As always, it’s important to get the players you want, not end up with fourth or fifth choice, so on that measure, I’m happy Ronny Deila has secured a player he knows well. Jo Inge Berget is a wide attacking player, who will fit into the manager’s high-tempo, pressing, style of play.
The deal, a loan which gives Celtic the option to sign the player permanently if he’s successful, places incentives in the right places.
Enjoyed watching the cycling this week? Why don’t you sign up for the Paradise to Cardenden Cycle, which takes place on 6 September. Details here. You’ll enjoy it, and do great things for the Foundation.
Welcome to Celtic, Jo.
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Jo is doing well to be rescued from Cardiff City, a club owned by a shower of amateurs who after sacking a good manager completely lost the run of themselves when they won promotion to the promised land of the EPL. Welcome Jo.
For those of you who cannot enjoy your Celtic.
This is the inspirational story of Steven, a Celtic Supporter injured on holiday with his friends:
I have never written a blog. Never really considered it but certain events over the last few weeks have triggered the idea and motivated me. I would simply like to share a bit of my life and more importantly where Celtic fit in.
This is first and foremost about Celtic, not my situation or my condition. It is about the positivity and emotion a team, only a team like Celtic, can inject into someone’s life.
Some people who know me through Twitter and Facebook have a little knowledge of my life but I want to be completely open and reveal some details that will put things into perspective.
Slightly over five years ago I went on my best mates stag weekend to Magaluf. Within minutes of arriving I impulsively decided that, despite it being 2 AM, it would be a great idea to dive into the swimming pool. Unfortunately for me I didn’t judge how narrow the pool was and at just the same time as I entered the water my head collided with the wall of the pool at the opposite end. I lay floating, face down and conscious, until my friends realised I was not messing about and dragged me out the water. I knew it was bad straight away. Although I could move my head I couldn’t feel anything below my neck.
For anyone with any Medical interest I broke my neck at the C2 vertebrae.
I spent one week in hospital in Spain being operated on to secure my neck before I could be flown home and sent to the southern. I broke my neck at the C2 vertebrae which is only inches from the base of the brain. 80% of the time this injury would be discovered post-mortem so I can be included as one of the lucky 20%. Complications during the operation resulted in me losing the ability to breathe on my own. I am now attached to a ventilator 24 hours a day. I lived in the Southern Gen for just over one year recuperating. I was lucky enough that during my time in hospital a large custom designed extension was built onto the back of my parents house. living in the same building as my parents at 30 years of age is not ideal but it does has many benefits. None more than some of mammy’s home cooking.
I live with two carers at all times. 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This can be difficult but it is unavoidable due to the regular fluctuations in my health, the constant risk of something going wrong with my breathing and the necessity to have someone with working arms and legs available. Fortunately a number of my friends have been trained to a level that I can be left with them to enjoy my social life. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a great family and loyal friends who I know will always be there no matter what, for that I am incredibly grateful.
I am not going to talk about the drawbacks of my situation or things that I regret or dealing with pain. That is not important here. I just wanted you to have a picture of where I am and how I got here.
My feelings are what I really want to share. I am going to do this without exaggerating for the sake of dramatic effect. I will share my personal feelings and in doing so I hope that I can, in the most honest way possible, describe something extremely important. What Celtic have done for me and continue to do day by day.
Football has always been important in my life. I hold my hands up in admission that as a young boy my dad would take me to Rugby Park to watch Kilmarnock. I didn’t know any better but I loved being squashed up in the terracing of the Johnnie Walker stand, strangers lifting me up to help me see the game.
It planted the seed and when I was old enough to know better I realised there was something special about Celtic. Something about the spirit of the team, something about the history, the philosophy of playing football the right way and sticking to that philosophy, even as Rangers racked up the (now tainted) trophies and league titles. Something about the fans. Recently a phrase has been attached to our current manager that sums all this up perfectly, “something inside so strong”.
Something inside so strong. Everyone has it but sometimes we need to dig deep to find it. Celtic have somehow managed to be my go to place/team/family when I have needed to find that thing inside. Over the last five years the passion I feel for Celtic, and the supporters I am now fortunate enough to know, has grown and that “thing” that makes everything about the club so special has became more and more important to me.
I don’t feel guilty saying this and I mean no disrespect to my family or friends because they are precious to me but Celtic mean just as much to me as anything or anyone in my life.
