Uncommon penalties and chaotic weeks of back-biting

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Kris Commons looked like he had put a lot of practice into taking penalties yesterday.  The ball was firmly hit and found the corner of the net, a feat which is far from impossible but which has been beyond various Celtic players for the last few years.  We have little a little over a month before we could face a penalty kick competition against Juventus.  Penalty kick practice should be on the menu every day between now and then, for the entire squad.

I’m delighted Lukasz Zaluska has had an extended run in the team.  No player will be at his best if he is seldom tested and never in important games.  Lukasz carried his share of the blame for last weekend’s Hampden defeat but not every keeper can pull off a Nigel Spink.  Good to have Fraser back for Inverness.

If you read on a Celtic site that The Rangers chief executive and chairman are “at loggerheads” after “a chaotic week of back-biting” or that there is a prospect they will “frighten the life out of those institutional investors who ploughed £17million into the coffers little more than a month ago”, you would be forgiven for discounting the claim as a case of wishful thinking.

When it comes from the Daily Record and recent colleague of the club’s newly installed head of media you can be sure there is a little more to it than that.

You would think with all the positive feedback Green and Murray would have received form the SPL Commission they would be flush with joys.  I sincerely hope, for their sake, that Phil’s Bridge over Troubled Waters ditty was more wishful thinking than another leak from the media team.  That would be embarrassing.  “Squelch.”
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  1. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    VOGUEPUNTER1610

     

     

    Ah,put them out their misery.

     

     

    Though I do see your point……..

  2. Famous couples /Pairs in sort:

     

    – – v – – and – – c – – – – – / – – c – – – m

     

     

    ??

  3. Tom Rogic could make his Celtic debut tonight against Hamilton Accies, kick-off 7pm at New Douglas Park.

     

     

    The Australian midfielder returned to Scotland last week with his work permit secured and is available for selection.

     

     

    Celtic’s u-20 side will be missing a number of players away on international duty giving Rogic the opportunity to play his first game for the club.

  4. Reports are reaching us that sporadic skirmishes between supporters of a now dead football club – Rangers FC – and supporters of that clubs successors – The Rangers FC – have broken out in several parts of the globe, and could potentially spread to flashpoints like Kilwinning and Larkhall in Scotland, Johannesburg, the Australian outback, the frozen wastes of Canada, Death Valley in the USA ,among the head-hunters of Papua New Guinea, the cannibals of some remote Pacific islands and the state of Alabama.

     

     

    With a global fanbase conservatively estimated at 500 million, the UN General Assembly has hastily convened an emergency meeting, as has NATO in the hope of averting a world-wide bloodbath. A spokesperson for the UN – identified only as a ‘Taig in a high place’ issued this short statement. “We are keeping a very close watch on the developing situation: it’s feckin hilarious!”

  5. 100,000 bears to march to The House of Commons !

     

     

    Kris better make sure he’s not home that day.

     

     

    The Onlooker

  6. Lorraine Herbison ‏@LorrainHerbison

     

     

    Full exclusive interview by @AlisonRobbie with Jim Traynor at #Rangers will be on @ClydeSSB from 6pm.

     

     

    I have a feeling it will be a recording.

  7. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    HMRC lodges appeal against Rangers tax ruling

     

    Monday 4 February 2013

     

    HM Revenue and Customs has today begun the process of appealing against the tax tribunal ruling in favour of Rangers’ use of Employee Benefit Trusts.

     

     

     

    It said it had been granted leave to appeal and had submitted the necessary paperwork to continue its challenge against the Ibrox club’s use of the EBT scheme from 2001 to 2010 to make £47.65m in payments to players and staff in the form of tax-free loans.

     

     

    HMRC argued it was illegal, Rangers disputed this, and a First Tier Tax Tribunal ruled the scheme did not breach tax law.

     

     

    The case will now be heard at a Second Tier Tax Tribunal and, if not settled there, could be referred to the UK Supreme Court, which would take years.

     

     

    The First Tier Tax Tribunal, before three judges, concluded in January, by a majority of two to one, that the EBT payments were loans, not earnings, and so were not liable for income tax.

  8. ArranmoreBhoyLXV11 on

    HH

     

     

    DIsgrace the sevcovian is given such airspace..

     

     

    I pay a RADIO licence fee and I object!!

     

     

    Why can’t they just take it on their double chin??

     

     

    HH

  9. I'm Neil Lennon (tamrabam) on

    Just think if the reported 250,000 huns who were allegedly in Manchester all gave a measly £20 each sevco would have 5 million quid, but twice the huns have been called upon to donate and twice they have failed to do so.

  10. re 16.28

     

    David and Victoria Beckham

     

     

    What about this one from Litersture:

     

     

    -u—-/ –e— and —0—–

  11. I really dont know why you get so hung up on the practise of penalties Paul67. Of course, going into a penalty shoot out totally unprepaired, is stupid. The likely first 5 players to take one should already be decided, (of course injuries etc change this), and everyone should have some practise, (and be told to stick to what they practised no matter what!)

