Sky have reported that Celtic have accepted a £5m bid from QPR for Gary Hooper. Gary is in the final year of his contract and has declined to sign a new deal which has been no offer for almost a year now.
It will surprise some, perhaps including the player, that an English Premier League club have not made a move, but QPR have the cash to compete with most in the top flight, so the financial rewards for the player will be comparable.
For Celtic the proposition is simple, if the player is not going to extend his stay beyond this season, and an offer matching valuation is received, it is better they know where they stand as early in the transfer window as possible. We’ll know soon enough if the player wants to move. As we said about Victor, it’s always hard to lose a good one, but I’ve yet to meet someone who would walk away from a deal north of £50k per week, so fair play to Gary, whatever he decides.
Neil Lennon had never hid his admiration for the player but the Celtic strategy is clear enough. If Gary decides to move it’s all about finding the right replacement, they days of slavishly watching players run down their contracts are over.
Have you done your thing for 1254125 yet? The supporters group working with Celtic Charity proposed we get as many as possible signed up to running a 10k, hoping each person can raise £125. We’ve teamed up with The Great Scottish Run on Sunday 6 October and extended the scope a bit, to include those who don’t quite have the legs for 10k.
On Saturday 5 October, The Great Scottish Run also organise supporting events you can enter and raise your £125:
100m Toddler Dask (0-5 yrs)
1.5k Mini Run (5-8 yrs)
2.5k Junior Run (9-15 yrs)
Family Mile (Adults and children from 3 yrs)
If you are particularly fit, you can enter the Half Marathon on the Sunday. It is going to be a great family weekend. If you know a kid who is keen to participate and get involved in 1254125, let them know.
If the legs won’t support you for 10k, you can gingerly make your way along the Family Mile.
To sign up you need to register with The Great Scottish Run first. Register here if you are participating in the 10k or Half Marathon, and here if you are participating in the Saturday events, then register here with Celtic Charity (scroll down the page until you see Great Scottish Run).
Just over 10 weeks to go, get your application in and get every Celtic fan you know with a pair of trainers to sign up. I’m doing the 10k, so will be out running tonight…….
[calameo code=0003901713852289beccb lang=en page=52 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
796 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- ...
- 21
- »
….PFayr
21:42 on
24 July, 2013
djmccormack
Winning the SPL is a given ….we could win it with half the squad we have
No CL football ….poor season ahead
——————————————————————-
It’s a balance isn’t it? I agree 100% with you. Winning the SPL is the bare minimum. So every decision at PH is a balance between maintaining a squad good enough to compete but also securing financial gains. We MUST produce off the field to be able to compete int the long-term on the field.
What is the criteria for a successful season this year? Domestic treble + CL group stage?
Evening Gents
I for one will be gutted to see Hooper leave, espec if its for a QPR. I understand the £££ for us and him but it’s a sore yin!!
He scored in big games & had the bottle required of a Celtic striker, I’d keep him until the last week of the window. Does anyone know if we’ve offered to put him on par wi Broonaldo & Ledley wage wise?
We have no forwards even close to his finishing ability – the stats do not lie.
Stokes is slow, selfish & always offside so those saying he could step up must have been watching someone else. He will never cut it above SPL level. Why were the Irish quick to dispose of him? Coz Trappatoni saw this early doors.
HH
djmccormack
Why sell when you don’t have to
Bada Bing, I merely sought to ascertain whether you were in the negotiations or not. If you weren’t then you are guessing. That is fine but it doesn’t provide concrete evidence regarding Hooper and Celtic’s handling of the matter.Therefore you may wish to temper your ccriticism.
Really like the new away kit but still absolutely loathe the new home shirt. In fact I hate it more than the abomination that was the bumble bee strip. Still can’t understand how someone could mess up an iconic design so badly. So new away kit (no sponsor) to be ordered as soon as it becomes available.
The signing deadline for the next round of the CL is at 2300 Thursday.
