Healthy SPFL, you know it’s over when the enablers bale

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It took until 5th October but Celtic are top of the Scottish Premiership for the first time.  The valiant stand by the Highlanders went the way of Culloden but whereas the competition for first place us over for the season, the league has a promising look to it.

The SPL suffered for many years not exclusively because Celtic and Rangers dominated but because those teams who should have been snapping at their heels – the city clubs – were hugely underachieving.

Motherwell have done enormously well finishing ‘best of the rest’ for three years but they are inhibited by being the third best supported team in Motherwell (population 30,311).  Their coaching and scouting infrastructure would provide a completely different platform if they were one of the top-flight clubs from Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Below Celtic sit Motherwell, and the other very well run SPFL club, Inverness, but behind them are Aberdeen and Dundee United, who for once sit above the detritus (sorry, Kilmarnock, but you are a terribly run football club) and plucky upstarts (Ross County, from Dingwall, population 5,026).  Even Hibs are rallying.  They will return to the top half of the table if they beat Partick Thistle tonight.

Of the big city clubs, only Hearts (in Administration) are off the pace, and even their league status is bound to be rescued when Kilmarnock’s name is inevitably written with the accompanying parenthesis.

As we’ve noted here often before, when the Daily Record finally acknowledges the reality Celtic websites have long explained about the Rangers group of clubs, you know it’s too late to do anything about it.  Today’s piece in the newspaper confirms what we’ve known for a long time, the white flag has been raised.  If they were more circumspect before declaring the unquestionable business acumen of the Ibrox key-holder, at any point over the last 15 years, the spivs would have been unable to fill their boots.

All those fawning pieces simply enabled the misdeeds.

While we are on the topic of enablers, what is the price of loyalty?  £825k, apparently.

Congratulations to all who participated in the Great Scottish Run for 1254125.  It turned into a great Celtic day with participants ranging from the dedicated athletes to those on the high side of 20st who grabbed the chance to make a different to their own lives, as well as others.

It’s happening again next year, so you have plenty time to get ready.  The sooner you start preparing the better.

My sincere thanks to the many people who contributed to the 1254125 MyDonate page I put up on Friday.  It now sits at an incredible £935, I’ll leave it up for a few days more to see if we can break into four figures.

Thanks for all your help.

Order Sean Fallon, Celtic’s Iron Man, below.


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749 Comments

  1. Paul67 et al

     

     

    Early in Martin’s reign we played Motherwell at Parkhead. I remember it well because a group of us found ourselves amongst their fans. Can’t remember how that came about but due to the fact that Andy Goram was in goal for them the stewards moved us to behind the goal pronto. Lee McCullough was playing that day but it was their centre-half who was busy trying to hurt our centre-forward, one Henrik Larsson. During such a melee in the first half said centre-half came unstuck, and found himself being stretchered off with a broken ankle, fairwell Gus MacPherson. Said Larsson scored the winner, a second half penalty.

  2. Just got back, little break, was going to read back to see if anything was happening,

     

    only to discover that BOJO, and TSD, have been boring the pants of everybody!

     

    H.H.

  3. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    Bognorbhoyle..,

     

    Cheers, still think it would be prudent of those wishing balanced response, to copy in London ombudsman

  4. charles kickham on

    Lennybhoy…Supporting Neil Lennon, Wee Oscar Knox and CFC until I die

     

     

    21:35 on 7 October, 2013

     

     

     

    received and replied – phew – that was tough

  5. Tet,

     

     

    Fair challenge??

     

     

    A couple of years ago, yes. But we don’t play them rules now.

     

     

    My point was that the injury sustained by a player doesn’t make a challenge any better or worse. And certainly shouldn’t change a clubs decision to speak out about it.

     

     

    If you think it was a card and a pen, that shouldn’t change whether Adam broke an finger nail or a femur.

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS forza Oscar and Mackenzie on

    WEET WEET WEET

     

     

    How does that one go?

  7. Lesley’s tackle will be justified particularly as the recipient was wearing a Celtic jersey.

     

    By normal Scottish refereeing standards the acceptable tackle response was expected.

