In the distant past we happened to win the European Cup.The first British team to do so.
Now we would struggle to win the second division of that Competition, the Europa Cup,I know that Rangers nearly won it last year,but they done it by playing an anti-football type game,loved by no-one but their own supporters,and some of them thought they were the brown stuff.

I pray that if, or when we get into that situation,we at least try to play football,befitting of our beloved Celtic.

I don't know what the relevence is of what I just wrote,I think it was going to be about Celtic,And hoping that We don't go the way that some on here would want,spend the money And to hell with consequences.Years ago I would have been of the same thinking,but not now.

Watched Tony Mowbray's Press Conference today,It lasted 18 minutes and 38 seconds,that could be a record for our Managers talking to the press,I hope they sign someone today,it will be a talking point for us non-golfers tomorrow,It won't interest the golfers so much, they'll be more interested in their stance,and swings,before they go on the first tee,to pose for five minutes before they tee-off.Ah well,thats golf.

oldtim

I will make sure that I give you a club if you want a photo.

good post btw

EdwardUrsus on July 2, 2009 12:45 PM

"Although I lurk on a lot of sites this is the only one I post on now, it's the only one where you can get a decent level of debate as well as the surreal posts and jokes that come along at times. It also probably has the least percentage of posts that descend into childish name calling."

I take my hat off to you Ed.
I often wondered, (considering how often you post on here), if you ever have time to visit Rangers sites.
It says a lot about you, my friend.
Even if you wear the "wrong" coloured top, you'll ALWAYS be one of us.
Slainte.

oldtim

Very good post my friend.

Was the press conference on the official site?

Practising hard for tomorrow - cold tennents and chilled chardonnay! Lovely.

Totally off topic but I found this video, how it might have been in 1967 if YouTube had been around?

Hoops in Lisbon

ElDiegoBhoy.

Yes it was on the official site,I was iterested in what he said.

I don't know if I'll be drinking,I might,I might not,depends on this diabetes,pain in the backside.

oldtim

I'd advise against drinking then.

I'll keep going for both of us.

That's me on holiday until 22nd of the month.

Antsman I think O'Dea will prove to be even better value this year than last.

Notthebus:

Take your point on Miller but you have to wonder whether the eternal bench warming implicit to his move south had a detrimental effect on his career.

Do these young hopefuls lured so early in their careers fail because they aren't good enough or because they haven't taken a graduated route to progression?

That's certainly implied by the complaints of smaller SPL clubs when Celtic or the huns come knocking for their young talent.

Accelerated progression: sorts the wheat from the chaff or undermines potential, discuss...

Wasn't able to read megansdad's article on e.tims when at work today but thoroughly enjoyed reading it just now.

If you're looking in megansdad well said.

EDBwhoismegHansdad

Paul67:

Just in catching up only read posts from 16:00

Heard from a friend that we are working on a £7,000,000 double swoop for:

Marc-Antoine Fortune and Landry N'Guemo! Do you have any news on this?
is made for you and me!

Hail Hail!

By ThisLand... on July 2, 2009 7:39 PM

7m euros, including add ons according to this report

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2009/07/02/1359860/celtic-reach-an-agreement-for-nancy-duo-fortune-nguemo

ThisLand

That story appeared on SSN earlier today. If we pay that amount for those two players I hope the £7m includes transfer fees, salaries and bonuses for the next umpteen years!

I don't believe for a minute £7m is value for money with those guys.

Are you trying to put oldtim on the bevvy:o)

Is quoting Real's transfer spend against a single season turnover accurate? Young players like Ronaldo, Albiol and Benzema on 5/6 year deals means that they are prepaying for these future years now.
Therefore against turnover of 250-300M Euros, the fees, exc wages of course, for these three only represents about 26M Euro. Buying young proven players can save money / reduce the risk of further spend in future seasons and there is also the resale potential. Not to mention the off field commercial benefits.

Whereas, if we spend 60% of our transfer budget on Fortune, who has just turned 28, do we have a greater risk in that he has never been prolific and that there will be little resale potential, and it is a relatively bigger proportion of our available transfer funding that Real are spending?

ElDiegoBhoy:

Apologies to oldtim but as I didn't read all the posts been a long day at work! The person that told me were not claiming it as a scoop, most probably just repeating SSN as posted by Gary67 at 7:42!

..is made for you and me!

Hail Hail!

Apologies if I missed an earlier question, been busy - and caught some rays - today.

Any news?

Paul 67

I guess the L'Equippe story is the one of interest tonight. Any clue as to whether it's accurate?

Paul

Eh - you're meant to give us the news. Thought that was kinda the idea:o)

Almost forgot, oldtim put in 36 holes at Aberdour today in preparation for tomorrow.

That last bit was made up.

Wonder if Big Joe's boat has berthed yet?

twists n turns, I have no idea if that one will arrive but I suspect the article is based on good info.

The midfielder is the one of most interest to me.

EDB, you know what I mean...

Did anyone have a look at the training pics on sns today - looks like Samaras took a knock - hope the injury jinx of our strikers isn't continuing into this season too!

Sami hurt?

Negative Anon - Good to see you are still contributing to this excellent site- I thought you had chucked it-pleased to see you haven't.

West Wales Celt

The real cream, with few exceptions, rises to the top.

Liam Miller was never good enough to be a Man Utd player, he probably wasnt even good enough to be a Celtic regular.His limited talent in the goldfish bowl of Glasgow was magnified to a distored state leading to an undeserved level of support to such an extent his exclusion from an away CL defeat against Anderlecht was held out as one of the main reason the team was beaten.!

This led to Man Utd taking a punt on raw talent for what amounts to loose change in their planet.A punt that failed nonetheless.

We should all be a bit more cynical of the next wonderkid and be a bit more patient with the slower burners

Wonder what the midges are like at Lennoxtown.

Huge teeth and big tackety boots I'd imagine.

hi paul. i see N’Guemo the Cameroon international midfielder we are after is another huge 5ft 8ins.
may i ask, what is wrong with us signing "big guys". do you think i should polish up my boots. my footy ability is just like my golf hopeless, but im the right size. tony mowbury im ready and waiting.
celticstripsneedtoshrinktofitfirstteamsquadcsc

At least maybe a snippet of something worth writing about.

Does anyone know if there is any truth in the report? (link gary67 @ 7:42pm)

I don't know much about any of those guys and I will give them my support should they come. I trust TM, I like what he has to say. I also dont believe the fee of €7 million. The sell on fee to WBA was only £1.5mill for Fortune, as most of us know. The rest I believe is paper talk and lazy journalism as usual, why do so many still fall for this???

Notthebus

Have to disagree re Miller, he showed more promise than any player I have seen for a while and delivered too. His head was turned by Man Who and like a fool he thought he had made it. I firmly believe that he would have gone on to become a great if he stayed with us. He needed head coaching!

What's the golf chat

HAIL HAIL

Referees can stop matches amid racist chants: UEFA
Thu Jul 2, 2009 2:08pm GMT
(Reuters) - UEFA on Thursday approved new guidelines for match officials to deal with racist chants or other behaviour in stadiums which includes stopping the game.

The new rules would allow the referee to first stop a match and issue a warning over the public address system requesting that the racist behaviour cease. If this did not work, he could suspend the game for 5 to 10 minutes.

"As a third and final step, if the racist behaviour does not cease after the game has restarted, the referee shall as a last resort, definitively abandon the match," UEFA said in a statement.

The executive body also decided that any consequences, such as forfeit, stadium suspension, fines or others, from the racism outbreak "will be dealt with by the UEFA disciplinary bodies".

