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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“…Islam what I am….
.and what I am
needs no excuses.
I deal my own deck
sometimes the aces
sometimes the deuces……”
Corkcelt
Heck..
Even that Lousy Watch yer won at the Kelvin Hall… Kin be Right… Twice… Every .. Twenty Four Hoors!
and
The Age o’ Miracles is No Past.. or.. so they Say.
Kojo
Still.. Laughin
Robert Tressell
Being the change you want to see throws up the very challenges you immediately face.
I think it is called the dark night of the soul in some literature and sometimes that night last a long time at others it passes more quickly. I think a lot depends on how much one’s belief in the goodness of all is dented by reality ( which in a moment of time seems to be either good or bad in the eyes of those experiencing that reality) but seen over a longer period which might be a human lifetime or eternity (if you believe in a spirit apart from the body) always works in a loving way.
This attitude might just be a coping mechanism to deal with times that are hard to make sense of them and it is an individual choice what meaning we give our experoence, so I’ll leave the choice to each.
However in my experience if we replace right and wrong thinking with what works ( over time) and what does not, we can discern from our experience real love in action even when its is painful, indeed very painful.
I think it no accident that a well known definition of love starts with ” love is patient” as it sets the essential stage on which love can go about its business.
Everybody is on a journey with tunnels on the way but all tracks lead to home because there is no where else.
Bournesouprecipe, you’re the very fellow:
Is it true that consommé at Celtic Park, prior to being served, is passed through a fine muslim
corkcelt
Cheers, cyber pint in the tap for ye.
TBM
if we all thought alike it would be a pretty boring place, no hard feelings?
cyber pint in the tap for you too.
RRC – Robert Ryan Clark
e-slam transfer – transfer to Sevco
e-slam bank transfer – money that hit bank account for electicity at Ibrox
e-slam discussion – discussion on FF on first day of transfer window
I have a daughter whose married name is White. She is expecting her 4th child in about 2 months. Last night I was out in their house and they were chatting about possible names for the child. Suddenly she came out with “I was thinking if its a boy of calling him Craig”. I kid ye not. Cue for spluttering from Grandad and ” No effing way”. leaving the entire family looking at me open mouthed as if I had completely lost my senses.
Awe Naw
Pal.
A Great big ..BIG..
“Pinkety , Pinkety~” oan THAT, Palomine !
Kojo
Still Laughin’
RRC
It’s Aweright Wi Me..Pal
Ah Still Luv ye.. Even although
Ye ur .
Heided fur the Big Fire!
Kojo
Still.. Laughin’
Corkcelt 16.46
Your finishing sentence reminds me of a question I sometimes pose jokingly on the need for the uncertainty and nature of our final destination.
If we were all certain that we were all prodigal sons that would be welcomed home regardless of the life we lived, well then there would be nobody hanging around “here”.
So everything has a purpose in the grand design of things including fear.
TBB
Yes, I can confirm that this is indeed the case in each restaurant, a tradition initiated and
upheld by fine midfielder – Eyal Burkavic
Corkcelt
I read that an ancient Keltic name is making a comeback , might work …………
Greananh
kojo
If you are the one deciding who goes to the bad fire, shouldn’t you change your username to GOD?
:-)
Still laughin’
Kojo, This has absolutely got to stop now. Your last post was, as many of yours are, totally stupid but it made me roar with laughter.
Auldheid, I like it, learningsomethingallthetimecsc.
RoWZ
Pal.. Forster wid Choose an England Cap..
Over..
The After-Life!
Never Mind.. Tennerife.
Kojo
Still.. Laughin..
RRC
Ah am gled that Ah hiv Broken Doon ..Yer Reserve.. Pal
That’s the Ticket..
Loosen Up.
We are Awe in this Together..
the Result o’ Adam and Eve’s … Wee Experiment.
Kojo
Still Laughin’
Corkcelt
haahaa must have made you all chuckle
Saint Stivs, By the time I left last night, Shane was gaining in popularity. T’will probaably end up being a girl so t’wont make any difference unless they decide to call her Snow.
corkcelt
She is expecting her 4th child in about 2 months?
Wow, how many gandchildren do have altogether?
;o)
You’re right, he may be our hero but “Craig” is out of bounds.
Keep it simple, Georgios or Emilio or something.
Each to their own RE: RRC, its yer right in a free world to do what you want, I love my Faith and it’s got me through lots of tough times, I read a thing a few weeks past, It compared Faith to a Penis (bear with me) it was something along the lines of its ok to have 1 and be proud of it However do not pull it out in public, do not push it on children,Do not write laws with it and don’t think with it. Pretty crass but to the point.
KLV
JEHOVAH!!!
!!Bada Bing!!
16:35 on
28 May, 2013
DU reject offer from Derby for Russell
Time to make our move
Bournesouprecipe.
