It was great to see Yang (22) continue his recent development by making a second half appearance for South Korea in their World Cup qualifier against Jordan yesterday. Oh Hyeon-gyu (23), who left for Genk last summer, also made a substitute appearance in the game.
South Korea are 23rd in Fifa ranking, well above Scotland’s 45th place. Harvesting undiscovered talent from this pool is a big win for Celtic and should be encouraged.
You and I have been watching football for a long time but we have never read a statement as frank as Newco’s last week: “if you do not believe in 2025 that absolutely everyone is welcome to follow Rangers whether at Ibrox or away, then Rangers is not the club for you, and you should disassociate yourself with the club immediately.”
That was followed up yesterday with, “In response to the displaying of the racist and/or discriminatory banner at the Fenerbahce game, the club can confirm that it is in the process of issuing lifetime bans to the individuals responsible.”
They also refer to their fans “use of pyrotechnics at Parkhead”, promising “the group responsible”, presumably “ultras” will be subject to loss of ticket privileges, and refer to “the singing of illicit songs”
No couching terms, “racist and/or discriminatory”, no whataboutery. I have never heard a club go so far in tackling their own fans behaviour as Newco this month.
It is easy to be cynical. Uefa have threatened to close the Copeland Road stand if a repeat occurs. This potential loss of revenue will be mentioned in the Due Dilligence report, being prepared for potential investors. The revenue itself is clearly valuable, but the takeover is perhaps critical to on-going operations.
Still, I suspect earlier Newco boards would have got the fan groups into a room and shared the short-term practicalities. The board had choices and chose unequivocal leadership. Fair play to them.
20 years ago, a time before “ultras”, these pages were full of “the songs debate”. It was so frustrating. Individuals could group together and act in a manner which was reported in the news, had reputational and financial consequences for Celtic and other Celtic supporters, but saw no negative consequences personally.
What they got, was a sense of relevance, “Look, I made that news happen” and validation from others who hid in crowds. No one actually had the courage to publicly put their names to their expressed beliefs, that would involve personal consequences.
I hear the new Newco CEO Patrick Stewart is clever. He will know that you cannot advocate for change with a group who derive enormous validation from their collective actions but feel none of the consequences. You either pay the fines and mitigate forever, or draw a line in the sand before they scupper the entire business model. Most fans will understand this and back him, but you cannot teach the unteachable.
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That’ll be Wednesday I smell.
Off to Chicago on Friday to see Wax Tailor.
Have a good one all.
In Sinisalo we trust!
due diligence,
that record report of investment for nurray park, celtic must be ready to open barrowfield surely.
Im not sure fifa rankings and games against Jordan are quite as significant as Paul seems to think they are – I’m putting more weight in years of training & games played while at Celtic.
It’s great to see Yang make progress but in truth, he’s been here two years and I don’t think we can afford to do this as routine – you won’t be winning league titles every season if you’re taking two years to see progress with young players.
On Rangers, the lessons of Tesla are clear. Being associated with right wing racism is a brand killer.
P67, you reference the claim that because South Korea are 23rd in Fifa rankings, well above Scotland’s 45th place then that’s where we as a club should be recruiting talent from.
Let’s set aside the massive cultural readjustment for some Asian players coming to play in Scotland.
If we want reference points for where we should be fishin’ , the Opta Power Rankings ‘…rate thousands of clubs sides around the world, and from that we can judge the strength of the leagues they’re in’ – So Opta’s looking at club teams (not sporadic national sides) and how competitive/good/strong these leagues (and the players within them) are.
https://theanalyst.com/2024/10/strongest-leagues-world-football-opta-power-rankings
What catches my eye is that the English Championship and the MLS both rank very high by Opta’s standards which, again, ranks the strength of the league, the teams and, likely, the players within it.
You say we should be unearthing gems on the other side of the world yet the English Championship, the MLS and the Belgian Jupiter and Danish Superligen all seem to be more competitive and strong by Opta data.
Were Brendan to be scouting at ECL players imagine the brickbats he’d cop !!
Of course, if data on low price punts in leagues that don’t merit an Opta mention (like the Korean League) is the methodology you swear by well I guess that’s a valid approach.
But the English Championship may not be such a bad bet at all (and cheaper airfares to get to Scotland, too!).
As for the currants. they’d say anything at any time to get some solvency dosh in.
Dominant kulchur eats financial strategy for world class brekkies, in the long term
I gather the development pathway for Viljami Sinisalo just got surfaced.
Vasilas Barkas had his sandwiches wrapped up in a roadmap.
Paul67 et al
I think it is fair to say that Rangers* FC are talking the talk…..
But the question remains,….are they walking the walk?
Celtic Mac on 26th March 2025 12:45 pm
Paul67 et al
I think it is fair to say that Rangers* FC are talking the talk…..
But the question remains,….are they walking the walk?
——————–
Yes …. All bloody summer..
Yang demonstrates clearly that if BR thinks there’s something there to work with then he’s prepared to be extremely patient and put the work in.
There’s not many managers that would put two years work into a player before seeing a pay back.
An Dún on 26th March 2025 1:01 pm
Good point !
Meanwhile over in Embra, Yutara Oda, is heading back to Japan after two years at Hearts….
Sometimes things just do not work out. Got more game time than Yang though
It wasn’t long ago Jamesie was “our best winger.”
Doubtful we’d have seen any development at all in Yang if he’d have been fit, no international call-ups.
A development plsan that depends on senior players being injured isnt much of a plan at
YORKBHOY, properly laughed out loud reading your quip, thanks
Ave Ave
Good afternoon all. I hope ye are all hale and hearty.
