I looked into the world of Scottish football betting yesterday. Betting on Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership is less rewarding than putting your money in an interest bearing account, which, I suspect, is an approximation of what bookmakers will do with any such bets. In short, our league is not so much a sport as a secure investment.
Betting gets really interesting if you meander onto what is referred to as the Without Celtic market, or who will win the league if Celtic are taken out of the equation. Favourites are Aberdeen, closely followed by Motherwell and then Dundee United and Hibs (hmm….).
Can you imagine what a league title like this would do for these clubs? Aberdeen, Motherwell and United actually vying to become champions?
Some hold a notion that Celtic are the great benefactors of Scottish football, which is dependent on you and me for the occasional home game and TV money. This is rubbish. Celtic inhibits Scottish football more than we can imagine. We are a competitive poison making it impossible for historically significant football teams to thrive.
Keeping a clean sheet away from home is an achievement for any team. Doing so twice, in Europe, and winning both games, is outstanding for St Johnstone. Well done. I can only imagine their absence from the top of the Without Celtic betting chart is a result of bookmakers anticipating their run to the Europa League final in Turin will hinder their league challenge.
I have to express my sheer delight at yesterday’s pronouncement by the chief executive of Rangers International FC PLC, Craig Mather. We can be confident of this guy’s credentials and that he is worthy of following in the footsteps of Charles Green, Tommy Cooper and other comedic greats.
Mather issued a statement on the club’s web site noting punishments handed out to Hearts and Dunfermline for entering administration were different from the punishment handed out to Rangers International’s predecessor club (the player registrations and current penalties Newco Rangers were allowed to inherit) – for a completely different series of offences.
Those penalties were imposed for a variety of misdemeanours, including failure to declare the club appointed a director who had been struck off, failure to comply with stock market rules and multiple counts of bringing the game into disrepute. The SFA disciplinary panel responsible for the penalties found that “only match fixing in its various forms might be a more serious breach”.
Would you not feel a wee bit embarrassed by this? Mr Mather asks for clarification but I suggest we don’t trouble him by directing him to the aforementioned SFA panel’s ruling. Better that he operates in the version of reality he is most comfortable with, and that he keeps his followers away from looking into the real issues……..
To that effect, our thanks to all the media outlets who unquestioningly reported the Mather comments without hint of irony, apart from those pesky online types at STV, who had the temerity to address the question. Cease and desist immediately.
Flag Day tomorrow, another historic moment in Celtic history. Get in early, or late afternoon, as it happens. Hoping to see some of our new guys make their claim for a start in Sweden.
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FFM
Ah’m no’ styoopit!
I won’t give it away this time,I promise…
I’m a terrible Father compared to the best Ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI1lMnlMnpk
PETEC
Yer a big hit for yerself!!!!
It’s a bit weird, but the formula goes like this.
X=facial hair (beard & nose )
Y=noggin hair (scalp, ears and lamb chops)
Z=body hair (everywhere excluding above)
X+Y+Z = 3
Ω = the sum of Sammy’s hair follicles to the power of 9
Using the Distance/ Speed/ Time formula, and the figures above, combined with your knowledge of aerodynamics using the Scottish version of Pythagoras’ Theorem, calculate how long it will be before Sammy scores in the 60th minute. Allow for anomalies such as the Willie Gollum and Huge Gall Ass formulae while structuring your equation. If your end result is 33, multiply that again by 3, and then add all single digits until you reach the number 9.
There might be more than one answer to this equation.
It’s called Scottish fitba in the 21st Century……
Feck, forgot to factor in the weight of conditioner into all that.
Doesnae matter, the answer is always….No 9…..No 9….No 9….:))))
Petec,
BMCUW @ 04:33 has a point there. You’ve never come across as thinking so highly of yourself amigo.
Fair play to you though :))
What’s the best way to approach you about me finding a Yamaha MT-09 at the doorstep tomorrow, for motor bikin and such like?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
04:33 on 3 August, 2013
PETEC
Yer a big hit for yerself!!!!
______________________
Calm doon to a frenzie…
Both you and FFM know the Truth, I know you do, just like Shaggy and Scooby Doo, unfortunately.
The Bible Classes will hopefully commence soon.
The Revolution classes suggests it won’t be easy!!!!
Petec,
:))) BMCUW is definitely Shaggy to my Scooby.
Moonhowlers,
If the almighty Georgios is adored after what he endured, well, I’m very Happy just like the Prophet Summa.
I know some of us complain about the negativity on CQN from time to time, but it is as nothing compared to what I have just witnessed on the official Celtic FC facebook page.
The club has installed a mini-arcade of computer games in the concourse at the new Family Section. There is a picture with the following notice . . .
The new Celtic Family Stand will be officially opened ahead of the Scottish Champions Flag unfurling tomorrow. Young supporters who arrive early can be among the first to get a game on the latest additions to matchday entertainment at Celtic Park.
