I was at the Celtic FC Foundation Dinner last week and guest Charlie Mulgrew was asked about the best he had played with at Celtic. He mentioned Virgil van Djik and Victor Wanyama as greats but told us the best was Scott Brown. “Even when we were playing fives or sevens, his team almost always won.” When you hear comments like this, you pay attention.
Scott retired yesterday after winning 23 major trophies, a joint record in British football held with Billy McNeill, 22 of Scott’s won at Celtic, his first at Hibernian. He was adored by his managers as much for his attitude as his ability. Leading by example, there would be no hiding in a Celtic shirt with Scott on the field, no unnecessary lingering on the treatment table. As captain since 2010, he was the first line of enforcement of rules and standards.
This season was spent as player and assistant to Stephen Glass at Aberdeen, a venture that did not work out, although a goal at Ibrox, a venue he previously endured abuse and assault at, could yet prove to be a vital contribution in the title race. He left a day after his former mentor, Neil Lennon, accepted a managerial job in Cyprus. Hmmm.
In person, he could not have been more different than the bulldog he resembled on the pitch; he is intelligent and relaxed. You know the stats, there is no correlation between playing and managing ability, so let’s not burden Scott with any expectations. Hope to see him back soon at Celtic Park.
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FrankTerry,
Why should I read it? what will it tell me I won’t find in any British tabloid?
Who is she, who funds her, and where does she get her information?
Is the information she uses subjective or objective? I suspect the later therefore its likely the sources of the information have an axe to grind. Was it published before or after the highly likely Skripol’s and Navalny.
As I said people have been conditioned over a long time to hate Putin and this book you recommend is only one tool in a well honed strategy to vilify a leader on the regime change list.
While you think of him as an utter scumbag I do not consider him any more of a scumbag than any NATO country leader or Zalensky who was voted in on the peace platform to then renage on his promises to the electorate. They are all utter scumbags as far as I’m concerned its just this one has had the target on his back for what? 10-15 years and you can’t tell me advertising/propaganda does not work when one utter scumbag is worse then the rest.
Our government are still selling and training Saudi butchers for Yemen their leader chopped up a reporter, but thats ok, he’s out of the limelight and less of an utter scumbag than Putin, seriously guy a bit pof perpective is needed, I understand the conditioning over the Covid lockdowns has been intense but you really need to wake up and smell the coffee. They knew exactly what they were doing when they backed Putin into a corner, they done it before with the exact same results, did they expect something different this time, is that madness?
Bognorbhoy,
Great photographs from the Foundation dinner and a big well done and thanks to all concerned.
Personally I would be more at home in the Shipbank. Hint hint David 66 and Big Jimmy,
HH to all concerned.
PS : About 4 weeks time sounds Brill, pesky work takes me away on Monday for 3 weeks.
Canman
Putin backed himself into the corner….the west has ignored & pretty much given him carte blanche to do what he wanted…till now
Orchistrated? Who knows byt unless he’s given a face saving out….this won’t end well….i feel
H.H.
The problem that those who would seek to blame NATO for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine quickly encounter is his previous record of starting wars with his neighbours and military interventions abroad.
Was NATO to blame for Georgia ? Was NATO to blame for Syria ? Was NATO to blame for the Central African Republic ? Was NATO to blame for Kazakhstan ? Chechnya ? Belarus is governed from the Kremlin and is an independent Nation in name only. Who’s to blame for that ? NATO ? Aye. Ok.
GP are you organizing a mini-hoot 4 weeks from noo…cause that’s what it looks like ;-))
H.H.
Bognorbhoy,
“a thing that is known or proved to be true”
Unfortunately that is a flawed definition,
Knowledge is evolutionary, truth is relative and proof is subjective.
All i am saying is, believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.
The truth will out eventually as it always has, if/when the evidence of war crimes are uncovered and demonstrated I will condemn the guilty perpetrators. 20 years in Afhganistan for a crime they did not commit. And the UN backed it, whats going on there eh?
Propaganda does what it says on the tin!
Running out of pinches of salt.
When propaganda bites you in the arse
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 10TH MARCH 2022 9:34 AM
I don’t think there’s much essential difference between Putin/Trump/Johnson – they’re all essentially sociopaths it’s just one of them (Putin) doesn’t have to worry about getting voted out.
