Celtic tied-up their first piece of business for the summer 2012 transfer window this afternoon by securing Polish central defender, Jaroslaw Fojut, 24, on a pre-contract. Jaroslaw moved to England straight from school to join Bolton Wanderers, who he made two appearances for, before spending short loan periods at Luton and Stockport.
He moved back to Poland as a 21-year-old and has become a popular player at Polish league leaders, Slask Wroclaw, who knocked Dundee United out of the Europa League qualifying rounds this season in their first European football adventure in 40 years.
I hear he is a solid defender who commands the air well and who is likely to have his best years ahead of him.
Click here to view the new issue of CQN Magazine online for free. You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
559 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- »
RogueLeader says:
18 January, 2012 at 09:54
‘The terms are re-negotiated. In the EPL there are similar clauses so SKY can have their super Sundays etc. Rangers not being there does not mean no TV deal.’
If the huns are liquidated the SKY contract can’t be fulfilled.
Sky will have the right to walk away or to renegotiate, even if there is a newco huns in the SPL. If they renegotiate it will be at a lower figure.
Sky will have known, when they signed the contract, that the chances were that the huns would be liquidated.
That they would never be bound by the terms of the contract.
That they would be renegotiating at a lower figure.
They knew that. So did the SPL.
It’s a bit like Bobo’s contract.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
Not sure where Rangers will introduce a standing area. Perhaps in the car park to watch the closure sale? But I’m sure they appreciate the blessing anyway
——————–
that was funny, :-)
Very few huns on here of late, would I be guilty of being too generous if I extended a modicum of credit to even the most moronic of them who – in a brotherhood of misery – now appreciate their deliverance cometh faster than an avenging comet.
Regardless of what the Judges decide, the huns have been caught with more than their fingers in the cookie jar. It will never, ever go away. If justice is done, and it must be seen to be done… then for eternity and a day their fraud will herald indelibly – the final chapter in their history.
On the corporate tombstone it will say
“To the end we cheated our monarch and crown.
In perpetuum Vigilamus Pro Te”
sorry its the daily mail but interesting all the same
safe standing for Villa,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2088004/Aston-Villa-want-safe-standing-area-Villa-Park.html
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon at 10:34
Gordon
I’m assuming this ‘blessing’ you refer to was offered in a suitably non-inflammatory way …
Standing areas are safer than seating areas when fans erupt in celebration at a goal.
Seating areas can’t cope with that.
Just read RTC blog and I have to say it has been a breath of fresh air since it started.
I have not bought a newspaper since I first started reading it and Philmac as they both hammered home the Laptop Loyal’s agenda of always putting Celtic down and ignoring any issue that arose with rangers.
Once the tribunal make their decision, the real battle starts to ensure rangers receive a right and just punishment.
HH
Musk Ox
I tell’t the lotta ye’s
Musk Ox
It’s the future
U
Good news about the standing area. Can’t say i enjoy sitting watching a game.
Can we look forward to part of the North Stand lower being renamed the Jungle once more.
Ernie Lynch 10.46
I agree, I thought i broke my back & legs when Big Jan scored in the final moments against Rangers.
Would never have happened had it been a standing area.
Ernie
my shins can’t take it when we score and end up falling all over plastic chairs…..
Serge
we were talking about the Jungle last night me remembering Derek Whyte slipping on the ball
at the halfway line against Partizan and the wee guy in leggings slipping past to score…..
On matters January
Still receiving a good few texts from Celts I respect saying anything above 7m would entice us into selling Hooper. My gut feeling is this is so, so wrong. I hope the board ain’t shaping up for a January clanger. I hope it’s just January gossip. I hope, I hope, I hope.
What is they say – only deep pockets buy and panic merchants sell in the January window? The real business is done at the close of the season?
I certainly hope so…
U
WDH
Great days, I was just a kid back then & have many a great memory. Think my fave was the view i had of Mike Galloways screamer against Dundee United. A goal i have never been able to find footage of. HH
The right rev D Hay-very well said sir
Mornig all..
Could i just add a belated self-congratulatory birthday wish to myself for yeaterday..
seems there are a few of us sharing the same day!
Never used to bother much with them(after 30) but sharing the same date with Muhammad Ali is an honour..
Who could forget his brave stance against the Vietnam War..”Why should i fight,I ain’t got no quarrel with the VietCong..But them Huns,that’s a different story-they invented the Klan.”
MadeaweebitupCSC
Todays the day the teddy bears get their @ss kicked!
