For some, short holidays are over. Batteries recharged, appetites wetted. The international break is not the period of worldwide travel and mockery it is for others. If you think you are champing at the bit to get to Celtic Park on Saturday, Scott Brown and Kolo Toure could probably sprint there from Lennoxtown right now.
For others it will be a chance to put disappointments behind them. A few (well, maybe just Moussa) will return having achieved new heights for their country. As ever, Tom Rogic will pitch with jetlag having played in two continents in the last six days.
You know they will all want to see and impress Brendan. This is the way of it at Lennoxtown right now. They are bursting a gut at training to get into the team. Be alarmed, Motherwell.
You know when your PR is on nationwide TV, intemperate and pointy, that you are in special hands. Asking the same question four different ways lacks courtesy (and a whole lot more), but PR can’t let the journo leave knowing he’s got what he wanted from the encounter. I’m no PR expert, but you know when you see someone mis-control a proverbial back pass.
Still angry at that newspaper’s attack on Celtic yesterday. I didn’t buy it, so didn’t realise at the time they printed Peter Lawwell’s home address. You know what you are doing when you publish someone’s home address. It rarely happens because the consequences are so uncontrollable.
It’s one of the most insidious acts legally possible by a newspaper. It has an immediate consequence of intimidation for the family – that’s a given when you make the decision to print something several hundred thousand times. Utterly deplorable. We are back in the era where attacks were incited on Neil Lennon.
Apologies for issues accessing the blog recently. I’m on the case.
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vfr800a8
Still dont understand why either Celtic nor current/ex Celtic employees cannot sue the DR for libel. The article was obviously published with malicious intent to do harm. i.e. the suggestion of tax evasion and not tax avoidance.
…and whats with the Honda Interceptor?
Re The DR and links to it. The problem with c&p is that sometimes the article,though well worth a look,will take up half the page.
I think we can all agree Hugh McIlvaney is worth a read,so hopefully at the bottom of P4 is
~~~~~~~~~|**~~~~~~~~~~
LEGENDARY sports journalist Hugh McIlvanney believes the decline in Scottish football is “irreversible”.
McIlvanney has seen it all in the past half a century. He reported in England when most of the top football teams were dominated by Scottish players.
Nowadays? You’d struggle to find anyone with even a tenuous link to Scotland at one of the top clubs in the English Premier League.
In an interview with Kilmarnock Standard sports editor David Wren, McIlvanney admitted the current state of our game is “depressing”.
READ MORE
Gordon Strachan considering quitting as Scotland manager before World Cup trip to Wembley
He said: “I’m doing these conversations with Graham Spiers and someone said to me the other night: ‘Do you think we’ll ever get back to those days?’ I said: ‘Definitely not’.
“In my opinion, the decline is irreversible. The lack of finances will exacerbate the effects of the decline. You can go into all types of socio and economic reasons for it but they’re in a condition now where any improvement will be marginal.
“The fact the Scotland team isn’t doing well isn’t the most depressing thing because the national team never really did well. We never got beyond the first stage in the World Cup. We had occasions where we should have.
“We had good results from time to time but the really depressing factor at the moment is that we haven’t got players — we haven’t got one player.
“There aren’t any Scottish players who are completely outstanding. Every major English club at one time had four or five Scottish players at the heart of it.
“It’s the absence of talent, not the absence of a cohesive unit at national team level.”
READ MORE
Gordon Strachan’s attempts at getting Scotland to a major tournament are just like all the rest
As for judging talent, McIlvanney has a basic criteria. The small matter of working out whether the players in question would fit into the best team he ever saw – the only trouble being, the side in question is the 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian team.
“I think we’ve had two or three in my time who would have had a real chance of getting in that team,” said McIlvanney.
“Denis Law would have had a chance to get in to any team. He wasn’t a great kicker of the ball, in terms of scoring from outside of the box, but he was an absolutely killer finisher.
“He was a great arriver in the box and was like lightning. He was as brave as a lion and had a great practicality about putting the ball away.
“My own feeling is that someone like Graeme Souness, a great, great player and the best midfielder we’ve ever produced, would definitely have got into that Brazil team.
“Nothing against Rivellino, but I think he’d have had to step aside to let Souness in.”
