Illustrating the very high regard the business community and people of Barcelona hold Celtic fans, one of the city’s top restaurants, Cinc Sentis have donated lunch for two towards our annual charity causes.
I am assured by our resident food critic (WDH), Cinc Sentis is a fabulous dining experience. The auction has just gone live – so get a low bid in early – and ends Sunday. If you’re heading to Barcelona next week, or anytime thereafter, get your eBay bid in here.
Many thanks to Cinc Sentis and WDH.
Read lots yesterday about the vast majority of people in Scotland missing the ‘Old Firm’ games. Trying hard to inoculate myself against any “bravado” I really don’t see this. The edge we used to feel when going into the final minutes of a game needing a goal is no longer there, but I’m really not sure that edge is healthy or necessary.
More than this, I don’t know a single fan from another Premiership club who regrets the liquidation of Rangers, or feels their life is enhanced by the presence of Celtic. Everyone is aware of the harsh reality – we spoil the league.
We do, of course, sell copy, as did the liquidated lot.
CQN Annual:
Sean Fallon biography:
782 Comments- Pages:
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36% of people questioned replied
we are an overwhelming majority of a minority.
MWD
Big Nan.
Agree on the CQN thing – that’s why I end up posting when I really should be working.
Get someone to treat you to this for Crimbo. :-)
http://www.philosophyfootball.com/offers/
Big Nan
14:22 on
5 December, 2013
Sure there are hooligans and bigots who go to football matches, but the majority of fans are good, decent people with a sense of fairness and perhaps those who would make Draconian laws targeting fans as if they were some kind of sub-species don’t know this because they have never stood on the terraces and rubbed shoulders with the ordinary football fan.
Perhaps some who inhabit our boardrooms don’t get it either for the same reason.
We aren’t such a bad lot.
*your story reminds me of sitting on the floor in front of my da’s chair watching the highlights of the 1963 SC Final replay. After ralph brand scored a goal I remarked “lucky”, next thing my heid was spinning as he gave me a skite. “you appreciate good football and stop acting like the mugs on the terracing” he said.
Wisnae a road tae Damascus conversion but I understood later in life what he meant.
An E mail to Panorama (I know, I know, but if God loves a trier I’m in there)
Did Campbell Ogilvie, President of the SFA prejudice the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission?
Your correspondent Mark Daly should be able to give a view on this subject although it might be better if a London journalist pursued it for reasons Mark will know only too well.
The wider UK interest is football evading tax and the consequences of evading with the help of a national association President.
The Lord Nimmo Smith Commission was doomed to arrive at an incorrect judgement because of key information withheld by Ranger’s administrators Duff and Phelps (for which LNS found them guilty).
This evasion becomes more telling because although it hid the true nature of the early irregular ebts from SPL lawyers the consequences of that would have been negated had a key witness provided clarification to Lord Nimmo Smith in his testimony.
The key witness was Campbell Ogilvie, current SFA President, who is the person who embarked Rangers on their disastrous ebt journey in 1999 and by his silence in 2012 has misled the Scottish footballing public, put the SPFL in an invidious position by not correcting LNS and all but destroyed the level of trust required to get football in Scotland back on to fair ground.
The attached documents tell the story. Apologies for the length but it includes much of LNS testimony, it has been looked at by a number of folk from various professional backgrounds who think it stands up and will surface in the coming months.
An interview with Mr Ogilvie investigating his history of ebt usage, silence on the matter and the impact of that silence will either clear him or require his resignation.
Either way Scottish football will benefit.
(Anybody wanting the attachments e mail me via Paul)
the moon bhoys
I seem to remember that John Greig visited the referee’s dressing room at half time telling him Lambert should have been sent off.
They were then and they still are animals.
May they rot in hell……soon.
I remember saying recently, and on this blog too, that I didn’t hate anyone.
But I do now!
Shame that.
Philbhoy @ 14.51
I think it was Advocaat not John Greig.
Auldheid
LNS was a panel of three guys. It was not just his decision. Charles Flint QC and Nicholas Stewart QC made up the panel also. Now I dont know which hat they had in that day. Their Masonic or UEFA hat as one sits on the UEFA FFP comittee and the other on UEFAs Licensing comittee. I think you should have mentioned that along the lines that they wanted to be duped by an old pal.
HH
weeminger – you generously give them the benefit of the doubt – I wouldn’t give them a smell of ma drawers as they say – you may be right but its still a horrible memory and adds to the reasons I never want to see them at Celtic park ever again…
Tontine Tim
……………………
Yes I think there is a basic fairness in most football fans.
The clip your da gave you has done the trick it would seem and like you I never learned my lessons from my Liverpool friend until long after the event.
