Celtic’s pillage of Yorkshire’s young talent continued yesterday with the arrival of 20-year-old Dutch player Osaze Urhoghide from Sheffield Wednesday. Osaze is a central defender and arrives a few days after fellow Wednesday graduate, midfielder Liam Shaw.
Sheffield Wednesday are in turmoil. Their most recent published accounts, to June 2019, showed a trading loss of £17m on a turnover of £22.8m – horrendous, but an improvement on the previous year’s trading loss of £23.7m. They sold Hillsborough for £38m during season 2018-19, switched the accounts to a £19m profit, but they are now a club without a stadium-sized asset on the balance sheet.
Since then, a bad situation has gotten considerably worse. Despite being the biggest team in the Championship by some margin, the finished bottom of the table in May; at least one season of third tier football awaits.
In short, Osaze and Liam may read about Celtic’s supposed turmoil last season and kick into the Monty Python Four Yorkshiremen sketch:
“You were lucky. We lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six in the morning, clean the paper bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down t’ mill, fourteen hours a day, week-in week-out, for sixpence a week, and when we got home Peter Lawwell would thrash us to sleep wi’ his belt.” I’m pretty sure that’s how I remember it.
Football is a zero sum game and where one giant club disintegrates, others see opportunity. Young players with talent and options will not stay.
Celtic were able to use the arbitrage permitted to them with not being bound by transfer rules between two FA member clubs. That money, perhaps in the region of £5m a piece for Shaw and Urhoghide, went on wage offers outbidding clubs from England. It’s a rerun of the Dembele deal from four years ago.
I have been saying for years the Championship is the most dysfunctional league in the world. It also causes Scottish Premiership clubs more trouble than any other. Where Wednesday have gone, others will follow. It is a morality tale in the making.
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Hail Hail
RIP Macjay
Another Bloody Sunday whitewash
Always dangerous looking at YouTube videos of new recruits but I was struck by his pace.
A young Dutch centre back – nothing good ever comes from them :)
‘Supposed turmoil last season…’
Hmm. Talk about anchoring expectations.
CHAIRBHOY on 2ND JULY 2021 10:13 AM
I think my raised eyebrows was more to do with the use of the term which perpetuates a lie and seeks to gloss over a truly disgraceful episode in not just Scottish but European football.
I well understand the benefits of the Glasgow derby for all sorts of reasons to our club in financial terms but the term should be consigned to the dustbin in my humble opinion along with the other lies which are championed by all elements of the SMSM and fans of the dead club who used to play out of Ibrox.
As you say – Hail Hail
Good one Pablo.
This approach works for me on a number of fronts.
Cross border raiding is the way to go for the reasons you’ve outlined.
Raiding the Championship makes sense.
It is dysfunctional so opportunities readily available.
Second level league in a large country so decent standard of raw material.
Also, in truth, the miser in me doesn’t mind signings not working out if we’ve only paid chump change fees for them.
I think it also helps focus the mind on the so called value in the SPFL?
At the risk of conflating two separate discussions – I was struck by the Kevin Nisbet posts in last thread.
Personally I wouldn’t pay a seven figure fee for anyone in the SPFL when there are such potential riches a few hundred miles south.
Very drole Paul.
Referring back to previous article, LG will NOT be on reduced wages or pay-per-game. The club took up the option to extend his contract by one year, which means he is on exactly the same contract, and wages, for another year.
Nisbets no pace to fragile and shouldn’t even be considered
If only they turn out like Dembele. We moan about losing our young talent but we do exactly the same.
Daily Record online has not mentioned Griff or Osaze signings. Even their transfer news page doesn’t mention anything. Are they boycotting Celtic for some reason? If so, that gives Celtic a valid reason to ban the Record from Celtic Park.
