HMRC’s case against St Mirren, raised because they allegedly failed to pay Kieran Doran the National Minimum Wage, has brought the professionalism of our professional game under analysis. Doran’s first contract as a 16-year-old was for £1 a week, which was apparently never paid. The player subsequently wanted to give up the game for a trade (to study medicine) but St Mirren refused to release him from his contract.
By any reasonable measure this is amateur football. There’s nothing wrong with amateur football, in fact it has great potential, but NOT paying someone £1 a week cannot be described in any other way. St Mirren will not be alone.
I made no comment last month on Newco’s reluctance to pay holiday pay as I thought this was something of an open secret. Holiday pay as been a legal right in the UK since 1871, but at the periphery of our game some clubs just don’t pay it. I’ve spoken to an SPL chairman who openly admitted to the ‘ruse’ (not Celtic, before you ask).
Newco are far from alone on this matter, indeed, I would be amazed if top flight clubs were not guilty. The keenness to contract players from July to May is substantial, I reckon lowering some clubs payroll by 8%, while leaving no time in the calendar for players to take paid holidays.
We should stop pretending there are two distinct groups of clubs in Scotland: the amateurs and semi-pros of the ‘non-leagues’, and the 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs. St Mirren are one of the biggest and best community clubs we have, they have enormous potential to thrive as such, but I seriously doubt their credentials as an economically viable professional club.
More than 30 other Professional League clubs would also be better served trading with a Community League mentality. Developing the potential of local kids and engaging with their community, without the burden of trying to compete in a worldwide talent pool.
The majority of Scottish football clubs were founded in the 19th Century. It seems like no one has subsequently asked: what is our purpose, why are we here, what will our future look like? Without considerable change, the best future 30 clubs can hope for a decade from now will be suffocating indifference, at worst there will be lots of all-seated follies wasting away.
Reminder for tomorrow:
There are new season tickets issued, if your old ticket is still in your wallet, swap it out or you’ll not get in to see the Mighty Celtic tomorrow evening. If you don’t have your new ticket, better get along early to sort it out.
692 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- »
ACGR
How do ?
BGX / Turkeybhoy, is there a link to Miss Black’s speech you can post.
Mhairi black
Never heard about her until her video in parliament was shared by few people from Derry on Facebook
Great speech and 100% spot on.
Paul Murphy Dublin TD was another video I watched.. He is firmly behind The anti water metre people..another excellent speaker.
Sky………………good pal, hope you are too. Got a new seat to look forward to tomorrow (today). I hope the wankers that seem to always sit behind me and haunt me have stayed where they were last season.
Maybe see you at the game and organise some pre season / season dramming.
HH bruv
ACGR
Drams?aye. Five of us in a car going down” wee stopi in the raploch for a couple of pints and then the wonder that will be the newly wrapped Celtic Park. What’s not to like?
I’ll probably stumble around the corner failing to recognise anyone as usual.
ACGR,
Click Here
Hail Hail.
mike in toronto
16:02 on
14 July, 2015
Most of what I have seen of this team are the crazy goal celebrations, so it is not like I have seen them a lot …
but I thought Icelandic football was going through a good spell ….
even the national team is topping their group in Euro qualifiers with 15 out of 18 points in a group with Holland, Turkey and the Czech republic … so, obviously, they must have some decent players in that country.
Naw.They all play outside it.
Fred C, thanks pal. Definitely from the heart and its obvious she loves Scotland and wants the best for the country. Not bad at all considering her youth. Her respect for Tony Benn was obvious, one of the last Labour MP’s to have any of my respect before they all became professional whores like Blair, Milliband (s) and Harriot H.
Well done to the young lass, I hope when she’s forty she’s kicking the shit out of our country;s enemies in Independent Scotland.
HH
One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There’s a land that’s fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
And the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers’ trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I’m bound to go
Where there ain’t no snow
Where the rain don’t fall
The winds don’t blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
You never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol
Come trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats
And the railway bulls are blind
There’s a lake of stew
And of whiskey too
You can paddle all around it
In a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
The jails are made of tin.
