I was disappointed to hear Neil Lennon was ‘mutually consented’ by Bolton yesterday. He picked the club up off the floor early last season, putting together a remarkable run of form which saw them talked as promotion candidates, but a reply cup defeat to Liverpool saw momentum dip. The year since has seen Bolton look like the relegation fodder they were before Neil’s arrival.
Forget all this nonsense the newspapers are throwing around this morning (anything to undermine the team ahead of Kilmarnock on Saturday), Neil’s ship has sailed in Glasgow, but he should plan to remain in the game.
The people of Bolton might not have seen him at his best, but he’s a genuine managerial talent. After a shaky 18 months at Celtic he turned a corner and became a remarkable success, crafting a team who could compete with anyone in the world.
Looking back now, I think the intensity of the Celtic job got too much for Neil. It’s a 24x7x365 life, you need vast oceans of patience, and need to be prepared to make enormous sacrifices. It’s not just about structuring a defence to subjugate wee Leo and his pals.
The Bolton job was always going to be a tall order. He picked them up in a relegation spot, there was no money to improve things, while each passing month the financial position deteriorated. He also had to find an unusual pre-match technique to address the ‘I know you’re not getting paid but how about giving 110% anyway?’ problem.
The same media who are trying to disrupt our title challenge have misread the mood music this time. If anything, they’ve focussed the support on the task in hand.
On another matter………….. I’m one of the many who have signed up to Zip Slide across Celtic Park on Easter Saturday morning in aid of the Celtic Foundation. This is a great initiative; all those who have signed up have paid event costs, so money raised goes straight to the Foundation’s mission to improve Health, promote Equality, encourage Learning and tackle Poverty.
The work the Foundation do in our name is incredible. If you can contribute, please do so here.
Thank you.
438 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- »
‘Moan the snakes!
Beatbhoy
Ha ha …. :)
Hail Hail
Matt
Italiabhoy
Can I ask what brings you to the conclusion that Jeanette Findlay is ‘too left wing’?
Genuinely interested in what she, or indeed the Trust, have done that would give you such an impression.
*has*
Big Peat
This is EQUALITY, parity of esteem and justice. HH
Happy St Paddy’s day to one and all, regardless of religion, creed or colour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGVlKzzIdMc
HamiltonTim,
All I hear from the Trust are measures to increase Celtic’s payroll costs. I haven’t heard any suggestions about growing the business from them, ever.
Living Wage may – or may not- be a good thing, but to be honest it’s hardly the most pressing issue facing the club. We need people with strong records in building and growing businesses in charge. Desmond is a wealthy man, but his inaction over Resolution 12 indicates that he is not particularly interested in Celtic.
In which case he should make way for someone who is. Or the shareholding should be reformed to allow more democracy in decision-making.
Made Matt Stewart laugh!!
My work here is done.
Hail! Hail!
Good Morning Bhoys from a dry but gray Central Scotland. H.H.
If she says I’ll get your coat…
You’ve pulled the cloakroom attendant .
HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY TO ONE AND ALL
Hen1rik – thanks for posting that. Teling quote is:
“…if I could table evidence that the club was actually owing money to HMRC , and the debt collectors had been in, what would you do ? His reply was “Nothing”…”
“…NOTHING…”
Exactly the same actions as our our own Celtic plc CSO – disgusting, and utterly corrupt in the true sense of the word – Celtic’s own top men colluding with the corrupt SFA – we have been betrayed by our own.
Two cheeks of the same arse, indeed.
HH
BGFC
LAWWELL OUT !!!!
teling = telling
HH
BGFC
LAWELL OUT !!!
Doh – LAWELL = LAWWELL !!!!
HH
BGFC
LAWELL AND LAWWELL OUT !!! Twice.
Whilst so many have been critical of Ronny and of the Board, I have been supportive of both. I am still supportive of Ronny.
JJ
PS Who is the John Clark of the Hen1rik link?
A two mins silence for St Patrick please …or watch the clip. HH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Un_0NheCaw
Scrolling back & reading WITS & the Bhoys making travel arrangements for Dublin ,I started to feel dizzy, hope everything works out fine for everyone.
