There should be no surprise that Vakoun Issouf Bayo was omitted from Celtic’s Europa League squad. He has not played for over two months and will be well short of fitness when Valencia arrive in Glasgow. Even when he is fit enough to play, expectations should be tempered while he adjusts to live in Scotland.
It is more important that Jeremy Toljan is fit. For that, Brendan Rodgers will be grateful for games this week against Hibernian and (of course) St Johnstone.
I hoped we would see Leigh Griffiths back by now, only a few days short of also not playing for two months. Leigh has trained alone throughout this period, but will be well short of match fitness when he returns to the first team squad.
Valencia loom on the near horizon, but this week has a pivotal feel to it. Two home wins on those games against Hibs and St Johnstone will see us with at least a six point lead in the league and a place in the Scottish Cup quarter final. Valencia has the glamour and the money, but I could make a case that the other two games are more important.
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Brasil Wire, as impartial as the Daily Mail.
http://www.brasilwire.com/about/
TIMOTHY CASTAGNE
Atalanta Manager – Monday 4 2 19 Press Conference after Sunday’s Serie A game v Cagliari
” Castagne and Hateboer played really really well.. A Coach’s dream – Attack and Defend / Defend and Attack . Both did really well to ignore the utter fabrications churned out in January by people who earn a living churning out fabrications “
Tontine Tim
Brilliant summation of how Scottish fitba arrived at this sorry state.
” Maybe the victims of the vile Government in Honduras ( and it’s American ally ) should move to Venezuela – having done that they might become newsworthy ”
La Repubblica 5 2 19.
bain toljan jozo boyata izzy brown McGregor christe weah Burke sinclair
SID on 5TH FEBRUARY 2019 10:43 PM
Couldn’t believe Paul 67 header yesterday claiming a reduction of standards.
Alright Sid,I thought the blog yesterday was a little more complex than that..
It highlighted how we operate in the transfer market.which type of deals are available and how as a club operating out of Scotland get players.
Drop in standards I disagree with otherwise our top and future talent would not be signed up-Henderson dembele etc.
Hope your good mate
HH
Always a good read.
…………………………………..
TONTINE TIM on 5TH FEBRUARY 2019 11:25 PM
Wee bit long but I’ve been thinking about this for a while and even though I can recall some horrific officiating, even in reserve games, this season has far exceeded the cheating by a long shot especially the last 5 weeks, so here goes:
The Football League was created in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor as a result of the support for professionalism.
The 12 founding members consisted of six from Lancashire (Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, Bolton Wanderers, Accrington, Everton and Preston North End) and six from the Midlands (Aston Villa, Derby County, Notts County, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers).
As a result of many Scottish players, known as the “Scotch Professors”, moving to the English league clubs to receive the relatively high salaries on offer prompted Scottish clubs into thinking about forming their own league.
In March 1890, the secretary of Renton, Peter Fairly, 2 years after being acclaimed World Champions having beat WBA 4-1 at Cathkin Park 9 days before we beat the kinning park side 5-2 in our opening game having borrowed 2 players James Kelly and Cornelius McCallum from the World Champion side, wrote to the thirteen other clubs inviting them to discuss the organisation of a league.
All of the clubs accepted the invitation, except Queen’s Park and Clyde although the latter would join a year later followed by the Spiders, whose nose was out of joint, 10 years after (sounds like a 70s group there).
Prior to this organised football in Scotland began in 1873 with the formation of the SFA. During the next 15 years or so challenge matches were arranged between clubs as well as cup games including the Scottish, Glasgow and Glasgow Merchants Charity Cups, the latter’s name being shortened tae the Charity Cup which was initially open tae all local clubs and not just those from the Dear Green Place.
NOTE BENE: ALL GAMES WERE PLAYED UNDER THE REGULATIONS OF THE SFA.
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was inaugurated on 30 April 1890 with future Celtic Vice-President and Chairman John H. McLaughlin (the Peter Lawwell of his day) on being recognised as one of the prime movers of the League head hunted by the management team; this included a certain baillie ure-primrose, as Secretary.
Scottish football was anti-Celtic, until 1920 at least, as a result of the hostility felt by the SFA on our involvement and running of the SFL, we as a “Johnny” or should I say “Seannie Come Lately” came to the forefront, at the request of the other clubs including a wee kinning park based one as a result of our board’s professional expertise, of the game.