There is a reason why Ukraine (and other eastern European countries) want to be part of NATO and you’re seeing it played out as we speak. Now it may be ultimately better for everyone if Ukraine accepts neutrality and promises never to be part of NATO if it results in the Russians withdrawing but that’s still essentially making them a pawn. Westplaining was a term I heard for the first time yesterday – where people in the West make decisions for eastern Europeans as if they have no agency of their own. If you put it a to a vote and asked the Ukranians if they wanted to be part of NATO, neutral or aligned with Russia how do you think they would vote? And if your answer is anything other than wanting to be part of NATO then you are seriously misguided.
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION
That’s open to debate ..😜
And I know you love an informative debate , 😁 wherever you end up next , take care .
I hope you don’t get to overworked and contribute a bit more to the blog .👍👍
Up the Hoops
Despite trying to get some reaction to the Celtic B game to no avail yesterday, I enjoyed the quality of play and goals from it. Clip on Twitter.
Dembele and Mikey Johnston both looked sharp and both scored great goals. With Jamesey hitting a bit of form again and a wee bit of competition for Jota, that can only be good for us in the period ahead.
Would love an update on the mercurial Kyogo. What a boost that would be in the weeks ahead. In his centre forward slot at Ibro earlier this season he scared the sh*t out of them. Would love to see him playing there but might be too soon.
HH
Is NATO an anachronism post the fall of the Warsaw pact or is it required to match Russia in Europe? The expansion was almost by stealth to most people. I didn’t know (or most likely forgot) until recently that Lithuania were in.
Will be very interesting to see what China now do with Taiwan, South China sea islands etc after the West stayed out of Ukraine physically
Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.
An Dun
You go through a lot of names there,
It does not look to me like you will accept any alternative discussion on any of those.
However, I’ll make a stab and qualify my perspective with the statement that NATO is any country beloning to NATO was a malign actor.
1. Georgia – the USA encouraged Georegia (with fales promises of beconing a NATO member) to annex autonimous regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia actually almost a carbon copy of what is happening in Ukraine.
2. Syria – A UK/US led attempted coup, French foreign minister interviewed on french telly stated that in 2011 the UK approached them to request support for the regime change, the French at the teim refused.
3. Central African Republic – Strange one to suggest there is/was an invasion by russia. The govt asked for Russia’s help because the continued ongoing conflicts, Russia agreed and while there is a lot of “highly likely” drivel about assaults on civilians there is no evidence, something I’ve noted is not required to hang a man any more.
4. Kazakhstan – US funded and resourced an attempted coup that was quickly quelled when the Kazak government requested CTSO assistance, no invasion and no russian remain.
5. Chechnya – Potentially a valid claim by you since the animosity between the sides is historical however you can guarantee when conflict disrupts Russia the US funds are never far away, on the balance of probability and experience of NATO intervention – highly likely :D))))
6. Belarus – Another attempted coup funded and resourced by the US.
What you did not include in your one sided questions, which of those countries Russia were requested by the leadership (recognised by you as legitimate or not) of the country to help. Only one of them Chechnya and according to most of the sources that was the result of Islamic fundamentalists bombing Moscow civilians when Yeltsin was in power though there are theories that Putin organised false flag operations to win the election but then these theories only surfaced after Putin became a marked man for regime change and again zero evidence only “highly likely” hang him.
Obviously I expect most if not all of my summary to be dismissed out of hand and accept the usual aspertion of Putin apologist to be cast, but its offered as alternative versions of what is/was considered the consensus by the western media and its audience.
THELURKINTIM on 10TH MARCH 2022 9:47 AM.
Unfortunately due to the main players feeling unwell last week ( David 66 and Big Jimmy ) the planned sesh was postponed.
I’m hoping they can rearrange it when they have both completely recovered. Circa 4 weeks seems perfect recovery time.
And of course by that time Big Jimmy must surely have been freeded to plan it on CQN himself.
HH.
Big Wavy, we seem to have some talent coming through just now just hope we can see the benefits in the first team, Ange seems to have a good enough/old enough attitude so there is some hope there
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 10TH MARCH 2022 9:59 AM
That is a superb example of the type of `reporting` coming from Ukraine.
Someone mentioned earlier that Mikey Johnston played well in the B game. I have to say that I still hold hopes that Mikey will eventually produce the goods that his talent suggests he can .
Cheers Camusbhoy….
Lot of talent in that team and the B league does seem to be getting them use to the rigours of the blood and snotters domestic game.
I’m hoping to see Lawal progress to the first team and Dane Murray beside him always looked a better prospect than Stephen Welsh at CH to me. Big lad at 6 4in too.
Wrap up the league early and play them before our cup final :)
HH
Does anyone have any idea on how likely we are to have CCV and Jota here next season?
I would love both but see CCV as the more important.
