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…….
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Artjom Rudnevs is 1.8357893574101010m tall [approx]
Accordin’ to Wiki/EWTB/EWLM he signed for Celtic yesterday, and his squad no is 88.
You can see why the US Army/CIA /DHS/FBI keep a tight rein on the internet.
BT if the bike don’t work go to plan B.
Gene heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers with you and your brothers families.
KTF
HH
My dear,dear,dear,friend… The Singing Detective
Ah disagree wi ye,pal..
Oan the Stokesy.. thingymajig.
Ah wiz maist Unsatisfied wi’ The Stokesy whit Ah saw..
PRE-.. The Recently , contested.. Hibernian , Celtic.. Cup Final
But after Watching His Scintillatin’ And Most Pleasing Performance… that he dished…
in THAT game..
The Stokesy,whit Ah saw in that Game..
Sent Ma Opinion of Him ..Spinning,and Turning… and daeing a Wan Eighty!
Ah liked Stokesy, the wey he Played in THAT GAME..
So much so. . That Ah Noo think that Stokesy is a Likely Lad!
With this Small.. Tiny.. but… Mighty Important..
Proviso…
That STOKESY, frum Noo Oan…. Plays Awe awe his Games fur Us..
Way, Way ..Oot West….oan the LEFT WING… and He is Verboten..
Tae ever… Wander, intae the Middle of oor Attacking Formation.
That is Ma Stipulation..and if It is Met
Ah wull Be Delighted if Stokesy Stays and Plays..
Kojo
Still..Laughin’
If Gary Hooper goes then he’ll have my best wishes. I’ve seen him score some fantastic goals at CP, not least his goals against the deid huns. And, I don’t hold with the line that he was uninterested from January or sporting a petted lip. I’m sure one of our resident statisticians would be able to provide his goals tallies pre and post January.
Whatever you do Gary, good luck to you sir. You made a lot of Tims very happy on so many occasions.
Hail Hail Hoops
I really do not care how tall the striker we, potentially, sign is. He could be as short as Diego or Messi, as average, height wise as Henke or as tall as PVH just as long as he can play football and put the ball in the back of net on a regular basis.
CultsBhoy
You hit the nail on the head.A jack of all trades a master of none.Play him against the cannon fodder of the SPL,or whatever it is called now,before Champion League games and give the main players a rest.IMO
Gene, condolences on the loss of your brother.
Stay strong.
ACGR
Good result last night and a huge well done to the fans for turning up in numbers.
If last night is indicative of season tickets sold, then it looks good.
On a less positive note , I would rather have Gary Hooper in our squad for next week’s game than not in.
I hope we are not waiting until we get the Hooper cash until we sign a replacement.
As we have already seen this season, new signings are a risky business, and it now looks as though due to various circumstances we will face Elfsborgs next week, without any new signings and without two of our top ‘big game’ performers from last season.
I hope my anxiety is unfounded.
One final point.
The talk about Bangura and whether he will play or not is amusing, and puts an unfair pressure on the player.
I trust NL will ask questions to whoever set up the loan, namely, why is there no line in the deal about non facing Celtic?
I suspect he won’t play at CP, but will in Sweden.
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective
Of course, there is a Loatta Trewth in whit Ye hiv Pointed ooot..
And… Ye Know How Ah hate That!
Pal… Ye ur making it tough fur Me..in This
Why don’t ye jist Call me Names and Insult Me .. Like the Ithers?
And No keep Making Sensible arguments , in shooting doon MA Points?
Kojo
Still Laughing
Gene’s a Bhoy’s name
Very sorry for your loss
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever 16:58 on 24 July, 2013
The only fair comparison is SPL goals
———–
Hooper played more games than McGinn last season – his goals helped Celtic win the Scottish Cup and progress in the Champions League. He scored against better opposition thatn McGinn played against … that’s not Niall’s fault, it’s just a fact.
All competitive goals count not just league goals.
Weeminger
I agree with what you say.
I would have thought that the success we had last season might have spurred the suits on for more of the same.
I have no problem with going with what we have, sort of used to it over the years, but to dramaticly weaken the team is madness imo.
