I remember when football was all about what happened on the park and the only subterfuge we needed to worry about wore a black shirt. Then came Jim Farry, Scottish Football League boss and then SFA boss.
Sure, the SFA tried to hammer Celtic for flying the Irish flag in 1952 and they promoted referees from a well-curated list, but that was the end of it. Farry was a visionary. He understood his predecessors in charge at the SFA were not thinking clearly enough. Farry would change that.
Celtic signed Jorge Cadete from Sporting Lisbon in February 1996 but Jim Farry delayed processing the registration. The player was not able to make his Celtic debut until April, missing crucial league games and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers. Celtic complained, Farry was sacked, and we got to see what many of us knew all along. The shock was the sacking.
Football has come a long way in the subsequent 25 years. The real power in the game now rest with the SPFL, who consumed the Scottish Football League and see more control sit with top tier clubs. For 12 years, the SPFL has been led by a former solicitor from Devon with no skin in the parochial nature of Scottish football. Neil Doncaster supports Norwich, although he’s not even that bothered about them.
SPFL board meetings are chaired by former media executive, Murdoch MacLennan. The curious thing about MacLennan and Doncaster is that neither favoured either Oldco or Newco versions of Rangers. This irritates Newco no end, who would like both removed from office.
With 10 of the 12 Premiership clubs asking for games to be postponed instead of proceeding behind closed doors, we should be grateful for a firm hand on the executive tiller. The executive will seek to implement the wish of the majority of affected clubs. Power in our game was not always impartial and may not be so again one day.
Let’s hope for a positive result on and off the park today.
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DAVID66
I think you may be right, there is a real danger the season might not start up again, so do we play as many games as we can to get our average point tally up?
MARKIEBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 1:08 PM
Couldn’t agree more with your comments re abandoning playing football in the winter months. So many many advantages to playing in the “Summer”, por cierto.
If it really is a 10/2 split – as appears to be the case – then surely it must come to pass?
On tonight’s game, while I have every sympathy with St Mirren, we were shown NONE post Dubai and had to play two games, which we drew, that virtually ended our quest for the Ten. So, for me, let’s get it played. Its the one break we’ve had from the SPFL all season. If all games involving us and Sevco had been refereed correctly we would be comfortably top of the league currently!
If we were four points clear and had the chance to visit Aberdeen and a severely weakened Rangers next week in front of empty stadiums would we be so keen on bringing the break forward?
I personally would be in favour of getting those games played and hopefully stretching our lead. I can fully understand why they are not in favour of it. Facing Celtic in 3-4 weeks in front of a full CP with Jota, Kyogo and maybe 2-3 new signings is not appealing to them. Nor should we expect it to.
Good article Paul67 which highlights that Fergus went for the jugular and achieved change / results
Contrast, current custodians chose the 5WA , sidelining Res 12 and appeasement.
Lawwells strategy was built on partnership with the club wallowing in hatred.
The remaining change will not happen until Celtic have a majority shareholder and board prepared to take a stand as the biggest club in the Scottish game.
From Pie and Bovril at 9.30am this morning on Twitter:
“My understanding of St.Mirren position is that game could yet still be postponed, depending on results of PCR tests that come back this morning. If it does go ahead believe we have between 3 and 5 first team players available. Remainder will be academy players”
por cietro
bloody login issues.
It is difficult to see how Rangers can now avoid being found to have improperly registered almost half their players between 2001 and 2010. In the past, clubs who have been guilty of this offence have had their results voided. In Rangers’ case, this would mean their title successes of 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2010 would have been won unlawfully, and likewise the Scottish Cup victories of 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009, and the League Cup triumphs of 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010.
Whoosssshhhhhhh CSC
BSR – where is that from ?
The Rangers current average points tally per game is 2.5 points, while Celtic’s is 2.2 points. If the winter break is called early and the league cannot resume The Rangers win the league.
If Celtic can win all their games between now and 3rd of January and the Huns drop points or have a game cancelled there is a chance Celtic can overtake the Huns average points tally and therefore be crowned Champions should the league be called early.
