Celtic v Motherwell, Live updates

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1. goldstar10 on 19th January 2014 1:28 pm

   larssonse7en- Hope you are doing well mucker, look forward to seeing you when the weather improves to get a hit at the wee ball.

    

    

   HH
2. masty is neil lennon and both of us are supporting wee oscar on 19th January 2014 1:32 pm

   larsson7

    

    

   get a train to queens park, walk a mile down Victoria rd and you’ll hit the brazen…..EASY PEASY..headin there right now and auld torn face will be there also..
3. tommytwiststommyturns on 19th January 2014 1:32 pm

   B78 – thanks for pointing that out. Fine article indeed.

    

   Would I be correct in assuming that Kevin doesn’t live in Scotland?!

    

    

   T4
4. embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12 on 19th January 2014 1:35 pm

   Burnley78 @ 13:13

    

    

   HJ. TTTT

    

    

   It’s Kevin McKenna who is the journalist who has written this terrific and accurate article in my opinion.

    

    

   —–

    

    

   Powerful article, pulls no punches and as subtle as a Stoksey tackle on ‘Limp along’ Lasley! Particularly liked the phrase …

    

    

   “An independent review of the customs, practices and recruitment policies of the police must be undertaken before the people say enough is enough and sort it out themselves.”

    

    

   Insurgency ? Revolt ? Should make for interesting lodge meetings this week!
5. Paul67 on 19th January 2014 1:39 pm

   new article posted.
7. larssonse7en on 19th January 2014 1:44 pm

   Viva La Quinta Brigada
8. roy croppie on 19th January 2014 1:46 pm

   Kevin McKenna is a Celtic supporter and has never hidden that. Like Kevin McCarra I find their pieces insightful and honest although just because they support the ‘Tic I don’t need to always agree with them. They are in a different league to what we have up here just now.

    

   Kevin McCarra wrote the excellent: ‘Celtic a Biography in Nine lives.’

    

    

    

   kevin McKenna’s article about the living wage. Observer Nov 2013:

    

    

    

    

   A living tapestry slowly emerges from the walls of Celtic Park as you approach the main entrance to one of the cathedrals of European football. Over the last few years, thousands of otherwise unremarkable red bricks have been turned into memorial stones on which are inscribed the names of individuals and entire families who have stood here these last 100 years or so and supported their beloved Celtic FC. Many of the family names bear witness to the journey this club has made from its angry birth among the slums and soup kitchens of the East End of Glasgow, where it was immediately put to work providing funds for the poor Irish escaping famine and death in the country of their birth. I belong to this club and so have five generations of my family.

    

    

   Ten days ago, at Celtic’s annual general meeting, the sacrifices and unstinting devotion of these people and their forebears were betrayed by those who claim to be the modern custodians of what the club is supposed to stand for. A motion by the Celtic Trust calling for Celtic to ensure that each of its employees is paid the living wage of £7.45 per hour rather than the minimum wage of £6.31 per hour was thrown out by the rich men and money-changers who hold sway at Celtic Park. Directly addressing them, Jeanette Findlay of the trust stated during the debate that preceded this act of corporate and social irresponsibility that it was a decision that “shamed you and shamed us”. It was all of that and then some.

    

    

   For this is a football club that for decades has portrayed itself as the Mother Teresa of world soccer: scattering goodwill and charity in its wake; healing the sick and comforting the poor. The romantic narrative of its scrofulous origins has helped to spread Celtic’s fame well beyond Scotland and Ireland. While many of the descendants of the Catholic Irish who came to Scotland have become affluent, successful and influential, the fact remains that the Celtic support still occupies the lowest rung of Britain’s socioeconomic ladder. Its bedrock is in neighbourhoods of Glasgow’s East End and Lanarkshire where the indicators of poverty and illness are among the highest in Europe.

    

    

   Many of those who are in work will be labouring for barely the national minimum wage. A top-up to the living wage would make a considerable improvement in their lives. This winter,they will encounter fuel poverty and food shortages. Many will need hand-outs from the increasing number of food banks in Glasgow. Yet, and let’s be frank here, the so-called living wage isn’t really a wage to live on at all. The Living Wage Foundation calculates that it is the minimum required to allow a person to rent property, run a car and eat healthily.

