Rumours circulated last week that is was Sepp Blatter who leaked the million or so emails to The Sunday Times, allowing them to uncover previously hidden payments between Fifa delegates at the time of the Qatar 2022 vote. That looks fanciful in the face of Blatters tub-thumping, that criticism of the voting process is motivated by racism.
The motivation behind The Sunday Times is irrelevant, Fifa is either corrupt or not. Blatter is indulging in the ancient art of Ad hominem, rejecting a claim not on its own merits, but on an irrelevant facet of the person making the claim. Sony, Adidas and others have led the way is asking for proper oversight of Fifa to protect their brands being damaged by association. This is all very well but by postponing any disclosure until after the forthcoming World Cup, Fifa have years to allow sponsor angst to dissipate. Expect nothing to change.
What a fascinating wee story that the SFA are considering leaving Hampden to Queens Park to maintain and ‘fill’ with a few hundred spectators each game. If this is a bargaining position to force Queens into cutting a generous deal, fair enough.
In the event the SFA decide to move away from Hampden, it’s worth keeping an eye on the stadium. Those who appear intent on driving Newco Rangers into liquidation could do with a spare stadium in Glasgow, just in case the current owners of Ibrox do not succumb to manipulation.
On the subject of that lot, Dundee United’s Stephen Thompson’s playing a blinder. Not only is he cherry-picking their youth talent but he’s also raised the inconvenient fact – Newco Rangers is a two year old football club. Follow the money on this one.
Well done to BBC Alba and Alex O’Henley for the outstanding Jock Stein documentary last night. It’s difficult to add much to the Stein story after all these years but they managed to do so. The level of detail contained therein was remarkable, and it was nothing short of astonishing that we heard first-hand testimony on Jock playing for Blantyre Vics.
If you’re short of a Father’s Day gift, Tommy Gemmell, Bertie Auld and John Hughes will be signing copies of their books at the Celtic Store in Argyle St from 1pm until 4pm on Saturday. Three Lions, one venue, bring your camera.
It’s also an enormous privilege to announce that after we hosted a live chat session with Willie Wallace last year and Tommy Gemmell last month, Bertie Auld will be live on CQN from 1pm this Friday. Bertie is the strong silent type, so you’ll need to prepare a few questions to bring him out of his shell.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best, freshly signed by the man himself this morning.
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teacher = teuchter……. Stupid autocorrect
HH
Uniting Canadian soccer fans with theworlds best
17 secs in…….
Lymmbhoy
I thought you meant that – as I called you proudbhoy :-)
Can ye wear a onesie in 406?
Hail Hail Celtic men and wummin
Or course ye can.
Summa one for you
http://youtu.be/JaSXn7XoaiI
HH
teuchter
No mate……didn’t want to start another teacher debate ;)
HH
@ludovicodarko: #celtic park getting prepared for the opening ceremony #Glasgow2014 http://t.co/Q6ePfcdLlL
HH
Many thanks to both of you.
lymmbhoy
02:04 on
11 June, 2014
Just watched the Jock Stein documentary, fantastic work by all involved.
Here is a link for any overseas Bhoys/ghirls who haven’t seen it yet.
http://vimeo.com/97800904
HH
Teuchter ár lá
02:07 on
11 June, 2014
For anyone who missed the Jock Stein Documentary
Ferdinand lured to Parkhead by McStay promise
Gary Keown
Wednesday 11 June 2014
RIO FERDINAND insists he would not have agreed to bring an All-Star XI to Celtic Park unless guarantees were given that he would be able to enjoy another day in the company of one of his boyhood favourites, Paul McStay.
Ferdinand will bring a team north for a charity match on September 7 and spoke in an interview last night about his long-term admiration for McStay, who will return from his home in Sydney to lead the Celtic select providing the opposition, and the thrill he experienced from meeting him during a tour of Australia with Manchester United last summer.
“One of the guys who helps me run the Foundation is closely affiliated with a few of the guys at Celtic and an idea came about for me to bring an XI,” said Ferdinand, currently looking for a new club after leaving Old Trafford. “I said I’d like to do it, but there was a stipulation that Paul McStay had to be involved.
