Can we purge all negative overtones today, make sure we start tomorrow with a clean sheet? Injuries and suspensions are part of the game, we accept them and plan how to win important games.
Celtic are at their best when they are up against it, when everyone knows that nothing short of a herculean effort is required. This is the case tomorrow. The requirement is straightforward enough: win your personal battle, inhibit one of the best teams we will play this season, take control of midfield and find spaces in the Ajax defence to exploit.
We have more than enough players bursting to set about this task.
Ajax had a taxing game on Saturday, scoring late to secure a draw away to top of the table Twente. Although fourth, they are one of six teams no more than two points off the pace in what is currently one of Europe’s tightest leagues, but there is a fragility about Ajax.
The game against Twente was their first away match after a run of four home games, three of which were won comfortably, while they were denied a win against Milan by a ridiculous penalty in added time. Their away form, however, has been less than impressive; they are still waiting for their first win away from the Amsterdam ArenA this season. As a result, they travel to Celtic Park with the same trepidation they travelled to Groningen, Heerenveen, Twente, AZ, Barca and PSV, a series of games which returned three draws and three defeats.
Dutch media have also been reminding them of a quirky record to maintain. While Celtic eliminated Ajax the last twice the teams met in European Cup/Champions League duty, the Dutch avoided defeat on both games at Celtic Park. For us, this is a meaningless fact, but it is an added burden of expectation on Ajax.
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Hail Hail
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers forza oscar and mackenzie
12:16 on 21 October, 2013
BURNLEY78
I suspect that your daughter was working there for “pocket money”
Others do so to feed their kids.
Stop being so patronising about what is a real issue for many.
Low wages are a sign of a poor employer,and always have been.
dharma bam \o/ stands up for neil lennon
12:18 on 21 October, 2013
Burnley78,
Seems to me you’re a bit of a mineshafter; some issues/opinions are discussed with which you don’t agree and you think that means everyone hates the board.
As to your last comments, it makes you sound as if you would comfortable speaking at a Tory party conference.
clink\o/
12:19 on 21 October, 2013
Burnley 78
No one has to work at Celtic if they dont want to.
…
Its hard to know where to start on that one.
Maybe a wee look at the jobless figures and inform yourself about how many applications are normally recieved as per job advertised.
podium
big week ahead, Euro d-day and the proper Glasgow derby.
The above was for the benefit of anyone who missed those the last time.
Seems not everyone has a social conscience.
Still,each to their own.
PulltheladderupCSC
Top ten. Pure accident
My 1st “1st” for a considerable time…
reasonstobecheerful csc
The status of workers being paid below minimum wage at Celtic Park is a resigning issue if not remedied.
This is a total betrayal of the ‘ spirit of Celtic’
To me this is the type of behaviour that would be associated with those of Sevconian tendencies.
This is a bigger issue than anything we have had to deal with in recent times.
James Connelly would turn in his grave.
Celtic Football Club is one of the largest employers in Glasgow, has been since the start of the Fergus McCann era, and no doubt has a quorum of workers who are Celtic supporters.
But there are hundreds of employees working there ( not because they want to ) trying to earn a living, marginally staying off the dole queues, and who otherwise wouldn’t have a sniff of a job.
Pay the going rate Celtic remember the poor, nobody works for nothing.
I’ve just read Phil’s latest and find it hard to believe but for the sake of £120K per annum we cannot pay our staff The Living Wage. I have voted yes to this proposal but I’m afraid to say if the Board vote this down they will receive no more of my hard earned cash.
At present and for the foreseeable future our Club is going to be “cash rich” and £120k is a drop in the ocean compared to the inflated wages that are being paid to some of our players to warm a bench!
PAUL67
I am not so sure that there is the same pressure on Ajax that there is on Celtic.
A defeat for Ajax will not be perceived as a fatal blow to their post-Christmas expectations.
It will,though,make ours highly unlikely.
That in itself,allied to the plethora of missing first-picks,cranks up the pressure a tad.
But,as you say,we are at our best in these situations. So…..
MONTHEHOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!!
………………………………………..Forster…………………………………………
Lustig…………………….Van Dijk………Ambrose…………………Izaguirre
…………………….Kayal……………..Mulgrew……………………Ledley……..
