I know what you’re thinking. After the media heavyweights told you, on the day Neil Lennon resigned from Celtic, that he was going because he was unhappy with the amount of money he had to spend, pitching up at Bolton Wanderers is a bit curious. What you were told that day was nonsense, deliberately headlined to undermine Celtic.
Neil had been in the shop window since the Everton job came up in May 2013 and had long decided he wanted a crack at managing in England before the end of last season.
On paper, the Bolton job looks daunting. The club are bottom of the second tier of English football, while those immediately above them, Blackpool, Fulham, Wigan and Birmingham, like Bolton have recently had Premier League experience. It’s early enough in the season that survival is a reasonable expectation, but Neil will know little about the squad he takes over, or about their ability to step up.
Taking this job is a huge risk to an accomplished CV but so is spending an extended period on the side-lines as an out-of-work manager. Whatever the reasons he didn’t land a better job over the summer, Neil is a better manager than the English clubs appear to believe. He’ll get Bolton organised and picking up points against teams with better players, just as he did regularly in Europe with Celtic.
In other news many of the same media heavyweights referred to above today report Arsenal are preparing a bid for a Celtic player, in January. After selling us the same story that the same player would be subject to the same bid back in August.
It’s as though they have space to fill on the sports pages and there’re not been a lot of football recently.
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Come out of the closet you Bhoys and Ghirls
Cowiebhoy
01:17 on
14 October, 2014
Did I ever mention I watched the Yanks invade Grenada in the 80’s? Watched from the safety of my porch on the edge of a Bajan sugar cane field. Never got to visit though. :)
If you read BRTH’s post about being a club I share his frustrations and for entirely different reasons I’m in the same boat as you re next season.
The pleasure of supporting is becoming more of an effort than a pleasure.
A lotta people wont get no justice tonight.
auldheid
01:27 on 14 October, 2014
Love the Caribbean, and now visited a few of the islands, have to say this island is stunning.
I’m on pink gin beach, looking across bay to St George’s, also didn’t realise until today, I was less than a mile from Grand Anse beach, done a wee boat tour along coastline.
Yes I did read BRTH article and like you agreed with a huge part of his nots, which is dissapointing for where the club or board have positioned us ?
Hail Hail
Oh, and I like the fact, they celebrate St Patrick’s day for a full week here :-)
Hail Hail
I wish i had me one milliion Dollars one million to call my own
Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way
21:59 on
13 October, 2014
Auldheid
21:34 on 13 October, 2014
“Otherwise it just looks like a device to get at the Board, which is surely not what paying a living wage is about and only serves to undermine the ethical aspect of the resolution.”
—————————————————————-
Surely you are not seriously suggesting that this is the case?
I think your comment is at least misplaced and at most distasteful given what Celtic are meant to be about. It appears that is not ok to question the FatCat salaries of the board?
Can I ask you if you backed or supported the board when it rejected the living wage at the last AGM?
=================
I supported the Res last year without ant thought and this after giving it thought. I think if ethics are the basis and fairness is an aspect of ethics, then if the support at large want it, then the support at large should be prepared at least in principle to share the cost. I’m not happy about voting for something, someone else will have to pay for. That reflects my ethics.
I did not say at all it was not OK to question the fat cat salaries and you misrepresent my position when you state that.
I said that if the aim of the Res is to question fat cat salaries then it is being presented on a false basis of ethos, but suggested that this was surely NOT what it was about.
If shareholders are not happy at remunerations paid to fat cats then that should be a different issue from the Living Wage.
I can still support the Res because I agree with the principle, but I’m not happy about someone else paying for my principles.
Would you be if you had to pay out from your wages because of a decision taken by others who did not want to contribute to the cost? I doubt it.
As I said, lets do it, but do it right for the right reasons.
I’m surprised anyone can argue with that.