A number of racist incidents, mainly involving chants from home fans, have blighted matches in recent years and UEFA have often been criticised for imposing relatively minor fines and sanctions on the governing body of offending nations.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Aw_Naw and WGS, sorry I didn't respond to your questions but like the big boy who threw a stone and ran away, I posted my comment and ran away...anyway, Aw_Naw...I'm not S mc F and I don't live in Wales...WGS, ToMow was good with the media guys, the comments I heard were, "...breath of fresh air." and "...night and day." I wouldn't say there was a special buzz about the place...too many players missing still. Mark Venus, Peter ( still pointing ) Grant and IC?? took training. Who is IC? Big Cillian back, as was Lee Naylor and Chris Killen. Thought it interesting when TM said he hoped to bring in a couple of players who would excite the fans..."...we're working very hard and some talks are further advanced than others..." I got the sense that he is quite confident about Fortune, reminding those present that some players are still passionate about the game and that football can sometimes take precedence over money...very interesting. By the way, spotted Paul McStay going in the door...hmmm.

weebobbycollins

thanks for replying

inspectorcloseauCSC

Well getting beat 1-0 at home to Llanelli.....dire-dire-dire

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK PAUL HARTLEY

A GENUINE CELTIC FAN FROM A BIG CELTIC FAMILY.THIS MAN WILL BE GUTTED TONIGHT.

YOU LIVED OUR WILDEST DREAMS , PAUL

THANK YOU

HAIL HAIL

GOD BLESS

twists

Don't have Tiny Tim jumping in here.

Isn't that Motherwell from Kurdistan?

Bought a dictionary in Motherwell town-centre today. The word
'co-efficient' isn't in it.

Jimtim, I didn’t notice that, interesting point.

larssonSE7EN

On the Liam miller issue, if we leave the Lyon game aside (and remember ANY player can have a blinding CL,I give you Kenny Miller/Benfica) where did you see the potential. From memory he made 10 first team starts?

Henrik has just scored 1-0
Now TM go for him

Bloke_109

I forgot about that game.

HT Motherwell 0 Llanelli 1

Are they trying to out do their Ibrox chums by getting knocked out of Europe in July?

EN

According to some hack on Talksport, AC Milan have only sold 400 poxy season books

Fritza

They just advertised a waiting list on RAI Uno TV

Please scroll by if you only want to read about Celtic stuff.

Since WG has temporarily suspended his entertaining tales of a child sociopath, I thought I'd inflict one of my favourite funny short stories on you. I'll break it down into chunks and post it in 4 sections. The first is the longest.

Alan Coren, who died in October 2007, published a lot of stuff where he riffed on a newspaper snippet to the point of absurdity. His son and daughter produced a collection of his work last Xmas, selected by Stephen Fry, Melvyn Bragg and others as their favourites. All of them managed to overlook MY favourite of his so I have reproduced it below:-

SHOME TALK OF ALEXANDER

Alexander the Great was a great drunkard, according to a New York historian. Dr. John O'Brien says that the talented Macedonian king exhibited the classic signs of alcoholism during his short life, and that drink caused his death at the age of 32.
Macedonians were noted for their liquor consumption, Dr. O'Brien reports. Alexander's father, Philip, was a famous tippler, and his mother, Olympias, daughter of Neoptelimus of Epirus, was an enthusiastic disciple of Dionysus, god of wine.
The Times

Alexander III, called THE GREAT, king of Macedonia, was born in 365BC, at Pella in Macedonia, two facts which escaped him for most of his short life. Drunk, he had great difficulty in working out how old he was, since (given that by the time he was twelve it was 344BC) he seemed to be growing younger every year; nor could he clearly remember whether he had been born at Massa in Pelladonia or Poland in Alexandria. Asked for his name at parties, he frequently informed his host that he was Milton from Greater Pasadena. He would then fall down.

His father was Philip II, about which he was fairly clear, even if he didn't always get the number right; but as his mother was Olympias, daughter of Neoptelimus of Epirus, he never managed to refer to her as anything but Mrs. II, unless it had been a really rough night, in which case she could be any number from Mrs. I to XXXVI. However, as she was a heavy drinker herself, she never came when called, since this involved finding her other shoe.

Despite this, she was not as big a lush as her husband Philip, who wept most of the time, partly out of remorse, and partly because nobody would play Melancholy Baby; and it was because of this guilt-bred grief that Philip, deeply distressed by his son's inability to think straight, enunciate clearly, or indeed cross the room without knocking over the furniture, persuaded Aristotle, in 343 BC, to take Alexander on as a pupil.

It did not work out well: Pella was 200 miles from Athens, and to get to Aristotle's place you had to change horses five times, plus make tight connections at Thebes-on-the-Hill and Sparta's End, where the buffet sold an unpretentious retsina used mainly to despatch horses which had broken a leg on route. Because of this, young Alexander frequently ended up in Thrace, plastered and shrieking at unimpressed citizens that he was the daughter of Mrs. Aristotle IV and could lick anybody in the place.

Fortunately, the result of this early experience was that he became an expert swordsman, fearlessly prepared to take on six adversaries at a time. That everyone else saw only two adversaries does not, of course, diminish Alexander's heroism; in fact, the contrary. Indeed such was his prowess that when Philip left his army in 340 BC to attack Byzantium, he was confident to leave Alexander in charge of Macedonia; more confident, at least, than to take Alexander with him, since Alexander could not only not remember whether you turned left or right a the roundabout for Byzantium, he was unable to stay on his horse after a heavy breakfast.

While Philip was away, Alexander defeated the Maedi, a Thracian people; it was not a difficult victory, since the Maedi had been unaware that they had been at war and were taken by surprise, but Philip was pleased with it, because any victory was a good excuse for a thrash. Three years later, however, the two fell out; when Philip divorced Olympias (the row is said to have begun over who had the corkscrew), Alexander fled with his mother to Epirus, since her father, Neoptelimus lived in a forest, and 337 was a good year for wood alcohol.

But in 336, when Philip was assassinated ( the reason is unclear, but the crime may not have been political, since Philip is known to have amassed a personal fortune of eighteen thousand empties which has never been found), Alexander succeeded him. He then marched south, in the hope of capturing the heavy aquavit plant in Norway, and found himself in Corinth, where he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Greek League, who took his halting Norse for colloquial Barbarian and elected him out of sheer terror. Reeling into Thrace in the spring of 335, he found the bars shut and, in an invincible fury, crushed the bewildered Triballi before turning to cross the Danube, where he dispersed the Getae (for being out of stuffed olives). Meanwhile. a rumour of his death (he had been lying under a table for six days) had precipitated a revolt of Theban democrats. Waking, Alexander marched 240 miles in fourteen days, to Thebes. he still had the hangover, so Thebes was burned to the ground.

Awenaw

Mail sent.

I really hope M'Well can turn this around and get through this tie. It's Llanelli fur goads sake...

Sounds like there are about 63 folk at the gemme, mebbes 64.

Nope I was right first time...63

Estadio Nacional,

although it is great to remember back to the Kaunus debacle - absolutely great infact.

The Motherwell score reminds me of Hibs, Q. of the S. and Motherwell as well as the huns last year in Europe.

Between the four of them they didnae win 1 game in Europe.

(Celtic weren't much better, the Villareal game taking place after last place in the group had been secured!).

Aonther vintage year for Scottish teams in Europe by the looks of it.

Now, remind me again, that's right, Kaunus scored the goal that put them through with about 5 minuts to go - cue petted lips the size of Oklahoma in the huns bench. That was pure minted so it wis.

Motherwell trying to keep up with the Joneses?

2214 watching Larsson's team Helsingborg. Now 1-1

72% possession M'well!...matter o' time shooorely?

Henrik has just scored again 2-1

That Artmedia game was something else.

