Gary Hooper has scored once in his last 23 appearances for Norwich City, an ultimately meaningless goal as his team lost that day. Prior to that, he scored five in eight in games in which Norwich collected 10 points, while he opened his account for them with a brace in the League Cup against Watford. The latter stages of that 23 game desolate run has been marred by an injury he collected preseason, returning to league duty this month.
This is not the player you or I will recognise. Gary was more than capable of going through a dry patch, but he was an undisputed penalty box finisher, who seemed to perform better, the better the competition. Now he has to sit alongside Jos Hooiveld on the Norwich bench, as his in-form club, with in-form players, occupy a play-off place. Think of that for a moment, Hooper and Hooiveld, largely indistinguishable on form for Norwich.
It’s no surprise that Neil Lennon wanted him at Bolton, he knows Gary is a better player than probably anyone in Norwich realise. Norwich rejected the bid, as they were reluctant to weaken their squad, but already this season is looking unlikely to add much to the end of career Gary Hooper Highlights DVD.
Celtic are already on the case to sign John Guidetti on a permanent deal, he’s looked the part since he first touched the ball in a Celtic shirt, but by contrast, Stefan Scepovic has looked awkward. The early goals didn’t come, he looked short of a game plan and when a header missed the target on Thursday night, one guy behind me bellowed the kind of comment you hope a player looking for confidence doesn’t hear.
I don’t know any more about Stefan than you, but I absolutely know we’ve not seen the best of him, just as Norwich haven’t seen the best of Gary. This guy has the background we want in a new recruit, scoring well in the Spanish second tier and wanted by top tier club.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Celtic player as happy to score as Stefan was against Astra. The finish against Kilmarnock will have built on whatever confidence boost he received. The project is back on course. He needs to continue to find the net, and we need to remember how to support a player as he settles into a new life.
We’ve had a great run of momentum with the help of Magners in recent weeks. The club sponsor have offered a couple of premium match tickets, on the back of which we’ve asked for donations from £1 to Mary’s Meals.
It’s been great to see this in action. We get lots of £1 and £2 donations, but plenty of people chip in with a lot more. It’s been a great way of ensuring prizes are open to everyone.
Today we formally launch the bid to build a fourth school kitchen in Malawi for Mary’s Meals. During 2014 you funded the construction of three kitchens, which feed close to 2000 of the world’s poorest children each day. All of them live below the UN measure of absolute poverty.
Over the last 20 years the number of people living below $1.25 per day has halved. Organisations like Mary’s Meals are making enormous inroads. Those kids aren’t just getting a meal, more of them are able to attend school (up 30%) as they don’t need to work for food. This improves their academic achievements and gives them skills which will be with them throughout their lives, increasing personal, regional and national productivity.
93% of the money raised by Mary’s Meals reaches those on the ground. It costs around $12 to feed a child for an entire year. It’s almost incalculable what your money does.
Magners have kindly offered two debenture hospitality seats for The Celtic Suite, including buffet lunch, for the Inverness game on Saturday, which are available for auction here on ebay. The journey we had last year in building those three kitchens was remarkable, I know we’ll enjoy the new project.
Current bid is £1 to get in quick!
Big thanks to Magners, b.t.w. This help goes a long, long, way.
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Geordie Munro
18:45 on
28 October, 2014
Somert ironic about a Sammyphile getting on hoopers case about not doing it in big games and failing now he’s moved on ;p
..
George..You don’t do Double Irony do You..;-)
My Point regarding Hooper Not doing it in Big Games or against Big Clubs stands up..and l was Stating it Years Ago..
Sammy Not doing it in Big Games..I Take it You don’t follow Celtic in Europe or Watch World Cups or Euro Championship..
Summa
Hamiltontim
Vg and true.HH.
geordie munro
My moral compass isn’t guided by Hearts. They deserve credit for making the decision but it has no baring on my anger and disgust directed at our board.
We should pay the LW because it’s the right and decent thing to do and because it focuses on our founding principles.
Summa,
World cups???
1 freakin penalty.
Shame he couldn’t do it from a similar distance out at ibrox.
HT 18.51
Brilliant!
HT
I was probably embarrassed about something stupid, you’re not.
We’ve even had confusion on the Blog today between minimum, and living wage.
