Celtic to the core, Graves and your role

693

Several years ago, long before CQN, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of 10 of the 11 Lions who took the field in Lisbon.  It was a great to see them interact with each other.  A grinning Jinky walked in late, “Am I in trouble again?”, bringing a playful shout from all the others.

I’ve since met the rest of the squad who didn’t make the field, but Willie Wallace remained an unknown quantity, until this week.  I occasionally wondered what role Celtic played in the life of a man who left for Australia circa 40 years ago.

As anyone who read Willie on the blog this morning will realise, he was cut from the same wood as the rest of the team, with a deeply set Celtic grain.  When I met him on Saturday he had all the playfulness and spirit the other Lions had, but there was no hiding his sharp competitive edge when talk go around to matters on, and sometimes, off, the field.

Many thanks for chatting this morning, Willie.

If you can make it to Waterstones in Stirling tomorrow evening (late night shopping), I’ll be there with Willie, who will be signing copies of Heart of a Lion.  See you there.

I missed out on the preparations and commemorations yesterday by Celtic Graves and so many Celtic fans.  Caught up with it late in the day online.  Things about this club blow you away sometimes.  I know there is some traceable linage from Celtic Graves, though Jungle Bhoys and all the way back to Celts for Change.  With supporters like this, your club is in incredibly good hands.

At any other club these events would be remarkable.  At Celtic, they are just another chapter in a very special story.

Which takes me onto the next point………

All of these great things are underpinned by you, me and thousands of others buying season tickets each year, no matter who survives long enough to compete in the league, no matter how many times newspapers try to tell you Everton want (and will get) Neil Lennon, no matter if we win, lose or draw.

The Jungle Drums tell me sales are up on the equivalent period last year, which is great news, but it is absolutely necessary.  I want to see Celtic back in the Champions League next season, competing as effectively as they did last season.  I want to see us mature the development strategy which is already delivering such bounty.

This is your club, claim your seat and make it happen.

Stunning response to our ebay raffle and auction.  Sincere thanks to those who bought tickets and bid.  You have two days to buy a ticket for the framed Celtic top signed by the Seville squad, and a few days more for the signed and framed Messi top……..

Heart of a Lion available below, or see you at Waterstones, Stirling tomorrow evening (times will be confirmed tomorrow).


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693 Comments

  1. cork celt borgo67

     

    not that long ago it was s brown & sami that were getting a hard time on here so i as i allways say ignore the ” experts”

  2. Marrakesh Express

     

    Have never been to Poland but have been to Germany many times and have visited Berlin. It is a fantastic cosmopolitan city that has a tremendous history.Sauchenhausen concentration camp can be visited its very haunting it was not a death camp but a work camp on an industrial scale, massive brick work Stalins son was held there after the war the Russians kept it for political prisoners. It was were the SS mastered their trade before moving on to other camps. There are lots of WW2 tours and Cold War tours all walking costs around 15 euros fantastic value

  3. Villa in for tonev?

     

    Oi lambert… Git yet ane scouting system!!!! Grrrrr

     

     

    But…..

     

    I’d rather have Aiden than tonev any day !

     

     

    Mcgeady on his day is an absolute joy to watch !

     

     

    Mon home wee man

  4. .

     

     

    Russell Brand on the Woolwich murder.

     

     

     

    The best comment we came across on the killing of a soldier, Lee Rigby, at Woolwich last week was not from any politician, nor ideologue, nor media commentator, nor religious leader, but from a blog by Russell Brand. Below, without unnecessary comment or links, we reproduce this ‘essay’ as it stands. It deserves to be publicised widely, for Brand – like whistleblower Bradley Manning – reminds us all of our humanity. It is the antithesis of those who preach hate, whether religious hate, or from other kinds of fundamentalists, or from racists.

     

     

    The news cycle moves so quickly now that often we learn of an event through other people’s reaction to it. So it was when I arrived in Los Angeles to find my twitter feed contorted with posts of fear and confusion.