And you can walk right out again,
As soon as you are in.
There ain’t no short-handled shovels,
No axes, saws nor picks,
I’m bound to stay
Where you sleep all day,
Where they hung the jerk
That invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
….
I’ll see you all this coming fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
Anyone remember the Thai Tim’s?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFvhYwX3gN8
Have we forgotten these wee ones and the fact that they were no just a one off novelty?
Paul67, any updates on the status of the foundation in Thailand would be appreciated by this poster.
Wee stars are becoming bigger stars and still need our support, are we still providing it?
I liked the speech of Black.
The passion was obvious
Have not lived in Scotland for 30 years but it had resonance of my youth.
Not a great lover of any political party as they have all failed the people.
Vessels of empty rhetoric.
The world is in a bad place and the politicians took us here.
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
Don’t let the Thompson Twit get to you.
He is an agitator and probable hun so his posts best ignored.
P.S. alfie, if you have the bollox to mail me I’ll send you a nice ring tone of your phone. One you’ve not heard since your team died.
Goodnight Celtic men and wummin (and alfie the freaky hun)
We Are Celtic
Turkeybhoy I equally have no time for thomsontwin but given your abusive post to me last night you appear one of those guys who has to shout and swear at people you disagree with.
Sad really.
I also watched Mhairi Black’s speech. I agreed with much of it. However the illusions being spun by the SNP remain illusions.
Claims of socialism versus council tax freezes, not raising income tax, not tackling food banks while running a surplus.
Claims of liberalism whilst passing the OB, allowing the police to am themselves and run riot. Employing smear campaigns against political opponents.
Claims of radical change whilst embracing monarchy.
Their record in government is appalling but there is no opposition left in Scotland to point that out.
Oh dear.
SNP tactics? Say one thing and do another.
NegAnon2@4-38
Good post.
As i said politicians spout empty rhetoric.
Not a lot of harmony tonight.
Politics is divisive and causes emotions and contempt to run high.
That’s why I usually stay clear.
Thank God we kick off the season in earnest tonight and we can get back to disagreeing about the manager, the players, the formation and tactics.
Apologies for the forthcoming terrible fish puns.
We should see the trawler men put in their PLAICE tonight while we are HERRING YNWA drown out the CARPing. I hope the Norsemen are a bunch of HADDIES and we prise them out their defensive SHELLS, NETTING a SHOAL OF goals.
Even considering the lateness of the hour I’ve made a right CODpiece out of this post.
And it’s a good night from me
13 and a half hours til the season starts……can’t wait!!!!
gg. …
Hope their goalie has fish fingers :-)
Anyway morning tims.
One more shift till we see Cifti in the hoops.
At last the football is back for real.
4 nil tonight.
The Griff with 2 and Gms with 2.
Test
Good morning CQNers,
Glad to have the football back!
My ramblings on the team, for what they’re worth.
We have a sound goalkeeper whose only weakness is the occasional poor clearance from back passes but these are becoming less and less frequent. Confidence is the key to Craig, and there is no reason to believe he won’t build on last season’s award winning season if he remains injury-free.
A fit Lustig is a big boost for the defence but the loss of Denayer and the uncertainty on the future of VVD casts a shadow over an area of the team that has been an asset over the last two seasons. Efe Ambrose is not a centre half nor is Charlie Mulgrew so a lot rests on Boyata (personally I’d like to see Charlie given a run at the left back position).
Midfield is the team’s strength. The additions of Mackay-Steven and Armstrong have added speed and ingenuity, Brown and Johansen add the steel with Bitton adding a touch of flair. They could be a force to be reckoned with in Europe.
Ciftic is a big mobile target man, something we’ve been missing for a while and he and Griffiths could form a productive partnership. With Stokes looking to be on his way out of the club it looks like the forward line is a little light on numbers and it’ll be interesting to see of Ronny Deila adds another during the close season.
All in all it looks promising for the forthcoming season but my only fear is that a lot rests on Boyata performing and VVD staying, if either doesn’t happen the midfield may be neutered somewhat by having to play a more defensive role.
