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.
1,067 Comments- Pages:
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lostinbenidormonthewaytobarca
Hun,must be.
Spelt wur new signing wrongly.
Welcome to the madhouse,bud!
Annette curtan
Alan Allen
Alexander Alexander
Mercedes Benn
# All genuine apart from one #
TBJ,
is Al Genuine the odd one out?
charliebhoy
13:30 on 2 July, 2015
R. I.P. Val Doonican
and i see it was a basset o.g. that knocked ingerland out of the WWC, it takes allsorts
___________________________
You’ll get hounded for that one.
hazel Nutt was previously Hazel Brown. It was destined! I am inthe anti-clique clique.. just me.
Di Niro wisnae happy when his daughter became Martha Focker ;))
HH
nakasammi
13:07 on 2 July, 2015
Apparently many years ago, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame planned to marry William Shatner and was going to keep her maiden name as well as take his.
Stevie Shatner Nicks:-)
—————-//———————-//——-
Classic.
Hail Hail
That was ruff justice…
lecturer at college was David David
I met two gay Irish lads the other night, their names were………
Pat McGroin and Phil McCrackin…………
Just reading that tax raises offered by the Greeks on gambling and corporation tax are behind Europe’s refusal to accept the deal, it appears only low income tax increases and pensions decreases are acceptable to the IMF, the sooner the BRICS gets their act together the better.
Ben Doon & Phil McAvity.
Thanks to democracy – the happy newly weds .
Michael Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzmichael
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING
Which reminds me of Vijay Singh wishing to marry Nick Faldo’s caddy.
He wanted to make her,aw,you know the punchline.
LOSTINBENIDORMONTHEWAYTOBARCA
Welcome to our clique the cqn clique
HH
I wonder which currency BRICS would use? Perhaps, if it’s the currency of an existing country, they’re keeping it a secret as they don’t want to be invaded/undermined by the US.
JOHANN MURDOCH
Disappointingly,I’m in a few of them. KevJ,a prophet without honour(!)
I did like this one though-
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08
Dharma…,
The currency I don’t think will matter it will be back on the gold standard so it can’t be the dollar.
then theres The Emigrant Clique.
those CQNers who have left these shores for a life further afield and constantly go on about how good their weather is, how lovely their burds are and how cold and smooth their beers are.
foghorn leghorn………….. prost
braw
RIP to an Irish singing legend
I heard he was walking up the stairs and Val Doonican…
Its too warm for a coat, im already away
B-)
I once met a Mrs Lott, first name was Rhoda.
Absolutely true.
Hendrix67,
Jockey ?
Another list
http://thechive.com/2010/06/25/parents-can-be-cruel-to-their
HH
Canamalar
Unfortunately not. Accountant.
CANAMALAR
Even the most optimistic IMF/ECB forecasts admit that Greek acquiescence to their demands will see them potless till 2030.
They and the EU aren’t punishing them for their debt. They are punishing them for standing up to them.
No nation should be beggared by another on a point of principle. And certainly not by a howling pack of hyenas without a shred of decency amongst them.
Their idea of a bailout was to give Greece enough money to pay them back. Forever. €19 to Greece,€81 to the institutions out of every €100 while screwing their economy.
BMCUW
Words.
A ‘big’ word that Huns of my acquaintance over the years have had a problem with is….
…OXYMORON.
As in…
Well you know the rest.
HH!!
Lostinbenidormonthewaytobarca,
A warm Welcome to you.
Are you the much needed voice of sanity? No point in asking if your in the clique. Its now only a matter of which one.
Only members of the inner clique can have multiple memberships, unless you are in the sneaky clique.
HH to you.
Whit nae Toblerone Clique?? Ah’m flouncin’
BMCUW,
It just gets more surreal by the day, the rest of Europe are happy to elect governments who will take their orders from bankers.
The first sign of independent thought and the answer is slavery.
The Austrians are getting sick of it too.
Geeenpinata,
Automatically goes into the newbie clique also known as the hun clique, innit
WEETWEETWEET
One of them reminds me of an unfortunately named itinerant who turned up at primary school in Kilwinning.
Jack Hough. English too,he suffered. Kids are unpleasant…
Green even
true i went to school with a lassie named carmen farkus
canamalar,
Are they on probation in the newbie Clique ? If so we must have a vetting clique.
HH.
Had three female clients when I was in the finance game
Bonnie Banks
Needa Beeston
Avana Fhuch, she was Dutch
JOHANNMURDOCH
Nearly forgot to doff my hat to this one,but better late than never.
The Dislexic clqieu
Double whammy,brilliant.
Greenpinata,
It’s a holding clique until they select or are selected :)
Kevj’s anitclique clique is up there as one of the biggest cliques on the blog :)