     

     

    I caught up with the sad malice in Woolwich and felt compelled to tweet in casual defense of the Muslim community who were being haphazardly condemned by a few people on my time line. Perhaps a bit glibly (but what isn’t glib in 140 characters) I put “That bloke is a nut. A nut who happens to be Muslim. Blaming Muslims for this is like blaming Hitler’s moustache for the Holocaust”.

     

     

    As an analogy it is imperfect but I was frightened by how negative and incendiary the mood felt and I rushed. I’m not proposing we sit around trying to summons up cute analogies when Lee Rigby has lost his life in horrific circumstances I simply feel that it is important that our reaction is measured. Something about the arbitrary brutality, the humdrum high-street setting, the cool rhetoric of the blood stained murderer evoke a powerful and inherently irrational response. When I first heard the word “beheading” I felt the atavistic grumble that we all feel. This is inhumane, taboo, not a result of passion but of malice, ritualistic. “If this is happening to guiltless men on our streets it could happen to me” I thought.

     

     

    Then I watched the mobile phone clip. In spite of his dispassionate intoning the subject is not rational, of course he’s not rational, he’s just murdered a stranger in the street, he says, because of a book.

     

     

    In my view that man is severely mentally ill and has found a convenient conduit for his insanity, in this case the Quran. In the case of another mentally ill and desperate man, Mark Chapman, it was A Catcher In The Rye. This was the nominated text for his rationalisation of the murder of John Lennon. I’ve read that book and I’ve read some of the Quran and nothing in either of them has compelled me to do violence. Perhaps this is because I lack the other necessary ingredients for extreme anti social behaviour; mental illness and isolation; either economic, social or both.

     

     

    After my Hitler tweet I got involved in a bit of back and forth with a few people who said stuff like “the murderer said himself he did it for Islam”. Although I wouldn’t dismiss what he’s saying entirely I think he forfeited the right to have his views received unthinkingly when he murdered a stranger in the street. Someone else regarding my tweet said “Hitler’s moustache didn’t invent an ideology that sanctions murder”. That is thankfully true but Islam when practiced by normal people is not an advocacy for violence. “People all over the world are killing in the name of Islam” someone added. This is the most tricky bit to understand. What I think is that all over our country, all over our planet there are huge numbers of people who feel alienated and sometimes victimised by the privileged and the powerful, whether that’s rich people, powerful corporations or occupying nations. They feel that their interests are not being represented and, in many cases, know that their friends and families are being murdered by foreign soldiers. I suppose people like that may look to their indigenous theology for validation and to sanctify their, to some degree understandable, feelings of rage.

     

     

    Comparable, I suppose to the way that homophobes feel a prejudicial pang in their tummies then look to the bible to see if there’s anything in there to justify it. There is, a piddling little bit in Leviticus. The main narrative thrust of The Bible though, like most spiritual texts, including the Quran is; be nice to each other because we’re all the same.

     

     

    When some football fans smash up shops and beat each other up that isn’t because of football or football clubs. It’s because loads of white, working class men have been culturally neglected and their powerful tribal instincts end up getting sloshed about in riotous lager carnivals. I love football, I love West Ham, I’ve never been involved in football violence because I don’t feel that it’s my only access to social power. Also I’m not that hard and I’m worried I’d get my head kicked in down the New Den.

     

     

    What the English Defence League and other angry, confused people are doing and advocating now, violence against mosques, Muslims, proliferation of hateful rhetoric is exactly what that poor, sick, murderous man, blood soaked on a peaceful street, was hoping for in his desperate, muddled mind.

     

     

    The extremists on both sides have a shared agenda; cause division, distrust, anger and violence. Both sides have the same intention. We cannot allow them to distort our perception.

     

     

    The establishment too is relatively happy when different groups of desperate people point the finger at each other because it prevents blame being correctly directed at them. Whenever we are looking for the solution to a problem we must identify who has power. By power I mean influence and money. The answer is not for us to move further from one another, crouched in opposing fortresses constructed from vindictive words. We need now to move closer to one another, to understand one another. If we can take anything heartening from this dreadful attack it is of course the actions of the three women, it’s always women, that boldly guarded Lee Rigby’s body as he lay needlessly murdered. These women looked beyond the fear and chaos and desperation and attuned instead to a higher code. One of virtue, integrity and strength.

