I have watched a bit of the Championship on BBC Scotland recently. It’s seldom brilliant football but almost always entertaining. For most of the season I despaired at the prospect of Arbroath picking up the automatic promotion spot. The last thing we need is another tiny club with tiny resources lining their entire team along the 18-yard line.
This is unfair, of course. What this tiny team have achieved to get within a whisker of the topflight is remarkable. With Premiership TV money, they could emulate Ross County and previously Hamilton. They would bring little interest to the league, but seven figure payments go a long way when you carry low overheads.
The alternative is Kilmarnock, a side with vastly greater resources and a truly terrible artificial surface. Inverness and Partick will likely compete with the Premiership’s 11th club for the remaining topflight spot. Raith seem to have lost their way since the Goodwillie fiasco.
Clubs only survive in the lower leagues so long before whatever local appeal they had fades to an insignificant level. Dunfermline have a history, a decent sized local population, with an affluent business community, but the Leishman days are gone for good, never mind the Stein era. Ironically, it could be Raith, newly relevant in Kirkcaldy, who are more likely to bounce.
Former Celtic central defender, John Hughes, is currently managing Dunfermline. He led Falkirk to the topflight 19 years ago, then onto the top half of the table and a Scottish Cup Final. When he left for an ill-advised spell at Hibs, Falkirk never recovered. They have lost more than they’ve won in League One this season.
I’ll regret whoever goes down of Dundee or St Johnstone. Both are sold clubs with enough fans to do better. Despite the pitch, a Kilmarnock would be welcome. It makes for a healthier league.
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Hahahahaha
-Getting called names by a chaotic hun.you don’t go to the shops never mind co
Hahahahaha
I back my team,like generations before and unlike you
Hahahahaha
Getting 10? Disnae matter,you don’t get out much,see your cpn.you don’t count
Hahahahs
By Krankie you mean snp-wrong again,info coming to paranoia Central there is false.totally
Hahahaha
Let’s put in a wee jhb unsourced drivel figure,but as usual,like Celtic made up nonsense.£5b bog roll.
Hahahaha
I abuse woman-unlikeyour own child like misogyny on these pages re ‘bonnie Scotland,like most brexiteers- racist and woman hating,Anti vax and a hun.
HahahAhaha
You were never a jungle rebel,you did alas have a breakdown at some point and as a result your pish is here.its OK not to be OK kev,but being a rancid hun trolling abuse stories,I feel your chaos is ongoing,it shows you are all over the place and that place is lost in time,a time you will not get back.
Of course your not stained you are mentally ill and a
confused hun
Stuck in a moment you can’t get out of
EMERALDBEE
Aye thats prob more realistic!
Healthier league — interesting stuff but population should not come into it.
Performance on the park should be all that matters.
We should have a league for has beens.
Similar to the Senior Golf Tour.
On the subject of league performance — whoever is running our U18’s need a boot up their erse / their jotters.
By all accounts — some bloke on KDS — we are 9th in the “SPL” U18 league.
4 wins in 22 league games is relegation form — something badly wrong.
The fact that this situation can develop with little comment suggests that if AP is not involved on a day to day basis then the club is a shambles full of ego trippers / wage thieves / pals of pals.
Then you have the situation where we have very few players in the relevant age group NT squads and then you have to ask what are we getting from our youth / academy investment.
Something has gone badly wrong.
Change needs to happen soon.
9th in the U18 league shames us all.
No wonder when they eventually turn 20/21 they will struggle to get a gig in the SCh.
Failure in plain sight and nobody seems to care.
While I am at it — NT s Turkey at the U21 level.
We were absolutely honking — full of EPL Academy players who do ballet training.
All show — very little go = footballing disaster.
And then you had the local worthies who got found out — Sheep RB was particularly bad.
Horrible performance un by never wizzers filling a dugout.
Plus all the chat about equal pay in a football club.
Very interesting viewpoint — would suggest interweb wind up in play.
Utopian angle has its merits but lacks real world credibility.
Then comes equal pay within a game / splitting of the gate money.
