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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…………..Dundee v Celtic postponed again
So RD prefers Cole over Stokes ??
or is one trouble and one izny?
M McGill
Think your second question holds the answer.
dessybhoy-Coe had top training to be a liar,as a Tory MP.Laughable that he wasn’t named in the report.HH
Evening,all.
Wee update on DUBLIN2016
Can everyone interested please contact CLOGHERCELT so he can allocate tickets? Please give CQN moniker as well,thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLOGHER CELT on 13TH JANUARY 2016 1:17 AM
Hi All,
Thanks to Almore and BMCUWPs for holding the fort.
A few short weeks until the big weekend in Dublin!!!
I’ll mail everyone who asked for tickets later today, just to confirm numbers etc.
If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow evening can you let me know if you get the chance?
The date is Saturday the 26th of March 2016, Craobh Chiarain, GAA Club, Parnell Park, Dublin 5.
Music by Celtic Storm.
Can anyone who hasn’t yet mailed, for tickets please contact us at;
dublin2016@mail.com.
Night All,
Clogher
MARGARET MCGILL on 14TH JANUARY 2016 5:39 PM
So RD prefers Cole over Stokes ??
or is one trouble and one izny?
-========================================
I believe your correct,no matter how unfit Stokes is, he would still have been sharper than Cole vs Stranraer,
he was given some credit, but seriously considering opposition,he looked like one of those celebrities who come on for a Testimonial game.
Whoever concluded he was in any way going to enhance the squad needs chased.
Ronny Deila: “Peter and me co-operate in a good way. We have the same goals.”
“All we need now is to score some now and again on the pitch”
BSR-CELTIC’S Fifth Round Scottish Cup tie, against the winners of the East Kilbride v Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale replay, will take place on Sunday, February 7 (KO: 3pm). The venue has still to be confirmed.
As a result, the Hoops’ Premiership match against Dundee at Dens Park, scheduled for the following Tuesday, February 9, has been postponed. A new date for this fixture will be announced in due course.
Never been a fan of Fletcher’s always viewed him to be substandard. Lacks pace, movement, work rate or any real class. However the standard of player has dropped so alamingly over the last few years there’s little doubt he’d improve us. Though that fact would also go for Gary Hooper or even Tony Watt, both of whom I’d have back at the club before taking a punt on Fletcher.
Did Fletcher not wave a substantial sum of his fee to the Hibs development…I might be completely wrong here.
“the thing about Man City is they hardly ever win when they dont score” ..Michael Owen
Ellboy on 14th January 2016 5:53 pm
So he should fit right in then…
As well as being key figure in IAAF when this latest scandal broke….
“In 2006, Coe was appointed the first chairman of FIFA’s ethics commission. FIFA president Sepp Blatter made the announcement in Zurich on 15 September 2006 ” – from Wiki.
I am AMAZED that anyone thinks this guy is a good choice to root out corruption, cheating and malpractice.
BTC appeal to be heard 24/02/16
Margaret McGill o
Alarmingly so, though he may need a shave ;)
Bada
Hmmm…. I see that. The likelihood is that the EK or Lothian tie could be at Celtic Park?
BSR-The clubs would get £82,500 TV money for a start,CP would be an option for EK to make some good money,even 25k halved between us and EK,would give them a good lift.
Warburton says they won’t negotiate for any player,somebody better tell him they have bid twice for O’Halloran………….the WATP attitude is starting to show….
On 2nd January 2016 a regular contributor to this blog takes exception via his Facebook page to being labelled a Hun because his opinion of the present Celtic manager obviously differs to that of those who labelled him as such. As it is I totally agree with the contributors opinion of the manager
Fast forward 11 days and the exact same contributor via one of his regular blogs tells us he considers the likes of Provan Nicholas and a section of the Celtic support to be worthy of the same label as no doubt their opinions on Celtic differ from his own. But hey ho amateur Celtic bloggers don’t do irony or do they
And just another wee observation before I go, if taking a couple of hours out of you day to compose a blog on your own thoughts and updating your Facebook page followed by a couple of hours on the PlayStation is considered a full time job then I will have a bit of that please
The delaying tactics go on…
A date has been set for the liquidators of the ‘oldco’ Rangers Football Club to legally challenge a court decision over the verdict in the Rangers tax case.