We are cash rich presently, we have been told by the board on manys an ocassion that we don’t need euro football to survive, so why not take a calculated gamble, spend a few bob of the extra revenue generated to give at least a fighting chance.
Ernie Lynch…
How Very DARE YOU….?
Using The Term,”Plastic Paddies”…..
Oan This Sainted Blog….!
Enough Tae Give ‘Ena Sharples’ A Fit Of The Vapours…..
Albert Tatlock Gets Beaten Up..AGAIN
An’ A Mushroom Cloud Rises High Over Ru’Glen……
Right….?
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/07/23/vile-u-n-to-honor-marxist-mass-murderer-che-guevara/
ernie lynch 16:52 on 24 July, 2013
“Are you suggesting that the Paddies on here are all of the plastic variety?”
If I was ‘suggesting’ that. I’d state it … if only for your peace of mind.
We shouldn’t be signing a player to play against Elfsborg anyway we should be signing him for the next 4 years. The squad we have at the moment should be more than capable of seeing off Elfsborg especially if Stokesy can find his scoring boots (not the blue ones Tony!). IF we get a new signing in we can hopefully have him up to speed for the 2nd leg but hopefully he isn’t required. I like the look of Dario Cvitanich of Nice, the Argentinian born Croatian. He is at the right age to have good sell on value and obviously knows where the goals are and was joint 2nd top scorer in Ligue 1 last season after Ibra and is experienced after stints with Ajax, Boca and some Mexican team. He would be the perfect foil for a physical player like Amido Balde.
Nothing concrete from Celtic yet about Gary; ‘Sky sources’ will probably be an agent and it will be interesting to see if Norwich now get Delia’s big fat purse out.
Listening to Neil it seems Gary and his advisers feel it is time to go therefore our offer remains unsigned. Considering he only has a year to go £5m or anything north of it is great business.
With two definite first team players now gone I’d like to see two definite first team players signed.
NoprojectsCSC
Lack of foresight re Hooper IMO.If he was going to re-sign he would have long before now.So we are up against the clock to get a new striker in for a vital CLQ? He will have to hit the ground running,without knowing his team mates or formation.Bad planning.
parkheadcumsalford
16:08 on 24 July, 2013
I was thinking that earlier on……we could meet his terms for a 4 year contract, then, sell him at some point over the next 4 years…….
The board and NL have know for sometime that Hoops would not sign a new contract. The delay in his departure is only due to the fact that no established EPL clubs have shown the slightest interest in acquiring his services – a damming indictment on the quality of the SPL in itself . Knowing this, and I hope I am wrong, I believe we have already identified and signed a replacement for Hoops. I have a sneaking suspicion that Balde may be it as far as signing strikers go. Does anyone really believe that we would spend 5+ mill on a striker.
!!bada bing!!
17:24 on 24 July, 2013
Please remember Neil would still like to convince him to stay ..
INFORMATION FOR HOME CUP TICKET SCHEME MEMBERS
Celtic’s reward for their victory over Cliftonville is a tie against Swedish side IF Elfsborg in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
The first leg is at Celtic Park next Wednesday, July 31 and tickets are now on sale.
As a Home Cup Ticket Scheme member, your ticket will automatically be posted out to you and payment will be taken on Friday, July 26.
Tickets for Season Ticket holders are priced:
Ticket Category Price
Adult £20
Concession £10
Under 13 £5
If you have any queries relating to your ticket for this match, please call the enquiry line on 0871 226 1888* (Option 1 | Option 2) or visit the Ticket Office.
The Ticket Office will be open from 9:30am – 5:00pm weekdays, from 9am – kick-off on Saturday (July 27) and 10am-4pm on Sunday (July 28).
Further ticket information
* Calls cost up to 10p per minute, telecoms provider dependent. Mobile and other provider charges may vary.
oglach
17:24 on 24 July, 2013
Agreed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Finnbogason
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/scots-football-recurring-theme-for-alfred-finnbogason-1-2952122
go sign him Peter
ACGR
Gary Hooper’s goals per game ratios for both halves of last season were almost identical as far as I have been able to work out.
