I’ve been looking for signs for an inflationary bounce in English football. The next Premier League TV deal is still 12 months away but at this stage before previous TV deals kicked in, clubs started spending ahead of themselves as they looked to secure a piece of the lucrative new deal. In particular, I’m keen to see how central defenders are valued.
Today news broke that West Brom agreed a deal with newly-relegated Hull City to sign central defender, James Chester (26) for £8m. Chester has 11 months left on his contract at Hull. Three years in the English Championship and 45 Premier League games over two seasons was enough evidence to induce modest West Brom to pay the asking price.
It would have helped that three other Premier League clubs, Southampton, Aston Villa and Newcastle, were also reportedly interested, but no one is making false claims for a lad who has not troubled the scouts of England’s top clubs. He’s a modest player who is able to sign a pre-contract in January. This is a spectacular fee, passing between two modest clubs, for a central defender.
Consequences for us? We’ll see.
I’m doing a State of the Club article for Friday, as we do the day before the league campaign starts. So far there’s a flow to the words. A solid result on Wednesday will reaffirm that, whereas a reversal would, frankly, deem a satisfactory assessment inappropriate.
So much turns on these next few games, Champions League qualification, squillions of pounds, and sure, the State of the Club. We’ve come through a few iterations of acceptable levels of performance over the last 20 years, since winning our first trophy in six years. Younger readers will never appreciate how precious a 1-0 Scottish Cup win over Airdrie could be.
These days it’s all about the treble and Champions League group stage qualification. The loss of a cup would be an annoyance, but Celtic need to be part of the Champions League.
Our friends at Magners have offered a pair of Premium seat tickets for the Jock Stein Stand at the opening league game of the season on Saturday. To enter, all you need to do is email me with the name [IN THE SUBJECT LINE] of who we play that day, celticquicknews@gmail.com
If you’d like to donate £1 to the CQN Mary’s Meals school kitchen appeal, help towards what would be our fifth kitchen in Malawi, you can do so here:
Entries close at 6pm this evening, so not much time.
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After his wardrobe injury, I’m hoping Commons plays and scores so someone* can say it was ‘literally straight out of the top drawer’.
*me
Inside The SPFL @AgentScotland 8m8 minutes ago
Just passed Celtic Park, queue for the Ticket Office was pretty Big, I’d imagine there’ll be at least 45k inside Celtic Park tomorrow night
Met big Pierre on Tenerife after the cup final goal in 95
In the pub owned by Gerry and Noleen down in Veronica’s before they moved up to St Eugene
Big Pierre made the mistake of going into a Scottish pub
He didn’t last long in there
JJ – would have had to pay the booking fee regardless I think.
Fieldofdrams – turnstyles stay open ’til half time – you might catch the second half… No need for it in this day and technology age. Poor form.
BBC Sport Scotland @BBCSportScot · 7m
15,000 empty seats at Celtic Park for crucial Champions League qualifier
up_over_goal
13:06 on
28 July, 2015
After his wardrobe injury, I’m hoping Commons plays and scores so someone* can say it was ‘literally straight out of the top drawer’.
*me
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
get back in the closet!!
up_over_goal
12:35 on
There is one comparative statistic above all which jumped out at me above all others – one which shocks me if accurate and there is no reason to doubt the source.
Goals/assists per minute 2014/15
Player Minutes per goal/assist Minutes played/goals & assists
Stokes 113 2610/23
Armstrong 303 1210/4
Thanks for the new post Paul just as I was asking a question.
So, at the risk of repeating myself, have Celtic TV or any other media outlet secured the rights for tomorrow’s game?
Had a look at seating plan, at this stage a disappointing turnout looming, “let’s be avin ye” to quote a top chef. Seriously we need a good turnout tomorrow to urge on the hoops.
This Baku team are no mugs , hey will be confident of going trough especially with the second leg I Baku , clean sheet tomorrow vital to qualify
i thought it looked not bad marty- on course for close to 50,000 hopefully
Anyone know how the Baku Bhoys club is doing these days ? was a member for a good few years – Happy Days ….
Eyes Wide Open
I think it shows that Stokes, despite being played mostly on the left, is still one of our most creative players (at least against SPFL teams). I’m not sure out on the left is Armstrong’s best position – didn’t he use to play centrally?
Getting really annoyed with the latest Media obsession over how many folk DON’T go to the game.
By their logic a 2,000 attendance at Pittodrie (only 18,000 empty seats) would be a better crowd than 40,000 at Celtic Park (with 20,000 empty seats).
Following that through it implies that if we ever extend the main stand and increase capacity we’ll have a further “drop” in attendances..
Bizarre logic.
Think I might start to keep a record of how many days I don’t run. or how many Units I fail to consume….
Lunch rant over, back to lurkin’…
Postie just walked by the house, no tickets!
Is the season ticket activated for tomorrow night?
What is it wi the huns and buses?!?!?! That’s them sacked their current company (Bruces) after 3 years and now one of their own directors company Parks is getting the gig. Looking after themselves at all times!!!
Also just been told by the office hun that the mentalist sevconians were getting charged a £1 a time for a quick swatch into the world’s greatest superbus before it was head scratchingly torched!
Blaikiecsc
Ronny & Stuart Armstrongs
Press comments
https://mobile.twitter.com/celticfc?p=s
TBB – indeed: but I marvel at the charge: I have 3 season tickets and was charged £4.50 for my tickets to be recognised at the turnstile for this game.
This is a whopping fee to charge for (me) telling a computer that I’ll be coming to the game on Wednesday.
cf. I also recently paid for £72 for train tickets over the internet at no additional charge.
