If you’re going to stage a protest it’s better to make sure that it registers where it counts. Turning up at a Sports Direct till with a pile of tracksuits, then only offering £1 for their purchase, might echo the transaction Mike Ashley completed for the naming rights of Ibrox, but if the tycoon even gets to hear about the so-called flashmob protest he’s likely to pity the forsaken attempt to undermine him.
Ashley has invested around a couple of million in Newco Rangers but it’s pin money for him, which he can easily afford to gamble with. He is also not afflicted with any emotional attachment to Newco, or pretty much anything else, it seems. In short, this is a guy ‘Rangers’ fans can’t lay a glove on. They would be far better to figure this out and start to deal with the reality than provoke an unwelcome response.
Neither Ashley nor the Easdale brothers strike me as people who will be easily cowed or bullied into forgoing the rights they have purchased, while others, including thousands of fans, kept their hands in their pockets. The many genuine fans who are distraught at the humiliating mess Newco has become have been led up the garden path by would-be sages.
Africa
The world is paying a little more attention than usual to the many problems in Africa at the moment but I heard one authoritative voice last week suggest that ebloa is only around the third or fourth most severe problem the continent faces.
But, things are getting better in large swathes of the continent, thanks to improving governance in some areas, better infrastructure, more widely available healthcare, and more children, especially girls, given access to education.
20 people from Celtic Foundation are in Malawi building classrooms and toilets at the moment, while CQN’ers built three school kitchens there this year (more on the soon), but sometimes these many parallel developments conflict.
One such occasion is the John Bande Foundation School in Blantyre, Malawi, which through Mary’s Meals is supported by the Noreen Davies Hikers & Bikers, a group of people from Lanarkshire and Glasgow. The Hikers and Bikers support a feeding programme at the school, which makes it possible for kids to attempt the school, instead of working for food. It’s a mature project but the recent building of a motorway right on the edge of the school property has made the building dangerous; learning and feeding is no longer possible.
The Noreen Davies people are raising money to erect three new buildings. You can read more of the story here, with pictures of the school and road. If you can give them a £1 or two, do so here.
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Response to an earlier poster.
I was born in 1950 and started to watch games from about 1959 onwards until 1969 when I left to go to Canada…..have gone back many many times since to see Celtic play. Costs me a lot of money……but that’s what makes me a lover and supporter.
PLEASE Celtic supporters…get behind the club…..Hail Hail
Hi westies
Judging by the last few posts the ex pats are all ages with me
i’m in Oz now and your support seems to get stronger the further
you are away and i agree with you be patient and get behind the
bhoys.
Regarding Paul Wilson another of the quality street kids and a
great player but difficult to displace any of the lisbon lions.
H/H Mick
Good Morning Timland.
I see a bit of chat about Paul Wilson,a bit frustrating at times but
had a eye for goal,the hun subjected Paul to some disgraceful abuse,
I remember a Glasgow cup final at Hampdump mid 70’s Paul lost his
mother the week prior to the game, the hun sang “where’s your mammy
gone where’s your mammy gone” as well as the usual racist stuff,I’m
sure Paul scored that day,could be wrong a long time ago……away
too work have a great day cqn,
Interview: Paul Wilson on Stein, Celtic and racial abuse in the 1970s
Celtic player and one time cap for Scotland Paul Wilson, 1977
by ANDREW SMITH
Published on the
10 October
2011
12:24
Print this
Indian-born Paul Wilson was the only non-white player capped by Scotland in the 20th century. Yet his appearance against Spain barely registered
WHEN Scotland face Spain on Tuesday night, it should stir memories for more than Paul Wilson of the February 1975 night in Valencia that brought the then Celtic striker his one and only cap. The fact it doesn’t says a little about this nation’s ability to celebrate multiculturalism. Wilson’s appearance came as a substitute 75 minutes into an encounter Willie Ormond’s side drew 1-1. The creditable result is sometimes, if not often, recalled. But what has never entered the public consciousness is the momentous nature of Wilson replacing Kenny Burns.
