Before we get down to less important matters, let me know, did you buy Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?
There are so many reasons to be cynical about football people (players, directors and fans alike) in the modern era it is scarcely worth listing them but occasionally a pillar of strength comes along and changes all the rules.
This morning’s headlines that Georgios Samaras has attracted interest from an English slumbering giant is reason enough to highlight the dedication of this model professional. Georgios arrived at Celtic on loan in January 2008 and was instrumental in the historic league win that year. When he completed his permanent transfer from Manchester City he took an enormous cut in wages because he wanted to be a Celtic player.
Thanks for the great support for the CQN Annual. You can order online here, time is running out for shipping before Christmas!
His talent and effectiveness has meandered, a bit like those looping runs he would go on with the ball, since then and for a while he was subject to considerable abuse from ‘supporters’. At one point he had the chance to leave but his message to Celtic was simple, ‘If you want me to stay, I’ll stay and fight for my place. This is my club’.
The story of the rebirth of Celtic is also the story of the rebirth of Georgios Samaras. He is the epitome of the modern footballer: strong, skilful and intelligent, he would get into any top squad in Europe.
There is no chance of him going to England, Celtic will not sell him and even if they accepted a bid, the player shows no inclination of wanting to leave. He is currently prime candidate for Player of the Year and is our most feared player in the Champions League.
You have six days to buy Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in support of Celtic Charity and Teenage Cancer. This is what we’re all about, don’t talk to me about football until I hear from you on the subject that really matters.
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Today
67heaven, that ones for you!
And two in a row;-)
Hi
That is yesterday and today, not first and second!
5th ya beauty – season’s PB
I like the way Sami wrongfoots the journalists. He also wrongfoots himself quite often. But he’s class.
Afternoon all.
Liverpool on the lookout for striking options and they probably think big George would suit playing beside Suarez. I’ve had Liverpool fans also saying they are gonna go in for Hooper. Wishful thinking IMO.
Marti
Sammi the story of lennie too – finding a place for him and getting the team to know what he’s there for !
Sammi the unsung hero getting sung, times a changin
What’s with all the adverts and pop-ups on CQN these days – it’s worse than my favourite err, German Football Classics web site!
CQN sold it’s soul to the corporate devil!
For the Celtic historians amongst you. Are any of you aware of a man called Richard Druggan playing for Celtic in the 50s ? My boss at work in here was at a funeral of this man in Kildare at the weekend. There was a Celtic scarf on the coffin and a fellow mourner told him this Scotsman had played for Celtic in his time. Have to say, I have never heard of him and can turn nothing up on the net.
Marti
Paul67
Nice to see you give the big man a glowing testimonial….he deserves it..
Well said Paul…
And I used to be one of those detractors.
HH
Paul 67
I`ve bought two of Rod`s CD`s. Does that mean I can talk to you about football more than once? If so….CELTIC… (then, from the other end of the ground….CELTIC.
JJ
Gettin a bit peed off, Celts being lauded for beating Barca at home….best result ever..blah
blah………I expect to beat every team we play in Paradise.
BTW ,Happy Birthday Moonbeams,hope someone buys you a new camera,
that last lot of photies you took were rid rotten. hh :O)
Paul 67 I’m happy at the certainty you offer. There are 3 or 4 players the club will aim to keep because Neil is building the team around them. Big Fraz, Broonie and Samaras are here to stay hopefully.
Like all these things though, money talks and when offered £50k-a-week it provides a stark reality.
Great article Paul67.
Big Sammi loves being here, long may he stay.
He is more effective in the European games, simply because he gets space to run into.
He never hides, even when things aren’t going for him or the team, brave as a lion.
Marti
I don`t think anyone of that name played for Celtic. Unless, of course, it was at a very junior level.
JJ
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
12:58 on
10 December, 2012
Green oak…,
Why would he get done, it’s the truth
///////////////
Neil… If a Cetic rep came out with the same statement would they have been done???
Nice one, Paul.
What a lovely tribute to a very special Celtic player.
Sammi has EVERYTHING that it takes to be a Parkhead legend.
Good article on our Greek god.
HH
Jungle Jim
Thanks. I was thinking the same thing.
Marti
Well said Paul about big Sami.
I got talking to two Spartak fans on an Edinburgh – Glasgow train last Wednesday and it was clear that Sami was very much the danger man in their eyes. They were of course proved absolutely correct. They were also rather lukewarm about young Mr McGeady, formerly of this parish. The general view among Spartak fans is that he looked really good when he first arrived but has been off the boil for far too long now. I got the distinct impression that it wouldn’t take megabucks to persuade Spartak to sell him
VP : “BTW ,Happy Birthday Moonbeams,hope someone buys you a new camera,
that last lot of photies you took were rid rotten. hh :O)”
Excellent! We were ripping it out him last night in the pub about his photography skills!