How can a charge of £4.50 be justified for an automated tranasction like this … ?
VIP
RD: “Charlie is struggling still, so he could be difficult for tomorrow.”
Media FFin’ at it again:
“Why do some of the media keep referring to Warburton as a’ young’ manager?
He’s 52 for Pete’s sake!”
——
“it infers hes naive and inexperienced and destined to fail”
——
“It’s the Scottish media, trying to describe him as inexperienced.
They are more than easy to work out. They have to be the most one sided bunch of b*st*rds, as far as sport goes, anywhere in the world.
I have lived in three different countries outside Scotland and to this day I am still astounded that they get away with what they report. I really don’t think they would get away with what they do in most other westernised countries.”
——
“Mhedia scum trying to patronise him. They can’t resist having a dig at any aspect of the club, and that’s just one. If they weren’t calling him young then they would find some other angle to chip away at.”
——
“We need a strong statement from the board on this. It’s unacceptable.”
Interesting article on Qarabag:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13502583.Azerbaijan_FA_chief_Willard_on_why_Celtic_should_fear_well_loved_Qarabag_and_their_Brazilian_jewel/
They have a possession-based style of football, will look to hit Celtic hard in the first 15 mins then look to play counter-attack; Reynaldo up front and Almeida in midfield are both quality players.
That article was so interesting it speared out of my laptop and knocked my coffee over.
up_over_goal
13:15 on
28 July, 2015
It would be the statistic I would be knocking on the managers door to discuss if I was Stokes.
I knew he always a top assister when he played up front in previous seasons and was never overly fond of him there, but I really didnt think he was out on the left – when I thought significantly less of him there!
Fair point JJ. Hadn’t crossed my mind that there is no staff cost associated with you letting the computer know you’ll be attending the game.
gary67
12:45 on 28 July, 2015
tonydonnelly67
12:43 on
28 July, 2015
Are you an echo ;-)
12.28pm
Lol, no I was just agreeing with you.
For those waiting for tickets (from the offishul site):
The payment date for those STH on the Home Cup Ticket Scheme is Tuesday, 28th July.
New for Season 15/16 – Season tickets will be activated for those on the Home Cup Ticket Scheme. Season tickets will also be activated for those STH who purchase their season seat for this match. Match tickets will not be issued.
Eyes Wide Open
Stokes and Commons have suffered under Ronny’s change of formation, but both have coped pretty well with the change – 15 assists for the season for Stokes isn’t bad.
up_over_goal
13:06 on
28 July, 2015
After his wardrobe injury, I’m hoping Commons plays and scores so someone* can say it was ‘literally straight out of the top drawer’.
*me
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
get back in the closet!!
————————————————————————-
Don't think he'll play as Quarabag have a couple of tall-boys in defence! :-)
mmmmmm….
West Brom agreed a deal with newly-relegated Hull City to sign central defender, James Chester (26) for £8m
makes Mathews’ fee seem paltry for some reason?
Although I am not the JJ to whom TBB has addressed his responses, I too, have wondered about the £1:50 charge and was going to ask, this morning, if anyone knew the reason for this charge. Is it a reasonable charge or just greed? To whom does the £1:50 go?
JJ
desertbhoy & Art of War
I’ve always stuffed my Qarabags in the top drawer.
If Commons scores a hattrick, he gets a Qarabag for life.
(will stop now)
an tearmann
12:20 on 28 July, 2015
james maclean,the media double standards. from the Celtic network
http://thecelticnetwork.com/2015/07/28/double-standards-by-english-national-side-james-mcclean-is-crucified/
HH
~~~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree wi the gist of the article but it contains some serious inaccuracies.
.
desertbhoy
12:58 on
28 July, 2015
001 Bhoy..
12:45 on
28 July, 2015
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
so you’re advocating we travel halfway round the world, forget the ECL qualifiers just so we can earn a few Oz$$$’s
..
No No No..Not in the Slightest..Oz Dollars anyway..
No l want to see Celtic FC at the Big Table..This Competition is Now played all over the World and looks like getting Bigger and Bigger..
Put it this Way..The TV Exposure this is getting in China..The US..Australia etc
But what it is Doing is Giving the Peeps in these Countries a Chance to Actually go and see these Teams/Players..
Real Madrid had nearly 20k at a Training match at $25 a Head..
By what l have Seen from these games..They are NOT Your usual Friendly games..
Maybe l just think it is a Wee bit Sad that Celtic FC are playing Freindlies in Paisley and the Big Guns are away having a ‘Love in’ with the Non Soccer Countries..
Also l don’t think We should be Playing 3 Qualifiers Teams that Cannot WIN there Own League should be playing Qualifiers..
001
001
A bit OT but worth a look and listen………
Not only is she beautiful, she tells it like it is………
Tomi’s Red, White, Blue & Unfiltered Final Thoughts the Slaughter of 4 Marines by Another “Mohammad”
And she has guts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y8Q0MMHwx4k
.
A Double.. 001..;-)
Heads-up for Bhoys who like a match flutter – paddypower currently offering 22/1 on Jo Hansen to get a brace or more.
Everywhere else he’s single figures.
JJHS
Is it £1.50 per ticket?
If so, that’s even more annoying, since 2 of my tickets were for under 13’s: I was charged a fee of £4.50 for 3 tickets totalling £30 (1 adult at £20, plus 2 kids tickets at £5 each) …
VIP
Regards tickets to be collected from the TO tomorrow, I stood in the rain from 1010 until 1115 to collect my tickets this morning.
Upon exiting, the queue was longer than when I arrived, so my advice would be to go along early, if at all possible.
Roadworks on M74/M73 also to factor in…