Naw I’m retired :) but I have very definite ideas of how things could be done to draw on the wide pool of experience and skills that exist in the Celtic nation and feedback on that is positive.
It always was but the capicity to turn ideas into reality has not been fully present which is why I was encouraged by the direction being taken to enhance capacity.
Auldheid – thanks for the response. It’ll take a bit of digesting on my part.
I don’t know if it is a coping mechanism. It requires action. It doesn’t remove the need for ‘doing’ or remove any duties and obligations.
Maybe I’ve misunderstood it. To me it’s about not waiting for the ‘right’ time, ‘right’ conditions and so on because as Phil Ochs wrote ‘I guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here’.
(Great song by the way)
The Dark Night of the Soul is a hard station.
Celtic_First
16:35 on 28 May, 2013
RRC
Tontine Tim was answering another poster. What he said was that we cannot unbaptise ourselves, and he is correct.
When you decided to join another branch of Christianity, no one there had any need to rebaptise you. Our baptism is “an indelible spiritual mark” of having been claimed for Christ. No sin we commit can ever erase this mark and baptism cannot be repeated, although we can, and are encouraged to, renew our baptismal vows.
I read Tontine Tim’s post as an attempt at giving encouragement to another poster, not an attempt to challenge anyone.
*Thanks CF, having ben a member of the RCIA for many years whenever a candidate appeared they were first asked if they had been christened, if the answer was of the affirmative then we moved onto the other 3 sacraments that they would participate in on Holy Week and the Easter Vigil.
As for a “born again Christian”, no such person actually exists as you cannot be christened twice.
Corkcelt
Pal.. wance ye get tae Know Me.
Then .
Ye wull understaun..
That
Ah Am No As Black as Ah am Painted.. By some oan here.
Mebbe.. Closer tae a Lightish Black, but soitenly..no..
A Black Black.
Kojo
Still..Laughin’
Montrose chairman Derek Sim is
confident clubs in the Second and
Third Division will come around to
league reconstruction in the absence
of pressure from their First Division
counterparts.
The twenty sides from the bottom
two tiers of Scottish senior football
are meeting in Stirling on Tuesday
night to discuss their rejection last
week of change plans, and the
subsequent threat of second tier
clubs to break away and join the
SPL.
Montrose were one of 13 clubs to
register their opposition when final
proposals were tabled but have now
changed their mind ahead of a
planned final vote on June 12.
“I think from discussions with other
clubs and speaking to board
members I think there is a
determination to move forward and
really look at the core matters that
would impact on the clubs in Scottish
football if we didn’t go ahead with a
positive vote,” Sim told STV.
“When we look at it, the First Division
clubs had the opportunity on the
back of SPL decisions to make
decisions themselves about breaking
away, in effect, and creating an SPL2.
“I think it was unfortunate some of
the timing of comments made by First
Division chairmen. It slightly
antagonised the meeting that these
comments were still being made.
“However I think everyone realises
we’ve got to get together for the
good of Scottish football. The
meeting tonight, I think, will be a very
positive one.
“I think with the opportunity of
discussing everything openly without
little side issues affecting, such as
SPL2 and such like, then the Second
and Third Division clubs can talk
about it very openly.
“I would think there will be a positive
outcome from tonight’s vote.”
Twenty-two votes in favour of league
reconstruction are required when the
final vote is held, with only 16 clubs
backing the proposals in the
indicative secret ballot last week.
Lower league sides have been
accused of holding back more
ambitious full-time clubs in the First
Division, preventing them from
receiving significantly greater finance
under the terms of reconstruction
proposals.
Sim though believes his club are as
relevant to the Scottish game as any
side attempting to break away and
join the top flight, insisting teams in
the bottom tier deserve to have a say.
“Montrose Football Club have been in
existence since 1879,” he argued. “I
think we’ve got a track record we’ve
supported the SFL, which is 123 years
old.
“The opportunity for the Third
Division clubs and the clubs under
the Premier League, there is a
stepping stone.
“You’ve seen that with Ross County
and Inverness Caley. Even allowing
Rangers coming into the Third
Division and now they are now
moving forward.
“It has been a place other clubs have
been able to start the road to
success. Hopefully that will always
be there with the pyramid system
being put into place as well.
“It’s a great opportunity for certain
clubs. If you bring the youngsters
through, good youngsters, and you
are able to move through from the
Third into the Second Division.
“Then there is the opportunity, as
we’ve seen with Alloa with Paul
Hartley, he has done a fantastic job
moving from the Third Division to the
Second and now the First. The
opportunity is there.
“It shows the Third Division can
create something for Scottish
football.”