LB
Good morning fellow Celts from dreich lahndan town
Good that Mr Z can verify on our new Polish cb…l like having Polish players around oul’ CP
But..
Whaurs wur headie the goals striker?
HH
M
Mark McGhee new Bristol Rovers manager…
that man gets some jobs….
Rangers hope to have a deal wrapped up for Swedish midfielder Mervan Celik by the end of the week. (Daily Express)
Hahaha
The press are jokers.
LB
he’s fat he’s round
he’s worth a million pound
Tom Mclaughlin 09-31
Very good post
With the RTC coming quickly on the heels of Dougiegate and Dallasgate, there really is a wind of change blowing through Scottish football of late.
As a matter of interest, I looked at records for the period 1910/11-1964/65, to remind myself of how CFC generally faired prior to Jock Stein arriving. I’d read the books (Celtic Story, Glory and the Dream etc) and was well aware of the tricolour affair of 1952, and the Tully/Cox incident of the same era.
During the stated period we were always at worst the second biggest club an Scotland and although we hit hard times (ten years post WW2) the potential was always there to be better than the records now show. I remember reading that throughtout the fifties, Celtic home games at the start of every season would be watched by 50-60000, only to drop off to around 20000 well before New year, as we slipped down the table. My earliest memories of watching Celtic are around 61-62 and even at such a young age I can still feel the apathy at these home games. Losing a 4 goal lead to Third Lanark was met with no real surprise (as I recall) and it was more or less expected of us.
To get to my point, the other vivid memory I have from those early days was my old man continually telling me stories of bad refereeing decisions going back to the 40’s. These stories still live with me and as I watched us through the decades (including the golden era) my dads words were borne out. I dont need to mention all the culprits but I’ll mention two. RH Davidson and Hugh Dallas. I wont even mention the governing bodies (Farry case etc) because we all get the point now.
During the period 19910/11-1964/65, Celtic won 10 leagues to Rangers 29. Was it all down to mismanagement, lack of ambition or incompetence?
Jcok Stein coming in 65 was the biggest single factor in promoting the name of Glasgow Celtic, second only to the club being founded in 1987/88.
The big man knew that we had to beat 12 men on many occasions and said as much in 1969.
You really have to wonder what went on in the dark days of 1910-65. For the most part there were no cameras at any games and bias press reporting was the norm. In fact its only the last 20 years or so that we can watch a game with 10 cameras showing every angle and exposing every honest mistake.
You also have to wonder how many leagues and cups we have been cheated out of over 100 years, never mind the last 10.
Paranoid? Its funny how we have’nt heard that word much of late.
hh
Dood Morning,
Lucien Banks never really wanted to be famous. He was just an ordinary Joe from Birmingham Ridge, Mississippi who moved to Motown for the sake of a job. He was a regular blue collar worker with the Ford Motor Company, making ends meet, getting through life as best he could. But Lucien showed a degree of skill and promise in another field which would help boost the monthly income.
At 6″2′ and approximately 191 pounds he was certainly athlete material and he could undoubtedly fight. Accordingly, to supplement the income he went to the gym and took up boxing. That was a decision that would lead to a modicum of success, and which would tragically cost him his life. Banks had developed to such an extent that whilst never a ranked fighter, he was seen as a tough opponent for any up and coming heavyweight. he had a good knockout record and he had upset more than a few undefeated fighters in his time. Then he met Leotis Martin.
For 9 rounds Banks dominated the previously undefeated and smaller Martin, but in that 9th round Leotis swung at Lucien and connected high up on the temple. Lucien went down. As was common at the time, the ring canvass had previously been broken and torn– and then repaired with a light coating of cement. Lucien’s head struck such a concrete patch and he was out cold. Although he regained consciousness and answered questions from the doctor and others, he later lapsed into a coma and died in hospital. Leotis Martin was devastated. It proved to be Lucien Banks 25th and final fight in a division full of good boxers and fighters. He had faced a few well known names in his time before his untimely death at 24. Leotis Martin went on to face and beat more than one world champion and was coached by someone who was to become a legendary trainer with many champions under his care. Yank Durham. Yet you are likely to have never heard of him unless you are a boxing nut. As for Lucien (Sonny) Banks, he was to gain a degree of fame after his death.
It was in Bank’s thirteenth fight that his real moment of fame came. He was on the undercard at Madison Square Garden and had already developed a reputation as an up and coming fighter. His young opponent was deemed a good match and whoever won the fight would take some kudos from the night and would have an enhanced reputation as a result of victory. The fight went out live on TV.