Pundit and former Liverpool man Souness writes a weekly column in the Sunday Times and McIlvanney admits he’s had to have a few debates with his colleague over the years.
He added: “I’m a huge admirer of Graeme Souness but he has written some things that I’ve had to argue with him about.
“In the paper I was working with, the Sunday Times, he wrote a piece saying Messi was streets ahead of Maradona.
“And I said: ‘Graeme, God wasn’t streets ahead of Maradona’.”
The Kilmarnock man, who began his career with the Standard, took time out to speak to his former paper over the weekend, as he was preparing to appear in the town on Wednesday night for a special Q&A session with fellow journalist Graham Spiers.
As with every big interview, I approached it with nerves and slight trepidation.
Yet when I met Mr McIlvanney and received a warm welcome on arrival, the hour and a half we spent chatting flew by.
From Jock Stein to Muhammed Ali, covering the murder trial of Peter Manuel and the tragic events at Hillsborough, you couldn’t help but feel in the 90-minute interview we merely scratched the surface.
Despite having lived in London for 56 years, McIlvanney has clearly not forgotten his roots.
And he remembers with great fondness his time writing for the Standard.
An impressive outing in a debating contest attracted the interest of then–Standard editor John Lyon, who moved quickly to employ a young McIlvanney.
The youngster, who had just left school, finished second in the contest, ahead of school teachers and other professionals much older than he was.
The performance sealed a move into newspapers, and the Standard, where he would earn his stripes as a journalist.
Like many junior reporters, it was a matter of local council meetings, garden fetes and golden wedding anniversaries on a daily basis.
But McIlvanney is quick to praise his early education in journalism which earned him a switch to the Daily Express and then the Scotsman.
“What I’d like to emphasise is that I learned a lot about reporting at the Standard,” said McIlvanney.
“I don’t think it’s anything I have to argue too strenuously, it’s so blatant, that reporting is the heart of our business.
READ MORE
Celtic and Rangers could finally quit Scottish football as Copenhagen chief reveals Atlantic League is ON
“Commentators and columnists are fine and they’re important in many ways in terms of helping the circulation. But the heart of our game is reporting and I’ve always considered myself a reporter.
“I found the training I had, not only at the Standard, but at the dailies was important. I went as a news reporter to the Daily Express and covered things like the (Peter) Manuel murders.
“Then I went to the Scotsman and, having been one of many reporters who worked on the investigation into Manuel, I found myself writing the sketch at the high court.
“It was an absolutely remarkable trial.
“When you’re doing the sketch, rather than the day by day covering of evidence, there is scope for a bit of writing.
“Alastair Dunnett (former Scotsman editor) took a notion to how I did that and he had seen other things I’d written and it was Dunnett who asked me to switch to sport.
“I was quite reluctant at the time. I didn’t have anything against football reporters but I didn’t see covering Rangers and Celtic as my destiny for the rest of my days.
“In his exercise of persuasion he gave me a book by AJ Liebling called the Sweet Science.
“Dunnett said to me: ‘I think this will convince you, Hugh, that good writing can be done about sport.”
Could it ever. McIlvanney went on to be one of the best sport journalists this country has ever seen and was an absolute colossus of the industry – a giant who towers over our diminishing game.
At the feet of Cesar
Jabba the elephant packed his trunk
and said goodbye to the circus
and off he went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump
Was it Peterborough or Northampton involved re dick Beatrice.Sheffield Wed. had swann,layne and Kay in betting scandals. Mi
I think appetites can be whetted !
Dick Beattie! mi equals error
BHOYJOEBELFAST
The Sad Demise of Dick Beattie:
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/The+Fix+-+The+Sad+Demise+of+Dick+Beattie
Good evening friends and friends of friends.
From Phil:
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/hector-gets-in-touch-with-old-friends-and-sevco-spins-out-of-control/#comments
Looking forward to Halloween now :o)
They could be up in smoke for Guy Fawkes…
Would it be ok to begin with a little pot of chocolate orange rather than jump right into jelly n ice cream?
It is both lovely has aperfct connection watching the orange disappear with such a pleasurable taste.
MWD
Evening Jobo.