After Sevcos statement advising fans to stay away, if they don’t believe that anyone should be able to follow them , then they could be heading for their lowest attendance ever !!
I reckon their next Ibrox home fixture could be watched by about 2683 supporters, lol.
No gig again this weekend for one VAR referee, none since he made his factual error at Easter Rd, and bullied his assistant into changing his mind. With no evidence to show there was a factual error, or that VAR should be involved in the first place, it was no mean feat by the official to have Daizen Maeda’s goal chalked off.
So far, he’s down about £2000 as a full time VAR referee but there was no official announcements from Hamdump other than his decision was called wrong by the head of VAR.
No statements, Celtic tantrums or blaze of publicity in SMSM, the upshot is the same officials that make these honest mistakes get sanctions, one still getting them 10 years after the infamous ICT handball. Was this a Dougie Dougie moment? – doubt it, VAR is meant to prevent those, not create them.
The Ibrox board had plenty time to issue their statement on fan behaviour ,but ,didn’t bother until they got word of the UEFA charge, so they emerge with no credit from me, the statement is to smooth any sale of shares of the shareholders who want out.
P67, Dessybhoy et al,
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out with Thems.
My first reaction on seeing their statement , which is extraordinarily abrasive , was that it was essentially
virtue signalling, primarily to appease the potential buyers but UEFA too.
They may well ban a few fans to throw the investors a bone on this but how the core fan base will react remains anyone’s guess, particularly as the Club itself has , at best, turned a blind eye to the the worse of their bigotry and racism and , at worst, actively pandered to the worst of their fan base.
* P67 frantically researching the missing link,Kwon for tomorrow’s article, another from a Transfer Window long long ago
at worst, actively pandered to the worst of their fan base.
—————-
barry the bankrupt turning up at training in an orange ford ranger, i mean how do you even get that as a colour chice.
the orange training tops at celtic park.
the all orange goalkeeper kit at celtic park,
i am sure the release of new kits is timed for peak marching season.
Ouch.
Don’t sit on the fence Pablo.
😉
dad dad, what is a trophy hunt ?
https://1.losttec.com/TROPHY.jpg
SAINT STIVS on 26TH MARCH 2025 2:39 PM
100%
And … the banning of green Pepperonis and pizzas from their kiosks ( so I’ve heard – can’t vouch for it)
and …. the whole Armed Forces Day nonsense, especially over the period when they were actively stiffing Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for millions at a time when the Armed forces lost service men and women through lack of proper equipment.
SAINT STIVS on 26TH MARCH 2025 2:55 PM
dad dad, what is a trophy hunt ?
————
I hope the Face Painter’s asked for their fee upfront…
UEFA statement.
A hun’s a hun for aw that.
the long wait is over on 26th March 2025 2:05 pm
……
The Hun board would become the most honest and dignified in the Western World if they had said…
[ “Wokeism is a mind virus which most other weak and less dignified clubs, and their Virtue Signalling fans, make an absolute arse of themselves over. Taking the knee for the B.L.M. money laundering rakiteers and their fugly unisex rioters who burnt down half of America for 4 lost years under the rule of the creepy as fk Biden Crime Family.
So, as the number “49” is treasonous in the Old Firm backwater, just ask the suckulent dim Timmy Virtue signallers about their PLC’s £49 ticket trick ( Shhh most of them huvny a Scooby Shhhh ) that £49 trick got us away with the “Same Club Lie” in 2016. Thanks dim Timmy agent shills. So, Mr “49er” ye can stick your Yankee $dollars on wee Bawwy winning the Europa League and then you can pay us what YOU owe us. Ok Mr Yanky bhoy?” ]
Over to you Tony. 🫣👍☘️
https://youtu.be/r6DUwMnDxEs
Wanyama to Dunfermline 😳
The big man was playing with AJ in Montreal, they won the cup together a few years ago…
Bada
How soon for a red card for putting a hun into orbit? And that will probably be the ref.😂
Rangers GK assaults wee boy!
https://x.com/MailSport/status/1904563361653588400
Surely any prospective Sevco purchasers would be put off by the ingrained bigotry. Something that cannot simply be airbrushed with a “statement”.
Liverpool could set Celtic up for summer Jeremie Frimpong windfall jackpot.
Depending obviously on the eventual transfer fee estimates as high as £7M are quoted, if they get their man from Leverkusen who last played for Celtic in 2020.
Nice strategy CSC Liverpool could set Celtic up for summer Jeremie Frimpong windfall jackpot.
Depending obviously on the eventual transfer fee estimates as high as £7M are quoted, if they get their man from Leverkusen who last played for Celtic in 2020.
Nice strategy – Kerching CSC
Ah mean, when Tims stand shoulder to shoulder with the Daily Record in support of “Wokeism” then you know that we have arrived in La La land.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reason-rangers-ultras-banner-racist-34935822
Woke isn’t a race unless the Daily Record and zio colonised Western Governments are trying to deceive you. lol
Only the straight talking WPB will set you free.
Problem is – Tims aren’t big enough to get over themselves to vote for Britain’s only anti Woke party – WPB.
What a tit.
Jock Stein – Dunfermline – Hibs – Celtic
Neil Lennon – Celtic – Hibs – Dunfermline
Personally I agree. We have to look to develop value signings from wherever.
We seem to be reverting to signing Trusty EPL types rather than showing ambition and enthusiasm for a more ambitious approach.
Still it seems most on here are happy to be winning the league this season and not really caring about longer term wellbeing.
Maybe all bored with 25 years of dominance domestically.
In Brendan everyone seems to trust.
Until a basket case of a team at rangers with show they have our number and then he decides his time is up ?