     

    Only time I’ve seen righteous indignation about such tackles is when a Celt makes them.

     

    In any other league or competition in world football the commentator’s always say he got the ball but caught the man so it’s a definite foul.

     

    Scottish referees are hopeless and the fact that most know a missed call benefitting any Opponent of Celtic will be wholeheartedly justified makes the non call easy.

     

    The same incident that benefitted Celtic would lead to widespread scrutiny and vilification so they referee with this in mine.

     

    This type of refereeing is exactly why skillful players have disappeared from the Scottish game.

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS forza Oscar and Mackenzie on

    WEET WEET WEET

     

     

    Got it now,didnae work the first time.

     

     

    I like it,it’s claimed.

     

     

    Group song!

  9. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    I take it Smudgers SSB payment cheque will be made payable to the peepil who are dealing with his bankruptcy?

  10. Paul67 et al

     

     

    Lasley’s “challenge” on the Young Adam is a penalty and a red card card all day long, breaks every rule/law of the game. No question. Next question.

  11. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and that might be so, but this old dog is learning by the day about the power of the alternative media and social media.

     

     

    I was impressed when an article on E-tims was primarily responsible for bringing in a record number of 100 signatures of support for my JudgesMasonRegister petition PE01491, but today a tweet and RT from Billy No’Well has seen the numbers go from just under 1500 at lunchtime today to 1845 now, and still rising.

     

     

    The numbers are important but more important than mere numbers is the ability of the new media to raise awareness of important issues. Billy No’Well is a very efficient messenger, but it then rests with the individual to assess and respond to the message.

     

     

    In this instance those reading and signing the petition see merit in it, and are calling for change. They are complaining.

     

     

    That is heartening because if we don’t complain they [the establishment] may think we are happy with things the way they are.

     

     

    Thanks to all who have signed and passed on this link:

     

    http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/judgesmasonregister

  12. prestonpans bhoys on

    So the next time Murderwell play St Mirren and Thomson gets a similar tackle he’ll say “fair enough”

     

     

    Don’t think so………….

  13. I’m as annoyed about the tackle as anyone and more than annoyed that Lenny has absolved the thug of blame. All Lenny had to say was that he was very unhappy about the tackle and ask people to look at the video and make their own minds up. I love Lenny but that is twice he has now absolved guys from blame after extremely damaging tackles. (I ‘m referring also to elbows on Kayal). I think suggesting that we send someone out to break Lasley’s leg is both objectionable & silly. It is not going to happen and to be suggesting it does a dis-service to the blog. Because of what Lenny has said we now have no redress, Lenny should cop himself on and stand up for his players and highlight these dangerous tackles.

  14. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    @tancredipalmeri: JUST IN: Milan have been sentenced to play behind closed doors next game after racist/discriminatory chants from their fans

  15. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    geordie munro

     

     

    21:18 on 7 October, 2013

     

     

    Are Celtic saying THAT was a fair challenge…????

  16. 3 months out……………..

     

     

    ……………How’d you feel Keef?

     

     

    Pwoud….

  17. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    bournesouprecipe

     

    Don`t know if you noticed,but cheeky Charlie Tully seems to be stimulated by the sea breezes.Presumably.

     

    Date of photo early`50s?

  18. Cathedral View on

    The club can:

     

     

    Request Vincent Lunney cite Lasley for dangerous/violent conduct;

     

     

    Refer the matter to the players union for comment and representation against the SFA for failing in their duty of care to our player;

     

     

    Assist Matthews in a civil action against Lasley/Motherwell/SFA;

     

     

    Or do nothing.

  19. Corkcelt-never seen anyone saying break his leg.It’s a man’s game,see how he likes a hard challenge.We need to “man up” in some games so meet fire with fire.

  20. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    Corkcelt..,

     

    You still believe Lenny would give up the dream ?

     

    If he had made any kind of anti establishment remark he would be next to go.

     

    This board dont know how to cope with the Celtic ascendancy they want us to be perpetual victims, know your place

  21. .

     

     

    Does this mean You could get arrested for singing ‘Paddy McCourt’s Fenian Army..?