I met Brian McLaughlin in the Horseshoe Bar on the Friday before the Cup Final, which the Huns won 3-2. Very nice guy, but unhappy. I never saw him play but I knew the story of his injury, big Jock apparently cried when he saw the damage. So sad, may he rest in peace.
Tonight I watched a video of the treble winning season 2000-2001. What utter crap we watch today. In just a few years we have become boring. I won’t single anyone out but I fear our mentality now is we have to be better than Rangers……time for change…..and I don’t mean Ronny.
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
22:20 on
13 October, 2014
Auldheid
Resolutions don’t achieve anything quickly if at all …filibuster ..CFC are supreme exponents of this
======================
Tell me about it.
The filibusterbuster CSC
Break your back to earn your pay and dont forget to grovel….just ask those NHS workers.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
21:59 on
13 October, 2014
I was going by the 3000 who signed the petition and that the principle is in line with Celtic’s ethos, which means it is hard not to support the principle as long as the cost and who pays is agreed.
Ah well goodnight Dublin Dundee Humberside
Being reported Muhammad Ali is seriously ill
Hail Hail
Auldheid
Respect for all the work you and the others do on our behalf, but
regarding the living wage i understand all the arguments but we
are a special club and paying it i.m.o. would enhance our already
charitable ethos.
As regards falling attendances, before i left for Oz many of the
diehards i pallied with felt a disconnect with the club for many
reasons which most c.q.n.rs have already stated on here, surely
someone at the club must recognise this and address the issues
The silly statements from Bankier should be the first one acted on.
H/H Mick
melbourne mick
Welcome, should have said other day, but was busy sunning myself :-)
Sadly I do not believe anyone on the board believe the falling attendances has anything to do with their conduct or actions
Deluded comes to mind
Hail Hail
Hi Cowiebhoy
You hit the nail on the head, deluded thats the word, i know there
are many other reasons cost etc. but ask any of my mates that
don’t go now and it’s all down to disconnect from the board.
Address the obvious issues now and work from there.
H/H Mick
Dick Gaughan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko5RVipAdrs
HH
skyislandfill
Loved that, what a hard way to earn a crust.
H/H Mick
skyisalandfill
Wonderful: Can you imagine Simon Cowell rating that poetry? Me neither! But it is still relevant. More than most want to admit….
Kojo
Aye, but the bankers made plenty from the consequences. Right? Liberals? Just a label…Like all labels designed to divide and rule…
Big Bill Clinton was just the salesman,
Larry Summers was the fixer. As he was again under the Big O…Another salesman albeit quickly out of his depth….
My labels are simple… See below.
Hoop doggydog
Respect to you for trying to pacify the agenda. As to your question….?
Currantly…. The PLC would go for Pink Floyd (Money) and the heart and soul of the club would go for The Clash ( I Fought The Law)….
Personally when I think of my father and the generations who led us by the hand to Paradise…….
I would go for Pink Floyd in the currant circumstances….
But I am a romantic auld fool…
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbeqj-1XOo
Babylons burning CSC
For those who are disenchanted : what would have to happen to change that ?
For those that are able financially to purchase a season book, but don’t : what would make you change your mind and purchase next season
For those that could pay for match day tickets but don’t : what needs to happen to bring you back for games.
Barcabhoy.
Help required.
I’m looking for 2 tickets for the El Classico derby in Barcelona in March 2015.
Do you have any contacts that could help me?
TT
Barcabhoy
In answer to your question.
An entertaining side that has a realistic chance of qualifying from the CL group.
We could start by signing a couple of goal scorers that would do the biz and excite the fans.
TT
Barcabhoy….
Before I answer your questions….
I always read your thoughts and respect them……
1: Honesty
2: Honesty
3: Honesty.
I say that as someone who contributes to CelticTV, but would buy a season ticket…
If there was more of the above and less PR nonsense.
Barcabhoy
What would you answer to your own questions?
And if you fulfill the criteria…..
What do you think is required?