Things went according to plan for Sonny in the first round. The two fighters moved around one another. Banks was an old fashioned head tucked in fighter. Flat footed, he cut off the ring in an attempt to make the centre of the ring his own. Don Dunphy, the legendary commentator, said ” If Banks does anything here, it will be early. He is reputed to be a power puncher- with the power mostly in his right hand. Reputedly because we are only seeing him for the first time. But reports say he has fast hands.”
At that point his opponent steps into Sonny’s path. Sonny ducks some lefts and rights. His opponent’s momentum is such that his right hand has dropped as he prepares to unlesh a left. Sonny takes his chance and unleashes a powerful straight left. Sufficiently powerful that it knocks his 6″3′ 190 pound opponent clean off his feet and dumps him clean on the floor. Sonny has knocked out 9 of his previous twelve opponents and within the first round of this fight he has the upper hand as his opponent has felt his power and hit the canvass– perhaps as expected!
Except, as Sonny looks on from the other side of the ring— Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr gets up!
Not only does he get up, the referee has to hold him back, rub down his gloves, push him back in the corner and give him the count. Clay appears to hear none of this, he simply stares across the ring at Sonny with sheer unadulterated rage, menace and intent in his eyes. The remainder of the fight is a battle of left hands. Sonny with thudding deliberate blows, Clay with repeated sharp lefts that pepper Sonny’s face. Sonny’s swings now seem to catch fresh air while his face becomes a magnate for his opponents leather. In the second round, Clay dances in a blur to the left around footsoldier Sonny and unleashes a left upper cut which now sends Sonny to the floor. By the end of the third round, referee Ruby Goldstein considers stopping the fight. The ring Doctor allows the bout to continue “with caution” but with less than 30 seconds of round 4 gone, Goldstein has seen enough and brings proceedings to an end.
Afterwards, Clay said“I guess that was the first time that I was knocked down as a professional. I had to get up to take care of things after because it was rather embarrassing with me on the floor. As you know, I think I am the greatest. so I am not supposed to be on the floor.”
Cassius Clay took up fighting as a twelve year old, when one day someone stole his bike! He was livid and said in front of the local Sheriff that when he got his hands on the thief he would “Whip his ass!”. It was the Sheriff who told him to go and get boxing lessons so as to ensure that when he went to whip the thief’s ass– he didn’t get his ass whipped!
That phrase, and that incident was to prove prophetic. Clay- or Ali as he became– would demonstate all the anger and aggression of that moment in analagous sitiuations throughout his life. He would never shirk a fight in or out of the ring on a point of principle– and he always believed that he could and would win. He was the only heavyweight over a period of twenty years to have fought every single ranked contender and beaten them! He is also the only boxer in the boxing hall of fame who has victories at world title level over another seven hall of famers. Yet, if I may borrow a footballing term, he was the greatest exponent of “parking the bus” in the ring. He frequently said that that you cannot hit what you cannot see or what is not there to be hit. He absolutely took on board the words of the Sheriff and whatever happened always tried to make sure that he did not “get his ass whipped” first and foremost. In the boxing ring if you don’t get your ass whipped then you tend to win.
That is not to say Ali was not a great aggressive fighter. There has never been another boxer of his standard who was forced to miss almost 4 years of a career at his prime. When he returned he was not the same lightening quick shadow that had danced around and bewildered Liston and destroyed the likes of Cleveland “the big cat” Williams. That younger Ali had a mercilessly cruel streak in the ring. Not the biggest puncher, he nevertheless deliberately and methodically whipped the ass of both Floyd Patterson and Ernie Terrell in the cruelist of fashions. The Terrell fight is famous for his repeated taunting of Ernie whilst simply refusing to finish the fight. Both fighters maliciously fouled that night with elbows and shoulders– the reports of the fight show that even experienced commentators were uncomfortable with the exhibition of foul play from both and the absolutely cruel whipping exhibited by the victor.
Yet Ali’s sense of what he would stand for, stand against and what and who, he would and could beat explain that cruelty and that determination. As a young boxer he had been sent to train under, and be managed by, the former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Everyone in Boxing liked Archie and respected him, but Archie just could not cope with the young Clay. He wouldn’t follow instructions, wouldn’t keep his hands up, wouldn’t do manual chores around the gym, just wouldn’t do what he was told. So Archie sent him packing saying that whilst he was talented, he din’t have the right attitude.
Young Clay wanted his boxing to be both an art and a science– but an art and a science that would be accompanied by a mental attitude that spelled out that he was boss and that he would do things his way– which would include a complete psycological war against his opponents in and out of the ring.
