Janko, concentrate TV money on 6, not 42 clubs

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The assembly of Celtic-2015-16 continued apace yesterday with the arrival of Saidy Janko (19) from on a four year contract.  Saidy spent the second half of last season on loan to Bolton Wanderers, under Neil Lennon, in one of the game’s most bizarre transfers.

Manchester United were happy to allow Janko to go to Bolton in the winder transfer window but his absence would have left their U21 team short.  They needed a defender so Bolton offered Andy Kellett.  Kellett had only been in the field a total of 85 minutes in his Bolton career and had been farmed out to Portsmouth earlier in the season.  So it came as a surprise when Neil Lennon called to say “Pack your stuff, you’re going on loan to Manchester United”.

Saidy arrived in Manchester from Zurich as a 17-year-old right back but now plays all right-side positions.  There are things I like about this transfer: he’s been watched by the manager and scouts and was high on the wanted list. The success rate of players who have been well-scouted is vastly better than players who arrive after glowing references from respected names in the game, but where the Lennoxtown guys have only seen rare glimpses of the target.

It’s heartening to read glowing references from those who have watched him in England but references don’t mean he’ll make it at Celtic.

The use of New St Mirren Park by Celtic for a friendly game was not in itself controversial. Before being liquidated, Rangers used the same venue for youth games, and Celtic have often used Excelsior Stadium Airdrie for the same purpose.

But when photos emerged early yesterday of Celtic livery above the club shop, temporarily stocked with Celtic merchandise, it stirred something within St Mirren fans. They don’t mind their stadium being used by another club in return for cash, but for some, sensitivities need to be observed.

I can’t say I was remotely bothered by Commonwealth Games livery at Celtic Park last year, nor would I have raised an eyebrow to the Celtic Superstore being handed over for the sale of Commonwealth memorabilia, very few of us were. However, I have some sympathy for St Mirren fans. We were in a position of strength when we agreed to the Commonwealth deal, St Mirren have just been relegated and most fans expect their stay in the Championship to be more than a single season.

Yesterday’s livery was an indication of St Mirren’s place in the world, not so much a Celtic competitor, more a facilitator, who survived for years on a dividend from Celtic fans’ TV subscriptions.

Paisley is big enough to support a vibrant community club, but it’s too close to Glasgow to build an independently resourced competitor, they are not an Aberdeen, Dundee United, Dundee (maybe still), Hibs or Hearts. We have a handful of economically viable tier one football clubs and should nurture them accordingly, while aligning community clubs to focus on what should be their strengths.

Imagine, for a second, TV money concentrated on six clubs, not 42. These clubs would harvest the talent from a community feeder system and have the opportunity to build a sustainable businesses.

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  1. What is the Stars on

    Professor Green

     

     

    Seriously though

     

    That cage fighting stuff is not a sport,its just thuggery

     

    at least boxing has an art and skill to it

  2. Canamaler..If the idea fails you are expected to bail out your oppressors, its the natural way..Did Iceland do that with the bankers?…Did Your Hero Gordon Brown?..

  3. What is the Stars on

    Any read the link Robert Tressell put up the other day to John Pilger,scary stuff

     

    I read Robert Fisk “Great War for Civilisation ” recently

     

     

    easy to see why angry young men attack westerners lying on beaches..

     

     

    World is a mess,but we struggle on through the vale of tears

  4. Clogher Celt

     

    Re your Easter gathering next year I am very jealous of those going, I was at the St Pats game with pals from Crieff and Glasgow back in 98, on the eve of the game we went to see the Wolftones then after the game Athenrye the place was bouncing. Also been over many times golfing, but due to poor health at the moment I won’t be able to come over. Dublin remains one of my favourite trips

  5. Captain Beefheart on

    Wits,

     

     

    Today, those ‘angry’ young men killed over a hundred innocent Muslims. They are fascist bastards. The far left’s justifications for these loons is terrifying.

     

     

    Not suggesting that you are by the way.

