Michael Lustig arrived early on a pre-contract from Rosenborg. A right back as tall as the North Stand he is one of the most curious signings we’ve made in a while, considering the strength we have in that position.
Rabiu Ibrahim, past-wonder-kid of African football, came in after negotiating an end to an unproductive stay in Eindhoven. I hear lots about Ibrahim’s ability but Celtic will have to find a way of turning that into a productive force in the SPL, something PSV were unable to do in the Netherlands.
Polish international striker, Pawel Brozek, arrived on load from Trabzonspor, where he spent most of last year at the side of the pitch. Pawel is an experienced pro who is likely to enjoy his time in the SPL. He’ll keep the front pairing of Abbot and Costello on their toes, neither of whom will be certain of retaining their place.
Young players, Paul Slane, James Keatings and Lewis Toshney went out on loan to MK Dons, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock respectively, which Josh Thompson continued his tour of English towns and cities by heading to Chesterfield for 6 months. None were likely to make more than cameo appearances this season, all will benefit from the career development opportunity.
Throughout the month I ignored stories that we would sell our prime first-team assets, Hooper, Stokes, Samaras, Forrest, Commons, Ki, McCourt and Matthews were all linked with clubs in England and offers were received for six of the above, but who in their right mind would sell top players in January when you are in a nip –and-tuck race for the title?
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Nah, googybhoy, it’s a genuine plea.
Auldheid @ 14:13 – “Chelsea: Latest published account figures for last three years would fail UEFA FFP rules.
Wonder what UEFA will do?”
UEFA are not daft enough to take on a big club in one of the main TV leagues in case they trigger a revolt and the top clubs start their own Euro league competition.
The cynic in me thinks that they would prefer to make an example of a big club in a small league, one with no real power within the game in Europe. Perhaps a club that was already under investigation for financial irregularities or was the subject of ongoing litigation with the local tax authorities.
Knowing that UEFA was keen to flex it’s muscles on the new FFP regulations, I would be very concerned if I was associated with such a club.
HH
TTTT
What a great day, clear skys, crisp air and feeling pleased that my club are in tact with additional firing power up front.
Well done Neil, Peter and team. I am not sure about having Juarez back, don’t think that he truly wants to be here. However we will honour not just his contract but try to fit in with his strengths.
Loved yesterday and cackled at the expense of baw face McC and the splintering of his pack. The more they are put in jeopardy the better. Now my auld faither is old but he still keeps me up to date, he tells me the ‘big screens’ at Ipox are up for sale ! Knowing him he’ll be haverin !
Thoughts and prayers with Reamonn Gormley and his family. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by, his memory is enshrined with the club and the support to his cause continues.
Hail Hail
pabloh_AKA_NEIL LENNON at 15:32
The cynic in me says that someone is selling anything valuable for short term gains without caring what happens in the future.
Mort
Banner for poundland ..tonight ..WELCOME TECSO!
HOOPEDDREAMS
No we don’t get any sympathy. AllI get is ” How did you manage before the computer??” We are in Canada.
Which brings me to another point…….Can we not work out a way of reporting updates on the games without everybody
jumping in and breaking the Blog.??
Just thought l put £5 sterling on united to win this weekend.
Turns out l double clicked and my £5 is now two fiver bets? Is this an omen? will l be able to claim my fiver back from paddy power if the currants win?
Mtt
When is their 1st overdue, 2nd overdue Financial statement to be published ? Did CW not say, Jan 2011. just before the overdue AGM.
Mort
That sounds fantastic, happy with that! Our next two games are huge, win them and it will be looking excellent for this season. The brozek signing could be key.
I thought the press conference planned for today had been cancelled this morning.
does anyone know different
HH
Mike
I see the FA is at it’s old tricks again, ‘The john Terry Affair’ will be dealt with after 2012.
Just like the ‘Allan Shearer Affair’, sponsorship deals already signed, sealed, and delivered. Nothing will be allowed to interfere with FA business, all English players offences will be deferred until they are ‘knocked-out’! This dose not mean that scot, welsh, players who fall ‘foul’ of the FA will get the same consideration! Nice little ‘club’ to be in!!!!
