My initial reaction to a Sunday 12:00 kick off time is not positive. It’s out of routine, so there’s an inherent objection, but as I don’t have a long journey to Celtic Park it may end suit me better than a later kick off.
Fans who travel from great distances will have the inconvenience of an early rise, but some, who are dependent on public transport, will be prevented from attending, which is never a scenario to be treated lightly.
I see a bit of angst against James Forrest over his decision to reject a new Celtic contract and opt instead to leave the club when his contract expires next year, if not before. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of James. When he arrived in the team in the wake of Aiden McGeady’s departure he was on fire, but the intervening years have not been kind.
Injury has robbed him of a regular starting place, and a fair bit of form when he does get in the team. Sean Maloney was in a similar position a few years back. Injured for long periods, even when he was fit he was often a substitute. He needed to leave Celtic Park for a fresh start. Had he stayed, I don’t think he would have rediscovered his early peaks. Putting all emotive issues aside, James Forrest looks like a player in need of a fresh start.
He’s not alone, of course.
Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu took a shot across Uefa bows when he told the BBC he wants big (trans: rich) clubs who fail to qualify for the Champions League to be given wild card access. Make no mistake, this is a follow up to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s recent utterances on creating a closed-shop tournament.
Bartomeu also said he views the FA Premier League as the biggest threat to Barcelona, which is 100% true. When teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona coordinate statements on structural change you know that profound moves are underway.
I’m all for change, Celtic have much to gain, but we need to organise quickly. Find similar allies – big clubs from Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Turkey and Portugal – and plan accordingly. Europe’s major clubs are each leaving hundreds of millions of TV money on the table each year because of the existing league and European tournament structures.
England has opened their eyes to what is possible. Change of some sort is inevitable now the ball is in play.
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Bored? – while away some time Playing James Forrest Linked With Bingo
Florida Bhoy @1.21 .
Biloxi .
Remember a mighty fine second hand choon store in Biloxi . Rusty Robots ..
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 1:17 PM
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Cheers bud
Have u any hotel names ?
Iv messaged a few mates in Dublin to see if any spare rooms or sofas going so hopefully get sorted that way. Just checking all hotels in case I don’t.
This desire by european football’s top clubs to mirror the hugely successful NFL/MLB structure of elite leage competition was really inevitable at some point as Tv coverage reeled in a global audience.
Despite the annoyance of half a million desperate hatemongering bigots gruntin and chest/wife beating about Ra Rangers being a ‘big’ club their illiterate rants will go unheeded.
We might just get lucky. In the interests of maintaining an illusion ‘sporting integrity’ and due to the uproar his elitist manner provoked in supporters, I would expect KHR and his consortium to invite a few ‘small’ clubs into the mix.
These of course will be small clubs from smaller nations who have proven they can bring excitement and atmosphere to Euro nights, creating a spectacle, if not dazzling on the pitch. Us, Porto, Ajax would surely be among a handful they could cherry-pick to guarantee no loss in spectacle if not top billing.
I would reason it’s our only hope of participation. This is where our good ‘relationship’ with Barca comes into play, where our notable historical fanbase events (Seville as opposed to Manchester, hahahaha) can be trumped, and where Peter Lawwell really gets to earn his corn with the hard, hard sell.
I think we have a decent argument for inclusion.
BIG JOE
My parents are over that way for a month or so,pretty sure my Dad hits Paddys regularly.
Look out for a ‘young-looking’ white-heided fella. Well,that’s how my so-called friends describe him!
Florida Bhoy .
Random stuff from my addled bonce re Biloxi # 2 .
First Jesse Winchester LP features a fine choon called Biloxi —- nice wee backing combo -Robertson / Danko / Manuel and Helm .
Lunchtime over -back to setting onions CSC -way down south.
Dermot, if you’re reading this, you can get my email address from Paul67.
I’m sure we could agree reasonable terms.
#######
‘Fan paid £500 per month to say nice things about club owner’
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/fan-paid-500-per-month-to-say-nice-things-about-club-owner-1-4036385
PROUDBHOY
Best Western Skylon,Flyover B&B,Airport Holiday Inn,Ashling House. There’s also Quinn’s,which has accommodation and Harvey’s Guest House,all in that area.
The central ones,not so sure of. I’ll try to get the info from the others on that for you,get back to you if I can.
ERNIE
Ya tart,now we just have to agree a price.