     

     

    To truly demonstrate defiance in the face of this sad violence, we must be loving and compassionate to one another. Let’s look beyond our superficial and fleeting differences. The murderers want angry patriots to desecrate mosques and perpetuate violence. How futile their actions seem if we instead leave flowers at each other’s places of worship. Let’s reach out in the spirit of love and humanity and connect to one another, perhaps we will then see what is really behind this conflict, this division, this hatred and make that our focus.

     

     

    Summa

  5. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    This is my first opportunity since the weekend to say a huge thanks to all the great CQN’rs I met on Saturday night. I had a fantastic time in legendary company.

     

     

    Cowieboy, you run a mean bar my friend, simply outstanding. It was great to meet so many bloggers and put faces to names. A special treat was meeting auldtim, a gentleman and a pisstaker. I cant wait to meet up again at the golf day in two weeks.

     

     

    Going to the game with Doc was an equally special highlight of the weekend, I apologise to Mrs Doc for the ACGR attire on arrival at your abode but you did demand I wore my special weekender attire. I hope she’s recovered at the sight that met her at her doorway:-)

     

     

    Celtic were not too bad either, what a show. Thank you Celtic and thank you Neil Francis Lennon

     

     

    WE ARE ALL CELTIC.

     

     

    Its in our blood. Hail Hail Brothers in Celtic.

  6. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Ooops, Hail Hail Brothers AND SISTERS in Celtic.

     

     

    The sisters are all Celtic too.

     

     

     

    Hail Hail Cowieboys bar staff.

  7. Summa of Sammi….,

     

     

    thanks for posting that.

     

     

    On the tube earlier caught the mood of the crowd returning from tonight’s game.

     

     

    Half and half scarves and shared laughs…

     

     

    Big thankyou to Mr. Willie Wallace and those that made it possible:)

     

     

    Hail hail to KANO and family

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    winning captains

     

    20:37 on

     

    29 May, 2013

     

    jimbo67

     

     

    Glad you have enjoyed reading Willie’s book. You mentioned at the end of your post that you can’t be bothered with the internationals tonight. Willie was talking tis afternoon about how his Scotland career came to an end. His wife Olive was ill and Scotland were playing. Willie called to explain and to suggest that if he wasn’t going to be playing he would pull out of the squad. He was told he’d be playing and according showed up only to be overlooked in favour of an oldco alternative. Livid he was going to walk out before the match but Big Billy advised him to call Jock Stein. Jock told him to stay until after the match then do what he liked – Willie did this then shortly afterwards wrote to the SFA and told then to stick their caps where the sun don’t shine! He refused to play for them again.

     

     

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Just read this-great stuff,Willie!

  9. Pretty difficult to catch the mood of ‘the crowd’ by travelling with a maximum of 253 of them but you’ll hopefully allow me that synecdoche…

     

     

    GeoffRymanCSC

  10. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    Walter Smith to become Rangers chairman

     

     

    Richard Wilson The Herald

     

     

    WALTER SMITH is set to be appointed chairman of Rangers, with Malcolm Murray stepping down from his position.

     

     

     

    The changes were approved at a board meeting in London yesterday as the directors attempted to find stability after a period of dissent and strife.

     

     

    An announcement to the Stock Exchange was expected this morning.

     

     

    Murray had been expected to either stand down or be removed from his role. He was the subject of a unanimous vote of no confidence among the seven other directors this month and had a board meeting last Friday taken place as planned he would have been voted off.

     

     

    Leaving the Rangers International Football Club plc board without a chairman would have led to uncertainty among shareholders, although Smith’s appointment was unexpected. He has previously expressed a reluctance to take on the role, and has twice come close to stepping down as a non-executive director during boardroom difficulties.

     

     

    Smith had been critical of Charles Green, the former chief executive who resigned and will, come midnight on Friday, no longer be a director.

     

     

    Much of Murray’s time as chairman was spent clashing with Green and Imran Ahmad, the commercial director who left last month. It was also Murray who instigated the independent examination – by Deloitte and Pinsent Masons – into alleged collusion last summer between Green and Craig Whyte, the ex-owner.