MWD
Burgas Hoops:Interesting piece on DB,thanks for posting.Some times players make an unexpected exit from the club(s) and it makes you wonder,mind you when one looks back and see the wages that Johnny Haynes and co were on then some players were out to make a few extra bucks……..not that I condone it though.
In the summer such luminaries as Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland played in an expanded Euro 2016. These nations do not seem to be so myopic about the EPL. Furthermore there were teams like Albania and Slovakia.
Hugh McIlvanney .. 50 years as a Scottish sports journalist but never picked up the carpet and said “look at at these dead bodies” …” Scotland have never qualified for a major tournament since Wim Jansen stopped 10 in a row and EBT´s were necessary”
Scottish football has to go back to the communities. I honestly believe that all professional sports need to go back to embracing the amateur ethos.
Too many symbiotic relationships and corruption.
When the para olympians are cheating then it´s time to call it a day surely.
Fan ownership , Community policing and openness .. possibly even a brave decision to tell UEFA and FIFA where to stick it .
Too many soup takers and people with their nose in the tax avoidance trough.
Football the opium of the masses but in Scotland case it is more like horse glue and the fans .. especially the old firm fans far far too stupid to do anything about it.
HH
Wow the Record has really outdone itself this time…….
http://i67.tinypic.com/mjmzaa.jpg
GGS
Good shout. I will make the CQN race 8 owner trainer and jockey.
Brilliant stuff from Cartuja on twitter….new Daily record exclusive or is it? :)
http://alturl.com/bkego
Hail Hail
Matt
Bobby Evans was well before my time, but I remember the Celtic Centenary video (I think) with the Big Yin talking about Bobby Evvans .. a silly story, but the Big Yin had a way about him … made me interested in finding out more about BE.
daily record. very hurting huns
VFR800A8 on 13TH OCTOBER 2016 12:12 PM
FAC the Act
—————————————
Finally got around to filling this in…selection of my responses below:
1.
As a regular attender of football matches, at home and away grounds, with my 13 year old son, I have witnessed a distinct change in the relationship between Police and fans that I believe is directly linked to the introduction of this bill.
My son and I are regularly videoed by police, in particular at away grounds. We find this intrusive and unpleasant – it is entirely unjustifiable.
I have followed many cases though the press of what can only be described as harassment of fans by police – dawn raids on young fans to arrest them for such heinous crimes as signing songs that have offended a notional ‘reasonable’ person – judged as such only by Police witnesses.
The Bill is inconsistent in its application – this is inevitable with a law where the ‘crime’ is subjective in nature.
Thankfully many members of the justice system have also felt that the Bill delivered a poorly framed law – many cases have been dismissed, with withering criticism for both the law, and for its over-zealous application by some members of the Police.
From its outset – the Bill’s underlying arguments and driving forces have been entirely questionable – I watched the performance of Christine Grahame in discussions with experts before the Bill’s introduction openly saying that one of the reasons for the proposed Bill was to allow them to be able to arrest Celtic fans for singing songs that were neither sectarian nor racist – and which therefore could not be prosecuted under existing legislation (primarily because, of course, they were not illegal). This was a most extraordinary discussion – rarely have I witnessed an MP trying to justify a new law specifically aimed at climinalising an otherwise law abiding group of people, for doing something that would be – in any other sphere of life outwith a football match – completely legal. Utterly bizzarre reasoning from Ms Grahame.
Ultimately, I believe this Bill has also served to harm the reputation of the Police, and the ability of the Police force to carry out it’s vital public safety duty with the cooperation of the football-attending population. It has driven a wedge between fans and those elements of the force who Police this Bill – some very over-enthusiastically.
3.
It is the case that rampant anti-Irish and anti-catholic sectarian sentiments are expressed in song and action by 10’s of thousands every week live on TV – with gusto, and without fear of any action being taken against the perpetrators.
This has long been the case in Scotland – it has been ignored and continues to be ignored on a weekly basis.
It is Scotland’s embarrassing ‘elephant in the room’ – Scotland’s Shame, if you will.
Until this is brought out into the open and recognised for what it is, then the situation will not change in Scotland.