I have my bad days. Christ, I have my really bad days. These are the days when it is easy to sit thinking about what could have been and what I have missed out on in life. As the years have passed I have discovered something so simple. That just concentrating on something I’m passionate about, for me that is Celtic, can hold those those thoughts at bay. Seems obvious! I think about the special games, the special players, the special goals. I think about the team at the moment. What excites me about it and what I’m concerned about. I think about the future, where we can go and how much fun it will be getting there. It has taken me years but now it is a subconscious reaction when I am struggling
Many of you will be thinking “I think about those things all the time too”. When you can teach your brain to go to that place as a natural instinct to fight off depression then that is something special. That is something that needs to be powerful. I have tried the obvious “happy thoughts” that the psychologists in the hospital teach you to use. Those things just don’t do it. Celtic Football Club is my thing. It is my barrier that protects me from falling into darker places.
Without being too sombre, I don’t know how long I will be about. I suppose nobody does. I know my situation is precarious and that anything could happen at any time. Again, Celtic provide inspiration and drive to help me focus. I look forward to being around for the next time we play in the champions league. I look forward to watching us lift the next trophy. I look forward to 10 in a row. Sometimes I even just look as far away as the next game. That is something I need. Along with other things in my life that I can’t imagine being without, these events give me motivation to be here. So I look after myself, I do as much as I can to stay as healthy as I can and I do it so that I can enjoy these moments. I know, as we all do, that someday I will enjoy my last great Celtic moment but having something inside so strong, that place that Celtic take me to, I feel more in control of when that last great moment will be.
That is where Celtic fit in to my life. I think it is pretty mind blowing that a football club can do that. The thing is, we all know Celtic are much more than just a club.
Remember just how lucky you are to be part of something as special. Remember that other fans don’t have what we have. Remember you won’t have it forever so please remember to cherish every moment of it.
Oldtim
I thought you’d been at the Kelpies recently cos right next to the lucky horseshoe there’s an LA style star in the concrete with an Oldtim- sized handprint! ;-)
Weefra. Get intae them pal!
Aff oot to the highlands tomorrow for a few days to visit my uber religious auntie so no sweating or I’ll get a clip around the lug!
HH Jamesgang
I imagine that some budding entrepreneur is importing jaggy Norse helmets as I type.
seeyouthorcsc.
thomthethim for Oscar OK
Yeah it’s a belter, I like Le Marseillaise too, which has some really uplifting parts that a passionate crowd can takes to that level we generate at Paradise.
the spirit of arthur lee
11:33 on 28 July, 2014
Sussed it. Barnes,Brattbaak,Bangura,Balde,Boerrigter,Blinker,Brozek,Braafield,Biggins Avoid signings whose last name begins with B
TSOAL – Did you get inside info about Jo or is he Inge Berget so starts with an I ?!
Weefrae – keep telling it like it is !
greeninbingley
20:31 on 28 July, 2014
thomthethim for Oscar OK
20:27 on
28 July, 2014
And We Were Singing/ Hymns and Arias ????
Away wi’ ye man!
Allons, enfants de la Patr-i-i-i-i etc
******
No!
Read what I said, Max.
Land of My Fathers.
I’ll give you La Marseillaise as runner up though.
Berget was one of THREE Norwegians brought to Cardiff by Solskjær. I guess he’s third choice by the Babyfaced Assasin now.
He’s one of the norse U21-quality street kids (who did remarkably better than the A-team) and may be a good loan.
However. We still lack an enforcer/all out attacker IMO.
Don’t think we’ll find that in Scandinavia.
HH
Hrvatski Jim 20:01
There’s also the Camden Bhoys at the Sheepshaven Bay ( http://www.sheephavenbaycamden.co.uk/ ) or the Kingdom pub (where the Spirit of 67 CSC meet) in Kilburn.
I was in the Sheepshaven Bay not that long ago. Been a few years since I was in the Kingdom, but both good howfs.
Hrvatski Jim
20:10 on
28 July, 2014
If you are going out to the Wimbledon CSC at the Manor Club Chris and Rab will look after you well.
Great post about Steven — he is some guy — I follow him via twitter and he is an inspiration.
Jamesgang
I agree– no SWEATING when you are up at your religious aunties!!!!
A big hello to Celtic from the most knowledgeable football fan Íve ever met, young Bob from Sheffield who supports united.
A lovely lad!
celt for life. The 6 months may have been a condition made by Cardiff they may feel that is long enough for Celtic to make up there mind about buying the player.Also how would anyone know wither Jo gives us something different or not until we see him play. H.H.
