I’ve never known so many people to be keen to get to a game involving Motherwell as there are for tomorrow’s encounter at Celtic Park. Most of us haven’t been to a game since the marginally entertaining 3-3 Champions League draw last month.
Motherwell head a pack of six clubs all within three points of each other, with bottom of the table Partick Thistle just one point further behind at the bottom of the table. They are still in touch with fifth-placed Newco Rangers, who the Lanarkshire club could overhaul if results go their way this weekend, but the table is starting to look like a top five and bottom seven fight.
Each of the top four clubs, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts and St Johnstone, are at home against opposition no higher than 6th place Motherwell, so there’s every chance the leading group will extend their advantage.
You and I have been speaking about a European League since 2004. During that time the remoteness of the possibility has come and gone but it’s back on the agenda, with Copenhagen director, Anders Horsholt talking about the proposed league between Danish, Dutch, Scottish, Belgian, Swedish and Norwegian clubs.
This proposal would be enormously beneficial for all involved, the only thing that’s needed is sufficient will on the part of clubs to make it happen, but even within this group of potential beneficiaries there are sub-interests which could pull focus in different directions.
Celtic’s interests would be best served with access to a European-wide league, replacing domestic weekend leagues. They would be able to compete and grow into one of the world’s biggest clubs in this scenario. The same would be true of the bigger Dutch clubs, less so for the Danish, and even the Belgians.
What we now have for the first time is a consensus that some change needs to happen among the disenfranchised. I’d bite your hand off for a scenario along the lines of what Horsholt discussed, but you have to consider this possibility in context of what’s happening at the moment with the financially elite European clubs.
They too want change. A meritocratic-ally-earned Europe-wide structure replacing domestic leagues falls short of their mooted closed-franchise system, but not by much. And it’s a lot more deliverable.
This is all horse-trading for now, but there’s a lot of money sitting on the table, so change is inevitable.
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Auld Tam
Anything else off limits?
till later all
buzzing about the game tomorrow ,getting to take the grandson,
A day of Celtic ,dont know who is more excited,
was doing his homework with him yesterday and told hime there was a prize for good writing, when he finished I gave him the ticket for the game” WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO papa”.
special memoriesCSC
The Green Man says SACK THE Board on 14th October 2016 5:35 pm
Petec
Hows it going reb.
Hope you are well, im like a kid in a candy shop with all the sevco pain:)
Their suffering, makes me feel better:)
HH
………………………………………………………
I’m fine and … Not Dandy….
I feel really Bad still efter getting my wee Brother into an unnecessary fight 20 years ago.
When I seen him his face was covered in Blood.
3v2
Dandy had the 2 to deal with.
That Nugget does Marathons under 3 hours noooo..
It wasn’t his Blood on his face – At that Moment I felt terrible, I was so relieved to see the Dandy but shocked at what I seen.
it was 3v1 in the Pizza place before he turned up.
Kieran Tierney.CSC
How are you TGM?
What is Sturgeon doing?
Petec
Relax bud…you seem like a good guy to me.
Why be so hard on yourself.
Im sure the man upstairs will forgive you.
HH
Bada Bing,
I made it to Ru’glen Town Hall this morning. Sorry we didn’t meet up, I thought Bobby jnr was uncannily like the great mhan. Thanks for the directions last night.
A lovely tribute for his family and great to see a few Lions there. Wee Bertie looked in great form.
HH
The Green Man,
It is CRAZY talk, what Nico IS wanting to do. ;))
I want the Hardest Brexit. I just got a Passport for the first Time since 1995.
Globalism NAWWWW.
LEFTCLICKTIC on 14TH OCTOBER 2016 5:53 PM
till later all
buzzing about the game tomorrow ,getting to take the grandson,
A day of Celtic ,dont know who is more excited,
was doing his homework with him yesterday and told hime there was a prize for good writing, when he finished I gave him the ticket for the game” WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO papa”.
special memoriesCSC…
Awfy braw……
Have a special day ..
Braw
Neustadt-Braw,
Howz things Angus loon?
TC45
CC- was a nice ceremony, glad you made it HH
Petec
Thats what politicians do.
They want to make their mark.
SNP, Labour, Tory, Willie Rennie, Tommy Sheridan…They are all the same to me.
Actors.
HH
Thought joey wasn’t allowed to tweet
https://twitter.com/joey7barton/status/786914913692286976
MWD
Over on a wee visit from Canada. Going to the game tomorrow. Pumped.
Any advice on what time to arrive in order to get into the Kerrydale?
Thanks in advance….
TC 45..
Am doing OK……everything a bit shooglly with Brexit etc..
But I have faith in Oor land….
Hope your trump neighbours all get out of rehabilitation as and when necessary..
Smiley thing….
Celtic to win big the morra….
Hope /your retiring gracefully !!
Braw.
The Green Man,
I dinnae expect to go 2 Germany this Side of Christmas. I am hoping to go after Christmas.
The Wee Guy loves being at the forefront of big Events. The stone Roses he ended up down the very front with his Mum – headcase is jumping about at the back Shouting “This is the One”.
JAMES FORREST @ 4:51 PM,
It would be preferable, as far as I’m concerned, for Clubs to stay and play in their National Associations and Play in European Competitions on a by Merit basis, the status quo as was.
However that is not what is happening in the real world.
The European Cup is no longer won by Clubs that were Country Champions and the Competition is “loaded” so that some Clubs have easier routes than others to both florish sportingly (sic) and financially, this you know. This situation is going to get worse, this you also know.
National Associations and their resources and their ability to Manage, Regulate and Administer their Country’s Football set-up varies hugely and effects the fortunes of their top member Clubs enourmously.
The “Atlantic League” looks to tackle these issues.