Wilson was born in India to a Dutch-Portuguese mother and a Scottish father. He was, therefore, the only non-white player to be granted senior representation for Scotland in the 20th century. Even now, he is the only man whose background can be considered genuinely Asian to have been capped by any of the four senior British international sides. Moreover, as the academic tome ‘Race’, Sport and British Society notes, Wilson’s Scotland outing was a full three years before Viv Anderson became the first black player to play for England: “Anderson’s selection was heralded as a significant step forward for black representation in football; Wilson’s selection for Scotland was ignored,” write the authors.
In fairness, it wasn’t just outsiders doing the ignoring. Wilson himself, an unassuming but engaging storyteller, has never thought of himself as a flagbearer for ethnic diversity. Equally, the 60-year-old, who lives in Milngavie with his second wife and two daughters and now works for a car parts firm, hasn’t much told the tale of a career that required him to stand up to endemic racism that was accepted all too readily. Born in Bangalore, where his RAF-stationed father met his mother, he came to Glasgow as a one-year-old, and never asked his mother, who died in 1975, about her roots. “I know the reason I was called Paul was because there had been a church recently built near to where we lived and I was to be the first name on the christening register,” he says.
Wilson says he is Scottish and that his skin tone only marks him out as different when he has taken the sun. But he wasn’t sufficiently undifferent to be seen as another face in the crowd. Never was that truer than in Old Firm games, where he regularly excelled. Abuse, only sometimes, obliquely, reported, rained on him from the Rangers fans. But he had prepared for that all his life. “I got it right bad but was strong and able to never react, retaliate or gesture because I had grown up with all this racism. I got so much stick at school and beyond. I remember going for trials with Glasgow and it would be all that ‘whit are you daein’ here?’ I got terrible abuse from Rangers supporters – but no other fans – whether we were playing them at Parkhead, Ibrox or Hampden. But Big Jock [Stein] had a soft spot for me because I did the right thing and kept an even temperament, which was how he brought us young players up. Answer them by scoring, he would say. ‘How about if I score two?’ I’d say. And I did.”
The significance of his first derby brace was that it ensured Celtic shared the 1975 Glasgow Cup with Rangers and meant Wilson became the only Celtic player to score in four Hampden finals in a single season, following strikes in the Scottish Cup, League Cup and Drybrough Cup finales. His feat was accompanied by racist chanting from both supports. The Rangers fans twisted the jingle of a peanut advert that went “Golden Wonder, they’re jungle fresh” to “Paul Wilson, he’s jungle fresh”. There were other songs, which his own fans responded too in a fairly base manner. Wilson recalls: “There would be chants of ‘Wilson’s a darkie’ and then it would come back ‘Oh, I’d rather be a darkie than a hun’. But I loved playing in that atmosphere and just laughed it off.”
Wilson, though he speaks freely on the subject, clearly does not want to be defined by the colour of his skin, but rather on the company he kept. He was a member of the Quality Street gang at Celtic Park, a band of wonderfully talented contemporaries who were fully expected to outstrip the Lisbon Lions. Getting the 57 bus along to the park with Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain, the trio would feature in a reserve side boasting such luminaries as George Connelly, Davie Hay, Lou Macari and John Gorman. “If we had stayed together we would have won the European Cup, but it didn’t happen with Lou, John and Davie all leaving pretty early,” he says. “Big Jock used to have us play for a £1 against the Lions and we whipped their backsides every time.”
In all, Wilson played 212 games and scored 52 goals for Celtic. “I always thought it was more,” he says. Described as an elegant player, Stein, whom he “loved to bits”, would give him a “bollocking” if he tried to dribble à la Jimmy Johnstone from his hated position on the left-wing. “Only Jimmy was allowed to hold the ball up, beat a man, then turn back and beat him again,” he says. “I was ordered to hit the byline and whip the ball over.”
Until, that is, he was partnered up front with Dalglish in 1974-75. He outscored his more illustrious partner, bagging 29 goals in all competitions.
