A comfortable win in the end masked a difficult hour for Celtic at Inverness on Saturday. It was not until Ki Sung-Yeung replaced Georgios Samaras that Celtic were able to prize open the home team. Ki has the range of passing and shot that makes him a formidable attacking threat but he has still to require the consistency of concentration that would make him a certain starter.
After Paddy McCourt appeared on 69 minutes Celtic were well on top. The Irishman brings the double gifts of time and space to the team. He has the ability to take and retain possession despite the close attention of several defenders, allowing others to take up advance positions or relieve pressure on defence.
We’ve tried more midfield formations this season that I can keep track of and despite Ki and McCourt improving Celtic considerably on Saturday I’m not going to insist either is given a starting berth. Both still have more to give, as do the rest of the midfield.
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From the Telegraph –
“The Old Firm remain the biggest draw for broadcasters and one of the conditions attached to the new document was that the Glasgow giants will continue to play each other four times in the league, with each match being shown live by Sky. “That’s been the case for a number of years,” said Doncaster. “It’s the case with all of the major sponsorships we enter into. One of the conditions is that Celtic and Rangers remain part of the league.
“It is also a condition that they play each other four times a season. That’s been with us for the entirety of the deal with Sky and before that with Setanta.”
Such an agreement effectively kills any hope clubs held for the top tier being expanded to 16 members. It also provides Rangers with a lifeline should they be faced with the worst-case scenario of losing their £49 million tax case with HMRC next year, entering liquidation and re-emerging under a slightly different name as a new company.
Rival clubs tempted to insist that the “new” club begins life in the Third Division may be forced to adopt a more pragmatic approach when the TV money depends on those four annual derbies.
“There are a lot of big questions in there and you would have to make a lot of assumptions to answer it,” said Doncaster. “I think what I wouldn’t want to be drawn on is any particular club’s circumstances. The stipulation regarding Celtic and Rangers has been in the broadcast deal from the word go.”
One rule for the hun, one for any other team in this tainted land.
Cyrul
PS It is sipping doon in Eberdeen – grey, cold, wet and miserable as ever.
Ulcyr
“It was not unanimous but there was an overwhelming majority”, so even if Celtic objected the rest of the clubs have voted for a contract that stipulates that one of them would potentially have to fall on its sword to guarantee this deal.
Hypothetical question; if the newco did not make the top six before the split next season, then would another team have to give up its place to ensure these four OF games are played?
The devil is in the detail here, so it would be interesting to see this contract, as this doesn’t sound legally, errr sound.
Vmhan, its my day off but my body clock is still on early rises
:-(
damnthoseearlyshiftscsc
I’m not too bothered about this tv deal per se, I think there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors type deflection going on, I’m keeping my eyes firmly on the prize, catching and overtaking the Hun.
If newco are voted in then I’d think it would mean a change to the rules of the SPL? If that’s correct then the current rules may be termed invalid and it would be a perfect time for CFC to walk away and join another football league, it would also be a perfect time to negotiate a tv deal for our club so that Celtic fans all over the world can watch every Celtic game including under 19’s etc. We have a worldwide network of Celtic supporters, let’s use that to our advantage, it’s almost time for the Celtic board to step up to the mark.
V
curly says:
22 November, 2011 at 07:13
PS It is sipping doon in Eberdeen – grey, cold, wet and miserable as ever.
Indian summer ? -)
henryclarkson says:
22 November, 2011 at 07:29
Aye, kinda, but without the dry bit!!
Ryluc
Vmhan
That’s why I’m watching our PLC very carefully. This must provide the opportunity for us to walk away and they had better take it.
MWD
There must be legal issues with that contract.
UEFA gives the rules to FAs and tells them to administer them.
The FA enters into a tv contract which breaks FIFA rules.
Either Celtics lawyer’s take them on or force FIFA to.
Unless they dont want to?
This is a bomb and could be the end of the Celtic we know. A lot of supporters will walk away from the game over this. Its not sport.
If the board is found to be complicit in this its over for them, they have failed us.
I cant believe it.
Its all in the wording.
It should say they get to screen all 4 OF games, not there has to be 4 OF games.
Surely these contracts have to guard against all eventualities, including the huns going into liquidation.