Anyway Happy Paddy’s day to all, & remember the song
“St.Patrick’s Day no more we keep his colours can’t be seen,
For their hanging men & women for the Wearing of the Green”.
So wear the Green with pride today Bhoys in memory of your forefathers.
After reading the latest Clumpany piece, is there still anyone gullible enough to attend the SFA’s Cup Semi Final?
Instead of pointing accusing fingers in all directions, point at yourself, if you intend supporting the SFA.
It’s your call, but if you go, never complain about the state of the game again.
You are part of the problem.
Off to celebrate St.Patrick’s Day in the time honoured fashion. Mass then listening to the local bands, plus a wee dunking of the shamrock.
CELTIC, SCOTTISH FOOTBALL, SFA, SPFL
Only One Language They’ll Understand?
Posted on March 17, 2016 by theclumpany in Celtic, Scottish Football, SFA, SPFL
Good Morning.
If you only read one thing today (other than this blog…), make it this post on the Scottish Football Monitor by John Clark. Mr Clark attended an event at the University of Edinburgh which was graced by the presence of Stewart Regan who was giving a talk on International Football Governance.
Mr Regan is of course the Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association. And the SFA is one of the privileged few to be a permanent member of the International Football Association Board, which makes the laws of the game around the world.
Yes, Mr Regan not only runs football in Scotland, he also has influence on the way the game is played across the globe. Bear that in mind when you read Mr Clark’s report of the event and his later conversation with Regan about Resolution 12.
Regular readers will be aware that The Clumpany recently wrote to Mr Regan about Resolution 12, and encouraged you to do likewise. Hopefully you will feel extremely motivated to do so by the end of this blog!
Clearly Mr Clark’s account is his personal recollection and cannot in isolation be taken as a definitive account of what was discussed. In an ideal world Mr Regan would go on the record about all the issues raised by Resolution 12 and put them to bed one way or another.
Nevertheless, bearing in mind the above caveats, Mr Clark’s account is truly extraordinary. Here is the key extract:
“I said I had sat listening to him talk about values , transparency and integrity and the FIFA and UEFA governance problems and I wanted to mention that the SFA had problems in its own governance.I said that UEFA had been misled, whether intentionally or through incompetence,about RFC’s state of social taxes indebtedness and as a result that club had been granted a European licence they were not entitled to.
The Grant guy said ‘Oh , there’s a bit of background there, Rangers/Celtic”I put my finger up, told him this wasn’t a Celtic-Rangers matter, and said that I wanted to hear Regan state categorically that RFC was not in debt to HMRC at the deadline date.
Regan said that the matter was complex, and explained to the class ( with a smile) that , as he had mentioned earlier, the West of Scotland threw up particular problems), and that this wasn’t really the place to discuss it, but he would see me after the meeting.
After the meeting, when only he and I and Harvey were present, (Harvey said he had seen me before at Hampden , but couldn’t say in what context) I again asked Regan whether he would categorically state as the official SFA position that RFC were not in debt to HMRC at the deadline. He said that the SFA had met the requirements of Art. 66 and that the club had been ‘in negotiation’ with HMRC. I said that , no, in fact the club was actually in debt in respect of social taxes, and the SFA were derelict in duty, intentionally or otherwise.
I said: if I were to provide incontrovertible evidence that the club was actually owing money to HMRC , and the debt collectors had been in, what would you do ? His reply was “Nothing”.
I said I would report that back to my people. He asked ‘and who are your people? People who don’t use their real names?
I said ‘I use my real name, and I have written to UEFA using my real name, so that there would be evidence that at least someone had raised the issue before any artificial deadline. I added that we, who pay our money, are the people.
His reply was “if you’ve made your mind up, and that’s your opinion,there’s no way I’m going to convince you’
I said it was not a matter of opinion but of fact, and it won’t go away.
And that was that. No great surprise, but at least the satisfaction of speaking face-to-face.
