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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45.8%
Or sumthin’.
PHILBHOY
Who’s counting?
Of course if we go for a ‘project’ CEO as some seem to be suggesting, we may get a CEO expected to work within the same constraints as PL but lacking the skills to bring in the likes of FF, VVD, VW et al.
Where would we be then?
BMCUWP
I think the Talisker has done my brain in!
PHILBHOY
Nae luck,mate.
Fortunately I can get the same results on the cheap stuff.
WEEMINGER
My if is as good as your if.
And who knows,the new CEO may feel honour-bound to defend our support more often.
What does PL get in salary and bous every year – c. £1m?
Let’s say we got a CEO willing to work for nothing. Wouldn’t that give us an extra c. £1m a year to spend?
Does that mean that the £6m play we can currently afford could be a £7m player?
Aye bobby indeed and the PL spin camp would come out in full force with things like
Give the manager time
Europa league is our level
Stuff about the deid club
Stuff about the SFA
Bobby Murdoch, I am a sammi fan
Weeminger,
I can’t believe you gave that nonsense the time of day.
Weeminger More about the team on the park and no more AGM balance sheet transfers
Talksport discussing. “What ifs”
If England had won the Group they would have got Greece and then……
They just do not get it….
up_over_goal
A fairly comprehensive Technical knock out of our poster from Blazing Saddles who speaks genuine frontier gibberish. Unfortunately, your debating opponent does not do facts and stats. He just jumps from one disproved argument to the next. His neck knows no shame.
ernie lynch
“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?”
Well, first of all, you would have to have the courage to name those you are nominating for the award.
Secondly, you would have to ask for a poll of all CQNrs as to who they found to be the most conceited and supercilious posters?
Thirdly, you would have to provide a definition of supercilious to 90% of them. (That’s my bid to finish high up in the poll strengthened).
Seriously, I don’t think grumpy old posters, like you and I, should be asking for judgements on how conceited and supercilious we are.
We might not like the figures the polls provide.
weeminger
11:21 on 25 June, 2014
The club is downsizing, it has been for several years and will continue to do so in the immediate future.
To some extent I understand the need for that, if the income is limited then outcome will have to be curtailed. It’s basic business sense.
That’s not to say that I don’t think there should be some level of speculating to accumulate. We can’t continue to sell our best players, replacing them with ‘prospects’ and still expect supporters to purchase ST’s year after year ot to come in off the street to watch poorer Celtic teams.
Attendances last season are evidence of this.
PL deserves enormous credit for guiding us through, what has been, times of real austerity. Celtic’s financial position has remained strong despite the demise of our biggest rivals, this will be his legacy……for some.
Shamefully, he has also presided over a period in our history where the club have forgotten its ethos and heritage more than at any other time in our history.
This too will be his legacy.
SHELBOURNE1916
Apologies,mate.
I didn’t mean that you and ST were one and the same,merely that your post supported pretty much the same line as he has drawn for some while now.
And me,if I’m honest!
SFTB
If it’s a figure like in BRT&H’s most recent link,I’m all for it!
Apart from Sammi have we sold/released any other playing staff please?
Old Eli Wallach finally heads for Boot Hill aged 98 – RIP.
http://youtu.be/5eMiKQX84kE
http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2014/06/quiz-george-orwell-george-michael/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
A birthday quiz for today
praecepta
11:45 on
25 June, 2014
What a CEO for Celtic ole Eli would have made
Mighty Tim
Best wishes to your sister.
HH
ian wright is a PHANNY !
HAMILTON TIM
I know that I come across as a relentless critic of PL,but I have always given him credit for his achievements.
Keeping the level of sponsorship as high as he has and maximising brand exposure get a huge 10/10 from me.
I believe that was why he was hired in the first place. Not to decide how the manager can spend his budget,or to decide not to defend the club against specious UEFA charges. Nor to de facto run the club.
I don’t like micromanagement. It rarely works. Managers and executives should know how to delegate things other than blame.
Philbhoy
Nae idea but didn’t want you feeling ignored :-)
I cant bring myself to praise PL….but somebody at Celtic Park made a six year old very happy indeed….
The smile on that wee lhads face is wonderful
Magic
HH
HT
Thanks man!
You treat that wee ghirl good today mind!
Aye, the club are downsizing.
Gerry McNee was called an ‘anti-Celtic bogey-man’ for
enlightening us with this info – 10 years ago!
HT
Meant to say “extra” good!
Hamiltontim
11:38 on
25 June, 2014
We basically totally agree. I think the strategy overall is sound but it’s the rigidity with which it seems to be adhered to that could be slackened slightly now and again.
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
11:34 on 25 June, 2014
up_over_goal
A fairly comprehensive Technical knock out of our poster from Blazing Saddles who speaks genuine frontier gibberish. Unfortunately, your debating opponent does not do facts and stats. He just jumps from one disproved argument to the next. His neck knows no shame.
ernie lynch
Seriously, I don’t think grumpy old posters, like you and I, should be asking for judgements on how conceited and supercilious we are.
——————————————————————————-
Boy, you’re hitting al the high notes today. :-)))
Philbhoy
http://www.celticfc.net/news/5887
LIONROARS67
George Orwell?
1984,with Richard Burton,was largely filmed in and around Swindon.
Everyone I’ve met down here over the age of 40 says they were in it!
lionsroar
Thanks!
Hope the youngsters get fixed up somewhere else soon.
Ole Eli Wallach’s Glesca cousin…Blondieeee ya bassa!
That Suarez is an idiot….I cant believe hit bit someone again, total headcase
Ban him forever…
HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
11:51 on
25 June, 2014
It certainly wasnt the politics which attracted your fellow swindon dwellers to 1984
There’s no way Peter Lawwell has got everytinhg right – no-one would. At some point he will move on. It will be intersting to see who replaces him. In the meantime here’s some music for everyone (except KevJungle who is immune!) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q&feature=kp
LIONROARS67
£20 a day as an extra,lot of money then.