Steven Fletcher has his own place in Celtic folklore. We bid for him in January 2009, the player made a public plea to Hibs to allow the deal to happen, but Rod Petrie rejected the approach. Fletcher would go to Burnley at the end of that season for a deal worth around £4m, which seemed eye-watering at the time for a striker who scored 11 goals the previous 12 months.
As Celtic ran out of steam in the spring of 2009 attention turned to what might have been had Fletcher signed. He was the one that got away. The whats, whys and maybes of that time are irrelevant now, but in short, Celtic didn’t value Fletcher at £4m and Petrie reckoned he could get that kind of money in England if he waited.
Before selling to Burnley he didn’t even put the customary call out to Celtic to entice a higher bid. Petrie wanted Hibs to be known as a team who could produce players for the English Premier League – a Hamilton Accies-Lite, if you like. It’s a legitimate strategy.
The player is 28-years-old and now free of the ankle injury which plagued him for over a year. He’s on an astronomical basic wage at Sunderland, who paid north of £10m for his services. Few Scottish footballers will have higher career earnings than him, but that contract ends in June. This season has brought 4 goals from 11 starts for a Sunderland team who sit in a relegation position.
The injury profile makes him a possibility for Celtic. Without it, as a free agent, he would remain in the English Premier League next season (whether Sunderland do or not). His agent will no doubt be shopping him around right now, as will Sunderland, who at the moment will be asking for a consideration to be paid to release him this month.
We must have signed 20 strikers since January 2009, very few as good as Steven Fletcher. I’d take him in a heartbeat.
I’m pleased Anthony Stokes (16 months younger than Fletcher) has a choice of clubs wanting to loan him this month. All three: Dundee United, Inverness and Hibs, would be good places for him. United are a better team than their abysmal points tally indicates, but they are desperately short of strikers. Stokes could transform them. Hibs and Inverness are both clubs looking purposefully towards the second half of the season.
Charity Q&A Night, Carfin
I’m on the (otherwise excellent) Q&A panel at the Xavier Centre, Carfin, on Saturday 30 January alongside two Libson Lions – John Clark and Bertie Auld, Celtic author and sports academic – Dr Joe Bradley, and Fifa referee – Willie Collum.
The purpose of the night is to raise funds for Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust and the Young Adult Ministry. Tickets will be scarce, so if you’d like to attend, call Mick on 07827 975271 soon.
You know when you look at a line-up and just know it’s going to be a great night…..
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Bobby
When it`s 3 in a row “no Champion`s League” ,what then ?
No probs allocating responsibility.but I`d like to be sure that we hit the right spot.
I doubt any single individual can take the rap for the decision to appoint Ronny.
But,tell that to the C.Q.N. scapegoaters.
Celtic are better than this.
Something has to change…………whether we get the over valued treble or not.
The movie was good with some obscure gringo references.
The Big Short…………..G.F.C…….About the evils of capitalists,not,of course,capitalism.
:-0
MACJAY
The Big Short,some people were in position to read the runes,warned of impending disaster-and made some proper money from it. Others treated their warnings with disdain and contempt,happy with the way things were-and lost their shirts.
Same old story,mate!
I’m not happy with where we are,any more than you are. Difference is that you still see a way out of it. I don’t.
We’re too far down the road to turn this round,old bean.
TraincrashCSC
Good morning friends and a Big Happy Matchday Friday from a clear skied, very frosty, very cold and very dry East Kilbride. Hope The Arabs remembered to turn the heating on ;-)
Bobby
I`m convinced that we have quality players who could form a team capable of not being embarrassed in the C.L.
Where does the buck stop for football teams which are underperforming ?
In the Board room ?
In what way are Celtic F.C. different from virtually every other football team?
Anyway…………..”read the runes” ….good phrase :-)
I just wonder to what extent the runes readers contributed to the catastrophic outcome.
For so many…..people.
The unacceptable face of capitalism………………………..Ted Heath C.S.C.