If another striker hasn’t been purchased by that time tomorrow and registered for the CL, then it would be utterly suicidal to let Hooper leave (providing he wants to go to QPR) until after the completion of the Elfsborg ties.
Jungle Jim
Couldn’t agree with you more.
Hooper will be missed far more than Wanyama. He has developed from a poacher to a proper forward over the last 18 months.
HH
….PFayr
21:48 on
24 July, 2013
Canamalar
I’m fed up with it ..
How fans can be happy with us selling our best players before the most important games if the season is beyond me
No debt last year ….yet some seem happy for us to make even more money …what for ??
————————-
Net debt last year was +£2.7m.
We made a loss of over £7m.
How long do you think we could keep that up?
djmccormack
How can you compete on the field by selling your best players ..
You’ve clearly been take in with the balance sheet bollox …we will not agree on this
Lost better strikers than Hooper.
Get the cash and put an end to this . Boring now. Gurantee Celtic will have a striker lined up just asggood. That goes with Vic as well. We’ll be better and strong. Look what happened after we banked money fir aiden
praecepta
Ok,, ill flip the coim and give you this scenario.
Celtic stand firm and keep Hooper and VW for CL duties.They tell al intrested clubs no business will be done until CL qualification is assured.
Hooper goes on to scores a scintilating hat-tirck next week to render the tie over while VW gives a man of the match performance bossing the midfield.
Interested parties may then find they have to dig a little deeper to secure their man.
“I fell in love with a club and team that played the beautiful game not the beautiful balance sheet.”
When we look at a beautiful building, we admire all that we can see. We don`t admire the foundations but the beautiful building would soon crumble without them.
Even so, as the foundations (at Celtic) are obviously there, I am not sure that we really need to keep speaking of them.
JJ
djmccormack
Your the only guy that thinks we had a poor financial year last year
Your figures are not as I recall it
WeefratheTim
21:47 on 24 July, 2013
Guys, I stood in the ole jungle with my late bro in law, a brother of a Celtic great, and listened to all the experts around us who would have this player and that player. The biggest laugh we ever had had, were the comments when Big Jock signed Willie Wallace. There was an outcry in the jungle. So, all you experts are, of course welcome to your opinions, as the bhoys in the jungle were then, but why do we not trust our custodians to do the correct thing. The game is all about opinions, are we are all entitled to them. Remember, “We are Celtic Supporters faithful through and through”. This Board will take us as far as they can within our economic climate. Imho.
………………………………………………………………………………………
WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WGS
Hope you’re right …I won’t bet on it tho
I’m I the only one who thought that when Cliftonville did the hundle we should have joined in??
the fans I mean….
Local paper now reporting over 30 killed in spanish train crash.
Very sad loss of life.
Suttons Volley
…..and I agree with you re Hooper`s development over eighteen months. There was a significant improvement. Cheerio all.
JJ
….PFayr 21:44 on 24 July, 2013
“Why not sell him in January …and get a replacement in at the start of this season…preparing us for the CL qualification.”
Because Celtic were obviously hoping Hooper would sign the deal. We were still in the Champions League as well – there was no way he was going to be sold while we were in four competitions.
“Also VW has been sold for weeks …no replacement …”
I not so worried about that as any replacement is unlikely to play in these qualifiers. We have brought in three players and none of them started in the Cliftonville games – admittedly for different reasons.
But it is best to go with a settled team in these games. That was another reason why I feel we should have held our squad together for a bit longer.
Canamalar 1
Agree with you to an extent. Growing up and watching the Lisbon Lions each week most of us never gave finances a second thought. We then went totally off the rails and almost went into liquidation. Since then Celtic supporters have always had one eye on ‘finances’. Sadly, we must always be wary that we don’t fall into that position ever again.
Since those days football has changed dramatically and not for the betterment of the game:
1. The Bosman ruling has seen the switch of power from the clubs to individual players. This has seen clubs spending spral out of control as they compete to secure the best players and paying huge transfer fees and huge weekly wages.