If it doesn’t, the game is really up.
canweseethecontractpleasecsc
.
Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood MORNING
CQN……………………………………………………
It’s a sunny morning in the Costa Blanca……………………..
Wink 15knots from the N.E………………………………………….
BigJoefaaaatherigswhoLivesinSpain
Thin, high clouds over a still-dark North Ayrshire.
Good morning from MK where its overcast but dry.
I’ve noticed a growing trend on the blog where some posters are cutting/pasting items without giving proper accreditation to the originator of the piece. I’d just offer some friendly advice that this practise could leave the posters open to the charge of plagiarism.
http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html
Beware bhoys-Thomas Crook in financial bother,talking to various banks about the size of their debts.
MWD yes, but can you also keep yir eye on the prize, multitasking CSC are we!
Re the board, I expect they have a hidden strategy and it doesn’t include stifle and die in the SPL, they can’t be as poor a board as they appear to be, therefore I deduce we will be playing elsewhere within a few years.
Some of that may be wishful thinking but it should be more than that!
Ps radioactive contamination in Dalgetty bay, what are the GB doing up there, has this been reported? and has blame been laid on our singing section yet.
V
murdochbhoy says:
22 November, 2011 at 07:48
Phew, just checked back and I had mentioned the paper concerned, and had put quotation marks either end of the text. So Not Guilty from the Turra end!
Ulcyr
.
murdochbhoy says:
22 November, 2011 at 07:48
I’ve noticed a growing trend on the blog where some posters are cutting/pasting items without giving proper accreditation to the originator of the piece. I’d just offer some friendly advice that this practise could leave the posters open to the charge of
“ cut………………. plagiarism……………………….Paste “
I love CQN………………………………………..
I get a new word every day……………………………………………………
BigJoeTHANKSMurdochBhoy
oops murdochbhoy I didn’t. Neil Doncaster please don’t call the cops!
Good morning friends from a dry and calm East Kilbride.
Apologies for the late post but was up to the wee small hours trying to fix computer email problems. Which I didn’t!
Jobo
Morning all from a calm and becoming bright North Ayrshire.
Any apologies from the rags as regards their demonisation of our support? Naw; thought not. Celtic, please refuse any cooperation with them and certainly any sponsorship. They have taken the decision to try and destroy us. Why help them?
.
1. Jobo Baldie says:
22 November, 2011 at 08:12
Good morning friends from a dry and calm East Kilbride.
Apologies for the late post but was up to the wee small hours trying to fix computer email problems. Which I didn’t!
Have you tried extreeeeeeeeem violence……………….
I always feel that if you start with that……………##then you are always on the front foot.
Oh and swear a lot at it………………………………………………………
Big(*&^&$£&£*(}>L}@Joe
Good Morning,
Looks like we have our answer how a Newco rangers would be dealt with.
The reporting that the major conditions of the new deal with Sky and all others is that Celtic and rangers MUST REMAIN in the League and play each other 4 times.
We could insist they are stripped of any titles won during the tax evasion period as a condition of them remaining…
HH
Vmhan
I am known for multi-tasking. So that will not be an issue.
However…
MWD
Victor Wan ya ma, Victor Wanyama, Wanyama, Wanyama,
woh oh, woh oh!
Victor Wan ya ma, Victor Wanyama, Wanyama, Wanyama,
woh oh, woh oh!
Victor to score 1st goal in a 4-0 victory on Wed eve.
V
HH
Vmhan @07:59
I hope you are right but has the board not damned us to SPHell till 2017 by signing this contract?
I think a lot of people may be jumping the gun with this new SKY/ESPN deal.
Here is an extract from the Telegraph article . . .
The Old Firm remain the biggest draw for broadcasters and one of the conditions attached to the new document was that the Glasgow giants will continue to play each other four times in the league, with each match being shown live by Sky. “That’s been the case for a number of years,” said Doncaster. “It’s the case with all of the major sponsorships we enter into. One of the conditions is that Celtic and Rangers remain part of the league.
“It is also a condition that they play each other four times a season. That’s been with us for the entirety of the deal with Sky and before that with Setanta.”
So the “4 Old Firm games” condition has been in place for previous SPL TV contracts. Why should it be any different now?