Barcabhoy
Speaking as one who tried to hitchhike to Milan with only
a couple of tins of beans and corned beef in my haversack
it would take a awful lot to disenchant me but before i left
Glesga i felt the club needed to understand the sustained attacks
the supporters where going through and back them up more, and
as i said earlier those statements from Bankier make you think
they live on another planet.
H/H Mick
ger57
01:10 on
14 October, 2014
macjay & CB
You bassas benefitted from the welfare state, fought for and paid for by the trade union and labour movement. Now you’ve climbed up the ladder, you want to pull it up behind you.
You’re a disgrace! You do not share the Celtic ethos, similar to the current (currant?) board and mojo.
———————————————————————————————————————
You make assumptions.
Those assumptions are wrong.
A short intermission…
I hear a Whistle Blowin…
Tea a calling (thanks BB)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kMyzoHBtaME
Lenny says Deila is the right man for Celtic
NEIL LENNON has backed Ronny Deila to be a success at Celtic.
By: Michael BailliePublished: Tue, October 14, 2014
Neil Lennon with his new Bolton scarf[PA]
The Norwegian has endured a challenging start since replacing Lennon, with his side failing to reach the Champions League group stage and currently sitting sixth in the Premiership table.
But Lennon, who was paraded by Bolton yesterday after being appointed manager on a three-year deal, is sure his successor will get it right. He said: “I think the club will be very successful with Ronny once he finds his feet and gets a bit of time to implement what he does.
“I’m pretty sure the club have picked the right man to take it forward.
“I wish Ronny, the club and the players every success because they did wonderful things – not just for my career, but for my life as well.”
Deila has spoken of his desire to change the diet and improve the fitness of the squad he inherited in the summer.
But Lennon does not regard that as a slight on his tenure.
The Northern Irishman, who led Celtic to three titles and the Champions League group stage twice, said: “I don’t think he was critical of my regime and certainly not critical of the players. He just wants to look at putting his own stamp on the club and that’s fine with me.
“Ronny just wants to implement his own ways, in terms of the diet.
“I think everyone would know the diet at Celtic was pretty good and Ronny’s just trying to eke out a little bit more.”
Lennon believes Celtic are missing their Old Firm rivals. He said: “It’s important Rangers come back and they have the balance of Celtic v Rangers games again.
“I think that edge has been missing for a couple of seasons, that competitiveness.
“There are some great competitors at Celtic and they need that stimulus week in, week out.”
Lennon has been joined at Championship bottom club Bolton by his trusted assistants Johan Mjallby, above, and Garry Parker.
He said: “I was starting to miss the game. Walking out on the training ground this morning was a fantastic feeling.
“Hopefully we can get Bolton moving back up the table pretty quickly.”
Lennon ready to “earn spurs”
Neil Lennon won three top-flight titles in four hugely successful years with Celtic, but acknowledges the perceptions of Scottish football may have prevented him from getting a bigger job south of the border.
Neil Lennon, pictured, has been tasked with pulling Bolton away from the Championship relegation zone
Last updated: 13 October 2014, 22:33 BST
Neil Lennon won three top-flight titles in four hugely successful years with Celtic, but acknowledges the perceptions of Scottish football may have prevented him from getting a bigger job south of the border.
The Northern Irishman walked away from the Glasgow giants in May after clinching three league championships in a row, citing the need for a fresh challenge, and he ended his mini hiatus when he was appointed Bolton’s new boss on Sunday.
Although a string of Barclays Premier League positions have become available in the intervening period, Lennon remained unemployed despite his decorated spell in Scotland, where he also guided Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions League in 2013 on the back of a memorable triumph over Barcelona.
The 43-year-old now takes over a team bottom of the Sky Bet Championship and follows both Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray in joining a club in the second tier of English football immediately after managing Celtic.
“Gordon Strachan did the same thing – he went to Middlesbrough, that was his next job,” Lennon stated.