Would like Ronny to go with Griff & Cole again
Would like Scott Allan to start
What you would like and what you get are different, but in his limited time on the park (partly due to injury) I think Scott Allan gives us that little bit more, his pass for Griff to put him through one on one with Ajax goalie was instinctive, his early ball through to Griff for the 3rd on Sunday was again instinctive…… I think Leigh would score even more with consistent service like this, Scott Allan plays the ball early and our no.1 striker would thrive on this
Ronny give the bhoy a game
Celtic on a Friday night….magic start to the weekend
I too wouldn’t be disappointed if we put out the same 11 that started on Sunday against Stranraer but with the following changes – Gordon back in goal and Allen in for Commons. Anyway, work calling so be nice y’all.
JOBO BALDIE on 15TH JANUARY 2016 7:25 AM
Good morning friends and a Big Happy Matchday Friday from a clear skied, very frosty, very cold and very dry East Kilbride. Hope The Arabs remembered to turn the heating on ;-)
==========================================================
And a good evening to you,Jobo.
Hope it will be.
The game`s on live at 6.45 am tomorrow.
Must whet my appetite with a modest libation.
Jobo,
that’s a piss poor weather report….
it’s fucking cold….;-))
H.H.
THELURKINTIM
Made me laugh there,mate. Not wise wi a lungful of smoke…
That rite Jobo
….u don’t do forecasts……smart ;-)).
it’s fuckun freezin ;-))
H.H.
MACJAY 734
Said it before,mate-not one of our outfield players would be a first-pick in any of our teams from the last two decades.
We lack pace,balance,quality and leadership.
Libation,you say? I’m in. I need one just thinking about my antipodean correspondence in the last few hours!
Ek is way above me in Central Scotland…..too bad ;-))
H.H.
Lurking Tim
aye ok,
I did my bit for society this morning
Wee guy on train usually gets off at Newton but fell asleep on the train. I was going to wake him up until I saw his rankers flask. Woke him up at Exhibition centre in case he missed his stop.
Happy Friday :-)
BMCUWP,
Celtis is, as Celtic does
They’re our team no matter wat ;-))
H.H.
BT that’s poor……shoulda left that cun’t to wake up late ;-))
H.H.
Gerryfaethebrig
I liked the opening 5 words of your post above. .
Would like ronny to go…..
Yahoo I thought anudder brudder sees the light. ..but alas no
NEILBHOY on 15TH JANUARY 2016 6:54 AM
Interesting comment from Weefratim about foxes last night which wound me up a bit.
Calling them murdering bassas, total vermin, horrible creatures etc and peddling the usual myth about them killing for fun.
May I suggest you watch the excellent David Attenborough video and that may improve your understanding of this animal.
————————————————
No animal should be killed for fun.
Not suggesting for a second that this poster does that, but you are right; this is exactly the argument that the ” tally ho” set use.
HH.
–
BT …..naw…..no matter wat……u couldv’e changed a mind ;-)). naw asking the IMPOSSIBLE ;-))
H.H
Naw that’s poor…..shoulda sed next stop’s Champions League ;-))
H
H.
WITS
Not yet but the day is getting closer, I am hoping 2016 brings Ronny some trophies and a CL qualification, maybe one day you will revert back and get Ronny for a second time
Off to work
Ronny change your system or you might end up changing your job
Cqn
.anti fox hunting clique. .join up join up.
Hitler was a vegetarian, never forget that.
What’s the relevance in that. I don’t know but there is lots of relevance in the circus.
Or is that lots of elephants in the circus. ?
THELURKINTIM
Mailed ya,bud!
Guys
Weefra has a smallholding in the wilds of Lanarkshire and relies on his poultry for an income as he sells free range eggs as well as brining the lambs through the snow filled spring season
He doesn’t shoot foxes for fun but does if they try to get to his poultry
He is as far away from a land owner than you could imagine
WITS…..first time response…..naw…..IRRELEVANCE is the order of today ;-))
H.H.
Gerryfaethebrig
We won’t qualify for the champions league with ronny. ..However if we do I will take my hat off. …just my hat mind you! !
Bmcuwp…..ffs need to open another page.
…,-(( i ‘mcrying
H.H.
