At around 13:16 tomorrow afternoon Fraser Forster will hopefully break the 40-year record of Aberdeen’s Bobby Clark for not conceding a goal in Scottish league football. Clark’s record is next up for the Celtic keeper but the British and European records are not too far away.
Apart from Celtic Park itself there would be no better place to break this record than at Tynecastle, but the most important part of the day is to secure a win. Concede early but win the game and we have done our job. Break the record and leave pointless and we will have nothing to celebrate.
Clarity has never been a prominent feature when it comes to the analysis of football finances. 2012 threw up a slew of ‘experts’, practically all of whom swallowed lines from PR people instead of explaining HMRC’s published rules on voting for or against Company Voluntary Arrangements.
Journalists were briefed on HMRC’s intentions, which filtered to the ‘experts’, soon this PR version of events was accepted an a reality. The same was going on inside football. One journalist called me back then to dispute my challenge to his assertion that Celtic would have vote to allow Newco Rangers into the SPL, and that the SPL itself was absolutely certain to vote them “back” (sic.). Celtic were never going to that way and by then the SPL tide had turned.
It was not in Celtic’s interests to have Newco parachuted into top flight football, which has become clear in the subsequent years, although many in Scotland, including a sizeable chunk of the Celtic support, thought otherwise, and that the club would vote in favour.
It was, therefore, refreshing to watch BBC Reporting Scotland last night without the 2012 flops. A new expert was found to ask the pertinent question, a £1.5m loan is fine for a short-term fix but what about the enormous long-term problems?
Many thanks to everyone who participated in the CQteN Dream Team. We have now passed the 125 team target, which has triggered a £1000 donation from a longstanding CQN’er, who is a shining example of what Celtic is all about.
The Dream Team is your chance to select your team from those who have played 10 or more games during the CQN decade.
Select 11 players in either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation; you’ll need a goalkeeper, two full backs, two central defenders, 3 or 4 midfielders and 2 or 3 forwards. You also need to select a manager from the decade.
The team judged as the strongest will be announced at the CQteN St Patrick’s Dinner on 14 March. The event is open to bloggers and lurkers but you can only enter ONCE. Closing date is 3pm, Sunday 9 March. There will be prizes!!
For a comprehensive list of players who are eligible for selection, see CRC’s comment here. Email your entry to Doc here, and remember to include a manager: doccqten@gmail.com
If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
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A lot of talk on here last night about Mick McCarthy’s stupid statement that Oor Maestro was 10 times the player that Steven Gerrard is.Stupid statements like this on TV only serve to destroy what little credibility that Mick has left in the game down here.It is similar to Caeser’s Baggio moment re Stevie Fulton,although that was only picked up by the horrible SMSM.
A sense of perspective is required when discussing and comparing two players from different eras.It could be argued that King Kenny was better than Jinky,I know they played together briefly,as he won far more in a much tougher environment over a longer period.
In my humble opinion Kenny is the greatest BOTH Celtic and Liverpool have ever had and that is some achievement.
Petec
Just watched the first 10 mins of the Cooper lecture.
Absolutely agree with his initial principles.We`re all the product of our environment
Then,major turn-off : He says” judge not,lest ye be judged “and then calls Bill Clinton a communist.
Sorry,pal.
He ain`t practising what he is preaching.
These are the defenders in the Dutch 33 man squad:
Daley Blind (Ajax Amsterdam), Jeffrey Bruma (PSV Eindhoven), Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Daryl Janmaat (all Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV Eindhoven), Gregory van der Wiel (Paris St-Germain), Joel Veltman (Ajax Amsterdam), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Can’t say I know a lot about many of them – but they must be good if they are rates as better than big Virgil.
corkcelt- SUPPORTING THE DAM 5
10:41 on 22 February, 2014
All over the world its accepted that Ultras are a “little mad”. What a bloody awful boring world it would be if everyone simply conformed to the status quo. You cannot totally sanitise a group like The Green Brigade, to try and do so is a contradiction. I do understand there are limits of tolerance but if you over legislate and over police you simply destroy the product. I would hate to live my life in the sterile, “safe” environment which macjay extolls. The problem is not The Green Brigade its the Assholes who criminalised Football Supporters and who are squeezing the joy & life out of Football.
________________________________________________
The Green Brigade is an extension of Neil Lennon, an extension of me and yer good self as well.
The 4 horsemen really hit hard at the ESTABLISHMENT, the kid on Bible peepil.
macjay1,
Once again you have summed up the situation and, of course, I agree with you.
What is required from the GB is exactly the same as is required from us all.
Whataboutery regarding fans from other clubs is valid, but, we have to put our own house in order, before dealing with that issue.
I fear that the divide between the club and the GB will never be closed.
Central to the GB’s position is that they have stated that they won’t be “controlled” and reserve the right to display any message that they think appropriate; irrespective of the aforementioned rules and regs.
In any other situation, that is anarchy and is indefensible.
How would that work in a home, classroom, workplace environment?
For me, that is the one and only issue which prevents a solution to the situation.
