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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Court adjourned, decision in due course.
Geordie
I can understand that pre-liquidation but I am talking of the day after liquidation became a fact. The media accepted that that was the end but about a week later, they ignored that fact and pretended `Rangers` still existed. Did they just ignore reality or did they invent the Club/Company scenario?
JJ
Geordie Munro on 16th March 2017 2:27 pm
Sheik,
Tommy McLean was a director of youth development at ibrox in 2001.
HH
———————————————————————————–
That’s weird. You wouldn’t expect a Director of Yotuh Development to be on such an exorbitant wage as to require an EBT, would you?
Or was tax avoidance just so culturally ingrained in the corporate culture at Ibrox by 2001 that it just seemed the normal thing to do??
Court adjourned
As well as LG,I would give Izzy,Eboue,Joze,a run out on Sunday.Our two most important games looming in the next couple of months.A bit of rest and rotation could work wonders.Also good cover if anyone injured in the run up.A big pool,I hope BR starts using it.
Thank God my Cheltenham week has come to an end.Mrs TB looking at me in a funny way.As you would someone who is”Not right”.
Stick to the football till next year.
Bada,
Yup.
Davidpolous,
Latter.
HH
Does `adjourned` in legal terms have a different meaning from that in literary terms? ie has the `trial` ended and we await judgement or are they having a break of sorts?
JJ
JJ,
Not entirely sure neebs. I’m still maintaining that intimidation (from more than fans) played it’s part.
HH
ROY CROPPIE on 16th March 2017 1:51 pm
Fantastic post! I remember those old house party’s well. I was one of 12 and at the younger end of the family so the “mystical” sing-songs were always captivating.
My dear old dad used to make home brew which often left gown men horizontal; we generally ended up with the dregs of that – with a true sediment in the bottom!
As for the local Priests, fire and brimstone was usually the order of the day when I went through my Sacraments in the late 60’s!
Happy days though!
KTF
Can anyone name a member of “The Holding Company”.Was it Wavetower?.As far as I read a while ago,they were still on the go.
A bit ignorant on this.Have Celtic got a holding company?.
Turkeybhoy
Im on a run of second places ,Top Notch second today I wouldn’t let Darryl Jacob ride a rocking horse , two winners all week 3 seconds, the two seconds yesterday cost me a 3x with singles, good racing but very hard to get the winners, each way you start looking for prices, two to come and no chasing from me.
Big Virgil!!! What a guy.
Takes a wee break from footy… gets into politics…and leads his party to takes most seats in Dutch election.
Some man. :)
HH
Surely no one is expecting a result at the SC . WONT HAPPEN . back to the football , I thought dembele was terrible on Sunday , for gods sake he was up against a guy nearing 40 . Any scouts there to watch him will have left with second thoughts . Also really disappointed the way we were bullied , I know madhun was a scandal , but we should at least have left some of them needing a fitness test . Brendan says he has some work to do , I agree with that . We must have some steel in the team to protect our little guys , who on sunday found things to rough for them .
JJ
The lord said they would them know of they’r findings soon, and off they popped for a swally.
HOT SMOKED on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:40 PM
The hearing of legal arguments has finished. The judges now go away and come to a decision which will probably take some months.
Court adjourned means thats it until a later date.To be set.
JIMTIM on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:44 PM
‘Surely no one is expecting a result at the SC . WONT HAPPEN .’
##
I’d be very surprised if HMRC don’t win.
Jimtim
Previous games mixing it with them doesent work out well for us, Sun. Was proof that they can get away with it, us? We wouldent, we have to stick to what we are good at to counteract they’r thug Hun style of play, on any given day on a level playing field we would cuff them that we all know, so to come down and play thems at they’r level would not bode well for us as there would only be one winner, Sun. Wasent one of our better games, but we WILL have better ones to come, nice to get that wake up call before the semi, IMO.
DESSYBHOY on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:44 PM
To be honest,I used to be a punter,but have lost track for ages.Been at Cheltenham 4 times,so love the place.Hence the reason i had a punt.50 quid.No more.