Cheers Mort.
HH
Mort you are right on the money re short term….club gets sold ..allows minty out and LBG debt settled…MBB coins in management fees but pesky WFPLG bursts the the ballon also with early euro exits..wounded animal limping on.
Hope all is well for this years impending event for you too HH
CQN’ers whats the chance of the orcs going bust by the weekend??
Is worth betting a 6quid bottle of wine on??
johann murdoch at 15:50
Thanks, yeah will be an interesting change no doubt but looking forward to it.
Need to get back over before long but with one thing and another finding the time is difficult.
Mort
Charles Patrick Tully says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:47
When is their 1st overdue, 2nd overdue
He said on or around 31st January
HH
Mike
pabloh_AKA_NEIL LENNON says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:36
Just for info mate both Celtic and Rangers franchise their catering. That means there’s a fixed income per match, regardless of how many pies are sold. If the pie stalls run out of supplies, or don’t open, or do a roaring trade it makes no difference to the Club’s income, only to the franchisee’s.
As of about 5 years ago Celtic got £22,000 per match straight income with no costs for the catering franchise. About half a million a year. Not sure what it is now.
It’s a fair enough model and takes the risk out but I think sometimes the standard could be better monitored. It’s duff in out part of the ground. A bit of till training would be the first thing that should be done! 5 minutes to get the right change from £5 for a £4.50 total. Jeez!
Brasss Man
If the blog has been broken when we’re posting about DR articles, what chance do we have when a goal is scored?
Brass Man says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:29
HOOPDREAMS
The EXILED TIM and others might be right. We ” older” Tims don’t expect them to be treated the way we would have been.
*******************************************************************************************
I know where Exiled Tim is coming from and I remember the injustices, but then again, I never expect to see the SFA dismiss the head of referees on a ‘sectarian’ issue. I never expected a Dougie Dougie incident resulting in an SFA admission that a Celtic Manager was lied to.
There are a lot of nervous ‘brothers’ out their who tried to help their team, I believe they are now breaking rank in a damage limitation and self preservation exercise. I believe ET is bang on the money regarding criminal and civil proceedings and the story is only in its infancy.
Mathew Lucas King could only dream of equality, he would certainly be impressed with President Obama.
Thanks bhoy67
Mort, I have checked flights for next few home games. They are all roughly the same at about £85. Bit dear for me. Might have to go bus and boat for next game I go to. I’ll keep checking flights though!
SffS
northbhoy … \o/ says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:45
Your father will be right about the big screens at Ibrox. My mate is a season ticket holder there and last season he told me that they were very expensive to run for some reason and that Rangers had them swithched off for most games.
tommytwiststommyturns says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:45
“UEFA are not daft enough to take on a big club in one of the main TV leagues in case they trigger a revolt and the top clubs start their own Euro league competition.”
i wouldn’t be so sure about that. chelsea haven’t failed to comply with anything yet, but platini is staking his reputation on this, he sees it as his legacy.
So, ahem “clears throat”
Craig Whyte has just released a video congratulating MSM
http://t.co/ckbgkLdb
HH
MM
Mort,
“With outgoings of £45m, European football is vital to Rangers.”
I recall that Auldheid has intimated that they should not receive a euro licence this year as the audited accounts were not submitted before the appropriate deadline. If the SFA does it’s job properly, they will never see european competition ever again :o).
The Titanic has been mentioned a few times over the past two days.
I watched a show recently that detailed how the sinking of the Titanic was one big scam.
Is the sinking of the good ship dignity also one big scam?
Is SDM (soon to be just DM) anything to do with JP Morgan?
Still cant stop smiling :o).
For anyone who is interested:
Why they sank the Titanic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II-JVcaW0O0
WB.
Seven Fishes Four Steaks at 16:03
I know, could’ve got a flight for ICT game on 11th for £50 ish a few weeks ago but procrastinated and now way above that. Might ahve to be after the split or pay the extra to go Flybe, their times are pretty good.
