One story which caught my eye last week was that we have 33 players out on international duty over this break, from a pool of 51 employed professionals (and that includes Derk Boerrigter). 13 Celtic players will join Scotland youth teams, with a further 6 going to other countries.
We know we can’t compete as we once did in the transfer market, so getting and developing the best youth talent has become an important part of the strategy.
All of this groundwork is for the long-term, though. Getting three points each Saturday and preparing for the challenges ahead is another question.
There was a moment on Saturday when Aberdeen manager, Derek McInnes, could have turned to his assistant and said, “If Killie hold on for another two minutes, the league is in our own hands”. That’s how close things got. Tom Rogic’s immaculate strike punctured that notion, before McInnes’ team’s second half collapse at Fir Park.
Now Aberdeen need us to drop seven points more than them, or eight if you consider goal difference. It’s not going to happen. Aberdeen didn’t just slip up on Saturday due to a couple of defensive lapses, this result has been in the post for months. They clawed their way into contention by gaining a series of marginal advantages – they haven’t won a game by more than a single goal since before Christmas – 14 games ago!
This season they have been ‘everyone’s favourite second team’ who have only just got over the line for three months of the season. This is a statistical anomaly. A more regular distribution of chances created and converted would have seen them win several of those games comfortably, but winning far fewer games. Their dopplegangers in England, Leicester City, are benefiting from a similar phenomenon. Both teams’ form could drop off a cliff next season, but the chances of either improving win ratios, if not performances, are slight.
Leicester are favourites to win in England because the behemoths, whose spending-power dwarfs most others, have been unable to dig deep to find a dirty win often enough. Like Celtic’s on Saturday. That, as we will soon declare, is why we’re champions!
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Dixie
Think it’s 4pm.
HH
My overriding concern in relation to Brown, is the Wayne Rooney factor.
And what I mean by that, is certain players like these 2 mentioned, where a lot of their game was based on physicality + power. When that power play deteriorates due to reaching 30’s then these guys become a shadow of their former selves.
The other end of the scale is ur Teddy Sheringhams. Guys who ever based their game on physicality or power. Guys like Sheringham simply got better and better with age.
Dixie
4 pm
Celtic Barcelona
Cheers DD.
I wonder if Celtic tv will show it.
HH
It has been a hard day keeping up with Holy Week. Just came on to apologise to BMCUW for my statement about the Empire Cup, But the Coronation Cup would be well known to those born in 1939. So forgive me and put it down to being an age thing.
Broony should have chucked that Scotland mob after the last campaign,seems his hip injury is back. A couple of weeks out the firing line will do him good hopefully.
What happened to the Empire Cup money?
Dixie
I don’t think celtic TV will show it
They are only under 14 academy boys. Very good standard though
St kevins are probably the leading schoolboy team in Ireland, I have been to the tournament a couple of times, arsenal usually send a team but this year it’s barca, lyons, West brom, celtic and deportivo
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 21ST MARCH 2016 10:22 PM
clunks on 21st March 2016 10:16 pm
You`re right for sure.
I just think of the number of midfielders we have.
Howbout Barry Robson :-)
Broony just deserves to be ” looked after’ , I feel.
A stalwart for years.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/marginal-advantages-eventually-come-a-cropper/comment-page-7/#comment-2798967
====================
Think Barry Robson is a dead duck!!
After seeing Jackson Irvine stamp all over our midfield (am I right in this, we did play against him recently), he might be able to help us.
But as I mentioned previous Kristoffer Ajer might be than mhan to help broonie find his form ie do the leg work and let broonie do what he does best?
Ruggygman, broonies legs are in question but he is being asked to carry too much ground. There is a place for him in our midfield and Ajer might help him to find it, bitton for the off?
AM I STILL POSTING TO FAST??
WITS,
Cool,it must be magic for the kids (and the scouts)
HH
Matt Stewart
If you don’t understand Res 12, you shouldn’t comment or criticise. Where have you been the last 3 years if you don’t understand it.
CONNAIRE12
No apology needed,old bean. You were right enough,I got The Empire Exhibition Trophy and The Coronation Cup mixed up.
It would help if we didn’t have so many one-off trophies,haha!
