I have a lot of time for Bolton Wanderers. During their extended stay in the English topflight, their late chief exec., Phil Gartside, was a regular supporter of Celtic joining the English and Welsh league pyramid.
When we signed 18-year-old Luca Connell from them in 2019, Bolton were in financial trouble. Celtic could have acquired the player without paying a fee, but as an act of solidarity, agreed to meet the terms Bolton were asking from English clubs, who, operating under different criteria from Celtic, were required to pay.
£350k made its way into the bank of the Greater Manchester club. Three years on and Luca has been released, having made no competitive appearances for Celtic.
The football department at Lennoxtown have decision makers at various levels, each with responsibility to recruit for a part of our internal player-pyramid and with an authority to spend budget. The manager has oversight, but he cannot know enough about who is right for the youth squads.
Paths crossed when it came to Luca. He was at Bolton as a youth when Neil Lennon was manager there. Neil became ‘permanent’ manager at Celtic five weeks before that £350k payment went south in return for Luca.
All managers have their pet projects, so this is no reflection on Neil, but we have people in positions lower down the ladder for a reason. Sometimes the boss needs to stay in his lane.
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“GREENPINATA on 5TH JUNE 2022 11:55 AM
A lifelong Celtic man felt he needed to say that.
Now that my friends is an utter embarrassment.”
Perhaps the fact that so many people refer to Celtic as the Catholic Club and `Rangers` as the Protestant one was instrumental in his feeling the need to offer that information. If being greatly influenced by the MSSM is `utter embarassment` , then many others should be utterly embarrassed.
SCULLYBHOY
I never met Alex Ferguson, but around 1964/65 I played alongside Martin for the Hawkhead ( now Leverndale ) hospital team. He played left side of midfield and was a smashing player. He was also playing Junior, and my fading memory remembers his team as either Ashfield or Petershill. I was a neophyte, younger than he, and played in front of him. He was a really nice guy, unfailingly encouraging, and I really appreciated it. I don’t know which team he supported, but the hospital team was made up of Tims and Proddies. Lots of banter, and never anything untoward.
SFTB
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 5TH JUNE 2022 12:42 PM
I see Ernie is still on his “I’m a better Celtic supporter than anyone” crusade.
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TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 5TH JUNE 2022 1:18 PM
ERNIE
Ad hominem attacks. The tactic of the man who has no valid defence.
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Tom. can you disentangle the logic behind these two statements?
Certainly.
There is nothing ad hominem in my first statement.
You’re welcome.
American TV analysing our game against Ukraine, and crucifying us. Showed the acres of space the Ukrainian midfield enjoyed. I didn’t notice it at the time, but Gilmour was particularly lax in getting back, jogging when he should have been sprinting. He should have been yanked earlier.
AN TEARMANN
“Thanks very much for great feedback on our players.
Appreciated”
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You are welcome!
2 Welshmen booked in first 3 minutes. Ukraine score from direct free kick. Ref rules it out because he hadn’t blown his whistle.
Come on Wales.
Scotland U-21 team get respectable 0-0 draw in Belgium.
Pissing down in Cardiff. Welsh struggling to impose themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn199-QOr7M
We huv a Big Strong Man at the helm.
Never forget I Know nothing.
Apart from Williams, James and Bale, the Welsh team appear slower than their Ukrainian opponents.
Looking ominous for Wales. Ukrainians slicing through them.
Ukrainian keeper looking right dodgy.
Superb cross from Ramsey.
Wales having a hard time dealing with Zinchenko.
Pass and move, pass and move from the Ukrainians. Welsh having a hard time dealing with it.
Brilliant shot from Zinchenko. Great save. The men from the east well on top. Crowd hushed.
Ukrainians using same short corner moves as they did at Hampden.
Welsh free kick , Bale to take.
GOAL
Wish we had someone who could take free kicks like that. Simply world class,
That’s 5 goals in last 5 games from Gareth.
Very unlucky for Ukraine, who have been the better team. Just realised Ramsey is on. He’s been, anonymous, as had Bale up to the goal.
Welsh will have opportunities on the break, with 3 greyhounds playing. Ukrainians attacking with 8 players now.
As clear an own goal as you’ll ever see – bales fk was going to the keeper
Ramsey and Allen won’t last too long at this frenetic pace.
Another great save from Zinchenko shot.
Hennessey star man for Wales so far.
Welsh defence now punting it anywhere. That will come back to bite them.
Corner Ukraine.
Brilliant corners from Zinchenko.
Bale £600,000 a week, and can’t get a decent haircut.
😂😂
Wits that oan Bales heid is he hauf Japanese?
If it’s not the EPL the BBC are shoddy
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61628696
Tom McLaughlin
“There is nothing ad hominem in my first statement.”
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Is it addressed to someone who is not a “vir or homo” then?
GENE
Officially, you are correct. But it was caused by a player with enough savvy to get it on target, past the wall, and with sufficient force to cause mayhem in the goalmouth. As long as you keep doing that, goals will ensue, and Bake has proved it over his career.
Contrast that with our frustration at watching Biton, Turnbull, Christie and numerous others over the years since Naka left, blaze it uncontrolled into Row Z, or lob it limply into the keeper’s bread basket. In games of fine margins, we have been generally been very wasteful in this area.
I have recently been listening to Podcasts of the BBC Radio Scotland show “Sacked in the Morning” hosted by Amy Irons and resident presenter Craig Levein. Each week a manager or former manager makes a guest appearance.
Levein speaks well and displays a self-deprecating sense of humour. On one occasion he describes how, while at his peak as a player at Hearts, he was invited to a clandestine meeting with Graeme Souness and Walter Smith in a car up a lane in South Queensferry, so that they could tap him up for a transfer to Ibrox.
Levein stressed that the meeting was illegal as Rangers were breaking the rules by speaking to him without the knowledge or permission of his employer. That didn’t stop him attending the meeting though, which meant he too was breaking the rules.
As it turned out, Levein was soon to sustain a serious injury and the move didn’t materialise.
In another episode, Levein talked about a last game of the season between Partick and Hearts at Firhill. Both clubs were in danger of relegation, but Levein said a draw would ensure the safety of both clubs. So Levein, as captain, got together with the Thistle captain and suggested the teams play out the draw, which they did. He described the game as awful, with both teams passing the ball about in defence and nobody wanting to attack.
In conclusion, Levein was/is a corrupt individual and a cheat. He should have reported the illegal Rangers contact to his chairman. Instead he went along with it and broke the rules.
By pre-arranging a draw with Thistle, he was guilty of match-fixing. In fact after telling that story, he openly admitted it was match-fixing and had a big laugh about it.
As Sir Alex said – Football. Bloody hell.