And here is a sample of some of the comments from Celtic supporters . . .
Paul Shevlin Another great way to ruin atmosphere at parkhead.. If its no folk going stuffing there faces during the game it’s this ! Bring back terracing and get the place jumping ?!!!!!
John Minns No wonder people are not making as much noise as they used to in parkhead paradise is made for football not to stand inside the stadium playing a computer
Andrew Oconnor this is a joke i thought we went to the games to support our team no stand playin compters the stuff is only gonna get broke and what they gonna do with it all if we get the sevco in one of the cups stupid idea doin all this !!! not impressed
Ryan Walsh Thats an embarrassment, you go to the football to watch the game, not play on a games console. Surley you can do that in the house. And another thing, would the tickets not be better sold to someone who is acctually planning on watching the game and supporting the team rather than someone who is going to take up a seat and not use it but instead go and play on an xbox that they could easily do from home? Doesnt make sense to me.
I can only imagine that a day at the game for these cretins consists of a few beers in the pub before arriving at the stadium 2 minutes before kick-off. They obviously have no concept whatsoever of supporters, especially those with young children, arriving at the stadium an hour or so prior to kick-off.
.
Courtesy Britney..The Herald..
EBT was abbreviation for strife but Ogilvie still spells out his innocence
By general consent, Campbell Ogilvie is one of the most decent men you could meet yet the Scottish Football Association president has endured a horrible past 18 months.
Campbell Ogilvie endured calls to step down as SFA president following Rangers?? EBT scandal but he is now focused on improving the game
“There have been plenty times when I have walked in here at the SFA and thought, ‘I’ve had enough of this,'” Ogilvie told me, citing the venom and poison he has had to face.
The SFA is currently undertaking one of the biggest initiatives in its history – implementing the Henry McLeish Report – yet Ogilvie, as president, has had to endure another acute worry. He has felt tarred by his association with the whole EBTs controversy at Rangers.
For a man who is renowned for his integrity within the game, it was quite something this week to sit down with Ogilvie and hear of the personal wounds he has suffered. Lord Nimmo Smith, in his guilty verdict on Rangers, was damning of the Ibrox board who concealed the EBT payments from the relevant bodies, and cited Ogilvie as a member of that board. Ogilvie, for his part, has had to defend himself against some strident voices who wanted him removed from his position at the SFA.
“The EBTs were set up around 2001 at Rangers and I’ve never hidden from the fact that I was then a director at the club,” he says. “But I didn’t get involved in the financial management of the club in that context. That’s not an excuse – that’s just a fact. I ceased being Rangers’ secretary in 2002 and I ceased being involved in the football admin at Rangers in 2002. But, yes, I remained a director until 2005, and that’s why in recent times I got sucked into the EBTs saga, especially in my role now as SFA president. Had I not been in this role, nobody would have been concerned with me.”
Is there a case for saying that Ogilvie – guilty by association given Nimmo Smith’s verdict – should have stood down? He pleads his innocence, though intriguingly, he also wishes he had never come across any EBTs at all.
“I feel I’ve been totally up front about it,” says Ogilvie. “I had an EBT at Rangers, and the bulk of it was to do with me leaving the club in 2005. I’d no thought of leaving Rangers but I was being more and more pushed to one side at the club. It was made very evident there wasn’t a future for me at Rangers.
“When I left, I didn’t have a job to go to, and I had a family to look after. At the time the best deal for me was to take this EBT. It was worth in the region of £90,000 but the bulk of it was [a payment] over me leaving. At the time it seemed the most beneficial thing for me to do, for me and my family, given that I was leaving Rangers with no job to go to. But, looking back now, I’d never have gone near it had I thought there might be any question marks over it.
“Maybe as a director I should have asked more questions about it – I accept that now – but when things are signed off by legal people, by accountants, I tended to accept it. I’m not saying the EBTs were illegal. But, knowing all the hassle that they caused, with hindsight, if I could go back, I wouldn’t go down that road.”
Since Nimmo Smith, the calls for Ogilvie to go became shrill and frequent across cyberspace – very often with venom thrown in for good measure. Ogilvie is quite open about the affect all this had on him. He admits that some of the stuff he read on the internet ate away at him for months.
“Absolutely, totally,” he says. “With my role here at the SFA, my name was the one that kept coming up, and it became pretty galling for me and my family. Because of the Rangers situation, and my involvement at the club back then and my involvement now at the SFA, a focus fell upon me, and it took its toll. I had to stop looking at various websites, because nameless people were spouting totally inaccurate information, and it got to me.”
And you considered resigning? “Yes, plenty. Not because I felt I had done anything wrong, but because of the pressures that arose. There was madness going on out there. I would go home at night, my family would be affected, and some of the stuff that was flying around about me was sheer vitriol. On websites, my wife and my girls would be mentioned. It had quite an impact on me.