Interesting that the Scottish game changed just as TFOD1.0 were about to build their new all seated stands.
Consequently “Equal Pay” is very much of the moment.
Easy slogan not fully understood or challenged — and tears this way will come.
The current ongoing shambles in Council land would suggest that a group of hobby horsers / one club golfers are calling the shots without o counterpoint of reality challenging their media friendly PR stuff.
Does anyone in Celtic land know the background to Karamoke and whether he wants to stay or go.
Have heard a few rumours but that’s all.
The guy is such a talent and IF we sell him, we must get big big bucks for him.
I dearly want him to say
Happy Mothers Day to all tims mums
Finally — Toaty Trumper …
Take a break — your best is not very good but your all – nighter nonsense is risible.
Madmitch…not always, but sometimes you make sense. You have this morning, to me anyway. :-)
KL @ 12.15
KD is a textbook case of how not to handle talent.
He has been treated like a circus act for the past 7/8 years.
Rolled out at regular intervals to show — in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary — that the club has a working youth policy.
Pushed up the age groups far too early / far too haphazardly.
Very little development work — relying on precocious skill and little else — so that he has stagnated as his body has started to mature.
In the spotlight for years only to be overtaken by a 16yr old with a man’s body in the last two months.
He needs a lot of support to make the final step.
If he leaves then who can blame him?
JHB,
You’ve got people talking about your women’s football points so well done, that’s what the blogs for.
I can see an increase in wages being asked for but I can’t see a levelling up. It’s got to be tied to the money made by each team, otherwise we’d be paying the same as Chelsea…. ok, Man City.
I’d be interested in a women footballer trying to make it in the man’s game. There must be some who are good enough and can handle the physical aspect, who would be willing to give it a try.
Would be good marketing for a club too (if it’s not already been done).
KingLubo,
Is his contract not up at the end of the season? If so we won’t be getting anything for him if he goes.
Not sure about the u-18 level and whatever position in the league but surely all teams below the first team the aim should be to try and make youth players good enough for the first team … and not to romp the u-18 league, our last-18 squad might be full of 15, 16 year old kids …. Pretty sure a few seasons ago our youth team won nearly every trophy they competed for but sadly not many were awarded full time contracts
To just say 9th in the league isn’t good enough is surely far too easy and a bit narrow minded without any degree of knowledge of the situation, apart from some post from a fellow fan in KDS who might know even less than any of us
why do we just not admit that we arent meant to produce good football players in this country anymore and just get on with it without stressing?
concentrate on the things we are good at – curling, boozing and saying ‘bawbag’
WBC @ 12.18
I will take that as a complement and will use it to fire up my creative juices to offer comment on a wide range of topics …
GB songbook / rampant militarism / revolutionary violence.
The Mammy’s (bhoys) and their monogrammed sweatshirts / crap patter / proclivity to start and lose fights with a pensioners darts team.
Not Jacinda and the Nat inability to build a ferry.
BoJo and the decline of UK influence — B league and falling.
Russia — when are they going to grow up?
Progressive politics — will it ever become mainstream again?
Identity politics — IndyRef / Brexit / Trump — the moons did align and how?
Or maybe not — it is Mother’s Day.
Misha
You stick to your youth theories.there is a hint of cogency bout them
And remember if you ever want to go to a game,just shout,there will always be a ticket available .
Til then,keep the initials coming 🤣🤣
HH
GFTB @ 12.24
Why would be playing 14/15/16 year olds in a U18 team that is getting horsed on a regular basis?
That is child cruelty in my book if it is happening.
We are in the league and we are performing badly.
Somebody has to take responsibility for this.
Looking for excuses helps no-one.
Root cause analysis is what we need.
Women playing against men? Not in my lifetime they won’t. At least I hope not.
Karamoko is out of contract, if he goes we get nothing,
He has been unlucky with injuries, particularly this year, at the end of a shocking tackle in a pre season friendly.