“You look at the Premier League now – you have got Brendan (Rodgers), Roberto (Martinez), Paul Lambert, Steve Bruce, the list is endless really of managers who have managed in the Championship.
“You probably have to earn your spurs to get into the Premier League. Sometimes it’s not as easy as walking straight into a Premier League job; it’s a pretty exclusive band.
“Maybe it’s (Scottish football) looked down upon a little bit but we did do some great things in the Champions League – as did Gordon as well.
“I’m very happy with the decision I’ve made; I think they’re good football people here.”
Lennon certainly had a baptism of fire in his maiden managerial job at Celtic, where he experienced a series of controversial incidents.
During an eventful 2011, he was given a four-match touchline ban following a altercation with Rangers’ then assistant Ally McCoist, was attacked on the touchline by a Hearts supporter and had a parcel bomb addressed to him intercepted by Royal Mail staff.
Lennon is expecting a much quieter life in Bolton but knows that his time learning the ropes in Scotland will have prepared him for almost anything which comes his way.
“You never know what’s around the corner but it was a very intense environment in Glasgow, whether it be Celtic or the manager of Rangers, the Glasgow derbies, the rivalry and you miss the edge a wee bit,” he added.
“There are plenty of rivalries here, Blackburn and Wigan are up the road. The north west is a hot bed of football, maybe not as intense as Glasgow, but I feel as though four years can prepare you for most things lying ahead.”
Lennon has no regrets over vacating the reigns at Celtic, who have struggled to continue his success under Ronny Deila and currently lie in sixth, six points off the summit.
“I made the decision and I’m comfortable with it,” Lennon said.
“I wish the club every success. I had a great four years with Peter (Lawwell, Celtic chief executive). It was a great education for me as a young manager to work with Peter; it went really well.
“Going into the job, if you had told me how the four years would have ended up I would never have believed you.
“I just felt for my own peace of mind and career going forward that I needed to do something else.”
Transfer News
Reports: Arsenal to target Celtic star Van Dijk in £8m January move
By Jack Watson
Posted on October 13, 2014
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to lighten the workload on his defence by targeting Celtic star Virgil van Dijk in an £8 million January move, according to The Scotsman.
Van Dijk, 23, joined Celtic last summer for £2.6 million from Dutch club Groningen and was fantastic as he won the Scottish Premiership in his first season and won the Players’ Player of the Year at the club.
Manchester United should sign Virgil van Dijk, says Pat Nevin
The central defender was key to the club’s success last season as they broke the clean sheet record set by Aberdeen 43 years ago. The Hoops went 1215 minutes in a row without conceding a goal as they won the title again.
The Dutchman was watched by scouts sent by Arsenal against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League and it is believed that the north London club were left so impressed by the central defender that they are prepared to make an £8m move in January.
Injuries have severely limited Wenger’s defence having lost Thomas Vermaelen in the summer and failing to properly replace him. The Dutchman is seen as an ideal option for the Gunners as cover for both Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
Virgil van Dijk has made 19 clearances in two league appearances this season.
Manchester United should sign Van Dijk, says Pat Nevin
By Tyrone Webb-McGarthland
Posted on September 23, 2014
Pat Nevin believes Louis Van Gaal should go for Celtic’s Virgil Van Dijk with his Manchester United side struggling in defence this season.
United have found themselves in the bottom half of the table for the second successive season at this stage and former Chelsea winger Nevin believes they need change.
Van Dijk insists he didn’t ask to leave Celtic for Arsenal
Val Gaal has come in and made adjustments signing six players and getting rid of 14. However, his failure to land a top defender has hit the side hard after they suffered a humiliating 5-3 defeat to Leicester City at the weekend.
Van Dijk, who currently plays for Celtic was linked to a Premier League move all summer but remained at the Scottish champions. His time at Scotland is coming to an end and it’s expected that the Dutch defender will leave in January.
Speaking to Off The Ball regarding potential additions at Old Trafford, Nevin believes that centre-back Van Dijk would fit the bill.
