Every Celtic fan will be delighted Fraser Forster was included in the England World Cup squad. Fraser joined Celtic on loan four years ago, becoming a permanent member of staff in 2012. His transformation over that period has been remarkable, which is no fluke.
He is the most dedicated footballer at the club. First in each morning, around 2.5 hours before official start time, he’s also last out of Lennoxtown almost every day. He is possibly the most complete 365-day-a-year athlete we’ve ever had. This is a player who has set high personal achievement goals and has allowed no distractions to get in his way.
Enormous credit also has to go to the man who has guided him through his meteoric rise in recent seasons, goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods. Without the focus, technical development and remedial work Stevie has added to Fraser’s development we would not have nearly as effective a goalkeeper between the sticks.
It is never good to see anyone lose their job but surely the decision for Hearts to sack Gary Locke was one of the easiest to come out of Anne Budge’s 120 minute review (which was more productive than one 120 day review). Hearts early and late season form, where they comfortably recorded victories against most of their peer group, told a tale of what happened for six months of the season, when the team failed to show up.
Locke had the resources to keep his team in the league this season but found every excuse available to ensure they finished bottom.
I’m less sure Danny Lennon deserved to be hooked. The gap between St Mirren’s 8th placed finish with 39 points and Hibs on 35 points is narrow, but when he needed to dig deep, Lennon was not found wanting. St Mirren might not be so fortunate with their next guy.
Tommy Gemmell
We are going to have the one and only Tommy Gemmell on the blog on Friday afternoon between 13:00 and 16:00. He’ll be available to take your questions and talk about life, football and anything else you care to bring up. Tune in.
Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN, is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.
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Borgo67
I am afraid I would not attribute my fondness for the written word to Mr Ferrie alas.
Ronnie Renton and Liam Devlin had greater influence in terms of school.
However, in all honesty my appreciation for the written or spoken word had very little to do with my place of education.
At home, I was always encouraged to read — although as we got towards the “o” levels and highers I was encouraged not to read certain works which were available in the house. The said works would paint a slightly different picture of Irish History than the standard school text book that was available to me up the hill.
The mother warned me off such texts and their take on matters Irish — all to no avail.
Away from the school I would often read biographies of interesting people and again an awful lot of Irish written text — O’Casey, Wilde, Behan, Tressell, Millington Synge
( although I did study the Playboy of the Western World at school and quite fancied the idea of being the Playboy ) James Stephens and various others.
Strangely I never got into Joyce apart from singing Finnegans Wake at the top of my voice at parties.
Beyond that — there were the great writers of fact and opinion in different areas — McIlvanney, Alastair Cook, Norman Mailer and others — before that our own John Rafferty ( a relation of PF Ayr as I recall ) was unparalleled.
The late Jose Torres, the former light heavyweight champion of the world, was a fantastic writer on the sport of boxing.
I love to read or hear great words ( not my own — I don’t think I am anywhere near capable of that ) written by others and then spoken properly — with passion, with feeling, and in a way that stirs the soul and makes the heart thump.
Emmet’s speech from the Dock, Bernadette Devlin’s maiden speech in the Commons, Patrick Pearse’s the Rebel, Martin Luther King, Willie Shakespeare, Burns and others.
I used to watch Parkinson and wonder at the voices of guys like Burton and O’Toole and their ability to take words and really make them zing and sing.
By the way, if no one has seen it, there was a great play a couple of years ago called Brendan at the Chelsea about Brendan Behan staying at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
Adrian Dunbar, who many will recognise from the TV, was absolutely brilliant as Behan.
Have a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojHHJLLE87Q
SFTB
Probably picked you up wrong, but Bertie Peacock signed long before ’61.
He probably left then,though.
If I remember correctly, he took appendicitis prior to the Cup Final that year.
Thindimebhoy
14:47 on 13 May, 2014
‘The balance of wealth will continue to tip towards the south of England and especially London and we cant stop it’
###
There are more people living in poverty in London than in Scotland.
Fewer than 1% of the Scottish population are members of the Orange Order, if one accepts the Order’s own figures.
That’s a little less than the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland, and a little more than the population of Inverness.
