Amid the noise ahead of our Champions League duties the most important news in European football went largely below radar. Angel Maria Villar Llona pulled out of the race to become Uefa president ahead of next week’s election. This leaves former Ajax chief, Michael van Praag and Slovenian FA president, Aleksander Ceferin, left in the race.
This is good news. The big Spanish clubs have been prime movers in clawing as much power for Europe’s richest leagues, their cause would have been boosted if Villar Llona was elected. By contrast, van Praag’s Ajax heritage reflects those marginalised by smaller TV deals, including Celtic.
We don’t want an inextricable slide towards a Champions League where meritocracy is replaced by the rich looking after themselves. This is the desire of rich clubs in Spain and Germany, who worry about the commercial drift towards the FA Premier League.
Instead, regionalisation of Europe’s leagues is a far better option, even for the Spanish, who if they want to earn commercial deals comparable to the English and Welsh league should team up with Portugal and France.
Every month I’m asked by an 11-year-old, “Will Celtic win the Champions League in my lifetime?” If we want to be champions of Europe again we need to end the national league structure which has disenfranchised more than half of the continent already, including many former powers in the game.
News that Leonel Messi has returned to light training after injury means he is almost certain to start against Celtic on Tuesday. His base fitness and lifestyle is such that a few days training is all that he’ll need to be match ready.
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Following on from Dr Ramesh
Saturday’s midfield battle:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VDhNutbXpFE
POGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES on 7TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:24 PM
The ol’ bugger is never out of it! : > )
Im having a bet on Nir bursting the sevco net with a 30yd screamer.
Come on big yin:)
Big Nir Hunskelper
HH
DDV
Gambao Lustig Toure Shev Tierney
Forrest Brown Rogic
Griffiths Sinclair
I think this will be the team BR picks….maybe…
One of the links from the top of the blog gave the wages per week of the Celtic team from last season, I’m not sure how accurate it is but for me it was an eyeopener.
I do realise some have had a change of contract since.
As for Nir…on his game he can be exceptional, sadly, he can be far to inconsistent for my liking. HH
The Green Man
If playing I hope he scores 3 30 yard hunskelpers. :-)
MWD
Barney,
Armchair quarterbacks/ keyboard coaches.
I’m sure players and managers alike would laugh.
HH
Tgm,
I hope big nir does too.
And I hope someone is kind enough to tell you about it later on :p
HH
Why oh why would anyone call a street in Mississauga – Loyalist drive – that’s the last walk we Riley gets heading in that direction :-)))
Right time for an hour in the Sun
Hail Hail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IobkUo6uot0
Joey Barton
br knows we’re not the finished article and the formation and jobs of the players are going to have to compensate for some players’ weaknesses. new rangers will run and run. they will pass well and hassle us. they won’t make many chances and will be targeting goals from set pieces. they will have confidence – they beat us well last time and are league leaders.
Lurkers of the team we play on sat – please look up the meaning of the term ‘primary source’. There are many primary sources which indicate irrefutably that rangers were liquidated and the club called rangers now is a new club. These primary sources are national sporting bodies, international sporting bodies, national legal bodies, governmental agencies, local legal officers and agencies. There are also numerous secondary sources such as papers, charles green etc etc. etc. who have indicated that the club called rangers were liquidated and the club called rangers now (new rangers) is a new club.
Geordie Munro
Barney,
Armchair quarterbacks/ keyboard coaches.
I’m sure players and managers alike would laugh.
HH
————————————————————————-
Excuse me, I’m a swivel-chair sitting midfielder…
POG…
Noo that was funny mate. HH
MWD & Geordie Munro
Well bhoys…We have seen big Nir smash a few in…..and on Saturday, the big yin will show he is a good player.
Cmon Nir, smash wan in:)
HH
Here’s a new piece about my pal Alan, who doesn’t like what he is reading in the papers…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/the-invisible-man/
cowiebhoy
cant make it friday, but say hi to the bhoys.
hope to see you friday pm at the irish club.
Also….I like big Nir when he stands up for his bhoys.
The big yin doesnt like it when thugs kick Celtic players:)
Cmon Nir, give them hell son.
HH
Anybody able to fast track me to the ticket office apparently season ticket holders can’t
book on line for the CL package? Tried phoning but massive queue.
FAN-A-TIC on 7TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:06 PM
Against Happoel away he either gave ball away or passed to a team mate under pressure.