DeniaBhoy
Agree – Turkeys voting for Christmas
SAINT STIVS
Randomly plucked from The Hootsman
Rangers’ annual losses since 2012 (operating loss/net loss)
2019-20 £15.9m (£17.46m)2018-19 £11.64m (£11.27m)2017-18 £13.2m (£14.3m)2016-17 £6.3m (£6.7m)2015-16 £2.5m (£3.3m)2014-15 £9.9m (£7.75m)2013-14 £8.3m (£9.8m)2012-13 £14.4m (unknown)
TOTAL = £82.14million (£84.89million)
SuperSizzlingSun CSC
I do not believe the league will be called (I’m no expert by any means) but post Jan and circuit breaker, football like everywhere else will be expected to be back probably with some or many measures in place.
Not saying I agree with this and no inside info, just believe they will put the economy before everything else moving forward.
Exclusive in the Record, GAME ON.
St Mirren verse Celtic game goes ahead after Rainjurz agree to loan one of their referees
If infection rates decline over the 3 week period, then I believe football and most of life will reopen again.
Same bell curves as before for infection rates,
Different bellcurves for hospitisations,
Vaccination works in as much as it reduces amount of severe illness.
now to the game itself.
if we fail to take all 3 points against a depleted under resourced team, there will be much gnashing of teefs.
Dont be suprised also to find some of our players going down with the illness. Your out and about , mixing with others your going to catch it.
Those now complaining about “political posts” have selective memory syndrome.
The SNPcult supporters had all their own way for years on here – now they are held to account, they don’t like it.
If you give it out, expect to take it back by return.
If anyone thinks that politics has no effect on Celtic and its family, then they have been living in la la land for the last 50 years.
set phasers to ignore.
The rags saying tonight’s game is on
Sturgeon is now so confident that she has the celtic, catholic, Ireland demographic in her hip pocket that she is taking liberties.
Decisions are being made in order to help her football club.
On a different matter, Fergus pursued Farry and the SFA until Farry was fired but Fergus didn’t go far enough. He should have insisted that Rangers be disqualified or at least, the league be declared null and void. Fergus held all the aces. They had been caught cheating. There would have been no Rangers 9 in a row.
This is very encouraging although it comes from South Africa which is a country with different population demographics to UK and many other countries and will have to be tested in other countries.
In summary from this study, Omicron is 80% less likely to result in a hospital admission and those who are hospitalised are at 30% less risk of severe disease.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/omicrons-march-revives-urgent-global-calls-vaccinations-2021-12-22/
JHB on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 1:57 PM
Do you actually have any interest in Celtic at all or is this place simply a vehicle for you to push your politics?
Maybe you could start up your own blog?
This is well worth a watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvb5f9OWGus&ab_channel=CelticFC
P67
Your point is valid re Farry and the sea change ( we hope) since but in the interests of accuracy, even pedantry, Farry wasnt sacked after Celtic complained.
He was sacked three years later, after the SFA had cleared him internally – twice no less – and Fergus to his credit wouldn’t let it lie. Eventually an independent commission was set up and only then was Farry’s
duplicity fully exposed. If memory serves, his performance in the witness box was so poor it became the stuff of legend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/292088.stm
He gets asked lost of question regarding individuals which he doesn’t answer, but thats a cultural norm they’ll need to learn to ask different questions if they want better answers.
Garngad to Croy
I believe 75% of matches have to be completed before the league can be ‘called’.
Whatever happens, COYBIG and stay safe
“More to be pitied than scorned” por cierto
Whatever happens, COYBIG
Usual disclaimers but the Dr of virology on Radio Ulster this morning was confident that restrictions could be lifted in late January following a short but potentially high spike in cases come early January. There’s nothing to suggest we’ll find ourselves in 2020 territory again.
Contrast the Morelos scowl and the Kyogo smile.
It’s a pleasure watching our wee guy.
Kyogo bows his head when he is praised, very well mannered lad, in his interview he spoke all the time about football being fun and he enjoys having fun playing, fantastic player and Ange who knows him says he is the same as a person, he also goes over and picks up his opponent when they go down
Freddie Starr on talking politics.
Freddie starr is a spitting britnationalist
Not here for the football.
Stated that onday 1 after his little chat with Paul..
I wouldnt contrast anyone other than Boyd with that miserable git, Miller is the same scowlers
FRED COLON on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 3:09 PM
If ever two football clubs could be represented by two facial expressions , you have just summed it up!
Paul 67
Tricolour dealt with
Jorge Cadets dealt with.
2012 ?
Start lookin at the brithers on our board
Sssssh ssssh
Na you’ll bore the arse of us playing the eunuch going for snp
go for it
Your labour party unfortunately betrayed their own.
Still to meet a Labour man who can explain
Margaret Blair