Big Wavy
`Wrap up the league early and play them before our cup final :)`
Now that would be good……and if they do well, play them in the Cup Final :-))
Hot Smoked,
Goal highlights here. Glorious pass from Mikey to Karamoko (and a brillant bit of control) and then a terrific finish from him too for his goal. I like Mikey. Has frustrated of late but there’s a talent in there.
Bums off seats player we have always enjoyed down the years.
https://youtu.be/J_Tw1tf0mOw
HH
Big wavy @10:08
Thank god someone’s talking footie⚽
On Mikey Johnston, the lad is far too injury prone. I take it from what you said he must have played a belter. Now that makes me wonder if it’s a confidence thing with him in the main team. Is he trying too hard because some of his decision making is awful.
Perhaps a extended loan to learn his trade is required and I mean in England, not the agricultural tactics displayed in our leagues.
And the link was well timed👍
BIG WAVY
Cheers for the link. Some control for the second.
Big Wavy
Thanks for that. Only a few minutes I know but Dembele looked very good.
PRESTONPANS BHOY
I think a loan move would be great for Mikey.
Cheerio for now.
I think it is interesting that Johnston has never been loaned before. Several managers wanted him fit and in the squad. A compliment for sure
Injury, confidence, in and out of form. That’s what a winger’s life is like I guess.
His decision-making has been poor lately and injury record too (in a league where our flair players get a wallop and little protection). I thought Mikey would leave for a loan in January and it might still happen in the summer depending on where Jota lands…
All the matters is the period ahead and having effective options (MJ, Dembele, Doak, Moffatt, etc) can only be a good thing.
HH
FrankTerry,
As you know Ukraine is the collection of various ethnic and tribal backgrounds going back thousands of years. Modern history has dictated how those tribes and ethnic collections have grouped themselves depending on which power was in control of their region, I’d expect the division of who would like to be in NATO would be drawn along the lines of where people associate their ancestory. Ukraine was a land mass that was chopped and changed according to the which empire was the strongest, whether you like it or not Ukraine never existed as a state prior to the soviet union. As usual artificial border lines will always be subject to internal dispute when the people do not share a common cultural heritage. I expect if you take the Ukraine as a single entity then yes the majority would want ot be part of Europe and NATO however if you broke that into regions then I expect Ukraine would look much more fractured.
So the big question for me is how would you ask that question of the people, by a single vote of the total polulation or by region, which one would be the fairest?
Currently there is a government in power in the Ukraine that the Donbass region was excluded from voting on by dint of their previous decleration of independence, which was their UN Human Chartered Right to secede from an oppressive power they did not vote for. Their legal basis was that they refused to accept the 2014 Maidan coup of the then democratically elected government. That the coup forces attacked the dissenters for their support for democracy and have since, been perpetrating a war against the pro democracy regions is pretty much all the evidence I need that they were within their rights to secede on the UN Human Rights Charter.
That’s the way I look at it without being bound by characters and bogeymen. If that makes me a Putin apologist then so be it, cancel culture has become a risk of free speech I’m willing to accept.
new article posted.
I’m begining to think Mikey Johnston has been considered the bhoy with all the talent too long, which may have affected his mindset that he is still a boy. He is a man and needs to be a man on the park, too easily pushed off the ball, I thought the last time I watched him that he had bulked up and might start holding his own but was not to be. There is masses of talent there but if he can’t hold off players he will not progress. And seriously I think thats all thats lacking, if he got that I’d expect to see him grow in confidence and that would lead to the sky’s the limit.
I think he needs to be loaned out to toughen up, I’d hope he come back like Callum did and I think he could.
So the Russian response to the Maternity hospital bombing was that the hospital had been emptied of patients and was being used as headquarters of the Azov and national guard.
Two sides to every story.
The Russian’s state they provided evidence of this to the UN before they targeted it. Obviously the UN will be able to corroberate or deny the evidence was provided and reliable.
What you believe is up to you. I’ll wait for the UN statement.
17 injured no confirmed fatalities? Had there been confirmed fatalities I expect they would have been plastered all over western media before now.
No debating with a Russian \ Putin apologist.
A couple of games away,but I would like to see us going 4 – 1-3-2 at Ibrox.Biton the anchor,Calmac,Rogic,Hatate,backing Jota,Gio.JJ giving us the width on the right.They need the win,we don’t,but that team very capable. As long as we don’t lose.
Well,we have 700 Refugees from Ukraine here in KusadasiHotels boarding them,so off now to pick up and deliver supplies to them.Not just me,around 50 ex pats.So many kids.They need lots of Kid stuff,bless them.I will probably get the Nappy run.
Bugger !!!!!.