Btw,my Dad wisnae too pleased at my suggestion he was old enough to witness us winning a trophy in 1938!!!
Bitton
its an intriguing one… signed on a long term contract (possibly to guarantee a decent fee.)
But a year ago, playing top of his form, you could easily see him securing bids of 6.5 – 7.5 million.
However, now… off the back of an indifferent season, if Bitton was sold this summer, you’d guess anywhere between 3.5mil – 4.5mil tops.
JUDE2005
You c&p as suggested?
Honestly works here.
ruggygman
he is constriction in our play. he takes 3 or 4 touches when 1 would do. Slows us down and more importantly allows the defense to get set for the attack.
He looks as leg tired as broonie but without the injuries!
Noticed a reference to some preseason stuff and seems this is the schedule.
Three games over a month?
https://mobile.twitter.com/AlexStanek/status/711971742475001856
I like Bitton as a player… i’m a fan.
he falls in to the same category of many of our players at the moment though, in that he is playing no where near what he is capable of.
Add others to that list… Lustig, Commons, Armstrong, Bitton, Brown….. all performing well below par.
hero is a word often overplayed these days but not for this guy in Bucrana yesterday
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-35866189
oldtim67 on 21st March 2016 8:58 pm
First of all my old mate, Far too many days have passed since I last forced you to listen to my inane ramblings over a liquid refreshment and equally it is far too long since my ears have been subjected to your … ahem…. reflections on life!
You raise an interesting point re the shares ….. possibly more interesting than you realise.
I wonder how many Celtic fans purchased their shares through HBOS and realise that unless they take positive action each year then HBOS will vote those shares as part of a block at any AGM?
JUst sign the mandate Davie — you are a shareholder and can pledge that support by dint of the fact that you have a legal right to the shares and can determine what to support or object to by right of that shareholding.
Take care and I will make a point pf seeing you somewhere soon enough.
BRTH
Loads of under performing players in our team just now.
Almost like they are holding back and waiting for something?
Or does it just seem like that, cos they aint playing for their places…..
Craigleabhoy
I am humbled. I didn’t realise that I did I not understand Res 12.
Fair enough.
But maybe I do…and maybe you can’t understand these words “I support Res 12 and all the guys pushing for its success”.
I happen to think that it also has a halo of exclusiveness around it which doesn’t engage with the core (and far larger) support who are not shareholders.
As for where I have been for the last three years…..I find that an astonishing question…I suppose that visiting a huge selection of Celtic communities around the world and gauging their feelings on a cross section of the issues that affect our club and its future would be a positive thing.
If you don’t, then I apologise for my scandalous waste of time.
Hail hail
Matt
Brilliant article…….
“If you think supporting Celtic is hard right now, you’ve no idea what it means to be a Celtic supporter.
You can go to every single game and spend as much money as you like on following Celtic. You still have no idea what it means to be a Celtic supporter if you think whinging about Ronny Deila on social media is more important than getting behind him and his team as they try to win our fifth title in a row.
If they do manage it, it’ll be five in a row for just the third time in our 129 year history. And you’re crying because you haven’t been entertained along the way!”
more here….http://danieloconnel18.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/supporting-celtic-its-not-about-you.html
Excellent piece on some of our late winners over the years,with some video clips thrown in.
http://tirnaog09.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/better-than-sex.html
BRTH
(sorry if it wasnt you and was auldheid or another….too many clevererererer posters to keep track of!)
had it right when he pointed out the PLC format disenfranchises the general support when although we own shares we do not own enough to make a dent in the voting rights of our club.
The PLC is only out to make the maximum $$$ they can make. There is nothing wrong with this as that is there job(by).
But that is the flaw in their system and it is the glitch we can all see in the PLC matrix.
BMCUWP
How was the weekend in Ayr?
CLUNKS
Excellent,bud.
First-rate company and third-rate tipping from me!
Next weekend-less of the horses,more of the first-rate company.
I even bought a passport specially for it…
PS-next time I’ll give you more notice.
Just found this on youtubes….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E1pImAgers&index=18&list=RDjW6cLKlKOek
Pretty decent stuff from In Brown
BMCUWP
Cheers bud.