“My view hasn’t changed. I’m not an accountant and I’m not a financial man. Looking back, I never questioned the EBTs. As far as I was concerned they were totally above board – they had been signed off by lawyers.”
Things are cooler and better now. And what kept Ogilvie going is, first, the goodwill towards him right across Scottish football and, second, his passionate desire to preside over the implementation of the McLeish Report, wherein Scotland’s former first minister advocated sweeping changes in our game.
Ogilvie is halfway through his four-year term as president, and is seizing his opportunity to make Scottish football better. “I’ve been determined to drive through the McLeish Report,” he says. “I was a vice-president here at the SFA when it was commissioned, but I gave up my Hearts job in 2009 because I wanted to put everything I had into this. I’m passionate about our youth development, about giving our youngsters the best possible chance in football.”
Ironically, when asked about the state of our game, Ogilvie once more willingly points the finger back upon himself. “There is an old phrase in football – ‘talent is nothing without opportunity’ – and that was definitely the case in Scotland over the years. Look, I admit it: clubs like Rangers and other clubs had big-money signing policies, and other clubs tried to keep pace with Rangers. Everyone was bringing foreigners in and paying over the odds for them – it was never going to work out.
“I was at Rangers and I was thoroughly enjoying the signing of big-name players. Everyone did. But, looking back, I question it much more. In general, at Scottish clubs, young players didn’t get the opportunity. Players not getting the opportunity at Rangers and elsewhere – that is definitely a factor in our game’s decline.”
Now, under Ogilvie and chief executive Stewart Regan, the SFA is feverishly setting up performance academies and other programmes in order to bring about improvement. “We’ve got these special academies . . . seven centres established. It is a four-year plan. Four hundred talented kids will go through them over a four-year period. It is about elite talent development, time on the ball, skills development.
“Scotland’s football decline since France ’98 has been gradual and steady. But I really believe over the next few years we will start to see improvement. I hope so.”
Summa
Tom McLaughlin,
Ignore the people that are negative about Celtic, if they are upsetting you.
I think we are ready to take Europe by Storm, we will hopefully bring up the Scottish game in the process. I mentioned about loaning out our best youngsters to any European participants.
.
PeteC..4:52am..
Ye Ken I’m a Non Prophet Orientation..;-)
Summa of DisiplesOfCSC
Petec,
And thus it was written, after 9 full seasons of the moon, the Greek adonis would rise 9ft high in the air, to strike down his opposition with a thunderous blow, and silence his doubters, while amplifying the cries of his followers; all the while, seeking no recognition, but simply returning to the centre, to begin again.
MSM translation:
“Rangers’ previous signing target George Sammaras nearly missed an open goal, but with the aid of Catholic RE teacher W. Gollum, ensured that the east end club would survive another week in the dying SPL, summing up another dull weekend of unexciting, injury-free football and bigoted, sectarian, Marxist singing from a support that continues to trouble the civilised people of Scotland. ”
Daily Planet Online, Stardate 3 hunner zillion jabbas since 14th Feb 2012.
Well well, it’s been a lot of jabbas since we last heard from ole RCO !
Good to see he’s still producing more jabbas for us to think about.
Some of his jabbas were fair though. He’s had a tough jabba of it.
Hope he has a successful few more jabbas in what is clearly a jabba job.
Summa of Sammi….
05:07 on 3 August, 2013
.
PeteC..4:52am..
Ye Ken I’m a Non Prophet Orientation..;-)
Summa of DisiplesOfCSC
______________________Coolio MANchoolio
FFS you got some of this Tore Oh My GOD No – Flow
FFS I shoulda said Torah.
schoolboy error……
Fortunes Favour Mibbes
05:08 on 3 August, 2013
Petec,
And thus it was written, after 9 full seasons of the moon, the Greek adonis would rise 9ft high in the air, to strike down his opposition with a thunderous blow, and silence his doubters, while amplifying the cries of his followers; all the while, seeking no recognition, but simply returning to the centre, to begin again.
MSM translation:
“Rangers’ previous signing target George Sammaras nearly missed an open goal, but with the aid of Catholic RE teacher W. Gollum, ensured that the east end club would survive another week in the dying SPL, summing up another dull weekend of unexciting, injury-free football and bigoted, sectarian, Marxist singing from a support that continues to trouble the civilised people of Scotland. ”
Daily Planet Online, Stardate 3 hunner zillion jabbas since 14th Feb 2012.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yer submissions are the finesse and finest, subtley or brutal….. The TRUTH can’t be denied.
Celtic are doing well, noone can deny that. What are the Verses about the Roaming?
We must always be aware.