The business began at 12.30, and I left the building at around 2.30. ( I walked from the St Leonard’s Land building in the Cowgate to the Turkish barber at Nicholson Square and it was 2.45 when I sat down.Interesting experience: he used a kind of blow-torch on me. I never felt a thing, so maybe I’m fit and proper to become an SFA blazer or a RIFC director?)”
There are several points in that account which grate:
The blithe dismissal of the issue by characterising it as a “West of Scotland” thing.
The unwillingness to discuss the issue at hand and the reliance on simple assertion about what happened when Rangers were granted their UEFA licence for season 2011-12; and
The use of the “people who don’t use their real names” deflection. This is a particularly spurious argument given the strenuous efforts of those pursuing Resolution 12 to confirm their bona fides to the SFA, and given Mr Clark’s use of his own name when meeting Mr Regan face-to-face!
But the most remarkable part of Mr Clark’s account was Regan’s apparent response when asked what he would do if provided with “incontrovertible evidence that the club was actually owing money to HMRC, and the debt collectors had been in”.
According to Clark (and as I said above, we only have his word to go on, although I have no reason to disbelieve him), Mr Regan said he would do “Nothing”.
If true, that really is extraordinary and someone in the media should be all over it. Did the Chief Executive of Scottish football’s governing body really suggest that if presented with evidence that one of his members wrongly gained access to club football’s premier (and most lucrative) competition at the expense of another he would do nothing?
Are rules, due process, and level playing fields of no concern to the people running our national sport?
Assuming that Mr Clark’s account is correct, it would be utterly shameful if Celtic FC failed to throw their weight behind Resolution 12. They must accost the SFA directly and pointedly, and write to UEFA in the strongest possible terms.
This particular ethereal entity is appalled by what was apparently said at the University of Edinburgh. If true, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that anyone who pays a single penny into Scottish football prior to fundamental change at Hampden is an absolute mug.
We all want to follow our club, but if that means subsiding the set-up that brought us the 5-Way Agreement, the Lord Nimmo-Smith Commission, and troubling questions about the awarding of UEFA licences, then it is hard to avoid concluding that we are wasting our time.
I hope you enjoy subsidising our governing bodies. I won’t be joining you.
#KeepOnClumping
HEN1RIK
Who is John Clark?
JJ
Resolution 12 banner at home/away grounds for the “Celtic” Board. Just to embarrass them. Having said that their necks appear to be as flame resistant as Sevco/SFA.
Happy St Pats
Gearoid
I would be surprised if the GB do not have a Res 12 banner at our next Home game. Would the game V Sevco be a better option? Something that leads to fans asking: What is this Resolution 12 thing?
Time to cycle off into the thin veil of mist that enshrouds the Angus countryside.
JJ
On scrolling back saw the comments on Jeanette Findlay.
I watched her in the evidence she gave to (I presume) the Justice Committee re the OBAF Act
Very, very impressive. Would rather she was in my corner than against me.
HH
Hail Glorious Saint Patrick.
Personally. .I wouldn’t be giving the sfa a single penny..
And like many other fans who are walking away from their beloved club. The idea that the Celtic board have played along. .been compliant with the whole sham. I am sickened by their cowardice and acceptance of ‘we are the people’ …the establishment. .and more importantly their acceptance of being the second biggest club in Scotland. They would have strangled us if they had the chance. I’m just one of many who have turned away from the Corrupt. Lying. Cheating
When do you finally accept enough is enough. I’m not a mug and they are taking the pish out of us.
HEN1RIK on 17TH MARCH 2016 8:47 AM
Posted on Twitter by the Clumpany.
If you only read one thing today, make it this… https://t.co/6nhbZ3vhbM
——-
I agree. One million per cent
RarelyJustifiableHyperboleCSC
HH jamesgang
Happy St Patrick’s Day my friends in Celtic
HH jamesgang
A Sicilian radio station’s choice of choon for San Patrizio ?
Van Morrison – Cyprus Avenue ( from the great Astral Weeks Lp .)
Hope the self styled ” Reverend Dr ” could hear it !
Jjhs@10.34
I was thinking the same re the Sevco game but then Thomthetims post came to mind ie there will be quite a few who wouldn’t attend that game on a point of principle against the SFA.