“Kenny and I got on great. In fact, I made him,” he says with a chuckle. “We had played from schooldays and knew each other’s runs and where we would be. I wish I’d played up front before that.”
When he was selected for Scotland it was in the presence of such greats as Charlie Cooke and Billy Bremner, and he fondly remembers the captain. “I smoked like a lum then and I remember Billy plying me with fags and us having a right good blether,” he says.
Later than year Wilson would reach another career high but he doesn’t remember it as others might. His mother died in the week leading up to the 1975 Scottish Cup final and, despite scoring with two headers in a 3-1 win over Airdrie and winning a penalty that Pat McCluskey insisted on taking, something changed then. He didn’t leave Celtic till just after Stein did in 1978. New manager Billy McNeill blocked a move to Newcastle which had been set up by Stein so the club could instead bank a £50,000 transfer fee from Motherwell. He spent a season there, and retired at 29 after a further campaign with Partick Thistle, before he was tempted to play again by a lucrative offer from Blantyre Celtic set up by old mucker Jimmy Johnstone. But he was never quite the same player after 1975. A niggling injury that required cortisone injections didn’t help but it was the loss of his mother that caused his enthusiasm to wane.
“I just wasn’t as involved as I should have been,” he says. “She was ill for a long time and Jock tried to help. I’ll never forget how good he was to me then. In fact, he had an instinct for any troubles and said to me ‘wee man, what’s bothering you?’ When I told him he said ‘you take some of the boys up to Harkins restaurant and get them a meal’. He knew I had three younger brothers to look out for with mum in hospital, and two young sons then. He made that a regular thing and I used to take Kenny. It turned out to be where he met future wife Marina, who was a waitress. My mum was in hospital seven times, she was riddled with cancer, and she said to me ‘seven for heaven’. No, no, I said, but she was right because the seventh time she didn’t come out. It put me off after that. I had lost my father three years before and I just got fed up, and stuck in a rut at Celtic.”
Wilson’s mother asked that her ashes be scattered in Bangalore. Instead, he put them in his father’s grave at Hillfoot cemetery. “I just thought that was right for them to be together,” he says. “I have never gone back to India and now I don’t think I ever will.”
HH
Paul wilson, a fine player, and after reading last comment a gent as well.
hail hail paul.
Sean.
weet weet weet(GBWO)
Thanks for that wee story about PW, a good player surrounded by some great young players
HH
weet weet weet(GBWO)
07:03 on
13 October, 2014
Described as an elegant player, Stein, whom he “loved to bits”, would give him a “bollocking” if he tried to dribble à la Jimmy Johnstone from his hated position on the left-wing. “Only Jimmy was allowed to hold the ball up, beat a man, then turn back and beat him again,” he says. “I was ordered to hit the byline and whip the ball over.”
—————————————————————————————————————–
Hard and low or a chip for the back stick.
Sighs in nostalgia.
Is that not still a valid tactic?
And,dare I say,exciting.
Thanks for postin’ that interview with hoopslegend Paul Wilson.
Illuminating and moving.
Weet weet weet
Thanks for that story about Paul Wilson. I used to play indoors with him in Milngavie. He’s slightly faster than me!
BT
Remind me to tell you a few more interesting stories about paul when we meet at your next tap dancing class.
And where is the weather report from Calpe???
New series of ‘Homeland’ is a welcome return to form,although I am missin’ wee Mrs Jessica Brody.
dontbrattbakkinanger
I thought you were a class act when I met you Sir.
To which I can now add impeccable taste twice over!
I so miss Mrs Brody!
HH jamesgang
Jamesgang – it was good to meet you; I had to leave early as I am under an injunction after the last flash mob I got involved in ;/)
..and there have been so many implausible plot teists in ole Homeland that they could find a place for Mrs Brody as e.g President of USA, or manager of famous Glasgow Celtics.
Morning all Overcast down here at the moment. Promise of better things to come.
Does this hold true for Celtic and Scotland?
dontbrattbakkinanger
I agree ref the plot twists. Often great series like these ‘drift’ away from brilliance over time.
