Ladbrokes PR aim for Ronny ahead of critical game

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Before we get down to the business of the day, thanks to The Clumpany for alerting me to the incredible actions of SPFL main sponsor Ladbrokes, who on the eve of today’s big game, Tweeted speculation about Ronny Deila losing his job.

Let’s be clear on this one.  Any muppet can Tweet what they like about Ronny’s job, but it’s not the role of the league sponsor to engage in this kind of speculation.

If you don’t remember any actions like this previously from a league sponsor, it’s because it hasn’t happened.  Ladbrokes retained PR consultancy Level 5, who are up to their knees in the business of another club, to manage their engagement of the SPFL.  This is a clear conflict of interest, bringing wholly inappropriate pressure on the Celtic manager at a critical stage of the season.

Never forget the game going on behind the Game.
capture-20160203-121608
A few hours before an important game is also probably not the time to say I’m really disappointed Jozo Simunovic is out injured, but it’s impossible to look ahead to this game without that thought creeping to the fore.  Erik Sviatchenko had as good a debut as we have seen from a defender in some time on Sunday, but he needs to move from Crisis Management mode into Partnership Building mode as soon as possible.

My hope is that a Sviatchenko-Simunovic partnership allows Celtic to return to the kind of defensive performances we saw so often last season.  Until then, we’ll need a bit more protection from midfield.

The return of Scott Brown will go a long way towards this.   He has the menace required to get a foot in the way before threats reach the defence.

Aberdeen will be ready for tonight.  They lost four games in five weeks, culminating in a defeat at Celtic Park in October, but they haven’t lost a league game since, and they won their first 8 Premiership games before that period.  Whatever was going wrong inside the club at that time is resolved.  They are not quite on our heels, but a win tonight would change that.

They will also contrast our performance at Hampden with 10 men against Ross County to theirs in Dingwall a few weeks back, when they bosses the game, came from behind and left with three points.

For Celtic this is the perfect opportunity to dispose of whatever regrets they have from Sunday.  A win away to your title rivals is the perfect tonic, it will also need no motivational words.

Colin Kazim-Richards and Patrick Roberts are both fully fit but unlikely to feature in the starting line-up.  This is a job for those who know the script.

Three points please, Celtic.

Two other important points before you go……….

The Celtic Foundation Zip Slide last year was more fun than you can imagine.  It’s happening again, this time longer and higher (top corner of the Jock Stein-North Stand to bottom corner of the Lisbon Lions-South stand).

To participate you need to do two things:

Book here.

Ask your friends to sponsor you for the Foundation.

You’ve had many great times at Celtic Park, this will be another, promise.  Book now.

I see an 18-year-old Motherwell fan (with no prior record) was jailed for 5 months for releasing a flare at New Douglas Park last year.  Sentencing sheriff said:

“Smoke bombs are noxious and potentially toxic. They are dangerous to those with respiratory problems, particularly asthma, and there is the very real potential of causing panic in those confined to the immediate vicinity who have no knowledge of what has been ignited.

“This presents a clear and obvious danger, and immediate action is needed from those charged with ensuring the safety of all those present, especially young children.

“You knew what you were doing and made efforts to conceal your identity. The court takes a serious view of this type of conduct which seems to be on the increase.”

Four months in jail!  The 18-year-old soldier will almost certainly lose his job and carry the consequences for a lot longer than he carried the flare.  It’s a life-changing action, no matter if you pull your pants up over your eyebrows.

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333 Comments

  1. Hi Tony, I am not offended by you; I am a socialist. Have you noticed that none of the mega-depressives have threatened to leave the blog? Surely they don’t ‘enjoy’ depressing the rest of us?

  2. What is the Stars on

    Canamalar

     

     

    Ladbrokes/Tweets/Ronny

     

    Ok perhaps you have misunderstood me

     

    Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear.

     

     

    I will try again

     

    It wasn’t my conclusion that the tweet was soley concerned with undermining our manager.

     

    That seemed to be how it was being interperated by some on here.I disagreed with that interpretation.

