Doing lots right at Youth level

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Delighted for the Celtic Youths, who won the Under-20 league for the fifth successive season.  Youth football is not skewed in favour of the wealthier clubs in the way first team football is.  Celtic will be able to afford better coaches and scouts, but wage levels at this age are broadly consistent across the board, so that five year stretch is an indication that we’re doing a lot of things right at development level.

Greg Dyke’s review of English football this week drew an incredible level of condemnation but it’s central thrust, how to translate 18-year-old talent into first team stars, remains a challenge.  Especially at clubs competing who recruit to compete at the very top of the European game.  Celtic chose to send many of their top Youths out on loan this season, one of the suggestions Dyke’s report made.  We’ll see how productive this proves.

The final week of the season saw the Youths need two wins, against Rangers* and Dundee United Youths to deny the boys from Sir David Murray Park snatching what would have been a significant title.  While progress has been patchy for their first team, Youths boss, Gordon Durie, has narrowed the gap at the top better than the other Murray Park coaches.  If and when they can afford to get rid of McCoist, don’t be surprised to see Durie step up, I hear he’s impressed for all the right reasons.

*occasional use of the word “Rangers”, “Airdrieoneans” or “Elvis” without the prefix “Newco” or suffix “Costello” does not infer that the original entities to bear those names are currently in existence.  Both football clubs were liquidated, Sevco Scotland changed their registered name to Rangers after administrators of the old club changed and released their name.  Clydebank changed their name to Airdrie United, and then to Airdrieoneans.

Pump it up.

Hope everyone one attending the Hootenanny this afternoon has a great day.  My chances of getting there and remaining intact is diminishing by the minute.

Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN, is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.

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671 Comments

  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    A special mention to st martins bhoy who managed to walk a few hundred yards without raising money for charity..

  2. TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels on

    BT

     

     

    Thank mrs BT and mini again for the lift home last night … Very much appreciated as I would probably still be in town now :)

     

     

    Will see you dad at the gazebo no doubt

  3. Sydney Tim

     

     

    I’m all for better ways to spend our cash, but that is subjective too. Anyway enjoy today.

     

     

    Parkheadcumsalford

     

     

    Have to agree about that game, but at the time it was just a relief to beat Dunfermline in a final. Cosmic alignment stuff looking back.

     

     

    Happy Trophy Day

  4. angelgabriel on

    Yesterday afternoon / evening was a pleasure to spend in the company

     

    of so many internet bampots.

     

    Today is a tribute to our wee hero.

     

    Have a nice one. HH.

  5. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    TBJ

     

    it is only way mrs bt was sure of me being home and fit for the communion today.8)

     

     

    Enjoy your day and say hello to big happy.still laughing at PF from last night…8}

  6. Thindimebhoy on

    In todays Herald a grandmaster is fervently opposed to the break up of the UK and the OO plan a march before the indie vote

     

     

    You would think they would get tired of marching

     

     

    Anyway I would expect most Celts would be diametrically opposed to anything they march about. ?

  7. twists n turns

     

     

    09:14 on 11 May, 2014

     

     

    ——

     

     

    Thanks, and great story.

  8. rwe

     

     

    09:15 on 11 May, 2014

     

    SuperSutton & feathers

     

     

    —–

     

     

    Thanks. And funny about the juxtaposition of mine and feathers posts. Nice, as you say.

  9. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    Guten morgen.

     

     

    Two big bags of pickled onion monster munch and a wee bottle of irn bru.

     

     

    Scottish breakfasts rock the planet!

     

     

    Lefty – If ye are lurking chief, I’ll take that spare ticket still if that’s alright mate.

     

     

    HH.

  10. ayrshirtim

     

     

    09:27 on 11 May, 2014

     

    Supersutton

     

    ———-

     

    No apology necessary. I laughed at your original post. It was well intentioned.

  11. Hello Celtic world, yesterday’s hootenanny was a HOOT! To all the cqners that I had the privilege to meet and chat to yesterday a big thank you for making me feel very welcome. Never have I been in such shiney company probably a mixer of heat and alcohol. Woke up this morning with a Oscar wristband on and a green balloon at the side of my bed? Listening to people chat yesterday, got the impression some posters/lurkers are scared to post, because they think their….well not intellectual enough! If I can post anyone can, in fact it’s easier to post than to talk as most of you will have heard me trying to communicate yesterday. For some unknown reason my voice is fecked, no pain. Just sound like Joe Pasquale on helium! So once again thanks for listening very hard to my squawking. HH

     

    Frantic07

  12. mickbhoy1888 on

    So it appears that the auld Hibees maybe heading for the drop as well. Looks like the highlights,if you purchase same, of the season ticket package will be a couple of home games against Eberdeen and the Arabs. Excuse me if like the usual suspects I don’t get excited about visits from St Mirren St Johnstone Dundee Ross County and the likes

     

    I think big Peter could do with reducing the season tickets even further. There again I could give up the season ticket and become a daytripper cherry picker.

     

    Ooooooh Canny wait for the fixtures to be published for next season so I am able to calculate how many Sleeps there are before the Glasgow derby against the sizzle

  13. Thindimebhoy

     

     

    If the Yes vote wins, the OO will need to “refresh” their whole corporate identity.

     

     

    Armageddon is how they might view it.