Love and kisses,
Groucho Desmond.
traditionalist88 on 23rd February 2016 1:04 pm
Here’s a couple of links to that story-
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2584559-barcelona-transfer-news-lass-bangoura-eyed-latest-lionel-messi-exit-rumours
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3299077/Barcelona-s-Lass-Bangoura-fantastic-news-insists-Rayo-Vallecano-boss-Paco-Jemez.html
What BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS said.
Nailed it.
Árd Macha
Good Afternoon.
In case you missed them (and have any interest), there were three offerings from Clumpany Towers yesterday:
One about Gary Harkins and the new club
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/gary-harkins-sevconite/
One about the genius of Mark Warburton
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/albert-warbstein/
And one about punishments which never seem to happen
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/ethereal-punishments/
Enjoy the rest of the day!
BMCUWP
A hoap yoov no upset emdy?
eddieinkirkmichael on 23rd February 2016 1:52 pm
Thanks. Think he’s out on loan at Reims at the moment…random.
We should be in there if the Barca story is untrue. Seems to have come more from the players side than anywhere else;)
Still, good to know I may have a future in scouting;)
HH
THE RANGERS TRAIN CRASH
—————————————–
We all know what happened at Ibrox, we don’t really need any trials to tell us that – what we are all looking for is the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind it – the conspiracy if you like.
The debt-laden train was supposed to be crashed into the buffers under administration, refurbished after shedding debt, and put immediately back into service.
However the points on the track were changed when HMRC made it plain that the pre-pack was dead and a CVA was not an option – the train took a different route and crashed off a bridge and into a ravine.
Certain items, i.e. the stadium and surrounds and the training ground, were salvaged from the wreck and Duff and Phelps given the job to portray them as part of the fabric of a continuing Rangers, whilst the ‘dodgy-deal’ was done.
There was much attention paid to ensure that this continuity was maintained and that ‘Rangers’ would be playing football during the next season – and we know the extent of collusion between ‘interested’ parties, some shouting Armageddon, to have them in the SPL top-tier, the very next season.
When Green was informed that the new club, Sevco, was in fact to be allowed to join the bottom tier, he appeared on TV and looked visibly relieved, saying, “we will play wherever we are told to play”, a big move away from his demands to be let into the top division.
Green knew then that by hanging on to Ibrox and the like, the illusion of the same club could be ‘floated’ and the gullible and desperate support would rally round – if they had had to sit-out the following season and re-applied, as should have happened, all this ‘same club’ nonsense would not have occurred.
So, to sum up – we all know WHAT happened – the ‘forces of darkness’ in this sectarian-riven little country of ours, are now moving to obscure the HOW and WHY.
PHILBHOY
Me too,mate! In quite a convivial mood today,TBH.
If I can upset emdy in my current frame of mind,there’s no hope for yeezaw the morra!!
South Of Tunis on 23rd February 2016 1:45 pm
Florida Bhoy .
First Jesse Winchester LP features a fine choon called Biloxi —- nice wee backing combo -Robertson / Danko / Manuel and Helm .
*3 of southern Ontario’s finest and a good old Arkansaw (as he pronounces it) boy. Saw them backing Mr. Zimmerman up the toon in 1966.
BMCUWP
Yer always in a good mood!
I sense you are dreaming of Dublin, could be that.
Just keep an eye on the exchange rate!
Could this be a good time to buy your Euro’s?
ARD MACHA 153
Thanks,bud-praise indeed!
I’ll compare notes with you re Tynecastle next month-my fondest memory(and I’m lucky I can remember it)includes winning copious amounts of drink from my over confident Jambo pals in The Haymarket about 30 years ago.
Happy-well,I sure was!-days…
ERNIE LYNCH on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 1:48 PM
Dermot, if you’re reading this, you can get my email address from Paul67.
I’m sure we could agree reasonable terms.
————————————————————————————————————-
Ernie, what exactly would you have Dermot do?
1) Sanction an unreasonable level of debt – put the club into hock for years?
2) Pour in £70/80 million of his own money, so that we can live beyond our means for a few seasons?
Tell us what you and some like you who deride the board in all it does,actually want – oh, and it would be handy if it had some hard evidence and costings to back it up.
MR PASTRY on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 2:12 PM
Ernie, what exactly would you have Dermot do?
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Make it clear, that so far as Celtic are concerned, Sevco are a new club.