I think Celtic will move to the living wage, long before the next fan survey, where the question won’t be necessary.
Hearts don’t generally get things right, and timing for Celtic will be met outwith an SMSM gun, put to their head.
Celtic are firefighting on so many front’s especially my own predilection…….. the emptying stadium.
H.T.
Interesting keep us in the loop if you are able to. Don’t hold out much hope though.
Marrakesh
I’m a big Sam Cooke fan and I agree Rod does a wonderful version.
Good Evening.
There will be a sense of missing the bus tonight following the announcement that Hearts Football Club intends to become a living wage employer.
That need not be so as there was no prospect of Celtic PLC ( for that would be who the employer is ) adopting a living wage policy before the AGM in November.
At the current time, the PLC board are suggesting that shareholders vote against the provision and as I understand it the reasoning behind such a stance is that to do otherwise would undermine the role of the remuneration committee of the company.
With respect to the directors this is total nonsense as the remuneration committee would retain control over when and how any policy decision to pay the living wage was implemented.
However, leaving most of the arguments about whether the living wage should or should not be paid, I believe that to not do so is in fact bad business on the part of the PLC board.
The very fact that Hearts’ decision to pay the living wage has made the news lets you know that such a moral and social stance is de facto “news”. It is not bad news or negative news or news that throws the Edinburgh club under a bad light.
On the contrary, it is news which will make many of the fans of that club proud to say that their club was the first in Scotland to take a positive stance on the living wage issue. I will wager that as a result there will be increased turnover at the Hearts’ tills over the weekend as the fans recognise that there is good moral cause to support the club financially.
In contrast, Celtic dither, remain disconnected from the majority of the fan base in terms of numbers, and simply await an upturn in financial fortunes instead of taking an initiative which would make the fans proud and more likely to support the club with additional cash purchases.
Whatever you think of the argument for or against the living wage in terms of social policy, the failure to connect with the mood of your core audience or customer base and so risk increasing financial downturn is simply bad business that will ultimately be measured in pounds shillings and pence.
How do you measure a best cover version?
Possibly by measuring whether the cover becomes the standard version of the song?
If that is so then Roxy Music’s Jealous Guy may well be an unmatchable contender despite not being one of my personal favourites.
Mary Black’s Fields of Barley or The first time ever I saw your face by Roberta Flack may well win it for me.
Did anyone hear Chic Young tonight trying to say that Mike Ashey will be a good thing….Jesus wept….classic line from Willie Miller….” Chic, it’s only a loan against assets, not an injection as you say”. He read my mind completely…..they will never learn..
HT,
You’ve made that clear all along mate. But Its your decision to be embarrassed tonight that I’m questioning.
Also, nothing there for you to be personaly embarrassed about as you would pass the noble law if the decision was yours ;)
HT
Thanks for the update.
I was hurt by the high-handed and peremptory way that the Board dealt with the issue at the last AGM. I am surprised that they have chosen to remain distant with The Celtic Trust since they know that it will be raised again and fans are watching for their reasoning and response.
I am not embarrassed that Hearts instituted this before us. It is a good thing to do not a good thing, per se, to be first to do so. I will praise Hearts for doing it and I hope we can praise Celtic for being more responsive to positive suggestions.
I wish you well in your meeting with JPT. Just one wee word of advice- referring to it as a U-turn is a wee bit combative. “Seeing the light” or “being persuaded of the merits of this course of action” would be better. It is our purpose to persuade them not to get one over on them, and I appreciate your efforts in that regard.
Good evening friends.
I hope other clubs including our own join Hearts in this initiative; well done to them.
Remember your roots CELTIC.
Covers:
I Fought the Law – The Clash
Dirty Old Town – The Pogues
Johnny Cash – Hurt
The Stranglers-Walk on By
HH
Bourne
Yes I know your thoughts on the ever decreasing attendances and completely agree.
The club need to fight the battles that matter most to the general support. If this happens it may go some way to address your own particular bug bear.
Best cover-Harry Potter’s cloak
As a Celt and a shareholder I support the minimum wage.
I do, however, have a few questions for the SMSM currently sticking the boot in:
(1) BBC, does everyone working for you, in any capacity, get at least the Minimum wage?
(2) STV, does everyone working for you, in any capacity, get at least the Minimum wage?