The Venn diagram of Orange, Gaelic and Inverness has yet to be drawn, although doubtless it would be instructive to those seeking to draw inferences on the myriad nefarious influences on Scots society.
The Gazebo was fair jumping on Sunday apart from some lost stragglers, that were ogling the Celtic Way.
EuroChamps67 stole my flag CSC.
Oscarslad 7/4f just won 2.40 wincanton
didn’t bet it
a blessing too those who did
well supported this morning
hail hail
Tiny Tim
Apologies but that post of SFTB’s has no real substance to the reason’s why he is going to vote no. It really says nothing but in a lot of funny words which entertain the reader.
MWD says Aye
KolnCelt-wonderful Celtic gesture HH
Ole Celtic Gestures
celticforever
14:48 on 13 May, 2014
on the subject of schools Peter Houston went to St. Gregory’s Secondary in Cranhill
Aye,a few good players went to that school …:))))
BRTH,
Sorry to read of your mother’s long time condition.
What a Cross for such an active woman to bear.
You may recall that I remember her from my school days, as a fit looking PE teacher.
By doing the sums, I was astonished to find that she would only have been about 25 then.
If I had known ,then I could have made a pitch, before your dad left the science lab to stake his claim.
Granted, I was thirteen at the time, so I probably wouldn’t have had the chance!
Regards to her from the past.
Jonny the Tim
At least the shite at Celtic Park is below ground!!
HH
Aye
The midden rangers are interested in what’s under our ground
Maybe we should build them a wee grotto for the grotesque
HH
ThinDimeBhoy
Sell your house in London buy a castle in Scotland is the norm now
Really? Damn! As usual, I’ve been misinformed. Anyone know the number of a good moat cleaner in Croydon?
Sftb
I have no intention of promoting the SNP, as you well know. Your analogy with wife beater is pathetic. One more point : please let me know when you are appointed Monitor and then i may take your advice on posting, but for the time being I wont.
BRTH 14.49
Mistaken with relationship of John Rafferty, my uncle, brother to my wonderful mother who is 91 years young on Friday.
TBB –
Pythagoras? Venn??
Every day really is a school day in your house I’ll wager. And so would Pascal…
Mozeying along the ole route 6006 today, I confess I failed to get my kicks being stuck as I was behind the delivery van of BourneTextileServices.
it’s not commonly known, but BourneTextileServices provide napkin support to the many soup slookers of the East Midlands, amongst whom Bourne’s recipe soup is an old favourite.
ernie lynch
There are more people living in poverty in London than in Scotland.
—
Are you saying 5 mil plus people in London are living in poverty
The facts are there London is sucking the rest of the UK dry
The place equates to around 18% per cent of the UK population yet takes in over 40% per cent of the Uks capital expenditure
Vince Cable even said there needs to a rebalance and with the very very likely prospect of another 5 years of the Tory toffs running the show it aint looking good for the rest of us
Midfield Maestro
My apologies — I should pay more attention to whom I am speaking when inebriated.
I knew he was related to one of the CQN’ers I had conversed with some time back.
Great writer though.
Marrakesh Express
07:45 on
13 May, 2014
So there we have it. Pitch invasions and open top bus parades all over Europe in celebration of triumph.
We got predictably slaughtered by the Smsm for a few hundred running onto the Firhill pitch, and as for a victory parade? Not a chance. We couldnt even get one in 67 for winning the world’s greatest club trophy.
*correct but we did have our own bus parade as Celts lined the streets from Abbotsinch airport (as it was called then) to Celtic Park welcoming the victorious bhoys home.
My friends in Celtic,
Ref the Orange Order : There are many, many examples of “strange bedfellows” i.e. where the beliefs and values differ markedly from your own and even sworn enemies work together to achieve a common goal.
e.g.
Martin McGuiness & Peter Robinson working in government together.
The UK, China and the USA sharing intelligence and hunting for kidnapped girls in Nigeria.
The USA, UK and Russia v Nazi Germany and its fascist friends.
The Orange Order & Greenpinata opposing separation for Scotland.
HH, always in Celtic.
Natknow
Ha. I have observed that, within the confines of the bedroom of the typical teenager, entropy always increases.