BDO will seek leave of appeal to the Supreme Court at the Court of Session on February 24 as they look for permission to attempt to overturn a ruling that payments made under a tax avoidance scheme should have been subject to income tax.
HM Revenue and Customs successfully argued to the court in November that millions of pounds worth of cash loans made to employees of Rangers from 2001 to 2009 should have been treated as contractual earnings.
It had been successfully argued at two previous tax tribunals that the schemes, implemented by Sir David Murray and also used at a number of his other companies, should not have been subject to tax.
In court, HMRC argued the payments had technically been “earned” by employees as they were made as consideration for their services.
The scheme, it was claimed, was “a mere redirection of earnings which did not remove the liability of employees to income tax”.
HMRC’s third attempt was allowed on those grounds, with the court agreeing its argument was correct.
In his verdict, Lord Drummond Young said: “It seems to us to be self-evident that the obligations in the side-letter were part of the employee’s employment package, and provided him with additional remuneration.
“They were negotiated as part of the total employment package. Once it is accepted that the bonus payments represented consideration for a footballer’s services qua employee, it inevitably follows that those payments represented emoluments or earnings of the footballer in question.
“On the foregoing basis, we are of opinion that the sums received by the trustee of the Principal Trust and in due course by the trustees of the sub-trusts amounted to a mere redirection of income and thus constituted emoluments or earnings of the employees in question.
“That accords with common sense. If the law were otherwise, an employee could readily avoid tax by redirecting income to members of his family to meet outgoings that he would normally pay: for example to a trust for his wife … or to trustees to pay for his children’s education or the outgoings on the family home.
“The funds are ultimately derived as consideration for the employee’s services, and on that basis they are properly to be considered emoluments or earnings.”
maybe Stokesy holding out for a loan deal to Man U City Liverpool or Arsenal or maybe even Barcelona where he can partner that young las Messi and give him the benefit of his experience
‘Six figures’ is the new Gers Swoop?
BSR
Wonder if Warbo will swoop for Stokesy?
DD
Now that is a funny thought,…………………. what with his Daa and all ☺️
Bada Bing
Do you think 25K against EK at Celtic Park on telly a realistic figure.
Suppose weekend might bring out more but having been at recent
cup games against Arbroath and Hearts which were not on telly
we never got anywhere near that.
Paul67,
Whoever has told you the ‘inside track’ on the Fletcher shambles is way off the mark. The story told to me (from someone who was privy to negotiations)
Lawwell made contact with Petrie regards a possible deal for Fletcher. Petrie told Lawwell the price. £3m and not a penny less. Anyone who has had dealings with Petrie will know he is a tough negotiator and would also be aware he would not budge when in a strong position (as he was).
Lawwell bid £1.75m. Petrie flatly refused the offer. A couple of hours later Lawwell bid the same amount plus a player surplus to Celtic’s requirements. Petrie now getting irritated, refused the offer and again told Lawwell it was £3m or no deal.
At tea time Lawwell increased the offer to £2m plus the player. Petrie told Lawwell straight not to phone again unless it was £3m straight. A couple of hours later Petrie took Lawwell’s call expecting it to be the acceptable bid. Lawwell offered £2.5m plus the player. Petrie angrily refused the bid and told Lawwell either bid £3m now or he would have no further dealings with him that evening. Lawwell said no trying to call Petrie’s bluff. The conversation ended. Lawwell then waited a couple of hours (circa 2230) before phoning Petrie again to bid the £3m, at which point Petrie’s phone was turned off.
The evnts above were relayed to the then Celtic manager (GS) at the close of the window at which point he remarked “It makes me wonder why (sweary phrase) i’m still here”.
Petrie for what it’s worth, intimated to my colleague circa a month later that Lawwell was never really serious about getting the deal over the line. Petrie told him that Lawwell knew Petrie well enough to know when he was grandstanding or not. Only Lawwell can answer why he procrastinated so long, that he eventually blew the deal and with it our title hopes for 2009.