  6. Captain Beefheart on

    Bgx,

     

     

    I was referring to the comedian on QT. The lovely one. No, not Corbyn.

  7. wits,

     

    I disagree on most of those, had the Spanish won we’d be as advanced as the Middle East,

     

    Only education is what the church decrees, I’m no big fan of the Holy Roman Empire, it did retard Europe for over 1000 years.

     

    For all its horrors the UK has done some amazing stuff, slavery abolished without bloodshed, social benefits for the poorest and the NHS, all things our cute capitalist fellow tims hate and actively hate as a waste of our money, their money very rarely goes into any of these benefits to society but they demand we do not pay towards it either, they need that money to bail out their latests business failures, or wars as we know them.

     

    And then they tell us we are confused or misguided because we don’t accept their savagery.

  8. clogher celt on

    papajoe,

     

     

    Thanks, and I hope you get better.

     

     

    Take your time you never know.

     

     

    If not we will keep you posted

  9. what the hell do we care on

    On Anthony Stokes – I spent a couple of hours in his company and the guy is a gentleman and a diplomat. While sitting in our quiet local he was approached by 2 nutters (had they followed him in?) and he expertly fended them off and averted a possible scrap.

     

     

    Anyway after the psychos left we got talking about playing: he credited his father with giving him the basics to be a professional player by forcing him to be 2-footed from an early age and imposing a rigorous training and fitness regime. He also said Arsenal coaching was first class and spoke at length about the pressures of professional football, including putting up with lunatic fans that think you’re god’s gift one minute and a total duffer the next.

     

     

    The point: I don’t (personally) think there’s a long term place for him in Deila’s system but I think we (as supporters) should be a bit more circumspect when labelling players “lazy” or “duffers” or “useless” . If it was easy we’d all be Mourinho

  10. Bgx,

     

    You keep referring to Iceland I’m really no sure why, can you expand please, what do we have in common with Iceland, oil ?

  11. Beefheart – no one is justifying them. The facts are that the actions of the west in Iraq and elsewhere have created the likes of ISIS.

     

     

    If you read the article WITS refers to you might understand.

     

     

    The left were educating and liberating women in Afghanistan before the CIA armed and trained the mujahadeen.

     

     

    But blame the left….

     

     

    Away back to my lurking…..

  12. Canamaler..i read somewhere that more people have died or committed suicide Through benefit cuts than british soldiers died in a pointless exercise in Afghanistan in the same period, an Exercise Supported by labour..Not nice..Eh…

  13. Clogher Celt

     

    Thanks I’ll keep my eye on what’s happening on here. Have done a few tours but regret not going to Kilmainham like Gerryfraethebrig Grace is one of my favourites especially sung by Podgie. I have ME so not life threatening just very frustrating.

  14. Captain Beefheart on

    RT,

     

     

    Your ability to polish a turd is something to behold. Despite disagreeing with guys such as Cana and yourself, I can’t help but enjoy your posts nonetheless.

     

     

    Must be a Celtic thing. All the best.

  15. What is the Stars on

    Captain Beefheart

     

     

    Thats the point

     

    push angry young men into a corner and they will lash out

     

    The west has created a monster with its interference in the middle east,you can go back to the carving up of the Ottoman Empire after WW1,Britain France USA and then the USSR,

     

    Oil,power,influence,the people of the region meant nothing.Now they are lashing out.

     

     

    Canamalar,

     

    Defending the UK,and there I was thinking you were a true son of the true sons of Erin

     

     

    Whatever about the Spanish (that was tongue in cheek) had Napoleon won at Waterloo the world might have been a better place

     

    http://thepensivequill.am/2015/06/arthur-wellesleys-victory-at-waterloo.html

  16. beefy

     

     

    “The far left’s justifications for these loons is terrifying. ”

     

     

    But, it has been far less influential than the far right’s arming and funding of these medieval barbarians. But they were handy when they were fighting Russians and Iranians.

     

     

    I was reading today about Daniel Inouye, a genuine hero from WW2, who served as a US Democratic senator for Hawaii for over 50 years.

