Tarnished football brands, Europe recovers, Craig Gordon

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Lots of credit to the USA and Switzerland, who bowed out of the World Cup in dramatic fashion yesterday, leaving four European and four Latin American teams fighting out for the spoils.  Europe has recovered from its shaky group stage performance, keeping the door open a little longer for smaller European nations.

While plaudits for a fine tournament will be spread far and wide, the tournament has not provided a breakthrough credit for Africa, Asia, or the USA, none of whom will find the going any easier when the bandwagon reaches Eastern Europe four years from now.

Surprised it’s taken this long to get a deal sorted for Craig Gordon.  Considering the player’s lengthy injury history, Celtic have perhaps delayed to allow fitness tests over an extended period.  I’m treating tabloid comment that the potential arrival of Craig is linked to Fraser Forster moving on as idle mischief.  We need three keepers and usually have three, as do most top clubs.

So, a day after Luis Suarez issues a heartfelt mea culpa, Barcelona let it be known they are in talks with Liverpool over acquiring the player.  He is without question one of the most gifted players of our time but the phrase “transparent charlatan” seems appropriate.  Brand Barca is slowly slipping, with tax scams, directorial bungs and contrived contrition.

His actions caused enough dissonance on Merseyside to damage brand Liverpool, he’ll win Barcelona football games but stands a high probability of doing the same in Catalonia.  The commitment to reform is meaningless, as he is not in a position to make good on it.  Yet.

Barcelona led the way on establishing an ethical, aspirational, football brand.  I think they’ve forgotten what I’m hoping we learn.

The 10-in-a-row CQN Charity Golf Day takes place at the magnificent Aberdour course on Friday.  This year we will hear from Celtic legend, Frank McGarvey, and former Glasgow lawyer after dinner specialist, Len Murray.


This year we are raising money for Glasgow the Caring City and The Cookiejar Foundation.  We have two copies of this magnificent canvas, signed by Billy McNeill, one is available to the highest bidder on ebay here.

The other is available for raffle.  Every donor to this JustGiving page gets an entry in the raffle.  The minimum donation is £1, which we can all afford to participate in, although you can donate as much as you want.  Our thanks to @BarryMcGonigle for the image on the canvas and OPG Graphics for creating the work.

Glasgow the Caring City said, “Glasgow the Caring City is Glasgow’s people’s charity.  As well as working with the underprivileged in our own city the charity has delivered literally millions of pounds of overseas aid and development gifts-in-kind on a shoestring budget.

“From educational supplies to soap and medicines, from tents and warm clothes to prescription glasses.  We once delivered a donated fire truck! Having provided emergency relief to war, famine, flood and earthquake victims in the past the charity would love to take this relatively quiet time in terms of world emergency to invest in its development projects, taking children out of war and teaching them in agricultural sustainability projects.

“The support of the CQN community has always been received with huge gratitude, thank you once again for supporting us this year.”  Rev Neil Galbraith.

The Cookiejar Foundation was set up in memory of Christopher Coutts who died from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 19.  Money raised from this raffle will go towards the Cookiejar’s providing of vein finders for the Chemotherapy wards at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy & cancer wards in the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

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555 Comments

  1. I think it would be great if Craig Gordon could become Hunskelper II, following on from BBJ.

  2. Sargassosea

     

     

    I was born in 1957 but my dad was always reciting that team to me. Malcolm MacDonald was his favourite, but the whole Lisbon Lions team won him over.

  3. macjay1

     

     

    How could I forget THEMS? Never stopped hearing about them. Each one must have had 500m supporters worldwide, before it became a world record!

  4. ger57

     

     

    For some strange reason the ’38 team was recited to me much more than the Coronation Cup team. Maybe my father thought I should remember that one myself, as I was born in ’49.

  5. Sargassosea

     

     

    I think that 1938 team were particularly loved because of their fluent passing style of play. My dad said the forwards were terrific to watch.

     

    HH

  6. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    ger57

     

    02:06 on

     

    3 July, 2014

     

    Macjay

     

     

    Why lower the tone by reciting a hun team from the early 60s?

     

    ——————————————————————————————————————

     

    O.K.

     

     

    Beattie

     

    Donnelly and Fallon

     

    Fernie Evans and Peacock

     

    Tully Collins McPhail Wilson and Mochan.

     

     

    Young

     

    Loney and Hay

     

    Quinn Somers and Hamilton

     

    …………..Canny remember the rest.

  7. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    The team “mantra” was probably killed off by the introduction of “subs”.

