Every Celtic fan will be delighted Fraser Forster was included in the England World Cup squad. Fraser joined Celtic on loan four years ago, becoming a permanent member of staff in 2012. His transformation over that period has been remarkable, which is no fluke.
He is the most dedicated footballer at the club. First in each morning, around 2.5 hours before official start time, he’s also last out of Lennoxtown almost every day. He is possibly the most complete 365-day-a-year athlete we’ve ever had. This is a player who has set high personal achievement goals and has allowed no distractions to get in his way.
Enormous credit also has to go to the man who has guided him through his meteoric rise in recent seasons, goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods. Without the focus, technical development and remedial work Stevie has added to Fraser’s development we would not have nearly as effective a goalkeeper between the sticks.
It is never good to see anyone lose their job but surely the decision for Hearts to sack Gary Locke was one of the easiest to come out of Anne Budge’s 120 minute review (which was more productive than one 120 day review). Hearts early and late season form, where they comfortably recorded victories against most of their peer group, told a tale of what happened for six months of the season, when the team failed to show up.
Locke had the resources to keep his team in the league this season but found every excuse available to ensure they finished bottom.
I’m less sure Danny Lennon deserved to be hooked. The gap between St Mirren’s 8th placed finish with 39 points and Hibs on 35 points is narrow, but when he needed to dig deep, Lennon was not found wanting. St Mirren might not be so fortunate with their next guy.
Tommy Gemmell
We are going to have the one and only Tommy Gemmell on the blog on Friday afternoon between 13:00 and 16:00. He’ll be available to take your questions and talk about life, football and anything else you care to bring up. Tune in.
Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN, is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.
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H.H
Podium?
Hail Hail
pod?
Hmm
hit the cross bar. Shameless podium chasing
Congrats bognorbhoy beaten by a question mark ( couldn’t find it on my keypad ;))
….just by chance…!!
Not a long list –
Ex public schoolboys who played for Celtic.
FF may be the only one.
Will Wolfswinkel stand out in the Championship?
More chance of winning a Honda Jazz than getting the ole Podium.
I have a very good friend who has suported St Mirren all his life.
He has been less than enamoured with D.Lennon for a long time.
I feel sorry for Gary Locke; he has been out-politicked by Craig Levein, which seems to be his main talent as a manager.
I was hopin’ the Jambos would give the Horribles a run for their [cash only] money next season; it seems less likely to happen now.
Really cant see us having any chance of getting finbogasson after another goal filled season in holland.
Geordie
Sherwood was always a Gooner.
‘Enormous credit also has to go to the man who has guided him through his meteoric rise in recent seasons, goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods.’
#######
Spot on.
Going by results he’s obviously an excellent coach. Also a smashing guy who’s ‘got’ Celtic.
Well done Big Chap that means we can all be England fans now (maybe not!)
pete the Beat- Jim Craig?
Did he not go to St Aloysius?
Philvis went there, so it’s probably posh enough.
“He is the most dedicated footballer at the club. First in each morning, around 2.5 hours before official start time, he’s also last out of Lennoxtown almost every day. He is possibly the most complete 365-day-a-year athlete we’ve ever had. This is a player who has set high personal achievement goals and has allowed no distractions to get in his way.”
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Well said Paul. Maybe a lesson to other players at the club. You don’t become better by accident.
ole Old Tim swears by the Honda Jazz cigarettes
Tim Sherwood should seek legal advice from ole Arry’s dug.
Pete the beat
Wasn’t Andy Walker a St Aloysius boy also?
Well done big fraser.
Him and Stevie are out early nearly every game working on something or other.
Hearts now have someone in charge who will make all of the decisions on team matters but accept none of the responsibility. He did the same at DU and Scotland. His head coach is really just someone who will take the flak for him.
An average manager who thinks he is Scotland’s answer to Mourinho.
It will all end in tears…..for them, we’ll laugh just like we do with their big cousins!!
Will be a dillema if FF replaces Joe Hart and gets England to the World Cup Final and a penalty shoot out?
orkcelt
13:10 on
13 May, 2014
Sometimes I wonder whether various posters live in the real world. Lenny is on a rolling one year contract he has his terms and conditions reviewed annually. He is hardly going to say I have no ambition to Manage anywhere else” ahead of this review”. Lenny is no fool, apart from the very rare breed of the likes of Ferguson & Wenger, a Manager’s life cycle is a short one. Lenny is already a “long serving Manager” by present average standards. My guess is that he will stay another year to lead us to 4 in a row and will then perhaps advise his agent to put the word out in the right places that he is open to offers.
No wonder big Fraser is first in and last out at training. He hasn’t got much to do the rest of the time. :-)
Simon Lynch and Darren O’ Dea went but possibly not Andy Walker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_educated_at_St_Aloysius'_College,_Glasgow
Ole Daniel’s drove his chevy to the Levy.
P.S. I think I have a bit of a record of posting just after Paul’s notice of a new article. Maybe Paul is trying to tell me something.
the long wait is over
13:10 on
13 May, 2014
Pete the beat
Wasn’t Andy Walker a St Aloysius boy also?
———————————————–
Mrs Adams Wagstaff was in the same year as Andy Walker at Trinity High in Cambuslang.
She always says he wasn’t the best player in the school….
Dontbrattbakkinanger
13:07 on 13 May, 2014
Not a public school though. Think Harry Hood went there.
Bsr
“Geordie
Sherwood was always a Gooner.”
I almost bit there. Lunchtime coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
Jim Brogan went to St Joes, Dumfries.
IReallyHaveBetterThingsIShouldBeDoingCSC
:-)
Didn’t kno=w St Aloysius was a fee paying school.
Surely the fees wouldn’t compare to FF’s Alma Mater.
All that money wasted on his education and he becomes a goalie !
QA Wagstaff,
Mrs Adams Wagstaff was in the same year as Andy Walker at Trinity High in Cambuslang.
She always says he wasn’t the best player in the school….
———————
Was she better..?
:-)
Some serious rewriting of history here.
Comparisons are odious and comparing big John Hughes with anybody is odious.imho.
Big Yogi was unique.A sensation when he first burst onto the scene,he remained so for several years.
He was an absolute hero for young Tims of that era.Post 7-1.Pre Jock.
Who else had a song dedicated to him? Blow up ” life size ” balloons of Yogi bear.
Big John was the hero of his day.
Accolades to big Billy and wee Jinky came later.
the long wait is over
She certainly talks more sense than Andy Walker : )
Jim Craig went to St Gerards in Govan as did Joe McBride and Brian Quinn