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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asonofdan 09:04 re John Keane
Yep….and also the fact he walked into a BoS branch and handed over a personal cheque for £500k into Celtic’s account to keep the club going long enough until Fergus arrived….this was done unconditionally.
If the huns had men of the calibre of John Keane and Fergus McCann behind them, they wouldn’t be the laughing stock they are today.
Looking forward to giving that fine Mayo man a thank you rousing reception today.
Summa
As much as I liked big Chris Sutton. .. he forgets that gary hooper lost interest in playing for the hoops around the end of 2012. A player with no desire at the club is better off away.
If we still had henrik … bbj and lubo… we woulda wiped the floor with juve
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I Noticed a Few commenting on the Spiers Article with Mr Ogilvie..
I Read it a Couple of Times.. l reckon it’s what’s Not in the Article..
It Mentions EBT over a Dozen times..
Every time l read EBT..I Saw..SDM
Summa
….pfayr
I would rest everyone who will start on Wednesday. We need CL football.
Mornin CQN rd
From a warm grey Glasgow north.
Really enjoyed the game against Elfsborg for all the foibles of the ref.
Read JMcH piece on CO, it’s a scandal the Herald piece on a compromised office bearer of SFA. CO should still be removed and the office of President be suspended till some credibility for SFA in dealing fairly with ALL clubs is established.
Great choice of John Keane to raise the Champions flag.
HH
I see the billionaires are once again forming an orderly queue at Ibrox…
Good to see Chuckles back at them forefront again though.
The ole Zombies are looking even more confused than usual.
summa of sammi….
Do you have a say in who the next headmaster/mistress is? :0)
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Jinks..
Yay Ole Chris obviously does Not watch Celtic TV..
Funny enough week he was Saying moving to the EPL Will Not make a Difference to his England call Up..
Maybe he was Given Subject matter for the Article..Ha..
It is the Record..;-)
Summa
hebcelt
sorry radison is on 32nd off broadway
the other is 45th st off broadway o’lunneys h.h
.
ASonOfDan..
Ha..
Na..I’m too busy keeping a Eye on My Arch Nemesis Graham the Lollipop Man..
I Think he knows I’m after His Job..Good Hours..:-)
Summa
Asonofdan
Aye …but at this stage players will benefit from competitive game time
I think Lenny will play first team unless they are injured
FF
MATTHEWS..EFE..MULGREW..IZZY
COMMONS…BROONIE..LEDLEY..DERK
STOKES…A.N.OTHER( not sure whether it’ll be WATT/BALDE )
SRS
The return of Greengo can only be a good thing
IMO …the may be turbulent times ahead ..and fans fav …nosurrenderorangefitbatapsGreengo…is the non bhoy for the job
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There’s Only One Keano
As we wade our way through another transfer window you tend to have the same thoughts every time. Can we can hang onto our stars? If they go will we get the money we deserve for them? Will we replace them properly? Will we add to the squad with players we’ve scarcely heard of, or will it be a big name we all know?
For the most part at Celtic these days, what we bring in are names we don’t know but have the potential to go on and do great things. Very few of us knew who Gary Hooper or Victor Wanyama were when they first signed but as they departed we were sorry to see them go because of how they had performed at Celtic. As the saying goes, at Celtic we don’t buy heroes, we make them.
But we’ve signed some in the past, and one name that has cropped up more than once is that of Keane. Whether it was the few months we got from Roy before he hung up his boots, or the loan spell that saw Robbie greeted by a large crowd in the last hours of deadline day, both had already made their name in England and for Ireland long before they pulled on the hoops.
But are they Celtic heroes? Not for me. I’ve actually laughed seeing Robbie listed as one of Celtic’s great number sevens in official Celtic merchandise. Jimmy Johnstone, Kenny Dalglish, Henrik Larsson, Robbie Keane – it just don’t look right! Leaving aside the stretch that is Dalglish as a number seven for Celtic, Robbie Keane was only at Celtic for a short six month spell in an otherwise unforgettable season. Roy Keane’s time may have had more success, but it was just as short and arguably others in that same team made more of an impact.
Neither Robbie nor Roy are Celtic heroes. Heroes to those in the Celtic support, undoubtedly, but not for what they did at Celtic. No, if you want a Celtic hero by the name of Keane, then look no further than the man who will be unfurling the league flag before the match against Ross County.