Of Course the Daily Record is going to find anything that can help Newco Rangers survive, then thrive a great thing. But I’m sure all reasonable folk within Scotland and all folk outwith Scotland will not see the AL as a “Rangers” vechile.
The Daily Record was wrong when they thought Rangers would survive their financial travails.
They were wrong when they thought a Billionaire Business man was going to “restore” their fortunes.
They were wrong when they thought Rangers would continue through liquidation as if little had happened.
They were wrong to assume New Rangers would take their “rightful place” on promotion to the top Division.
They are wrong to assume they’d get straight into the Atlantic League and wrong to assume all on field and off field problems would disappear.
So let’s not worry about the Atlantic League as a filip for Newco Rangers re-resurrection. Rather let’s look where Celtic are.
We are a huge Club in a small pond, now gone are the days when that only mattered a bit… it matters a heck of a lot. This pond we are in has incompetent, unprincipled leaderhip, gone are the days when this effected member Clubs little… it matters a heck of a lot.
Also Celtic are further curtailed by having an Association that is not that of an independent Country.
A few examples of how this hurts Celtic…
We are not in Portugal’s position, where the National Government works with and Passes Laws to assist their Country’s Football Clubs.
We are not in England’s position where the British National Government favours English Football as does the British National Broadcaster, we become a back water player.
An example of this is Sky Broadcasting, the Broadcaster that made the English League the richest in the world. In Scotland we contribute 10% of the revenue. If that was reflected in our Football TV deal that would be fine but it’s not, we get a fraction of that.
Also we fall foul of British Broadcasting National rules.
For instance, the last Glasgow Derby was shown at the same time as the Manchester Derby. If we weren’t under UK restictions we could have had a Saturday three o’clock kick-off – The Scottish, UK and Global audience would have been hugely enhanced.
No Celtic get disadvantaged in everyway but one, when we look at the National and League set-up. The one advantage we have is the relative ease we have to secure the privilege of trying to qualify for the privilege of qualifying for the UEL and then even the UCL.
Everything else works against us…
A hostile Government
An incomptent League set-up
An unpricipled National Association
An over-regulated non-equipiosed Broadcasting set-up.
So rather than look at the DR’s agenda and what the Atlantic League might do for Newco Rangers. We should look at establishing a League with a fair platform for Celtic.
Imagine say we were creating Celtic Football Club here and now and we were invited to join this SPFL set-up, why would we? By the same token, if we were invited to join the Atlantic League why wouldn’t we?
Hail Hai
VFR800A8
Your cleverness jumped oot the page!
Me tae thought I might know you especially with your erudite posting!
Kikinthenakas
Angel
MWD
Barton spewing his ‘Cat in the Hat’ type gibberish again.
Green Eggs and Ham.
HH
Weeron- before 12.30 for a bit of comfort i would guess, enjoy.
Barton wasn’t told he couldn’t use social media. He was told not to go shouting his mouth off on it.
Off to meet our 2 young visitors from Australia. My son took them on the guided tour of Paradise this afternoon. They’re now very excited about the game tomorrow.
We’re all looking forward to a great day and hopefully another thrilling victory with lots of goals.
Neustadt-Braw on 14th October 2016 6:19 pm
Doing good mate!
Retirement rocks!! Shoulda’ done it years ago instead of dragging ma erchie ‘roon the “gairden spots” of the global oil patch!! Really enjoying it!!
The Clinton posters in oor yard get a lot of local scrutiny!! :) Braw!!
Y’all got plans for a visit back to the glens any time soon?
TC45
KIKINTHENAKAS on 14TH OCTOBER 2016 6:22 PM
Kind words; thank you. So are you a Motherwell or Cumbernauld OLHS?
FAC the Act
KTF
No immediate plans……but I think we should give serious consideration to giving the blue door a deeper green paint job!!!
But the rain falls on the good as well as the shitey….smiley thing…
Braw….
John Park leaves Celtic FC. Do you think Reporting Scotland will show a Celtic o.g. snatch.
Neustadt-Braw on 14th October 2016 6:46 pm
Here ye go….Blue Door….just up the road from the Pannie..
TC45
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/edzell.shtml
B@@@@@@s,called that one wrong.Result tomorrow four nothing,three more points that’ll do nicely.
Newco are 6/1 to score a penalty tonight at Inversneckie.
Like them apples…..
TC45….
One of my mind treasures….I walk that wee path most days…..
Remember me and my wee lass watching water sprites jump from place to place ….laughing as hard as we could….and a wee German lad crying cos he was unable to see them…
A braw braw walk…
Braw
Unless John Park has left to join an EPL club on better wages then he has been marginalised and pushed towards the door.
In recent years many of his recommendations have proved to be very poor investments.
It appears to me that there is the possibility that Brendan doesn’t trust his judgement.
TT
Bada Bing….
Thanks.
John Park has left the building.
Heard a rumour Cowiebhoy has removed his shirt and is doing multiple laps of honour around his living room…
Tiny Tim……
Earlier post referred to family reasons.
WEERON
https://mobile.twitter.com/KerrydaleBar
Weeron
That old chestnut (:-)
TT
BRTH,
Wee donation made. Great cause.
Serious question. Very very serious.
With rumours abounding regarding safety issues at ibrox are Celtic or other clubs asking trfc, GCC and other relevant authorities about this?
As employers they would also be putting players and staff at risk as visiting clubs ignoring such information. Never mind what employees of trfc are subjecting their employees and sub contracted workers, police, ambulance staff, journos, etc to on match days.
If something awful was to happen during a vociferous huddle or ‘bouncy’ in a major game triggering a collapse it would be absolutely unforgivable given that the word is out.
I personally would not be going anywhere near the place. But that’s not enough. We need answers on this.