Celtic box clever again, and the SFA know it. Aleks Tonev, who has a strong east-European accent and limited English, denies uttering racist comments against Aberdeen. Did he? He might well have, for all I know, but, with only one person contradicting Tonev, the SFA have no idea either.
When this issue first raised its head I don’t think anyone on CQN made a character reference for Aleks, but we concluded this issue was destined to remain unresolved, as there is simply not enough information to consider the matter. The SFA know this and know that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will find in favour of the player if they persist in trying to ban him for 7 games without collaboration.
Don’t let Barry Hearn fool you, it’s the SFA which is unfit for purpose, not the professional clubs or the SPFL.
It was great to see our very own Mouldy67 on the big screens on Wednesday for his Cycling Santa Appeal. He left London yesterday morning before resting up for the night in Birmingham. All going to plan, he’ll reach Glasgow on Monday.
Mouldy (Paul) is running to raise funds and awareness for Neuroblastoma Childrens’ Cancer Alliance in memory of Wee Oscar. It’s an incredible undertaking and a living example of the Celtic spirit brought to life.
You can follow his journey here, if you’re on Twitter, send him a good luck message, I know it will make a difference. More importantly, you keep tabs on his fundraising here.
I don’t get the notion, apparently widely held and reported by The Scotsman today, that Rangers (sic) cannot afford to sack Alloa McCoist (© Jobo). He’s on a contract which the club can continue to pay, while promoting Gordon Durie to first-team duties for little or no extra cash. They may even have a case to curtail their outlays to him. I can’t see how sacking him costs money in the short term, and let’s face it, that’s all this lot need to worry about.
Knowing where the bodies are buried
Super Alloa has seen the current directors, and all previous regimes right back to Murray, operating up close and personal. He knows which cupboards have skeletons lurking, while all of them will be aware of his contract negotiations, and what he has, or has not, been prepared to do for the club. It’s a classic co-dependency situation. You don’t sack the guy who knows what you don’t want revealed.
There is also the small matter of management priorities. Would the captain of the Titanic have sacked the chef for a lousy meal after they’d hit an iceberg?
If you’ve not been involved with the Celtic Foundation before there’s a great opportunity coming up next week. They’re looking for bucketeers ahead of the St Mirren game on Sunday, 14 December, to help raise money for the Christmas Appeal.
One of the beneficiaries of the Christmas Appeal is Glasgow City Mission, who provide emergency accommodation for the homeless, a dedicated Foodbank and an evening drop-in service that feeds those who are impoverished and in need of a proper meal, for, on average, 130 men and women each evening.
Graham Steven of the Mission said, “We are extremely grateful to Celtic FC Foundation and Celtic supporters for their continued generosity.
“Their much-needed financial contributions make the work of Glasgow City Mission possible. In particular, by funding our Older Men’s lunch club, you are providing a safe space for people to come and enjoy lunch and social companionship.
“Loneliness and isolation are significant factors in many of our clients’ lives – you are helping to turn that around, improving lives and strengthening communities – thank you!”
So next week, you can turn up to Celtic Park a wee bit earlier, get to meet hundreds of cheery Celtic fans, get a ticket to the game, and help to feed, shelter and provide companionship for the city’s homeless.
I spent most of the year not doing this kind of work, so I think I need to be there with a bucket next week. You are cordially invited to pick up your own bucket, email cfcfoundation@celticfc.co.uk or call here 0141 551 4291 now, before you forget about it. More info here. We’re lucky to be on the right side of the bucket campaign.
CQN Annual 2015 will be coming off the presses next week, order yours here in time for Christmas. There’s tons more on CQNBookstore.
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JUDE
Which squad is he listed in?
Ours.
The problem is twofold-the allegation,and the adjudication.
He is our player,he states that he made no such comment,and we back him accordingly.
As we should always back people against whom spurious allegations are made. Such as most Celtic fans arrested in the pursuit of watching their team,in Scotland and,say,Amsterdam.
Or shall we simply go for the no smoke without fire route?
Gordon
thanks for the stats
its pretty much like i thought
a very small proportion of a quite large number
Alcohol and driving .
A smelling of booze prat made the mistake of almost reversing into pedestrian me and my dog in a leafy Glasgow West End Street ..
I administered my own sanction ———– casualty and a dentist for him / a panel beater for the car.
Apricale 13:24
Just been on Twitter to see what Ally McCoist thinks of the world. He has 1 tweet (from 2011)
————
Looking forward to an exciting Champions League campaign and wondering how he might spend his transfer warchest?