Mort
Walfrid’s Brother at 16:05
I think I read they have until the 31st March to get audited accounts to SFA for a licence. There are howver other complications like unpaid tax that have to be taken into account.
I can’t imagine the SFA will just give them a license without checking all the facts thoroughly this time.
Mort
oops try http://t.co/cKbgKLdb
HH
MM
good afternoon cqn
I will cut to the chase,what chances of a season ticket to Ipox next season
he he he he he he he he……………………………
Mic the tic.
Sensation is a good phone. Has wifi and a great camera 8mp & GPS too and all the other stuff.
If you are trying to connect you Nokia x6 to the laptop
Stick your usb end into the laptop and the other end into the Phone.
Something like a PC suite should open, as in a new window.
Follow the instructions that will bring you to the OVI Suite.
Goto Tools.
Click connect.
There should be a little icon on the suite saying that you are connected to interweb, how much you have uploaded / downloaded.
You can also put a max data usage on it so that you won’t get fleeced once you hit the max you have chosen – MAX 100 GB or whatever.
Make sure you check with your Service provider before you connect. You could get stiffed.
Hope this is of some help.
pabloh_AKA_NEIL LENNON says:
1 February, 2012 at 15:36
Nice one. I don’t know what I find funnier: the idea of Rangers fans at the gym talking about pies, the idea that pie shortage is their current main concern, or the very idea that Rangers fans go to the gym :-D
HH
Graham Hunter : “Rangers almost got Iniesta”
31 January 2012 17:22 GMT
With the transfer window now over, the biggest deal for Rangers was someone on his way out.
Supporters should take a look to the past for inspiration though. It has emerged that not so long ago, FC Barcelona, not Rangers, were the club in trouble, and the Scottish side were about to land a major transfer scoop.
Spanish football expert Graham Hunter told STV’s Lee Roden that although Barcelona’s youth system is now producing the cream of world football, at one stage problems behind the scenes nearly forced Andres Iniesta to pack his bags for Ibrox.
“There were failures at Barcelona. Barcelona were predisposed to loaning Iniesta out to Rangers. Lovely for Rangers, but for Barcelona you look back and say what were you thinking about?”
Even the little magician Lionel Messi was doubted behind closed doors at the Camp Nou.
“They couldn’t see the talent of Messi when he came at first. They couldn’t believe that at his size they could make a top class player out of him. Luckily, two or three people did.”
In an interview with STV Sport to be published tomorrow, Graham talks in detail about his new book on FC Barcelona, Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World.
Highlights include interviewing Pep Guardiola one on one, the next golden generation of Barcelona stars, and how the coach laid down the law upon arriving at Barcelona by giving Deco and Ronaldinho the axe.
History tends to repeat itself as the old saying goes, and perhaps in the future the next Iniesta could yet arrive in Ibrox.
The question remains however, with more emphasis on youth development, can not only Rangers, but Scottish football in general turn its fortunes around the way Barca did? Graham thinks so, but only with the right education.
“If we’re good enough about learning how to coach at youth level, and if we teach people that there is a benefit for skill and technique over size, then yes there’s a lesson for Scottish football, but it isn’t just about going for kids over imports, it’s about making sure that the kids are first class.”
Barca : The Making of the Greatest Team in the World is out now in ebook format via Back Page Press, and is available in hard copy from February 17th.
Mort,
Thanks for the reply.
Here’s hoping.
WB.
Mort,
based on what we know for 2011/12. If Ticketus took 23,154 season tickets, and advanced say £6m on that. Based on the Ticketus business model, these ST’s are then sold by the club through normal channels at face value. If the DR is correct then Ticketus invoiced THEM for £9.5m (23,154 x £410)
Seems to tie in with your assumptions. This would mean that MBB is paying around 50% for this privilege ? This ties is with the example on the Octupus web-site, guaranteeing investors in this scheme a 50% return on investment after fees, charges taxes etc.
This would mean that MBB has to find just over £11m to repay season 12/13.
