It’s been six weeks since Celtic have had something to play for: 1 May, a five goal win over Dundee. Since then we wound down the remaining Premiership games before cranking up a fortnight ago at our new second home in Paisley, but it all comes into focus on Wednesday at Celtic Park, when we are expected to humble apparent Champions League whipping boys from Iceland.
People at Celtic have complained for years about having to play such important games in the middle of July, but I’ve never bought that argument. If we have to face Legia-type opposition later this month, we can’t have an early enough test. The challenge is known, it’s the responsibility of the club to be ready.
Stjarnan are likely to be the least resourced team we will face this summer, but if we get a comfortable win on Wednesday, these two games, as well as the friendlies against Eibar and Rennes, should provide ample opportunity to physically and tactically ready for the real test.
A few weeks back we discussed the game of brinksmanship involving Greece and it’s analogy in Scottish football, “Those sitting at the Syriza side of the table know they may be marching their citizens off the edge of a cliff”.
8 days ago Tsipras won his referendum mandate but quickly accepted that you can’t play poker if you don’t have any cards, never mind aces. I wondered if he hoped to ‘lose’ the referendum. I wonder if others hoped the SFA would find ‘against’ them a few months back. As we mentioned, it was “one of the classic failures of leadership – telling people what they want to hear in order to gain power, without any way of delivering on the promises made”.
If the Greeks had said ‘Yes’ Tsipras could have capitulated, blaming the will of the people. If the SFA said ‘not Fit and Proper’, others could have declined to invest, blaming Peter Lawwell and his ‘cronies’ at Hampden. I’m sure you could write the script yourself.
Populism’s easy, until you are given control, then it’s harder than granite. We’ll see the same lesson played out in Scottish football in the months to come. You need five aces in your hand to play poker with a billionaire, even then, don’t make assumptions.
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Auldheid, thanks bud. The problems are known and there are ways to get around this.
However, you are correct in another way.
When the season/s start the choice is awesome, Phoenix for instance will offer whole screeds of links/games.
The hardware in these wee boxes are just about the best out there at the moment…the only limitation will be your broadband speed.
Only other limitation i would guess is if you liked to tape stuff from Sky/Virgin to watch later…then perhaps this is not for you..so don’t bin your package too hastily or your better half might not forgive you.
The Board giveth and the Board taketh
At the AGM of November 2014 the Chairman of Celtic Plc misled shareholders on the issue of the Living Wage
Although every employee who had previously been paid below the current Living Wage rate of £7.85 per hour will now be paid this rate from 1st July 2015, from that date these workers will lose their entitlement to the Club’s bonus scheme.
Thus the lowest paid employees of Celtic will not be included in the Club’s bonus scheme but we understand this scheme will continue for management and directors.
Celtic is NOT an accredited Living Wage employer so are under no obligation to ensure that these employees continue to be paid the Scottish Living Wage
The fight for Celtic FC to become an accredited Living Wage employer goes on. The Celtic Trust will continue to lead that fight and we ask you the Celtic Support to keep giving the campaign the great effort and encouragement you have shown till now.
If you are interested in finding out more read on
In response to a very successful campaign by the Celtic Trust and in the face of a 10,000 signature petition from the Celtic support the Chairman of the Celtic Board announced at the 2014 PLC AGM that the club would consult with full time employees currently paid less the Living Wage rate of £7.85 per hour.
In no way did this “rabbit” from the Chair’s hat come anyway close to meeting the demand, for Celtic FC to become an accredited Living Wage employer as set out in the Trust resolution for the second year running.
However we accepted it as a first faltering step towards a Living Wage for some of our employees and we expected the club to act swiftly and implement their promise. We made it clear that for our part we would continue to monitor the situation
We have done so and raised the matter every time we have met Celtic officials and also regularly in writing to them.
Finally on 19th June we received from the Head of Human Resources at Celtic a written confirmation of the club’s decision to pay a minimum rate of £7.85 per hour to all permanent employees from 1st July 2015.
However in the same paragraph the statement is made that the staff whose pay will rise to the dizzy heights of £7.85 per hour will at the same time no longer be eligible to participate in a bonus scheme currently open to them!
In the club’s view the new enhanced rate is considerably more beneficial to these employees as opposed to a discretionary bonus scheme.
This may be so but it looks like penny pinching of the worst kind.
Forced by pressure from the Trust and the support to agree the rate, which the club can well afford, a decision is made to exclude this group of our lowest paid employees from a bonus scheme which is entirely at Celtic’s discretion as to who is paid anything under the scheme.