“He never got the respect and adulation he probably deserved, but I met him when he came to a training session in Australia when I was at United and I can see why. He is not one to put himself out there. We had finished training and I was getting a massage. He was walking around getting programmes signed with his kids and I said to the fella stretching me: ‘That’s Paul McStay’.
“He didn’t have a clue. Jimmy Lumsden, a Scotsman, was a coach under David Moyes and I asked him: ‘That’s Paul McStay, isn’t it?’
“I said: ‘You’ve got to get me his autograph, get me a picture with him or something’. The lads were coming in and I was telling them they didn’t even know who this geezer is, they were walking past him. I was telling them he was a top player and better than them. I had a good talk with Paul and his kids and took some pictures. I think his kids were surprised a couple of us knew who he was because Ryan [Giggs] stopped by as well.”
Ferdinand claims he has followed Celtic since childhood and even manages to reflect with a degree of fondness on the 1-0 defeat suffered in Glasgow on Champions League duty in November 2006 thanks to a late free-kick from Shunsuke Nakamura.
“I have always seen them as the Man United of Scotland, almost,” Ferdinand told Celtic TV. “I remember we played there in the Champions League. Just before the whistle went for the game to kick off, it was the biggest roar I have heard in a football stadium in my entire life.”
So we going to offer ferdinand a
Contract ? Help sell season books maybe..
In all seriousness thou he speaks very highly of mcstay and celtic in general. Good to hear.
Another day another dollar….or not……
Rangers board set to launch new share issue in bid to raise £8m shortfall caused by season ticket boycott
Jun 11, 2014 03:00 By Keith Jackson 5 Comments
JAMES and Sandy Easdale are in urgent need of a cash injection after failing to win over thousands of hostile fans, who have refused to renew their season tickets.
RANGERS top brass were locked in a marathon eight-hour emergency summit in London yesterday to discuss how to escape from another looming financial crisis.
And Record Sport understands the troubled regime could now launch a new share issue in the hope of raising up to £8m. We revealed yesterday how brothers James and Sandy Easdale had flown to the English capital on Monday ahead of an official board meeting at the offices of the club’s financial advisers Daniel Stewart yesterday.
That board meeting began at 10.30am and broke up just before 7pm.
The Ibrox club’s beleaguered directors are in urgent need of a cash injection after failing to win over thousands of hostile fans, who have refused to renew season tickets.
The short-fall means Rangers must raise funds immediately to avoid being sucked back into a perilous financial position, just two years after the insolvency nightmare that ended in the liquidation of the oldco.
And it’s believed their preferred option is to activate a placement of up to 40m new shares, selling them to hand picked investors from the club’s current shareholders.
It’s understood Sandy Easdale spent Monday holed up in crunch talks with mysterious shareholders Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, both of whom may now be gearing up to increase their holding in the club. Hedge fund group Laxey Partners may be invited to buy up the new shares in exchange for a greater percentage of the Rangers power base.
But Record Sport understands the majority of the club’s blue chip institutional shareholders are unlikely to be tempted to pour more cash into a club that has suffered horrendous losses since raising £22m of investment at an IPO 18 months ago. The share price has also crashed over that time, wiping millions off the club’s value.
If the Rangers board does press ahead with issuing fresh shares those investors could see their holdings diluted further.
A source said: “A lot of serious decisions will have to be taken so it’s little wonder the meeting lasted such a long time.
“The board may see the release of shares as the easiest way to raise substantial sums of money but it remains to be seen which shareholders, if any, will be willing to pump millions into a business that’s performed so badly over the last year and half.”
Meanwhile, Rangers moved a step closer to signing St Mirren’s out of contract Darren McGregor after contract talks yesterday.
But the Light Blues could be priced out of a move for Cardiff City’s Don Cowie with the Welsh club set to offer him a new deal.
Good morning friends and Happy World Cup Eve from a dry, calm, bright but cloudy East Kilbride.
Loving the new away shirt by the way. Honestly!
Jobo
I pray doc doesn’t read this cod I gave him pelters for the new top last night.,,,, but I’m scared to admit it’s becoming less offensive to my eyes as time goes on!
Still the Hoops for me!
Stunning morning in dunblane. What could possibly go wrong with the weather today?!?!
HH jamesgang
Cod = cos!