Sandman. Self awareness is great. You should try it sometime!
Bobby M I am in no way condoning drink driving. However of those 3700 who get caught now how is the reduction going to help in any way? The people whomdrinkmdrive now will continue and those who don’t already dont.
What it will do is randomly criminalise a few people using a random limit. That won’t save a single life but ruin many.
There is no logic in the change. It’s an appeasement to victims families and done to be seen to be doing something. While that is understandable and I can only imagine the horror they have gone through this change won’t save a single life and will ruin many others.
Another poorly I’ll thought out attempt to criminalise people.
South of Tunis changing the limit won’t stop someone like that. Though your punch will certainly have hurt him!
Good afternoon all.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
jude2005 is neil lennon \o/
13:52 on 5 December, 2014
Celtic should send Tonev back to Villa. Its their problem not ours!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ffs, I can imagine being in a tight squeeze with you by my side.
@CelticNewsOnly: Japanese Bhoy On His Way…. – Nakamura Heading To Celtic Park… Former Celtic star and the man who put the mighty Ma… http://t.co/aFdtqs6F0B
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
NEGANON
Read my post again,mate.
Over policing.?
At the recent Dundee game I watched two of Strathclyde’s finest “apprehend” the wee woman who regularly begs on Holywell st.
You’ll know the wee lassie, she is always at home games with a Celtic top on and sits with her backside on the wet street. Now the lassie is never abusive or drunk, she is obviously in need of help. The two coppers decided they wanted her details, what a travesty.
Meanwhile crimes our police absent themselves when nazis publicise their gathering before causing mayhem in George Sq.
.
Re; Motherwell Vs Celtic date..
Thanks Bhoys..
My Wee Ghirl was Born that Weekend so maybe that is why l thought date was Wrong..
Cheers
Summa
Interesting from On Fields Og Green
” The real stench of fear comes from the small, but growing, number who realise something even more disastrous than that could happen, and they both dread this but understand that it might be for the best. They are the fans who know the club cannot be sustained running at the current level, who know the pumped up steroid version of the Rangers they knew was a freakish time in their history that ought never to have been, a period when they lived on someone else’s tab, and developed a false impression of themselves in the process.
Rangers was a West of Scotland football club that mistakenly believed it was a global institution, a cultural phenomenon because it had a distinct personality. Yet they are not the only football club in the world that has that. Other clubs in other countries have history beyond the bricks and mortar of the stadium, beyond the trophies and the great players who’ve worn the jersey.
Outside of Ibrox, the identity they embrace is shared by a very small number of people. Those who try to pigeon hole their club as “Protestant and Loyalist” are limiting its attraction and global appeal, but theirs are, sadly, often the loudest voices you hear.
This idea of themselves as some kind of cut above, this notion Murray brought with him when he said they were “Scotland’s biggest institution after the Church”, has done them immense harm in the last five to ten years.
Living beyond their means had become the accepted norm. The real fear is reserved for those who understand that.
Rangers was like a drug user who, after he’d sold everything of value, robbed where he could, blagged and begged after that and finally hit rock bottom, but still couldn’t kick the habit. The NewCo has the same crippling addiction as the club that died, and the mess they are in now is like an addicts worst nightmare; Cold turkey (at best) is on its way, as the permanent state of affairs.
Everyone at Ibrox is living in the shadow of bad choices which all are afraid of, and keep putting off. But all that does is expands the area of destruction.
The club needs a minimum of £10 million to get to this time next year, and that depends on a highly improbable transformation in their fortunes. Yet even if they somehow found the money … what then? They will continue to haemorrhage it at an alarming rate, and unless someone brings some sanity to the process trouble will never be far away.
There are a dozen first team players out of contract at the end of the coming season. They cannot afford to re-sign them all, not even half of them. But any players who go will have to be replaced. They don’t have the money to do that. The concept of forward planning is non-existent. The fans who look ahead to next season do so with the deepest uncertainty.
There are some who were placing their hopes in the youth team. They were given a hard lesson in reality this week too, when Celtic’s young guns destroyed theirs in a 6-1 rout. That makes faith in that particular future a little hard to sustain, and makes the width and depth of the club’s catastrophic position impossible to underestimate. Not one part of the Ibrox machine works as it should. The cost of building them into even half of what the OldCo was is light years beyond their reach, unless Ashley suddenly develops altruism and funds it out of his pocket.