Back in 1994, Celtic’s outlook was bleak. Whereas now we are flush with cash thanks to good transfers and a great Champions League campaign, back then the biscuit tin mentality was driving the club to the wall. The banks were closing in and demanding that the club bring their overdraft back into agreed limits. Failure to do so would mean the receivers being called in and the possible end of Celtic.
While Fergus McCann was the man who ultimately saved Celtic, the truth is Fergus couldn’t actually act quick enough to save Celtic on his own. Fortunately another man could, and that man was John Keane. Without any hesitation, the successful Celtic supporting businessman withdrew £1 million from his own bank account and paid it into Celtic’s. No secured creditor status, no agreement between the old board and McCann’s new regime, just his money sitting in the club’s bank account.
That selfless act, born out of the same love for the club we all have, was enough to keep Celtic running long enough for Fergus McCann to move in. He bought up the old board’s shares, took control of the club, and then turned his attention to dealing with the bank. It shouldn’t really surprise you that Fergus quickly moved Celtic’s bank accounts away from the Bank of Scotland after that!
Were it not for John Keane’s selfless and risky move at that crucial time, Celtic may not be here today and almost certainly not in it’s current form. John could have lost it all that day, but Celtic was more important to him than the money. His reward for that act was a seat on the board which he retains to this day, and a position away from the limelight.
That was until last year’s AGM when Celtic announced that John Keane would become the first honorary chairman of Celtic Football and Athletic Club. For those that don’t know, that’s the company Fergus McCann set up in 1994 for the sole purpose of retaining the old name and it’s branding as the club became a PLC. Prior to the name changes that 1994 company was called Pacific Shelf 595 – you may have seen that on certain message boards of other clubs. Well now you know what it really is, and it’s nothing to do with a newco. Celtic is the same club it has always been from 1887 founding to 1897 incorporation to 1994 renaming to 2013 thriving. They just have a second one to retain an old name.
While that position is a wonderful honour, John is long overdue a thank you from the Celtic support. Many in the ground on flag day probably won’t know who he is. Those that do will not only show their appreciation for all he did in 1994 but also celebrate the achievements of Celtic in 2012/13. The league flag for title number 44 will be raised before we start on the road to title number 45. First up, Ross County.
If the highland teams were the big surprise last season, then Ross County probably outstripped their Inverness neighbours. Inverness were the established SPL side, while County were the newcomers in their top flight debut. Both teams would finish in the top six, and thanks to the awful split system Celtic actually had to travel to Dingwall three times last season… and didn’t win any of them. Two 1-1 draws straddled a bizarre 3-2 defeat that saw Charlie Mulgrew open the scoring from a corner as Celtic took a 2-0 lead, only to leave lucky that Ross County only scored three!
At Celtic Park it was a different story though, as Ross County’s one and only visit to Glasgow saw Celtic run out 4-0 winners just before Christmas. Although it was level at the break, Scott Brown opened the scoring a minute into the second half, with Gary Hooper adding two more before James Forrest looked absolutely delighted to put another injury behind him with the fourth goal of the day.
County’s team have changed quite a bit since then. The Richie Brittain saga with his pre-contract agreement at St Johnstone being binned so he could remain in Dingwall means they probably still have their best player, but Iain Vigurs and former Celtic youth Paul Lawson have both moved on. Another former Celtic youth in Graham Carey has joined from St Mirren, and with County scouring the continent for talent they may prove to be a tough challenge again this season. Certainly Steffen Wohlfarth, who scored the winner in that 3-2 victory, proved their scouting network to be admirable so don’t be surprised if Dutch names like Darren Maatsen, Marc Klok, and Kevin Luckassen turn up on the highlight packages a lot over the coming months.
But no doubt it is another Dutchman that the home support are all keen to see. Derk Boerrigter signed up earlier this week, and although it was too soon for him to face Elfsborg on Wednesday night he is now in contention for a home debut. What he can do for us remains to be seen, but hopefully he can be added to the long list of the lesser known men who came to Celtic and grew to be heroes.
That he can even aspire to do that is all thanks to John. Keano! Keano! Keano!
Summa
John Keane ….a prime example of the difference between us and them
Aussie Tims –
Elfsborg v Celtic live on Setanta 3:40am Thursday.
Chick Hun said on Shortbread last year,in a phone call to the dignified (sic) Ogilvie,that he “categorically denied ever having received an EBT”.Only to change his mind 2 days later.Class-hun stylee.
With Wednesday on mind we should be ‘resting’ a few layers and giving some who haven’t featured as much some game time.