Lennybhoy
The other night you felt the Aquino deal was faltering on agreeing a purchase price at end of loan deal. Does the arrival of Jo suggest that deal’s dead?
Did we no see a montage of great goals from big Fridjonsen?
Whats new?
KevJungle – Murdo Macleod is my favorit CELTIC player ever.
20:57 on
27 July, 2014
FWIW….
Martin O’Neill didny put Celtic into debt.
O’Callaghan and MacDonald did that with their recruitment of Rafeal (the only Brazillian that couldny play fitba) imho
As time went on, MO’N accurately observed that he didn’t put Celtic into debt, the debt was there before he arrived.
But of course, the carefully selected CQN brain-washing plants tend to, over-write ‘that’ fact.
Strange that, eh?
Off oot tae work, bye.
==========================
I asked
22:08 on
27 July, 2014
Kevjungle
Can you tell me what the debt level at Celtic was in the accounts published before MON ‘s arrival and the equivalent level in the accounts in 2004?
I’d like to see the figures to back up your point.
There is sustainable debt and unsustainable debt and it was the latter staring the club in the face that caused a change in spending policy.
Or did you make it all up?
================
Which I thought a fair question. In your response you admitted to not knowing the earlier figures which I thought would back up your point. It was not an accusation of lying it was a question of presenting the full case.
In spite of myself I did look back. I am using the debt figures from Celtic’s accounts which unlike your individual figures on player transfer in and out costs show the official position of Celtic at the end of each accounting year after meeting all costs from income. Just like we all do when we check what is left in the bank to spend each week month or quarter.
You are indeed correct that the MON inherited £5.98M of debt based on y/e accounts 30 June 2000 ( http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Celtic+Financials+-+Annual+Report+2000 ) and interesting reading it makes too*. It also looks that the purchase of Scheidt in December 1999 for reported £4.8M contributed to that debt as the position in the previous year was £550K profit.
However from a starting point of nearly £6m debt in 2000 it rose to £29.6M in 2001 an increase of £23.6M in a year, so whilst MoN can truthfully say the debt was there before he arrived he was hardly presenting the full picture over the years of his tenure.
Here is a record of the relationship between ebts/debt and titles from 2001
The Role of EBT’s and Debt in winning titles
Rangers Celtic
Year EBT Contribution Debt £Ms Debt £Ms Title winner
2001 £1,010,000 £22.0 £29.6 Celtic
2002 £5,176,000 £52.0 £16.5 Celtic
2003 £6,791,000 £68.0 £17.8 Rangers
2004 £7,252,000 £73.9 £15.8 Celtic
2005 £7,241,000 £23.1 £19.5 Rangers
2006 £9,192,000 £5.9 £9.0 Celtic
2007 £4,998,000 £16.5 £5.0 Celtic
2008 £2,291,000 £21.6 £3.5 Celtic
2009 £2,360,000 £31.1 £1.5 Rangers
2010 £1,358,000 £27.1 £5.9 Rangers
2011 ? £18.0 £0.5 Rangers
£47,669,000
Which can also be seen here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Gn-PSSzueSyzcFbOzTypbNXxdTQHSeleFdiS8zBdWk/edit
if the formatting makes reading difficult. It is part of an article for the CQN Magazine explaining why the Generation of Domination never happened. (Which I had forgotten about and which was written before the cheating mind-set that Resolution 12 has exposed in providing Celtic with the evidence was as evident then as it is now.)
My wondering at your original post was that CQNers were being brain washed and your use of a part truth to suggest that they were. Giving folk information to make up their minds is a lot less brain washing than just providing the bits that suit an agenda.
I loved MON and his time at Celtic but it was just not sustainable.
* all the past accounts can be found at
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Finance+-+Reports
and reading the CEO and Chairman’s reports should make for interesting comments based on the couple I read.
Another silly season rumour is Samaras is signing short term contract ……….
dontshootthemessengercsc
Hrvatski Jim 20:32
..sobering stuff.
Joe Filippis Haircut
For me therein lies the problem, either we don’t trust the managers judgement or we don’t think the player is good enough, so we will take a punt. Which one do you think it is?
If it is neither of the above why didn’t we just buy him outright?
We should take Sammi on trial.
Well, thats what we do, isnt it?
hrvatski jim
20:32 on 28 July, 2014
Brilliant – we are ALL guilty of taking things for granted. Stephen’s blog brings it home.