Our problem is the nature of our League with just 2 real contenders and the expectation that our rivals will win most games with a little help from the Mibs,
This means every single game is a must win allowing very much reduced opportunities to give up and coming talent a run of games,
Hope Karamoko stays but I reckon he is holding back to see what offers might come in and to be honest you can’t blame him,
Has Derek Mackay been thrown under a bus or a ferry?
MM 12.36pm
Not sure if they are playing youngsters, I said they might be… the whole point of a youth system is to try and get players good enough for the first team, and not to just to try and win everything at that level
Think the “child cruelty” is a bit over the top, I think many players that make it probably played at age levels above their own age group all through their young careers
You think Ben Doak thought Ange was being “cruel” to him putting him on against the Huns in the 3-0 victory against all of the men in the opposing team at a very young age
WBC,
Surely you shouldn’t care which (of the many 😉) sex the player can’t from so long as they are good enough?
If it had been Henrietta Larsson and she played the same way, we’d all surely have celebrated her goals just as we did.
There’s definitely a Gregory’s girl quote that would fit here…
I honestly don’t believe Karamoko has a future at Celtic. He simply hasn’t developed as we all hoped and expected, particularly in the physical sense.
I’d be absolutely thrilled to be proved wrong.
The Philipp Lahm column in the Observer (me, me neither..) is good.
It’s about trying to level the playing field I’m European club football.
Says there’s talk of a play off at the end of the Bundesliga to make it more interesting that Bayern winning it every year.
He also states the winners of the last 11 champions leagues have come from 3 countries. The last 10 winners of the European Cup came from 8 countries including Romania, Portugal, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia!
GFTB @ 12.47
You had your chance to take part in a mature / considered debate and guess what …
You blew it big time / blew it all over the place.
Using young players in an age group team getting horsed regularly vs using a young player who is showing prodigious talent as a sub in a game that was already won.
And you think both scenarios are similar — get a grip you rocket.
MAJESTIC HARTSON on 27TH MARCH 2022 12:54 PM
‘He also states the winners of the last 11 champions leagues have come from 3 countries. The last 10 winners of the European Cup came from 8 countries including Romania, Portugal, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia!’
###
The first eleven winners of the European Cup came from three countries, then Celtic broke the mould.
TMcL @ 12.54
Why am I not surprised by your shocking comments regarding KD?
To you he is history because he is not performing to your expectations.
Totally disgusting — build him up then throw him away.
No better / worse than Thatcher.
MM 1.03pm
Am quite comfortable to be called a rocket
You also missed my point, maybe a good few of our under 18s (like Ben Doak) aren’t playing for our under 18 team ….
Cheers for the fitba talk
GFTB
I was at the 5-1 but missed the 4-1 game thank goodness. There is nothing worse in for all than hearing that ugly roar when they score. Worst for me ever was when Judas Johnston scored in the last minute. I was at that game with my mum. Horrible feeling. There is nothing better than beating them in their own back yard though.
That’s why I feel so lucky to have been to so many over there when we have won, or done well.
I was remembering one earlier when we came back from 2-0 down to draw after Tommy Burns had been sent off. Sneddon and McAdam got us level. It was 3 months after 10 men had won the league at Celtic Park in 79. That felt like a win as we had only won twice there in the league in 40 years previous, so even a draw was decent.
I also loved the day big Samaras tore them apart 2-0 when their financially doped set up thought they were going to thrash us.
Then the occasion when they were defending their treble after our ultimately trophyless Seville season and Hartson put them in their place with a 1-0 in a game we were never going to lose. That set up a great season for us when we won a double and beat Barca over 2 legs in Europa. Winning so well at Ibrox that day set the standard.
I know there are bigger games to win and more glamorous teams to beat but beating our nearest rivals, who stand for so much we despise, on their own pitch requires a real mental fortitude and I love to be trying to do what little I can to support Celtic doing that. I hope next Sunday adds to the list of great Celtic occasions on their patch.