    

    

   But then you might choose to include factors such as the ruthless exploitation by some landlords of the shortage of social housing, the extortion of the energy cartel, the vagaries of petrol prices and the onerous taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. A family of two parents and two children cannot survive on £7.45 an hour. Celtic likes to think that some of its traditions are rooted in the values of a close-knit family unit.

    

    

   Companies that elect to become “living wage” companies are helping to build Britain’s economy by taking a long-term view on the health of their businesses. They are expressing appreciation of and respect for all their workers who, buoyed by that little bit extra in their pay packets, will put it back into the economy. No job is too menial or too unimportant not to be considered worthy and noble. In a civilised society, are we really saying that those among us who are cleaners or shelf-stackers do not deserve the dignity that goes with the living wage?

    

    

   The plc directors of Celtic FC don’t seem to think so. Two of the three main reasons cited by the club for rejecting the living wage proposal were these: that it would cost £500,000 annually to implement, and that no other British club does it. Lest we forget; in the last two seasons, Celtic have spent around £10m on fees and wages for three strikers who would struggle to locate a coo’s arse with a satnav, let alone hit it with a banjo.

    

    

   I would have thought that these were precisely why they should have opted for it. Celtic’s group revenue increased by 47.7% to £75.82m this year and its profit before tax was £9.74m. The remuneration of its chief executive, Peter Lawwell, was £999,591. The members of the plc board each receive a £25,000 emolument for the onerous task of attending monthly board meetings and travelling all over Europe first class. They include Dermot Desmond, one of Britain’s richest men, and Brian Wilson, the former Labour minister, who is an outspoken and eloquent campaigner against the iniquitous pattern of land ownership in Scotland. Like many other companies that refuse to implement the living wage, Celtic can comfortably afford to do so.

    

    

   Following the AGM, Mr Lawwell, otherwise a very able husband of the club’s resources, attempted to explain further by pointing out that most of the 180 or so employees paid below the living wage were part-time and topping up existing salaries. Did it not occur to him that the main salaries of these people may be so low that they are forced to take a second job? Surely no one thinks that because many of them have an emotional attachment to the club they are happy to accept scant remuneration because that would simply be exploitation.

    

    

   Many Celtic fans have already been betrayed by our church and those Labour politicians who failed to turn up last week for the vote on the bedroom tax.

    

    

   Until 10 days ago, we thought we could at least rely on our football club. “Celtic is more than just a football club,” its directors like to proclaim. Well, now we know that we are not really that special at all.
9. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on 19th January 2014 2:09 pm

   neganon2

    

    

   11:57 on 19 January, 2014

    

    

   Right in there, eh……..hahahahaha…good afternoon, sir

    

    

   This silly Law won’t last too long now….
10. timbhoy2 on 19th January 2014 2:11 pm

    Burghbhoy, regarding main stand lower, my seat was near the away dug out, at half time I never left my seat,to go to the food outlets, it was to small, and it was the usual stuff that they served, no celtic football club need to do something about the lower stand, im sure they could afford to refurbish it,and god knows what the food outlets in the main stand are like,
11. eddieinkirkmichael on 19th January 2014 2:18 pm

    tommytwiststommyturns

     

     

    13:32 on

     

     

    \he does live here, Glasgow is his home mate.
12. archdeaconsbench on 19th January 2014 2:24 pm

    I know I really shouldnae rise to it but it seems some of the ‘journalists’ in the Scottish Sports Media have (albeilt belatedly) started to grow a pair and started printing something, at least approximating, the truth regarding goings on at Ibrox and in particular McCoist.

     

    Obviously, the main point is this, (and btw the dugs in the street have known this for the last 2 years), the people in charge and in positions of some authority at Ibrox, are asset strippers and vultures, whose only involvement is to maximise their financial return.

     

    Once this is accepted, all these false, rhetorical, pishy, staged non-arguments, (oh, why did they sign all these players? why is the manager still on £850k a year, etc) fall into their rightful place and everything makes total sense…..