     

     

    Although Smith was an ally of Murray’s during much of his time on the board, the ex-manager reluctantly came to the same conclusion as other directors a change was required. There is also the prospect of an extraordinary general meeting, called by the shareholders Blue Pitch Holdings, to contend with.

     

     

    There are four resolutions to be heard at the meeting. The others were for Philip Cartmell, the non-executive director, to be voted off the board, James Easdale, the owner of McGill’s Buses, to be voted on, and for Chris Morgan, said to represent the family trusts behind Blue Pitch Holdings, to also be voted on.

     

     

     

     

    (Is ‘stepping down’ hun speak for walking away?)

  11. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    From yesterday’s Sun by DAVID FRIEL

     

     

    FERGUS McCANN insists Celtic’s huge fanbase has never been more important as the club tries to compete against cash-rich Euro rivals.

     

     

    The Hoops saviour revealed his frustration at the megabucks TV deals handed out in other countries — while the SPL gets by on a pittance.

     

     

    Parkhead was packed out as Celtic stunned Barcelona and Spartak Moscow this season.

     

     

    But McCann insists the only way Celtic can continue to punch above their weight in Europe is if the fans turn out EVERY week.

     

     

    He said: “The strength of the support is more important now than ever while the club has to operate in a league with unattractive opposition and a tiny TV contract while the bottom club in the English league receives 20 times the income.

     

     

    “Filling Celtic Park against Barcelona or Spartak or Rangers is the easy part.

     

     

    “The part that really counts is consistent support at every game at Celtic Park and that will deliver the top-level matches.

     

     

    “This gives Celtic an advantage that counts.

     

     

    “It makes the park a fortress where any visiting club will face a daunting task.

     

     

    “When I saw the Bayern Munich players celebrating a goalless draw after a European game a few years ago I knew — and the supporters knew — what was possible.”

     

     

    McCann believes the financial gap between Celtic and top European sides will close.

     

     

    But he is adamant fans must always make a contribution to the club — if the Celtic he now sees guided by Peter Lawwell, right, are to stay successful.

     

     

    He said: “Eventually, I believe that environment will change and the huge financial disadvantage compared to big clubs in the major European markets will be overcome.

     

     

    “I am sure the management is doing all it can but, again, success will come if the supporters do their part.

     

     

    “When I was at Celtic — before and since too — if someone told me ‘I am a Celtic supporter’, I’d answer: ‘How? What support do you provide?’

     

     

    “My time at the Croy CSC reminds me of the importance of dedicated support.

     

     

    “The members knew that their role was vital, especially in the hard times.

     

     

    “They had a rule that a bus would always run at the members’ expense, despite their limited funds.

     

     

    “Some games were against poor opposition, standing in bad weather, but being there in numbers was important.

     

     

    “And so it still is today.”

  12. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    Also from Michael Grant at the Herald

     

     

     

    Celtic have confirmed their interest in signing the £2.5m-rated Vitoria Guimaraes striker Amido Balde and are poised to make an offer, according to the player’s agent.

     

     

     

    The 22-year-old’s agent, Catio Balde, said: “We’re waiting. The truth is that Celtic, through their executive director for signings [in other words, chief executive Peter Lawwell], confirmed that an offer will be made, making their interest in the player official.”

     

     

    Celtic watched the former Portugal Under-20 internationalist feature in Guimaraes’ surprise Portuguese Cup win against Benfica on Sunday. Balde is seen as one of the revelations of the Portuguese season, during which he has scored nine goals in 19 appearances. The player is one year into a two-year contract having joined Vitoria on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon a year ago. Vitoria hold 30% of the player’s rights, Sporting hold 10% and his agent holds the rest.

     

     

    It is believed Celtic are stepping up their interest in the player after looking like missing out on fellow Guimaraes striker El Arbi Hillel Soudani, who has instead chosen to move to Dinamo Zagreb.

     

     

    Celtic were last night waiting for Lech Poznan winger Aleksandar Tonev to decide whether he will join the club. They face stiff competition for the 23-year-old Bulgarian, who has two years remaining on his contract.