Burnley78 1.09pm
Some terrific memories there… always remember one victory at Ibrox, not in attendance but think it was just before Seville the day when Alan Thompson cut in from the left and curled one into the bottom of the left hand post at the broomloan … I think about a dozen of my mates booked their £279 day trip to Seville that day, only reason I remember as one of them put it all on their credit card and said “just square me up whenever” thankfully, they all made sure it was paid before they went :-)
I hope wee Karamoko turns out to be a good player for us. However, at this point, he has done nothing. Another young guy who gets hyped up, way too early? He’s certainly not at the stage we hoped he might be a few years ago. We do have young guys who are making a massive impact, Abada and O”Riley for a start. They deserve the hype, especially Abada who has (incredibly) faced criticism, despite a massive contribution in goals and assists.
Wummin professional footballers. What happens if they’re pregnant? Do their contracts provide for such an eventuality?
Majestic Hartson…I just can’t get excited about women playing football. I have two grandsons who are not terribly interested in playing the game. Shame! If they were girls and showed interest then I would encourage them and would even go along and watch them. However, they are young guys and have other hobbies, so, I continue with my non-interest in the women’s game. Tant pis!
Ziggydoc1 1.21pm
Agree 100%
Abada this season has been nothing short of amazing, as you say he sometimes gets overlooked with Jota, Kyogo and now Giamakous…. I just hope teams from EPL overlook him as well :-)
He must be a cert for young player of the year, also a good shout for our player of the year, but I think Callum nearly has that on his mantle piece already
SIONNAIGH on 27TH MARCH 2022 2:52 AM
Christy Moore – Beeswing (Official Live Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu79PP2Klo
####
Just for once could we have that song being sung by the guy who wrote it, not least because it’s by far and away the best version available? The fact that he’s a Celtic fan who seemingly had a forebear who played for the Club also adds interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g
The song was supposedly inspired by this character
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr16W2wStXQ
Majestic Hartson
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2022/mar/25/football-needs-to-play-its-part-in-uniting-and-levelling-the-playing-field-in-europe
That is indeed a good article.
The evidence is around us.°
Uefa took the shilling years ago when they decided that advancing football could only be done via the armchair instead of encouraging as many as possible to play football at all age levels.
We now concentrate on the cream- the top, in the hope the money trickles down.it doesn’t and now in England the preposterous situation arises where public pitches are closed.proof positive there is no milk.
By levelling it implies redistributing wealth,we already note through our 2club-identity how ‘business’ will crap all over national company law,it happens throughout Europe as ‘business’harvests fans love of their club.the levelling up will not be paid for in a trickledown uefa fantasy.
Tournaments have lost prestige as the power is skewered to countries with the big couch watching viewers,eng,fra,Spain,Italy,Germany, Scandinavia like ourselves wi Andy Robertson live in hope we can have an individual involved,the evidence used to be successful teams!
Here’s a wee exercise.
Think back to how often you played in a team at weekend?
Is that team still going?
Where did you play?
Do those pitches still exist? Is it an estate yet?
I used to play sat morn school
Sat afternoon- amateur
Sun youth club
Sat morn 5 pitches,10 teams,110 players playing football kgv on boydstone rd
Sat afternoon amateur 21 pitches,42 teams,462 players playing football, cowglen
Sun aft kgv 10 teams 110 players
Kgv is a dogwalkers paradise,no changing facilities,goalposts there sometimes,a flooded field at times-no football played
Cowglen you will see from m77 as you pass thro silverburn junction.whats left is rough ground.no football played.
You cannae make cream without milk.
HH
GFTB
I think AT scored a pen on beach ball Sunday
Time plays tricks on the mind though. I just checked and it was Roy Aitken sent off at Ibrox in the 2-2 game in 1979. We had a reduced 6000 support that day as the whole stadium was only 36000.
Diego Maradonna is 5ft 5ins tall, exactly the same as Karamoke Dembele. He has the ability, he needs games to show that and that’s where the problem lies. Guys in the team are there on the basis that they are trusted to do the job they are asked to do, Karamoke, as yet, does not have that trust. In the B games he has been found wanting in a lot of the ways of playing football, not only for Angeball, but a top team like Celtic. He needs to move on, in my opinion, to a place where he’ll get the game time he needs to improve his overall game, that is no longer going to happen at Celtic, por cierto.