Only one viable club in the Scottish game

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An angry meltdown by Hibernian, many of their fans and lots of independent (cough) observers that the SPFL did not allocate them 50% of Sunday’s League Cup Final tickets all seems a bit demeaning to the League this morning.  500 unsold tickets were returned, it is unclear if it will be possible to sell them to Celtic fans while maintaining crowd segregation.

Can we once and for all agree that Celtic are the lifeblood of Scottish football?  They are the team who compete in and win most finals, they are followed by more fans than anyone else, they bring the game more money in ticket sales, as well as TV and commercial deals than anyone. They also keep Scottish journalism in business.

Celtic are run well.  They live within their means and pay their bills.  They do not duck and dive in the courts over contractual disputes, when they commit to something, it happens.  They do not need to over-promise on ticket sales, even when things go wrong, they meet contractual obligations and move on.

God love St Johnstone, who have achieved enormously well as the second most successful Scottish team over the last decade (three times more trophies than anyone else), but there is only one viable club in the modern Scottish game, everyone else, every last one of them, is making up the numbers.

This is not an endorsement that we will easily beat Ross County tonight, or win on Sunday.  It’s football, even Celtic cannot win them all.  Aberdeen are right to cut their stadium ambitions, Hibs have no choice but to send unsold tickets back, Newco have so little wriggle room you see what they are always at court.  Celtic are on their own, the rest live of our existence.

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  1. Out Staunch

     

     

    The actions performed by individuals or a group to satisfy their Loyal, Protestant and Unionist credentials in particular in defense of their position on any matter what so ever.

     

     

    Collective noun for the group is Stauners

  2. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Covid outbreak at Dundee United?

     

     

    If confirmed, this will be an interesting test of the football authorities’ mettle.

     

     

    Precedents already set darn sarf with postponement of Brentford versus Manchester United.

     

     

    If the Arabs are forced to fulfil this fixture, it will be telling.

     

     

    If not, helps Celtic just a little bit.

  3. I posted about this only last week.

     

     

    STURGEON & FREEMAN

     

     

    Sturgeon & Freeman could face criminal charges over care home ‘failures’ during the Covid pandemic.

     

     

    Solicitor-advocate Professor Peter Watson highlighted the “instruction to transfer patients from hospitals back into care homes without any risk assessment, testing, or understanding of the consequences” as a potential reason for criminal charges.

     

     

    The blame lies where ‘the buck stops’ – everyone else is acting under orders…..even Professor Higgins.

     

     

    Will we get the two ‘Fair Ladies’ up in court – oh ‘My’.

  4. Frank Drebin " Nothing to see here ! " on

    Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sevco but Were Afraid to Ask.

  5. Hopefully the Huns game on Saturday gets put back a couple of weeks.

     

     

    No one should be playing league football when a cup final is taking place the same weekend.

     

     

    Un fair sporting advantage and awe that.

     

     

    D :)

  6. This is a very stern test for us tonight.

     

     

    A Wednesday in winter at Dingwall, and major injury worries.

     

     

    So 4-1 to us COYBIG

     

     

    D :)

  7. Begs the question. What is the weather like tonight way up north. Hopefully a kindly lady will be along soon to tell us.

  8. If I remember correctly, Hibs had 2 games postponed because the number of 1st team close contacts meant that they could not field a team. As such, the Dun Utd game would go ahead if they have a full 11 plus subs I suppose.

     

     

    St Mirren overturned walkover decisions as they proved they had not breached protocols

     

     

    The Hibs one must have been a fine line on the protocols to have so many affected; or maybe the protocols are Alpha not Omicron based.

     

     

    We had to play last Jan because we had enough players available

  9. The shocking late pen at Dingwall against us just popped into my head.

     

    Take the MIB out the equation CSC

  10. SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 15TH DECEMBER 2021 4:42 PM

     

    JHB

     

    The care homes scandal needs investigated but it was far from a Scotland only phenomenon.

     

    If those two are in court there will be Welsh and Westminster leaders in there with them.

     

    ———————

     

    Same thing happened in Ireland too, with the same impact.

     

     

    makes you wonder if health services to what they are told by the same advisors world wide in a similar fashion to businesses with PwC, GT, KPMG and EY

  11. SFTB @ 4:42

     

     

    I don’t suggest it was only in Scotland that large numbers of deaths occurred in the Care Sector. However there is, I’m told, a particular dimension to the Scotland’s case.

     

     

    Such is the closeness & cosiness within Scottish governmental and legal circles that I don’t expect any meaningful court action to develop. Anyone who attempts to bring forward proceedings will be ‘cut off at the legs’.

     

     

    Those responsible are culpable and a charge of culpable homicide should laid – but it won’t!

  12. Another arrogant leader from Paul67.

     

     

    Personally I would rather read iabout any progress i, if there’s any, in recruiting and appointing a new CEO and head of recruitment.

     

     

    Also are there any players in academy worth stepping up to the first team squad.

