Enormous congratulations to Georgios Samaras, Celtic’s Player of the Year, 2012-13. Scoring in five consecutive Champions League away games this season was a remarkable feat. His last minute winner in Moscow was a seismic moment in our progress in that tournament. Georgios is a player who thrives on positive reinforcement but endures negative sentiment without hiding. No wonder all his managers have valued him so highly.
I was also delighted Fraser Forster won the Players’ Player of the Year award. His performances against Barcelona were nothing short of incredible. It should surprise no one that Victor Wanyama and Kelvin Wilson received a large number of votes for the Players’ Player award. Kelvin will play for England if he continues to perform at the level he has this year. Victor was a genuine contender for all awards, including goal of the year, but was honoured only as the Young Player of the Year, reminding us all that his is gifted beyond his years.
I was referred in the direction of yesterday’s Sunday Mail online story about Rangers International FC’s finance director, Brian Stockbridge, showing a reporter the “deeds”, made eloquently famous by John Brown. Stockbridge used the deeds of Ibrox, Murray Park and the Albion car park to “prove Craig Whyte is on a loser”.
Craig Whyte’s current actions against the newco club and his report to the Serious Fraud Office are based on the belief that RIFC inappropriately took possession of Rangers assets, including Ibrox, when the club were liquidated last year. Proving RIFC have the deeds is no defence against Whyte’s claims, in fact, this merely establishes the premise of his point.
Despite discussing these matters with a reporter Mr Stockbridge made no comment on how Sevco Scotland Ltd (since renamed as The Rangers Football Club Ltd), acquired the entitlement to the assets which Sevco 5088 Ltd had an irrevocable agreement to buy after paying an exclusivity fee.
This interview contrasted with Scotland on Sunday’s interview with former oldco Rangers director, Paul Murray, who without a whiff of irony said, “Whoever is involved going forward has to look after the club’s interests first and their own interests second. You are a custodian of the assets and you’re passing it through the generations. That’s your role.”
Well done as a custodian, Mr Murray. I wouldn’t let you be custodian to corner flag (memories of Dougal from Fr Ted on corner flag-watching duty). He also suggests the club “should also get back to some of the values that were there under Bill Struth and William Wilton”. “Some of the values”, do you think he means that most distinct value? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but why on earth could he not chose an inspiring custodian from a period when oldco was not blighted by their controversial employment policy? There must be someone. Surely?
Murray does, however, nail several issues in his interview. “You have Charles Green who said he had no involvement with Craig Whyte and that was patently not correct.
“The problem is that when you get found out on these things you then start to question other things. And one of the most important things in all of this is the SFA. The SFA sought very direct and specific assurances that Whyte was not involved and Charles Green gave them those assurances and I’m not sure that was actually correct.
“If Charles Green had a set of documents that proved that Whyte is lying then this thing would have been put to bed in two minutes, but it was then discovered that what Whyte was saying was broadly true.
“I’m not saying he does, but say Whyte owns the assets but on the other side he’s just lost a multi-million pound claim to Ticketus. Are we saying that Ticketus would then own the assets by default? And if they own the assets they’ll want to be paid in order to give the assets back to Rangers, but how will the club do that bearing in mind that it had an IPO [Initial Public Offering of shares] that is potentially not valid?
“It was then discovered that what Whyte was saying was broadly true” is perhaps the most significant understatement I’ve heard in years. The moment Pinsent Masons report will be a watershed.
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thebarcamole
13:05 on 29 April, 2013
The goal scorer in Lisbon out of the two you mention
I see poor old Elbows has lifted the lid on his decision to snub Scotland under Craig Burley.
The reason…
…we wurnae very good.
Craig?
Minx
Slowly bud steadily.
Trying to get myself off the opiates but will get there, long road but hopefully all right on the night…
Thank pal…
BT
I would rather read the iTunes terms and conditions than go to Tesco, but needs must.