Wish I was there, for both!
Voguepunter @ 9.25pm Good luck with the passport. St Anthony is often helpful in your situation.
Matt Stewart,
You make a great point,
“I happen to think that it also has a halo of exclusiveness around it which doesn’t engage with the core (and far larger) support who are not shareholders.” – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/marginal-advantages-eventually-come-a-cropper/comment-page-8/#comments
What you appear to be advocating is some form of fan ownership. Unfortunately to take the this point forward the powers that be will only listen to shareholders.
I don’t think that stops you as a supporter registering your concern in any way you feel appropriate, maybe that would help the case. For example if a large number of Season Book holders were to record their concern about the issue that would make it harder to condemn the shareholders who have signed the mandate as a ‘small number of internet bampots’ (likely response from MSM etc).
HH
From the celts are here Twitter.
New Blog Post:
As Resolution 12 founders are Lawwell and the PLC Fit for Celtic?
https://t.co/Hz6odlXYiG
As Resolution 12 founders are Lawwell and the PLC Fit for Celtic?
In the event that, three months from now, we are faced with a case that is dead in the water with no meaningful answers, we should not miss our targets
Repeating yourself too often is rarely a good thing. “You can say that again”, I hear you cry, but I’ll resist.
Only yesterday, I was expressing my belief that the efforts to have a UEFA investigation opened into possible misconduct by the SFA in allowing Rangers to be entered into the 2011 Champions League, (having failed to meet the Financial Fair Play criteria set out by European football’s umbrella body) were almost certainly doomed to failure.
I need not reiterate my concerns as you can read them, if you wish.
However, tonight’s hasty announcement from “Brogan, Rogan, Trevino & Hogan” (not a firm of solicitors but an individual Celtic fan) must surely have been greeted with the thunder of jaws dropping and heads slapping across the Celtic community.
(I will state now that this is not an attack on BRTH, Auldheid, Canalamar or any of the other people genuinely trying to pursue justice on this matter. I don’t know their backgrounds but neither do I doubt their goods intentions – you may have to jump to the end of this piece for that to become clear.)
This was an urgent request for any shareholders willing to be named by the solicitors claiming to represent them to sign a mandate authorising their names to be used.
It is not often I agree with Stewart Regan but it is quite proper for an organisation to decline to answer questions from anonymous sources. Anonymity is for bloggers and social media users (though the owner of one site attempted to use this blogger’s preference for using a pseudonym in an attempt to silence criticism).
Refuting Regan’s argument, BRTH stated: “This is not so, as the organisation Regan heads up has been written to by a large commercial firm of solicitors who have clearly advised that they act on behalf of a distinct class of people, namely shareholders in Celtic PLC who signed up to and supported Res 12 at the 2013 AGM.”
There are a number of problems with that statement.
Firstly, the size of the legal firm is irrelevant. Any legal firm registered with the Law Society of Scotland is as competent to act as any other, large or small, and can be expected to operate to the same professional and ethical standards.
“We’ve got a big firm behind us” may be useful in terms of their resources and expertise but it means nothing in terms of legitimacy.
Secondly, the relevance of “a distinct class of people” is obscure. Perhaps the Resolutioners are trying to imply that some sort of class action is taking place. That would be inaccurate – they are requesting information that the SFA does not appear to be compelled to give and, indeed, may argue that they are compelled to withhold on the grounds of confidentiality.
For this, they would need only cite the Procedural Rules Governing the UEFA Club Financial Control Body:
“Article 10 – Confidentiality
Members of the CFCB ensure complete confidentiality of all facts that come to their attention in the course of their duties and, in particular, refrain from divulging the contents of deliberations.”
That alone would likely be sufficient justification for the SFA to decline to divulge any information that may relate to a potential investigation that the Resolutioners are currently seeking to initiate.
Really, would ANY organisation divulge potentially confidential information that may lead to a damages action and even criminal proceedings, to an unnamed group of people? Logically, it would only take a similar group of shareholders of any club (including Celtic) to request that the SFA refuse to engage with them, whether that would mean a hearing before a sheriff or simply a meeting of the SFA Board (of which Peter Lawwell is a member).