…………Forrest……………………..Stokes………………..Samaras………….
BMCUW
Some have a conscience, some don’t
Some like the board, some don’t
Some support our club through everything, some don’t
Some have the need for attention, some don’t
From previous:
Burnley78
12:11 on
21 October, 2013
Ticket Office staff are expressly forbidden from accepting tips.
The living wage has been calculated as just that, a wage that provides an acceptable living standard.
I’ve worked minimum wage, when it’s what I could get between proper jobs. It’s an absolute grind, and you can’t afford even minor perks to brighten it.
BMCUW it should be a given that our club pays all staff a fair wage. That they don’t is a source of embarrassment and is contrary to the ethos of Celtic.
Apologies, dots moved Izzy and Ledley.
From previous
Corkcelt
At the moment the weather isnae too clever with heavy rain forecast, however up here you never know. You will be covered and will have the warmth of the lounges and the drink to keep you and Mick in fin fettle. Planning to head in to town early, so will be topped up by the time we meet…I will apologise in advance for any state or anything that may be said.
Getting a flight from Glasgow at 6am on Wednesday morning! Could be a rough few days. See you tomorrow mo chara.
Oldtim
Ring you later, how are you? Saw your FB post.
Kikinthenakas
Ernie Lynch at 11.37
“If the SFA had acted correctly we would have had Champions League money that could have been used to pay a living wage for decades to come.”
Well put! Shows there are off the field consequences also to the SFA’s inability to follow it’s own rules.
The “living wage” issue is not restricted to a few unscrupulous employers
How many employers actually use it as a benchmark?
In all, 277 employers so far, which is very few. They include insurance giant Aviva and accountancy firm Deloitte.
Of course, some firms may have no need of such a benchmark, as they pay all their staff above that level anyway.
But plenty of employers pay less.
Accountancy firm KPMG (which supports the living wage idea) reported that 20% of all workers in the UK, nearly five million people, are paid below it. In September 2013, the left-leaning think tank the Resolution Foundation came up with a similar number, reporting that 4.8m people earn less than the living wage.
Burghbhoy
Why are you mentioning James Connelly ? Because of his socialist beliefs or because of his republican beliefs ? (Just for clarity).
BMCUWP, thanks for reposting my reply to Burnley78
Lustig and Izzguirre both trained today.
As for the cash numbers;
How much is it, exactly?
The living wage is now set at £8.55 an hour in London and £7.45 an hour in the rest of the UK.
By comparison, the national minimum wage is significantly lower. From 1st October, 2013 the national minimum wage will be £6.31 an hour for adults, and £5.03 for those aged 18 to 21.
This is a MUST WIN for us, no two ways about it.
I think we will.
Me and the daughter sent off the resolution slips for the AGM on Saturday.
Must say I felt a wee bit proud to be part of a group who put their shares up for use and are actually asking the questions we all want addressed
Thanks Canamalar and Auldheid.
Brother Walfrid is well served, it was good to vote for a living wage for our folk.
…finally
Some supporters of better pay for the low-paid also argue that employers who pay their staff too little are in effect benefiting from taxpayers, who subsidise the low wages of their staff by paying their employees top-up state benefits such as tax credits.
If basic pay levels were higher on average, so the argument goes, then the state would save a fortune in benefits.
James Connelly was an organiser first and everything flowed from that.
Burnley 78
You don’t “get” Celtic if you believe the tripe you have posted regarding payment of a living wage. Hang your head in shame.
Competitive Record v Dutch Clubs
29.09.65 ECWC Go Ahead Deventer A W 6-0 Lennox 3 (26, 56, 70), Hughes (29), Johnstone 2 (48, 78) 18223
07.10.65 ECWC Go Ahead Deventer H W 1-0 McBride (12) 14723
Agg:- 7-0
06.05.70 ECF Feyenoord N L 1-2 AET Gemmell (30) 53187
10.03.71 ECQF1 Ajax A L 0-3 54862
24.03.71 ECQF2 Ajax Hampden W 1-0 Johnstone (28) 83684
Agg:- 1-3
15.09.82 EC Ajax H D 2-2 Nicholas (14 pen), McGarvey (27) 56229
29.09.82 EC Ajax A W 2-1 Nicholas (33), McCluskey (88) 65000
Agg:- 4-3
08.08.01 CLQ1 Ajax A W 3-1 Petta (7), Agathe (20), Sutton (55) 51324
22.08.01 CLQ2 Ajax H L 0-1 58575
Agg:- 3-2
19/08/2010 ELPO/1 FC Utrecht H W 2-0 Juarez (18) Samaras (33) 35755
26/08/2010 ELPO/2 FC Utrecht A L 0-4 18000
Agg:- 2-4
P 11 W 6 D 1 L 4 F 18 A 14
ROBCFC11
The first three lines are a given.