Do it Dom.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL – I think I started the Nisbet conversation this morning. My point was simple, IF he is Celtic’s top target, get the deal done. I do not have enough knowledge of the boy to offer any kind of opinion as to what his worth is now or in the future or if there are better options on the table. Would I prefer a Dembele or Edouard? of course. We all would. But if Nisbet has been put at the top of the list then let’s get our top choice before August 30 arrives, we are out of Europe because we had no fit strikers and we are asking Man City for a loan.
If, having studied the player, Ange agrees with the scouting reports and has said “I want him” then get the deal done and not get sucked into a longwinded negotiating process for the sake of 3-400k and the probability of losing him to a Championship team.
Paul
You have been banging on about English Championship imploding since the days of the ITVDigital fiasco.
The numbers you mention regarding Sheffield Wednesday are staggering. I don’t doubt there are clubs in trouble but, as anyone with access to Sky Sports knows, that network treats the Chanpionship as the Greatestleagueintheworld2.
They let BT overreach themselves re: UEFA rights and give EPL2 the Full Sky Treatment on CL nights. Maybe a bit politics there in that English Northern Dump FC followers would rather watch their own product than poncy Jonny Furriner.
The point being Sky’s business model now depends on EPL and their underlings. They may get in financial bother but won’t go burst.
RIP Macjay.
There’s no one else that’s come remotely close on CQN, as MacJay, to pissing me off .
His politics, being the main ingredient.
I never met the guy, but a few others on here that I know, did meet him . They all said he was a good Celtic man , with a passion for the club.
They said he was different from what often came across in his posts .
Sincere condolences to his family & friends. HH
I despise the fact Celtic don’t ban any RAG who consistently print lies and negative propaganda about our club.
Its all positive rangers and negative Celtic!
ban them and open up honest communication with the fans!
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 2ND JULY 2021 1:02 PM
Referring back to previous article, LG will NOT be on reduced wages or pay-per-game. The club took up the option to extend his contract by one year, which means he is on exactly the same contract, and wages, for another year.
###
Celtic could, and most probably will, have imposed all sorts of conditions and caveats when deciding whether or not to exercise the option. In essence it could be a new contract reflecting the current bargaining powers of the respective parties.
Sorry to hear about Macjay, may he rest in peace.
Badly run clubs can suffer horrendous consequences, Paul succinctly reminds us of this inescapable fact.
I feel some sympathy towards Sheffield Wednesday. In my younger days I always considered them a top division club – much the same as Leeds Utd, who also crashed and nearly burned.
Of course we have all seen an even more graphic illustration closer to home down Ibrox way in recent years. The live now, pay later and win at all costs model is not sustainable. There were those on here who were ganging-up to berate Peter Lawwell, in much the same manner as is happening now, for not following the the excesses of the Ibrox club during the first decade of this century.
Our club is structurally stronger for his stewardship – we did not get engaged in a race to the bottom, rather we enjoyed the second most successful football period in our history and watched Rangers ‘circle the drain’ in administration and get ‘flushed away’ in liquidation.
We can come back from defeat, or, a poor season, and still be proud and dignified. We ARE dignified and we will be back on top again. Alas there is no dignity in liquidation. There is no dignity in ‘stiffing’ hundreds of creditors for hundreds of thousands of pounds. There is no dignity in defrauding HMRC, or cheating other clubs by the use of dodgy contracts. There is no dignity in signing players who, but for tax evasion, could not have been afforded. There is no dignity in ‘winning’ honours whilst cheating.
Peter will be remembered by the overwhelming majority of our supporters for what he did for the club. He should also be remembered for what he didn’t do. He didn’t run Celtic ‘into the ground’ and make it a laughing-stock……and to carry on Paul’s Monty Python theme, he did not ‘nail our feet to a perch’ and tell people we were alive, when we were stone dead. The characteristics of that Norwegian Blue, or, should it be Ibrox Blue, firmly reside in the G51 postcode, although as far as PL’s concerned, we do unfortunately have our own pandemonium of parrots.
RIP Macjay.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 2ND JULY 2021 1:02 PM
Referring back to previous article, LG will NOT be on reduced wages or pay-per-game. The club took up the option to extend his contract by one year, which means he is on exactly the same contract, and wages, for another year.