     

     

    Malaga and Werder Bremen are reportedly in the race to sign the £2m-rated winger but Tonev has already stated that he wants to play for a club in the Champions League.

  13. A Stor Mo Chroi on

    From the Portuguese Record – Author: Vitor Pinto And EUGÉNIO QUEIROS

     

     

    Amido Balde

     

     

    The Glasgow Celtic are determined to strengthen their forward line in Guimarães and after losing Soudani to D. Zagreb, everything indicates that the needle has changed and will now move efforts to ensure the hiring Balde. The proposal may arrive at any time, according to the indications which were forwarded to the agent of the tip of the arrow head.

     

     

    (Google Translation)

  14. The Boy Jinky on

    Having brought the cardigan back to manage oldco and seal their demise… sevco repeat the error by making him chairman. Another move to appease the zombie hordes and fleece them of their money

     

     

    Stupid stupid huns

  15. This was posted after Paul67′s NEW ARTICLE message on the previous article, can someone please repost later tonight/ tomorrow for our Aussie friend Ramie to pass on to Kano, many thanks.

     

    …………

     

    willie wallace

     

    15:01 on 29 May, 2013

     

    Hail Hail Kano – I think we might have met in Australia? I know your story as does every Celtic fan and you are as much a legend as any of the Lions! Hope you are keeping well and remember Keep the Faith. Hail Hail to you Kano from Willie Wallace and family. I have signed a book especially for you so please make sure Paul has your address and the boys will post it out to you.

  16. Anyone have the link to video of celts

     

    Team bus after the final ?

     

     

    Good performance by ireland , coleman and mccarthy were excellant.

     

     

    Sean st ledger , on a free transfer .

     

     

    Surely worth offering a contract too??

     

     

    Wouldnt be on massive wages either.

  17. Vmhan

     

    thanks for that

     

    Willie Wallace is a legendary figure and Martin will really appreciate him responding to his post

     

    I will ensure this is passed on to Martin

     

    Martin enjoyed all the comments that were posted last night wishing him well

     

    I read them all to him….what a smile he had…ear to ear stuff

     

    He has also received a couple of emails from CQNers …that also cheers him up no end

     

    and provides the interaction that he has missed for so long now

     

    its hard for Martin to be silent now….when before he was anything but silent!!

     

    at least now he will have the opportunity to respond to the emails which I will gladly type for him

     

    all the best mate and take care

     

    ramie

  18. The Boy Jinky on

    Rylcu

     

     

    Neutrals…. according to the zombies .. no one likes them… but they apparently dont care

  19. Good Morning – Descendants Of The Jungle

     

     

    Just dropped in to say – I hope that if we are going to be bringing in new recruits then, we keep them up wur sleeves and parade them just in time to coincide with the orc marching season :)

     

     

    One of the best birthday presents that I ever had was when we signed one of my favorite all-time Celtic players – John Collins. An absolutely superb Celtic player. imo

     

     

    In todays current climate – Johnny Russell would be an iconic type of signing. imo

     

    I know there’s been talk on the blog about bringing Aiden back but, I think that Aiden is too big for Celtic now. imo

     

     

    I know we all say that – no-one is bigger than Celtic but – even though we punched above our weight in the CL last season – domestically – 40% of Celtic’s home crowd – couldny be ersed turning up !!! Oh, and a huge chunk of that ratio had already bought SB’s ?

     

     

    So, where are we really ?

     

     

    Back to Aiden – I said he is too big for Celtic and, he is. AM has the type of talent that deserves to be showcased on a bigger stage than we can currently offer. But, the thing is…the Celtic supporters deserve to be watching players of the caliber of Aiden – not, with respect – Pat McCourt or the likes of Lassad, Miku, Efe, Joe(9 times out of 10 – he’s invisible) Ledley. I’ve consistently highlighted the fact that I rate – Joe Ledley as a modern version of Peter Grant(a drainer of resources). Some folk mentioned earlier that – we couldn’t bring Aiden back and pay him – £30k per week – oh yeah ?