Wits
If The Barca Mole makes contact tell him Marspapa the shadow and I will be out for game this evening in PV
Possibly paulosboots depending on when he finishes work
Tell him wee Rab (his brothers pal) will also be there.
Regards
Open to all.com
Please God, don’t let Wee Fra read back…..
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on 15th January 2016 8:32 am –
To avoid any misunderstanding.
And To reitterate : it was never suggested that Weefra kills foxes for fun.
But as WITS mentioned the circus : there are certain sets of people who dress up as clowns who think they are entitled to kill foxes for their pleasure using the reasoning listed. And the argument ” you just don’t understand”
Hail, Hail.
It’s squirrels that are the real danger.
BLANTYRETIM
I’ve texted TBM but I reckon he’s in Wales-could be wrong…
Anyone started the rumour that we won’t be singing anyone till Stokes makes up his mind and we know the wage deal?
More selective hearing being on the way….
Football fans should combat abuse by reporting “anything which makes them uncomfortable”, a senior Police Scotland officer has said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35317169
Sydney Tim
“The Celtic team in 2009 was dead on its feet , we needed a striker.”
I’ve said before that that particular narrative does not add up.
Yes, we blew a commanding lead gained in November and December. We blew it fairly quickly but this “dead on its feet” team still beat Rangers in the LC final in March and overhauled Rangers on the league run-in, after they had got to the top position. This was not like the slow steady collapse of league form we suffered in the 80s to Aberdeen post-Xmas. This was a loss of form, and then a recovery to put us as masters of our own fate with only 2 games to go. Win both those games, away to Hibs and at home to Hearts and we win the title. Yes the last two games were of the “dead on its feet” variety, though the last home game really did not matter. It was down to that one fixture at Easter Road where we failed to score, or create much, against a fairly limited Hibs (including our putative saviour, Fletcher, who was more dead on his feet that day than any of ours were).
But this was not one long slow decline from a failure in January transfers; it was a decline, followed by a recovery, and then in our final 5 games against the top 6 we had a home win against United, an away win in Aberdeen and a 1:0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox which still left us ahead in the league race with 2 games to go.
Incidentally, the big signing demand at the start of that year was for a replacement left back for the “losing form” Lee Naylor, not for a striker. But that whole season was characterised by an increasing level of fractiousness towards our manager, who had just completed 3 in a row.
Aff into work now
NOT!!!!
Weefrathetim
http://viz.co.uk/farmer-palmer/
So, will there be any traps set in Dundee the night for the singers of the songs ?
TROH ?
TBOTOB ?
RITG ?
etc….
Why do these songs need to be sung ?
So that the singers can say that, their not sectarian…their political ?….so, polis better no try to stoap us or, we’ll work Jeanette Findlay etc, into early graves…spending hours ?…days ?….weeks ?…months ?….years ?…going to court cases that prove our innocence
Why do the singers of the songs not cut to the chase and say….wait a minute ?…who drafted this ridiculous law ?….Why do we pay these deceitful snakes who sold us out after the shame-game ?…Why don’t we just stop being sitting ducks for a hostile police force and, call out the Celtic custodians to get their hands into ‘they’re’ pockets….pay a fleet of legal eagles to get this snake-eyed-law overturned….then, you can have our support!
Just ain’t no cuteness on any level at Celtic Park…even amongst the fans….so sad.
Sing Celtic songs…..the war is over.
Then again….if the singers were to read this…maybe war will just have begun.
Macjay
Dear Asst. Chief Constable Bernard Higgins,
As a football fan, I was made uncomfortable and offended today by your reference to O** F*** fans in your statement. Kindly subject yourself to a humiliating dawn raid, contact your employers to advise them of your repeated absences for court dates, and confine yourself to a few overnight cell visits followed by a banning order from football.
Yours
SFTB
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 15TH JANUARY 2016 8:06 AM
MACJAY 734
Said it before,mate-not one of our outfield players would be a first-pick in any of our teams from the last two decades.
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You do need a libation,pal.
One example
Leigh is ,in my `umble ,a marvellous striker who would grace any E.P.L. side.
We are replete with internationalists.
We`ll know if and when Ronaldo goes.
Preferably when.