“I pick the team” manager tales, EFL bubble ready to pop

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There is an apocryphal tale that when Jim McLean was manager of Dundee United, a 12-year-old wrote to him to dispute team selection.  McLean, so the legend goes, drove straight to the senders address and on being introduced to the boy on the doorstep, stated, “I pick the team”, before turning on his heels and leaving.

When Neil Lennon and his former mentor Gordon Strachan coordinated a Man of the Match nomination for Scott Brown yesterday, it struck me that this was the modern equivalent of a McLean door-stepping.  Neil Lennon picks the team and his MotM quote was him letting you know where authority lies.  It’s not a McLean-level anecdote but is no less a classic of the genre.

Today, 10 MPs, two former chairmen of the FA and others, wrote to the Government asking for a taxpayer handout for the English Football League (EFL).    They note:

“Without any plans being made to rescue football clubs, many in the EFL and others in the National League as well, are now actively preparing to make all but essential staff redundant, cease playing, close down their youth academies and community foundations, and put their business into administration.

“This could lead not only to the failure of many historic community clubs, but the collapse of the national league structure that we have known for over one hundred years.  These are decisions that will be made in the coming weeks, with many clubs unable to meet their payroll obligations for next month.”

The EFL still hope for a rescue package from the Premier League.  They are also pushing the Professional Players Association, the players’ union, to make massive concessions on wages that were never affordable in normal times.  But right now, football in England outside the top flight is unviable this season.

Since the start of the pandemic, I have noted the precarious position of the EFL.  Chances of the existing structure surviving have never been slimmer and probably never will.  This bubble is ready to pop!

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  1. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    NORRIEM – No offence to Saint Tivs and others, but I said it seemed like a genuine post to me – my memory’s like the Celtic defense sometimes. Quick comment, memory lapse, no offence intended – is how I read the original post.

     

     

    Oanywho – Bada Bing – try Molly Malones – north end of Market Street opposite the Student Union. Miss BGFC watches games there – mixed company, but nature of the bar means it’s likely to attract Celtic-minded people.

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  2. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Oops – ‘Saint Stivs’ I meant. That wasn’t poor memory – just fat fingers!!

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  3. hi ghuys, as you probably know i mostly post on sentinel celts, but everyone on sentinel celts used to post on here, this was the bees knees, i remember pablophanque stevie reynolds, kojo, the singing detective, tony donnely, edward,ursus, the barca mole,,the list is endless, anyway im from the lions era, i got an e-mail from one of our posters this morning telling me to stop living in the past, he said the present celtic team would beat the lions ,as i said on our site im getting to old for this, if the lions could not beat the present celtic team i give up.H.H.

  4. Agree about the forgetfulness…I’m always asking my son to remind me of players’ names. Frustrating but that’s life for a seventy plus year old. A wee bit of compassion gents.

  5. It’s the name of things as well as people that I forget ,- I was talking to my son-in-law about putting lights in his decking – the problem was I couldn’t remember the word decking – that big area of wood outside your patio doors was my attempt.

     

     

    We need more EmpathyCSC

  6. Big Packy…Living in the Past–great Jethro Tull song…

     

    I used to be a flower child, I’m now a jaggy nettle…

  7. Bada Bing

     

     

    Molly Malones, west end of Market Street is the place to watch Celtic games…….plenty of TV screens.

  8. Gene…yes it’s not only names, it can be anything…fortunately we can laugh about it at home but it can be a wee bit embarrassing with others. I had an incident a few days ago but I can’t remember what it was…seriously!😊

  9. BP!

     

     

    This team would not lay a glove on the lions.They would have a field day against our defence.You have to shake your head at some of the comments.Now it would be good to know his/her age.

  10. Onenightinlisbon.

     

     

    Was big billy a rat liar when he left for man city?

     

    Was Martin o’Neil a rat liar when he walked away? He stated recently that if he had won the league in 2002/03 he would have taken the spurs job. Rat liar?

     

    In my lifetime as a celtic supporter our director’s have treated all of our managers disrespectfuly.

     

    If things go pear shaped this season neil will be fired and Peter lawwell will continue on imperiously.