     

    So why do we pay – JL & Broony similar amounts ? Are they worth it ? Hmmm

     

     

    Someone posted earlier that – Fergus says that the fans should turn out every week.

     

    Well Fergus – ye see it’s like this….yer pal DD brought back PL to – downsize the club in 2003. Since then we have been operating like a supermarket with a corner shop product on the pitch. imo

     

     

    Since 2003 – we’ve been brainwashed by regular publicity frenzies – driven by PL and his lackeys – telling us that the most important thing at the club is – the balance-sheet !!!

     

    Fergus – the fans turned up – year in – year out until…the huns were oot of the equation.

     

    The o## f### rivalry wizny there anymore – the smokescreen was removed and, what was left didny get the juices flowing.

     

     

    Fergus – If for example – customers go to a local butchers shop and are taken by the basics – mince & sausages – the customer will keep coming back for more.

     

     

    Now – If the butcher decides to alter the ingredients for example in the sausage by bring in cheaper / less quality to be included in the product…the sausage depreciates in value and, all of a sudden the amount of punters attending the butchers will start to dwindle. imo

     

     

    Common sense ? I would think so.

     

     

    Now Fergus – when the power brokers of Celtic tell the manager – “…we want the SPL Title and one of the cups plus a run Europe but, we’ll have to sell our best players and bring in – lesser quality ones to replace them and, still charge the punters top doller to see a lesser quality show on the pitch” – how long do you think that the fans will fall for it or, allow themselves to be- duped ?

     

     

    The customer base was on the verge of falling on it’s bahookey last season – thats why there is a £100 reduction on some of the SB’s – not as a gesture of thanks. What’s needed in the club right now is a person with an eye for making things work ie:

     

    Don’t bring in 4 / 5 cheap / rubbishy players – cobble the money the gither and bring in 1 decent standard of player – EACH season. Don’t wait until one of the players makes it then sell him on and – go back to square one ? WTF ?

     

     

    Don’t keep a player like Paddy on the books for 5 years when he canny get himself fit in FIVE YEARS ? WTF is going on ?

     

    McCourt will walk away from Celtic – £1.25 mill heavier in wages for what ? 20 starts in FIVE years ? That amounts to rank bad management on ALL levels of the club. imo

     

     

    I mean – Cellic wouldn’t go – £1.5 mill for Johnny Russell but – they wasted what – £5 mill on – Mo Bangura / Lassad / Miku even Tony Watt canny get a game cause all of those duds are in front of him ?

     

     

    So – Fergus….don’t try and kidd the fans on.

     

     

    Put a half decent product on the pitch and the lost / lapsed Tims will return – maybe even me :)

     

     

    Put a pile of – Lassad’s / Miku’s / Efe’s / Izzy(?) / FF(?) after CL hmmmm….and the decay will continue right down until – ye wulny even sell a SB for £100 !!! imo

     

     

    Rant over – God Bless Every Bampot – Be back shortly…goin roon tae the shop for some roll’s :)

     

    Hail Hail

  20. Good morning friends from an overcast but currently dry and mild East Kilbride.

     

     

    Surely June will bring some decent sunshine? And that’s a wish rather than a prediction ;-)

     

     

    Jobo

  21. midfield maestro on

    Jobo

     

     

    10day forecast for G77 shows no sunshine. What is happening to the weather this year?

  22. West Wales Celt on

    Kev:

     

    Whilst not agreeing with all you say I do agree that real investment in quality over quantity is sometimes the better gamble (since most signings outwith your Van Persies are a gamble).

     

     

    The rumour that we turned away from the opportunity to land Jordan Rhodes for £4 million early in last year’s window (although this was only a rumour) would represent a devastating critique of the ‘must buy cheap mentality.

     

     

    If we do need a striker I’d love to see the club make a reasonable investment in a proven goal scorer. I know nothing about the young lad Balde but his goal-to-game stats are nothing to get excited about…

  23. ramie

     

     

    06:17 on 30 May, 2013

     

    ……………..

     

    Ramie, glad you got that post, it’s a belter from a legendary Lisbon Lion.