The young Clay would eventually fight the ageing Archie some 8 months after he defeated Sonny Banks. The fight ended in the fourth round with Archie flat on the Canvass after 4 knock downs with bragadoccio Clay standing with arms raised over the stricken veteran in a show of ugly triumphalism. It was Clay’s way of making a point. Yet Clay admired his vanquished victim but never let him forget that he (Ali) always always new best.
Archie Moore was in George Foreman’s corner in Kinshasa when Ali didn’t dance anymore and instead allowed big George to unleash those murderous booming punches which brought cries of “Oooh” from the crowd when they landed. Long before the fights conclusion, Ali was trapped in Foreman’s corner with George swinging at him with great arced blows which would have scythed most men in two. Archie Moore was right below them screaming ” Hit him George, Hit him George” when quick as a flash Ali turned Foreman and leaned in on him preventing him from swinging those big punches. Staring over George’s shoulder Ali looked down on his former trainer and opponent. He then stretched his eyes wide and put on that manic stare that we have so often seen and shouted down to Moore– in the full knowledge that George was listening– ” Sit down old man because this is AAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL OVAAAAAH!”
And so it proved!
Ali annoyed many folk with his boastful and brash stance. But the thing is he stood up– and kept standing up when someone knocked him down. He just didn’t know or contemplate what it was like to get his ass whipped. He stood up to Government, Boxing authorities, army regulation, bigots, and just about anyone who spoiled for a fight. Whatever the tactics he just made sure that he did not get his ass whipped.
Foreman ( who the more I read i think of as only second to Ali in terms of inner human strength and worthy of admiration as a man ) says that Ali was not the greatest boxer and rates at least a number of others as better. Yet he then goes on to say that he is undoubtedly the greatest man and in a league of his own when it comes to fighting– drawing a distinct difference between boxing and fighting.
Ali– the once boy Clay– who was deemed too illiterate to Join the army when first interviewed— would go on to be a peace ambassador for the united nations, a special envoy for the US Government, be awarded doctorates from various universities and receive awards and recognitions from all sorts of places for the stances and fights that he picked outside the ring. He was voted as THE American who most represented the American dream, the American way of life and who epitomised the purpose of the constitution and the bill of rights. He was even granted, accepted and came to collect, the Freedom of Ennis County Claire where his Great Grandfather came from.
Yet, none of that would have come to be if like others before him, he hadn’t got up when Sonny Banks dumped him on his arse!
Sonny would die just a few months after Cassius Marcellus “shook up the world” after beating another Sonny– a big bad bear of a Sonny who many thought invinceable. Young Clay overcame enormous odds to become world champion, and perhaps even greater odds to become the most famous man in the world and someone to whom Governments would turn. He has inspired generations of ordinary people and sportsmen alike, and come to epitomise the good fight against injustice, prejudice and man’s inhumanity to man.
He is undoubtedly a hero.
However, I believe that he woud accept that he is no greater a hero than Sonny Banks. The meat and potato blue collar worker who supplemented his income from the Ford motor company by taking to the ring and who fought against those who were as good as they got at that time. Previously undefeated prospects tasted their first defeat at his hands, the young Clay first hit the deck at his behest. He was a sparring partner to Liston. Leotis Martin went on to have a reasonable career fighting and beating many of the opponants that Ali faced including Sonny Liston, Karl Mildenberger, Jimmy Ellis and others. Yet until that 9th round, Sonny Banks was delivering a beating to him.
Sonny Banks was the 65th Boxer to die from ring related injuries in a period of 5 years. He fought to earn a few quid, because he had a big punch, a degree of talent and a family to feed. He died because he forgot to get out of the way, had never learned or mastered Ali’s ability to either get out of the way of a punch or quickly recover from one—— and because of a cheap concrete repair to a ring canvas in Philadelphia.
Four days after his death, The newly named Mohammed Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their rematch with the “Phantom” punch. No risk of hitting a dodgy ring patch for Liston. He went down and stayed down.
Ali was 70 yesterday. Apparently he has no right to be 70 at all with Doctors saying that his Parkinson condition should have dimmed his lights for good by this time. Yet each and every morning the boy who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior gets up– like he always has done.
Some might pity him and say that it is cruel to see a once great athlete in that condition and in those circumstances. Yet he has a loving family, is admired by millions and clearly is able to draw on his never ending yet astounding inner strength.
Today, Sonny Banks would have been 72 years old had he lived.
Alas fate decreed otherwise.