2. The emergence of SKY pay per view et al to watch top class games live on TV. This has disadvantaged BIG clubs (like Celtic) with huge supports who find themselves playing in countries with small populations. This has led to clubs in the top 5 countries having huge amounts of money to spend on improving their teams.
3. The emergence of the Champions League as opposed to the European Cup and the admission of teams who are not Champions of their countries but play in the Big 5 Leagues. This has lessened the chances of teams like Celtic, Steaua Bucharest and Red Star ever winning the competition again due to its artificiality as a competition.
4. The emergence also of super wealthy businessmen and groups coming into ownership of clubs (abramovich, Berlusconni etc) in the Big Leagues – Man City, Chelsea, PSG allied to the Spanish Banks writing off the debts of Real Madrid and ‘buying’ their training ground, effectively giving them £100 million to buy players with some years ago.
These are the factors that have Paul 67 and many other guys on here keeping a wary eye on finances and which are the drivers behind your quest to find out why our Board did not pursue being cheated out of entry to the CL when our rivals at that time were given a licence today in it while they had not submitted accounts properly.
john o neil
21:50 on 24 July, 2013Bada Bing, I merely sought to ascertain whether you were in the negotiations or not. If you weren’t then you are guessing. That is fine but it doesn’t provide concrete evidence regarding Hooper and Celtic’s handling of the matter.Therefore you may wish to temper your ccriticism.
No ,i’m quite comfortable with it.
pfayr 21.26 and 21.29. correct on both points my friend .
twists n turns 21.36 also correct .
as it stands at the moment we are a lot weaker than we were this time last year , at least until we find out how our new bhoys will fare , but as yet they have a bit of convincing to do . And as pf stated we will miss victor heaps . he was a tough bhoy , the kind we have needed for a long time . I am not going to slag the custodians of the club yet ,as I think we may have some business pending , but on the day when our rewards were announced for reaching the top table, and if any other incentive is needed to strengthen and aim for more of the same , and is not followed through ,then questions will have to be asked .
jimtim
Pfar
Hooper and Vic just signed an extra year extension on improved wages and stayed this season with cl football again, they would have got s bigger club. Been badly advised in my opinion. One more season, they would have had their pick.
Celtic will move on I expect at least two strikers now, one before qualifier. Left winger, left back plus replacement for Vic.
Actually think when Matthews back big lusting will be centre half with Virgil and Kelvin.
TnT,
I took an English work colleague to game last night, an Aston Villa season ticket holder.
In the 15mins Rogic was on the park, he commented he looked a player.
He also though Kayal looked the part in the 1st half ?
Questioned Forrest on his reluctance to go round the outside of the defence ?
And Finally was in awe of the Green Brigade, and must have sent about 20 pics to friends down south, boasting about atmosphere they created.
WeeFra, faithful through and through, absolutely, unfortunately for me though, will still not fund the SFA if we get a game at Hamdump – my choice and protest
Hail Hail
Heres a suitable replacement for Hooper
_____________________________
Manchester City are among four clubs keeping an eye on the Leo Messi tax fraud allegations, according to reports in Portugal.Portuguese newspaper A Bola claims Messi is unhappy with a perceived lack of support from Barcelona as he’s come under investigation by Spanish authorities for tax fraud.And Manchester City are one of four teams monitoring developments, well aware of the player’s gigantic €250m release clause.
Anzhi Makhachkala, Paris St Germain and Monaco are the three other teams credited with an interest.
….PFayr
http://www.celticfc.net/downloads/Annual%20Report%202012.pdf
Annual Report for year end June 30 2012. Just read the highlights page (page 4) and you’ll get the numbers.
As for your argument “yet some seem happy for us to make even more money …what for ??” – if you take that to its logical conclusion we would never improve. Ever. We would only sell when “we had to” by which time its too late.