Neil Lennon quiet on Alfred Finnbogason
© PA Photos
By Michael Penkman, Reporter
Filed: Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 03:26 UK
Last Updated: Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 03:26 UK
Celtic manager Neil Lennon has said that he does not expect any more new arrivals before next Wednesday’s Champions League qualifying match against Elfsborg.
Dutch winger Derk Boerrigter looks likely to make his debut in Sweden, where the Hoops will defend a 1-0 lead from the first leg, after becoming the fourth new arrival of the summer.
The Northern Irishman has been linked with Heerenveen’s Icelandic striker Alfred Finnbogason, but he refused to be drawn on the rumours.
“It’s just speculation at the minute,” Lennon told sky Sports News. “This window in particular, I have never known so many players being thrown at us, it’s silly season.
“We have options, we have targets and we are working away as quietly as we can in the background to try and bring these players in.
“It’s never easy and sometimes these things take a bit of time. I’d imagine we won’t bring any other players in before the Elfsborg game on Wednesday.”
Finnbogason scored 24 goals in the Eredivisie last season.
Lhads.
A wee thought provoker:
Young lad and his father are driving on the motorway.Horrendous crash ensues.
Father killed.Son seriously injured is raced off to hospital.
As the son is being wheeled into the operating theatre,the surgeon looks down and says:
“This is my son.I can`t operate on my son.”
Explanation?
Give it a few minutes before answer.
Pedro,
:)) Ye know am only jabbin.
Just realised the flamin jabba; need to hit the scratcher shortly, but am on 6th cup of….java! (FFS). :)
Got a busy weekend, as google translate have asked me to help with the jabba lingo. Told them its impossible, as local dialect seems to dictate an un-decypherable lingo, with each individual Sevconian interpreting Jabba Speak in its own way, and put them in touch with Dawyll, whose own lingo is very similar,
Jabba-Dawyll is a current lingo that George Lucas may want to copyright, and that has George Orwell spinning in his grave, after he predicted all this in his excellent novel, “62567424000 Jabbas” .
twists n turns
05:22 on 3 August, 2013
Just Stop it…..
You are starting to get Celts very excited.
I cannae wait until the 2000 breed come through, as they play Football a Hybridised Barcelona way, hopefully, we will have enhanced that, by the Time they Enter the Center Stage.
.
MacJay..
Don’t tell Me Sammi is a Surgeon as Well..
Summa Of PlasticPaddySurgeonsCSC
macjay,
Is the surgeon suffering from a God Complex?
petec –
They don’t upset me.
They leave me astounded of forehead, but I won’t lose a second of sleep over such comments.
Summa –
My brother Brian was a surgeon.
My mother had 5 boys.
John was the first yin.
I was the second yin, and Brian was the surgeon.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
05:29 on 3 August, 2013
Lhads.
A wee thought provoker:
Young lad and his father are driving on the motorway.Horrendous crash ensues.
Father killed.Son seriously injured is raced off to hospital.
As the son is being wheeled into the operating theatre,the surgeon looks down and says:
“This is my son.I can`t operate on my son.”
Explanation?
Give it a few minutes before answer.
__________________________________________
God is the Father of My own Son, I have let him know that early, it is a very Private thing but a crucial thing as it means If I Die, he knows, well he now knows where to Luke.
Michael Penkman = ? :)) Brilliant jabba speak at its best.
“David Cameron to join Labour”
David Cameron refused to be drawn into speculation that, in a swift move from right to left, he will switch party allegiance to Labour.
Labour have been showing a gradual increase in support since Cameron was elected, meaning it would not be an impossible move for him to contemplate:
“Such stories are nonsense. There are still only 10% of the population in abject poverty, and until we meet our target of 28%, I will be staying put.”
Such comments however are likely to concern the Conservative back bench who are under pressure from their corporate sponsers to ensure Cameron delivers what was promised to them before the election.
David Milliband declined to comment.
macjay –
The surgeon is the boy’s mother?
O.K.,lads.
Time`s up.
Surgeon was the boy`s mother.
Sexist bassas.
Petec,
If you do the math, you will know where to look.
macjay,
Doh !!!! Fair cop, sir :)) Or madam….:)
Tom
Right on the bell.
Congratulations.
Duly excluded from the charge of sexism.
I refused to believe a mother would hesitate to operate on her son – not a sexist discriminatory response at all.
Apron strings and all that.
It is nothing really The Rangers.
.
MacJay..
Did the Bhoy survive..?
Summa
Fortunes Favour Mibbes
05:42 on 3 August, 2013
Petec,
If you do the math, you will know where to look.
_________________________________________
You are in danger because you highlighted the ole Mathematics, Sevcolutionalists don’t really have a Firm Foundation.
F.F.M
5.47
Professional ethics. :-)
Just joking about the sexism.
After Summa`s Swedish physio obsession ,I thought it appropriate.
Thank god the physios weren`t Greek.