He has eyes like a fish, He talks utter…..
Get in there scouting system far and wide.
I want apiece of the action :)
Next up Markus Rosenborg, Joaquin Boghassain and Milan Badelj
Let’s see if we can ger Rene Adler on a pre contract as well.
Top of the morning to you all from a bright and breezy Fife.
When the last Chairman of Rangers, Alistair Johnstone sent out his Masonic distress signal in his message via the Glasgow Evening Times the writing was on the wall.
The court may well rule against Rangers. The HMRC may well want their pound of flesh but with this club as with other freemasonic institutions/individuals in this country a way will be found to get them off the hook.
I have seen the rule-book thrown out of the window too many times in my lifetime to come to any other conclusion.
Alastair Johnston has always been decent in my dealings with him.
Serge
LOL!!
whitedoghunch says:
18 January, 2012 at 11:35
‘Alastair Johnston has always been decent in my dealings with him.’
He did try to mislead the hun shareholders at the AGM about who was responsible for the tax bill though, didn’t he.
BRTH, hi.
could you repost your original post on the Vanessa Appeal please, if its not too much trouble.
I want to share with some people in the office here.
Thanks.
This question must be asked, did rearangers gain an unfair advantage due to tax evasion ???????????
And if so, what will the done about it ????????????????????
BigjoeSAYStheQueastionsHAVEtobeasked.
St Stivs
I will look for it— not sure when it was– probably last Tuesday morning I think– and will repost.
quick news question
Where is Andrew Ellis???
tictalker
BRTH
Fantastic.
What a man, keeps fighting the good fight. Always has, always will.
LEGEND
Imagine being like Ali, man what a responsibility.
Keep the faith
Mtt
ernie lynch says:
18 January, 2012 at 11:43
does not alter my statement
off out
Just o for a quick two minutes. What’s this about standing areas please?
So, what if they win?
The orcs are skint, tax case(s) or otherwise.
Whyte spelled out to the hordes that they have a £7m a year hole to plug, and that would be based on an ‘average’ amount of earnings one would assume, but not based on the ten years to their last spend splurge, where they ran at an average loss of £14m per year.
The last two years of financial returns bereft of substantial European income, their turnover has plummeted by around £17m – forget what the LL would have you learn, learn the truth of the matter: they will lose much more than £17m this year, when compared to last, as more funding streams have been sold off and little participation in Europe.
Here are there income figures and profits (negative for a loss) from the last five sets of accounts (to nearest £m, or where appropriate £k):
2007: £42m, -£6m
2008: £64m, £7m
2009: £40m, -£13m
2010: £56m, £4m
2011: £57m, £76k
I’ve highlighted three figures, as these can be best used to demonstrate where Rangers are headed. The 2007 figure includes a run to the last 16 of the Uefa Cup/Europa League and the 2009 figure includes ‘Kaunas’. Most tellingly though, and despite their third biggest turnover ever, last season saw them record a profit of £76,000 – this includes the group stage money from the Champions League (including a corporate money spinner v ManU) as well as two rounds after Christmas in the Europa League.
Think about that for a moment.
They do not have any more, from what we have appeared to witness, a financial backer willing to underwrite losses, instead preferring to sell off sections of the business to underwrite the main footballing operations. This further reduces income (and also, it must be said, costs).
So, when this years accounts are released, if they are, I would expect their turnover (not counting player sales) to be at it’s lowest since 1999 and possibly before, i.e. certainly less than £40m and possibly less than £36m.
Regarding their lowest turnover in the last 10 years (the Kaunas year) – this also included playing domestic cup ties to two finals in front of a total audience of 238,000 – this season they have played in front of around 10,000. They need a few replays in the Scottish Cup to get close to the 238,000 figure. So that’s another likely drop in income.
They have brought in several players. Presumably on waged contracts. They have awarded ‘increased’ contracts to several players. They have lost one or two players only. Their operating expenses will not have decreased dramatically.
They will post a loss of at least £15m to June 2012, in my very humblest of opinions. I would not be at all surprised to find that this could crawl somewhat closer to £20m. Both of these figures will have been mitigated, though, by the one-off sales of parts of their business infrastructure, i.e. they will not be able to count on these sales in the foreseeable future.
So, where does this leave us?
Yes, they need to cut costs by £7m per year. But they need to do so on the basis of such a cost being weighed against the income streams available at the time the statement was made – in other words: before they sold half the silverware.
Tax Case win, lose, who cares, they will never be able to do a Kaunas transfer window again. Ever.