I remember one of the Q&A evenings in Blantyre when it was suggested from the floor that Celtic pay whatever money necessary to retain John Park as chief scout. John out-performed his peers for several years, but, as you know, there are no gurus in football. A fallow period followed the recruitment of Mikael Lustig in January 2012; many players arrived in the years since then but few were able to enhance the team (with the odd outstanding exception).
Football scouting at this level isn’t really about being able to spot a player, it is as much about contacts. Your network keeps you. With many of these guys, their networks diminish over time. They fall out with each other regularly – trust is a precious commodity in football transfer negociations. Your value as a scout to an agent is largely dependent on your club. Since 2012 Celtic’s financial position relative to the English leagues has diminished. We will spend less than they will on any given player, and we will buy fewer players.
Perhaps for these reasons Brendan Rodgers decided a change was needed and has now secured his former colleague at Chelsea, Lee Congerton. Congerton has had recent spells at two highly dysfunctional clubs: Hamburg and Sunderland, but rejected a pretty spectacular offer to join Brendan’s revolution at Celtic. We have recruited a known quantity who will fit with the manager’s plans as closely as Chris Davies does. He will also bring a fresh batch of scouts and agents to the table. I hear they are working on plans for the summer already.
Amid the gloating at the hubris of English football amid another humbling in Europe last night, my Dad made the point that unlike Arsenal, or Manchester United, Manchester City didn’t try to cheat us by scamming a penalty in our Champions League encounters. They played with a straight bat.
We have also established a beneficial relationship with them. A year with Jason Denayer, the purchase of Dedryck Boyata and 18 months with Patrick Roberts. So far.
Roberts’ situation at his parent club should be easier to fathom after City’s exit. 10 points adrift in the Premier League and the only team to be eliminated from the Champions League last 16 by a lesser- moneyed side, what chance Pep Guardiola decides what his team needs for next season is a player City shipped out to Celtic in January 2016?
It is not going to happen. Patrick is caught in an impossible situation in Manchester. The Manchester City football model harvests innumerable players, but precious few young English players will make it onto the roster in any decade. None will do so in a season when there is a perceived need for them to up their game. Pep will spend big this summer, Roberts’ opportunity to breakthrough in Manchester next season have diminished.
My first reaction at full time last night? Our chances of getting to keep Patrick increased. Which would be a very good thing, for both club and player.
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TGM
Arguing about politics is like arguing about something that is fixed and can never be changed.
Anarchy is the only way.
End hunger. Eat the rich.
SINCITYBHOY
How’s things in Vegas ? Cold & wet here in South Ayrshire but off to Lanzarote on Monday so heading for warmer climes ! HH !
Sin City Bhoy,
funny,he manages that trick in Clydebank too
DD
Yes indeed.
Roll out the guillotine:)
HH
PARK ROAD 67-
Roasting here. Summer arrived early :-))
SCB
Did the vodka disappear faster? ;)
TGM
They should go by the guillotine. More humane than what Saint John Ogilvie suffered at Glasgow Cross.
THETIMREAPER,
Thanks, but those numbers and annual payments don’t quite add up then.
According to Mark Daly he made more than a dozen payments including one of £1m to his £6.3m total.
The annual invoices, which were always the same figure and I’m presuming nine as there can’t be any more just won’t give that figure or fit that pattern, which leads me to think they are separate. I am speculating so am happy to be corrected
DD
Major Thomas Weir (The Bowhead Saint) fundamentalist Covenanter 1660s….Satan worshipper and warlock.
And they had the cheek to burn St John Ogilvie.
HH
Just read Jim Stewart has been given the bullet from the Sevco back room staff….
I doubt Pedro didn’t realise ‘Big Jim’ was a ‘player’ in the Mother Lodge (No. 0 ) Kilwinning.
Hope Pedro kept his old rosary beads :) :) .
CCB
At Love Street 1986, big Jim Stewart was my favourite goale.
The time was five past Stewart and Celtic were Champions. Thanks to Albert Kidd too. :)
O.G.RAFFERTY on 16TH MARCH 2017 11:09 PM
To be honest I don’t know what the total figure was, I’m just going by what i read somewhere. I suspect Murray will want to quietly settle his tax bill with HMRC and hope there is no desire to prosecute a Knight of the Realm.
ERNIE LYNCH on 16TH MARCH 2017 10:39 PM
That’s why you don’t win the debate Ernie; unwilling to present a cogent argument or answer a straight question.
You are the weakest link; goodbye!
KTF
Has BRTH offered his thoughts on how he sees the SC verdict going .
OG- i hope Minty is the No 1 target…
Somebody mentioned politics for the 1% earlier and it got me thinking….
Sobering fact of the day.
The 8 wealthiest men in the world have as much financial wealth as the poorest half of the worlds population ( 3.6 billion people) .