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    You can sing that one instead of “The Bells of Hell” on yer next cruise,bud!

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Bobby

     

     

    It would be a solo,mate.

     

    Nobody else knows the words.

     

    Can`t wait for the return of our Tims and the fitba` chat instead of………..well you know.

     

    Keep well,pal.

  10. BMCW

     

     

    That would go well with the one that our arithmeticians and abacus users of the ’60s sung – “a 1, a 2, a 3” etc… We never got above 7.

     

    Maybe they were some of our early computer programmers.

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    SARGASSOSEA

     

     

    Sounds like the abacus I use for counting my drinks when I’m driving at night.

     

     

    Fortunately early morning drinking doesn’t involve big crowds,because the rounds would confuse the hell outa me!

  12. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    Solo?

     

     

    I’m not even allowed to sing in large crowds.

     

     

    TonedeafCSC

  13. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    Very interesting effect when you touch and hold the screen.

     

     

    Where is it?

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Sargassosea

     

    03:29 on

     

    3 July, 2014

     

     

    Yes.Thanks.

     

    I`d forgotten that one.

     

     

    A one,a two a three a four a five

     

    We`ll “beat” the Rangers in the cup as sure as we`re alive

     

     

    To the tune of the “Hello Hello”

     

     

    It`s like meeting an old friend.

  15. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Bobby.

     

    Sorry,mate.Multitasking.

     

    Hit the left side of the screen for an update photo of the same spot.

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    That was what I meant when I said it had an interesting effect when you touch and hold the screen. Technology,eh?

     

     

    Still not gotta clue where it is,but don’t tell me. See if any of the dayshift fellas can place it.

  17. Macjay/Bobby M

     

     

    Recognised it straight away………lived there in the late 90s…..won’t give it away though.

     

     

    HH

  18. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    LYMMBHOY

     

     

    Good man. I reckon I know where it is too,a wee town associated wi the bevvy.

     

     

    But I cheated to do it.

  19. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

    03:49 on

     

    3 July, 2014

     

     

    Mate.Don`t know what you`re getting,but there are ten wartime images.Then and now.

     

    Tells you the location of each at the bottom of the photograph.

     

    You on the bevy?:-)

  20. macjay

     

     

    Only one on the link you posted.

     

     

    Bobby M

     

     

    Not sure about the bevvy link……..but fair to say I had quite a few there.

     

     

    HH

  21. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    Never drink on a Thursday,mate. Not enough recovery time between shifts. But I could only get one location from the link you posted.

     

     

    Might be the equipment I’m using (iPad)

     

     

    I’ll give it a go on my laptop later. Need to hit the hay anyway.

  22. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    lymmbhoy

     

    04:18 on

     

    3 July, 2014

     

     

    Very strange.

     

    Scrolling down reveals the others on my link on C.Q.N.

  23. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

    04:22 on

     

    3 July, 2014

     

    Nae worries.

     

    Kip well.

  24. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    LYMMBHOY

     

     

    Right enough. I retract that one.

     

     

    Ironically,I’ve been to the location plenty of times as we have a print centre down there.

     

     

    And about twenty years ago I delivered a lot of electrical equipment to the nearby prisons.

     

     

    A lot easier to get into since a certain event in 2012.

  25. macjay

     

     

    Like Bobby M I’m on an iPad.

     

     

    Bobby M

     

     

    Indeed……..although there is a rather fenianny sounding brewery just up the hill ;-)

     

     

    HH

  26. skyisalandfill on

    macjay

     

     

    Fantastic wartime photos and love the timechange effect.

     

     

    HH

  27. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    sky

     

     

    Reminds me of a book of photographs I bought.

     

     

    Glasgow :Then and now.

  28. skyisalandfill on

    macjay

     

     

    Aye I’ve seen some of them.

     

     

    These are quite spooky in a way.

     

     

    With regards your story on the HMS Iolaire, I. as promised looked into it a wee bit more and found that the local Stornoway newspaper, not once but twice this year described the victoms as soldiers, not sailors, much to the ire of many locals who had great uncles, grandfathers et lost in the tradgedy. Needless to say Eck on a recent visit. also put his foot in it by mentioning something about brave souls returning from the trenches.

     

     

    They found one guy hanging by his arms from a mast, the only thing above water, the following morning. He had been one of eight doing so as the boat went down. None of the rest lasted the night

     

     

    Chilling story

     

     

    Thanks again for bringing it to my attention.

     

     

    HH