Mrs EDB went to bed thinking it was ONLY 4-0.

I was in Milan in 1970 when we lost to an inferior Feyenoord side but I handled that reasonably well.

Those imposters on Black Sunday, and we all know who they are, were a disgrace to Celtic FC on that day.

Only my opinion.

I hope collectively they nowadays hang their heads in shame.

The Persian Expedition

From his accession, Alexander had set his mind on invading Persia, where it was said, King Darius had discovered a method of distilling gin from dates which retailed at less then 3p a pint. At the river Granicus, Alexander stopped; the Persian plan was to tempt Alexander across (by telling him the first two drinks were on the house) and kill him in the melee, but the scheme misfired badly. Alexander, slumped between two satraps, had great difficulty in focusing on the heliograph and interpreted the Persian invitation as a request to drink up and get out because it was closing time. Enraged, he hurled his forces across the river; the Persian line broke, exposing Asia Minor to the Macedonians. Most of the major cities opened their gates to Alexander, many of them throwing in a free ploughman's lunch, with the single exception of Miletus, which took courage from the fact that the Persian fleet lay close at hand. It was a mistake: Alexander did not attack the Persian fleet, as anticipated, since the movement of the ground beneath his feet led him to believe that he was already afloat ; he thus attacked the coastal towns, under the impression they were large brick ships, and, stunned by this utterly unprecedented stratagem, they instantly surrendered. To his dying day, Alexander never understood why Miletus did not simply up anchor and sail away.

In the spring of 333 BC, Alexander subdued most of Asia Minor, and arrived in Gordium in Phrygia. It was here that he was presented with the Gordian Knot, which according to legend could be loosed only by the man destined to rule Asia. Naturally unable to untie it (most days he could not even pick up his shoes, let alone find the laces), Alexander, in a fit of rage, cut through it with his sword. He also cut through his hat, his horse, his maps, and four bystanders, but it did not matter: all Persia lay at his feet, as, indeed, Alexander himself had so often done.

EDB

Your comment
"Those imposters on Black Sunday, and we all know who they are, were a disgrace to Celtic FC on that day."

Honestly, I don't know who you mean. Care to enlighten me?

Shatners syrup

I enjoy Motherwell humiliations. Its not good for co-efficient but, we have a cup runner up who just escaped relegation. The other a team who qualified by unbelievably being the team with the best disciplinary record last season.

They should not be there and if they do qualify they will go out in the next round, we must be talking about loosing a tiny percentage of our co-efficient points.

Agree with you about Kaunas, for some reason the date has stuck in my mind, 5 August 2008, a great early evening on here.

EN

BT/tinytim - you have mail.

mr angry - if EDB is referring to the players that day, then they were a disgrace. Only Stan was screaming at the other players to get the finger out.
That day still makes me feel like mr angry!
And don't even go there with Martin42!!

TTTT

Hail, hail

Get it right up Motherwell.

Llanelli have a stand named after the first Scottish manager to win the European Cup playing 'beautiful football'.

They'll do for me

Inkybhoy

Didnt know that, cheers, I like teams with stands with that name.

0-1 77 minutes.

EN

From last year: 'That's Rangers out before I've had my dinner' - loved that line
on here.

inky - great point. Mon the L's

my disgust at black sunday is a distant memory.

last year was worse, because, it is fresh. Disgrace.

Ulster-Celt

SFTB

Enjoyed that little sojourn into Ancient History. Alexander was what we would call " a cute hoor."
I'd think he's the type of employee we need in the Celtic PR department?

53

Tut tut tut, Motherwell are a Scottish side and you guys really should be getting behind them. I am a very principled person and wouldn't deny another Scottish team by good wishes simply becau.........whoa, haud the bus a minute....A Jock Stein Stand?

C'mon the boyos, gerrintae that bunch of no users. Go dragons go

whoooosh > yo! paul 67....catching rays is fun.. i look forward to catching some tomorrow...
Yo! peeps> what gives? revelant peeps have mail to do with golf..etc
irrelevant peeps have a beetroot salad....
bis morgens
slan
aldo

Usually when Scottish teams get gubbed in early July, the battle cry is that the other team have started their season and we're playing catch up - having only started pre-season.

That wullnae wash with LLanelli. Although their name ends as though they are some Italian outfit, they were runners up in the welsh league, and they huvnae even got a close season.

When your day job is a carpet fitter, your close season is taking the wife, three wains and the mother in law to Anglsea for a week in the caravan.

Motherwell, professional fitbaw players. Pathetic. Better oot of Europe.

All over 1-0

Conquest of Egypt

Wheeling south after the defeat of Darius, Alexander then marched west, though occasionally north, and once or twice in a circle, until, having subjugated Byblos and Sidon, he reached Tyre and put it under siege. The siege lasted seven months, and some historians maintain that it was the Tyrians who successfully resisted, when in fact it was rather that Alexander was forced to give up, because the tonic had run out. He took his army into Egypt, and founded Alexandria, erecting the huge Pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the world, so that he could find his way home at night.

History has it that it was in Alexandria that he began to think of himself as the son of Zeus. this is true, but it is also true that it was part of a painful delusory process brought on, ironically, by a tragic accident.

Alexander had lived all his short life in terror of delirium tremens, having seen what it could do to both his father and mother, who spent long periods of his childhood swatting one another under the mutual impression that the other was a giant spider. When he arrived in Egypt, the first thing he saw was a camel. He fainted. When he recovered, it was gone. Tentatively, he asked his aide-de-camp, Callisthenes, whether he had also seen "that horse with the big knockers". Callisthenes, not comprehending, suggested that Alexander switch brands; the general changed to Bloody Marys, but that night, staring at the Nile aimlessly, he saw his first crocodile. He rushed , screaming, to his tent, where he told the distraught Callisthenes that he was being pursued by four-legged handbags.

Alexander subsequently refused, when it had dawned on everyone else, to believe the truth; those who claimed that they, too, had seen what he had seen were dismissed as flatterers, insulting him by humouring him. After he had killed twelve of these with a broken bottle, the rest stopped insisting that they were telling the truth; which finally satisfied their leader, while doing nothing to relieve his wretchedness.

He left Egypt, conquered Babylon in a somewhat depressed stupor , and pushed on towards India.

It was there that he saw his first elephant.

hi paul.fellow celts.

with regards to tibor tisza. i think we can cross that fellow of our wish lists. cant think the hungarian clubs fans would be to happy with their new manager if first thing he did was sell their prize asset.but agree he looks the part , but then again majic was the same on utube

Embdy know the price on Murderwell to get relegated? Starting this early, new manager,
thin squad, young players, no budget...

SFTB

Incidentally. I noticed - albeit some time ago - posters would respond to another poster
using the abbreviated FSTB. In my ignorance I thought they were corresponding with you but were suffering from dyslexia.

I now realise my mistake.

53

Paul67,

can you email me.

I lost your email when my old PC went POP and clicking on your monicker isn't taking me to your email details.

just want to send on a donation for you gowf charity collection.

MWD

weebobbycollins at 8:37 You asked who IC was who took training. I believe this to be Ian Coll who has taken over the Sports Science department from Gregory Dupont.

Motherwell fans give the Llanelli players a standing ovation. Noo...thats taking sportsmanship tooooo far.

Jim Gannon? Hmmm Jim Gantin' fae noo oan

bloke 109.

new manager,
thin squad, young players, no budget...

sounds familiar ,does it not

Owen Coyle seems to be signing his Celtic targets for Burnley

Fletcher, now James McCarthy next.

good

Ulster-Celt

anither thing...thur jist shoodny be a stadium in Muvverwell caud the "Excelsior". Means "ever upward" or "superior". An oxymoron or whit? Whitever next "The Eclectic Stadium" ower in Govan?