Thindimebhoy
15:05 on 13 May, 2014
No.
I’m saying there are more people living in poverty in London than there are people living in poverty in Scotland.
The English are not our enemy.
The English are not the problem.
Sell your football club in Glasgow and buy a castle in France is the norm now
There are certainly more people living in poverty in London than there are Orange Order members in Scotland.
Imagine if the London poor joined the ludges?
OK, a little glib I know, but Poverty is a national shame.
The Orange Order on the other hand is a local embarrassment.
Which gets the greatest amount of public attention?
Emdy else see a wee problem?
ernie lynch
13:07 on
13 May, 2014
‘Enormous credit also has to go to the man who has guided him through his meteoric rise in recent seasons, goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods.’
#######
Spot on.
Going by results he’s obviously an excellent coach. Also a smashing guy who’s ‘got’ Celtic.
*I should hope he would “get” Celtic being a former St Pats Dumbarton pupil.
I knew his mother (RIP) and his da (RIP) pretty well, they were both friendly with my late brother and were in primary school with him.
I also knew his stepmother’s family, I was at St Pats with 2 of her brothers.
We’re talking St Pats and Notre Dame here, incidentally he has an uncle who was on the Buddies books at one time.
His late mother’s maternal family are/were massive Tims in Dumbarton.
tradamuslampadacsc.
up_over_goal
Average house price is .5mil you get a castle for that I’m not saying your house will buy a castle but it will certainly buy something bigger up here
House prices in London rose 18% in a year while the rest of the UK averages 5%
Don’t you think there is an imbalance there…?
NatKnow
15:01 on 13 May, 2014
‘And so would Pascal…’
###
Are you here all week? Should I have the veal?
Moonbeam
I feel your frustration on this site but the obvious ignorance of SOME bloggers, but them that can’t or won’t be bothered finding out the reasons for voting one way or the other the question, i would suggest, should then be…
Do you want to be governed by a right wing party from Westminster or a left of centre party from Edinburgh? It can be that simple
ernie lynch
Its never been about nationality for me
I agree the English people are not the problem they are just people like you and me
The problem lies in the wealth structure
Can anyone help? I’ve tried to e-mail the Kano Foundation at contactus@thekanofoundation.com but have had a message to say it has not been delivered. and that the recipients could not be reached.
Does anyone have an alternative address?
Thindimebhoy
15:17 on 13 May, 2014
The only hard and fast, definite policy the nats have offered for their post referendum never never land is to cut corporation tax so that it’s 3% lower than the UK.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
Michelin Style
BourneTextileServices CSC
DBBIA
I really do wish you would keep up with modern commercial practices otherwise you will never survive in your retirement.
Sell your football club and buy a castle, villa or vineyard in France then sell it on to a Jersey trust who in turn lease it back to a Bahamas based short assured tenant who suffers hard times and has the rent paid by way of charitable donations from a supposed charitable trust with mysterious un-named institutional investors via Isle of man intermediaries utilising an official Government scheme which allows a tax break to those investing in housing the homeless in agricultural or country holdings in foreign climbs for the sake of the stability of the Euro.
That’s the norm now.
By the way, as of the fiscal year commencing 1st April 2015 there is a commercial opportunity for retired doctors prepared to sign death certificates without ever having to see a body, as the trend for faking one’s demise is set to rise in line with the price of pure Jasmine — a substance which is significantly dearer then Gold.
Of course the UK has neither any Jasmine or Gold but that is another story.
Looking for some feedback.
As you know Tommy Gemmell is going to be on CQN on Friday afternoon and we are also lining up other Lions over the coming weeks.
However what we’d like to know is this. Would other non Celtic legends be welcome on the blog and would you find it interesting?
Two names immediately spring to mind – Denis Law a Scottish football legend and also Richard Gordon who has just released a book on the 1974 World Cup. Given the World Cup is nearly here would these be welcome names to be invited onto the blog?
St Mirren have appointed Tommy Craig as their new manager.
Wake up and smell the good ole Columbian Dyno Rod coffee.
BRTH
Liam Devlin certainly was a character . Thanks for the reply, interesting as always .