Think it would carry more kudos at the home games but the way attendances are going at the minute far fewer are going to see it.
Prepare the banners for the Aberdeen away game which we are sure to get after the break.
HH
Morning Celts
Happy St Patrick’s Day
Must say i enjoyed Brendan O’Carroll’s family account of the Rising.
The sheer bravery of Pearse, Connolly, Clarke,Plunkett,MacDiarmda, Ceannt, MacDonagh, and the Volunteers, is astounding.
HH
Happy St Patrick’s Day from a Hun free Malaga – home of sun, suds – and Auldheid !
Following a very pleasant chat with him over a small refreshment yesterday, it’s fascinating to read John Clark’s account of the Regan Response. His condescension is beyond contempt. Pity I wasn’t back home in equally sunny Embra. I could have double teamed with JC with great pleasure !
I will resume hostilities on my return tomorrow. Meantime a free Guiness to any CQNers I bump into I’m Malaga today!
Stephebhoy1@10.38
“and more importantly their acceptance of being the second biggest club in Scotland”.
In a nutshell and that’s despite the Club THEY view as the biggest club having been liquidated.
HH
HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!!!!!!!
Good Morning,
And a Happy St Patrick’s day to all.
If you haven’t read the TSFM article or the Clumpany’s report then I suggest that you do as you will see where Scottish Football stands on this March morning.
Now, a confession:
I openly admt to being a cantankerous, curmudgeonly oul grump who likes nothing better than a good moan at anything I think is just a pile of sh@*e!
I have never been afraid of just doing my own thing even if that means the vast majority telling me I am wholly wrong. It is a matter of conscience.
I am rapidly reaching the position where I see absolutely no point in Professional Scottish Football other than at a local and community level.
I will not support any activity, game, function or event that is supported by the SFA – nor will I support or trade with any commercial company who sponsors that organisation. Later on today, I will write to the SFA sponsors and tell then that for so long as they are associated with the Scottish Football Association I will boycott their products and their organisation.
A list of SFA sponsors can be found here:
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=3305
I don’t necessarily expect anyone to follow me in this venture, but it sure as hell just makes me feel better.
Regan is a digrace. His “West of Scotland” jibe is disgraceful and his “No name” comment a pathetic attempt to distract and deflect from his own incompetancies.
The only language that such people understand is to make it plain that you will not support and have no part of any such organisation.
I will not go to Hampden and I have advised Celtic to take me off the home cup ticket scheme.
I have better and more honest things to be doing with my time and money.
That’s the letters dropping through the door for the semi final
Hospitality packages also offered £150+vat and £225+vat….but be aware you may have to travel to Hampden on a Parks coach
BRTH
Good for you.
Im with you all the way.
Scottish football is an insult to intelligence.
A festering sore on the face of Scotland.
Warped minds, stuck in the 1930s.
HH
Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all,just heading in to Glasgow for the festivities………..oh wait………..
#nationaldisgrace
Enjoyed Barca toying with Arseho…nal last night.
Messi…what can you say about that bhoy, truly fabulous player.
Naymar…what a player he is.
A joy to watch…real football.
HH
MICKBHOY1888
Sure you will skin that off drunk Irish bhoys today. ☘☘
:-)
San Patrizio events across Montalbano land tonight . Picked up a flyer in Sciacca earlier – inviting to me eat Irish stew ( or pasta con sarde ) while drinking with the elves.
My feeling especially today and after BRTH’s post above is one of sadness that we have a chasm widening between supporters extant and erstwhile.
I’ll be going to Hampden, if I get a ticket. I’ll be going with my pals, if they get tickets.
I’m content with my motivation for so doing, and I accept others’ reasons for taking the alternative view.
Just sad about a split that hopefully won’t become a schism.
If we end up ripping into each other, I wonder who will be viewed as having won the high ground. Having said that …..ach it disnae matter, nothing I say will alter anyone’s viewpoint and unless you can convince me that staying away will help Celtic win through to the cup final, then I will not change my stance.
Anyway good luck to you all whatever decision you make.
Hail Hail
Matt