Any idea how many ST holders they have ?
HH
To get back to the fitba…………
Name the player;
Away from the field he was a well mannered, modest and easy-going gentleman. He carried an air of assured authority and but possed a calming rather than daunting presence. An officer in the Boys Brigade he was regarded as the very personification of fair-play and honesty.
A ready-made idol, the Celtic support were quick to take him to their hearts.
Alongside Chic Geatons and Wille Lyon, he formed a formidable midfield triumvirate. By the autumn of 1938 he was a Scotland international and had helped Celtic claim two league championships, a Scottish Cup and the Empire Exhibition trophy.
It was an impressive haul of honours for the 25-year-old. But the battles of the football field were soon to take on a grave irrelevance.
The outbreak of the Second World War caused an abrupt interruption to his Celtic career as he swapped his hooped jersey for the uniform of the RAF. During the war years he would make sporadic appearances for the Bhoys but also played as a guest for the likes of Arsenal, Leicester and Blackpool .
The highlight of his nomadic wartime football career came on New Year’s Day 1945 when he scored a stunning long range goal at Ibrox to give Celtic a then all too rare victory over Rangers. In 1946, with the war ended, he returned home to Parkhead on a full-time basis and this hugely popular figure succeeded Bobby Hogg as Celtic captain.
To celebrate the end of the war the Scottish FA had organised a one-off Summer tournament called the Victory Cup. Celtic’s record in unofficial wartime competitions had been abysmal so it was a considerable surprise when the Hoops impressively progressed to a semi-final showdown with Rangers on June 1st.
With keeper Willie Miller in supreme form Celtic would hold out for a 0-0 draw and a replay was organised for a few nights later. On a blustery evening a crowd of 45,000 took their place on the vast slopes of Hampden. What they were about to witness was not just one of the most infamous Glasgow derby clashes of all time but also the sad end of his Celtic playing career.
The replay would be officiated by referee Matthew Dale. An unpopular figure among the Celtic support, shipyard-worker Dale was a pompous and petty official who was well known for his strong affinity to Rangers.
Indeed during a game between the Govan side and St.Mirren some years earlier an array of shocking decisions by Dale had provoked the outraged Buddies into threatening to walk off the field. Celtic should have heeded the lessons from that day.
Soon after blowing for the start of the Victory Cup replay Dale caused concern among the Celtic ranks with a string of highly dubious decisions in favour of Rangers. Then after just 10 minutes the Ibrox side scored the opening goal. The Hoops cause was damaged further when forwards Jimmy Sirrell and Jackie Gallacher were left hobbling and ineffective after robust challenges from Rangers defenders.
Indeed Celtic’s anger was inflamed by the fact that Dale had ignored the obvious foul by Rangers full-back Shaw which had left Sirrell limping. Dale then awarded another dubious free-kick to Rangers. It was at that point “…….” began to realise that it was more than bias that was influencing the referee’s performance.
When placing the ball for the free-kick Dale lost his balance and fell to the floor. “…….” leaned down and helped the referee to his feet. As he pulled the official up from the turf the Hoops skipper caught the smell of alcohol from Dale’s breath. “…….” immediately inquired of the ref if he was feeling alright. Dale responded to this request by issuing “……..” with a caution.
By half-time the entire Celtic team were adamant that Dale was in no fit state to continue. They complained bitterly to manager Jimmy McGrory and Parkhead board member Robert Kelly immediatey sought out SFA secretary George Graham.
Kelly informed Graham of his players suspicions and requested urgent action be taken. Graham assured Kelly the matter would be dealt with promptly. But as the teams took to the field for the second-half they were joined once again by Mr Dale.
With twenty minutes of the match remaining Celtic were still trailing Rangers by that early goal. The Hoops were becoming increasingly frustrated as Dale continued to give virtually every decision in favour of Rangers. If that wasn’t enough they were now playing with nine men following the withdrawl of the injured Sirrell and Gallagher.