     

     

    I accept it was published and was an attack on our manager,maybe not an attack but certainly disrespectful and not appropriate for a sponsor.However that’s what these corporations do,no such thing as bad publicity,

     

    Paddy Power are always at it and caused some controversy with our old rivals (now sadly deceased) when they made a derogatory reference to Ibrox a couple of years back. ( I will be in trouble for the sadly bit I know but it lends some gravitas)

     

     

    I do dislike the manager ( newsflash) but I don’t defend the Ladbrokes tweet.

     

     

    But I don’t get all the weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth about it.Thats all

     

     

    Enjoy the game

  3. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. One morning in July I was walking to Tipperary

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  4. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. When I heard the battle cry from the mountain over-head

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  5. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. I looked up to the sky, saw an Irish Soldier Laddie

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  6. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. He looked at me fearlessly and said

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  7. OWEN on 3RD FEBRUARY 2016 5:30 PM

     

    Standards have slipped badly on this blog when Paul67 is referred to as an “ass kisser”. Simple manners are beyond some people.

     

     

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/ladbrokes-pr-aim-for-ronny-ahead-of-critical-game/comment-page-6/#comment-2768041

     

     

    I’v noticed that in the last couple of months, some seem to forget it’s his blog, I sometimes think they do it for martyrdom, as a kinda badge of honer, I’v been in a snit with several in here, but I do have the manners that it’s the man’s house and he has to be respected right or wrong, having a laugh is fine, but some cut a Wee bit close to the bone with him often I’v noticed, but yes your right.

  8. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Will you stand in the band like a true Irish man

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  9. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Will you go and fight the forces of the crown

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  10. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Will you march with O’Neil to an Irish battle field

  11. MICKBHOY1888

     

     

    I could have done with that post earlier!

     

     

    Thanks for sharing that, but some on here will tell you it can’t happen in Scoddland and our fears are over exaggerated and I’m a clown whose posts will be conveniently scrolled by.

     

     

    Thanks again!

  12. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. For tonight we’re going to free old Wexford town!

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  13. i'vehadtochangemyname on

    come on the ghood ghuys

     

     

    fupp the sad cnuts

     

     

    (any suggestions for a tipple during the match fellow drinkers)

  14. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Tune in later to TIM67 radio for more of “Irish Soldier Laddie” (sung by Brier) Now to Tim McTimmerson for the weather.

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  15. Evening all. Just popping out for a wee half hour run to guauge the weather for tonight’s game. What do you mean Aberdeen might have a different climate?….

  16. Radio saying Microsoft have just bought Cifci for £180million.

     

     

    Surely no :)

     

     

     

    HH

  17. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    Good Evening Timland.

     

     

    Defeat tonight and the blog will go all HBO.

     

    looks like some are already warming up.

  18. Calm, cold and ideal for running like a FatBhoy – 350 calories banked for later ;-)

     

     

    awee3milerCSC

  19. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Doesnt often happen but I wont see tonights game as I have to go out on a prior engagement. I will go for the draw but I hope for a Celtic win come on you Bhoys in green. H.H.

  20. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    WITS……after Sunday I’ll take a draw,seriously

     

    worried about our player’s in a real scrap.

  21. Assuming the following are fit I’d start with –

     

     

    Gordon

     

    Lustig, EFe, Boyata and Tierney

     

    Brown and Bitton

     

    Roberts, McGregor and Armstrong

     

    Griffindor

     

     

    However, I think Ronny’s team may feature the anagram (I Thank Sevco) and Johansen

  22. Ronny’s team in his famous 2 – 7 – 1 formation

     

     

    Gordon

     

     

    Boyata, Sviatchenko,

     

     

    Forrest, Lustig, Brown Bitton, Tierney, McGregor, Johansen, Tierney,

     

     

    Griffiths Offside

  23. Big Georges Fan Club – Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar.

     

     

    Well done ya wee soldier laddie, your posts cheered me up after some of the other posts I read earlier.

     

    Your dad is doing a grand job. HH

  24. embramike says "the Huns are Deid" on

    Tonight’s team v Sheep – ko 7:45 pm live Sky Sports 1

     

     

     

    Celtic team to face Aberdeen: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Mackay-Steven, McGregor, Armstrong; Griffiths