———————Forster———————-
Matthews Ambrose Mouyokolo Mulgrew
—————–Brown Ledley—————–
Forrest———Commons——–Boerrigter
———————Balde————————
Subs Zaluska Lustig Izzy Kayal Stokes Watt McGeouch
Do we still need 3 x U21s in squad?
John Keane- a True Celt.
Kayal
Forrest injured..
Fleagle-when’s the nap’s back?
great post summa i hope our younger cqn rs read it and pass it on,i wonder if masterton had any involvement in calling in our debt in 94′ ..was he the instigator in chief? h.h
Re Ogilvie
Such a sense of entitlement and self appointed superiority…..disgrace
Sob story…..
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/ebt-was-abbreviation-for-strife-but-ogilvie-still-spells-out-his-innocence.21772611
Ogilvie-just another hun who can’t face the truth,and blames everyone else for his own greed.They know no shame.
If anyone could correct inaccuracies in the following, feel free:
Charles Green buys the assets from Craig Whyte, moves them to Sevco 5088, then to Sevco Scotland in a bid to hoodwink the latter.
A share issue is raised, with a number of, shall we say, promissory purchases, totalling £22m.
Craig Whyte, apparently stung to the quick, makes his move in the press, divulging secret recordings of himself and Charles Green in conversation, tainting Green and rendering him damaged goods in the eyes of the supporters, leading to both Green and Ahmad stepping down, but also to the appointment of Craig Mather as new CEO, endorsed by Charles Green. Walter Smith appointed chairman to get gullible huns to part with their cash.
Financial leaks coming from Ibrox suggest a £10m shortfall for the year.
Mather then embarks on a player spending spree, purchasing Daly, Law and others, and stating his intention to field a team that could win against Celtic. The share price then plummets.
Re-enter Green as ‘financial consultant’, presumably to stem the flow of cash gushing out of the club.
On the same day, there is a statement from ‘disgruntled’ board members (the Murray (Malcolm and Paul) camp, announcing their intention to remove Mather and install Paul Murray as CEO.
************************************************************************
What I don’t understand is why Mather, who is ‘Green’s man’ after all, would sanction such a heavy spend on players when he knows this would signal major looming financial problems, damaging the share price.
Was it a PRM stunt to encourage uptake of season tickets? If so, can we now expect redundancies at Ibrox, in an attempt to claw back some of the cash and maintain a decent share price?
If Green & co are trying to get as much out of Rangers before getting out, why have they been spending on players like there’s no tomorrow?
**************************************************************************************
Right – back to the dots.
Fleagle1888
Where are you?
Are we starting today?
Wee Barry has ‘revealed’ to the record….(aye)
his desire to
return to Asbestox as manager
………………………………………………………..(of Annan Athletic)
presumably…………
….PFayr
09:55 on 3 August, 2013
Didn’t know that. Start with Stokes and stick another youngster on the bench
tommysbhoy, reposting this from early hours as I guessed you had the sense to chuch CQN by then…
21:58
Cheers mate. Do you think I will get on the bus ? Will probably re-post in the morning as a bit late…..
Happy Flag Day everyone.
Looking forward to another great day at Paradise especially John Keane receiving the recognition he deserves.
He typifies the Celtic response in 1994 – the whole Celtic Family pulled together to protect the dignity, reputation and history of the Football Club. Debts were paid and administration was avoided.
HH
bankiebhoy1-give it a couple of months.
ElDiegoBhoy
Are you around ?
You’d be forgiven for not noticing shorties anticipation of the Champions Fleg Day celebration……………………….
wee chic must still be on holiday……….
……………………………………………………………. up walts erchie………………..
Is it best to switch off a router overnight when not in use?
Yes.
….PFayr 09:48 on 3 August, 2013
The ‘return’ of Challs is a delight indeed – in terms of disaster for Sevco.
But the tiresome reaction of Jack Irvine – I mean Keech Jackson – to try and bury the bad news with more tales of ‘billionaires’ and ‘Blue Knights’ is just too predictable.
Must try harder. The laughs are actually wearing thin now – it’s like the fifth season of Minder.
Kano’s Ghirl ran a fine race yesterday at Thirsk and came in second at 16-1. Doubled the money for each-way bets and gives her first contribution to the Kano Foundation coffers. :-)
.
Is the 5:15pm start a One off or a New timeslot..?
As before the Clocks go back in Melbourne a 3pm game is Midnight KO..
a 12:30pm is 9:30pm which is Great..
Please say it’s a One Off..
Summa