     

     

    But when it comes to the moment, the players either will do it, or they will choke. I can’t see how you can practise taking penalties in the same stressful circumstances as a Champion’s league knockout. I am sure I read somewhere that Chris Waddle used to practise penalties every day, and regularly knocked them into either top corner, and was the best taker at the club. But put some real pressure on, and woooosssshhh!!!

     

     

    If your going to spend a lot of time to practise these, it would be pointless without adding in some pressure. I read somewhere that in order to practise the ‘4 foot putt’ Colin Montgomerie would hit 100 in a row, if he missed even the 99th one, he would go back to the start. The first 10 were obviously easy, but by the last 10, the hole looks smaller and the ball bigger etc….. I dont know what pressure they can do. If it does come down to that, the players will have to take them in an unfamiliar ground filled with the home fans, and Juventus will be taking them infront of their own fans, in their usual surroundings. The odds are firmly stacked against us winning in those circumstances I would think, no matter how much practise you get.

     

     

    I would say we need to do the minimal preparation for penalties, ie who are the top 5, and who goes next after them so that the 6th player is not taken by surprise. All the players should know where they should hit it before the game, and are reminded to do just that before the kicks start. Try some pressure situations in training. But in terms of practise, I would be spending far more time practising free kicks and corners, both attacking and defending, as I think these will be crucial in terms of who goes through. Defending set pieces well, and finding a weakness and exploiting it in their defence could mean getting through without penalties, which would be best for everyone, especially considering where the penalty shootout would take place. I also think practising them too much, sends out the wrong message. We DO NOT want the game to end up on penalties, it will not be in our favour no matter how much we practise. So we need to do everything possible to try to win the match. (Or possibly get a score draw in the 2nd leg, assuming the home tie is a minimum of 0-0).

     

     

    Free kicks, corners and knowing the tactics inside out first and foremost for me please. Penalties are a lottery, practise might buy you a couple more tickets, but its really going to come down to the mental toughness of each player, so perhaps even more than the players practising them, the coaching staff should be looking at what the coaches of the winning teams say just before the kicks start…….

  12. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    from the Scottish Football monitor

     

     

    bogsdollox says:

     

    Monday, February 4, 2013 at 13:13

     

     

    Looking at the prospectus See below) I find the following that appears to suggets monies had to be paid up front. Item 4.1 mentions cleared funds

     

     

    However item 5.1 outlines areas where monies could be returned and from my reading if the deal falls through the monies get returned by 1 Feb 2013 (last Thursday).

     

     

    Could it be that an offer/contract was initially conditional and that unconditionality has not been agreed thus monies pledged needed to be returned by 1 February.

     

     

    The next question is, if that is the case, how long does Mr Green have to inform the AIM?

     

     

    Phil Mac appears to be suggesting AIM rule 11 applies and that is

     

     

    An AIM company must issue notification without delay of any new developments which

     

    are not public knowledge concerning a change in:

     

    . its financial condition;

     

    . its sphere of activity;

     

    . the performance of its business; or

     

    . its expectation of its performance,

     

    which, if made public, would be likely to lead to a substantial movement in the price of its

     

    AIM securities.

     

     

    From the Rangers Prospectus

     

     

    3. Acceptance of yourApplication

     

    Your application may (at the absolute discretion of Capita acting on behalf of the Company) be accepted in full or in part and accordingly the amount you have offered to invest may be scaled down. The Company will endeavour to satisfy valid applications in full but this is subject to the overall level of demand for Offer Shares and the Company and Capita reserve the right to scale down such applications in individual circumstances as they in their absolute discretion consider appropriate. In the event that applications for Offer Shares are scaled back by the Company, the allocation policy may favour those persons who are currently holders of season tickets, former season ticket holders, former debenture holders of RFC 2012 plc, minority shareholders of RFC 2012 plc and current employees of RFCL. Subject as aforesaid, the bases of allocation of applications will be determined by the Company in consultation with Capita.

     

     

    4. Conditions

     

    4.1 Your contract to subscribe for Offer Shares of the Company will be conditional upon (i) receipt by

     

    Capita of cleared funds in respect of the Offer Shares and satisfactory evidence of identity; and

     

    (ii) Admission becoming effective on or before 19 December 2012 (or such later date as may be

     

    agreed by the parties to the Placing Agreement but not later than 18 January 2013).

     

    4.2 You will not be entitled to exercise any remedy of rescission for innocent misrepresentation

     

    (including pre-contractual representations) at any time after acceptance. This does not affect any

     

    other rights you may have.