The last one is a bit puzzling,as a need for attention can shooooorly be better served on a different topic than the club doing the decent thing by their staff.
Apart from anything else,low wages leads to low morale and high staff turnover.
This results in poor customer service and higher training costs. It is penny wise and pound foolish,and bloody immoral into the bargain.
IMO.
Ernie Lynch got it right earlier…..Celtic cant pay a living wage….but they can pay PL a big bonus….shocking.
What this Celtic board is going to find out very soon, is that the supporters have a better grasp of morality and compassion than they ever will.
PL hang your head in shame.
I have nothing but contempt for the money grabbing old firm agenda that the board is chasing…I will have no part in it.
The Celtic board have no shame, and are starting to behave like….well, you don’t need me to tell you…its clear
HH
proudbhoy
07:25 on 21 October, 2013
Long shot here
Good mate of mine had flights to derry booked and has decided to stop in amesderdam for the cetic game to meet up with some pals he hasnt seen in a few years.
He’s travelling fom australia and because he hasnt been home to see the hoops in a few years is finding it difficult to get a ticket.
Long journey from australia and prob his last again for a few yrs so would love for him to get to the game.
If anyone comes across a spare please consider him, contact paul67 on here or my email if need be.
Thanks
Speaking to a few of my Ajax supporting colleagues this morning they are very confident, overly so, of beating us tomorrow. The general consensus being that we offer absolutely no threat up front and will sit back to defend in depth and hope to create something on the counter. ‘Celtic do not play proper football anymore’ was one opinion offered! Surprisingly most Groningen supporters seem to want Ajax to beat Celtic also; even in we have VVD in the team.
DHARMA BAM
There were three in a row in a similar vein. Had to be done!
Might also be the first time we’ve had five posters on the podium instead of three….
Hello Friends.
Can anyone suggest a pub in Milan to watch the game tomorrow?
Cheers,
M.
A win against Ajax would be a major result for us.
I reckon it will be very tight, and unfortunately the ref could yet again be a deciding factor.
It’s hard to decide who’s worse: the hand-picked SFA ones or their hand-picked UEFA equivalents.
robcfc11
Connelly was a socialist whose motivator was justice for the working man & woman .
It is in this context I mention his name
Hail Hail
European memory lane.
I still love this moment even though the Celtic fan was wrong. This moment appears at number 4 in the greatest ever dives/cheats.
4. Dida’s Dive – Celtic v. AC Milan, UEFA Champions League, October 3, 2007.
Circumstances: Celtic were hosting reigning European Champions, AC Milan, and were on their way to a huge 2-1 victory at Celtic Park. A fan entered the pitch and ran past AC Milan goalkeeper, Dida, tapping the Brazilian keeper on his shoulder. Dida, incensed that someone would have the audacity to lay a finger on him, ran after the fan.
However, the delayed effects of this vicious assault took its toll on the former Brazilian #1, and Dida collapsed in a heap after running a few steps in pursuit of his attacker. Dida clutched his face in pain, as it was clear that the tap on the shoulder was so powerful that the pain had traveled all the way to his face. He was even stretchered off the pitch and substituted.
Clearly, Dida’s attacker, later identified as Robert McHendry, was a master of the Five-Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique from “Kill Bill.”
Looking forward to tomorrow night! Should be another fantastic occassion and superb victory.
Any Celtic shareholder be they large of small who can pass the statue of Brother Walfrid and raise their head with pride can on the way out of Celtic Park having voted with the clubs founding principles can raise there heads and look the man in the eye with pride. As for any who do not vote along the lines of our clubs founding principles then hopefully they take theitr coats with them and never darken our door again.
MWD