Smell of blood on the brown brogues

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Read this morning that the Tynecastle pitch is 19-years-old.  Celtic’s is less than three-years-old.  Hearts have responded quickly to criticisms of their surface and will have a new pitch laid before the end of the month.  Having a top quality football pitch in Scotland isn’t a cheap business.  Celtic pay £500k per year in running, maintenance and depreciation costs for the sunlamp system which keeps the grass as alive as it is.  On top of that there’s costs for ground staff, under-soil heating and various other equipment.

And more at Lennoxtown, of course.  You wouldn’t believe the costs involved in running a football operation at a club with facilities the size of Celtic Park and Lennoxtown.  Modern football in massive stadiums isn’t something you can carry out on a shoestring.

On the Newco debacle at Dundee yesterday; this wouldn’t have happened under Mike Ashely’s watch, whether you regard that particular scenario as malevolent or benevolent. With an active link to Ashley, Newco would benefit from professionalism in the boardroom and better players in the dressing room.  What we’re now enjoying is 100% the work of Dave King, who during his electioneering phase promised so much.

Instead of an Ashley appointed CEO, manager and selection of players from Newcastle’s secondary squad, they’ve sacked their manager and given the guy who put the cones out for the youth team responsibility to finish above Aberdeen. The upshot of this is that the players they need to dig them out of this mess – like Kenny Miller who is not being offered a new contract – know that the decks will be cleared for the new manager.  This is a perfect way to demotivate a squad.

If Celtic (or Aberdeen) win the Scottish Cup, the top four Premiership places qualify for Europe, which would be reassuring for Newco, were it not for St Johnstone, who sit six points adrift from them. But unlike Newco, St Johnstone only have to play Celtic one more time this season.  Saints manager Tommy Wright will smell blood on the brown brogues.  Don’t bet against him.

The message below is from Vmham, who is one of the brave souls cycling from Celtic Park to Lisbon in May.  Please get involved with this magnificent project if you can, there is more information on the MyDonate page linked below:

“CQN’ers, as you may know I’ve been training most of last year for an epic cycle from Celtic park  to Estadio Nacional in Lisbon 25th May 2017.  We wanted to mark the 50th anniversary of the “first British team” to win the European cup, Celtic done it in style with a team whose 11 players were born within a 30ml radius of Celtic park.  As a CQN’er I was involved in the bringing home Kano campaign way back and have contributed financially to support CQN’s website and still do. If anyone would like to sponsor me you can by clicking here on MyDonate page, thanks folks and see you at the party in Lisbon :>)

Vinny”

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383 Comments

  1. Macjay

     

     

    Sure it is. My wife’s still laughing at the “Annoying as phukk when yer textin’ sumdae ‘n say “Look at this!” ‘n ye send thum a photie, n’ it takes 0.3 seconds longer tae send ‘ n thur giein’ it aw that “Look at whit?” malarkey.

     

    ‘kin gie it 2 seconds ‘n ye’ll see, ya absolute sprotter!”.

  2. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan on 21st February 2017 12:15 am

     

     

    Due to Trumpism theres a possibility I’ll get sent job wise to somewhere over the visaless rainbow to train others.

     

     

    Raindrops?? and here was me thinking

     

    Jumbo Jets!

  3. Checked SFA rules.

     

     

    Payment should be made within 5 days from completion of fixture. No mention of business or working days.

     

     

    So payment was late.

     

     

    MWD

  4. Mags

     

     

    Yip. Payment should have been made by Friday last week at latest. My friend a Ton fan with contacts (many) within club and a very well known Ton fan replied to my text saying payment only recieved mid afternoon after Ton tried contacting since Friday to no avail. No mention of any Ersatz FC demand for public clarification though.

     

     

    MWD

  5. MoonbeamsWD on 21st February 2017 12:45 am

     

     

    Actually thats not bad news. Malky Mackay should be paying attention.

  6. A walked into a bar and says to the barman “Al take a water”

     

    “still water?”

     

    Aye ahve no changed my mind ….

  7. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BEATBHOY on 21ST FEBRUARY 2017 12:24 AM

     

     

     

    My 22 yo Aussie lad tuned me in to all that ” stuff.”

     

    Sometimes I need an explanation for the terms.

     

    :-)

     

     

    As I say , a boon for expats .

     

     

    Was watching Rab C this morning.

     

    Whit am I like ?

  8. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BEATBHOY on 21ST FEBRUARY 2017 12:24 AM

     

     

    My boy brought up on a wee diet of Oor Wullie , the Broons , Rab C , etc showed me that very tweet yesterday.