Between the beginning of August and the end of December he scored 17 goals.
Between the beginning of January and the end of May he scored 14 goals.
HH!!
My Dear Kojo….
So Stokes Looked Adequate On The Wing….
In One Match…..
Against Hibs….Who Are No Worldbeaters
He Was Playing For His Future…..
And A New Contract …Or A Move….
Because Of His Injury……
No One Had Seen Contribute Very Much At All….
Since The Previous Season…..
It Is Wonderful To See What A Powerful Motivator…..
Self-Interest Can Be…..
Stokes Has Neither The Pace,Trickery…
Or Application….
To Be A Winger…..
Best Revert Tae The Bespoke Beanie Hat..
Wi’ The Propeller Atop….
In The Hopes Of Catchin’ A Propitious Breeze….
Tae SuperCharge The Auld Grey Matter…
Yer Pal….Who’s Relieved Tae See…..
That Ye Hivnae….Run Oot Of Grenades !
67heaven-really can’t see us giving him the same money on offer in England.I’m a bit surprised PL didn’t “asset manage” him in January.He might stay and go on a Bosman next summer.HH
oglach
Supposedly we bid £4.5m for Rudnevs last week. (Celtic Undergound)
fanadpatriot
17:02 on 24 July, 2013
That’s because he IS the bees knees…
hasta la victoria siempre
El Che Vive!!!
TET
You and I disagreed on the sale of Hooper back in January – IMO we should have taken the £7M on offer then. We didn’t and I don’t see that his staying actually made any significant difference to how our season 2013 ended up.
In cash terms very few players ever cover the cost of their transfer/ wage/ bonus over a contract period – in this case IMO Hooper has and probably that’s why the £5M selling price is acceptable. The intangible (4 trophies + CL last 16) is the profit margin that only the accountants can qualify in terms of his profitability.
If we were to increase his wage/ bonus (new contract) then 2 years down the road we would probably be looking at £7-8M+ to move Hooper on – to achieve a similar return to what appears to be a guaranteed £5M on the table today.
Frankly, I think Hooper is/ was a decent striker (certainly not in my Top 10 CFC Strikers) – he leaves with my best wishes. I very much doubt he will go on to set the ‘heather on fire’ in the EPL or amass many caps for England. He will be swapping Glasgow for London for bigger wages and a different lifestyle.
Now if the CEO & Board intend to apply this financial buy/ sell strategy to the next signing – then the replacement should be marginally more expensive to buy (circa £3M+) and he should also be significantly more proficient at scoring goals in order to achieve a similar selling result in 3 years time.
Unfortunately our need for CL Qualification will be an annoying interruption to our transfer activity – until such times as we automatically qualify for the Group Stages.
I think we will have enough to deal with the Swedes (over 2 legs) – its the 3rd qualifier that worries me. Hopefully we will have the right replacement in by then. H!H!
Barren v Barca friendly coming up on Sky.
!!bada bing!!
17:29 on 24 July, 2013
PL would have been vilified by the fans if he had let him go efore thevJuve game…..no win situation….
Bayern v Barca.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about Gary Hooper going for nothing next year, the guys goals have helped Celtic make a shed load of money and if our team has come to the point where the bucks are more important than putting a team into the Champions League then we should think again cos let’s face it the SPL is pash, total pash and without the CL Celtic are a big team with no exposure in Europe, we will become forgotten giants if we are not in the CL every year, that has to be our aim as there seems to be no saving football in Scotland…
myboysnowatim
17:33 on 24 July, 2013
GOOD MHAN….THANKS …..!!!!
K33- he looks to fit our current model
roy croppie
17:31 on 24 July, 2013
oglach
Supposedly we bid £4.5m for Rudnevs last week. (Celtic Undergound)
==
I would be pleasantly surprised if that were true and really hope it is but PL keeps a very tight grip on the oul biscuit tin.
oglach
Agree, – Celtic we’re merely waiting to sell, and I’d be very pleasantly surprised if we spend again having already signed a striker, and Stokes still to decide.
If the Elfsborg game goes against then the board will be accountable for gambling.