As a footnote to my story the local council in Dunfermline/Fife have only recently got round to recognizing the greatness of Billy Liddell by naming a park after him in Townhill. Too little too late I say but then I knew little of him myself until visiting Merseyside where he was idolised.
weeminger
14:48 on
5 December, 2013
The Moon Bhoys
14:45 on
5 December, 2013
I could be wrong but I do recall it as being a reckless tackle and probably a penalty. The fact that Lambert took a knee in the face didn’t make it less so.
——————————————–
Weeminger
Not so , my friend in Celtic.
Jorg saw PL coming and started going down before PL was anywhere near him.
Whether Jorg saw him coming and deliberately kneed him I don’t know ( I actually don’t think he did) but he definitely left his knee hanging for dramatic, penalty-inducing effect.
I can remember it as if it was yesterday incl. PL’s teeth spraying all over the park.
Ouch.
Auldheid 14.51
Here’s hoping you get somewhere with this.
How do I email via Paul? (sorry for being thick).
The Moon Bhoys
15:06 on
5 December, 2013
It was horrible of that there’s no doubt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY_29RiiFnA
Never a PEN
HH
My take on the Lambert/ Albetz malarkey, was that pl slid in carelessly but Albertz went down before contact was made and also tried his damndest to injure Lambert.
I personally think the LNS decision was a case of we will find them guilty of a fine first and then see how we can manufacture it to come to that conclusion. The pressure that the Harper McLeod guy was under thanks to the rantings of Jabba must have been immense. Maybe a few negative letters from the knuckle scraping element to Nimmo Smith, McKenzie etc would scare them into that position.
My friends in Celtic,
Do I detect a sense of resignation in Paul 67’s article.? C’est la vie.
Yes to many we do spoil the league. Before a ball is kicked, ask the bookies what odds will they give on us winning it. Unquestionably this is not healthy. Put simply the league is not competitive.
There will be no natural challengers in the foreseeable future. ( Unless some mega Oil Baron with wealth off the radar takes over Aberdeen ) For natural challengers to emerge there would need to be a complete realignment of wealth which is extremely unlikely. As we speak some promising young talent at Dundee Utd will probably leave in January.
In short, teams may win battles but we will and are expected to win the war.
Regarding survey’s I would not pay too much attention to them. Statistics can be manipulated to suit. the way the questions are asked and defined. Ref the Independence debate on the actual question to be asked.
Where I unfortunately agree with many we are losing the argument about Sevco / RIFC or whatever they are. They will be back in some reincarnation or phoenix. Of that there is little doubt, but without the “finances” they once had.
They are in the process of redefining the word and act of Liquidation, with increasing success that apathy brings.
The entity that exists is a new club the old club died as the word liquidate dictates. Forget Holding club nonsense etc. History and debt go hand in hand. It is unrealistic to have one without the other. We must not retreat one iota on this stance.
The ideal solution (If possible ): We must take this opportunity to develop youth in the current set up, redouble our efforts to move leagues ( Drop the antics that will hinder this move ) and hopefully we can be gone when the dead club arrives.
No point scoring here :The £10.000 donation to the Clutha fund from the Celtic Foundation re-emphasises our ethos. More than a club.
HH, Always in Celtic.
Big Nan & Tontine Tim
I love your supporter and social study stories of the fitba.
I remember as a bold 7 year old after the 73 cup final defeat to them, saying to my parents that I hated Rangers. 40 years later, I still remember the tongue lashing from my mum. “Never say you hate them, you pity them for their hatred. Celtic supporters love Celtic and respect others who respect us!” Big lesson, I remember clearly, and have passed that advice to my 4 children.
Big Nan
My first English game was October 73, Man Utd 0 Derby Co 1.
First thing I noticed was the attendance given as 53000, when the week before the crowd at Parkhead looked about the same, and was given as 28000, not surprisingly.
Old Trafford was a different world though. A pint of beer in plastic tumbler at the rear of the Stretford End, in fact bars all over the stadium. Worth remembering too that this was the era of bovver boys and both clubs’ hooligans clashed before and after the game. 50p entry I think, an excellent programme, good quality pies, beer, electric scoreboard, it was an eye opener of how a match day experience should be. The game was awful though and Man Utd were relegated that season. Derby were about the level of us then, they were that good.
I’ve been to various English grounds over the years and have always been impressed, the Kop being my favourite experience. The English do their national sport well, with or without the Sky money.
LNS was taken in by a conman when he was doing an inquiry into the Magic Circle Affair.
He spoke to the conman, Derek Donaldson and invited him round to his home where he gave him the lowdown on the Report that was still unpublished.
Donaldson had given him a card with the address of the Daily Telegraph on which had only been printed hours earlier at Waverley Station.
When Donaldson gave the story to the press LNS, who was only NS then, signed himself in to a psychiatric hospital.
Check out Nimmo the Dimmo on Google.
Marrakesh Express
15:24 on 5 December, 2013
Big Nan
My first English game was October 73, Man Utd 0 Derby Co 1.
First thing I noticed was the attendance given as 53000, when the week before the crowd at Parkhead looked about the same, and was given as 28000, not surprisingly.