Full list of EBT Recipients
EBT assigned to RFC and sub trust number – Excludes MIH
x denotes previously unknown
Alan Hutton 99
Alex McLeish 29
Alex Rae 79
Andre Kanchelskis 34
Andrew Dickson 53
Andy Watson 45 x
Arthur Numann 15
Barry Ferguson 6
Bert Konterman 51
Bert Van Lingen 30
Billy Dodds 44
Bob Malcolm 93
Bob Reilly 10
Brahim Hemdani 87 x
Campbell Ogilvie 26
Carlos Cuellar 109
Chris Burke 94
Christian Nerlinger 5
Claudio Canniggia 11
Craig Moore 12
Dado Prso 73
Dan Eggan 47
Daniel Cousin 108 x
David Jolliffe 80 x
Dick Advocaat 43
Douglas Odam 25
Dragan Mladenovic 76 x
Egil Ostenstad 62
Emerson Costa 58 x
Federico Nieto 100
Fernando Ricksen 83
Gavin Rae 65
George Adams 89
Graeme Souness 2
Gregory Vignal 81
Ian McGuinness 71
Ian Murray 90
Jan Wouters 52
Jean Alain Boumsong 63
Jerome Bonnissel 48
Jesper Christiansen 64
Joel Le Hir 107
John Greig 40
John McClelland 46
Jose KarlPierre Fan Fan 88 x
Julien Rodrigues 92
Kevin Muscat 36
Kris Boyd 102
Libar Sionko 105
Lorenzo Amoruso 16
Martin Bain 8
Marvin Andrews 75
Maurice Ross 86
Michael Arteta 38
Michael Ball 7
Michael Mols 56
Nacho Novo 72
Neil McCann 13
Nick Peel 9 x
Nuno Capucho 59
Olivier Bernard 96
Paolo Vanoli 61
Paul LeGuen 103
Pedro Mendes 110
Peter Lovenkrands 57
Ronald De Boer 35
Ronald Waterreus 91
Russell Latapy 17 x
Sasa Papac 112
Shota Averladze 14 x
Sitirios Kyriakos 82
Stefan Klos 28
Stephane Wiertelak 106
Steven Davis 111
Steven Smith 101
Steven Thomson 50
Tero Pentilla 33
Thomas Buffel 84
Tommy McLean 69 x
Tore Andre Flo 37
Walter Smith 4 x
Yves Colleau 104
Zurab Kizanishvili 60
MAnH
Would love to know the full list of EBT recipiants. Referees on it would be nuclear.
DD- and managers in same league we are in….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMwRU0qqHY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWVLXxrttHo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaS3vaNUYgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD4LHMHGpMo
Some Irish songs for Paddys day
Hail Glorious Saint Patrick.
Dear Saint of our Isle.
Dbhoy
Fake news ( according to some wealthy men)
Lets have another war,that’ll take your mind off nonsense like a fair distribution of wealth
You proles have been trying that since 1789 and look where its got ye
Long Live The KIng
WITS
We`ll have none of yer new fangled choons .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMc6mKbEr7M
Happy Paddy`s Day.
Pass the Cabbage and corned beef.
Always keep a Pike in The Thatch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfANJ2IIIps
WITS
I’ll chuck this one in for St Patrick
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Oi7CdBc78
Great version of Foggy Dew BTW
DD
My mum used to be the organist in San Pablo , Whiteinch.
Used to belt this out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCCwsd3KrTM
A hard ” C ” Celtic song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28Cr85yRJc&list=PL1D1E6F16CC6D16A4
Up the Dubs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nenWwi-4oOY
Affoot , lads.
Glory O Glory to the brave men who died for the cause of the down trodden man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXvt25IsIZ0&list=PL1A95936667E09B17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q19KN5UV3bM
A hungry feelin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa7birRBmNM
My favourite version of any Irish song.Ever.
Maggie
You romantic old fool
Macjay
Hail Glorious Saint Patrick.
On Erin’s green valleys look down in thy love.
What is the Stars on 17th March 2017 1:22 am
Old?
WHAT IS THE STARS on 17TH MARCH 2017 12:39 AM
Dbhoy
Fake news ( according to some wealthy men)
Lets have another war,that’ll take your mind off nonsense like a fair distribution of wealth
You proles have been trying that since 1789 and look where its got ye
Long Live The KIng
___________________
WITS
On fair wealth distribution…
Studies have shown that greater equality in wealth has benefits for the whole of society in terms of health, education , crime rates and a plethora of other measures.
Which stands true when you look at Scandinavian countries and Japan which have much greater income equality than say Us, Uk and others.
The spirit level by Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett is a great read which argues that financial inequality is the single biggest factor in the majority of the ills in our modern societies
Dbhoy on 17th March 2017 1:25 am
Japan is an incredible country.
Socialism built on capitalism. As long as your Japanese.