In the early 80s on leave from Saudi,I won 2,800 quid,a lot of money then.Dawn Run and Burrogh Hill Lad double ante post.Great memories of Cheltenham.Love it.
Only when the verdict comes in will any outside media be interested.
https://www.channel4.com/news/by/alex-thomson/blogs/rangers-cheated-football-fraudulent-silverware
If HMRC do win does that make it 2-2 but HMRC win on away goals?
Asking for BFDJ…
ERNIE LYNCH
I’m no court of law on tax issues specialist but , from what I watched the last two days, I’d be astonished if HMRC didn’t win they’r case, just a feeling on the body language and behaviour of both sides?
DAVIDOPOULOS on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:54 PM
If HMRC do win does that make it 2-2 but HMRC win on away goals?
Asking for BFDJ…
Doesn’t matter a shit.
Knuckle crunchers and goat abusers will already have plans in place to see that THEY come out of it as rose smelling victims.
quonno
Oh yeah, that’s right. They can celebrate a draw…
ERNIE LYNCH on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:50 PM
JIMTIM on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:44 PM
‘Surely no one is expecting a result at the SC . WONT HAPPEN .’
##
I’d be very surprised if HMRC don’t win.
How often have you watched a verdict unfold and think How the F could that happen.
Our club are marketing,that when the kids are on there Easter Holidays,that they do the Stadium tour, that’s fine, except,there are no decent Facility’s,same at the superstore, Celtic want you spend on there merchandise,but that’s that,things like these needed to be addressed,they say they are worldwide club ,we’ll start acting like one for the ordinary fans,not the corporate ones ,oh i forgot ,Big Peter needs another extension on his home,payed for with our money, certainly not his,
Afternoon Celts
Come on now bhoys, it doesnt matter what the law says.
It was a scottish football conspiracy against Rainjurz:)
HH
TD67 & ernie lynch
Thank you both.
JJ
DAVIDOPOULOS on 16TH MARCH 2017 2:59 PM
quonno
Oh yeah, that’s right. They can celebrate a draw…
We have already been well told that this whole affair has nothing at all to do with New Rangurs.
OG
That account fro Alex Thomson is fine until the last paragraph, however the same club myth is only his viewpoin,t dont know how he cannot grasp liquidation meaning the end but there you go.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 3:02 PM
Afternoon Celts
Come on now bhoys, it doesnt matter what the law says.
It was a scottish football conspiracy against Rainjurz:)
HH
And even if he has to stump up SDM will proclaim the whole process to be a waste of taxpayer’s, of which he is sometimes one, money.
TURKEYBHOY
I didn’t see anything here about a holding company, but I just browsed through it mate.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_F.C.#Private_company
Quonno
One thing is for certain with the huns…..other people’s money.
The whole scenario is a farce.
They are run by a convicted tax cheat who thinks he is invisible, and so far, he has been:)
The law doesnt apply to sevco.
Its so blatant, that its beyond belief….but normal for John Knoxville.
Its kind of like…’Let us cheat, or else’
HH
Wee celebration there for a winner, at last.
Obviously would’ve preferred a dead-heat to really get the party started!
When the Rangers Tax Case blog first started I told them that the cabal would see to it that Hector would lose, they barred me for my troubles.
I still hold by that statement today, the tentacles of the cabal reach far and wide, sadly.
This is not just about a few football clubs.
I wonder if the ITV racing team realised that when they introduced thermal imagining of the horses being cared for post -race by stable staff, thongs might not appear as they had expected!
TET
Id agree with that.
Some people think its the SNP that runs Scotland.
I beg to differ.
Secret handshakes will govern the outcome.
HH
I watched some of the proceedings today, i was in and out of the live stream so didn’t see it all. It seemed Lord Carnwath had little time for the proceedings and he was quite short at times with the QC’s on both sides. Thornhill (BDO) was referring back to the First Tier Tribunal quite often, I’m sure i read somewhere that HMRC changed their legal argument after that case or when they appealed it to the Court of Session. The Lords at the CoS ruled unanimously, 3-0 in favour of HMRC. Hopefully that’s an indication their case is solid.