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.
[calameo code=0003901710a55b5798f06 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,241 Comments- Pages:
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pabloh_AKA_NEIL LENNON
I believe the term Hun Skelper was invented for Alan Thompson. A player who revelled in a big match.
LB
Jarosik was a chance missed.
glasstwothirdsfull
12:46 on 21 February, 2014
Odds on a penalty in the 30th minute…..?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Don’t gie thum ideas…….FGS……HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
If Virgil has to go in the summer will Celtic demand a realistic fee instead of just accepting a derisory £10 mill offer.
Just back from The Lego Movie with the wee chap. Can ‘t stop singing that daft wee song.
Everything is Awesome. Everything is cool if you’re part of the team. :-))
Ernie
“It’s no coincidence that what used to be the Tory’s secure seats are now in the hands of the SNP”
Well yes. But that is like being surprised that if the Huns went off the game for good, more of them went off to support Hearts rather than Celtic.
Oh thanks very much saidies bhoy!!!
Its only took me 6 days to get it out of mines!!!
Darren O’Dea was a hun-skelper.
Team for Tynecastle:
Normal defence then:
Brown Biton Johansen
Commons
Griffiths Stokes
Or maybe just three at the back then Charlie could play to the left of Johansen?
Thoughts?
JJ
Jungle Jim
That team looks decent to me. I fancy Griffiths to bang the opener tomorrow and possibly follow that up with a hat trick. He will be bursting a gut tomorrow and Neil Lennon will know it. Unleash the Bhoy and let him hit everything within 30 yards of goal.
LB
JJ,
Commons wouldn’t be anywhere near my team until he ends his goal drought. ;)
Mentalistparadox csc
“Impeach Bawface”.
JJ is Izzy not doubtful? Go with Fisher RB Adam LB? Hail Hail Hebcelt
Got a good feeling that Commons, Stokes and Griffiths will rip them a new one tomorrow.
Andy Walker
I thought he very cleverly framed his answer to allow him to publicise the fact that “Rangers were liquidated”.
A fact Sevconians and MSM do not like to be mentioned.
EC67
billy bhoy 05
13:44 on 21 February, 2014
Green man
Thank you for kind words of support as it can be very difficult on this site for you can easily, might not be true but still apples, get the impression you are hated, particularly when the like minded posters are not here and you are on your own.
Although in saying all that there are posters who don’t necessarily agree with you but are gentlemen. greenpinata being a fantastic example
……………………………………..
We had a mild exchange of views the other night on here I wouldn’t ever want you to feel that I hated you. I actually admire the passion you have for your cause. I’m just an old curmudgeon who’s stuck in his ways:-))
Andy Walker has a point.
The teams that FF face are no where near the quality BC faced.
To think otherwise means that you have a very poor judgement of a footballer and there respective teams.
Get off Andy Walkers back on this one.
TT
CQteN Dream Team.
What a tremendous response to Paul article today teams flooding in.
Keep the coming, details below.
“CQteN Dream Team” Less than 3 weeks to go!
Now is your chance to select and influence the CQteN dream from the last decade,
Email us on doccqten@gmail.com
Rules are very simple:
Select 11 players from the list below, forming either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation
So you will need:
1 goalkeeper
2 full backs
2 centre backs
3 or 4 midfielders
2 or 3 forwards
and of course….
1 manager.
Each player on the list below has made at least 10 starting appearances from July 2004 to date during the CQteN decade.
So no Henrik, Lubo,or Mjalby then!
When you are selecting the players, you should ideally base your selection on their performances during the CQteN decade, but then again that is your choice.
Send your selection to us by email to doccqten@gmail.com with your CQN blog name (if you do not have one, then you need to get thinking as well)
Anybody can enter: bloggers, lurkers, friends and family, but you can only enter ONCE.
The closing date for entries is 3pm Sunday 9th March 2014
The CQteN dream team will be announced at the CQteN night on Friday 14th March and will be published online soon after. There will be a couple of prizes for the closest teams selected to the winning team.
Good luck and get selecting for a fantastic competition..