As previously mentioned – rather than lance this particular boil – Ms Grahame and others have sought to mask it by criminalising otherwise law-abiding football fans – the main aim seems to be to comfort themselves by being able to justify their ‘one is as bad as the other’ viewpoint.
6.
This should – to aid analysis – actually be two questions.
However – I disagree with strict liability – unfortunately the drivers behind (see my previous comments), and application of, this current Bill gives me no confidence that strict liability would be applied in an even-handed way.
My suspicion in this regard, is another unfortunate by-product of such a poor piece of legislation.
HH
BGFC
Evening everyone…been very busy so have not had a chance to catch up on here.
See that the rumour mill is in full production regarding more bad news at Chateau d’Espair, hopefully this time it will happen?
I also heard that the Scotland performance was lamentable, my flight back from Gatwick last night had several glum looking Tartan Army guys on board.
Never mind, Saturday and we are back at Celtic Park. ….anyone have a spare ticket?
I cannot get to the ticket office and will be very busy right up till Saturday afternoon.
If anyone can help, just let me know.
Thanks
bobby murdoch’s…
Souness could have replaced Rivellino in the 1970 Brazil team?
Saw him play against the best Brazil team since then, in 1982, would not have got a job cleaning their boots. Totally outclassed in midfield. Sorry Hugh, big fan over the years, but your memory is playing tricks on you there!
It’s ridiculous how Traynor is playing the Admirable Warburton at the moment…
Getting him to seem “More Scottish” isn’t going to cut it either.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kL4oocUKabU
Also he needs to get him some troose…
Hail Hail
BIG GEORGE’S FAN CLUB
Excellent analysis of underlying faults in OBAF Act and its pernicious effects.
I agree with your concerns over strict liability. It would not be implemented impartially. HH
WEE BGFC HAS AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA RESPOND ASAP:
YOU COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TICKETS BUT CANT MAKE THE BORRUSSIA MOCHENGLADBACH AWAY GAME
ARE WILLING TO RECIEVE MONEY TO BUY YOUR TICKET FOR THE GAME PLUS AN EXTRA 30 POUND FOR YOUR COOPRERATION
Big George Fan Club,
Good points well summarised.
I would also say as a football fan that 85 arrests at the Scottish Cup Final is a joke.
I was at the FAC meeting last Monday and the people fighting this insanity deserve our thanks. They are putting their necks on the line and the stories I heard were horrific.
Democracy itself is under threat.
HH.
THE EXILED TIM on 13TH OCTOBER 2016 6:48 PM
That’s got be a wind-up, no?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
MARGARET MCGILL on 13TH OCTOBER 2016 5:59 PM
Unfortunately it’s all allusion and innuendo; as such there is no grounds for a libel case. Sad, but true.
I no longer have the VFR, now on a Ducati Monster: http://www.ducati.com/bikes/monster/1200_s/index.do
Typical Yanks though: what a knobby name for a bike! Interceptor? Why?
FAC the Act
KTF
LENNYBHOY
Look at the price of the paper under the Daily Record masthead and the page for the TRIFC advert for availability of tickets. HH
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB
Brilliant response to the consultation. Thanks and well done!
FAC the Act
KTF
AN TEACH SOLAIS on 13TH OCTOBER 2016 7:27 PM
Lol…hurting Huns…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Dropped into Celtic Park on the way home from work to have a look at the new paving stones at the feet of Cesar’s statue. Although not finished they look awesome !!
Lennybhoy
You had to ask :-)
HH
Hats off to the creators of the spoof DR front page exclusive picture
Funny down to the last detail.
Loved the wee (succulent) lamb insignia
HH
One thing puzzling me and, perhaps, someone can provide an answer. If the responsibility for issuing safety certificates for football stadia within Glasgow is the responsibility of Glasgow City Council and it relies on reports provided by the clubs, can the council absolve itself from any liability if any structural fault results in injury to a spectator or does vicarious liability pertain? Or, is any resultant claim to be made solely to the club which may be in liquidation. HH
THE EXILED TIM on 13TH OCTOBER 2016 7:43 PM
Was half sleeping when a mate text me it, had to log on to see what it was about it…that’ll teach me…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Hamiltontim/Minx: Condolences to you both on the death of H’s uncle.
Ar dheis lámh Dhé go raibh a anam uasal.