________________
You are wrong (so was I); this is an excerpt from a piece I did after the Hapoel game: The other player who came in for a lot of criticism was Nir Bitton; again, at second viewing Bitton wasn’t the worst player on the night by any stretch of the imagination. He had more involvement in the game than any other midfield player completing 31 of 33 passes – an 82% passing success rate. He also received the ball 25 times; more than any other player apart from Janko. So the perception that Bitton was hiding is just wrong. He may not have been as dynamic as other players but he was in the mix more than anyone else in the middle and, it would seem from the stats, taking more responsibility and being more effective than others in the midfield. I didn’t see that at all on Tuesday night and was very critical of him in my piece yesterday. I was wrong!
The full piece is<a href="http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/humble-pie-before-zadoc-the-priest/ here:
That’s why Rodgers rates him.
FAC the Act
KTF
Bsr,
Have you tried online and are being refused?
I’m sure I got a mail a week or so ago saying packages are available till tomorrow night.
I’m on hcts so didn’t pay jt 100% attention. Apolos if I’m wrong.
HH
I’VEHADTOCHANGEMYNAME on 7TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:46 PM
br knows we’re not the finished article and the formation and jobs of the players are going to have to compensate for some players’ weaknesses. new rangers will run and run. they will pass well and hassle us. they won’t make many chances and will be targeting goals from set pieces. they will have confidence – they beat us well last time and are league leaders.
___________________________________________
They have never beaten us in 2 attempts (1 loss and a draw) and they are not top of the league – Celtic are.
FAC the Act
KTF
BSR, call 0141 230 1967 – shorter queue
FAC the Act
KTF
Geordie
Aye ta – it was online, say three match package but there is no option buy, stuck in a queue on the phone now
VFR
ta – i tried that, and gave up as i was seventeenth.
BSR I got mines online yesterday?
Bsr,
It’s season book holders only right now.
You’ll have to join the hun queue on Friday. (cheekysmileythingy)
HH
A light / Geordie
Sneaked in, all sorted on the phone
oops vfr – me talkin shi*e there
I was on the Celtic official site 20 minutes ago and purchased the 3-game package. Didn’t have any problem. Received an instant email confirming purchase and transaction details. .
VFR –
The 1967 line is purely for customer service and will not process ticket sales.
I hope messi plays, might aswell play against the best while we’re at it
A repost from earlier for anyone who missed it.
07/09/16 FAC activist targeted by police: an attack on one is an attack on all
As reported on the front page of the Herald today, a prominent activist within the FAC campaign and one of our public spokespersons was notified last Friday that he was being charged under the Offensive Behaviour Act. The charge relates to an allegation that he held a banner at a game more than six months ago which criticised the police.
In the more than four years that we have campaigned against this Act, we, as an organisation, have been followed, harassed and intimidated; our representatives have been forcibly prevented from taking notes in an open court and we have had a Section 12 Notice of the Public Order Act served upon us while lobbying the SNP conference. In each case our complaints against the police have been upheld and they have been forced to issue apologies.
This charge against one of our most prominent activists at a time when we are in the middle of a public consultation on the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour Act surpasses all of these in terms of its vindictiveness and the sinister nature of the timing. People will rightly ask how it came about that the police have spent time trawling through six-month-old CCTV evidence to find criticisms of themselves.
We find it hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a deliberate attempt to derail the campaign against the Act and regard this as a subversion of the democratic process.
It is highly ironic that FAC has repeatedly warned of the negative impact on the justice system of this Act and also of the poisoning of relations between football fans and the Police Service of Scotland. The bringing of this charge has made our case better than we ever could and it is not the first time that the police and the fiscal service have done our job for us.
We will continue this campaign and will stand in solidarity with our spokesperson and with all those damaged by this appalling legislation. We call on all football fans and all democrats to do the same and to join with us in ensuring that the current consultation process delivers the strong message that this Act must be repealed.
On Saturday I would have Biton start, no McGregor, and James for first 60 to be replaced by Roberts.
On a separate point, I am making a 24 hour dash to Parkhead for the Borussia game on Sep 19. Bringing my son along to experience the CL. Reached out to Celtic Customer Service to buy tickets but was told no way. So, if any of you guys have access to 2 tickets for the game I would be extremely grateful and happy to purchase them from you. You can get my contact details from Paul.
HT
Shocking stuff.
All power to you and the others
Actually making the trip Oct 19, not Sep 19 :)
I’VEHADTOCHANGEMYNAME on 7TH SEPTEMBER 2016 4:26 PM
oops vfr – me talkin shi*e there
____________________________
Keep off the cooking sherry ……….
FAC the Act
KTF
They’ve changed tickets and season book locations for me before; never tried to just buy a ticket though.
FAC the Act
KTF
HT
That looks like another own goal by the police following on from a long line of them that Colin Jackson would be proud of.
They are disrupting lives and subverting justice but their time with this Act is surely coming to an end. The Sheriffs appear to have the measure of them.
HowmanycasesthrownoutCSC