____
That’s not how it’s been reported. The S*n reported he agreed on a deal with reduced terms as have the Record.
Further to that LG said:
“We are looking for a deal to be done and I hope it gets done in the next few days.”
If Celtic are just taking up the one-year option there wouldn’t be a need to renegotiate anything.
All the talk of Sheffield Wednesday made me think of Chris Waddle. What a player he was. One of the best ever English players. Didn’t have much pace but very skilful and beat players with ease.
Hello again all you young rebels.
So sad to hear of MACJAY’S passing, always thought he was a valuable
member of the blog, never resorted to insults or innuendo, and could
handle himself in any topical discussion with aplomb, RIP MHATE.
OSAZE URHIGHADO
Welcome to the Celtic family, your life is ours now , you will either think
Feck????? I never seen this coming, or I can’t handle this, which is it?
have you got it to handle the most passionate football fanbase in the
world or are you another prima donna who thinks I’ll just go through
the motions and move on.
I remember having a little chat with the late great legend Tommy Burns
at a pre- season game in Germany, Paul Elliots first game.
I asked ” New players Tommy, do they know what they have signed up for ?
” They have no idea ”
A club like no other.
H.H. Mick
H.H. Mick
Ziggydoc I liked his penalties 😇
RIP Macjay – Couldn’t agree with any of his political views, but now doubting his fondness for Celtic
Good to see we’ve now finally got our own back on Sheffield Wednesday……for Di Canio (and Blinker)
now=no
Osaze Urhoghide ffs, wish I could blame the I pad.
Anyhows I’ll buy a multi million pound yacht to anyone who can
make a song up about that name , o.k maybe not lol.
H.H. Mick
Has Gilmuuuur snubbed gers fur Norwich ?
ADI DASSLER
Shurley he’s headed fur BARCA or INTER PLANETARIA in
outer hemispheria ?
H.H. Mick
MM,we can call him big Oz,which might suit you…😁
BADA
Big Oz,…yes, now for a song, think I’ll sleep on that now.
Night bhoys and ghirls ( Dena ?
H.H. Mick
If Leigh Griffiths has, as some say, managed to negotiate a further year at the same wages after his performances in the last couple, then he must be cleverer than we imagine.😃
Common sense would dictate that a ‘new deal’ has been mutually agreed with caveats on fitness & performance. Dom will know where the buck stops. There are ‘bigger fish to fry’ in the next eleven months.
ADI DASSLER – Chelsea wanted him playing in EPL for his development (and his protection from hammer throwers I would guess).
MELBOURNE MICK on 2ND JULY 2021 2:21 PM
GIMME AN “O”
GIMME AN “S”……
Macjay
Condolences to your family and loved ones.
TT
Leigh Griffiths’ contract expired 30th June, you can’t activate an extension clause in an expired contract so given this new arrangement was agreed 1st July we can conclude it’s a new contract. I guess we’re speculating what that new contract may contain, but what’s certain is one party (either Celtic or Griffiths) refused to continue the terms of the previous one.
On Nisbet from what I’ve seen I rate the lad. He’s got a good record, scoring freely at three different clubs over the past few seasons, and taking the step up in level in his stride each time. His improvements have followed what you’d expect of a maturing player of his age and auger well for his development trajectory. I also thought he looked impressive for Scotland and should have been used more. £3-4m with a 10% sell-on feels about right for him and I’d be concerned if we were asked to pay any more. I’d rather not raise the spectre of McGinn again, not without the old financial caveat “the value of investments can go down as well as up”.
Pub’s quiet.
White tee shirt on (figure hugging to show aff ma six pack) and dripped some Tennent’s on it.
Really scunnered.
Hope you are reading this Macjay!
IWD
Melbourne Mick
I’m sure we could get something out of the theme tune to Rawhide by Frankie Laine
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Urhoghide
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/1410969683373797380?s=24
AP mic’d up at training