Football has been tribal and jingoistic for over a century. Where it succeed in penetrating beyond the scope of a mere sport, it is inherently primitive. This can be a healthy way for people to remain in contact with all that is important in life but it’s often not.
Writing in today’s Sun, former Celtic player (good grief) , Ian ‘Wrighty’ Wright said: “The next young player who says he does not want to play for England should be ordered to ring the parents of a soldier who has died serving his country in Afghanistan and tell them his reasons”.
To invoke the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives in order to rebuke reluctant footballers is beyond primitive, it is debased and ugly. Bereaved parents would surely be sickened at attempts to equate their sacrifice with a football game. Football and our media have lost their way. Wright should be ashamed, but he won’t be, it’s nonsense like this which newspapers pay for. His media value will have increased.
Harry Redknapp’s ill-made comments about Spurs players not wanting to travel for England games are also a nonsense. There’s not a top-flgiht manager in the game who’s yet to experience players reluctant to fly to Tbilisi, or some other distant destination, for a friendly instead of resting at home with his family. If you are a top pro, these games hold little excitement or value and come at a fitness cost, to pretend otherwise is being duplicitous.
Players with imposing club demands can see these games far enough. Those involved in European football often have two games per week for months, depleting resources and adding strains to muscles. A flight to the back of beyond before a thankless task of a game is simply not an attractive offer. Most players go, but let’s be honest, almost all will choose times to back out occasionally.
England are hurting after an awful World Cup but it will be counter-productive to hand the stage over to jingoistic lunatics. And ‘Wrighty’, if anyone asks you to pull the Paradise Windfall one day, don’t feel obliged to pitch up.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
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The_Huddle
Does it for me…
marrakesh express
In 82 all teams were kicking each other off the park. Maradona is my favourite non Celtic player but he knew it was coming , just the way things were in those days.
Said earlier a meaningless Celtic game means more to me than an Italy game , but I get very defensive of them when all I hear mainly from the msm is how much they and all the other ‘Latin’ teams cheat
tallybhoy put it so much better than me.
Good evening friends.
Wee question, is Sami still a Celtic player?
Sammi 3/1 or just over to score anytime in 90mins tonight, a wee incentive to watch it :)))
till later
Bite marks? http://t.co/lFHFpRaazq
If Suarez is banned for the remainder of the World Cup he could be cheered up by the news that Twilight is re-casting.
Watch the Godin goal again and see three Italian defenders who concentrate only on grappling with their direct opponent, two of them did not even jump for the ball.
Never mind zonal vs man-to-man, what about grappling vs jumping?
My mate once caught a guy breaking into his house,knocking feck oot him the guy bit him
He caught an infection and was aff work for weeks
HH
Good evening all.
Will the real Sammi turn up tonight??? :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Which horror film did Suarez star in?
Answers not on a plate!
Vile individual.
ChiantiCSC
Italy only have themselves to blame. Far far too complacent against Costa Rica…
They were never going to trouble the likes of Holland and France and need to seriously think about getting some pace into that team.
But Suarez is an odious wee man. His World Cup surely ends here?
PFAYR
I am first and foremost a Celtic fan.
Only usually take an interest in the WC to try and win some money!
Dont care who wins.
As long as it’s the team I’ve backed!
HH!!
Jobo
Not on official site but probably still is till this months pay day
http://www.celticfc.net/team
Interesting from US media…………
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/themargin/2014/06/24/luis-suarez-takes-another-bite-out-of-a-rival/
borgo67
Grazie for that!
Large gin going down well.
HH!!
weet weet weet(GBWO)
19:38 on 24 June, 2014
My mate once caught a guy breaking into his house,knocking feck oot him the guy bit him
He caught an infection and was aff work for weeks
HH
==========================
Sounds hellish. But what happened to your mate?
Although I have not listened to him lately I’m glad to see the kind of English who think like Adrian Durham getting their comeuppance.
It’s not just that AD bigged up England, it’s that he denigrated Scottish football at club and international level whilst supporting the economic business model based on TV income that attracted so many foreign players to the EPL.