Test
Hamiltontim
14:29 on 29 April, 2013
Agreed.
istanbulcelt
Grey top I can handle >}
Was looking on the betting site, the game is not on there, I would imagine they are losing out on a few bob.
Or are they not allowed to float kids games ?
I tend to agree with Blantyre Kev that following failures fron the FTT, LNS, SFA, Duff and Duffer and the silence from BDO I feel that we cant expect anyone at all to put the stake through the heart of the newco. I hope to be wrong!
Cup final tickets
IMO the correct way to distribute tickets for the cup final would be to take the number of celtic and hibs season tickets and add them together. If this is less than the capacity of ham dump then offer each of them a cup final ticket. If this is more than the capacity of ham dump then prorata eg offer 90% of season ticket holders of both teams a ticket.
Surely the days of allowing fans from the provincial clubs a ticket when they didn’t attend a game all season is inherently wrong. The ST holders are the lifeblood of the clubs and should be treated as such. I say this as a non ST holder.
POTY
Lenny getting it in the neck because higdon, Griffiths and mcginn all scored at the weekend. I guess in MSM language and mentality that means that everyone else who didn’t score at the weekend is rubbish.
Incidentally we didn’t just not get a player in the top 4, we didn’t have any young players either. Lennys point still stands. It looks strange that the best player for the runaway champions is only the 5th best player in the SPL at best according to the other players anyway. I don’t understand why the argument that the celtic vote was split between so many players counts, because if the other players were neutral, then they wouldn’t be voting for any club and would be voting for the player.
I tend to look on Sundays results as a post season friendly
HT
That’s why I always say to boys arranging nights to go for the older players. They are just fans lucky enough to have worn the hoops.
Nowadays players are a business and nothing comes cheaply..money grabbing overpaid overinflated egos who couldn’t lace any of their predecessors boots in humility and feeling for our club…
Nurse, tabs please ,I need to chill
ddb1893 þ@ddb1893 12m Hearts going into administration to possibly be confirmed by the BBC this evening. #thegreatescapeRetweeted by CelticResearch
hamiltontim
14:29 on 29 April, 2013
I dare say if you were the secretary of Melbourne, Las Vegas ,Bahamas,Barbados, Singapore New York etc etc etc Celtic supporters clubs and you were willing to pick up the tab you would have no problem attracting an overinflated ego to your player of the year dance
Stephen Thompson of Dundee U leaves saying clubs are no further forward @BBCAlLamont 21 minutes ago
Looks like the latest league reconstruction talks have went the way of all of the others. Too much self interest.
mickbhoy,
do you think they would come to Clydebank on the 62 bus if we picked up the fare?
from twitter
hearts possibly going into admin..to be confirmed by bbc..the great escape continues…
The reason Greigs shares have plumeted
http://willievass.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/270413-East-Stirling-v-Rangers/G0000vx4jCDMN7Qk/I0000BS_clMDDg7Q/C0000qJMjARBFTPU
THE EXILED TIM
14:36 on
29 April, 2013
That would relegate them. 17 point deduction, currently 11 ahead of Dundee
Tamrabam
Take you are quite happy paying £25 for post season friendlies and then the following week getting up at 5 and travelling for 4 or 5 hours pay £22 for another post season friendly
THE EXILED TIM
Yeah, just had a look at Paddy Power, i would have thought if anyone has it they would. Nothing listed though. It’s the time of the season when I start putting on mad football coupons trying to claw back all the cash I lost throughout the season……
i’m neil lennon (tamrabam)
14:40 on 29 April, 2013
Aye if you promised them it was being held in the boulevard
mickbhoy1888 14:29 on 29 April, 2013
thebarcamole13:05 on 29 April, 2013
The goal scorer in Lisbon out of the two you mention…………..
Thank you for the confirmation………..
TBM
ernie lynch 14:23 on 29 April, 2013
Tom English claims to have seen emails from the SFA to UEFA stating that so far as they, the governing association are concerned, the club continues with the history since 18 whatever it is intact.
Now English might be telling an outright lie, but I doubt it.
