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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mighty tim supporting wee oscar
08:34 on 25 June, 2014
I will remember your Sister in my Prayers and will light a Candle at Mass tonight, a special Mass to celebrate our PP’s Golden Jubilee.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Work time, until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
mighty tim supporting wee Oscar
08:34 on
25 June, 2014
Thoughts with your sister MT, hope you and family are keeping well
MIGHTY TIM
Good luck and best wishes for your sister,bud.
Mighty Tim.
Best thoughts and prayers for your sister and to you mate, all the best fae the valley..
Mighty Tim
Prayer said. Hope all turns out ok. Lots of strength on here for you and her.
Rhiannon
Hoopy Birthday miss. Mind and spoil your dad today and keep telling him how young and beautiful he’s looking!
Good to see the Sammi Debate didn’t reach any agreed conclusion. The enigma debate that will run and run. A bit like the old Christmas re-runs of Ben Hur and the Great Escape.
Have a great day Timdom
HH jamesgang
tommymartin (@tomahawk200)
24/06/2014 19:32
Nice poster behind the distraught American fan :-) pic.twitter.com/SaKhkle2I0
mighty tim
Thoughts with you and your sister
HH
Good Morning.
I will always want those who run Celtic football club to do the very best for Celtic….. as a club.
At the same time, I genuinely believe in the individual, and that on occasion an individual can have an effect on the club, but more often than not our club can have an effect on an individual — especially the right kind of individual.
Both on these pages and in the magazine I have written about the merits of Giorgios Samaras as an individual, a man and a footballer.
I am an unashamed fan of Samaras the man and a pretty big supporter of Samaras the footballer ….. yet I believe that it was right for the club to call time on his playing career at Celtic Park under Neil Lennon’s management as it was apparent that he was not being played regularly whilst earning one of the top wages at the club.
The guys on the top wages should play regularly and perform regularly — and Big Sammy wasn’t doing that or wasn’t being allowed to do that and under those circumstances club and player should go their separate ways.
Sammy is one of those players who can be very exciting, very talented, unplayable on certain days but I can understand why many would see him as a luxury which we can’t afford.
I always thought he had lots of talent and potential, even when others about me would have seen him far enough years ago– long before Neil Lennon took the controversial decision to offer him a new contract because he “saw something in him”.
However, all players face a time when their time at a certain club has come… and gone, and I think Sammy’s time at Celtic — as a player — has reached a natural end.
However, he is a clear fan of the club and at some point in the future he may well have some roll to play at the club in another capacity.
Yesterday, there were rumours on twitter where it was hinted that he expected something dramatic to happen re his career — though I have no idea what that might mean,
What I do know is that last night he scored a highly charged and pressurised penalty and moments later he was seen taking the time to console the distraught Ivory Coast keeper.
Sportsmanship and human kindness can never be overlooked as an attribute and there it was for all to see, just like his actions with Jay on the last day of the season and just like a couple of other incidents I know of with people like Vanessa Riddle which take place away from the camera.
I have no idea what the future holds for Samaras but I recall the guts it took to stay and fight for a place at Celtic park when most would have gladly see him leave.
However, most of all when I think of the big Greek I think of an incident at a petrol station outside Glasgow when I saw him do just the simplest of things whilst at the same time trying to remain as anonymous as possible, making no fuss of who he was and what he did for a living.
Louis Suarez is a far better footballer than Sammy but he could not lace his boots in terms of integrity and humanity.
Watch out for what Samaras does next — he is not your average footballer.
Try again…..
https://twitter.com/tomahawk200/status/481505270972301312
brogan rogan trevino and hogan supports oscar knox, mackenzie furniss and anyone else who fights neuroblastoma
08:51 on 25 June, 2014
Absolutely spot on….!!!!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Psajo9iKlwk&feature=youtu.be
KevJungle
Sammi gone – check unchecked – he ain’t gone yet
The right decision – check In your whalloping opinion – check
Sammi played in jelly&ice cream sundae loss at ibrox – check
You mean the game in which Celtic battled back to 3-2 after Cha (28′) and Wanyama (56′) had been sent off? CHECK
Sammi played in LCF loss to Killie – check He came on as a sub in the 81st minute. I am coming to the conclusion that you may not be entirely sure of what you’re talking about.
Sammi played in team who blew the League v’s ICT – check In your harpic-induced fantasies, perhaps, but in reality, no. UNCHECKED.
Sammi played in LC loss to Morton – check Wrong.
Sammi played in team skelped by Juve – check No.
As for the others, yes, he played in some lost games. So did Hooper, Wanyama, Ledley, Stokes, Van Dijk, Brown, Mulgrew and Forster. Hey, I think I see what you’re getting at. Actually, no, I don’t.
Saying ‘check’ after a pile of bollocks doesn’t alter the fact that it is a pile of bollocks – check.