MWD – all the best for today mate. Hopefully someone bought you a photography course….! :-)
T4
Paul
Rod song downloaded from itunes this morning..Who’s the slumbering giant ?
I don’t buy papers as they’re usually full of nonsense!
Players who are already good enough to compete for the CL Title:
Fraser Forster;
Mikael Lustig;
Scott Brown;
Victor Wanyama;
James Forrest;
Georgis Samaras;
Players who are very nearly good enough:
Kelvin Wilson;
Efe Ambrose;
Adam Mattews;
Charlie Mulgrew;
Joe Ledley;
Gary Hooper;
Players who could become good enough:
Filip Twardzic;
Tony Watt:
Doubts:
Beram Kayal;
Emilio Izzaguerre.
All opinions, of course, but who have I missed? Apart from Paddy about whom I am too undecided to categorise…..maybe Jim McGuinness can affect the necessary change?
JJ
MWD
Have a smashing day and keep the high baws low…
Hail Hail……
Paul – I recall a midweek game, where Sami’s confidence was obviously very low and he was having an absolute stinker. He got subbed during the second half and shamefully, some supporters booed him off the park.
I said to the guys next to me in 408, he’ll never play for us again after that.
Fair play to the big man, he’s gone from that dreadful low to winning over the majority of fans and becoming one of the first names on the team sheet. Amazing to think that we now shudder at the thought of playing games in Europe without him!
Well done yet again to NFL for having the belief in Sami’s abilities. We’re reaping the benefits of that now.
T4
Mic1888
Liverpool
just back from portugal,the highlight was watching both barca and celtic games in a deserted wee pub in agua near vilamora. as we left the whole village was desserted it was like armaggedon!!……..so this is what the msn meant…BRING IT ON (smiley face)
Paul67
With reference to your previous article and tax relief… for EIS this applies:
Must be a ‘small company’. The measure of whether a company is ‘small’ is the Gross Assets Test. The Gross Assets of the company – or of the whole group if it is the parent of a group – cannot exceed £7 million immediately before any share issue and £8 million immediately after that issue.
That would seem to rule out The Rangers (or even the International Rangers)?
HH
IMHO Sammi has been the most influential player at Celtic since Henrik.
As Paul67 says he strikes fear into CL teams and is a handful when played on the left, a position I think he is best suited to play.
He also really seems committed to the team even though some have had their doubts and have been pretty vocal in voicing them as well.
I for one hope we keep the Greek Ghod for as long as we can.
When fit he has to be one of the first names on the team sheet.
BTW – Rod’s song bought and playing as I type. ;o)
HH
/Bishop B
Well said Paul. I can honestly state that I have admired Samaras since he made his first appearance for us. Football is all about opinions but I was frequently horrified during my infrequent visits to Celtic Park a year or two back to be surrounded by people who almost waited for the moment of a misplaced pass by him to vilify him. The sheer outpouring of hate and vitriol frankly told me more about these people as individuals than it did about their support for Celtic.
As a Celtic man over 60 years I have seen some of the very best and some less talented. I have supported them all because they more a jersey that means everything to me.
Georgious Samaras is the reincarnation of the 1960s John Hughes. He was a brave and great player for Celtic who frequently took teams on single handedly with long penetrating runs. He could also fall over his own feet. It’s part of the game.
Nice to see the detractors are back in their boxes. I hope they learn that encouraging people to give of their best ( especially when wearing green and white hoops ) is much more likely to yield a positive return than their destructive behaviour.
We are entering a very special period in the history of Celtic Football Club so if there was ever a time to get behind the entire squad of players- no exceptions – and really cheer them on then it is now.
T4
Was that Sion last year?
Mort
Paul67
And that seems to apply for VCT investments also?
Gross assets
For investments made by the VCT on or after 6 April 2012, the value of the company’s gross assets must not exceed:
•£15 million (previously £15 million) immediately before the VCT makes its investment, and
•£16 million (previously £16 million) immediately afterwards
HH
Georgios Samaras and Fraser Forster are a useful reminder of how ignorant and intolerant the Celtic support can be.
I first saw Sammi in a friendly v Southampton in 2008 and right then and there I knew he was an epic player. He terrorised the S/ton defence. He took some time to find his place and form in the, for him, very different spl.
The Celtic crowd can be an unforgiving beast, and it is a mark of the big Bhoy’s fortitude that he has persevered to the point where he’s at now….revered, respected and in some quarters, loved.
Legend status now beckons. Well done, Georgios Samaras. HH! to The Big Man.