That’s not going to happen. Part of their fear comes from what Ashley might extract as the price for keeping on the lights. The supporters who are talking about protesting, and boycotting his stores, are banging their head agaisnt the ultimate immovable object; this guy can afford their petulance because he’s the real deal, a guy sitting on a fortune in the billions, and doesn’t need to make friends.
Their club is an epic shambles, from top to bottom, with a rudderless, directionless board of directors, many of whom are grabbing what they can before the whole ship goes down. The fans themselves are divided and bitter, a support that teeters on the brink of civil war. The one thing they are agreed on at the moment is that the manager has to go – and last night’s calamity surely brings us to the very edge of his personal abyss – but once that situation is resolved (soon, it has to be) the focus will turn, at last, to what the long term future holds.
They are afraid. They are right to be afraid. Their fear is not irrational, but grounded in realism and, for some, the knowledge of what is coming.
At the weekend past, we saw a sterling example of the power of fear when Kilmarnock came to Ibrox in the cup and were beaten, easily, by the same team who lost to part-timers last night.
Kilmarnock are not the only SPL side to have lost at that ground in recent years; Motherwell, St Johnstone and Inverness have lost there too, and I don’t think that was entirely to do with how good a side Sevco Rangers are or how bad the opposition was.
I think part of it was fear, a fear steeped in history, the fear of people who are still too blinded by the Ibrox lights to understand how much, how completely, things have changed over there.
Motherwell lost managed by Stuart McCall, who spent his best years playing in a damned good Rangers team, and I think he simply couldn’t see past the name and the ground and the fans.
St Johnstone were managed by former Linfield boy and Northern Ireland international Tommy Wright, who’s background suggests a similar awed view of the Ibrox stands.
The Kilmarnock team who lost at the weekend were managed by former Rangers player Alan Johnston, who’s hat-trick against the club, as a player, was long ago enough to have receded into memory whilst the cold sweat of playing on that pitch remains. And, of course, Inverness were managed by former Celtic manager John Hughes. This one might have thrown me, but I have lost count of the number of former Celtic players who still look at Ibrox and see a “massive club” and can’t get the notion out of their heads.
Watching Kilmarnock, you could tell that there were players there who were simply not up to the psychological task of winning at a ground whose name alone would once have scared the life out of them. Before the St Johnstone game, Wright talked up his opponents as much as he did his own team, who had already won the Scottish Cup last season, a mistake John Hughes made too prior to Inverness taking them on, and I recall Stuart McCall sounding like a guy whose team had been beat from the moment he heard the draw.
In short, these guys, to one degree or another, bought into the “Sevco equals Rangers and Rangers equals a big club” fantasy … instead of realising how much has changed. They treated the club with more respect than its position and current squad deserves.
Not so everyone. Hearts have beaten them twice this season, treating them as just another club and the task as just another game. Last night, an amateur side who were two goals down refused to be beaten, and when they scored the first goal on the way to their epic comeback you could sense the pendulum swinging the other way, as Sevco’s players realised they were on the verge of a shameful reversal.
Fear cuts both ways, and it can be used to devastate you or motivate you, depending on your own mentality. I said earlier that two examples of psychological warfare came to mind, one real and one not, the fictional one partly based on the factual. I mentioned them both not for the debilitating effect on those who were the targets of it, but because it inspired them instead.
At the Alamo, whatever initial effect the playing of El Degüello may have had, in the end the defenders realised that “no quarter given” quite literally removed any sense of doubt as to the outcome. It forced the small band of Texans to recognise the inevitability of death, and it made easy the decision to fight to the last drop of blood or die with dishonour.
It’s not for nothing that people remember them, and the battle, today.
In Rio Bravo, the stalwarts in the jail refuse to be broken by the song; indeed, it’s what finally sobers Dude up once and for all. When he begins to sing My Rifle, My Pony & Me (it helps that he’s played by the brilliant Dean Martin) their own spirits begin to rise, and it psych’s out the opposition instead, who immediately fall silent.
Something similar may yet happen at Ibrox, if some of their fans can conquer the fear instead of letting it paralyse them.
They could use it to inspire their next move.
Some are already openly discussing something that would have been unthinkable; of accepting that Rangers, as they knew it, is dead and gone and that a brand new club and identity should have arisen from the ashes of the liquidation, instead of a NewCo dressed up in the cerements of the grave.
It will not be easy to sell their fellow supporters, or the media, or the governing bodies, on the idea that when this club falls into administration that they ought to just let it die, once and for all, starting afresh, perhaps even away from Ibrox, with a slimmed down version and a new way of looking at the world.