Lurgan53

Im sure it was Fergus Slayed The Blues people were after, caught me out a few times.

EN

India and the Final Years

Next afternoon, in 328 BC, on the plains of Sogdiana, he met and immediately married a local girl, Roxana, because he didn't want to be alone at night when he woke up and saw the giant with the arm on its head walking around on four wastebins.

Unhappily, Roxana arrived for their wedding night riding on an elephant; forever thereafter, Alexander assumed that she, too, was a figment of his sodden imagination, and it came as no surprise to anyone else when, four years later, he also married , at Susa, the daughter of his old adversary, Darius. Inevitably, the two women fought over the dress allowance; Darius's daughter kept complaining to Alexander about his first wife, from which Alexander inferred that his second wife was also either a drunk or a liar attempting to humour him, while Roxana kept complaining about his second wife, upon which Alexander would knock her about on the grounds that no figment of his imagination was going to tell him how to run his marriage.

There could be only one outcome to all of this. Alexander took to drinking even more heavily, and, inevitably, early in 323, he failed, one morning to rise from his bed. Friends continued to throw water over him for eight days, but it did no good, any more.

The End

tnt

Even worse for Airdrie :-)

jimtim

Nice gag, so I know you're not serious...

Bloke 109

Betcha they aw wish they had "Paradise" as a tag eh!

Oh, whilst I'm here;

Kin ennyuddy confirm that Maggie fae the broons wiz a Tic supporter n' big Daphne wiz a currant? It's jist that the last time ah wiz at CP ah saw loads o lassies that looked like maggie n ah'm share I saw Big Daphne in Whitburn Main St last weekend wi' a bun scarf oan?

tnt

You're right. Joe's a tim and Hen's a hun.

Ha! Ha!

What a bloody great start to my weekend.

Murderwell stuffed tonight, gowf day tomorrow.

Soopoib!

Ha! HA! Murderwell GIRFUY ha ha ha ha ha!!!

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

ML1/ML2 CSC

TnT,

Excelsior in Murderwell?? You sure you not getting your Saturday Service mixed up with your Section B???

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Really pleased to hear Tony Mowbray say he knows how to work budgets in his opening day interviews. I believe we are seeing the first signs of that today with wages being freed up from players whose time had naturally come to an end.

Despite contributing significantly at various periods of their time at Celtic, I don't think many people will be shouting to offer Jan or Paul new contracts. This last season was one season too many for Jan and has seen Paul's contribution slowly tail off. They go with our thanks and best wishes.

I hope this signals an intent by TM to move away from an overloaded squad and focus our resources on better quality and less quantity. JVOH, PH, Naka and Bobo have gone. Circa £100K per week right off the bat. I suspect one or two others to follow - at least one goalkeeper and a couple of midfield players - which should free up wages for at least two or three first choice first team players.

I like what I've heard from our new manager so far.

Paul67,

What will be interesting will be if we get N'Guemo and at what price. Anywhere between a million and million and half then i say, yee ha!!, we are at last looking out the SPL for value for money. AFter these two i sense a cenre half and a bosman left back of some sort.

Looks like TM knows what we are seriously lacking in the middle. N'Guemo is battler in midfield that allows the ball players to play.

Think TM might be trying to build a spine to the team, from central defence, central midfield and up top?

The wage bill recedes - opening opportunity...

So good to see the back of JVOH albeit a season too late. Hartley was 3 seasons too late...in arriving - pity we didn't get him at his peak - he surely leaves with our all best wishes....?

Hope TM has a few lined up...otherwise I fear we'll be deafened by the sound of the barrel being scraped.

Oldtim @ 6:35,

Wise words sir, well said.

Hail hail!
HB

TTTT,

The last imposter from THAT day left the building yesterday.

Is life not wonderful today?

Martin.

Marc Fortune and Obafemi Martins i cannot wait. Pace, power and hopefully goals.

TOMC from 8.51

totally agree, having known Paul since he was a bhoy, I wasn't much older 0;

i know he lived the dream, i spoke to him at a couple of functions,
he never forgot that he was one of the bhoys who was good enough
to play for our beloved hoops...

good luck Paul(Zico)

Notthebus

I'm sure he played more games than that. But anyway all I base his potential on is my own opinion. I really liked the look of him and thought he had something special.

Dont get me wrong - I was really annoyed when he left - he showed us no faith or gratitude for supporting him through his injury.

I really do think he would have made it had he stayed with us. Like I said earlier, I dont think his head / attitude is right.

The Liam Miller example should be highlighted to all the wannabee's who go pimping it for the dollar.

HAIL HAIL

BTW

I am sitting outside being eaten alive by those peasky midgies...

that must be the best excuse for my bad play tomorrow,they are chewing on my fingers as i type..

BT

it could be the red wine that is attracting them..

TwistsandTurns :- It remains Ibrox Stadium as opposed to the park (aka home of the dead) you play on :-)

So we could be looking at our first Nike Friday of the close season tomorrow. First of a few...?

In other news, who says Yahoo answers aren't funny...

http://www.interbent.com/images/yahoo-answers.png

WGS,

Obafemi Martins? Really?

Hasn't his wages just increased due to a clause in his contract from £60k/week to £65k/week?

How do we compete with that?

Sutty,

Mistake mate, didn't mean to post that. Ooops!! Got him mixed up.

TTTt email replied to...

Martin42 - a sore one for us and countless others. I understand Ulster-Celt's point about last season, but we saw that coming....unlike Fir Park.
Like you, I'm glad to see that all those players have now left the club. Although, after everything he's been through while being associated with Celtic, I'm more than happy for Lenny to still be employed by the club.

Paul (and Martin42 if you're going) - as ever, I hope that the CQN golf day is a great success and plenty of money is raised for the various charities. Have a good time lads.
I'd like to make it along one year, but when you've labelled golf a "game dominated by fuds" on CQN, then you'd be taking hypocrisy to a whole new level! :-)

All the best,
TTTT

Paul67

Apologies if I am repeating anything anyone has stated thru the day, I guess I am disappointed that my own Celtic front line will not come to pass. I make no apologies though for suggesting previously that a forward line comprising of one Anthony Stokes (21 this month) and one Stephen Fletcher (22) backed up by any combination including McGeady, Maloney, McDonald and Samaris could cause problems for many a defence. That John Hughes is looking to Stokes as a replacement for Fletcher is no surprise to me but it pains me to realise that neither of these two players, both connected to Celtic, will be found playing at Parkhead next season, then again I have not been given the job as the new Manager!

larssonSE7EN.

Are you ready for the golf tomorrow.have you booked into a hotel this time.

EdwardUrsus on July 2, 2009 12:15 PM

I posted this on KDS in response to a similar point.

Ideally in football all the resources should be shared equally but historically those clubs with a bigger support brought in more money which they,not unaturally, treated as "theirs". The support saw it that way too, so there has never been a time when the ideal was going to be realised and there is some justification for clubs with a larger support wanting a bigger share of the cake for without them, the cake would be smaller.

That "natural" order was broken by Television, when crowd size was no longer a criteria for "bigness" and whilst the TV market is here to stay, the natural order is now being ripped to shreds by the ability of some clubs to either go into unsustainable debt or attract sugar daddy funding from oligarchs.

It is the latter two elements that needs addressing: sugar daddy funding is non football money and simply flows from oligarch to player and is removing from the game what competitive element did exist under the old "natural" order that allowed a team from Glasgow's East End to win the equivalent of the CL.