Thousand Islam dressing
HH
Tommysbhoy
There’s a couple of good photos of Neil McCallum’s grave today on the Celtic Graves site. Worth a look.
sixtaeseven, Ha Ha, its her 4th in 6 years due end of July and will be my 7th grandchild God willing. Craig is most definitely a non starter O.K. but as we always say over here as long as the child is healthy & well thats all that matters.
The Lion from Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe= Islam? ;)
KLV
RRC: 16:55 on 28 May, 2013…………..
Intermittent power outage there. Tom Jones style at this time of night!
Not had a pint for about three months; occasional glass of red though……… So yes, thanks. Cheers.
Will leave it for now but me being me, need to have the last word re…….
‘Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’
Works for me and mine…………
Now going for another glass of red, as God’s gift to me has retired for the night and left me to my own devices. Maybe have some French bread and Aussie cheese to go with it and then cyber pester a few comrades back home, as looking for favours all round (long story)……
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
Prophetirolles….
Kojo
Tell ra truth yungyin, yur ah Rank Badyin,mare penance fur you ma man.
Awerabest PJ
Meccaroni cheese…
Britain’s once-
untouchable position on FIFA’s
executive committee will be
swept away after 67 years at this
week’s reform-driven Congress of
world soccer’s governing body.
England, and to a lesser extent
Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland, have had a love-hate
relationship with FIFA from the
time it was formed in 1904 and
none of them were among the
founding fathers.
This has been due partly to the
permanent vice-president’s
seat on the executive
committee that Britain enjoys,
but that seat is to be handed
back at the Congress in
Mauritius.
The affable Jim Boyce of
Northern Ireland will be the last
British vice-president and he is
not unhappy about the change.
“The time has come, it was a
bit of an anachronism, but I do
not think our influence will be
diminished in the slightest,” he
said.
FIFA has six vice-presidents
and the removal of the British
one should go some way to
placating nations who have
long regarded Britain, and the
English in particular, with
suspicion.
The English Football
Association, the world’s first,
was founded in 1863, some 41
years before FIFA, and is
celebrating its 150th
anniversary this year.
The British associations
collectively dismissed the idea
of joining FIFA at the outset
and the repercussions of this
aloofness still resonate to this
day.
Two years ago at the Congress
in Zurich, FIFA vice-president
Julio Grondona of Argentina
called the English “pirates” after
they attempted to delay the
election of Sepp Blatter as
president for a fourth term.
A number of delegates took the
floor to berate the English for
suggesting the vote should be
delayed because Blatter was
standing unopposed in the
wake of Qatari Mohamed Bin
Hamman’s withdrawal from the
presidential race.
The guaranteed vice-
presidency was written into the
statutes in 1946 when the four
nations rejoined FIFA after they
had left in the 1920s in a row
over players’ payments.
They returned in the immediate
aftermath of World War Two
when Stanley Rous, then
general secretary of the English
FA and later the president of
FIFA, promised the
impoverished world governing
body all the gate receipts from
a Britain v Rest of the World
match in Glasgow.
That helped put FIFA back on
its financial feet and, in return,
Britain were handed the seat.
Like Boyce, English FA chief
executive Alex Horne is not
upset over the handing back of
the seat. “It is perhaps a long
overdue move and we are
happy about it happening,”
Horne told Reuters.
“What is far more important to
us now, is that we continue to
have a major influence in the
International Board.
“There are also other positives
in handing over the British
vice-presidency to a European
representative through which
we still hope to have a say on
the top table.”
In other words, the British
nations will continue, along
with FIFA, to keep a controlling
hand on the laws of the game
that was invented and nurtured
in Britain through the
International Football
Association Board (IFAB).
The seat’s return is one of a
number of changes that will
become part of a new FIFA
statute book being written once
the dust has settled after the
Congress on this tropical
Indian Ocean island.
Something that will not change
is England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland continuing as
four separate nations.
Some Asian and African nations
are unhappy about that but, as
Blatter says when challenged
on the matter: “That is not up
for discussion and, as far as
FIFA is concerned, it never will
be.”
RRC made a statement, a previous post motivated it. There was nothing wrong with that previous post and there was nothing wrong with RRC’s response; except both statements could amount to the sum total of hee haw.
Why if we are so inclusive do we trouble so much about another person’s religion or none?
Being a Catholic, being a Celtic Supporter or being a Catholic Celtic Supporter, none of them is in itself is a divine passport to anywhere.
Give religion respect and give the absence of equal. The goodness in man is in the heart and the heart driven deeds, not in his profession, his colour, his nationality nor most certainly not his words; regardless of their sincerity.
It is not what we say on here, at work, in the pub, or at home that defines us; each and every one of us… it is what we each do with our time that will determine how we are remembered.
Your coffin will only be buried once and at that moment in time… diametrical to first impression… God or nature gave you a lifetime to write your own history and in the minds of those that lower you down, your history is being given life.
Anyone know how channelislamcelt is adjusting to his new name?