     

    No I didn’t think so.

  13. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    LEFTCLICKTIC @ 5:00 PM

     

    The shocking late pen at Dingwall against us just popped into my head.

     

     

    Take the MIB out the equation CSC

     

    ————

     

    Indeed.

     

     

    Step forward, Dom Robertson.

     

     

    It’s the culture.

     

     

    Don’t give Celtic the benefit of the doubt.

     

     

    Unsure? Call it against them.

     

     

    Even if it is a ridiculous dive with the nearest Celt a metre away.

     

     

    No downside.

     

     

    Collum awarded a penalty for an incident he had turned his back on (the Broadfoot dive) and nothing came of it.

     

    ⬆️

     

    Benchmark.

  14. i would go with:-

     

     

    Hart

     

    Ralston Vickers Starfelt Taylor

     

    Turnbull Bitton McGregor

     

    Juranovic Abada Johnston

     

     

    Montgomery if Johnston isn’t fit.

     

     

    Abada has pace and is decent with the head so no9 for me

  15. “Dundee United have shut down their base in St Andrews after a Covid scare.

     

     

    The Scottish Premiership club have identified positive lateral flow tests and are now putting all players and staff through PCR testing.

     

     

    The results are expected on Thursday but the club do not believe their top-flight game with Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday is in any doubt at this stage.

     

     

    If a team has 13 players, including a goalkeeper, over the age of 18, they are obliged to fulfil the fixture.”

     

     

    BBC Site

  16. SFTB @ 4.42

     

     

    NS and JF — Not-Jacinda and the Shape-Shifter if you like — are up to their necks in this.

     

     

    The care home scandal first raised its ugly head in Scotland — might be a case that we have the most highly centralised health bureaucracy in the UK and if the centre say’s jump the response is how high? Not good on either side.

     

     

    It might be that we did less testing / less analysis / no testing / no analysis before we sent the patients back into their care communities?

     

     

    It might be that we had a less developed outbreak than the rest of the UK — lockdown timing for us was better given the size and scale of the original outbreak — and we completely blew it by shunting out the hospitalised care home patients as quick as possible without thinking about it?

     

     

    No matter we got it first and we got it worst.

     

     

    And then you have the DNR advice that was put out to scare the elderly fartless and lessen their workload. Huge failure of the health service at the behest / encouragement from their political masters.

     

     

    The DNR advice was still being punted to the old and frail in July / August 2021 in the RI in Glasgow to their eternal shame.

     

     

    Consequently if Not-Jacinda called the shots then she needs to go.

     

     

    She has form after the farrago of the Nike outbreak where both herself and the health establishment were found wanting in the face of routine health matter — an outbreak of a contagious disease in a specific setting.

     

     

    She failed that test so the Care Homes is looking terrible for he.

     

    Just not up to the job — one of many failures that she cannot see / will not accept.

  17. Guys,

     

     

    We have an extremely important game tonight.

     

    How many will make the effort to actually watch it ? Legitimate PPV will cost £15, but many more will source it via alternative means. Hats off to those who will make the effort and spend the dosh to actually attend.

     

     

    However, I do not detect the enthusiasm that even a ” ďead rubber” European game gives.

     

     

    I’m sorry, I just don’t don’t buy the league is everything mantra. Actual footfall tells us differently.

     

     

    HH and COYBIG.

     

     

    Ps : Clubs downsizing stadia is a trend that will continue as authoritian travel for the masses will accelerate. But that is a topic for another day.

  18. I think we are heading for games behind closed doors. Or maybe low attendances because the numbers will mean millions having to self isolate.

     

     

    BBC shorties reporting there was quite dramatic.

  19. lets all do the huddle on

    I think we are heading for games behind closed doors. Or maybe low attendances because the numbers will mean millions having to self isolate.

     

     

     

    might have a chance of an away ticket then!

  20. lets all do the huddle on

    How many will make the effort to actually watch it ? Legitimate PPV will cost £15, but many more will source it via alternative means. Hats off to those who will make the effort and spend the dosh to actually attend.

     

     

     

    are you suggesting some fans may use illegitimate means to source the game??

     

     

    im shunned and stocked at such a revelation 😄

     

     

    and i would have loved to have been at the game tonight. i waited until after 3.30 for a phone call from a couple of folk i had asked to try get me a ticket but didnt happen

     

     

    so went to the pub instead!

  21. Another departure from the club.

     

     

    Oliver Morgan head of sports science has left to join Leicester City.

     

     

    That’s another job for Ange to do along with his managing and scouting role.

  22. Paul

     

     

    Great blog. You’ve told it like it is. Celtic have to operate in the face of widespread adversity, not from every club (and that’s important to keep in mind) but certainly from a majority of them, many of whom despise the fact that we exist. Hibs have previous over Hampden ticket allocations. They made a song and dance about it and the media got on board. Now they have to eat humble pie.

     

     

    You are quite right to stick up for us. We are not normally good at blowing our own trumpet.

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