Am I happy about losing top talent? No.
Do I think that supporting a club with a strong financial base will stand us in good stead for the future? Yes.
Connected to this: do you think Wanyama WANTS to stay at Celtic on a base level contract? He wants to play in the PL, simple as.
They all want to earn as much as they can, while they can. Nobody can begrudge them that.
We need players at Celtic who want to be there, who give their all every single week.
.
All Hail Hail King George..
Summa of MyBhoyGeorgiousCSC
Ideally Hooper would sign a new contract and continue to score goals but if his mind is made up to leave for whatever reason(s) then let hm move on. He is only a loss for next weeks match if you could state with certainty his heart would be in it
PF
Dj is correct in saying we lost 7.37m. However, both Peter Lawell and Ian Bankier stated that part of the reason for that was player investment to allow us to compete on the highest platform. They praised the squad that had been assembled talking of the future development of the team. Now, the statement was released in September, and was proven to be accurate, since we progressed to the last 16.
The question I am left with now , is, has the plan changed? Selling vic and Gary suggests so, unless there are going to be moves to bring in a top class midfielder and 30 goal striker very soon.
Bada, comfortable being critical about Celtic? So be it.
One other worrying aspect is the statement that kelvin is not for sale, unless forest up their offer. I’ve been crying out for a partner for kelvin, and now it seems to me that if an offer of 3 million or so comes in, he’s off as well.
Night bhoys HH
To the clowns and queers like canamaler who dis the board RE players run along and support some other team to sell wanyama for 12 mill and hooper for 5 mill. When we sold king kenny for 400 k. Get real we have sold 2 average players for 17mill There will be another 2 who will fill their jerseys who will be better and they will also be sold thats the real world of business but some of the clowns on here could nor run sweepstake never mind a business. What part of I AM A CELTIC SUPPORTER IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO WE SELL DONT U KNOW
Sure ye kin compete by selling yer good Players.
It kin Be done..
And Celtic, wull Prove it.. if ye jis wait a Wee Bit.
Selling Good Players is Perfectly ..well..Logical.
Think Aboot it.
Fur Naebuddy wants tae Bid fur No sae good Players..
So..If Ye wanna Mak a Bit of Dough..
Ye MUST sell Yer Good Players..
Noo tak a Look at Celtic’s NO So Good Players… Good Journeymen , Experienced Guys,but Guys who wull Never mak us a Brown Penny oan the Transfer Market.
Sammi… Is anybuddy Breaking Doon the Doors of Paradise tae Grab Him,,,,?
Lustig…..Is Anybuddy Ditto… Ditto..and Ditto.
Mulgrew.. Is Anybuddy Ditto Ditto ..and Ditto.
Stokesy.. Is Anybuddy Ditto Ditto, .and Ditto
Kayal….. Ia Anybuddy Ditto Ditto ..and Ditto
Broonie.. Is Anybuddy Ditto.Ditto and Ditto.
Commons..Is AnyBuddy Ditto Ditto and Ditto.
It is Jist the way the World Works..
Everybuddy Luvs a Winner..
Noo Wanayama and Hoops are Good Players
But..
They Kin and Wull Be Replaced..
And Mair Importantly..
They wullnae be MISSED..
Ah know that sounds Hard tae Believe..
But.. Again..
That’s Life.. That’s Always bin the Way..
Ah hiv Not the Slightest Qualms in Seeing Hoops and Wanyama Leave..
Good Luck, Guys.. and..
Don’t Tak any Wooden Nickels!
Celtic, wull Survive and Blossom ,tae, whithoot them.
Canny wait tae See how we dae agin the Germans .
Kojo
Still, Laughin’
Boy, the Tims are passionate! What fervour we all have. Celtic will invest.
DJMCCORMACK
That would have been largely wiped out in one go by the sale of Ki.
Celtic Champs Elect
You really are a fekn eejit.