     

     

    Please pass on my regards to Martin and family, Kano your always on my mind amigo, we won’t forget.

     

    Vinny

  24. Ramie

     

     

    Cheers for that. I came across an old pic of Martin (allegedly ) at College. Passed on to a few others in here hoping they would pass on.

     

    I hope he got it.

     

     

    If not get in touch with an email address and I will add on.

  25. Morning,

     

     

    The Cardigan being made Chairman. lol!

     

     

    Just as Fat Sally kept the managers job to keep him quiet, Walter now gets the Chairman gig for his silence.

     

     

    I love these ‘rangers men’ over at Sevco.

     

     

    Amazing how Walter has managed to hide his Financial and Corporate expertise all these year’s…

  26. What wonderful PR Spin will we get today after another boardroom showdown down Govan way? Are you still in a job Jabba or are you home watching the grass grow?

     

     

    So happy for Kano to get the personalised message from Mr Wallace. I was on yesterday when the questions were being fired in and knew lots of them would go unanswered, the man was on a deadline, but we all wanted a bit of his wisdom and insight. When I read back I saw the request for Kano had been missed and started to write a wee message for Paul – then I thought, don’t be silly Paul and the other guys close to Kano will ensure a happy outcome. Take a bow CQN, as a community we have people who really do deserve respect for the work they do in ensuring the Celtic family are looked after. Hail Hail to Mr Wallace, our most lauded legends are lionized for good reason – heroes on and off the park.

  27. Top of the morning to you all from a dry, overcast Fife.

     

     

    Tom Shields in the Herald does a decent piece on the Offensive Behaviour legislation:-

     

     

    Singing detectives

     

    Tom Shields

     

    Columnist

     

    Thursday 30 May 2013

     

     

    A sheriff’s ruling that it is not a crime to sing about the IRA leaves the Offensive Behaviour at Football law in a state of confusion.

     

     

    In the absence of new legislation to ban both football and religion, Police Scotland (as we must now call the polis) are faced with many a dilemma. Which is what they get for asking for this mad and misplaced act of Parliament in the first place.

     

     

    Professors of history and semantics may have to be hired to advise whether the song at the Celtic end is about terrorists or freedom fighters. Clever defence lawyers may argue that it was a spoonerism at Ibrox and the Teddy Bears meant to sing about an accident in the kitchen when they were up to their knees in beans and flood?

     

     

    There will be no end of bureaucracy as fans have to submit lyrics in advance to a Sectarian Song Peace and Reconciliation Commission. The obvious answer is to let the bigots sing away to their hearts content while the rest of us ignore it and hope it will go away, possibly before the millennium celebrations for the Battle of the Boyne.

     

     

    Police Scotland resources could then be used to set up a Serious Singing Squad to target the unacceptable levels of musical pollution prevalent in society today. The squad will have stop and search powers for suspected possession of techno, heavy metal, or thrash content. There will be spot fines and confiscation of music devices for those who test positive. Transport police will patrol trains and buses to eject passengers with noisy headphones. Any premises may be raided without the need for warrants on suspicion of the existence of secret caches of Des O’Connor LPs.

     

     

    The Karaoke Intervention Unit of the licensing police will visit pubs and arrest Big Rab on the grounds that his rendition of I Did It My Way is not only offensive but likely to incite public disorder.

     

     

    Plans for an elite squad of plain-clothes singing detectives may have to be abandoned when officers refuse to dress up as Michael Gambon and be smothered in Vaseline.

     

     

    Complaints about people whistling too much will be dealt with on a community policing basis. As will reports of unacceptable muzak and telephone call-waiting systems.

     

     

    Under separate legislation from the Scottish Parliament it will be illegal for songwriters from Bearsden to write blues lyrics about the troubles they have seen and the hard times they’ve come through.

  28. squire danaher on

    kevjungle – murdo’s 4-2 winner = the best since lisbon

     

     

    06:47 on 30 May, 2013

     

     

    Classic example of the old cliche that football is a game of opinions.

     

     

    I could spend all day arguing with the the points made but frankly have neither the time nor inclination.