HH
CRC
Goalkeepers
Appearances Clean sheets
Artur Boruc (G)
220 82
David Marshall (G)
30 9
Fraser Forster (G)
177 88
Lukasz Zaluska (G)
40 20
Mark Brown (G)
14 6
Rab Douglas (G)
19 11
Full Backs
Appearances Goals
Total Total
Adam Matthews (D)
82 4
Andreas Hinkel (D)
101 1
Cha Du-Ri (D)
35 2
Charlie Mulgrew (D)
144 25
Daniel Fox (D)
22 0
Darnell Fisher (D)
10 0
Edson Braafheid (D)
11 0
Emilio Izaguirre (D)
132 1
Jackie McNamara (D)
44 1
Lee Naylor (D)
134 3
Mark Wilson (D)
116 3
Mikael Lustig (D)
57 5
Mo Camara (D)
24 0
Paul Caddis (D)
10 0
Paul Telfer (D)
71 1
Ulrik Laursen (D)
15 0
Centre Backs
Appearances Goals
Total Total
Bobo Balde (D)
93 4
Daniel Majstorovic (D) 61 2
Darren O’Dea (D)
49 6
Efe Ambrose (D)
73 5
Gary Caldwell (D)
147 7
Glenn Loovens (D)
84 9
John Kennedy (D)
14 0
Joos Valgaeren (D)
25 0
Josh Thompson (D)
19 3
Kelvin Wilson (D)
72 0
Stanislav Varga (D)
57 7
Stephen McManus (D)
195 20
Steven Pressley (D)
24 2
Thomas Rogne (D)
54 3
Virgil van Dijk (D)
31 4
Midfielders
Appearances Goals
Total Total
Aiden McGeady (M)
194 36
Alan Thompson (M)
56 13
Baram Kayal (M)
88 3
Barry Robson (M)
40 7
Didier Agathe (M)
22 0
Evander Sno (M)
20 1
Efrain Juarez (M)
10 2
Jiri Jarosik (M)
35 7
Joe Ledley (M)
136 30
Juninho Paulista (M)
14 1
Kris Commons (M)
106 55
Landry N’Guemo (M)
43 0
Marc Crosas (M)
40 1
Massimo Donati (M)
34 4
Neil Lennon (M)
130 1
Niall McGinn (M)
15 6
Pat McCourt (M)
19 10
Paul Hartley (M)
74 4
Ross Wallace (M)
18 3
Roy Keane (M)
12 1
Scott Brown (M)
246 26
Shaun Maloney (M)
97 31
Shunsuke Nakamura (M)
157 33
Stephen Pearson (M)
11 4
Stiliyan Petrov (M)
94 24
Sung-Yong Ki (M)
60 11
Thomas Gravesen (M)
23 6
Victor Wanyama (M)
80 13
Zheng Zhi (M)
11 1
Forwards
Appearances Goals
Total Total
Anthony Stokes (F)
100 55
Chris Sutton (F) 43 18
Craig Beattie (F)
18 14
Craig Bellamy (F)
15 9
Derek Riordan (F)
13 8
Gary Hooper (F)
127 82
Georgios Samaras (F)
162 70
Henri Camara (F)
16 8
James Forrest (F)
85 22
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (F)
89 44
John Hartson (F)
83 50
Kenny Miller (F)
28 11
Lassad Nouioui (F)
10 3
Maciej Zurawski (F)
53 30
Marc-Antoine Fortune (F)
30 12
Robbie Keane (F)
17 16
Scott McDonald (F)
117 64
Teemu Pukki (F)
15 4
Tony Watt (F)
13 8
Managers
Neil Lennon
Tony Mowbray
Gordon Strachan
Martin O’Neill
Frank Ryan
There has been tremendous progress made since last September. Both Labour for Independence and Celtic for Independence groups are growing, with a lot of well known Labour people.
Did you answer my question earlier on how will keeping the Status Quo get rid of sectarianism.
My blog has went into
a very strange format so I may have missed a response
Hebcelt
If Izzy is unavailable, I would play Charlie there. So
Forster
Matthews Ambrose van Djik Mulgrew
Brown Biton Johansen Commons
Griffiths Stokes
Ernie
Billy Bhoy
13:50 on 21 February, 2014
‘Yes, further debate is needed on the causes of sectarianism in Scotland – including the core issue, the poisonous legacy of England’s historic domination of its neighbours, Ireland and Scotland’
He stands by his statement, the next bit is yours Ernie
His blog entry from 23/6/11 in support of the Offensive Behaviour (Level up the Score with those Dirty Fenian Basturts) Bill.