The SFA, were allowed to retain its supremacy over football in Scotland including player registration, they are also responsible for appointing referees to matches in all senior competitions, Scottish Junior FA football and Scottish Women’s Football, keep this in mind.
Back to the english who started all this professionalism in the game. Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for english football, stadiums were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism was rife, and english clubs were banned from European competition for five years following Heysel.
The Football League First Division, the top level of english football since 1888, was behind leagues such as Serie A and La Liga in attendances and revenues, and several top english based players had moved abroad.
In 1990, the managing director of LWT, Greg Dyke, met with the representatives of the “big five” football clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal, over a dinner, the meeting was to pave the way for a break away from The Football League.
Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only the larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money.
The five clubs agreed with the suggestion and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of the FA and so Dein of Arsenal held talks to see whether the FA were receptive to the idea.
The FA did not enjoy an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it as a way to weaken the Football League’s position. So 104 years after the formation of the EL on 20 February 1992 the EPL was formed.
The Premier League is now the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. Prior to that we all looked to the “continentals” for the best fitba,
With that came the professionalism of the referees who officiate matches that range from local football to Premier League matches. There are currently eleven different levels of referees that correspond to the ability, age and activity of the official, for a referee to move from one level to the next, both theoretical and physical assessments are taken.
The refs in the EPL and Championship are professional, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) group officiate all these matches.
This association was originally formed to improve refereeing standards, they officiate across all the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Football Association (FA) Competitions, all three organisations fund it.
The training, development and mentoring of 110 referees and 175 assistant referees are run by Managing Director Mike Riley (a former PGMOL referee) and a team of managers and coaches.
Currently, PGMOL have 65 Select Group who are full-time professional match officials, these are broken down between Select Group 1 Referees, Select Group 1 Assistant Referees and Select Group 2 Referees.
Meanwhile, we up in Scotland have a racist, sectarian bigot who was kicked out of the national stadium still pulling the strings by virtue of dangling the UEFA carrot in front of the current officials no matter how poor they are. He should have been hunted fae Nyon as well but as I’ve previously said the tentacles of the ludge stretch far especially in calvinist Switzerland.
At one time there was hardly any of the big teams in England that didnae have at least one Scottish player in their side, Brendan’s oul team’s supporters still sing about King Kenny who has replaced another Scot Billy Liddell as their all time hero.
It should also be noted that 2 of the early UK based players to be transferred to Italy were Aberdeen born Denis Law and Liverpool born but Motherwell raised Joe Baker.
Although their time in Italy was mixed, Denis was voted number one foreign player ahead of teammate Joe, Fiorentina winger Kurt Hamrin (who starred for Sweden in the 1958 WC) and Inter Milan midfielder Luis Suarez (who was the world’s most expensive player when Barca sold him tae Inter and if the truth be told we were so glad he was injured and missed Lisbon).
Joe who was only 6 weeks old when the family moved back up the road was the first professional player to be capped for england while playing for a club outside the english football league system.
He was also the first player to play for england without having ever played for an english club, Calgary born Owen Hargreaves is the only other player to have done this.
Scottish players had a high pedigree and were well in demand down south, 8 of the illustrious Wembley Wizards played down there and one of the home based Scots Jimmy Dunne of the Hibbees via St Anthony’s would move tae the Toffees after this game.
We took the game around the world, Europe (Johnny Madden the father of Czech football) and South America (Gorbals born Alex Hutton is known as the father of Argentina football, incidentally the great grandmother of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina fame Juan Peron was Ann Hughes Mackenzie).
When the US caused a major sensation by beating england, alf ramsey, billy wright and all, 1-0 in the 1950 WC their coach and captain were born in Edinburgh and Greenock respectively.
Look at Scotland now, we are the country who invented the modern world, where would we be without the young boy fae Greenock who watched the kettle boil on the hob, and yet we allow an antiquated boys club tae run/ruin our lives, a secret society that is failing elsewhere and now has an open door policy.
An organisation by virtue of its tangerine hue, © Big Nan onetime of this parish, has disparaged members of a 1.3 billion organisation to the detriment of the country. It was once said to me around 25 years ago that Scotland is the only 1st world country to become a 3rd world one after discovering oil.