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Strange to find myself supporting Hearts and St. Johnstone.

     

    Strange days indeed.

     

    Most peculiar , mama.

     

     

     

    P GD Pts

     

    1

     

    Celtic

     

    25 51 73

     

    2

     

    Aberdeen

     

    25 26 49

     

    3

     

    Rangers

     

    25 5 43

     

    4

     

    Hearts

     

    25 14 38

     

    5

     

    St Johnstone

     

    25 2 37

  10. I’ve just had the pleasure of listening to Clyde’s phone in from Monday.

     

    The pain is palpable.

     

    The absentee chairman is being questioned.

     

    The ex manager is being lambasted despite the fact that every single one of their fans, including those in the media, praised his signings, his style of football, his extensive list of potential prospects down south and his prowess as a City financial genius.

     

    Callers are crying out for new blood like Pardew, McLeish, Bomber Brown and other similar savours who can walk on water, raise the dead and perform alchemy.

     

    What they and the panel are trying to ignore is the steaming pile of elephant ordure in the middle of the floor.

     

    They have NO money to pay for new management recruits.

     

    They have no money to pay for player recruits.

     

    They have no money to pay for a director of football.

     

    They have no money to pay the day to day costs of running their tribute act.

     

    In short. THEY HAVE NO MONEY.

     

    This club / company will be scrambling to get to the end of the season.

     

    World class breakfasts will be a thing of the past.

     

    Players will be looking at IOUs.

     

    Suppliers with past due payables will be climbing the marble staircase demanding payment.

     

    Legal Eagles will be ring fencing mythical sums of money and the death spiral will continue.

     

    We will look on and wonder how so many can be duped again and again.

     

    While eating jelly and ice cream and keeping the Perkoset handy to ease the pain of our sore sides.

  11. Good morning friends from an unexpectedly (hah! what do those BBC ‘forecasters’ know!) dry, mostly clear skied and chilly (but nowhere near freezing) East Kilbride.

  12. Good morning form a dull and mild Birmingham. Last day of trade fair then the long drive home this evening, long day but looking forward to getting back home and looking forward to Celtic Park on Saturday. Have a good one everyone. HH

  13. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Shipping up to Boston on Spotify as I descend into Dalmarnock with my customary glance over to paradise ☘️☘️☘️

  14. The mornings are fairly getting lighter. Some daffodils have opened up in my garden . the solar twinkle lights my missus likes got enough rays yesterday to make a blue green purple illumination last night. Pretty.

     

     

    Passed formakin estate yesterday. A blanket of snowdrops everywhere. And the cheeky monkeys easy to pick out.

     

     

    Spring sprung with an early release.

  15. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan on

    Good Morning.

     

     

    Out for mid morning coffee with the son of a former Rangers player today. It will be interesting to get his take on things.

     

     

    Before that, I have to have a chat with a man from BT about the truly dreadful broadband service out in the sticks which comes and goes like the proverbial thief in the night.

     

     

    I have to laugh at the advice from the support desk people who seek to reassure me that the problem just might be caused by the number of wireless devices connecting to the router as this will slow down the speed.

     

     

    No amount of telling them that this theory is cobblers can stop this never ending mantra, and no amount of repeating the fact that the last time an engineer was out he made it plain that the junction box, through which I get a line, is a shambles and needs replaced, penetrates the BT corporate skull.

     

     

    So, at precisely 9:30, I am told, I will receive a call from someone senior to whom I can repeat the whole story over again.

     

     

    I am standing by with my imaginary gnome under my arm a la Basil Fawlty.

  16. VFR800 is now a Monster 821 on

    Word of The Day

     

     

    Erstwhile /ˈɜːstˌwaɪl/

     

     

    adjective

     

    1. former; one-time: my erstwhile companions

     

    2. of times past

     

    adverb

     

    3. (archaic) long ago; formerly

     

     

    Word Origin and History for erstwhile Expand

     

    adv. 1560s, from Middle English erest “soonest, earliest,” from Old English ærest, superlative of ær (see ere ) + while. As an adjective from 1903. Cognate with Old Saxon and Old High German erist, German erst.

     

     

     

    KTF

  17. The old man sat on the esplanade bench looking out at the Clyde, he let’s out a sigh, the tears come to his eyes. His thoughts turn, as they always do, to that fateful day, that rowing boat and his erstwhile companion.