Old Trafford was a different world though. A pint of beer in plastic tumbler at the rear of the Stretford End, in fact bars all over the stadium.
…………………………………………
My experience was even more amazing in the days when a good pub in Scotland, might, only might have crisps and like you to see these endless bars where beer and I think spirits could be had with hot snacks was simply mind blowing. And whole stands seated!
I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.
My only visit to Old Trafford was for the Rapide Vienna replay and then the only good thing was the delicious meat and potato pies and no queuing.
DD hate for a football team or club is a terrible thing and something to teach against but with that lot, it is hard as they are more than a club in the worst possible way and to many are an outlet for sectarian and racist triumphalism and hatred.
But we try to love them, whoever they are calling themselves at the moment.
Don’t know if its been mentioned but Living Social offering Exec Lounge entry for St Mirren game on 2nd Feb at £35.00 in North Stand or £49.00 in South Stand. Padded seat Pie etc thrown in !
LNS said Oldco gained “no sporting advantage” ,so for example a Jorg Albertz was the equivalent of a Brian McLaughlin.I know my football reasonably well and have never heard of Nimmo Smith playing,managing or commentating on football.How in his professional judgement did he come to this assessment? If he was advised,who advised him? This should be public knowledge.
From end of last page
Don’t know if its been mentioned but Living Social offering Exec Lounge entry for St Mirren game on 2nd Feb at £35.00 in North Stand or £49.00 in South Stand. Padded seat Pie etc thrown in !
Big Nan
Aye, they would try the patience of a Saint!
Bada Bing
I think LNS’s tortuous reasoning was on the lines that “they could have found other revenue sources, apart from tax avoidance, to buy the same players.”
That is as convincing an argument as saying “Look I’ve got the money to pay for it!”, when you have been caught shoplifting.
Bada Bing
“No sporting advantage” was already in full swing thanks to the journos and he just applied the finish. I always think of that wee ratbag Novo’s decision to sign for them. I thought it very odd at the time. I mean how could Celtic compete when the dead club are offering you more than a million tax free. No sporting advantage my arse.
!!Bada Bing!!
15:42 on
5 December, 2013
I think he was also labouring under the pretension that RFC would have got these players anyway, it would have just cost them more and hastened their demise.
He didn’t seem to grasp that the EBT was the reason that they could get these players in, not that it just made it cheaper once they had arrived.
Not forgetting his invitation to ibrox corporate entertainment exposed by Charlotte
Nimmo Smith said a host of stuff. Importantly he said that the tax schemes were, axiomatically, utilised to obtain a competitive advantage.
He said this advantage was not unfair on the basis that the arrangements, having been held to be (largely) legal at FTT, could have been used by any and every other club to similar effect.
That only Rangers elected to use these schemes was not in itself unfair. The others could have, but elected not to.
That Rangers gained a competitive advantage from their use was held as true.
Quite what one does with the LNS findings should the UTT reverse the legal status of the EBT schemes, heaven alone knows.
The £500,000 spent by the SPL on the Commission would have been better used to paper over the cracks in the Colosseum.
I’d be strongly inclined in any event to obtain a credit note to cover the fees paid to Rod McKenzie.
SFTB-Great analagy.Was Murray’s scam with the Bank not known when the Inquiry started? The means to get these guys ,apart from an EBT,would not be there.I suppose the info was there if you wanted to look for it.
Thanls for replies bhoys.
Good Afternoon Folks,
TBB
Great Post and Idea about the late Paul McConville.
I am not sure if I can get there for 9:30am next Friday morning but I will do my best and will make a donation to the British Heart Foundation in his honour.
I am sitting up in my bed at home today suffering from the dreaded man flu which strikes me hard every now and then.
Sleep is all over the place and comes and goes in patches, and whilst I can do some work from the laptop the old concentration is a bit suspect and so sometimes I just dose off.
Anyhow, such a situation does allow me to indulge in a bit of storytelling and seeing as the 1st of December is only just behind us and the topic of civil disobedience, civil rights and all that jazz has been topical of late I thought I would knock up a wee story just to keep me amused.
Of course, it is not football related— unless of course you want it to be!
Big Nick, Rosa Parks, Vivian Malone Jones —- and yes, yet another man called—- Wallace! — a tale of the deep south, The Ku Klux Klan and Highway 55.
http://wp.me/p1G95H-19R
Back to fitba tomorrow hopefully.
By the way keep the feedback coming about the CQN Annual– we need to know that they have arrived– and we are now preparing the January edition of the magazine.
BRTH
Ridicule has more impact that hatred when it comes to dealing with the ole Huns/new Zombies.
They absolutely get very, very upset.
SFTB
Spot on. Great analogy, which I shall borrow from you please. :)
8th Anniversary was yesterday:
http://www.saveourglen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/8-years-ago-today-Swede.jpg
Petition still open:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/thevictimslastright