     

    Long live the dividend and the bonus. That’s what it is all about.

  11. TIM HORTON ,you are of the same era as me, celtic park was parkhead ,the straw bales behind the goals in the winter, the ghuy coming round with a cardboard box of sausage rolls, the spearmint chewing gum etc, im just being nostalgic, ill have to apologise to BMCUW .hope you are well buddy.

  12. WC @ 8.18

     

     

    BR left mid season.

     

     

    MON had the decency to plan his move for the summer break.

     

    Same with BMcN.

  13. NORRIEM on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2020 7:36 PM

     

    Rock Tree Bhoy & St Stivs

     

     

    BhoyfromSky, a fellow Cowiebhoy ( even though we both no longer live in Cowie)

     

     

    Came back on yesterday and apologised, he genuinely forgot Liam Millar’s surname

     

     

    I know that old pensioner BhoyfromSky very well 🤔🤣 and he is a lifelong Celtic supporter, season ticket holder ( with his wife, who has a well known ex-Celtic player as a relative ) and shareholder

     

     

    At his age, ( he long retired) surely he can be allowed a memory loss

     

     

    But you and St Stivs carry on with your bullying

     

     

    Or is that allowed for so some so called Celtic fans on a Celtic blog

     

     

    ————————————————–

     

     

    I see without posting anything in 20 hours or so I managed to cause a ferore on here.

     

     

    You were doing well with that post Norrie, until you called me a bully.

     

     

    Last week, and yesterday I chose not to watch the celtic matches on VST, because the match day online experience is spoiled for me by the negatonions, the people who find fault in the manager , the coaches, the captain our record breaking winger. So 2 games in a row i went out, so I dont get annoyed by the posts on CQN.

     

     

    Guess where i went ?

     

     

    Celtic park, and sat in my car down on the main road, and could see the big screen while listening to it on shortie. Bizarre, but enjoyable, weird and different.

     

     

    So getting home, logging in as i eat my t, I will tell you I was offended by the Liam whats his name comment follwed very quickly by someone else saying the boy plays like tommy burns. I was offended.

     

    I called it as I seen it, if someone genuinely did not know, google it.

     

     

    So i buggered off. watched the game later, seen nothing of turnbull that looked remotely like a tommy burns style of play, and got offended again. So i posted the same questions I asked earlier in the evening.

     

     

    I decided not to look in today at all. Now I have, I see a stout defence of the bhoyfromsky having a senior moment, and apoligiesed, fair enough, great,

     

     

    your defense of a friend, great also.

     

     

    But 3 posts from me in 36 hours is bulying in what context ? I wont accEpt that i get called that.

     

     

    cheers.

  14. It was announced on 31 January that Stein would leave Hibs for Celtic at the end of the 1964–65 season.[44] Stein left Hibs in early March, after he had arranged for Dundee manager Bob Shankly to take the Hibs job.[46] When Stein left, Hibs were near the top of the league and in the semi-finals of the 1964–65 Scottish Cup.[46] Hibs had defeated Rangers in the quarter-final, in his last game as Hibs manager.[46] They failed to win either competition, however, and Stein later admitted that “leaving Hibs at that time was probably my most embarrassing experience in football”.[46] Stein was statistically the best ever manager of Hibs, with a win rate of 62%.[47]

  15. When I seen the comment about what was Liams second name ,right away I said to myself Henderson,Liam Millers name never came into my mind,and for some Celtic Supporter coming on and slagging another supporter for not remembering Liams second name was a bit over the top,Then it transpired the man that made the comment is a season ticket holder and retired,well I think many of us tend at times forget names or other things,As for Liam Miller I remember when he left us , there were plenty of Celtic supporters not quite pleased with him,but that’s history.

  16. BP1 and Tim Horton

     

     

    It is impossible to accurately compare today`s Celtic with the Celtic of 1967.

     

    The advances in Sports Science,diet, psychology etc mean that today`s teams are incomparably better prepared than team of yore. This level of preparedness surely means that today`s teams would run all over the teams of the 60`s.

