The keeper’s deal with the devil

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The job of a backup keeper is unlike any other role.  Unlike outfield players, they can often pick up a wage without ever seeing first team action.  There was recently a keeper at Benfica who had more winners’ medals than appearances to his name.

It’s a deal with the devil.  Pick up wages not available elsewhere, but give up on actually playing football.  Craig Gordon chose the route less travelled in 2020, when he rejected a contract at Celtic and moved to Hears for around half the money, in order to play.  Just one week later, Fraser Forster decided against signing for Celtic, we were left without a keeper and Craig missed out on playing for Celtic, as well as a bumper contract.

Benjamin Siegrist left Dundee United two years ago knowing he would see little action at Celtic.  Four appearances later he is off to join Neil Lennon at Rapid Bucharest.  You have to assume he hopes to play there, but at 32 and having been inactive for so long, there are no guarantees he will make the grade.

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  1. Prestonpans bhoys on

    The only interesting thing about this game is the crowd shots, to see if I recognise anyone else 🫣

  2. Glenowen

     

     

    There’s no mention of the Manchester airport police in Paul’s leader but here we are discussing it, amongst many other topics not raised in the leader.

     

     

    We are and always are discussing recruitment issues regardless of what takes Paul’s interest on the day.

     

     

    So why frame your question as if there is some motive for avoiding it? Seems odd to me.

     

     

    Most of the words and topics on CQN are written by someone other than Paul- he just owns the blog and writes the leader- otherwise you are free to write what you want about recruitment.

     

     

    There is no need to refer to “we” having a shared policy or censorship.

  3. Can’t see Killie holding out in this tie as Cercle Bruges are much faster. McInnes seems to be hoping to bore them to sleep with a defensive set up and sneak one goal when they do. Even then- there’s a doing awaiting them in Belgium.

     

     

    I have higher hopes for St. Mirren in Iceland.

  4. garygillespieshamstring on

    Mate of mine got second hand artificial grass from a guy he knew as he had drainage problems round the back and wanted to get rid of the grass to let the kids play.

     

     

    Laid the grass in his back garden. His wife was less than impressed when she saw the penalty spot on her “new” artificial lawn.

     

     

    His mate had got the stuff when they were upgrading the grass at one of the council facilities.

  5. TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 25TH JULY 2024 7:48 PM

     

    GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING

     

     

     

     

     

     

    When Jock was offered the Celtic job in 1965 he made it clear to Bob Kelly that he would only accept if he was given full control over team selection.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    His first stint as Scotland boss was always a temprary caretaker position so not sure how much say he had in team selecti————

     

     

    that is going to be a search for me tomorrow, the games that jock managed and who was actually selected

  6. PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 25TH JULY 2024 8:16 PM

     

    The only interesting thing about this game is the crowd shots, to see if I recognise anyone else 🫣

     

     

    ——–

     

     

    is that derek mcinnes ?

  7. garygillespieshamstring on

    St Stivs

     

     

    I know one was Italy. I’ll leave you do your research, but you will find the team line up interesting.

  8. Weebobbycollins on

    Bhoyjoebelfast…

     

    Re Bobby Brown.

     

     

    “Gave Ronnie Simpson his debut.”

     

     

    Indeed he did. I think faither was already 36 at that time. He always looked like an auld man to me, even at the young age of 36 lol.

  9. BHOYJOEBELFAST on 25TH JULY 2024 8:15 PM

     

     

    WBC @7:57 Re Bobby Brown. Gave Ronnie Simpson his debut.

     

     

    *I believe that a 14 year old Ronnie replaced him in the Spiders goal when he left tae join the huns

  10. garygillespieshamstring on

    Three Scotland managers around that time.

     

     

    Ian McColl (whom Jock replaced), Bobby Brown and John Prentice.

     

     

    All had something in common in their careers in addition to managing Scotland. No prizes for guessing what it was.

  11. the afore mentioned desmond white was a goalkeeper at queens.

     

    as were dozens of celtic connected soo’siders inclding 4 of the kelly brothers.

     

    malky mckays father.

     

    simon donnelly

     

    andy robertson

  12. Tom McLaughlin on

    GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING

     

     

    I watched the Italy v Scotland World Cup game in the gym at school as it was an afternoon kick-off. Italy hammered us 3-0. I remember Davie Provan of Rangers at left-back being run ragged by the Italian no 7.

  13. Weebobbycollins on

    TT…

     

    *I believe that a 14 year old Ronnie replaced him in the Spiders goal when he left tae join the huns

     

     

    Amazing, considering he was a wee 5′ 10″ skelf of a goalie but still a giant compared to Third Lanark’s Jocky Robertson (5′ 6″)

  14. Tom McLaughlin on

    Stein was first appointed manager of Scotland on a part-time basis in the spring of 1965, taking charge of their attempt to qualify for the 1966 World Cup.

     

     

    Scotland achieved good results in their first two qualifiers, a draw against Poland and a win against Finland.

     

     

    Stein was criticised by the Scottish press after the team conceded two late goals and lost 2–1 at home to Poland, but they managed to beat Italy 1–0 at Hampden Park through a last minute goal by John Greig to raise some hope of qualification.

     

     

    Scotland suffered from several players withdrawing from the return match against Italy due to injury. Stein, by instinct an attacking coach, set his team up defensively. A 3–0 defeat meant that they failed to qualify from UEFA Group 8. Stein relinquished the

     

     

    Scotland job after this defeat to concentrate on his full-time role with Celtic.

  15. garygillespieshamstring on

    British Olympic team, possibly 1948? A young Ronnie Simpson at the end of the front row.

  16. garygillespieshamstring on 25th July 2024 8:54 pm

     

     

    British Olympic team, possibly 1948? A young Ronnie Simpson at the end of the front row.

     

     

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

     

     

    Good mhan.

     

     

    Who was the manager (don’t google use the photo)?

     

     

    Belfast Joe – who was the Celt in the squad?

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    GLENOWEN @ 7.40

     

     

    I suspect you like me, hoped circa £117M would be a game changer, football is filled with dreams and dreamers, Celtic supporters like to think our club won, and we moved on up. So far, with five or six weeks to go an unidentified new head of recruitment has at least halted the daisy chain of project signings, where last years were mainly discarded probably by Brendan (who is probably the same guy)

     

     

    Now publicly reassuring the support that he has sat down with Michael ( a lawyer ) and Chris ( an accountant ) in a long meeting, about where he would like to strengthen.

     

     

    We live in hope that Brendan aims as high as a supporter.

     

     

    HH

  18. garygillespieshamstring on 25th July 2024 8:59 pm

     

     

    Matt Busby?

     

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

     

     

    Well done!

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Who is the Celt?

  19. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Tuned in to the Killie game 5 minutes ago, saw the pitch, the crowd (or lack thereof for a supposedly historic occasion) and switched off 30 seconds later.

     

     

    On another note according to Shortie “The Scottish Premiership champions want to take the left-back on a season-long loan after failing to bring him to Glasgow in January”.

     

     

    In the land of the SMSM, Celtic always seem to “fail” whilst the huns “miss out” 🤔

  20. garygillespieshamstring on

    Scullybhoy

     

     

    Only Celt I recognise is Ronnie.

     

    If there is another one, I don’t know who it is.

     

     

    I never Google the answers, so I’ll wait on someone coming up with the answer.

  21. Tom McLaughlin on

    Anyone else see a similarity between Nicholas Kuhn and Patrick Roberts?

     

     

    Both left-footed right-wingers. Same size and stature. Both like to take on defenders and come inside onto their left foot.

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