The sense of injustice carried by the Celtic team since the earliest moments of the match then became simply too much to bear when Dale awarded Rangers the sofest of penalties. The official had pointed to the spot after Rangers forward Willie Thronton attempted to connect with a cross by diving head first towards the ball.
It was the final insult for “………”. He collected up the ball and refused to hand it over to Dale until he had made his protest to the referee. Unimpressed with this challenge to his authority Dale ordered the Celtic man from the field.
Exactly what “……..” said to Dale remains uncertain. Contempory accounts claim he simply told Dale: “Why don’t you keep the ball, you deserve it.” Later retellings of the event suggest he was a bit more direct in his language, instructing Dale to shove the ball up his rearend.
While the Celtic captain had been protesting with the referee Hoops full-back Jimmy Mallan – an infinetley more fiery figure than his skipper – furiously scrubbed out the penalty spot with his boots. When Dale eventually went to place the ball for the kick Mallan innocently declared: “There’s no penalty spot ref” and then booted the ball down the pitch.
He too was ordered off. By now chaos reigned on the terraces and the pitch. As the Celtic players debated the prospect of walking off, a Celtic fan ran onto the field and swung a bottle towards Dale before eventually being wrestled off the park.
Rangers would finally net the penalty and play out the next 15 minutes against the seven men of Celtic quite happy not to inflict any further damage on their stunned opponents. What should have been an enthralling cup tie had descended into farce. Celtic were furious at the actions of Dale and at the fact the SFA had allowed him to take charge of the game when he was clearly in no fit state to do so.
However any hope that the SFA would belatedly put right this wrong was soon dashed.
Dale would go unpunished while at the next meeting of the SFA’s referee committee “………” and Jimmy Mallan would each receive a 3 month ban. Mallan had some history as a hot-head but “……….” suspension was ridiciously harsh for a man who had played for 11 seasons without picking up a single caution.
Now he was suspended for three months for what was little more than dissent . It was a terrible and appalling injustice. “………” was a man of proven integrity and fairness. In contrast the incompetent and morally corrupt Dale was a disgrace to his profession.
Yet to the SFA only one of these men were worthy of punishment. The SFA might argue that the actions of “…….” provoked the pitch invasion that followed the sendings off . But to do so would be a shocking abdication of their own full responsibility for the entire farce. Indeed it has to be aksed if “………” was punished not for his dissent but for potentially embarrassing the SFA by revealing that Dale was officiating under the influence of alcohol.
Whatever the real reason behind this draconian act the effect of the suspension was devastating. A man who prided himself on his honesty and decorum he fell into a depression. Deeply distraught he struggled to come to terms with his treatment and questioned his very future in the game.
Celtic – out of genuine concern for the players well-being – believed that it would perhaps be better for him if he continued his career outside of Scotland. Before his ban was over he was reluctantly transferred to Brentford in exchange for Jerry McAloon on October 4th 1946. It was a cruel and bitterly unfair end to his playing career in the Hoops. He would however remain a hero to the Celtic support and they were delighted when he returned to Parkhead as a coach in the early 50s.
It says everything of his integrity and honesty that Robert Kelly – that most strict of disciplinarians – would comment years later: “The most unfair punishment ever meted out by the referees committee was to “……….”. The cruelty of his sentence was shattering to both player and club.“
—————————————-
Amazing what you come across………….never knew any of this.
Paddy T
hen1rik says:
1 February, 2012 at 16:14
Graham Hunter : “Rangers almost got Iniesta”
31 January 2012 17:22 GMT
I almost went out out with Angelina Jolie, i never talk about it now
Dignity is my middle name
:)
HH
Mike
TTTT ‘UEFA are not daft enough to take on a big club in one of the main TV leagues in case they trigger a revolt and the top clubs start their own Euro league competition.’
-The u19 competition, starring the young Bhoys, is not ‘officially sanctioned’ by UEFA.
Some people speculate that it is a dry run for the big clubs in staging their own competition.
David Prowse
You are the man, That even made sense, the lot of it -)
Do you work in industry?
Keep the faith
Mtt