Quality “disallowed” goal from Nani in the Ireland v Portugal match
http://youtu.be/_LezhS89RtA
HH
Proudbhoy made an interesting point this morning. If TV money provides such a limited income for Celtic, why do we allow them to dictate when games KO?
Are we compelled to sign up to the deal?
JJ
JJ
Perhaps it’s limited but still essential? As are the ticket monies?
Hope Smokieville is looking good today!
HH jamesgang
Jungle Jim – in short, yes.
why all the hoo-haa about the new away strip
away strips have always allowed for a bit of artistic licence, and thats the way it should be
as long as the hoops are always the hoops thats all that matters
and i think it looks ok to be fair
Working in Livingston today. Looks like it could be a scortcher
Jobo Baldie
Happy World Cup Eve to you too!
For their heartbreak loss in 1950 when the tournament was last held there, and for the hours of viewing pleasure their players have given me since 1970, especially that side, and the ’82 magicians, I hope Brazil play well enough to win it.
On one of the build-up to the tournament programmes the other night, they showed Pele’s “dummy” on the Uruguayan ‘keeper in the ’70 semi-final, and it’s still jaw-dropping viewing.
The commentator summed it up well: “Pele. . Oh . .oh. .what. . .what Genius!”
Jamesgang
The ` Smoke` is bathed in sunshine but I am about to leave shortly for golf in France.
I was going to ask if lost ticket money because of TV scheduling and availability was worth it but Weeminger has answered that. We are compelled to go along with the TV deal.
JJ
Hoopy-do
I think it was just an excuse for some good natured winding up back n fore.
Still thought in mingin on 1st sight!
;-)
HH jamesgang
Morning all. Dry but overcast down here at the moment. The sun seems to have forgotten us once again.
That ole sun doesn’t seem to be shining on Leith either. While Butcher didn’t have his teams playing entertaining football, I hope he gets a job because he seems to have undergone a conversion of heart from his days in Govan. So, I wish him well.
Hoopy-do
Quite agree with you re the strip. It will, after all, only make limited appearances and, hopefully, the performances will render the strip unimportant.
I sometimes think the MSSM modus operandi of being negative about all things Celtic rubs off on some of our support.
Having said that, I bought a DR this morning (for a pal, honest!!) and at least the part of the article I read concerning our new manager was very positive.
JJ
Jungle Jim
Did you find out who was performing that ‘Freefallin’ song you were listening to last night?
Proudbhoy,
Celtic did NOT claim 40k books were sold. What they said was they were well on the way to selling 40k.
Morning y’all.
I too watched the alba program about the big man. Good stuff. I was a little disappointed more wasn’t made about him playing for the ‘wrong team’ and shocked there was nothing from Big Billy.
I hope he is keeping well. HH
and i bet when we are all away on our holidays this year to magaluf, lanzarote or colchester and we see someone walking along the road with the new strip on we will think its a great sight
nothing better than seeing the colours getting worn all over the world
Beatbhoy.
John Mayer.
JJ
jamesgang 07:34, if you wurnay so massive I’d call you a big fudd. But I wont, cos you are. So there ye go.
Sunshine on Carmyllie:-)
We have a limited number of signed Tommy Gemmell’s All The Best and Willie Wallace Heart of a Lion – signed by both Willie and Tommy. ideal Father’s Day gift – order today at http://www.CQNBookstore.com and we’ll post first class post today.
ACGR
Lucky old me you auld bassa you!
PS really liked your post last night
JJ. Enjoy France pal.
Arr in Gla. Aff oot Tims. Have a great day.
HH jamesgang
JJ
I was a bit out then, age-wise!
hoopy-do
08:15 on 11 June, 2014
‘and i bet when we are all away on our holidays this year to magaluf, lanzarote or colchester and we see someone walking along the road with the new strip on we will think its a great sight’
####
Problem is though that the locals in Magaluf, Lanzarote or Colchester won’t have a clue what the strip is. It’s just another generic football shirt. Could be any club.
Not like the hoops.
Still, it will appeal to some, who’ll hand over their cash, and that’s the important thing.
HOT OFF THE PRESS:
Hibernian FC have appointed Delia Smith as their new manager.
CEO Leeann Dempster quoted as saying,
“what’s good enough for Celtic it’s good enough for us….”
BB
Just a bit!
Cheerio all,
JJ