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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Bhoys
Haven’t posted since I heard about George. I was with him and other cqners last week in the Beer Cafe and it was a great day with all the bhoys in great form and George in particular. So sad to hear that a great man has died so suddenly. Thoughts are with you and the family at what is a sad time.
Kikinthenakas
like the golf didny make the cut! hope you got my email though…
Kikinthenakas,
What have I missed mate? :(
Geordie
Was talking to a sheepie in work… he said lasley is a thug .. they dislike him a lot.
Im hoping korma strikes back soon. . :))))))
TBJ – can remove of course! celticrollercoaster – we won’t. Richie – for the CQN names we run at the bottom of each page in the CQN Annual. Will add you to list!
geordie munro
00:05 on 8 October, 2013
Kikinthenakas,
What have I missed mate? :(
Our good friend St John Doyle passed away after the game on Saturday
Kikinthenakas
TBJ Praying for Oscar Knox
23:58 on 7 October, 2013
____________
At least you made it onto the list…. :¬(((
Other than that, I have to agree with your sentiment. :¬)))
A dont like lists anyway lol
Tbj
Doesn’t need a sheep to tell you that. Lol
He’s a wee pseudo hard man of the Ian Black type.
TBJ Praying for Oscar Knox
00:05 on 8 October, 2013
Geordie
Was talking to a sheepie in work… he said lasley is a thug .. they dislike him a lot.
Im hoping korma strikes back soon. . :))))))
what!! chicken Korma :-)
Re the Lasley tackle, was watching Sky Sports news this morning with two former refs explaining why one tackle in the box wasn’t a penalty. They explained that the defender got the ball and the man fell over his leg…they then explained if he had taken the man and then the ball it would have been a penalty and a sending off, both agreed…simple.
Only in Scotland can a guy slide into a Celtic player in the box, take him out, the ball hits his thigh by accident and goes out of play….it’s not even close to being a fair tackle. The fact the Adam is out for 3-4 months makes it worse, however without the injury it’s a penalty and a straight red.
Kikinthenakas
Kc
Fussy bhoy me :)
Geordie
Can lasley paint too
Mag 7
Defo not succulent lamb korma :)
Kikinthenakas
Aw ffs. I had no idea.
Speechless.
Winning captains
Thanks … and no offence intended :)
Kikinthenakas,
I agree with the refs explanation.
I also accept brines got it wrong, but I have no problem with that.
What grinds my gears is not one person in the media etc saying it should be a pen and card after seeing replays for taking the man first.
geordie munro
00:18 on 8 October, 2013
You are correct….the same media who were queuing up to get ripped into Scott Brown for a petulant flick…what did we expect…
Kikinthenakas
scoddish futbull is littered with these lasley/black types thru its history. cooper of aberdeen, bowman of dundee utd, berry of hearts etc. the list is endless.
the SFA could’ve done something about it years ago but chose not to.
the only way is retribution on the pitch. not advocating deliberatly puttin a player oot the game but let these characters know if you mete it out to one of ours you can expect a taste of your own medicine
Winning Captains
Can you please add my name to the list please? Thanks in advance.
Yours in Celtic,
TB&F.
Winning Captains ……….will be calling you WC in future if you miss me out :0)
winning captains , my story was pish but poignant. Not even a mention……FFS
The Boy Jinky made me cry. Sad and unforgetabble.
TBJ is Celtic
Yes he is.
Hail Hail Brothers.
Please take my name from the list, as I object to 7 names listed so far!
They are 5 MOJO’s and 2 Singing Defectives!
Yours, NO!!! Not yours Winning Captains!,
The Fatally Flawed afore mentioned 7!
H.H.
Celtic men and wummin I enjoy a good story.
Celtic
Back in the day the Laws of the Game qualified the rule on fouls along the lines of
“..it shall not be foul play if the tackling player made contact with the ball..”
This was a thugs charter as man and ball were clattered & as long as there was the faintest touch on the ball the tackler was within the rules.
That rule was changed about ten years ago and the part about contact with the ball being a defence was removed.
Making contact with the ball or not is irrelevant. There is no provision for that within the laws of the game anymore yet we still hear ex player pundits making that point.
From the FIFA official Laws of the Game document.
“Direct free kick
A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any
of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be
careless, reckless or using excessive force:
• kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
• trips or attempts to trip an opponent
• jumps at an opponent
• charges an opponent
• strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• pushes an opponent
• tackles an opponent”
If a tackle is careless then it is a foul and no card.
If a tackle is reckless then it is a foul and a yellow card.
If a tackle is “using excessive force” then it is a foul and a red card.
Based on what I have seen the tackle was at least careless and probably reckless.
Why do some Celtic fans just relish the chance to slag off the club.
We haven’t protested to the UN about Keith Lasley and his thuggish behaviour so we are somehow inept/ cringing/ unfit to manage/ weak etc bla de bla etc
That’s what NFL is famous for – not standing up for his players.
Just ask Scott Brown, he got no support at all from his manager just last week.
Give us a break
Referees in Scotland ref the Scottish way when doing their job in Scotland.
Outside of Scotland they ref differently. They are still incompetent but they apply the rules of foul play differently.
The Lasley challenge would have been a red card and penalty in most other leagues in Europe. If an EPL ref hadn’t given it he would have been demoted the following week.