Then we could talk, until then the game’s a bogey.
Good morning from the hills of old Kentucky!
Sandman
A closed shop is a closed shop and is nothing short of a protection racket, football should be a meritocracy with rules and governance to ensure this, I dont go for the “if we are part of it ” all will be ok , it stinks of typical corporate plc business who are only interested in a balance sheet and dividends.
MRPASTRY
The upper echelons of the footballing authorities had been stuffed wi Real Rangers Men,regardless of their ‘allegiance’ to other clubs.
Yet,by the time the hun hull was holed,the top two jobs were held by men with no Scottish football background.
Coincidence,hmmmmm….
No,merely an attempt to cover,IMO. Good administrators,but needed to be taught ‘the local ways’
As ingenues do,they took on board the assistance from their incredibly helpful new friends and colleagues. Before they know it,they too are compromised and thus part of the fabric-and of the conspiracy.
If they tell what they know now,they are doomed by their previous actions. Had they told what they knew then,worked as their instincts and experience indicated,they would be in the clear.
But out of a job.
Try explaining that to the bank manager!
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 23rd February 2016 1:42 pm
BIG JOE
My parents are over that way for a month or so,pretty sure my Dad hits Paddys regularly.
Look out for a ‘young-looking’ white-heided fella. Well,that’s how my so-called friends describe him!
Always a big crown in for the games mate, especially as they are renovating the side bar, will look out for the young looking chap, when I get back form the cold.
BigJoe’sgotHistickesfortheDundeegameandWilbeInBB’s
PHILBHOY
Buying Euros?
I’ll wait till payday!
Think I can just pull the cash from my account as I go,rather than travel wi a wad. Must check that out!!
How much do I owe you for this advice?
Did I just see the Breadman on Sky talking about Barcelona? I must have been dreaming. Surely managers of new clubs are never asked to give their thoughts on how Barca play? If your team have never played against them how can you give an expert opinion of them? OH forgot this is Scotland…
BIGJOE
Good man,bud. You’ll love him.
I aspire to,but fall short of,his example.
But I get an A for Affort!
P67,
Sorry. Still don’t see how this closed shop of ‘big guns’ gets off the ground. UEFA and FIFA still have the power to go nuclear on this by banning any participating players from all of their tournaments. Can’t see players going for that, no matter how much money is thrown at them.
The clubs mentioned are agitating for change, no doubt, but to me this is a shot across the bow before less radical reforms take place.
BMCUWP
My hourly rate is £125.00 plus VAT.
Although I’ll settle for a Guinness.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 1:48 PM
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Thanks for that, I’ll check them out.
Few hostels in town seem to still have availabilty .
Connaire12
Yes but was he wearing his Magic Hat when asked his opinion of Barcelona.
As long as the pump Ars-nil I will be delighted.
here is the BBC interview with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu Paul67 refers to in his lead article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35636218
HH
ERNIE LYNCH on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 2:18 PM
MR PASTRY on 23RD FEBRUARY 2016 2:12 PM
Ernie, what exactly would you have Dermot do?
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Make it clear, that so far as Celtic are concerned, Sevco are a new club.
Then we could talk, until then the game’s a bogey.
——————————————————————————————————
I have much respect and no little interest in most things that you write, however at this juncture, how would some Glasgow version of the Gettysburg Address, be helpful and advantageous to Celtic Football Club?
Surely it would turn the whole ‘train crash’ into an Old Firm ‘stooshie’ and obscure the real nature of the fiasco – i.e. planned and executed in Ibrox with the connivance of those in power in Scottish Football.
Paul67
As I said to my mate on Sunday watching Malaga v Real in excellent conditions throughout ” Imagine Celtic were able to meet Malaga once or twice a season in a division of a European league.”
It’s either that or the lights go out across Europe for lots of historically large clubs.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 23rd February 2016 2:20 pm
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Nothing in what you say can be truthfully denied!!!
Looking for info on partick away on the 12th March
Early kick off so wondering how long a journey it is from Glasgow city centre and how easy would it be to get couple of tickets ?
Also would it be best to try and get onto a csc bus to and from the game ?
Will probably stay in Glasgow the Friday and Saturday night
Feel sad about James Forrest wanting to leave. I hope he gets a good deal wherever he goes. He could have been a Celtic great if he had fulfilled his potential. it’s probably better for everyone if he goes. Shame really.