     

     

    When dealing with the Reagan / Oliver North coup, he said…”There exists…… a shadowy Government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free from all checks and balances, and free from the law itself.”

     

     

    But hey, they are the good guys. That’s why they work in secret, eh? Just like Batman and Superman

  17. rt,

     

    They also celebrated racist sectarian marches sure, oh wait that’s every politicians fault since when?

     

    Oh wait who is currently encouraging and using taxes to pay for racist sectarian marches, it’s not the present govt fault they are only not going to change things and why should they labour never did so that’s a good enough reason to do nothing about it, we’ll encourage them a wee bit more cause you don’t know when they’ll become useful to keep them mickey Fenian bastards in their place, that’s right innit ?

  18. Captain Beefheart on

    Incidentally, I won’t mention how your Soviet mates treated gays, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Orthodox, dissidents etc etc.

  19. Canamaler..Think They Nicked the Bankers, And are free or almost free of debt..What your hero Brown should have done , but he couldnt could he, Hes to far up the westminster establishments ass…

  20. angelgabriel on

    RobertTressell.

     

     

    Thanks for posting that link the other night.

     

    Fascinating and frightening.

     

    Every day is a school day on CQN.

  21. Iceland are the ONLY western nation that have positive equity since the crash of the banks in 2008.

     

    They are the only nation that are in a better financial state today than they were in 2008.

     

     

    Cos they fecked oot the banksters.

     

     

    Sleep well Timland.

     

     

    HH

     

    KTF

  22. bgx,

     

    You don’t really do discussion do you, ask you a question and you bounce around like a capitalist, trying to find a way out without facing responsibility, blame Canada.

     

    You’ve blamed everyone and everything else for Scotland’s problems except those who are responsible, the Scottish people.

     

    Racist sectarianism in Scotland is not England’s problem it is wholly a Scottish issue, the people you want us to trust have been in control for over 400 years and they will not be removed because Scotland gets independence their power over the Scottish will only increase with fewer dissenters to control.

     

    But for some fcuking reason you and many useful idiots like you think there will be a great awakening, even after watching how the great Scottish people have closed ranks to suppress the truth about the sectarian racism that is institutionalised and supported by every institution in the country. But it will all change said the idiot to the retard and they sang in praises of the great new adventure as they go marched up to the front line of another futile war that we were told would never happen under the new regime. Fcukwits

  23. what the hell do we care on

    What is the Stars –

     

    Touché – brilliant: haven’t seen that for years. Beckenbauer- surprise selection ;-)

  24. Beefy

     

     

    “Incidentally, I won’t mention how your Soviet mates treated gays, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Orthodox, dissidents etc etc.”

     

     

    What guys like Putin? I thought you were his number one fan.

     

     

    Now, if you can point to me praising a commie??? Nah- you just imagined it cos it fits with your Daily Mail view of politics.

  25. What is the Stars on

    What the hell do we care

     

     

    I really think canamalar fancies you

     

     

    I have never seen him to be so welcoming to a poster

  26. Cowiebhoy 23:15 on 2 July, 2015 have celtic confirmed those players as sold/ left the club?

     

     

    ruggygman 23:16 on 2 July, 2015, rogic might hang in there but a good performance against a second division dutch team does not impress me greatly. Johanson will be about this season but the fridge (figinjohanson or whatever) is apparently off!!! Honestly think VVD deal done no matter the outcome of C/L

     

     

    On Stokes he is decent but if we can get a million or so its a no brain p.s. still be pulled on the jersey

     

     

    hh

  27. what the hell do we care on

    What is the Stars-

     

    I’m flattered ;-)

     

    Mostly lurker but post after games sometimes cos only interested in the football.

     

    Not that I don’t care about politics or independence or the class struggle… Actually I lie, I’m only interested in the ‘tic ;-)

  28. What is the Stars on

    What the hell do we care

     

     

    You are right

     

    gets a bit silly on here at times

     

     

    but thats all part of the crack

     

     

    Bed time for me now

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