C’mon the Bhoys!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153075784641939&id=6622931938&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2FChannel4News%2Fvideos%2F10153075784641939%2F&_rdr
For anyone who’s not seen it in its entirety.
This had a politician-hating cynic sitting with a lump in his throat.
Weathercock and signposts, indeed.
Hail Hail the Celts are Here
Will be there in just over 12hrs, in fact in my seat in less – Yippeeee
In Gouvia, Corfu.
Anyone with a shout to catch the game tonight in the area. Think it’s Celtic TV, so looking for a bar that might have it.
Any suggestions appreciated.
murdochbhoy
Interesting points
I have often wondered if Lustig has a future at CB and whether this current situation means RD would be thinking this is the time to find out.
I suppose the downside would be that his fitness may be unreliable to build on such an important role.
The effectiveness of the MF at European level is IMO based on the availability and fitness of Broon.
squire danaher
A really confident and fine opening speech from Mhairi Black, hopefully she’ll match the rhetoric with actions.
Fit like y’all, from a damp Eberdeen.
Good luck to the Hoops tonight, I will be following the game on Radio Shortbread, with the sound muted so I don’t have to listen to their biased commentary . . . .
Ulryc
(aka Kurly to weeron!!!)
murdochbhoy
Indeed – weathercock and signposts quote was touching
Harriet Harman should be cringing at the comment
squire danaher @ 07.41
There are so many ponderables and computations.
Lustig is one of those type of players who could make a fist of it in any position but I think he’s most effective at right back.
Brown is the team’s bedrock and as such he’s indispensable to the team but Johansen is becoming increasingly influential. It’ll be interesting to see how the partnership between these two (and the manager) developes this season.
Good morning all. I’d appreciate your help ..
Q: where can I watch the game tonight in sunny Manchester?
Q: could I park & sleep somewhere Saturday night near St. Andrews?
Many thanks
P
Good Morning to all from the Algerian Sahara!
Hoping to watch the game on CTV tonight, bandwidth permitting.
Looking for a confident start from the Bhoys, with all the ex-DUFC lhads playing a part over the 90 minutes, and at least two goals from the Griff.
HH
Pod I, you would likely be ok to park up in the square at Strathkinness, about 3 miles from St Andrews. And eat at the Strathkinness Inn, not all Hoops in there but good dudes nonetheless.
North Cyprus (formerly Baku) Bhoy
08:06 on 15 July, 2015
Good Morning to all from the Algerian Sahara!
Hoping to watch the game on CTV tonight, bandwidth permitting.
Looking for a confident start from the Bhoys, with all the ex-DUFC lhads playing a part over the 90 minutes, and at least two goals from the Griff.
HH
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t think you’re getting away with sooking up all the bandwidth, i need some aswell…… I got most of the game against the Spaniards, with only a few buffering problems.
murdochbhoy
07:46 on 15 July, 2015
‘squire danaher
A really confident and fine opening speech from Mhairi Black, hopefully she’ll match the rhetoric with actions.’
###
Black will say and do exactly what she’s told to say and do by her party bosses, no more and no less.
In that regard she’s like every other SNP politician.
They are all very good at telling us what they would do about things they have no power to deal with.
I’d prefer to judge them on what they do about things they do have power to deal with.
Things like health, education, law and order.
By any measure they’ve failed on every one of those.
And for all those nats who are so happy to come on here and give us their party’s spiel of the day, can any of you name one single SNP politician who has expressed any criticism whatsoever of your party’s Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012?
That legislation came out of nowhere, purely because of political grandstanding by Salmond. It was pushed through Holyrood by every single SNP MSP voting for it, while every other MSP voted against it. The SNP government have provided funding and encouragement to their national police force to enforce it.
Why not judge the SNP on that rather than on some empty, scripted rhetoric?
Ernie
Can you explain the difference in the old party whips job in ensuring members followed party orders when a 3 line whip was called and the SNP members stance on following party policy
I , like BMCUW , Sipsini and HT amongst others voted labour at the election
Morning all.
Bright down here so far. Hope the mood on here stays sunny for the game tonight.