Unsustainable debt also needs to be removed and it is hard to see how those banks capitalising Real Madrid for example can justify investing their money in that way rather than using it for more civil purposes like investing in real businesses that will show a return on investment and provide the population with work into the bargain.

So whilst there is a bit of hypocricy in wanting measures to outlaw non football money from the game and introduce wage caps as an instrument for doing so it is nevertheless a measure that would return football to the more natural order of you only spend what you earn from the business or borrow within the limits of what you can repay. TV money will always put Celtic on the periphery but that is better than not having a look in at all.

The one good thing about Real's excesses is that it has drawn attention to the greatest challenge facing modern football.

As a Celtic supporter seeing the impact that financial excesses in world football are having on Celtic I hope for a change and do fear what we will be left with if no change takes place.

larssonSE7EN

Apologise, he started 26 games during his 3 year first team Celtic career.

I agree his attitude appears to have been a major factor in his demise.

As well as a decent troupe of new recruits, Celtic managers of late seem to have a knack of getting at least one excellent player in, in their first season.

Jansen - Henrik, Lambert

Dr. Jo - Lubo, Mjalby

Barnes - Petrov

O'Neil - Sutton, Lennon

Strachan - Nakamura, Boruc

Tony, over to you.

andycol @ 9:57, cheers...that answers my question.

harrow bhoy,

thanks for that.

WeeBobbyCollins,

Was Donati there today. Impressed with TM today?

Shatners syrup

Notice not one of those players were bought in the SPL.

As I stated the other night IF we are to win back the title the answers will not be found in the SPL.
We will need to look to Holland, Sweden, England and France.

It will not be cheap. Therefore we will need to sell some "star" players in order to finance some deals just as we did in 1997.

night bhoys and ghirls

early night, golf tomorrow..
worthy causes being looked after...

god bless and keep the faith...

god bless kano

BT

paul ..

To the bhoys going to the golf tomorrow, as usual have a wonderful day. i will sure as hell miss my day with you all. to those travelling, please take care and safe journey to you all. and hope many a pound is raised.

hail hail .

WGS/CQN scouting dept.

Whats your info on Landry N’Guemo?

Im reading via Celtic internet that last summer

'Arsene Wenger was on the verge of making a move for N'Guemo, with Sunderland, Everton and Newcastle also listed as possible destinations.'

In the quotes from the player himself;

"Who wouldn't be interested in joining a club as famous as Celtic?"

and of course

"I would love to play in England, who doesn't love the Premier League? I am praying to get there one day"

I gather he is a left footed midfeilder, defensive or attacking? Google is not helping.

EN

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8131582.stm

auldheid
As the great man said ,football is nothing without the fans .
Believe me it is true .The fans are what makes great clubs great .
tv money will come and go and sugar daddies will go faster .
To them a football club is a plaything ,a toy or a tax dodge somehow .
but to the fan it is a part of our lives .
I must admit to being torn between my club moving for financial gain .
If we don't we will see ever decreasing success in Europe .If we do were do we draw
the line .
The game seems to be heading rapidly towards the franchise future if it does then
last one out put the lights off .
I for one want my club to move closer to it's roots and ideology in this testing time
defeat was always part of the deal .To achieve success whilst sticking to your principles makes it OHHHHHHHH
the more SWEETER
hail hail

Estadio,

I gather he is a defensive midfielder.

Wenger was in for him apparently to finally replace Viera.

http://www.imscouting.com/player.aspx?id=lc0Ugi4NQYipfpgl2kQbIA||&name=Landry+Nguemo

If Mogga is htting France for players, hopefully he'll take a look St Etienne in particlar.

So what was the worst result in Europa

Motherwell 0 Llanelli 1
Artmedia 5 Celtic 0
Kaunas 2 Rangers 1
Gretna 1 Derry 5

WGS did st etienne not escape relegation on the final day of the season?

Forgot to say lad's, Fortune is a right sided attacker, he could easily be earmarked to play on the right of a 4 2 3 1 or 4 3 3. Maybe we might have an actual attacker lined up through the centre.

WGS

Cheers, good to see we are being seriously linked with players like that. In saying that Im basing my belief in the link on a what I consider to be a respected French newspaper.

EN

Paulo,

They have a couple of crackers in Emmanuel Rivière, Daisuke Matsui and Stathios Tavlaridis

WGS, no Donati today.

WeeBobby,

I seen your bit about Keith Jackson. Did he leave the PC when he seen it was rain or did he allow for the car just to fill up with water?

Weebobbycollins

Good reporting earlier (8.37 and of course 4.04), cheered me up reading them, it sounds like theres a good atmosphere about the place.

EN

WGS,

Hasn't Matsui already moved to Grenoble?

Sutty,

Has he,? never heard, been busy past week.

WeeBobby,

Artur looked as if he spent his days off with John Hartson. Seen a few pictures, certainly could do with losing some. I think having his mate beside him, might be a good thing this year.

From a ragged newspaper.

TONY MOWBRAY looked Artur Boruc straight in the eye on Thursday morning.

The new Celtic boss demanded honest answers from the Pole about his commitment to the club.

Then he gave controversial Boruc some brutal home truths.

Standards WILL be met, sloppiness on and off the park WON'T be tolerated, respect to everyone at the club is a MUST.

If not Boruc - who conceded horror goals as Celtic lost the title - will be shown the door.

Mogga insists he got the replies he wanted, though the sight of a blobby Boruc at Lennoxtown would've been alarming.

Yet he sees no reason why the shotstopper won't start the 2009-10 campaign as Celts No1 again.

Mowbray revealed: "I've had a good chat with Artur this morning.

"I only watched him from afar last season. I try to base my relationships with players on respect and trust.

"I said to Artur that as long as we have mutual respect for each other, that he understands my job and I understand his issues and problems, if he has any, then we'll be fine.

"If he has any problems then he HAS to make me aware of them. It's no good him keeping them to himself and me just judging him on a performance. If he's got other things going on in his life he needs to talk about then he should do so.

"I also talked to him about his motivational levels. Is he ready for another season? Is he ready to go again?

"He must be professional, whether he's got ideas of moving on or not. He's not intimated that to me so far.

"He understands he's got to get down to some hard work pre-season and get focused on the job.

"The biggest clubs in the world, if that's his ambition, won't come knocking if he's not performing week in week out. I think he gave me the answers I was looking for. I felt as if it was a very postiive conversation with him.

"Artur's personality suggests he's a confident boy, that he knows his ability and what he can achieve.

"But I also think he knows he needs to knuckle down and get on with the job, whether that's to be the best goalie for Celtic week in week out or whether it's to attract a huge bid from a giant somewhere round the world.

"But it's never going to happen unless he's producing for us.

"I don't see any reason why I wouldn't start the season with him as No 1. He's worked extremely hard - although I wouldn't say running is his greatest forte.

"He's practically crawling around there to make sure he does the same amount of work as the rest, and that's a great credit to him."

Advertisement

Mowbray added: "It's straight-forward for me with players - are you ready, are you up for it, do you want to play for our team?

"I've seen some of the goals, I've seen some of the body language.

"If one of the biggest clubs in the world come knocking for you, then am I going to stand in your way? Probably not.

"If you are telling me if its right for the club, right for you, then we've all got to push on to get to that level as we're NOT there, I don't think, at this moment.

"I tell footballers: This is the way I am, this is what I do, I do expect high standards, I don't like lazy, slovenly players.

"I like things to be done professionally. Training starts at this time, training stops at this time, when I'm talking you listen, just be good men. Don't make the kitman's life hard, don't make the laundry woman's life hard, respect everybody, let them do their jobs and we'll get on fine.

"I think there's good men here, I can see it in their eyes.