Let’s face it, in the scramble for the assets that will follow this time, there are no good choices or options. There’s only the understanding that whoever ends up with the reigns, the club will be run for their benefit and not that of the fans.
When all you have left is the idea of what your club should be, there’s no reason any longer to let fear of what it is stop you from doing what needs to be done.
Wimbledon fans did it, many of them rejecting the MK Dons relaunch out of hand, and the club they formed, AFC Wimbledon, has climbed from the ninth tier of English football to the fourth, and actually holds the English record for longest unbeaten run; 78 matches between February 2003 to December 2004.The term “phoenix club” has never been used more appropriately.
On 7 October this year, AFC Wimbledon recorded their first ever win over the MK Dons, a 3-2 victory in the Football League Trophy.
It can be done. If they fight through the fear, and the uncertainty, and swallow their pride, face up to reality and act.
What happened last night was not just a bad result. It was a watershed moment. The writing is on the wall, not just for the manager but for the whole club. The reek of fear out of Ibrox is palpable. Even the most optimistic supporters realise that the trouble that swirls around them is worse, far worse, than they can now deny.
The manager himself, McCoist is done for, a dead man walking if ever I’ve seen one in football. The club itself is floundering in stormy seas, and in truth there’s no reason any longer to keep it afloat.
The great American author, Chuck Palahniuk, the writer of Fight Club amongst other imaginative and brilliant works, once said “Find out what you’re afraid of and go live there.” It was Woody Allan who said “I’m not afraid of death. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
Well it’s coming, Sevco fans. The Second Death is on its way, and you can either face it with confidence and start to plan the next move, or you can let the fear envelope you as it did your players last night, and go down squealing like pigs.
Let your club die and accept that it did.
Then, and only then, can you find the courage to start anew.”
apricale
13:24 on 5 December, 2014
Just been on Twitter to see what Ally McCoist thinks of the world. He has 1 tweet (from 2011) and 12,700 followers. https://twitter.com/Ally_McCoist_
ffm – i’m the only conspiracy theorist in the village)
13:25 on 5 December, 2014
prestonpans bhoys
They’re probably still reading it…it’s a bit long……
………..
Now if you hadnt mentioned Prestonpans bhoys that would have been a perfect response
Without being aware of the facts and figures I bet that most drink drive offences are committed the morning after an evening out when most of those caught believe they are capable and within drink driving limits.
Does anyone really know when they are within limits the day after a night out?
OK it’s obvious when you are hung over and contemplating never touching a drop again but when they effects wear off and normalisation of head and body set in I bet we are still borderline or over the limit in most cases when we feel ok. that’s on current limits.
MWD said AYE
The ole Celtic Way looked magnificent on Wednesday night
Tamrabam,
Indeed. 190 deaths is too many of course, but only a small proportion of road deaths involve alcohol.
But politicians like to be seen to be doing something. And SNP politicians like to be doing something different from the rest of the UK.
Tamrabam
14:02 on
5 December, 2014
Gordon
thanks for the stats
its pretty much like i thought
a very small proportion of a quite large number
——————————————————————-
Correct.
Was the a public clamour for this legislation? Not that I’m aware of and the reaction on Radio Scotland phone-in this morning suggested that there’s no great public support for it either.
However, I’m sure it looks good if the head of Police Scotland can reveal statistics that appear to show what a super job they’re doing by charging more people on their way to work.
Just have Bobby. God knows what I read the first time! Apols.
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan. The Vow – Critically Rebuked by 45% of this fine nation.
14:19 on
5 December, 2014
Without being aware of the facts and figures I bet that most drink drive offences are committed the morning after an evening out when most of those caught believe they are capable and within drink driving limits.
Does anyone really know when they are within limits the day after a night out?
OK it’s obvious when you are hung over and contemplating never touching a drop again but when they effects wear off and normalisation of head and body set in I bet we are still borderline or over the limit in most cases when we feel ok. that’s on current limits.
MWD said AYE
————————————–
You’re right and I think that’s the crux of the matter. You can buy testing kits of course. But, of those who currently drive over the limit, how many will this new legislation dissuade? I would suggest none. So are our roads safer this morning? I doubt it.
The body processes roughly one unit of alcohol per hour from the point you stop drinking.
So, say you stopped drinking at midnight after having five pints (10 units), you would probably be over the new limit until about 9am.
Why would the goverment want to criminalise people?..idont understand ..