Apart from impoverish in our game this has reduced considerably the number of places English lads can command in order to raise the overall level of the national side.
So to my English friends hard luck and better luck next time.
To Adrian Durham ” Get it right up ye ya buffoon.”
Tallybhoy
19:29 on
24 June, 2014
Italy oot.
Fair enough.
But spare me the ‘serves them right, they’re nothing but a shower of cheats’ shite!
*after Uruguay I said to Mrs TT “watch Italy now”. This is what sickens me about them, they are a really talented side but are at times content to park the bus.
Glad Italy are out.
Most corrupt nation ever in planet fitba. That’s before we even think about their tainted World Cup wins.
Suarez was bad but got kicked from pillar to post by the real bad guys.The reaction of a guy who isn’t the biggest baddie. He doesn’t break legs. He doesn’t end careers with his actions
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Italian football. GIRFUY
Goodnight.
Saurez will use this to get a move to Spain,citing English media blah blah blah.Brendan Rogers and Liverpool deserves better,they cant defend him anymore,get rid.
ryecatcher
The stone throwers will therefore be all those who don’t bite sporting opponents then.
Your fondness for LFC and it’s players blind your judgement IMO
HH
Italian tv having a post mortem.
Prandelli handed in his resignation.
HH!!
weeman67,
One of the comments:
Can nae wait till Uruguay play Transilvania!
BiteMeCSC
Can I Have Raspberry On That Champions League Ice Cream
19:14 on
24 June, 2014
The lady in the shop at the airport says new strip is heading for one of the best sellers.
=======
OMG – what ever happened to good taste. I actually consider the hideous day-glow bumble bee number far superior to the ‘hotel lobby carpet’ inspired number that is our new ‘heritage’ (don’t laugh) away kit. Then again it is in keeping with heritage of sorts as we have had some absolute rank rotten away kits over the past couple of decades albeit we did have a couple of real crackers during MON’s tenure one being the all black with gold trim – pure class . I understand that these days kits replica kits are primarily aimed at the teen market and as such ‘ style’ is abandoned in favour of puerile nonsense that is erroneously marketed as being in keeping with ‘tradition and heritage’. However does anyone in Celtic actually have a say in what our strips look like or is this solely governed by Nike?
CelticstyleguruCSC
tallybhoy
Enjoy your gin. Used to enjoy one or two before dinner , haven’t touched a drop since my wife was took ill whilst pregnant, Christmas Day 2007 ,she had to drive to the hospital. Only the odd glass of vino these days
On the domestic front, looks like the scourge of
my beloved Celtic ( don’t laugh) is heading back
to ibrokes……hope we don’t draw thems in one of
the cup’s.
onegoalinloadsagamesCSC.
Bada bing
How do they deal with this guy
Remove his league registration ….
Continuous assaults on other players ….
*groans*
ryecather
You’re an erse.
GIRFUY!
More Italian players have played for Shameful Deadclub than Celtic.
There is a reason for this.
Go figure bhoys.
Tallybhoy
to cheer you up wee Miss Giorgi has won the first set 6-1
ryecatcher
20:01 on
24 June, 2014
More Italian players have played for Shameful Deadclub than Celtic.
There is a reason for this.
Go figure bhoys.
==
Sectarian signing policy?
Whilst I’m sad about Italy, the real tragedy here is Suarez. Fabulous player but looks like temperament problems which may prevent him from reaching his true potential.
PFayr
I assume any ban would be solely for international football
or could it be enforced in the domestic game too?
Tallybhoy.
An erse?
Might well be
At least I wouldn’t have shown it to Il Duce
Most corrupt tax evading nation in Europe. No wonder they love Ibrox as a spiritual home.
Have they not learned just to give Suarez a McDonalds at half-time?
Cue McDs next advertising campaign…
Even if Suarez has his teeth removed he’d probably still give someone a nasty suck.
ryecatcher
so are you not willing to condemn Suarez for his actions