“There is no doubt whatsoever that they need another major centre-half who was powerful, and preferably one who can play from the back,” said the Scot. “I’m almost describing to a tee a player like Van Dijk, who is playing for Celtic at the moment.
“If I was Manchester United, and Celtic fans wouldn’t thank me for it, I’d be on the phone and get Van Dijk down to Manchester United. He is absolutely nailed on to be a player who could have done the job. Even if it was for a short period of a year or two, before they got someone who is world class. You never know, Van Dijk could have grown into that.”
His tender age of 23 makes him a gamble but Van Gaal doesn’t doubt players with age. He gave the likes of Clarence Seedorf and Thomas Muller their route to stardom and has done the same with 20 year-old Tyler Blackett – who has started five of United’s six competitive games.
The Red Devils are currently without Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling and the need for a Nemanja Vidic replacement goes on with the side struggling massively in defence.
Virgil van Dijk insists he didn’t ask to leave Celtic this summer
By Daniel Anwar
Posted on September 20, 2014
Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted he did not ask to leave the club this summer, reports Sky Sports.
Van Dijk was very impressive for Celtic last season after joining from Groningen, and he won the club’s Player’s Player of the Year award. His form attracted interest from the Premier League, specifically by some reports Arsenal. However, the Scottish champions made it clear that he was not for sale.
Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk urged to make Premier League switch in January
The Dutch centre-back has rejected claims he asked to leave the club, and he told the Daily Record: ”It’s a compliment for me that the club wanted me to stay but I didn’t say literally I want to leave. Never.
“If there was a chance to go and play Champions League somewhere else at that moment and it was a step forward then I might have considered it.
“But I never said, ‘I want to leave now’. I am focused on Celtic and I am happy here.
“I never had any problem with the gaffer, he’s a good guy.
“I’m happy at Celtic and always will be. This is the club that gave me a chance and I’ve never had problems with anyone here.
“When everyone was saying I wanted to leave and were saying negative things about me it was disappointing.”
Van Dijk continues to be linked with a January move, and while he is happy at Celtic, he didn’t confirm that he would still be there at the end of the season.
He added: “I don’t know. It’s difficult to say but I am happy here and we want to do well in Scotland and Europe.”
Neil Lennon and certain former players claim that Celtic need Rangers back in the top flight to give them a challenge.
We’re 6th in the league. It would appear that we are already facing a considerable challenge, from a number of clubs.
Oliver and the bold Winston will be squirming in their graves…
The BBC:
The Irish government has accepted an invitation to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday next month.
The UK government said it recognised “the immense contribution and shared sacrifice” of thousands of Irish people who served in British forces.
The Irish ambassador to the UK, Daniel Mulhall, said he was pleased to accept the invitation.
The Queen will lead the Remembrance Sunday commemorations on 9 November.
Will the Cenotaph look anything like this?
Irish State visit to the UK at Windsor
Just noticed the Iceland result. Wow!
Barcabhoy:
Stop rewarding failure with huge bonuses to a few whilst a rather large percentage of Celtic FC employees are paid less than the living wage.
Contest the ‘Five way agreement’ as indecent and unfair.
Deliver on board announcements and stop paying the support ‘lip service’.
Stop paying mediocre players huge wages to ‘bench warm’, or in a lot of cases ‘couch sprawl,’ whilst a large percentage of the support have to beg, borrow, and steal, to pay for a season ticket to watch a much diluted product.
Stop paying the Club’s sacrosanct ethos convenient lip service and start living it instead.
The club should protect and support their support as though they were of your own family and stop paying it lip service.
The club should not allow any club to subject the Celtic Support to bigotry and hate whilst attending a game at Parkhead.
There are quite a few more too that would be nice but I’ve got to start work now.
Only october and that slimeball nevin on linking our players and unsettleing them.
Big fan of virgil but he hasnt been outstanding this season from what iv seen. Id say united would have 10 other names on a list b4 him.