Of course there is nothing contractually to prevent the club taking this course of action but it will leave an extremely bad taste in the mouth of the supporters who have backed the claim for the Living Wage in such numbers and with such enthusiasm. We could be forgiven for thinking that the eight months since the AGM in November 2014 have been spent not so much in consultation with affected staff but rather in trying desperately to find ways to do the absolute minimum and even to claw back as much as possible from a group of our low paid workers. In fact Celtic is on record as saying as much in their reply to us
“As you will appreciate, the Living Wage is currently £7.85 per hour. It is not, and in our discussions with the Poverty Alliance they have confirmed that it is not, £7.85 plus bonus or other benefits”
The writer goes on to claim that this fulfils the commitment made by the board at the AGM. It seems to us that they have only done the absolute minimum of what they undertook to do and have completely ignored the strong feelings on the subject expressed by speaker after speaker during the AGM and enthusiastically endorsed from the floor.
Finally we are told that the Celtic workforce “is happy and engaged,” maybe they are but it sounds like management telling us not to interfere and stir up the staff with thoughts of improved wages and conditions.
This issue is not going away and the Trust intends to pursue it in a further resolution to the next Celtic AGM, the text of which will be published in the near future. We ask for the continued support of Celtic fans in this campaign and if you are a shareholder you can do this by endorsing the resolution and voting in favour at the AGM.
The game is on Celtic tv on Wednesday according to liveonsat.com
Austerity- way down south.
Pal in Punta Secca has rented his hoose to an English couple for 4 weeks. Muggins me was volunteered to sort out any problems .
First day – get a phone call .-
” There is no cold water ”
” Hard to get cold water at this time of year – tank on the roof / hot sun etc “.
” How can we have have a cold shower if there is no cold water ? “.
” Do what I do – fill some plastic bottles with water and put them in the freezer and when you want a cold shower, take them out of the freezer and pour the contents on your head – very refreshing .”
” That sounds like work – we didn’t come on holiday to work .We want a discount “.
” Take that up with the owner “
Good to see that Labour has got its priorities right.
As it seeks support on an anti fox issue, it also announces that it will simply roll over and accept Osborne’s cuts.
More proof that we are Better Together.
Scummy boot!!
Scots athlete Lynsey Sharp says sorry after causing online storm with ‘Big Djok Knew’ Tweet
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-athlete-lynsey-sharp-says-6057373
Shared by the Scottish Daily Record App
iOS: http://ads-5.com/sdr/ios/
Android: http://ads-5.com/sdr/android/
HAMILTONTIM
That is an absolute shocker.
I’m no fan of the board,I think most on here know that. One thing I’ve always done though is to give them credit for the finances,even while I don’t like the effect it has on the park and in the stands.
To withdraw money from the wallets and purses of the lowest paid in our club takes some beating. I’m appalled,honestly. Like robbing the poorbox.
Aulheid
Like you, I have installed the Kodi software on my laptop. What I have found is that for some add-on channels, from the US anyway, I require a VPN connection. I got very frustrated trying to find a link to the McGregor fight and eventually used the old pirate web links instead.
Hail Hail
quonno
I was disappointed to hear the news yesterday
However, to characterize the Labour party as being united behind this decision is disingenuous (though I am sure nats are eating it up). There has been outrage within the party, including the majority of leadership candidates.
Secondly, it’s easy for the SNP to be anti-austerity when they will never be making the decisions themselves.
Cot for me,tomorrow I’m gonna hit the pub and dip the charity box.
It makes sense to Pete and it makes sense to me.
Email sent to nike re sharp
I write to express my utter disgust at comments issued by this so called athlete and representative of sport.
Her cheap and totally shamful slur on the reputation and character of the late jock stein in relation to child abuse has no place in sport.
I and all of my friends and family are appalled.
I hope your company will seriously reflect on your involvement with this shamed individual.
We will certainly be watching for your public response and act appropriately.
Thank you
HAIL HAIL
TIMALOY29
Correct.
I posted about 9am or summat that Labour plan to abstain on one aspect and against the rest of the budget. I also pointed out that Harman has no right to make a policy change.
Delanayes dunkeys…
Cheers for the recommendation early. Charlies bar sounds like the shout.
Bmcuw
It’s disgraceful mate, the article’s title says it all.
BHOY67
Do NIKE still have a major sponsor deal with Tiger Woods?
Anyway,offski. Have fun,folks.
auldheid .
Based on years of watching fitba with Moroccans –
Goal = hadaff
Offside = tassalul.
timaloy29
15:41 on
13 July, 2015
quonno
I was disappointed to hear the news yesterday
However, to characterize the Labour party as being united behind this decision is disingenuous (though I am sure nats are eating it up). There has been outrage within the party, including the majority of leadership candidates.
