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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Ha Ha Ha. Magic stuff ghuys.
Just read back this afternoon’s blog. It gave me a real good laugh.
The politicians bit, brilliant. I really don’t like or trust any politician. It’s a sham, it’s all about keeping the 99% in their place to keep the 1% super wealthy.
Democracy where, seriously where. You’ve just been voted out by the electorate, no worries folks we will put you in the house of Lords. The plebs will have to call you Lord this or that, it’s better than a Sir don’t you know. UK because of the House of Lords, which is nearly 1,000 strong is the second most undemocratic country in the world, after China.
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 6:25 PM
There are arrangements in place for what is to happen if a Catholic PM has to deal with Church of England business. Basically someone else deals with it.
It was all set out in an answer to a Parliamentary Question by Roseanna Cunningham.
What I find it fascinating about this is that so many people are so vociferous in defending something which is, as a matter of fact, wrong.
There’s nowt so queer as folk.
VFR800.
I hear what you say, however with the greatest respect I doubt anybody would elect a leader who wouldn’t be able to become PM. Homework and due diligence would have been carried out, because as we all know a week is a long time in politics.
Anyway I think MT was more of an outsider than IDS at the point of their leadership appointment.
Anyway looking forward to watching another EPL team crash out of Europe. Hopefully.
HH.
ernie lynch on 16th March 2017 6:53 pm
Do you have a reference for that (apart from Hansard)?
KTF
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 6:25 PM
‘ERNIE LYNCH, as you are aware much of the British Constitution is unwritten.’
##
I think you mean it’s not codified.
Unless you’re suggesting that it’s based on abstract art and interpretative dance.
In the US you have the Bill of rights.
In Scotland you have the rights of Bill
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 6:58 PM
Not to hand, no.
But if you wish to pursue the matter I’m sure Roseanna Cunninghm can point you in the right direction.
roseanna.cunningham.msp@parliament.scot
It was I who mentioned catholic Prime Minister, sorry :(
And Ernie, if you are relying on Standard Note SN/PC/04403 (Prime Minister involvement in ecclesiastical appointments) which I think you are referring to, this is a “could be” not a process to deal with this:
“The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 provided, among other things, that Catholics could sit and vote in either House of Parliament provided that they took, instead of the oaths of supremacy, allegiance and abjuration, a new inoffensively phrased oath of allegiance. While there is no longer any statutory bar on Roman Catholics becoming Prime Minister, there are issues arising from advice on ecclesiastical preferment that is given by the Prime Minister to the Crown. Special arrangements would have to be made to ensure that he or she did not advise the Crown directly or indirectly on Church of England appointments, doing so under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 remains a “high misdemeanour”. This particular aspect of Prime Ministerial duties could be delegated to another minister not similarly barred.
KTF
ernie lynch on 16th March 2017 7:02 pm
No Ernie, I mean unwritten; having studied Constitutional Law the discussion was very often around the unwritten constitution; I don’t ever recall anyone refer to it as not codified.
The only interpretive dance here is the one you are engaged in trying to win the debate. :>)
KTF
GREENPINATA @ 6:22 PM,
I’m not sure the election of IDS as Leader of The Conservatives proves anything in this regard.
In fact one could argue the opposite…
He was a long shot to win, the only reason he eventually did, was due to the fact he was up against Unpopular (within his own Party) Tory Wet, Europhile Ken Clark.*
He was immediately plotted against, the Tories unearthing a scandal against him (When do They do This to Their “own”).
He was replaced by Micheal “something of the night” Howard… Because… He was unelectable.
Interesting during that time, when PM Blair was regularly going to Mass, another office of State that was said to be closed to Roman Catholics i.e. The Speaker of the House, was filled by Roman Catholic Micheal Martin.
With an incumdent PM known to be ready to Convert to Roman Catholicism and The Leader of The opposition a Roman Catholic, was Micheal Martin’s election a tester to see the appetite for a RC, PM in the HP?
If so it was a disaster, aul “Gorbal’s Mick” came under sustained sectarian abuse from the off.
If you want to see how oor ilk are treated in Senior Office of State in Britain, look no Further than the way Baron Martin was treated.
*They weren’t going to make the same mistake with Liam Fox.
Hail Hail
tonydonnelly67 on 16th March 2017 7:05 pm
It was I who mentioned catholic Prime Minister, sorry :(
————————————————————
Aye, it’s aw your fault; you should be doon the Brazen causing havoc there! Heating allowance all spent? :>)
KTF
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 7:06 PM
So why has someone gone to the trouble of devising a policy to deal with a situation that you claim is constitutionally impossible?