     

    In sports where comparison is easier, we can see the massive differences. The marathon record, for instance , was 2:17 in 1967 and is now 2:01. That is more than three miles.

     

    IMO, we can only talk of a team`s achievements in their own era and the Lions were superb.The fact that Celtic reached semi-finals and another European Cup Final not only speaks well of the Lions but shows that things were different then. Massive financial in-put makes it almost impossible for the current Celts to match the Lions` achievements . we can only judge the present team in present imes. They are doing pretty well.

  17. Celtic Park.

     

     

    I always felt the MSSM tried to elevate Ibrox to something majestic by using ` Ibrox Stadium`.

     

    Conversely,`Parkhead` seemed to diminish the importance of Celtic by using the name of the area rather than the team that makes the area famous.

     

    I know we all called it `Parkhead`but that does not make it right.

     

     

    PS ….and I don`t call us `The Hoops.`. Sounds trivial to me .

  18. HOT SMOKED

     

     

    We are doing fine in present times,but it’s a lot poorer league today than it was in years gone by and our financial clout over the rest is immense.

  19. glendalystonsils on

    I’m 70 years old , my late Dad and his Dad before him called it Parkhead , as did every one of my many Celtic supporting relatives. . This ‘Celtic Park’ is a recent thing .

     

     

    If you know your (folk) history .

  20. prestonpans bhoys on

    Glen

     

     

    I’m pretty sure I’ve got programmes from the 70’s European games where the programme says Celtic Park at the front, but agree most bhoys said Parkheed😵

  21. GLENDALYSTONSILS on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2020 8:57 PM

     

     

    I agree it is a `recent thing` but if others are like me, it is rebelling against the MSSM`s preference for `Parkhead`.

     

    Have to go now.

     

    Cheerio.

  22. St Stivs

     

    Had you read a few posts later you would have noticed the BhoyfromSky, apologise when Liam Miller’s surname was stated

     

    Did you choose to ignore that ?

     

    I recall a couple of weeks ago I posted in response to someone asking about Dullatur Golf Course

     

    I commented on the club house being popular as a wedding venue

     

    You went onto criticise your perceived view that I played golf, and others who may play golf

     

    Just to be absolutely clear, the only thing in sport I have any interest in is Glasgow Celtic

     

    I do not and have never played golf

     

    But you thought you could have a free dig at posters

     

    My opinion only

     

    You repeated your criticism of BhoyfromSky several times yesterday, requesting a reaction from others to support you, and in Cyber Bully BhoyfromSky

     

    Whom incidentally I am quite sure can defend himself on here

     

    He appears to have ignored the bullying – hopefully, and continues to post, on Glasgow Celtic

     

    Whom he is deeply passionate about

     

     

    Just bear in mind a few posters are in their 70’s and may not have the sharp memory they once had ( that old codger will now be at mass in Cowie on Sunday to pull me up 😂😂😂)

     

     

    Anyway let’s leave it there and move on to supporting the World Famous Glasgow Celtic

     

     

    And you keep posting the fantastic memories

     

    Quite positive BhoyfromSky will enjoy viewing them 👍👍👍

  23. https://www.stadiumguide.com/celticpark/

     

     

    History and description

     

    Celtic Park has been the home of Celtic since 1892, when the club moved away from a nearby ground that was also called Celtic Park following a dispute over the rent.

     

     

    Celtic Park officially opened on the 13th of August 1892 with the club’s annual sports day. The first match was played a week later and saw Celtic beat Renton 4-3.

  24. NORRIEM, blast from the past there, my late father a croybhoy ,worked at dullatur pit, ach memories,👍

  25. glendalystonsils on

    I personally don’t think there is anything demeaning in referring to ‘Parkhead’ rather than ‘Celtic Park’ .

     

     

    As for the foe malign , they can call it Ibrox stadium or anything they want ….. it will still be a cesspit of decay and hate .

  26. YORKBHOY, thanks for that, but growing up with the lions in the late sixties early seventies, everyone called it parkhead back then👍

  27. glendalystonsils on

    YORKBHOY

     

     

    Factually correct , but that’s why I referred to Parkhead as ‘Folk history’ in my original post .

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