Bobby Clark’s shut out run with Aberdeen, 1970-71:
31 October Dundee United H 4–0 S. Murray, Robb, Harper (2) 10,000
7 November Clyde H 3–0 Harper (2), Hermiston 13,000
14 November Ayr United A 1–0 Harper 11,000
21 November Heart of Midlothian H 1–0 Harper 13,500
28 November Motherwell A 2–0 Boel, Taylor 10,000
5 December Cowdenbeath H 7–0 Harper (3), Kinnel (2 own goals), S. Murray, Graham 14,000
12 December Celtic A 1–0 Harper 63,000
19 December Falkirk H 1–0 Harper 19,000
26 December Airdrieonians A 4–0 Harper (2), S. Murray, Taylor 8,000
1 January Dundee H 3–0 S. Murray, McMillan, Graham 24,000
2 January St. Johnstone A 1–0 Forrest 21,500
9 January Kilmarnock H 3–0 Willoughby, Robb, Forrest
1.5m borrowed against future season ticket sales. Makes sense tae me. Worked for Craigie boy.
Sevco are becoming a bit like Red Nose Day where the spivs get the dosh instead of good causes. Blue nose day?
TT
“To think otherwise means that you have a very poor judgement of a footballer and there respective teams.”
Really?
JJ
Tim’s with left with virtual Beyoncé tickets for last night will be hearing about her curves from ole EuroChamps67 until the end of the season.
southside
Has that `transaction` occurred?
JJ
The Battered Bunnet
I’m not convinced the quality is much better than Forster has faced. Forster may yet extend his run too. Hopefully.
Someone with better knowledge than me of the game in the 70’s will know better though.
LB
jungle jim
15:13 on 21 February, 2014
Only if they get a KB from wonga
Re: Bobby Clark and Fraser Forster
It is impossible to compare eras spanning 44 years. No doubt Scottish football was stronger on all levels at that stage.
But today’s players are much fitter, the ball is lighter and the games last on average about four minutes longer.
Both keepers deserve enormous credit because no matter where you play and when you play, to go so long without conceding a goal is a great achievement.
I don’t think Andy Walker was downplaying big Fraser’s achievement in any way.
Bobby seems like a decent enough fullah, but for obvious reasons I would like to see Fraser break the record.
Auldheid @ 14.28 “Now crowd size is obviously a concern but it is not a stick to beat Celtic with ….”
Agreed Auldheid, I’ve been arguing with the guys and guyesses around me that though the crowds have been/could be better we are still doing not too bad. I pointed out to those bemoaning the poor turnout at the Aberdeen cup game that half of the EPL games the same day had a poorer attendance than that at Celtic Park.
I noticed also that in last night’s Round of 32 in the Europa League (i.e.16 ties) only TWO had a crowd that either bettered or matched our crowd at the Aberdeen game – EVERY other tie, and this at a European level, was way below our 30,000.
Billy Bhoy05
The odds on a Yes vote suggest otherwise. The shortest odds are from Paddy Power at 11/4 while you can have as much as 4/1 from Betfair.
Anyway, For tomorrow and the purpose of this site, I would go with the team that Jungle Jim listed, with the caveat that Izzy can and should be rested if not fit.
We can bring on Mulgrew if things are sticky or a youngster or one of the Pukki/Balde/Boerigter options if things are going well.
LiviBhoy
It makes sense to assume that IF the forward players were better in those days, then so, too, were the defenders. The prowess of the former would be diluted by the strength of the latter.
JJ
JJ could live with that team. Who would your subs be? They could prove to be equally important. Hail Hail Hebcelt
How can they expect Ally to win the scottish cup without a war chest?
SFTB
I was just about to chastise you for undermining my attempt to steer the blog back on to matters Celtic then I reached your second paragraph 0:-)
JJ
geordie munro
14:51 on 21 February, 2014
Oh thanks very much saidies bhoy!!!
Its only took me 6 days to get it out of mines!!!
……………………….
Sorry geordie. I know what you mean :-))
JJ
Balanced commentary ….you are of course correct
Steinreignedsupreme
I would not dream of putting money on sevco in any circumstances.
But do the words honest mistake ring a bell?
We will see soon enough.
HH