However, since it is the central platform for their raison d’être , I don ‘t see them conceding that;ergo, ta ta GB and probably a raft of their supporters.
Sad.
petec
It’s not all dots at up_over_goal towers, y’know.
But you’ve reminded me – today, go with:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Forster :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Matthews :::::::::: Ambrose ::::::::::::::::: Van Dijk :::::::::: Mulgrew
::::::::::::::: Brown ::::::::::::::::::: Biton ::::::::::::::: Johansen ::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Pukki :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::: Commons ::::::::::::::::: Stokes :::::::::::::::::::::::::
TET
Sorry about the delay here’s the random list/group generator.
http://chir.ag/projects/team-maker/
Hail Hail
Ken jungle
My own ‘favorite’ Sellic player was Murdo Macleod ‘the real highlander’.
…………………………………………
Whit?
Gordon_J
I am too young to have had the privelege of watching the Lisbon Lions, but Virgil is the best defender I’ve seen at Celtic – and I’d include the Martin O’Neill squad in that.
It’s haughty Dutch arrogance, pure and simple, that’s keeping him out.
Gordonj…….
I got dog’s abuse on here a couple of weeks back when I opined that VVD had no chance of
making the Netherlands squad,there are some seriously brilliant and experienced defenders in front of him.
His time will come after Brazil 2014.
Van Gaal will know all about him and he’s not quite at his level yet.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
10:46 on 22 February, 2014
Petec
Just watched the first 10 mins of the Cooper lecture.
Absolutely agree with his initial principles.We`re all the product of our environment
Then,major turn-off : He says” judge not,lest ye be judged “and then calls Bill Clinton a communist.
Sorry,pal.
He ain`t practising what he is preaching.
___________________________________
He was murdered right after Sept 2001 and a new conspiracy theorist took stage. Keep listening, if ye have the Time, there is loads of info in his jibber jabber.
The Green Brigade is an extension of Neil Lennon, an extension of me and yer good self as well.
The 4 horsemen really hit hard at the ESTABLISHMENT, the kid on Bible peepil.
______________________
Then why where they not at the meeting through the week then?
Up over
It is the same dutch arrogance and confidence that makes him the player he is, as you know most of it is in the head…
lenny up soon on soccer am..
Tonydonnely I laughed out loud when I read that you were keeping your powder dry with rgards to the GB. What nonsense. You would se them publicly hanged, probably because they show signs of intelligence. Away to the brazen heid. You probably make more sense when drunk.
Having read the response from the meeting. Firstly it’s a good initiative to have the meeting and to minute it in this manner. So well done JPG and celtic. However the responses do not provide me with much encouragement. The word that springs to mind throughout the responses is one of complacency. Celtic are complacent about how it treats it’s supporters. Sure they always tell us how the value us so much and how magnificent we are. But actions speak louder than words.
With regards to the GB and Motherwell game they don’t really answer the question. Why are they behaving the way they are? Why do the peddle to the media line in Scotland. Let me give you a small example. One of the most transparent and funniest things about the Motherwell stuff was when the BBC said they could show pictures of the stand because it was subject to a criminal investigation. Think about that for a wee minute. We won’t show some broken seats because the police are looking into who did it? Really? So we never saw any of the aftermath of the riots in London because they were going to investigate who did it? It’s patently absurd and the only excuse was that the damage didn’t look that bad so they had to exaggerate and not show it to make it prime time news.
You see if I was PL, while being angry about those who did actually cause the damage, I would absolutely go for the BBC and the Police about this absurd nonsense and accuse them of attempting to overplay the issue. You see this is how they can better defend us. But it strikes me that they just want to cow tow to the party line in Scotland,
Their so called objection to the OBT is another case in point. They said they objected once and have never said anything more publicly. This is while their precious supporters are bing subject to dawn raids. The answer on focus is weak and actually doesn’t say anything. What poor behaviour? The police think they are allowed to do what they like and the club just let them.
As for stewarding all they did was deflect the point. Turning back on supporters for daring to stand or god help us move laterally. They are persisting with this even whine we caught them lying about safety certificates.
Oh and no questions or answers on the corruption around the Hun? I wonder why not??
up_over_goal, ryecatcher,
There are several players in the squad I don’t know so can’t really make a judgement on. VVD has excelled this season and I’m sure he has the class to do it at international level.
Still no world cup means no summer shop window I suppose …
Then why where they not at the meeting through the week then?
Whit?
Anarchy:
Well what is punishing people for something they didn’t do and not reversing your knee-jerk judgements when facts prove that your punishments were without foundation? And after being made aware of your inappropriate reaction and subsequent actions and public condemnatgions, you still claim the moral high ground….
What is that called?
I’m not too perturbed that Virgil may miss the World Cup as we’ll need as many fresh players as possible for the Champions League qualifier.
No doubt Virgil will see it differently, as he wants to play for his county, but he has time on his side and is likely to wins caps in the future.
up_over_goal
Leave Pukki on bench and play Kris behind AS & LG for me
I think they will try till come at us early as they know we are looking at the record
just need Leigh &Tony & Kris to tell them by scoring early “dont be silly and keep trying that”:)))))).