(3) The Daily Record, does everyone working for you, in any capacity, get at least the Minimum wage?
(4) The Scottish (or any) Sun, does everyone working for you, in any capacity, get at least the Minimum wage?
Way past time for us to be doing the right thing, but I won’t listen to these hypocrites.
Johnny Cash….Hurt
Talking Heads….Take Me To The River
Worst
Simply Red….Heaven
.
Geordie Munro
18:55 on
28 October, 2014
Summa,
World cups???
1 freakin penalty.
Shame he couldn’t do it from a similar distance out at ibrox.
..
Come away Ma Wee Goerdie..
How many has Hoops Scored in The World Cup..Oops..
Make that How many has Hoops scored for England..Oops
Make that How many has Hoops played for England..Oops
Make that How many times has Hoops been Selected for England….
On Second thoughts maybe You do..Do Doubly Irony..Ha
Summa
JNP/SFTB
It’s not a 1-1 meeting, I believe there will be about 30 others and last time PL and other board members were present.
T, thanks for the advice but despite looking more like a jannie and being somewhat brash in my attitude occasionally, I can put on more appropriate ‘hats’ when the occasion requires :-)
BRTH –
For the first time in my life I’m going to take issue with something that you’ve said. Roxy Music’s version of Jealous Guy has not become the standard in my book. I’m reassured to know that you don’t rate it much either.
John’s vocals on the original are probably his best performance as a soloist. In my humble opinion of course.
But everything else in the world you know more about than me ;-)
Long haired yins man
He really is beyond help. His bumming up of Murray was laughable, if consistent at least!
Brogan Rogan
Great call on measuring a cover version by how much people see it as definitive or even think it is original
Jealous Guy is a great call, also Hendrix version of Watchtower suggested earlier
Mine would be:
Wherever I lay my hat- Paul Young
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Amarillo – Peter Kay
GM
I’ve made my point and genuinely don’t want to drag the blog down so I’m going to leave it for now pal.
Hope you’re well sir?
wee cover version for Hamiltontim
http://youtu.be/fHwLwYqL660
:-)))
Roy Croppie @ 19:01, The Stranglers cover of Walk on By a classic….this was a B side 7 inch single along with “what an old codger I am””
for some good covers get along to see Luka Bloom during celtic Connections
Paul67 et al
In no particular order;
Jumping Jack Flash – The late Johnny Winters – OGWT version – 1970s. Superior to the Stones at their best.
Roll Over Beethoven – Mountain with Leslie West on lead guitar
Sympathy for the Devil – Pattie Smith, again OGWT version 1970s.
Kiss of death bets just put on-
Double – St Johnstone (7/2) and Bournemouth (6/5)
Single – St Johnstone at minus 1 goal (11/1).
Jobo
Glasstwothirdsfull….indeed, taxpayers money and all that…HH!!
The bbc indulging in half an hour of sevco slobbering, a club followed by fascists and run by criminals.
Glad I’ve cancelled the tv license.
.
l Wonder if Charlie Nicholas is Sitting there Thinking..
Cannae believe Yon HamiltonTim Wisnae Embarrassed when thon Baw Battered his Coupon..
Summa
bognorbhoy oscar in my thoughts
19:11 on 28 October, 2014
Those fan dans copied me!!! :-)
Jobo Balde
I respect your opinion on Jealous Guy but Roxy version gave me one of the best laughs in P6 when my schoolmate said she thought it was Jelly Sky!
maybe not the best but still good
fyc
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2aha4uEpEQ
Long haired yins man..
I heard Young’s fawning endorsement, but Huns of Strewth spokesman Craig Houston was all doom and gloom. He’d obviously been digging on Ashley and his report would not have been easy listening for Deadco fans.
Any chance the lesser spotted Walt will come of hiding to support Ashley? Him, McCoist and Tinfoil heed have a great record of backing the wrong horse.
long haired yins man
so it was :) ole George Melly on the vocals of Old Codger.
HH
whitedoghunch
19:12 on
28 October, 2014
for some good covers get along to see Luka Bloom during celtic Connections
Keeper of the flame
was just sitting here thinking ™ charlie
who is the best cover version singer ?
rod ,christie or luka… any more ?
Summa
Get it right, it was a header :-)
Congratulations to you by the way mate.