     

    It beggars belief how long it takes for the penny to drop with some people…

     

    For the second time in two years……

     

    Scottish football journalism is virtually non-existent. I personally don’t go in for the angle that they are biased towards, or in favour of a particular club. They’re just idiots.

     

    Either that, or they’re liars, conformists and company whores who should be filed under ‘unfit for purpose.’

     

    Gonnae go and sit and watch Garfield wi the wee man now….. Get back to my ‘happy place…’
13. bournesouprecipe on 19th January 2014 2:36 pm

    Good to see Celtic Park return to normality yesterday, with a Celtic performance to match the excellent atmosphere. It was a game of football and despite the scoreline Motherwell are a good pro side.

     

     

    A competitive league where Celtic always prevail is where we are headed into infinity. Tactically, it’s an odd Celtic formation where we accomodate the lack of a target man, and at times it’s difficult to know how or who the swinging crosses from Forrest Fisher Izzy are supposed to reach.

     

     

    At times in the first half Mulgrew was popping up where Sutton used to play and even missed a knock in, on his swinger. But it was superb pass and move stuff, and Motherwell couldn’t cope especially in Celtic’s trademark whirlwind opening.

     

     

    The referee began to feature when he looked hesitant to point to the spot, on the Stokes trip, and I’d bet there were lots of Celtic fans waiting on the yellow for Stokes for simulation. Bobby Madden then punctuated the game with bizarre guesses, and completed his miserable afternoon with Anthony’s red.

     

     

    James Forrest was in sparkling form and plays his best football when his boots aren’t covered in chalk from the touchline, played inside in the crazy Celtic formation, is where he should be, to allow Celtic’s full back to run past him on the wide.

     

     

    Joe Ledley played so deep he wasn’t noticeable, until Motherwell began to rally, and his future along with Sammi’s will remain a doubt maybe till 31st and may be the key for another striking signing. Special mention to Virgil Van Djyk a colossus, who even manages a pirouette, dummy and shot on goal, not bad for a giant of a man.

     

     

    MOM James Forrest
14. Auldheid on 19th January 2014 2:45 pm

    Archdeaconsbench. 14.24

     

     

    One possible component of the answer is that they have become “institutionalised”.

     

     

    There was a charcter in The Shawshank Redemptio who had been jail for so many years that prison life was the only kind of life he knew.

     

     

    On release he found the free world too fearfilled for him and ended his life.

     

     

    I’m not suggesting old Hugh will or should commit Hari Kari but I think some of the smsm (and at the SFA too) find it impossible to contemplate a change of the institution that they played a part in building then destroying ( and what a paradox that is).

     

     

    But as life goes on and the catastrophe does not occur and indeed the benefits of a non toxic environment start to emerge, perhaps we are seeing some journos shouting to their mates “c’mon in, the sea is a bit choppy but the water is lovely”.

     

     

    When some journos say we need competitive football but equate that to a return to the days of the institution they grew up in, nurtured and were nurtured by, they are really saying the game needs at least 4 Hatefests a year and the collateral damage to bring crowds back.

     

     

    Surely in a society that purports itself civil enough to look after its own affairs “Bring back toxicity” requires some examination?
15. hen1rik on 19th January 2014 3:10 pm

    From nowandoldabdgrumpy thought they were selling up.

     

     

    Sunday, January 19, 2014, 09:00 by Matthew Xuereb

     

    McGill’s’s, Scotland’s biggest bus firm eyes Malta bid

     

     

    The largest bus operator in Scotland, McGill’s, is “seriously considering” bidding for Malta’s public transport service tender following Arriva’s exit, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

     

    Earlier this month the government took over the bus service, which is now being run by Malta Public Transport Services, until a new operator is in place. A call for expression of interest is expected to be issued this week.

     

    McGill’s managing director Ralph Roberts confirmed with this newspaper when contacted yesterday that his firm was “seriously looking at the opportunity of operating the public transport system on Malta and Gozo”.

     

    Read the full story in The Sunday Times of Malta, the e-paper or on timesofmalta.com premium here.

     

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