GS left the club in the summer.
Ten Men Won The League on 14th January 2016 6:59 pm
Sounds about right.
Paul67 et al
Lord Coe must have known about the IAAF cover-up…and yet
Lord Coe is man to get the IAAF back on track, so to speak…
Campbell Ogilvie not available then?
JC2 on 14TH JANUARY 2016 6:59 PM
Bada Bing
Do you think 25K against EK at Celtic Park on telly a realistic figure.
Suppose weekend might bring out more but having been at recent
cup games against Arbroath and Hearts which were not on telly
we never got anywhere near that.
You could be right mate,maybe sensible ticket prices,family deals etc would help,IF it goes to CP HH
JC2
It would depend on pricing. A tenner ticket would sell more.
MICKBHOY1888 on 14TH JANUARY 2016 6:40 PM
On 2nd January 2016 a regular contributor to this blog takes exception via his Facebook page to being labelled a Hun because his opinion of the present Celtic manager obviously differs to that of those who labelled him as such. As it is I totally agree with the contributors opinion of the manager
Fast forward 11 days and the exact same contributor via one of his regular blogs tells us he considers the likes of Provan Nicholas and a section of the Celtic support to be worthy of the same label as no doubt their opinions on Celtic differ from his own. But hey ho amateur Celtic bloggers don’t do irony or do they
And just another wee observation before I go, if taking a couple of hours out of you day to compose a blog on your own thoughts and updating your Facebook page followed by a couple of hours on the PlayStation is considered a full time job then I will have a bit of that please
————————————————–
You sound a bit annoyed by all this. How come? Who cares?
Yet another ‘inside story’,
Wonder when we will get the inside story on what Sally said to Lenny?
Ten Men Won The League on 14th January 2016 6:59 pm
That story will confirm a lot of people’s worst fears about PL. There are always a few who will refuse to believe it of course.
That is not to say that signing Fletcher would have guaranteed us the league but it would have given us a better chance of getting that elusive goal at Easter Rd.
My memory of that game is one of desperation, watching the likes of Lee Naylor trying to get us over the line.
glendalystonsils on 14th January 2016 4:03 pm
but signing liabilities like Derk smacks of desperation.
In Derk’s case it stinks of much more than desperation.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/fletcher-what-might-have-been-what-makes-it-possible/comment-page-3/#comments
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 14TH JANUARY 2016 7:18 PM
Ten Men Won The League on 14th January 2016 6:59 pm
That story will confirm a lot of people’s worst fears about PL. There are always a few who will refuse to believe it of course.
That is not to say that signing Fletcher would have guaranteed us the league but it would have given us a better chance of getting that elusive goal at Easter Rd.
My memory of that game is one of desperation, watching the likes of Lee Naylor trying to get us over the line.
Somebody jog my memory. Would not a goal in either of last two games seen us over the line.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/fletcher-what-might-have-been-what-makes-it-possible/comment-page-4/#comment-2753469
Don’t you just love these blowhards who claim to know the ‘inside track’ and contents of club chairmen’s private telephone conversations? – these Lawwell/Board-haters are wasting their time- they should be working alongside Assange….lol
glendalystonsils on 14th January 2016 7:18 pm
That is not to say that signing Fletcher would have guaranteed us the league but it would have given us a better chance of getting that elusive goal at Easter Rd.
Indeed. If we had signed him then Lawwell could justifiably say we did everything we could to win the league that year. But he didn’t….
FRED QUIMBY on 14TH JANUARY 2016 7:24 PM
Don’t you just love these blowhards who claim to know the ‘inside track’ and contents of club chairmen’s private telephone conversations? – these Lawwell/Board-haters are wasting their time- they should be working alongside Assange….lol
Play the game Fred.
Surely there must be some truth in info coming from somebody’s uncle’s auntie who lives in a semi in Ulan Bator.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/fletcher-what-might-have-been-what-makes-it-possible/comment-page-4/#comment-2753471