Incredibly, these are some of the best times to be a Celtic Supporter and yet there are thousands who don’t appreciate what they’ve got!
H! H!
DavieL
Thanks for the London ideas – I will go to Wimbledon as it is just a few stations down the line. Please warn them!
BRTH – I saw your post about Gerard Burns on Saturday and I look forward to the interview.
!!bada bing!!
20:06 on 28 July, 2014
Thanks for the response; Lustig, VVD, Wanyama all came and did what you say, made their bank balances, won some trophies and with the exception of Lustig have moved or are about to move on to increase their Bank balances.
We still need a Playmaker and a Striker along with cover for Izzy. Most probably a replacement for VVD.
I feel that the majority of us are at a stage that we want and need seasoned Players that have already enhanced their Bank balances enough to be secure and who appreciate a fantastic football club and now want to win trophies.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
BRTH
I’m sweating about the swearing!
RightGuardCSC
HH jamesgang
Clashcitybhoy
“Also sad to see Celtic’s PR machine moving into action so quickly to give us reasons for his departure …”
What did Celtic say?
JJ
If we accept the premise that we are not going to invest heavily, for us, until we know whether we are going to compete in Europe, and at what level, then it makes sense that we bring in a player on loan, who can hopefully help us in a position where we are, at present, weak.
Griffiths is not being played as a winger as a permanent solution.
He is out there because, with Forrest injured, or as Neil Lennon described him, as having a ” condition”, we have no one with any kind of pace and control to play there.
Depending on his fitness level, Jo can perhaps give us something different for the Legis games, even as a sub.
Patience is the key
Lennybhoy.
I am still not convinced that either FF or VVD will move in this transfer window,
if a player I have never heard of can go for £16m then I am sure the EPL don’t rate
our league or some bids would have been made for our players by now
Thanks to the blogger who tipped Simon Jordans “Be careful what you wish for” – a very good read.
Also read Craig Bellamys “Goodfella” – wished a hudny!
Hrvatski Jim @ 20:32
Inspirational stuff – thanks for the post.
Reckon this whole Celtic Nation thing is a smokescreen – we’re not moving to Carlisle, it’s off to Norway we go with all these Bhoys we’re signing.
C’mon Ye Norsemen in Green!
HH jamesgang
thomthethim for Oscar OK
20:35 on
28 July, 2014
Oh! Aye! You’re quite right.
I have a Welsh pal who lives in India. Whenever Wales win at the rugby he video-calls me, usually at 3am or thereabouts, to sing to me. It’s usually the hymns and arias one.
Hence the hair-trigger.
Land of My Fathers is indeed a fine anthem. I wish he would sing it instead of that dirge.
Multi posters.
1 of the worst things going on HERE.
Why create and log on under another name to go on and say something that you could just say anyway?
Would you phone someone pretending to be someone else?
Go to someone’s door pretending to be someone else?
We create monikers, partly to conceal our identity because of the obvious dangers of revealing toooo much info online, but we should still be talking from the heart.
Anyone that posts under different monikers are not talking from the heart….unless they have more than 1 of them as well and are just at the wind up……and quite possibly…..fu##ed up.
Wind ups can be good……but there are peepul coming on here with the sole intention to wind CELTIC supporters and fans up.
F##k em.
NEVER LET THEM WIN.
Pauls site is an amazing place.
Keep it shining bright bhoys.
BCW
I just get peed off with the crap, if that makes sense.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Celt for life. Dont you think the 6 months gives both parties time to see if the fit is right ie the player likes the club and the enviroment and the club sees that the player is an improvement on what they already have.The player has not played a lot of football since joining Cardiff and it is some time since Rony has worked with the player so a 6 month loan spell makes sense to me with an option to buy if both parties are happy. H.H.
Hervatski Jim……….A good post and a shocking story and glad to see Celtic are the light that keeps on shining in your life.
Hrvatski Jim
Thanks for that post about Stephen @20.32.
Tends to put some of the negative posts about our club into some sort of perspective.
Welcome Jo to the greatest club in the World.
As Stephen says
Is mo na cumann e
Celtic have also appointed the Motherwell groundsman
http://imgur.com/YCqKXmF
embramike….
Will be there, see you in Malones
prestonpans
I won’t hold my breath for the new format doing anything more to negate these posters. I have been checking other popular Celtic blogs, and for a small fee you can sign up to them. They allow you to post to whoever you request without others reading it. Mmmmmm. That is how deflated with this blog I have become after 9+ years.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.