     

     

    Serious Question..

     

     

    Spurs fan arrested over ‘Y-word’ chant

     

     

    A Tottenham fan was arrested for using the word ‘Yid’ during Sunday’s home match against West Ham, days after police had warned that anyone saying it would be arrested.

     

     

    White Hart Lane

     

    Empics

     

    West Ham fans were condemned for anti-Semitic chanting last season.

     

    • Crace: The Y-word debate

     

     

    On Thursday, Scotland Yard said both sets of supporters would be watched and that people could be committing an offence if they said it.

     

     

    The issue has caused controversy because Spurs fans use the word — a term for Jewish people that is often considered derogatory — as an act of defiance to describe themselves and their club, which has long-standing links to the Jewish community.

     

     

    However, it is also used by opposing sets of supporters to taunt the White Hart Lane side.

     

     

    Despite the police warning, Tottenham fans sang “Yid army” and “We’ll sing what we want” before kick-off, with the chanting continuing throughout the match.

     

     

    Officers said a 51-year-old Spurs fan had been arrested after “committing a section five public order offence” in the East Stand during the half-time break. He will appear in court next month.

     

     

    The corresponding fixture last season was marred by anti-Semitic chanting from a section of the West Ham support, and Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, along with club co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, had urged fans to ensure the same thing did not happen again.

     

     

    After the match, police confirmed that no arrests linked to any chants had been made among the travelling fans.

     

     

    On Thursday, Chief Superintendent Mick Johnson, the match commander for the West Ham game, had said: “This topic has been debated at length but our position is clear — racism and offensive language have no place in football, or indeed in society.

     

     

    “Those supporters who engage in such behaviour should be under no illusion that they may be committing an offence and may be liable to a warning or be arrested.”

     

     

    Summa

  22. Hi Ghuys

     

     

    Back to the Lasley assault again-we should show the footage to the Wales manager and see if he agrees with all the scottish experts that it was a fair tackle!!

     

     

    Methinks Chrissy b(h)oy won,t be very pleased.

     

     

    Btw it takes some energy/effort to smash your collarbone.I know as i have broken mine-but then again i was in a head on car crash.

     

    True!!

     

    HH

     

    Phil

  23. Just what was Neil supposed to say after the game? Should he have gone ballistic called the guy every variation on “your mother and father were never formally introduced” and ranted about how he had tried to maim a Celtic player?

     

     

    Had Neil done so then you can be assured that he would have waved goodbye to the touchline for the rest of his managerial career. He would have been crucified for bringing the game into disrepute with his outrageous slurs on a honest pro.

     

     

    Many have lambasted Neil on here before for his lack of composure and restraint after previous incidents this time he has refused to be provoked and still gets it in the neck from some of his own. Guy can’t win.

  24. pedro67 hail hail wee oscar on

    TBJ & BT

     

     

    Mrs PC67 opts for the HUDL!!

     

     

    How the hell dae I go in tae Tesco’s in Kilbirnie and ask for a HUDL?

     

     

    wishmeluckCSC

  25. Corkcelt

     

    Lenny does stand up for his players, just depends which of the ‘rags’ you read. Try the

     

    ‘Irish News’!

     

    Oh!, and by the way, it hardly matters what he says, they wIll put their own slant on it.

     

    You do the man a disservice, which is exactly what they want!

     

    H.H.

  26. fan-a-tic

     

     

    You are wrong there, similar challenges and even worse injuries have been allowed in the EPL, Adam’s Welsh team-mate Aaron Hughes for one, and another Arsenal player, well known to us, Eduardo was similarly badly injured, possibly by the same player if I am not mistaken. James Forrest was “tackled” in the middle of the park against Karagandy, but thankfully was able to stay on long enough to get the winner. Adam is an International player, Stuart McColl is an assistant International manager, somebody needs to have a word in his ear.

  27. 67 heaven,

     

     

    I dunno. I’ve had a media black out since the weekend:)

     

     

    I think Lennon should’ve said he wasn’t happy with it but I’m not sure it woulda changed an awfy lot.