"Sometimes when you talk to players they aren't listening, they're not looking, their interest is somewhere and they're thinking 'T****r.' I've been in those dressing rooms. I went to West Brom and felt that.

"But my first impressions of these lads is that they are all good, decent animals, if that makes sense.

"Along the way some might fall by the wayside.

"How they cope with disappointment, how they cope with being dragged off every week, how they cope with the boss giving them a b********* in the dressing room with their team-mates . . . let's see."

Predecessor Gordon Strachan had plenty of nightmare moments with Boruc and Aiden McGeady but Mogga added: "I've spoken to Aiden and I'm not anticipating any problems.

"I'd like to think he should be wanting to light up our football team. He has the talent and the ability to do it and I like talented, quality footballers."

CELTIC have announced summer coaching courses for kids.

They will take place at venues across the West of Scotland and give boys and girls aged 5-13 the chance to experience a first class coaching programme delivered by Celtic's community staff.

Selected courses will be attended by first team stars.

For further information and bookings contact: 0141 551 4321.

WGS

Only if cool hand Luke is not one for partying.

EN

Mowbray talks the talk.

Good.

WeeBobby,

Interesting about PaulMcStay. TM has a lot of time for him. I wonder if maybe with his brother going he might be helping Lenny and Danny McGrain next year?

Would love to see the maestro back in some capacity at the club. Has always beaten me how he's been out of the gme for so long.

WGS

Maybe Paul McStay was just there to organize the launch of this new strip?

EN

Oldtim

Yes I am my friend. All booked up too. Swithering whether to drive or get the train. Driving is easier to get there but means I have a commitment on Saturday ha ha. I think I will let the weather decide.

Looking forward to seeing you again.

Off to bed now, see you tomorrow.

GNGB

Estadio Nacional, I think it will certainly be a happier dressing-room this season...if we get off to a good start...WGS, didn't think Artur looked too bad...re Jackson, someone suggested to a Celtic PR person that they should let KJ know it was raining heavily but was told..." No way! That's a goal for us."

Weebobbycollins

Brilliant.

What time do they start and end training? If you doint mind me asking?

EN

WeeBobbyCollins,

Excellent!! I love it.

Might bump into you tomorrow. Who knows we might even be talking about a signing.

Estadio.

RE McStay, watch thi space. Another feeling or hunch i got

Just watched Mr Mowbray's press conference from today.

I am very impressed.

He is a born leader of men.

A very humble ,respectfull man.

I believe his man management will be exceptional.

Lets hope that he is a good judge of what Celtic need and able to get the players he really wants.

WGS

Where were we linked with Obafemi Martins?

TT

WGS @ 10.42pm

In other news tonight, profits at Gordon Ramsay's restaurants fell
87% last year. Murray-esque, that.

Estadio, I don't know if they did any training this morning but this afternoon they started at 1:45...I left at 2:30 and they were still working on ball-skills, nothing too strenuous, it was very, very warm...TM was not on the training ground. After dealing with the media he went to his office because, I was told, he had a lot of work to do...WGS, I think it is only a matter of days for things to start happening...here's hoping! Off to bed...goodnight all.

Bloke_109

It would seem that he is still making a profit.

During these heartbreaking times,that is commendable,especially for a high end product.

Murdochauldandhay,

Thanks just watched the snippet. The man just exudes confidence, class and passion. Not sure if he would have been my first choice, but like Gordon would have received my full support, but by God BTM is pushing all the right buttons.

Ard Macha

Auldheid :- I just read your post and as I have had a couple of drams would rather not answer just now as I don't think I could give it the answer it deserves. I've copied it and will try to give a decent answer tomorrow.

Kevtic :- the worst was kaunas 2 Rangers 1 the best was Artmedia 5 Celtic 0

WGS

I to would love to see the Maestro back at the club.

Either Paul or Willies wife(i think that it is Willie)is the sister of Mr Mowbrays sadly deceased first wife (Bernadette).
Making them ex brother in laws.

ArdMacha

I think that he will prove to be great man manager.

THE FARCE CONTINUES

So now we get rid of our reserve manager and a midfielder and a STRIKER - without replacement.

Are Celtic now defying the laws of physics - perhaps we will start a new trend of only playing 10 players every game - now thats value for money.

The club is fast becoming a farce.

How low can we go???

Valencia send back Arron Niguez to TFOD
To finnish of his 2 year loan deal
Niguez says Valencia wanted him to return home to Spain
But he feels he has unfinnished buisness at TFOD
Were he enjoyed a 1 year of a 2 year succesfull loan period
making 5 appearances in total-and only one start

Real Madrid are monitoring the situation
with a possible £34million swoop for the Spanish wonderkid expected

Tony Mowbray spoke to the media about his attempts to sign a new player for Celtic, namely Marc-Antoine Fortune of French club Nancy.

Big Tone said he has made his pitch, the clubs have agreed on a fee, and he expects an answer from the player within 24 hours or so.

I find this new-found openness very encouraging. In the past, nobody at Celtic Park would ever discuss a potential signing until the target had put pen to paper. Obviously the club is not going to openly discuss EVERY possible transfer target, but when the media are being supplied with quotes from the player's current chairman to the effect that Celtic have made an offer which has been accepted, what is the point of refusing to even discuss the transfer proposal?

All of which makes the totally unfair barrage of criticism levelled at Peter Grant on CQN recently seem petty and childish, which of course it was.

NegAnon,

Has the CL qualifier been played? Has the first game of the season been played?
No! We have just started the 3rd day of pre-season.

Give the manager/club a chance at least until the day of the CL qualifier.

If no-one has come in by then, fair enough have a moan, give it big licks. But until then...

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

NegativeAnon

TM made it clear we are trying to sign Fortune as a striker replacement. Would u advocate keeping Jan because we have no replacement on the day his contract expires?

Far too early to suggest they won't be replaced. Does Hartley need replaced? We have Brown, Crosas, Robson, Flood, Donati, Ferry

TinyTim,

I think you're right. I wanted Celtic to put them out of business this year and was well peeved that it didn't happen.

However, next year will do. Maybe by stretching it out the enjoyment will be all the more so.

Ard Macha

Do not respond to NegAnon. He is clearly extracting the urine.

His own urine.

ArdMacha - With all due respect, how do you believe Celtic could have put Rangers out of business this year?

Genuine question.

Tabloid alert

More sense from Tony Mowbray as he puts the Fletcher 'Snub" to bed

He s a i d : 'There was no conversation with Steven. He's a very talented individual but, if we are going to spend the sort of money he went for, I felt there needed to be an instant impact on the team.

'Is Steven ready to come to Celtic and be the main striker, someone who scores 25 or 30 goals a season?

'I'm maybe doing him a disservice because I haven't seen him enough in the last two years, but my view would be he needs another year or so to do that. You want a striker to come in and take the burden on his shoulders.'

M o w b r a y c o n f i r m e d yesterday that out-of-contract pair Paul Hartley and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink had left the club after neither were offered new deals.

And more players could yet b e l e a v i n g Pa r k h e a d a s Mowbray shuffles his pack to raise the money to stamp his own personality on his side.

He said: 'If nobody goes out, I would like to think we could a d d t h e r i g h t q u a l i t y footballers, as many as four players to start with.

'But we didn't win the league and haven't got guaranteed Champions League income, so we are not sitting on a treasure chest of gold.

'With the right sort of toing and froing, we can get the right balance in the squad.

'Hopefully we will make one or two signings the supporters get excited about. But it's not always easy.'

Gold Coast Tom,

I don't honestly believe that, I said it in jest as much as anything. That doesn't take away the fact that financially speaking, we did not put them in a very perilous position when we could have.

For the record most of my blame is reserved for the players, although the management don't come out with flying colours either.