BGX well there are different motivations for different groups.
In the case of the drink drive thing is to be seen to have done something and giving the police more power.
With the OB act it was to even things up and give the police more power.
And then letting the police arm themselves was to give the police more power.
Is there a theme here? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
NegAnon2,
Don’t forget that the police forces were merged into one and local accountability removed.
That gives the government more power over the police who have more power.
NegAnon2
14:40 on
5 December, 2014
BGX well there are different motivations for different groups.
In the case of the drink drive thing is to be seen to have done something and giving the police more power.
With the OB act it was to even things up and give the police more power.
And then letting the police arm themselves was to give the police more power.
Is there a theme here? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
——————————————————————
The police make the law in Scotland – not the politicians.
BTW – the SMSM are very compliant re: police in Scotland. It’s almost as if they have a big story about the personal life of one of it’s senior people and are sitting on it until he moves on…
The new limits bring Scotland into line with most of Western Europe and still more tolerant than the majority of Central and Eastern European countries.
Here’s a pretty picture to explain
Neganon…isit..right…but giving the police more power isnt the same as criminalising people…or am i wrong?.
Not to mention the revenue from any offences raised…..
NatKnow
14:43 on
5 December, 2014
Can I just pick you up on something (because I’m a pedant).
The police were not allowed to arm themselves. The trained armed response officers were allowed to keep their firearms with them while responding to ‘normal’ incidents. Although I totally disagree with that policy, it’s a world away from what you stated.
If we lived in a country riddled with gun crime I could see the justification for it, but we don’t, so there’s none.
weeminger
14:44 on
5 December, 2014
The new limits bring Scotland into line with most of Western Europe and still more tolerant than the majority of Central and Eastern European countries.
Here’s a pretty picture to explain
—————————————————
As a copper on Radio Scotland was pointing out this morning, all those countries have different speed limits, driving regulations, etc.
Not convinced that being the same as other countries in Europe is not a good argument for implementing it.
Surely the lowering of the limit is a preventative measure. Anyone who had any doubts to drive or not to drive the next morning, now know that the level has been reduced and surely, will take the correct decision and not drive. Those that do drive know they are risking a criminal record, and those who always do will never make the right decision anyway not matter what the limit is por cierto.
weeminger
14:49 on
5 December, 2014
NatKnow
14:43 on
5 December, 2014
Can I just pick you up on something (because I’m a pedant).
The police were not allowed to arm themselves. The trained armed response officers were allowed to keep their firearms with them while responding to ‘normal’ incidents. Although I totally disagree with that policy, it’s a world away from what you stated.
If we lived in a country riddled with gun crime I could see the justification for it, but we don’t, so there’s none.
—————————————————-
Can I just pick you up on something?
I never mentioned anything about the police arming themselves.
Are you a professional politician? :-)
TonyDonnely67
Here is an update Re Police presence at Bridgeton Cross:
. 2) Police Scotland advise that there are resources located at Bridgeton Cross post match as it is a flash point this will continue.
If that is not the case can you advise JPT with details so he can check.
JPTaylor@celticfc.co.uk
I also got this re coach parks for those who use them.
1) The coach parks both Upper and Emirates will continue to be monitored in liaison with Police Scotland. Upper seems to have improved greatly still room for more improvements to be made in Emirates
NatKnow
14:53 on
5 December, 2014
You’re totally correct, and I apologise unreservedly. If professional politicians are in the habit of misreading things, then yes I may fall into that category (I’m not really).
On the drink drive limit. Yes, those countries do have different speed limits, conditions etc – some higher, some lower, some countries colder, some warmer. However I think the consensus now is that for the majority of people driving is impaired at alcohol levels above 50mg/100ml.
I’m happy that it’s at a level that’s close to zero tolerance with a slight buffer to take into account morning after effects when you’d be perfectly safe. Rather than a straight zero limit.
Once you have had your fill debating have a listen to this dude from Bray, Co. Wicklow.
He goes by the name of Hozier, his debut album goes by the name Hozier (eponymous debut album you might say):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF8ixo1YKH8
It’s awright, in my opinion.
Auldheid in that case the police are lying or perhaps they are hiding.
BGX police getting more power and have chosen to use it to criminalise people for the reasons I outlined. Appeasement and sectarianism.
Weeminger it was me who spoke of police arming themselves and yes you are being a pedant :)
Weeminger you will note that the police are not using the impairment reason for introducing the new limit. That’s because there is no firm evidence that it does.
Their reasons are not in the least bit logical.