A crucial aspect of the season just past was the form of goalkeeper, Fraser Forster. Fraser has been Celtic’s first choice goalkeeper since joining on loan from Newcastle United as a 22-year-old but his deal was only made permanent 11 months ago, when he was secured for a fee reported as £2m.
Now 25, the keeper has enjoyed a dream campaign. Celtic’s major achievements this season were winning the league and qualifying for the Champions League group stage, but for Fraser more than anyone else at the club, that night against Barcelona produced an outstanding personal performance. La Gran Muralla had arrived.
Now a regular member of the England international squad, Fraser is the identikit of what Celtic are about right now. Scout players with potential and provide them with the opportunity to mature to Champions League standard. The added bonus of picking Rangers International’s partner-investor, Sports Direct’s pocket makes the deal sweeter.
Fraser has it all: presence, fast reflexes and an instinct for angles, but the most important item in a keeper’s armoury is a relationship with a rock solid defence. Celtic demonstrated they could deliver on this front on Champions League duty, until they faced Juventus, but the picture has been far less convincing in the SPL.
The most striking aspect of Fraser is his sheer physical size. His 6’7” he fills the goal frame, considerably reducing the space between keeper and post at penalty kicks, which his stats are well above average for.
Fraser was disappointed not to be included in the England squad for friendly games against Ireland and Brazil over the next week but Roy Hodgson will be mindful that Celtic have a shorter summer break than any other club he will be following, and Fraser will need some break-time before preseason starts in around three weeks. This is good squad management. The keeper is likely to make his full England debut as his country prepare for the 2014 World Cup, leading to a whole raft of revised comments on the Scottish game.
Have you bought a raffle ticket for the framed Celtic top signed by the Seville squad? It costs you £1, or £10 for 10!! All to benefit the 125415 campaign, aligning Celtic with our 125-year-old heritage.
Not only that, but………….
We have a framed Messi top signed by the great player who was able to breach La Gran Muralla after 183 minutes trying, available for auction. It’s not often you can buy such a memento of the world’s greatest footballer, and help Celtic charities too.
The Seville strip raffle closes on Friday but you have until Monday to bid on the Messi auction.
Willie Wallace, Heart of a Lion, available below.
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McGrory 1888
I have received a reply. See post @10.29
JJ
Morning Willie
Has the Winning Captain offered you breakfast yet or is he on one of his nomadic fasts?
Also when is the last time you saw an exploding car?
Hi Willie, Thank you for the book and your time on this blog, hope you and yours have health and happiness.
Ps, enjoy the golf !.
Thank You.
Willie, the ole fella marvels at Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Johnstone on…….
I cannae see by the Maestro myself, wow my Dad loves that wee man almost like a Son. I wish I was witnessing the J man but hopefully we will have another very soon.
God Bless.
Willie,
did your play in the game for Crystal Palace when John Hughes scored two cracking goals, one of which I’m sure came second in the Goal of the Season to the guy from Hereford against Newcastle. (circa ’71) A good goal for the lad but Yogi’s goal was much better by far.
Willie,
I think we all agree with you that JJ was the best. Why did he only get 22(?) caps?
JJ (!)
Willie. Have you had a chance to meet up with your old mates?
Dukla goals – first goal I was caught with a half bounce and I clipped it with the outside of my right foot – it went into the opposite corner. It was a long ball over my shoulder from big Tommy G – it was meant – it wasn’t a fluke as Neily said at the time!
Other one was the free kick – it wasn’t rehearsed. Simplicity was the thing that Big Jock believed in. Bertie said do you see the hole, do you think you can get it in there? So i did.
Jungle Jim
Yes I saw the reply its boll***s. Clearly a mechanism designed to assist a deid team.
Hx2
Two goals John Hughes scored that day – they’d never seen anything like that at Palace. Think it was against Sheffield Wednesday.
The often over-looked 1967 Scottish cup final . Celtic cruised to victory against a strong Aberdeen 2-0 .
Both goals scored by the legend ,Willie Wallace!
Mr Wallace
Just like to say hello and hope your having a pleasant visit and a safe journey home.
Very best of wishes
Hail Hail…
I was coming in to meet the CQN boys on the train on Saturday and Jim Craig and his wife were sitting there. I might be meeting Bertie and I hope to be getting in to see John Clark today or tomorrow.
googybhoy ♥ Celtic
Wee Jimmy probably had to be fast to get away from Jock when he did something mischievous.
Mort
Jungle Jim
I’ve just received a reply from Sandy.
“Thanks for your comments which have been noted”
Whatever the hell that means.
Hx2
Mr Wallace, is Big Jock the greatest ever or do you think fergie as a lot of the msm believe.