Till later all
NegAnon2:
I read the ‘forum’ responses around 11am. Since it read to me like bland generic responses generated by a half-sober Amstrad 128 I never felt the urge to pass comment on it until others posted in hate of the Green Brigade.
Up over goal.
Best defender I’ve ever seen at Celtic………Daniel Fergus McGrain.
If VVD could be even 70% as good then we will have a player on our hands.
Like what I’ve seen so far.
corkcelt- supporting the dam 5
10:59 on 22 February, 2014
Then why where they not at the meeting through the week then?
Whit?
_______________
Well, they where either not invited, or the never turned up, simple question I have been asking all morning, no one seems to know, funny that eh?
up_over_goal 10:51
A very exciting team. Neil?
I dinnae like people shouting their mouth off about doin’ this or that, especially after getting the perfect scoreline last Time.
On for over 4.5 goals, the smart money will go under 4.5.
tonydonnelly67
10:56 on 22 February, 2014
The Green Brigade is an extension of Neil Lennon, an extension of me and yer good self as well.
The 4 horsemen really hit hard at the ESTABLISHMENT, the kid on Bible peepil.
______________________
Then why where they not at the meeting through the week then?
==============================================
Was Neil there?
blantyretim
The difference between confidence and arrogance is that arrogant people tend to make bad decisions based, amongst other things, on an over-inflated sense of their own importance.
Confidence allows VVD to flourish under pressure but still have an open-minded, unselfish attitude and a willingness to learn. This is something common to all the great players at Celtic – Larsson, Nakamura, both had this mental attitude in spades.
“just because the GB thought they where above the law, and the rules didn’t apply to them,”
tonyd
No they didn’t Tony. Their ‘political’ banner was to highlight to our whole club the fact that a raft of supporters were awaiting trial for singing ROH. Not football violence, smashing seats or toilets or proclaiming religious hatred.
They are very aware of the law and they need to be in the current environment.
neganon2
10:57 on 22 February, 2014
Tonydonnely I laughed out loud when I read that you were keeping your powder dry with rgards to the GB. What nonsense. You would se them publicly hanged, probably because they show signs of intelligence. Away to the brazen heid. You probably make more sense when drunk.
_____________________
You laugh! No way, I never visioned you with a smile, EVER, anyway as I said no one can give me an answer so I thought it best to let it go, as it is being seriously avoided by the GB banner carriers, like yourself.
Up_over_goal
Griffiths will, and should start. Pukka has had numerous chances and has not been good enough. Blade should now get more opportunities before Pukki. Mulgrew for Izzy should be the only change from last week.
ryecatcher
Should have been more specific – I meant CB. Caught the end of Danny Mcgrain’s career – a master, one of those players from bygone eras who would rise to the top even today.
Remember even back then the Scottish MSM trying to big up that fanny,Sandy Jardine,to be at least the equal of Oor Danny.They tried it with Willie Henderson and Oor Jinky before that.Despicable lot really.
watch Michael Caines – a good friend to cqn charity causes make an omelette one handed on bbc1 right now
petec
11:05 on 22 February, 2014
tonydonnelly67
10:56 on 22 February, 2014
The Green Brigade is an extension of Neil Lennon, an extension of me and yer good self as well.
The 4 horsemen really hit hard at the ESTABLISHMENT, the kid on Bible peepil.
______________________
Then why where they not at the meeting through the week then?
==============================================
Was Neil there?
___________________________
You have a problem with Neil, and your answering a question with a question, AGAIN.
VVD is our most accomplished central defender since George Connolly. Lots of similarities in style.
kitalba
10:43 on
22 February, 2014
Macjay:
Simply as I asked, which you never answered, are Celtic going to enforce the same rules on away supporters that they enforce on their own? That’s not really such a hard question is it?
————————————————————————————————
I have no idea what Celtic will do,but I have supreme confidence that they will deal with
every issue in a sober and considered way,always attempting to avoid the kind of vicious conflict which I ,and I`m sure you have witnessed in the past.They will,at all costs,try to avoid provoking any violence by issuing inflammatory statements or resorting to the “dog whistle ” responses we have come to expect from others .
Sadly,it seems to me that is what some of our supporters want.
Kit.
As I said before,is there anything to be gained by going over the same old ground?
I don`t trust the Celtic trust and I think that the G.B. are their surrogates.
I.M.H.O They are responsible for a serious breach between Celtic supporters and that their prime motivation is not the best interests of Celtic.
I first spoke about their entryism some five or six years ago.
And so it came to pass.
I read here that Jeanette Findlay is an admirer of Trotsky,now,if that is true ,then she would know all about entryism.
Of course,if that`s the Celtic the majority want,then so be it.
Bye bye “all inclusive.”
11:11
Upovergoal….
Yep,Danny could have played for any team in his prime….he was that good.
TD, Did you ever have a swally outside licensing hours ? Did you ever make a piss in a public place?. Rules my erchie.
Morning all
BT if you are still aboiut, sorry for not replying last night.
Yes will be at CQTEN
HH