Given that the member clubs are competent to submit complaints, it is not at all clear that an unnamed “class of people” has any greater legitimacy than “a bunch of guys”.
This, of course, gives the SFA any number of additional get-outs, the most obvious being avoidance or prevarication, with any UEFA investigation being time-barred by the end of June this year – roughly 12 weeks.
The implications of this are profound. Any lawyers would surely advise the SFA not to answer any questions that could leave them open to civil or criminal action, never mind liable to UEFA or FIFA sanctions.
In the circumstances, the SFA would seem to have every reason to keep schtum. However, there is another very clear available tactic.
For any normal legal request, it is usually considered reasonable to allow for ten working days for a reply. If we presume that the Resolutioners must wait two weeks for all the mandates to be received – April 1st – it would be likely that any reply would not be received before April 15th.
This would be unlikely to contain any meaningful answers. Rather, it would most probably be a legal opinion that the SFA did not have to respond to the Resolutioners, according to their rules, and even that SFA rules either did not allow – or actually prohibited – the Association from dealing with the inquiry (something that would be virtually impossible, were Celtic or any member club to make similar representations).
Alternatively, if it was deemed that the SFA should respond, the lawyers would most likely ask for clarification on a number of points, requiring the Resolutioners’ lawyers to respond with due diligence – meaning that they could not simply reply over a coffee break but take reasonable time to ensure that they were meeting all of their professional duties.
The timeline is now at Friday, 29th April before the SFA have received their first response telling them why they should address the points made. Another round of letters would take us to Friday 13th May.
Do you see where this is going?
With the added complication of an unlikely UEFA investigation being requested at the same time, the SFA can kill this through legal letters and delays until the UEFA Statute of Limitations has passed.
And all this calls even further into question the Celtic board’s request that the shareholders take action first. You could believe that these millionaires with their years of corporate experience and high-powered lawyers haven’t spotted the obvious flaws that an independent blogger has identified.
In that case, you could also consider replacing the buttons up your back with Velcro.
Of course, there may be something I am missing. I’ve been wrong before and told I was wrong even more often – notably when I was saying that Peter Lawwell and the Celtic board were overseeing managed decline of the club.
I’m only basing my judgement on my personal experience and appreciation of the facts.
I referred yesterday to a sense of “betrayal”. The Resolutioners have put their faith in the Chief Executive and the Celtic PLC board. They have been strongly encouraged in that and that trust should neither be seen as a character flaw nor a reflection on their individual abilities.
They have largely been (rightly) lauded for their efforts, even if refusing to consider that the people they have been urged to trust – who have, no doubt, convincingly assured them of their own good intentions – appears to have been a miscalculation.
But the most burning question remains: did the Celtic board, in any of their regular “supportive” meetings, point out the potential flaws that it has now taken this blogger approximately 40 minutes to write?
If not, and as seems almost inevitable, their years of collective efforts come to nought, will the Resolutioners then re-evaluate their faith in the people they have been defending? Will they and other Celtic fans stand by and watch their endeavours ridiculed?
We should all hope that this article is the most complete waste of less than an hour of a blogger’s time that has ever been expended; that the SFA will offer full transparency – that they will offer a convincing response disclaiming wrongdoing or that UEFA sanctions will be brought to bear.
And that would be my preferred option – justice, integrity and a game I can believe in.
In the event that, three months from now, we are faced with a case that is dead in the water with no meaningful answers, we should not miss our targets. The SFA may not be fit for purpose – but are the PLC board and Chief Executive fit for Celtic?
Neil Lennon & McCartney on 21st March 2016 11:18 pm
Brilliant article…….
“If you think supporting Celtic is hard right now, you’ve no idea what it means to be a Celtic supporter.
You can go to every single game and spend as much money as you like on following Celtic. You still have no idea what it means to be a Celtic supporter if you think whinging about Ronny Deila on social media is more important than getting behind him and his team as they try to win our fifth title in a row.
If they do manage it, it’ll be five in a row for just the third time in our 129 year history. And you’re crying because you haven’t been entertained along the way!”
more here….http://danieloconnel18.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/supporting-celtic-its-not-about-you.html
*********************************************************************************************
HEAR HEAR – THE TRUE CELTIC SPIRIT.