Ard Macha

You can't help but like the cut of Tony Mowbray's jib.

ArdMacha - I couldn't disagree with that. We definitely had and still have a superior squad of players and should have had the title sown up with games to spare. Without directly apporioning blame - because it is history and we are surely beyond that now - I feel the biggest issue was the low morale in the dressing room. I feel that in the title run-in, the players, for whatever reason, were not fully together as a team, and when that happens, it is very difficult to win a sprint to the finishing line.

Gold Coast Tom,

Totally right, last season's gone, and whatever happened may only be revealed in someone's memoires.

Also agree on the squad and have said here that there should be no throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Bedtime now.

Oiche Mhaith

Ard Macha

Neg Anons attitude reminds me of Colin Firth in Fever Pitch, when Arsenal score the first against Liverpool.

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

see approx 4 mins in.......

Obviously a fan but appears unable to see the good in anything the club does.

Mowbray is in the job 2 days, is refreshingly open with the press and fans, seems to be clearing out the deadwood, has a clear idea of what the team needs to move forward, and is clearly backed by the board in terms of spending, but according to Neg Anon, its a disaster.

As my dear old gran used to say....if you cant think of anything good to say, just say nothing at all!

hairlikespaghetti

"and is clearly backed by the board in terms of spending"

And how have you made this deduction. It is certainly not clear and is the source of many fears for Neg Anon and many others including myself.

Michael Collins -

Call me gullible if you like, but I have a strong suspicion that, if and when Fortune signs for Celtic, Tony Mowbray will not be required to meet the £3.8m - or whatever the fee may be - out of his own pocket. Just a hunch mind you, but a very strong one at that.

:)

Can anyone tell me why Aiden McGeady doesn't resume pre-season training until Monday?

Just curious.

Gold Coast Tom

It's because he was playing for ROI in their qualifying Word Cup ties. Better he gets a bit of a break.

emusanorphan - Love the name btw. Made me laugh out loud in my quiet office.

Thanks for that. So presumably McDonald is the same.

Makes sense.

emusanorphan - I take it Rod Hull has passed away then?

tom

did he not fall off of a roof whilst trying to fix his arial?

BT
out practicing his putting at 6AM

BT - Is that a joke? Apologies if you were being serious.

Tom
Serious about Rod Hull not the putting...

The death of comic Rod Hull has been described as a slightly bizarre, but tragic, accident at an inquest.
East Sussex Coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death six weeks after Mr Hull died following a fall from the roof of his home at Winchelsea, near Rye.

But the pathologist who examined his body found that the entertainer's judgement may have been impaired by alcohol when he went on to the roof to adjust his aerial during a football match.

Mr Craze said: "It is not a level of alcohol which would be in any way incapacitating."

'Heavy thud'

Mr Hull, 63, who was best known in the 1970s for his double act with his aggressive puppet Emu, was under the drink-drive limit when he fell through an adjoining greenhouse.

He was watching Manchester United in the European Cup with his 19-year-old son Oliver.

Oliver told the inquest: "He said he would go up and fix the aerial. I was to stay and tell him when the signal was good by leaning out of the window and shouting."

He said his father often went out onto the roof to adjust the aerial when the reception was bad.

Oliver said he heard a "light thud" followed by a heavy thud. He found his father lying on the floor and alerted the emergency services.

NegativeAnon @ 12:39 AM,

'So now we get rid of our reserve manager and a midfielder and a STRIKER - without replacement.’

While you are never one to look at life through green tinted glasses, many of the points you make are pragmatic & coherent!

NOT

In this case, Willie McStay has consistently succeeded over several years with the reserves, it’s only right and fair he should be looking to move up/on – with Lennon in situ and TM bringing in two of his ‘own’ men there was no place in the first team. He more than deserves the opportunity to develop his career. He is a Celtic man and if he fulfills his potential I certainly think he’ll be back home one day!

TM spoke at length to Paul Hartley before he left, Paul did a job for us and with Brown and Robson missing, at times was invaluable. I’m sorry to see him go but if we have to depend on a PH past his best then IMO we are not going forward – look to the boy from Nancy, that’s where the future lies.

NOW

The flaying Dutchman – STRIKER, need I go on……………

We have freed up a considerable amount of wages, we have money to spend & the team have just been back for training three days.

GivethebhoyachanceCSC

Way to go Mothers

Hilarious

WelshGuard

The Motherwell result is embarrassing.

Funny.

But embarrassing....

Morning CQN'ers, Que pasa amigo's?

Happy Friday, lets hope its also a Nike Friday.

wHOOPeeeeee!

vmhan

.

Vmnan....Morgen Jongen....

BlantyreTim....Got my Clubs Last Night....Nike Bag....Nike Shoes....It's a Sign....CYA @ 9am....Off for a David Gower....

(Practicing Putting)....;o(

001GolfPunkCSC

Tony Mowbray on Artur Boruc

"Running is not his greatest forte I would suggest, but he is crawling around out there after making sure he has put in the same work as the rest," revealed Mowbray.

"I had a good chat with Artur this morning," said Mowbray yesterday. "I only watched him from afar last season, but I try and base my relationships with my players on respect.

"I told him that if he has issues or problems he has to make me aware. It's no good keeping them to himself and me just judging him on his performance. If he has other things on in his life, then he needs to talk to me about them. I also talked to him about motivation levels. Is he ready for the new season? Is he ready to go again?

"Whether or not he has ideas of moving on, he understands he has to get down to some hard work in pre-season and get focused on the job in hand. If joining one of the biggest clubs in the world is his ambition, they aren't going to come knocking if he is not performing week in, week out."

This is getting embarrassing. Tony Mowbray is not Celtic manager calibre, pure and simple. He is just too honest (sic lacking any managerial media skill) to be a top drawer football manager.

001 bhoy..

c u at 9...

vmhan
any news text me, i'll be out on the golf course with cqners...

no news friday?

BT

BT/ 001, Is today the CQN golf day?

If it is, have a good yin.

and I hope you don't lose any o yir balls!

vmhan
Hail Hail

By pggtips2 on July 3, 2009 8:15 AM

The Truth?

You wanna know the truth?

You cant HANDLE the truth.

(Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men)

By blantyretim on July 3, 2009 6:49 AM
On Rod Hull.

Is it true they found artificial Emu feathers/fur on the roof?

Auldheid @ 8:27

It's not whether I can handle the truth, it's whether the players (in this case AB) can. Mowbray is taking a massive Red or Black gamble here with the players and it only takes one to not listen for it to low up in his face.

My instincts are that during their "good chat", the conversation was all one-way.

pggtips2
have to disagree buddy, maybe he gives a little too much away but he has left little grey areas for the daily retard to exploit like WGS used to (ie they could fill in the blanks to their hearts content so the story said whatever worked against Celtic most at the time) although in saying that they still managed to come up with a headline saying Boruc must shape up or ship out.
It is clear from anyone reading the rest of the article, what you cut and pasted, that the headline bears absolutley no relation to the rest of the article (no real shocker there!)
For me, he is saying the right things just now. Just my opinion though. Refreshing change from WGS

Some positive noises coming from our new manager. Dedication and professionalism, players making the most of their talents and four new signings to come.

The sooner we get to some real games the better. This close season seems to have dragged so much.

Looking forward to the golf day. Will be there early afternoon - should be another tremendous occasion with a great bunch of people.

Wee Green Machine

If you read this mate, I'm not blanking you. I can't access Myspace at work and I just got my new PC in place yesterday, should be able to reply to you tonight.

A poster called Tony Mowbray appeared on CQN last week following his doppleganger's announcement as Celtic Boss. I think he is the real TM, and this week he has been on CQN saying that he hopes to have some new signings early next week, and that maybe a big surprise for all of us.