     

     

    (They are the Scottish OO)

     

     

    On the front page of their website, they have a series of pictures.

     

    The first shows their high heid yins outside No 10 Downing Street.

     

    The second shows Lizzie shaking hands with union jack bedecked crowds in a street.

     

    Both juxtaposed to enhance their credentials. Lizzie is a fan, and No 10 meets us.

     

     

    Armageddon again, “what pix can we show if we haven’t got No 10 or Lizzie in the red, white and blue – I mean we’re the Scottish OO.”

     

     

    “Oh hell! We’ll carry on as normal, we’ve been conning people for years anyway that we are the true voice of Scotland, while doffing our hats and swearing allegiance somewhere else and denying our independence.”

     

     

    Our old friend Cog Diss again.

  14. young players need opportunities to play in first teams so they can continue to develop as players. celtic are guilty of buying in piss poor squad player rather than promoting our own. to my mind that is simply madness when consideration is given to our income and the league we play in.

     

     

    our first team should be no more than 18 players, supplemented by our promising youths and the coach should be told to sort it out

     

     

    simply

  15. rwe – similar experience with my 1990s son. Magic skill. Too good for local team I was coaching him in. Went to pro youth and that done him in. None of the coaches tried to use his abilities instead preferring to pander to their favourites. He was then blighted with a heel injury which restricted him to half games only.

     

     

    He now plays only 5-a-side. Although at the age of 23 he is thinking of playing 11s next season.

  16. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    TBJ, I,ve got 300 green baloons. I,ll see you along thete shortly. You can have as many as you want.

     

     

    HH bruv

     

     

    Hootenanny’s wi tims are ra bee’s knee’s

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    Roll up Roll up see the bearded lady? more hairs on the palm of your hand than your fathers got on on his , move along there sonny.

     

     

    EuroVis CSC

  18. Would expect to see our strongest available 11 to start today with a couple of youngsters, & Sammi if fit, to come on in 2nd half

     

     

    —————————Forster————————–

     

    Lustig——–Ambrose——-Van Dijk——-Izaguirre

     

    ————Brown—Mulgrew–Johansen————

     

    ————————-Commons————————

     

    ———–Griffiths——————–Stokes————

     

     

    Subs Zaluska Samaras Pukki Kayal Henderson Heron Twardzyk

     

     

    Celtic 4 DU 1

  19. fieldofdrams on

    Fans gathering at the Celtic Way, we’re told that team will arrive at qtr to eleven plus Celtic legends delivering the league trophy

  20. Thindimebhoy

     

     

    09:55 on 11 May, 2014

     

     

    The OO is a feature of life only in Scotland and NI.

     

     

    It barely exists in small pockets in England and I’ve never heard of it in Wales.

     

     

    That tells me something about Scotland. About Scottish society. About the Scottish people, their history and their culture.

     

     

    It should tell you something too.

     

     

    Whatever the outcome of the referendum (and no one sensible is really in any doubt about what that will be) these people will still be around. The difference is that if it were a yes vote these people would have much more influence than they do now.

  21. SuperSutton

     

     

    My son’s injury blight was his ankle. He went over on it badly, and then kept coming back too soon, because he felt that the youth coach was pressurizing him. Wobble board was in his room for about a year.

     

     

    He also broke his nose in one match and they started him in the next game, with none of these Jack Turpin plastic masks either. 7 minutes in he gets a ball full in the face and the coach was not interested in my son’s welfare. Youth Coach jobs went to ex pro friends of friends, in this case he was a washed up man with a serious drink problem.

     

     

    And we consigned the care, development and welfare of our sons to him/the club.

     

     

    If only the fans really knew what youth development truly means/meant.

     

     

    Good luck to your son in the 11 a sides.

     

     

    My elder son is married with children and coaching now.

     

     

    HH

  22. Morning CQN, how are the heads?

     

     

    Here we go again, we’re on the road again, we’re on the road again, we’re on the way to Paradise!

  23. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........Praying for our WEE HERO! on

    DOC

     

     

    Personally,smashing.

     

     

    Choking for a pint,mind!

     

     

    Smashing night,folks. Every one a gem.

  24. To all mothers, still with us and not, both real and virtual..

     

     

    Happy Mothers Day.

     

     

    It is Mothers Day in the USA today.

  25. a ceiler gonof rust

     

     

    10:18 on 11 May, 2014

     

    TBJ, I,ve got 300 green baloons. I,ll see you along thete shortly. You can have as many as you want.

     

     

    ………………

     

     

    CQNers always have plenty of wind to blow up balloons.

  26. theglasgowcelticway on

    Tremendous time yesterday.It was a pleasure meeting all the CQN’rs,great bunch.Billy No’Well was absolutely hysterical.Now it’s receive the trophy time.

  27. Anyone recommend an Irish bar in Prague likely to be showing the game?

     

     

    Nothing on Celtic Bars but a few Irish bars on google.

     

     

    Any recommendations?

     

     

    Hail hail and if you’re going enjoy the day.

  28. Ooft (as the youngsters say)

     

     

    The Four Horsemen are just sitting at the brow of the hill watching for one false move before charging through my head.

     

     

    3am bevvying is no good!

     

     

    #dyingbutstillgoingtoseethebhoys