I believe Jock is the greatest and if he had budgets that any modern manager had would have won a good few more Euro trophies.
HH
Oh and Ayrshire is Green and White…Saltcoats funnily enough, Lennox town… ! A gentleman.
JJ caps – that’s political. I would say it was bad judgement of the selectors at the time – there were up to 20 selectors and if they left out the amber fluids they’d have picked better players. Other players at other teams – i could name a dozen – should have got more caps.
Great “talking” to you ,Willie. Hope to do it for real at Aberdour. Enjoy your visit.
JJ
Willie, the achievments of you and your Celtic team-mates will live on forever.
Hi Wullie ,
Just like to say thanks for the memories . Its history that we will always have !
Jungle Jim, mcgrory1888
SPL have a slightly different rule regarding trialists. They define a trialist as:
“Trialist means a player who is under assessment and evaluation by a Club as to his ability, fitness or the like to play association football for that Club in Official Matches and who is not Registered to that Club”
It is unlikely you could argue that a player who you have signed to a contract for x number of years is “under assessment and evaluation by a Club as to his ability, fitness or the like to play association football for that Club” but I presume the SFL/SFA have no such definition or if they did, it will probably have been removed once Rangers were admitted to the league.
Mort
Fergie was in the job for a long long time. Alex would be the first to say he learnt a lot from Big Jock. Jock was long before his time and Fergie will tell you this himself. How much did Jock spend and how much did Fergie spend on players?
mcgrory1888
10:47 on 29 May, 2013
__________________
The establishment will do everything imaginable and unimaginable
to help the orcs. But, do you know what the worst thing about all this is
for me – nobody can do anything about it.
Celtic’s board are not my favorite folks but – they are only one club with
one vote…in other words – Scotland IS the huns – the huns ARE Scotland.
Sad but true.
The best and most effective weapon of all is – a Celtic team winning and parading trophies in front of ecstatic Celtic Fans. Nothing gets them more than that. imo
Hail Hail
Willie,
How do you think Celtic as a Club are doing right now?
Willie,
How good is the talent coming out of Australia and should that be a strong source for Celtic in the future?
Mr Wallace
I was lucky enough to watch you play for Celtic back in 67 and after but time dims the memory.
What it will not erase is my dad’s claim that he was responsible for your goal v Dukla when big Tam launched the ball upfield and you latched on to score.
My dad claimed it was his shout from high up in the Rangers end to Tam to “welly it big man” that led to the goal. I never tried to disuade him then or any time after.
Thanks for the memories, including the fading ones.
BRTH – I don’t want to hear the same jokes!
I parked my car down at Argyle Street just in case.
Winning Captains doing a good job on the hospitality for CQN
Willie,
Do you think Filip Šebo would have got a game with the Lions?
Willie Wallace.
A huge Hail hail Good Sir.
Did you know that Fergus McCann stayed next door to my wife Olive and her family. I knew him well before he went away to America. He wasn’t that interested in football but he did what he said he would do, build the stadium and clear the debt. He was a pleasant enough guy.
Amber fluids ha ha
Mr Wallace
Stood in the Jungle and watched you many many times. Privilege to be on the same blog as you.
Cannot wait to get on the phone to my auld yin to tell him – I got your book for his birthday next month. He has always said you were one of the finest he’d seen gracing the Hoops – and he has been watching the Bhoys since about 1948!
Enjoy your visit sir, and thanks for the magic memories.
Hail Hail
Willie
In that case I will tell my other joke
They have some Dutch coaches in Australia and every team has to play 4 3 3. I like the boy that is at Celtic but there’s another boy I was trying to get them to sign who is better but he’s now been taken by Bayern Munich – they have similar names – boy is a Serbian I think. Can’t remember his name.
Got my answer back fro Sandy……Your comments have been noted….MY Replay……Thank you Sandy you did not let me down with your reply, now you can get back to telling Sevco how to wriggle out of more rules in the book..PS I heard you had lunch with Lord Nimmo Smith recently, how is he doing by the way?
Jungle Jim –
Promise me you won’t wear those wee skimpy shorts this year at Aberdour, you will put off everyone at the top table when they are doing their speeches!
Howzitgaunbyraway?
Cyrul
KevJungle
Everybody is in the place…..
It took a Liverpudlian to spell it out that this game is corrupt with most Clubs shaking funny hands to get their kids enrolled and in the system.
And we wonder why Scottish football is going down the tubes. ;)) LoL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmhlA2S2KU&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Celtic will drag this Country out of the Mire (not BellsMyre) through it’s diligence and attention to care about football in this country, will we be “accepted” lol, never.
And that is the way it is….. just get the baw in the net.csc