Freeing up wages by the departing Naka, Bobo, JR Hartley and Big Vinegar (my nicknames) and having a warchest estimated at between 7million and 40 trillion bucks (depending on which paper you read) I hope the "couple of signings" are not the end.

On the Willie McStay front, he is just gaining management experience in the event TM leaves, I would imagine that he will be the next Celtic manager. With Neil Lennon learning the reserve team ropes to be the next Assistant manager. Thoughts?

Can I also say how refreshing it is for the honest Mogga? here's hoping he calls a spade a spade when we lose a game next season rather than WGS insistance on stats to prove it was "a right guid gemme".

I'm just going to Aberdour...I may be some time :-)

Will check CQN when I'm looking for lost balls - let me know when we sign Kaka!

hi ghuys

how you all doing today,good??

good!

anyways,what about that fantastic journalist keith jackson,i think he works for the daily ranger
or something,hes so good that he interviews tony mowbray,asks him about artur boruc,tony,answers
truthfully and honestly,but at no point slates artur,so what does the bold keith do??

yes you,ve guessed it,he totally disregards everything that tony said to him,and goes with the
usual over the top headline,you know the type of headline i mean,the ones that when you read the
story you can never find the headline in there,for instance todays headline.

artur must shape up or ship out warns tony mowbray!!!

i think you will struggle to find that quote,,simply because tony never said it,,scottish meeja
eh,you got to love them!

hail hail

Page last updated at 07:45 GMT, Friday, 3 July 2009 08:45 UK

Hartley poised for Robins medical.

Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley
Hartley is set for a switch to Ashton Gate with Bristol City

Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley will have a medical on Friday and is expected to complete a move to Bristol City before the weekend.

The 32-year-old's contract with Celtic has expired and Greek side Iraklis Saloniki had also offered him a deal.

Hartley made 36 appearances for Celtic last season and was told by new manager Tony Mowbray he was free to move on.

Hearts were also keen to take Hartley back to Tynecastle, having sold him to Celtic for £1.1m in 2007.

The midfielder, who has 22 Scotland caps, started his career with Hamilton Accies before spells with Millwall, Raith Rovers, Hibernian and St Johnstone.

lucky number 7

’Refreshing change,’

Got to agree – the lack of information from Celtic Park the last few years has been frustrating – sure you don’t want everyone to know what your planning and I have read ‘The art of war’

BUT

When the supporters don’t know if a player is out of the team through lack of form, injury or disciplinary reasons it’s gone to far in my opinion!

A wee bit of openness will not go amiss!

My take on our new manager.

http://www.etims.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2588&Itemid=29

delboy67,

I also noticed Tony Mowbray on CQN recently and I have to say to our new manager....GET SOME BLOODY WORK DONE!

Dae ye think he’s on during his break or is he skiving like the rest of us :¬)

That’s a good point re Wullie MsStay, what CFC need is some continuity and Wullie McStay and Lenny could provide that in the future, having said that I hope Tony Bhoy has a long and fruitful career as our manager.

Vmhan
Hail Hail

Some fool of a spokesperson just quoted the following on SSN regarding the likely signing of Michael Owen to Manchester United...

".... United will be getting an experienced player for free.... Great business..... Look at the record of Sir Alex Ferguson in resurrecting the playing careers of the likes of Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham and...... HENRIK LARSSON!"

Resurrecting?

They really don't get it some of these guys...

Megansdad

Read your article yesterday and enjoyed it immensely. I would take issue with your comment "We are not Barcelona, hell we are not even Burnley", but it's all about opinion and we'll need to agree to disagree on that particular point. As I say though, thoroughly enjoyed your well written article. Look forward to the next one.

I found yesterday's media conference refreshing and a bit of transparency is most welcome have years of GS stonewalling and MON gibber. We can be as critical as we like of the old media but it is still the only way many of us we can look the manager in the eye and take in what is being said. I liked what I seen and heard yesterday.

Pggtips2, I wouldn't worry if I were you. TM is basically laying down his stall on the respect agenda in general while issuing challenge to Boruc - if you want to play for one of the true European giants you can only do so by getting into shape and playing outstandingly well for us. I don't have a problem with that and I don't think anyone else should either.

I always have massive hopes and expectations for my beloved Celtic but I'm also reasonably grounded in the sense that if a Barcelona, Man Utd or AC Milan come knocking then you can't stand in a players way if the money is right.

It was great to hear TM talk about why we didn't follow-up our January interest in Fletcher and his rationale was absolutely spot-on, in my opinion. It doesn't matter now but I wonder if TM would have signed Scott Brown for the money we did when we did, based on the Fletcher response?

TM might not get all the targets he wants but to hear him say that we need up to four new signings at least fills me with some confidence as he has clearly recognised the obvious problems in our team.

It's going to be difficult with a very tricky European tie just around the corner but let's see what the coming days and weeks bring us.

DundeePerth
you just dont get it do you?? anything that is not EPL is a footballing backwater
thats why the poor wee lambs are taking it so hard that Real are spending more than them.... its no fair!

I find it funny that Larsson went from Helsingborgs to ManUre during his summer break, to me that makes ManUre a summer league team ;-)

new article posted.

Very nice noises coming from BTM. I was impressed with his interview.

A wee birdie has been telling me (maybe weebobbycollins can confirm) that Mowbray is indeed eyeing a 4231 as his main formation but surprisingly see's Fortune in the role Master Brown excelled in at the point of the midfield 3 at Hibs. This means Scott must be moving back to one of the 2 roles in front of the defence which in turn means I suspect we have a surplus of players in that central midfield area. Particularly if we are looking at N'Guemo. N'Guemo looks to be the type of player we have been looking for the only reservation I have about him is he is 5'8". He seems to have everything else we have been looking for. Tough, good tackler and pace.

Of course this 4231 formation needs the type of strikers we do not have...I for one would not be surprised one bit to see Skippy bidding farewell to the team and the "big" signing being discussed (please Mr Janko) being the main guy with a backup also coming in.

From the interview yesterday it seems Aiden is going nowhere...however reading between the lines I will still be surprised if Artur is a Celtic player come 1st Spetember.

pggtips2

Your comment at 8.15am

This is getting embarrassing. Tony Mowbray is not Celtic manager calibre, pure and simple. He is just too honest (sic lacking any managerial media skill) to be a top drawer football manager.

What's the problem honney? You still pining for Gordon?
Did you love him so much that you convinced yourself that he was some sort of managerial genius?
Was your antipathy towards the sporting press and Scottish society in general, satisfied by the bleatings of WGS?
Didn't you realise that another manager would one day come along and conduct himself with a bit of dignity?

I've read a lot of rubbish on CQN especially from so called happy clappies ( fans of Gordon Strachan) but your post is right up there with the most deluded.

mr.angry

If you've read pggtips previous CQN contributions, I don't think you could put him in the happy clapper or pro-WGS camp.

I'll let him explain his own post but I think it was taking delight in a perceived anti-Boruc message than being, strictly speaking, an anti- Tony Mowbray post.

Just my take.

Maybe pggtips is Keith Jackson ??

I'm of to Fife. See you all soon.

mr angry/sftb

I actually think Tony Mowbray is a really nice guy, and would be a great manager of a team without the high profile of Celtic but in the glare of the media, he is going to be taken to the cleaners.

The press will both, humour his honesty and take out-of-context what he says too, even though he's being honest like in yesterday's Record headline.

As a person Tony Mowbray is most likely, as I've never met him, a top bloke, but I doubt he is Celtic manager calibre.

p.s. as a human being, Tony is 10x the man Gordon is, in my opinion.