Mibbee this one will the make or break???
Mrs Brody could fit in anywhere, apart from goalie. If memory serves she’s Brazilian by birth so can probably play a bit!!!
Hope to see you again soon.
HH jamesgang
Nurses strike for 1% pay rise.shocking greed.
As its announced that bosses earn 120% times more than the average wage..
Dbbia
One nurse advised me to take those jakult drinks as antibiotics will kill all bacteri Another said those drinks are useless.
Any opinion?
weet, weet, weet,
Just read the article on Paul Wilson. Lovely player and a real gentleman, by the sounds of it.
Oh, if the Quality Street Gang had stayed together, what a team that would have been. I was privileged to watch them, even as reserves. My heart skips a wee beat just thinking of what might have been. And, heresy maybe, imo, they could have been better than the Lions.
DBBIA,
I would be interested in your reply to BT. The only thing I have ever been advised to take by a Consultant, and he was a wee bit equivocal, was Yakult, which I do now take every day. I actually think it has helped.
BT
Medication
50ml glass of Jura juice , after all meals for 14 days, Finish the course!
I’m a great believer in Yakult [or live yoghurt]
Your gut is like a garden; antibiotics are like weed killer, they kill everything- both the sevconian bacteria that make you poorly but also the useful bacteria that keep you in tip-top shape.
I have a wee bowl of live Greek yoghurt every day; it’s a flavoursome way to keep the ole ‘internal eco-system’ in shape,although sadly my hair still falls a good bit short of Sami’s standards.
The unthabk road.
Indeed… 8)
NL
on talksport
BT
You using my Gaelic name?
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
08:19 on 13 October, 2014
Dbbia
One nurse advised me to take those jakult drinks as antibiotics will kill all bacteri Another said those drinks are useless.
Any opinion?
///
Morning Mhate
Mrs jamesgang was at a consultant cos of her tender tummy.
Her told her while Yakult might have millions of wee benign bacteria beasties the reality of the stomach is billions so it’s a drop on the ocean. And quite an expensive one at that.
He recommended that if you wanted to really make a difference then this baby was what he’d recommend.
http://www.vsl3.co.uk
Moi? I’ll just have a wee cuppa. No sugar. Dash of milk!
HH jamesgang
Thanks, DBBIA.
DBBIa
Thanks
The unthank road .
Yip..
Jamesgang.
Thanks buddy..
not the ole CQN pro-biotic debate..
VSL3 costs £15 [+ £8 p+p]
I’m goin’ with the ole Safeway savers Super Sammi Live Greek yoghurt.
the unthank road great prescription , works for me for most ailments. The rest will kill me anyway.
Wee Marco is fulfilling an ambition by flying to Dubai today for a well deserved holiday..
Flying Emirates(he has wanted to fly emirates for ten years). He is hyper and hasn’t slept last night…
His twin brother was only asking about the Dubliner for Saturday…
dontbrattbakkinanger
;-)
HH jamesgang
BT and others
The inflation rate for basic food, utilities and rent is approx 3.7%. Therefore a wage rise of 1% is actually a cut of 2.7%.
The country is paying £28 Billion in tax credits and housing benefit to low paid workers, in effect subsidising those employers. These companies, including the major supermarkets, and I hate to say it, Celtic Football Club, are the real spongers in our society.
Pay the living wage, you mean spirited bassas.
BT
Just magic
HH
CRC
ger57
I know mate.. Deal with it on a daily basis.
If anyone thinks dwp is in turmoil they should look at tax credits…shambles…
CRC
He deserves everything for what he has been through as a result of his cerebral palsy,
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
09:02 on 13 October, 2014
Has the family thought about ABR treatment which is what Shay family is going for?
HH
CRC
Taurangabhoy
Yes I have been using this medication for several years with oustanding results. Amazing how my singing voice improves in an instant. Downside is ;- it is yet to be made available on the NHS. Maybe a letter to uncle Alex salmond?