This matters to them. It matters big time.
Your determined efforts to defend the board’s laodician approach make me wonder what your agenda is.
Celtic should put on record, unequivocally, that as far as we are concerned whatever anyone else, including The Great Desmondo, might say it’s a new club
————
Tom English!!! Seriously?
On Sunday, English described Paul Murray as “a guy you could hang your hat on to do what is right for the club.”
Now, I am assuming you know as much as I do about Paul Murray’s role in the events that led to Rangers being liquidated and the circus around the formation of the new club.
But with each passing exchange I am becoming less confident you will not require a statement from Celtic to firm things up.
You are also missing the point regarding the Celtic board. I am not defending them. I am questioning your capacity to make a judgement for yourself. I know you are not stupid.
As I said previously – the liquidation of Rangers is a matter of public record. Not opinion.
Everyone in Scotland knows this. Some people live in denial about it. Others show defiance on it. And some people need a statement from the Celtic board to assure them.
No excuses from the Club ,with a squad the size we have,1 or 2 guys could have went to an event very close to a few hearts on here.
All other 11 clubs are still in SPL meeting, so talking still being done. Not over yet? @BBCAlLamont 14 minutes ago
Has Thomson flounced out cause he doesn’t like what they are agreeing to??
mickbhoy1888
14:43 on 29 April, 2013
Tamrabam
Do you know if there is bus going from Clydebank to Dingwall on Sunday
kayal 33
thot that too..good lol
Kayal33
I would >}}}
It would….
THE EXILED TIM 14:36
Football club or holding company?
Could be The Hearts v The Dunfermline in Div 1 next season
tamrabam
Agree with almost all of what you say but I do think the non-inclusion of a Celtic player in POTY awards has been overstated.
As far as I know all players in Scotland nominate one player and so to take this as a very watered down example:
There are 100 players with votes. The following all receive a nomination:
Higdon – 10
Griffiths – 10
McGinn – 9
Shinnie – 9
Hooper – 8
Commons -8
Wanyama – 8
Wilson – 8
Ledley – 8
Forster – 8
Samaras – 8
Others – 6
In this situation, none of the Celtic players would have been on the 4 man shortlist despite 7 of them receiving almost a similar number to others. I think its more unfortunate rather than anything more sinister.
Mort
SOAL
Well spotted. That was a lift direct from the Scotsman. Jeez, you’d think they’d know it was Craig Levein :¬)
Neil yesterday “…total control, could have been two up and then a really poor decision has cost us a goal”.
No doubt Norris wants to know about that. Tell him f*** off. I hope Neil refused to clarify. He can talk about his defender’s “really poor decision” as much as he wants.
Title deeds are something of a literary device.
The owner of a property is whose name is on the Land Register in Edinburgh.
It was called The General Register of Sasines but then some boring bureaucrat renamed it.
K33- make that SPL 2 mate :)
BT
As I was leaving the stadium yesterday I turned round to see the players processing off the park.
One player, just one came over to acknowledge the support and that was young Dylan.
Now I know that the players will be hurting after such a poor result and performance and many will simply want to get up the tunnel and on the bus as quick as their wee legs will carry them. But I paid 25 quid to watch that garbage yesterday and I’ve paid another 22 to enjoy the delights of a trip to Dingwall next Sunday morning.
I know that no doubt some will say that ‘you pays your money, you take your choice’ and I understand that but I really am getting sick to the back teeth of the lack of effort, commitment and passion from many in this squad.
Can I please have some of your tablets?
TheTributeAct@TheTributeAct7m
I have documents that do appear to be genuine Land Registry extracts for “Rangers'” title deeds. I will post them later.
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Can’t stop laughing@corsica19683m
@TheTributeAct I have something from July? last year. Think it shows application to transfer ownership from RFC plc to Sevco Scotland.
glasstwothirdsfull- I would assume Hearts FC have learned from the mistake of Rangers FC who stupidly took the points deduction when it was the holding company’s mess.