Thanks to whoever was kind enough to post the ” Killie fan ” expressing his ” disappointment” .
Naturally, I forwarded it ……………..
And received the following.
Hi ———–
On holiday in Spain at the moment. Arrived last night. Was sitting in the hotel lobby, and saw I’d received a message from you. Without thinking I pressed ‘play’ on the recording. My volume was full up!! I should mention the lobby was packed. I have to admit I panicked when the stream of invective came bellowing out of my hand held iPad. I couldn’t find the volume control. By the time I managed to switch the machine off it was too late, I was being scowled at from all sides. Thanks pal. Very funny by the way.
Will be in touch soon.
Matt Stewart
It would be interesting to find out exactly how many shareholders
there are in our support remembering that it was the thousands
of ordinary punters who stood on the muddy terraces that begged
and borrowed or otherwise to save our club, sometimes i think we
get a bit confused with the millionairs who invest for a bit of fun and
a return, but there are loads out there who haven’t a clue about
res 12 including a young Irish couple visiting our club at the weekend
who need enlightened which i tried to do very poorly i must admit, by
the way, the ghirl stood and sang a lovely version of Grace in a
packed pub with that lovely Irish lilt and there wasn’t a dry eye
to be seen anywhere.
H.H Mick
Fan ownership is a tough one, can you imagine what it would be like close season??
1000’s of Celtic fans still wanting to bring back Robbie Keane to pair up with Samaras whilst running battles take place with all the fhans who reckon that our manager (dont matter who he is) is pash and needs replaced, whilst the other young team (the formation young team) jump in and shout about zonal marking etc.
Its a recipe for a tear your team up from the inside!
Neil Lennon & McCartney on 21st March 2016 11:18 pm
A 3rd 5iar in 140 years without Rangers to compete with should be perfunctory. Apples and bananas.
titsrusCSC
Matt Stewart on 21st March 2016 8:53 pm and at 9:10pm
Matt, I stress again that Res 12 should not be the only show in town and if you, or anyone else, has another initiative that the general support can follow then I am sure that we would all want to here it.
Can I also point out that Res 12 never was “my initiative” – I was only asked to get involved because once upon a timeI knew a bit about company rules and regulations and could maybe keep folks right on the odd technicality which might trip them up.
However, let me take you to task on one thing and one thing only.
It was Charles Dickens in the guise of Mr Bumble who supposedly said that “the law is an ass”.
In actual fact, old Bumble made a good point because what he (Dickens) actually wrote was this:
“If the law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, “the law is a ass — a idiot. If that’s the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is, that his eye may be opened by experience — by experience.”
The law in the wrong hands, spoken with the wrong tongue, viewed through the wrong eye, and applied with the wrong brain will almost certainly be an ass in any given circumstance.
However the one thing about the law is that when it is written down and is plain for all to see then everyone is stuck with it and must abide by it.
Where there are rules, written for the benefit of all, which are clear and concise then they should be applied without fear or favour, without consideration as to personality or wealth, position or status, and without the need for furtive manipulation.
When, by operation of law, a specific group of people have the right to object to wrongdoing and slight of hand they should stand and make their voice be heard and make their objection count in blunt and unambiguous terms. Those who would seek to silence them on the grounds of inconvenience or some other triviality should be made to feel the force of the rules which gives them the right to object, complain and hold others to account.
In this instance, the law is not being used to protect or shelter those who hold any power, but instead it is being used as a key which opens the doors to an otherwise closed room full of those who presume that they hold the power and are unaccountable to the masses. Those same rules, that same set of laws further allows people like us to march in and say “Answer me! Tell me why you did this or who decided that and on what basis?”
In this instance, where you have an official body who refuses to answer anyone other than the “member club” the law allows shareholders to march forward en masse or as individuals and point out ” I am a shareholder, I have undisputed rights in a member club and as part of that club I want you to answer to me!”
You have that right if you are a single shareholder and you have that right if you are one among a thousand shareholders.
Sometimes the law can be used as a weapon which allows the little man to tilt at windmills.
Mags
and no orange(s)
Fruity.csc