Im with VFR on this
HH
The picture of a Roman Catholic PM advising Lizzie aboot her Protestant bishops is a funny one for sure.
Did you know the Saxe Goethe Coburgs playboys stuck on the English throne by the world banking founders cannae enter “The City” in their ceremonial garb? Why is that, I wonder?
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 7:08 PM
It’s not for me to question your education.
But the correct term is codified.
VFR800 @ 6:43 PM,
Good points, Well made… Totally agree.
Hail Hail
TD 67.
Tony I’m glad you did its gave me a laugh.
It’s all a sham.
Royal family, seriously by a right of birth you enjoy a privileged life and if you protect them you become a Lord.
Look at that Mandelson, kicked out of parliament twice or was it thrice? Then Gordon Brown says it’s alright Peter, I will make you a Lord and you can become a part of my cabinet. It’s great you don’t need to bother with the electorate, they are on opens. We have to protect the 1%.It’s all a sham.
Hail Hail
Sorry, I don’t know where they are on opens came from, well I do, me not checking before I submitted. It should read they are all plebs.
ERNIE LYNCH on 16TH MARCH 2017 5:16 PM
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:51 PM
Hang on. It is a matter of fact, not opinion, that there is no prohibition on a Catholic (a proper one, none of that CofE bollocks) being Prime Minister.
*your correct, it’s like the huns no signing casey afflecks, they just couldnae find one good enough. Strange though that Tony Blair who holidayed in Ballyshannon as a wean and attended Holy Mass with his spouse and own weans didnae convert until out of office.
ALL PM’s have been ken dodds even Jewish born Disraeli who’s da had the whole family christened when the future PM was 13. Let’s not forget that although there had been Jewish MPs until 1858 MPs were required to take the oath of allegiance “on the true faith of a Christian”, necessitating at least nominal conversion.
That’s all I need H.T will be asking his class to correct my work again :-))
Ernie Lynch
You are hairsplitting again.
Come on now…what is the purpose of the act of succession?
HH
VFR
I’ll be in The Brazen tomorrow causing it, that’s for sure, Paddys Day, getting mad wi it :))
Sin City Bhoy,
are you still in Vegas,
heading there later in the year and would like your advice
on a few things
Theresa May is the same type of Catholic as the residents of Buck House….the Henry VIII Branch.
High English, we used to call them.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 7:22 PM
The argument is about whether the British Constitution prohibits a Catholic from being Prime Minister.
And the fact is that it doesn’t.
Not only is there no such prohibition, but there are arrangements in place for what is to happen regarding C of E matters should it occur.
So, on the one hand we have the facts.
And on the other hand we have people who simply refuse to accept the facts.
Ernie Lynch
No…Thats not the argument i was making.
I was referring to monarchy, the crown in Scotland and the protestant succession.
And anyway….i think the consensus is, that you are wrong:)
It may not be explicit…but its a reality.
HH
Ernie Lynch
Again….There is no ‘British Constitution’ as VFR has also pointed out.
It doesnt exist.
HH
Ernie
There was no ‘Britain’ in 1701
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 7:34 PM
Ernie Lynch
‘Again….There is no ‘British Constitution’ as VFR has also pointed out.
It doesnt exist.’
###
So why was he studying it then?
Mark McGhee rumour as Pedro’s assistant…….pleezzee
Ernie Lynch
Ask VFR.
Thats not my speciality.
All i know is, that there is no concrete constitutional document that you could call a ‘Constitution’, its conceptual.
I described it earlier as a ‘figment of the political imagination’
HH
ernie lynch on 16th March 2017 7:10 pm
Ernie, can you show me a source for that?
I studied constitutional law because even though many parts of the constitution is not
codifiedwritten, some parts are and the constitution still exists. Think along the same lines as common law, custom and practice etc.; it’s one part of what is unique about our democracy.KTF
tonydonnelly67 on 16th March 2017 7:25 pm
Well enjoy it ya auld bugger!
KTF
It is very convenient for our snake oil salesmen and women not to have a written constitution.
Quonno
Well put:)
Precisely
HH
We seem to have some quaint ideas about politics in general.
The very idea that politicians can be representative of their constituents in any meaningful sense, is a straight-up con.
Quonno
Isnt it just.
If it is not written into law
There is no such law.
So how can a law be broken?
Rfc (il) perfected.it into self harm
Its how the union works.
HH