Gascoigne brutalized his way through opposition in Scotland and never got one red. He was red carded twice in Europe for playing the same way.
That sums up how the game in Scotland is reduced to the lowest level by the incompetency of poor refereeing. In Scotland, thugs can still flourish whereas in most other leagues in Europe they would be a liability.
Winning Captains,
Do you get on the list even if you post nonsense ?
Or is that a pre-requisite ?
Football is fixed. As someone linked the other night there. BMCUW maybe? Referees are coached. Celtic are on the receiving end of referee corruption in all competitions if you ask me. Last seasons 0-3 defeat by Juventus is case in point. That referee was either coached/paid off before the game or is a hun. I dont think he’s a hun. Probably more to do with Juventus’s ₤50m CL pay off than correct refereeing. Same with Lasley. The only difference being that Scottish refs don t need to be coached by UEFA before each game.
Winning captains. Don’t forget ‘GG who does a great job with the live commentary every game. Hopefully he doesn’t mind being on the list
So no Brown or Matthews for the next CL game. So who can help Samaras against Ajax?
Stokes – dont think so
Boerrighter – dunno
Balde – dunno –NFL doesnt think so
Pukki
Hmmmmmmm
…and now that there’s nae huns
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2449235/Were-ready-lift-alcohol-ban-Scottish-grounds-says-SFA-President-Campbell-Ogilvie.html
Why do so many posters on here post links to the daily mail. Are these ‘paid’ postings to get clicks?
MICHAEL
It’s one of the few papers not yet behind a paywall.
The Telegraph wont display on my ipad or laptop for this reason,but is fine on my phone and works PC. Same with The Herald.
Plus it usually prints the sort of stuff that gets the hackles raised!
Michael
02:11 on 8 October, 2013
Michael-> Celtic NewsNow -> first 5 UK citations (see below) (#5) 1 SPl, 1 Sunday Express I Celtic Underground 1 FIFA 1 Daily Mail.
NewsNow may be paid though :)
Matthews set for surgery Scottish Premier League – Official Site 18:24
Adam Matthews’ year at an end Daily and Sunday Express 18:10
The Bhoy in the Picture – Jim Craig The Celtic Underground 17:24
In the last 6 hours
Celtic’s Matthews out for 12 weeks FIFA.com 17:07
We’re ready to lift alcohol ban in Scottish grounds, says SFA President… Daily Mail 17:06
Evening all
I think Stokes wants first team rather than squad wages and he probably thinks being the main striker right now he is entitled to it. I suspect Neil and Peter know he won’t be no1 next season (possibly january) and he will be back to the bench. Pukki and another probably. Don’t want bench warmers getting first team money, could be disruptfull. He could take what’s on offer and hope to play/force his way into the top bracket ( possible but I can’t see it) or probably end up in the championship. If he’s happy be part of the squad I would keep him.
Fisher should get a run at right back in the league saving Lustig for Europe. Or could MacGeogh get some action at right midfield now. Like to see him get a run of games. But we all know gonna be Lustig Forrest on the right in Europe. You could put your mortgage on it.
RIP St Johnny Doyle
Hail Hail
Good morning friends from a particularly grey, damp autumnal East Kilbride.
Mahe the Madman –
To be fair, McGeough has had a fair number of first-team outings. I can never understand this clamour for certain players to be given “a run of games”. We heard it with Paddy, then Watt and now McGeough. Dylan hasn’t impressed me thus far. If a player is good enough, he’ll be a regular in the starting eleven, just as the likes of Ambrose, Mulgrew and Commons now are.
Also, I don’t believe in this idea of playing certain players domestically and keeping other players for Europe. Good players need to keep playing to remain sharp.and focused. We don’t need to rest players for Europe, unless he is carrying an injury or is just coming back from an injury.
Good morning one and all, it’s so dark outside, soon we will be going to and from work in the dark. However, on the bright side, Scotland’s youngest club could be heading for the Knackers Yard…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Morning all, still dark in the Autumnal Chilterns…
Saw the Adam Mathews foul yesterday, no doubt in my mind a penalty, Lasley went straight through the man, at what point he got the ball is difficult to say but it is irrelevant.
In Football today you cannot play the man, whether you touch the ball first makes no difference.
I don’t think it was a coincidence that it came of the back of a UCL game, Mathews would not expect a tackle like that in Europe, he was in control of the ball, the defender wouldbe giving away a penalty and looking at a Red.
How are players like Adam to play the game…
If he is playing in Europe or on International duty he can expect, with the usual caveats, UEFA/FIFA standard Refereeing, when he plays in Scotland he gets parochial, 70’s, partial Refereeing.
Something needs to be done about this, Peter Lawwell can’t speak out due to his position within Celtic and Scottish Football, Neil Lennon can’t say anything he Will be derided as the Paranoid Tim.
As I said yesterday, we need to get a Director of Football in, someone with a huge International reputation who can speak out and shame the Parochial Scottish Football Establishment.
Maybe someone who can assist also with other things we’re struggling with, the medium/long term planning in area like Lennoxtown, today’s “complex” transfer market, we are dealing with. They need’nt get involved with finance or the day to day running of the teams nor interfere with the areas where our progress is good.
For me it’s a must.
See the returm of the third man on the cards at Ibrox…
Mmmmmmmmmmm
Hail Hail