     

     

    5. Return of application monies

     

     

    5.1 If any application is invalid or not accepted or if any contract created by acceptance does not

     

    become unconditional or if any application is accepted for an amount lower than that offered,

     

    subject as hereinafter provided, the application monies or the balance of the amount paid on

     

    application (as the case may be) will be returned without interest:

     

     

    (a) in the case of applications being made in hard copy form, by cheque crossed “account payee”

     

    in favour of the relevant payee by post at your own risk; or

     

    (b) in the case of online applications, a credit to the account from which your application

     

    payment was made, but Capita reserves the right to issue cheques on the same basis as for

     

    those applications made in hard copy form; and

     

    (c) in any case, by not later than 1 February 2013.

     

     

    5.2 Prior to that time, application monies will be retained by Capita in an account designated for the

     

    purposes of the Offer and any interest accrued on the application monies will be retained by, and

     

    for the benefit of, the Company. The cheque and/or banker’s draft accompanying your application

     

    or secure online payment may be presented on receipt and before acceptance of your application,

     

    or application monies transferred pursuant to a bank transfer order or through internet banking (as

     

    the case may be and in accordance with the relevant Application Form) may be received before

     

    acceptance of your application but these will not constitute acceptance of your application, either

     

    in whole or in part. The proceeds of this presentation or transfer will be held pending acceptance

     

    and, if your application is accepted and the conditions of paragraph 4 above are satisfied, will be

     

    applied in discharging the total amount due for the Offer Shares you have been allocated.

     

     

    5.3 Share certificates and surplus application monies (if any) may be retained pending clearance of your cheque and/or banker’s draft (where applicable). The right is also reserved to reject any application in respect of which your cheque, banker’s draft or secure online payment, as the case may be, has not been cleared on first presentation and, in any event, by 1.00 p.m. on 18 December 2012. The Company may require you to pay interest or other resulting costs (or both) if the cheque or banker’s draft accompanying your application is not honoured on first presentation. Amounts of less than the Offer Price of one Offer Share will be retained by the Company. Sums refunded will in all cases be paid in pounds sterling.

  13. A curious thing about Jabba.

     

    All right, there are many curious things about him.

     

    This one in particular was very curious.

     

     

    I listened to Jim Spence outside Tannadice on Saturday.

     

    He was carrying out some “vox pop.” interviews.

     

    Suddenly he noticed Jabba and had a few words with him about his “new” job.

     

     

    The response was somewhat muted.

     

    Jabba said it was “interesting”. I think he also said it was difficult “at times”.

     

    I had expected an enthusiastic reply extolling the virtues of working alongside Challs.

     

    However Jabba sounded tired and a little downcast. This was in marked contrast with his Radio Shortbread “in your face” style which I tired of years ago.

     

     

    I thought to myself:

     

     

     

    Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm….

     

     

    Could this be a sign that all is not well at Sevco?

  14. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo – 16:49 on 4 February, 2013

     

     

    That fits in quite nicely with my suggestion earlier that Institutional Investers might have been sold on the deal by getting shares at a percentage discount on the offer price. When the demand wasn’t as high as expected the launch price had to be lowered, and therefore the offer price, meaning Rangers International would be required to pay back some of the money lodged.

     

     

    It looks like they haven’t got it. Good spot by bogs.

  15. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Why has McCoist been so ready to abandon the standards which have been embedded into the marble foyer of Ibrox since the beginning of time?

     

     

    Am I reading to much into this hurting statement from Jackshun??

  16. re 16.46

     

    Sorry PD , I ran the hyphens together but it was Julius Caesar and Cleopatra ( Anthony was dumped!)

  17. The way were going lads we need a Rangers Blue Sky thinking App for android and ipad.Where you can

     

     

    1.Keep up to date with Major Casino Plans.

     

     

    2.Check out the sliding roof development at Ipox.

     

     

    3.Get upto the minute financial advice from Chuck Green.

     

     

    4.Find out the latest diet tips from tactical genius Super Ally

     

     

    Or we could just talk Celtic FC.

  18. HMRC tanks have rolled up at ipox-lots of shock and awe for the orcs to come-

     

    swally is starting to look like captain kirk-and hes 82

     

    Death of a thousand cuts-all in the public domain

     

    Bound to be world news-when it ends

     

    Prediction-in 5 years time a new team will be formed

     

    -govan rangers-starting at the bottom

     

    Theres lots to come

     

    Wembley!!!

     

    scuse me -am dreaming coz i cant work today

  19. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Weeminger

     

     

    they must have it unless Capita are holding the required funds to be paid back or the share issue was a disaster and Sevco have not been up front an open and honest about it.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  20. I cannot/will no listen to that bigoted corpulent presstitute given airtime.

     

    Mind you, I will read with glee any reports on CQN of his idiocy.

     

    : > )

  21. Gerry Braiden‏@GerryBraiden

     

     

    Hibernian footballer Leigh Griffiths has been arrested and charged by police for allegedly sending a racist tweet.