  18. VFR800 is now a Monster 821 on

    Macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 20th February 2017 11:48 pm

     

     

    I looked at Celtic’s responsibility under the Data Protection (an other) Act(s) in great detail a number of months ago after the September Glasgow Derby.

     

     

    Whilst I am no lawyer it seems very doubtful that Celtic are obliged (or even permitted) to pass on details of their support to Police Scotland. However, legal advice (that I sought) seems somewhat unclear on this; my legal eagle isn’t a specialist in this field and suggested contacting another lawyer (who had a conflict of interest and was unable to help). Ergo, IMHO, Celtic could legitimately refuse to pass on the details and ask Police Scotland to obtain some judicial evidence that this was required.

     

     

    They didn’t, and that is a great pity!

     

     

     

    KTF

  19. Stayinguplate

     

    Another enjoyable read. It is always informing to hear the views of supporters less affected by the by the drip of anti-Celtic sentiment to which we are exposed in Scotland.

     

    Point of information:

     

    OUR next game is Hamilton at Celtic Park;THEIR next game is ICT in Inverness. You are not a Hun, are you? 0:-)

     

     

    JJ

  20. VFR800 is now a Monster 821 on

    Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan on 20th February 2017 11:54 pm

     

     

    Wholeheartedly agree about JPT; IMHO he does a difficult job very well.

     

     

    I know at times when I am speaking to him that he has more to say but is prevented from doing so because, as you say, ultimately he represents the club.

     

     

    I am sure that conversations over a pint or 2 would be very interesting!

     

     

    As for the information he is able to give via the Q&A sessions, I would make 2 points:

     

     

    1. Anyone expecting the full answers that we may want are showing a modicum of naïveté.

     

    2. Sometimes it’s about what isn’t said rather than what is said.

     

     

    We are getting some information from the club and, again IMHO, are raising some issues directly which might not be raised otherwise.

     

     

    JJ and I will keep plugging away!

     

     

     

    KTF

  21. Just read on the BBC website that there is a mother called Mrs Sullivan who has a second set of twins which have been born on the same day as the first set. The odds seemingly of this happening are one in 30 million.

     

    Well get this.

     

    I am a twin. There is another set of twins in the family and we were all born on 9Th October.

     

    Amazingly my mother is also called Mrs Sullivan!!!

     

    Still as amazing as Sevco getting on those home cup draws.

  22. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 21ST FEBRUARY 2017 8:26 AM

     

     

    Thanks for your input.

     

    Is the Data Protection Act of any significance in this case ?

     

    This was not about data but about individuals being sought by the police.

     

     

    Clearly , if any individual or organisation refuses to pass on information requested by Police in relation to an unlawful or criminal act , then that individual or body is liable to themselves be facing a charge of obstructing the police in the execution of their duty.

     

    Could there be any doubt about that ?

     

     

    In any case , Celtic F.C. will clearly have taken and followed legal advice.

     

    We ain`t the hun amateur hour.

  23. My opinion:

     

    If you are going to criticise anyone ( but in this case the Celtic Board) it is ESSENTIAL to have ALL the facts.

     

    JJ

  24. Quantum @8:40

     

    Is that true? It seems too amazing to be so but I tend to believe people unless I have reason not to.

     

     

    JJ

  25. Hot Smoked on 21st February 2017 8:55 am

     

     

     

    Quantum @8:40

     

     

     

     

    Is that true? It seems too amazing to be so but I tend to believe people unless I have reason not to.

     

    ===========================================

     

    Absolutely true!!!!

     

    I know it seems totally against the odds but there you go

     

     

     

     

     

    J

  26. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 21ST FEBRUARY 2017 8:32 AM

     

     

    After taking advice from some of the guys on here , I contacted JPT about the loss of a piece of Celtic memorabilia which had been in my family since 1923 .

     

    He couldn`t have been more helpful by identifying a similar item .

     

    Sadly not the one we had owned.

     

    Nevertheless , we were very grateful for the efforts he made .

  27. TOPKAT on 20TH FEBRUARY 2017 11:26 PM

     

    So the imaginary song about the ibrox disaster surfaces again….are the words secretive….bet if you asked them to recite a few lines to it they couldnt…..guess the gliby gliby syndrome is catching on’

     

     

    ###

     

     

    It’s not an imaginary song.It exists. I’ve heard it sung, but not for some years, and never at a game.

  28. I gave up on BT services & sky some 18 months ago. BT cause of regular broadband faults which led to multiple calls with them in which they were absolutely awful.

     

     

    If your stuck with BT becausecof where you live its rubbish.

     

     

    Easier to move to glasgow than get them to be a good provider.