We are also the laughing stock of the football world; the craft ruined the manufacturing, mining, construction and shipbuilding industries by their jobs for the boys’ policy and now our greatest gifts fitba and golf.
Let’s not forget that when dedico were kicked out of the game, oh yes they were, and allowed back in again as sevco one of their conditions was that only SPL refs officiate all their games even in the lower sectors.
It has been said on here fix the refs and that will fix the game, that’ll no happen with that cabal at hunden, just like the top clubs in england did we should remove all responsibility for the game from them, only then will the country and the game move on. We have the money, expertise and intellect to can do this.
Don’t forget that as I said the Scots invented the modern world but the Irish saved western civilisation and Celtic FC are a product of those once proud nations.
SoT
Loving your Dillinger tracks fae the heart and soul. Magic thanks.
YNWA
Bankie
Magic read of a morning in Clydebank.
Thanks for re posting.
That man has a talent.
Wish TT would write a book.
YNWA
“Fix Fitba, Empty Hampden.”
DELANEYS DUNKY –
Some more –
https://youtu.be/TaSY0_9vc_Y
https://youtu.be/tZcuE0ZyJms
DD – you are welcome, this place allows an amazing cross-section of the Celtic support a voice. TT’s and others deserve to be heard by a wider audience. His and others genuine recollections and perspectives on Celtica are priceless – they’d make a great book. We stand on the shoulders of giants.
HH
SoT
Irie!
The more im thinking about tonights team, I’m seeing :
—————-Bain———————
Toljan Boyata Jozo Izzy
——Brown McGregor———
M.Johnson Ntcham Sinclair
———–Burke——————-
Weah to do the damage off the bench.
Lifted from celtsarehere.
Collum – literally couldn’t give s monkeys…
https://i1.wp.com/celtsarehere.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/img_5062.jpg?w=620&ssl=1
HH
*s = a , but you knew that ;)
Obviously this current board of directors are never going to defend the club, or the supporters – they should however, ban that Daily Record mob from Celtic Park at the very least.
It’s astonishing they still haven’t been told to gtf and never to darken the doors of Celtic Park again.
I wouldn’t bet on the Sheep to win tonight until the team news is announced.
If Cosgrove, McKenna and Lewis make their first team, then they win – if not it’s in the balance.
Are we talking about this Daily Mail??
https://twicsy.com/i/6ALTvd
Hurrah for The Blackshirts, top hole old boy..
16 Roads
I knew the keeper Lewis was a doubt.
Didn’t realise McKenna and Cosgrove were struggling ? If so, that would be huge blow to the sheep.
16roads
I reckon McInnes is one of many, who wish to put the Mersey Gobshite in his place. 3 points Aiberdeen tonight. Then Kilmarnock knock them oot the FTSFA Cup on Saturday?
Apocalypse Doomdome
YNWA
DELANEYS DUNKY
I like yer style:))
Crucial Results:))
Inspired by SoT I dug this out the other day:))
Mighty JC
https://youtu.be/P5xqc2ab40s
SP
Dread Rastafari.
Brilliant JC find. Thanks
Top tune.
YNWA
new article posted.
Tontime Tim at 11:25
One of the best posts I’ve read in a long, long time.
Bravo!!!
If Paul’s apologia for Scottish referees yesterday is in any way a reflection of the view of the Celtic Board, as I believe it is, it will be a cold day in hell before our club advocates any change in the way football is run in this country. Not for them to highlight, as others have, the fact that the Scottish Referees Association is quite simply a masonic cabal whose sole purpose is to aid and abet whichever club operates out of Ayebrokes, never mind question why 27 out of 32 Category One referees are supporters of said club. We do not need to ask which club they support, they would not be Category One refereees unless they support a club currently in liquidation or its’ successor RIFC. Nor do we need to ask them if they are members of the freemasons, no that is a given, the only question worth asking is which masonic lodge they are a member of. Those that run our club are happy with this arrangement, they even requested a meeting with a key mason to ask for clarification on the decision making process at Hampden. They got their answer on Saturday afternoon!
Bayo will get back to the team for sure. He has the time to get fit and maybe to play some profitable slots Follow the magic
It sounded too loud just before kick off, a wee bit scary I would say.