This was a pointless (but enjoyable) waste of time – check.
KevJungle is a zoomer – checked, stamped, and bolted on with copper plates.
MT
We’ll say a wee prayer in North Glasgow for your sister shortly, stay strong my friend.
Many thanks all for the birthday wishes for the wean, she was thrilled despite her teenage embarrassment :-)
BRTH
Spot on.
Feel the same way about the big ghuy
Wish him all the best in whatever he does next
Up over goal
Priceless
PMSL
HH
HAMILTON TIM
Not only is it Rhiannon’s birthday,but she is the subject of Lucky Post 888.
As is Mighty Tim’s Mum.
Well done,mate. Timing!
“I am an unashamed fan of Samaras the man and a pretty big supporter of Samaras the footballer”
Me too.
up_over_goal
08:57 on 25 June, 2014
___________________
Sammi didny play in the ICT game as he was ‘dropped’ for missing a penalty
in the previous game at ibrox that could have clinched the Title – check
Sammi didny play v’s Juve, I’ll give you – check
If you want to engage in ‘hun type’ whataboutery to excuse yer hero by
mentioning all the other players who played in my listed games – good for you.
Sammi is the issue today.
Surely not a time for a, ahem, Celtic fan to engage in ‘hun type’ whataboutery
now, that would take a ‘zoomer’ to do that, eh?
up_over_goal
Checkmate…
up_over_goal
___________
Oh, afore ah forget…Sammi didny play against Morton either – check
Like he would have made a difference – CSC
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
Beautiful Piece mate.
Sums Sammy up to a T.
KLV
Lets not argue all day about sammy’s bad points and be happy for the big man last night. Very Happy for him.
KLV
Happy birthday miss HT. Only another few years and you’ll be able to legally push yer auld man about in his wheelchair.
MT, best of luck to your sis on her hospital visit. Hopefully catch up with you in the new season.
HH
Only good n lasting memory of Sammi is that
The Celtic Symphony can still be sung as a tribute – check
Is it just my impression, or do most of the Peter Lawwell loyalists all come across as a bit conceited and supercilious?
Are they all mini Lawwell wannabes?
Big Sami is a star of a man regardless of how anyone rates his football abilities and his performances at Celtic. How many players in the game would behave the way he did at the end in consoling the Ivory Coast keeper?
A top bloke in my opinion. I’m sorry to see him leave Celtic and believe we will miss him in Europe.
Hail Hail our ex Greek God
I think there’s a place in my affections for big gorgeous, regardless his undoubted inconsistency. There’s little arguing with the stats, and seven years of performances is a pretty substantial pool from which to draw in measuring the brass racks of his contribution, but to be frank, I don’t watch Celtic on a spreadsheet.
The spectacle of a football team performing, or of the worth of an individual player, is measured less tangibly than purely based on his stats. For years Sammy was compelling viewing, he was a good enough reason to go and watch Celtic on his own, just in case. The (too few) occasions where he did were magical.
Ally that to his off field qualities, his genuine affection fir the club, how highly he speaks of us, and he will rightly be remembered as someone who made a significant contribution to the story of the club. Even if that contribution isn’t capable if being measured in shillings and pence, pounds and ounces, or goals and assists.
He won’t soon be forgotten.
BRTH agreed.
FIFA gave him their MAN of the match award.
I love Sammy
HT -Hoopy Birthday to the wean,i hope you and your colleagues enjoy a well earned break.
I would marry Sammy but my mammy
Disnae agree with that sort of thing
#manlovecsc
BRTH – in complete agreement with that. I recently saw him in the supermarket in Bearsden and he was going about his business in the most unassuming way possible. He needed to ask one of the staff where something was, and he gave the impression that he was sorry he had to interrupt their work.
Although to be frank I was more than a little distracted by his girlfriend.
Mighty Tim…………hope everything goes well ……
Sammi leads his country out of the Group stages of the World Cup for the first time in their History ……….awfy braw
I see the Grand Orange Lodge have registered as an official No campaigner. No wonder Union of Faith don’t want to.
Now read back a bit.
Mighty Tim — all will be ok — I have had a word.
Happy Birthday to the not so wee anymore Miss Hamilton Tim ….. I hope she has a great day.
In ancient literature Rhiannon is a strong other worldly lady with a strong affinity with horses.
Then again, there is just the inspiration provided by and to the wonderful Stevie Nicks though the description in this clip is a little direct and certainly won’t apply to Miss HT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py3w5fttedA
Weeminger
I must look out for the girlfriend — I often need a hand with my shopping! As I recall she is a fine specimen of female pulchritude!
mighty tim supporting wee oscar
Good luck to your sister today
Thoughts and prayers
HH
FTSFA We are the Champions, would huv his babbies?
Yer maw is just a bit auld fashioned btw:-)