Celtic may or may not have voted against this deal, but even if they wanted to, they are in no position to reject the deal on the basis that Rangers MIGHT face a massive tax bill and subsequently go into Administration. No-one, not even Celtic, can take it for granted that Rangers are guilty as charged, BEFORE the Tax Tribunal delivers its verdict.
It is entirely possible that, following Administration, the newco is relegated to the bottom division due to insurmountable rules, and UEFA/FIFA may well have a big say in this. In which case, presumably the existing TV deal would be renegotiated, as the pre-condition has not been met. It is a 5-year deal, but I would assume it must run year-on-year, and cannot be renegotiated mid-season. So if newco go down, the renegotiation would take place prior to the following season.
The bottom line is, I don’t necessarily see this TV deal meaning any guarantees are heading Ibrox way. If the “4 Old Firm games” rule was a NEW condition, then I’d be worried, but it clearly isn’t.
Once again, Celtic FC is being crucified on the back of hearsay and speculation.
Where are the cool heads?
MWD
“However and ever…. We’ll follow the bhoys,
the Glasgow Celtic, the Tim malloys”
GB version follows…. You probably know the offensive version……
“we’ve both made a promise that we’ll never part
until the day we bring the league to Celtic Park”
Away to walk wee Riley.
V
Tom, may I call you Tom?
It is the rest of the SPHell I am worried about! When they owe £35 million, close stands, can’t find a buyer or are actually knocking parts of their stadium down, when it comes to deciding Newco’s fate. HH
Tom, may I call you Tom?
It is the rest of the SPHell I am worried about! When they owe £35 million, close stands, can’t find a buyer or are actually knocking parts of their stadium down, when it comes to deciding Newco’s fate. HHk
Barrach Obampot at 07:18
Hypothetical question; if the newco did not make the top six before the split next season, then would another team have to give up its place to ensure these four OF games are played?
Or God forbid, they get relegated. Although, if alreasy allowed to stay in top 6, this couldn’t happen, even if they did end on less points than the bottom team.
I think this is the media grasping at straws, the contract can’t possibly cover every eventuallity.
Mort
If Celtic plays Rangers (under any name) in a close season friendly – anywhere – I won’t be buying a season ticket or any merchandise next season.
Barroch under the present SPL rules, the games a bogey if they let a brand spanking new team enter the SPL, IMO.
We’ll have to wait and see of course, meantime we support the team and keep our eye on the prize.
V
Something in that contract is just not right. Forget the trouble that could and we hope will eventually visit their home…
What this contract seems to say is that in a competitive league, where there is a split towards the end of the season. BOTH Celtic and they need to be in the Top 6.
How could anyone sign up to that? Leaves open the possibility that in the games prior to the split if either team HAD to win to retain a top 6 position a suggestion could be made that their opponents LET them win to allow the TV contract to be fulfilled.
Sporting integrity? No chance. I think UEFA and FIFA would be all over this.
Football Rivals! CELTIC v Rangers
Mort, surely if the TV contract forbids these potential eventualities from occurring then the sporting integrity of the game in the SPL is in question because the football authorities are preventing them from potentially happening.
How can you have a competition where two* teams are exempt from the rules that all other teams have to adhere to?
*in reality we are talking one team here. What was the SFL position regarding TV deals when we nearly went under? Now this is the $64,000 question.
The new TV deal does not “forbid” anything. All it means is under a given set of circumstances, the contract is null and void, or more likely, subject to renegotiation.
Tom McLaughlin says:
22 November, 2011 at 09:11
‘The new TV deal does not “forbid” anything. All it means is under a given set of circumstances, the contract is null and void, or more likely, subject to renegotiation.’
That’s correct.
But the fact the contract has been entered into means the SPL will have discussed the issue of what happens to a newco huns, and if the SPL have discussed it then so have the Celtic board.
Discussed it and come to a decision.
And we’ve been told nothing.
What was it Brendan Behan said to the IRA when they condemned him to death?
‘You have charged me in my absence, you have prosecuted me in my absence, you have convicted me in my absence and you have sentenced me in my absence so you can fecking well hang me in my absence.’
The rules of the Sky deal could be used as blackmail,to ensure the huns dont get demoted.