Secondly, it’s easy for the SNP to be anti-austerity when they will never be making the decisions themselves.
As we voted for the Union we will never know how a Scottish government would have handled austerity.
Harriet Harman has allegedly said that Labour attitude to cuts is based on will of the people.
At some future date she might get a chance to try that one on in a referendum about restoring capital punishment
What we are seeing with Labour is the natural outcome of Gordon Brown’s desperate efforts to appease middle England.
OldTim67
happy birthday to you,as Richie says should it not now be OT76 :-),all the very best to you.will catch up soon.
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HamiltonTim
well done on the complete discharge of 5 of the 7.may i ask of the status of the remaining 2 celtic fans?
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Whats in The Stars
a few days ago(sorry i lurk mostly) you were suggesting there is a site where old rebels talked of their part in the rising and its aftermath. Do you have a link my friend as i would find that of interest.
Hail hail one and all :-)
So some airhead made a tasteless remark.
More to the point. Why are folk on here sourcing it from the Daily Record.
quonno errr because it appeared in the DR. H H Hebcelt
HamiltonTim
The Living Wage.
Be careful this does not backfire into being perceived as a Boardhunt.
If the employees are ok with it you might find that hard to argue with.
quonno
Because no other media outlet has reported the sick jibe
That Jordan Speith fellow is going to be the greatest golfer in the history of the sport.
Phenomenal player.
HH.
quonno
I agree on the DR. Never look at the site or buy a paper. They are rags and don’t deserve a penny from a true Celtic fan.
Secondly..
“As we voted for the Union we will never know how a Scottish government would have handled austerity.”
Exactly. So we have a nationlist party taking populist stances against decisions they will have no responsibility to make. Trident? They know it’s going through with or without them.
As BMCUWP has said, Harman has overreached and does not speak for the party as a whole. She is not an elected party leader and there appears to be a consensus on the issue against her.
AOW
Rocking good news. Woop HH
Some card trick:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tra1YQEaHaE
HH.
Mr Henrik67
if you suggested kack is being written about kack most would know without thinking it was your Daily Myth purveyor.
no need for links as links are money to the media scum.
you see not even mentioned the used bog rolls name yet i bet most know which paper i am talking of.
HH
naeneedforllinkstokackCsc
an tearmann
It wouldn’t be appropriate to comment at the moment.
Auldheid
I understand what you’re saying but it’s the board who’ve created the current situation. The bonus system was never, ever mentioned never mind being considered part of negotiations.
timaloy29
16:04 on
13 July, 2015
She may not be party leader but she is only spouting the same austerity line as Miliband and Balls did.
Why are there foodbanks in Scotland on SNP’s watch?
8 years running the show now, gone are the days of blaming a big boy of doing it.
Bawsman there are foodbanks on everyones watch. H H Hebcelt. The why is a question for a political blog
Quonno
Don’t think it’s fair to assume that either would have supported this or proposed it in a budget if they won.
She’s a rangers fan but didn’t understand what she was typing, who is she trying to kid! Cant say what I think of this ‘female athlete’ on here, Paul would be most upset.
Scully bhoy
Your wasting your time buddy.. He has shown his attitude and opinions enough.
Everyone is entitled to their own..just sad reading on here.
Glasgow to get another Bishop
http://www.rcag.org.uk/
:-)
HH
Hamiltontim
You know I got an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach when I read that about the living wage. Surely we should take some sort of stand as a support, if the majority are willing of course. Perhaps a ban on the purchase of all official merchandise until this action is reversed. Even if it is a minority who take this stance it will hurt them financially, although I don’t know if it will be enough to ender a change of thought. Disgusted por cierto
Finally we are told that the Celtic workforce “is happy and engaged,” maybe they are but it sounds like management telling us not to interfere and stir up the staff with thoughts of improved wages and conditions
So if they are happy and engaged, why are you still pick pick picking, you lot need to change the record, if CFC gave the workers £12 an hour, you lot would still find a problem, this isn’t about the workers if it is? Why aren’t they complaining, it’s all about the TRUST, attention seeking as usual, give the board a break ffs, we have a club to run here, and that’s my opinion, I’ll believe the CLUB before the TRUST any day of the week, let’s start a fight with the board before the season starts? Great idea? You know what why don’t you phone up the DR and give them the story, it will ad to the rest of the glass half full stories on Celtic they have three times a day, seven days a week, just like you lot do with the board.
Well I suppose it’s more mileage on negativity as the blame of Celtic being a partner in the OBA, that’s another myth you lot keep trying, and no ones having it.