I was disappointed for St Johnstone at their exit from the Europa League last night but not for Scottish football, or our coefficient points. Saints are a provincial club in a very rural part of Scotland. You only have to travel through the hills to Perth to realise that pocket of Scotland, with its tractors, knitwear and wellie boot shops, has no God given right to beat a team from any municipality anywhere.
They have done very well for the last couple of seasons, from a tiny catchment area, but managed to reach Europe by pipping Dundee United, who ironically were good enough to have key players poached midseason.
St Johnstone don’t have potential superstars, they are also the oldest team in the league, which gets you through a long campaign but they are never going to sparkle. Or earn Scottish football a hatful of coefficient points.
Dundee United were decimated by the loss of those two players midseason, and were done no favours with the shadow of uncertainty which enveloped backroom and boardroom for months, but they, Aberdeen and Celtic are the only Scottish clubs capable of getting their act together to the extent required to reach European group stages. For everyone else, Europe is strictly a July pursuit, so don’t stress about it, and Tommy Wright is well within his rights to talk up his own club.
If Scottish football wants to get all introspective about last night, we should concern ourselves with concentrating resources on clubs who are independently financially viable: Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic, Hibs and maybe Dundee. If more of our sponsorship and TV money went to Aberdeen and United and less to the thirty-or-so hangers on, they would be better placed to consolidate their development work and compete in Europe.
Celtic are five days away from their opening competitive game of the season, so I would think tonight’s friendly against Davie Moyes’ Real Sociedad will be the last strenuous exercise the players go through after what will have been a taxing first few weeks of preseason. After this workout it should all be about recovery before the visit of Stjarnan on Wednesday. The usual caveats apply to Nadir Ciftci, if he looks like he couldn’t run upstairs, he’s about where I’d expect him to be right now.
1,205 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 32
- »
B-)
where’s Geordie Munro?
Anyone?
Hail Hail from the sweltering Algerian Sahara!
SoT
The boss ain’t quite ready.
Maribor were/are no mugs and yep they did pick up some points in their qualifying section despite being walloped by Chelsea.
I still think given the resources at our disposal we should be beating teams like that. Last year over the two Ronny was out thought that’s what cost us a place in the CL proper in my opinion.
Celteeeeeeek
HT
U finished skirting?
B-)
P67,
For a blog which, apparently, is of a left wing disposition on its occasional ventures into politics, your current hobby horse about division of funds is utterly extraordinary. You propose nothing less than to deny the ambitions, dreams, and hopes of clubs to become bigger and successful based only on the premise that this is justified because they are not already big. You are, in essence, proposing a hereditary system of patronage within Scottish football.
The Lord Paul67 of CQN. Perhaps that would be a fitting title for your enoblement.
…missed it, reading email!!
“The Lord Paul67 ”
———-
Would that not mean a downgrade to his current noble rank?
Dallas Dallas .
Some of my Mick Hucknall thing is sour grapes . He regularly outbid me for choons in online auctions ( spending some of that money he earned from murdering Moneys too Tight ! . ) So did Keef Richards but I don’t dislike him ——-
Life’s little quirks .
Bobby Bland ? – I like . Very fond of Further on Up The Road and That’s The Way Life Is . Absolute gems on the Duke Label .
Back oot to get more scorched , bothered and old man grumpy.
JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE
========================
ThompsonTwin
12:23 on
10 July, 2015
ger57
00:44 on
10 July, 2015
ThompsonTwin/Alfie Noakes
What a twat. Take your scripted level 5 bile elsewhere.
Your attitude towards the sick, disabled and unemployed is a disgrace. If you are a Labour Party member, it’s hardly surprising they were all but wiped out in the last election.
————————————————————————————————————-
I support 100% the GENUINELY sick, disabled and unemployed. I want them to have as much help as they need and deserve.
Those who were given a ‘free pass’ bribe on the doorstep by the SNP, to come out of their poll/council tax-evading bolt-holes, to register and vote for them, promising that they would get a ‘Salmond Pardon’ and a benefit Nirvana – these are the people, the HYPOCRITES, who DO NOT and DID NOT support the disabled and sick – the rest of us paid the hated poll tax, and now our council tax, it was/is the only way to keep local services running for the less fortunate in society.
1979 – SNP played the LEADING ROLE in the rise to power of Thatcher, Thatcherism, Monetarism and the decimation of industry in Scotland.
2015 – SNP is now playing the LEADING ROLE in the destruction of the Welfare State – if the Tories get in again in 2020, there will be no Welfare State.
SNP care nothing about the working-class the length and breadth of the UK, all they care about is there outdated, discredited and illiterate independence DOGMA.
They are even now backtracking on their FULL FISCAL STUPIDITY, because they haven’t a clue how to bridge the £10 billion BLACK HOLE, which would lead to massive Spending Cuts and/or Tax Rises in Scotland.
SNP are the sediment of politics – they’ll say anything to get independence.
What have they ever done for the working people of Scotland? – NOTHING
What can they do now for the working people of Scotland? – NOTHING
All the name-calling, so-called SNP converts on here, you ask what Labour offered – they offered a track record as the ONLY party EVER to help the working-class – there would have been NO wanton destruction of the Welfare State, built proudly by Labour, had they been returned to power.
Even in coalition, the LIBDEMS have done more to protect the working-class, than the SNP ever have done – because the SNP have done NOTHING in all their 80 YEARS.
Let me ask you – you were GUBBED in the Referendum – so EXACTLY what did the SNP off YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, and YOU, to win your vote in the General Election?
Don’t delude yourself that the SNP are a ‘left-wing’ party – they are about as left-wing as the land owners and estate owners, that they were born out of – you have been conned, or have you????????
I KNOW the real reason some on here voted, and espouse, for the SNP, and it has nothing to do with social justice – it is hatred of the Rangers and the Union – a selfish ‘stick to the huns’ attitude that ignores your fellow working man and the poorest in society.
SHAME ON YOU.
Give me just ONE concrete, costed and viable policy, or, proposal – just ONE.
HamiltonTim
People saying Griffiths ain’t cut the mustard in Europe. He got 10 minutes action over the 2 legs against Maribor, hardly a lengthy time to prove whether you can make the step up.
Griffiths in Europe:
18 mins v Legia away
36 mins v Legia home
13 mins v Maribor away
15 mins v Zagreb home
20 mins v Astra away
93 mins v Salzburg home
74 mins v Inter home
269 mins – no goals, no assists. He’s not had much time, but he’s had longer than others (e.g. Scepovic – 2 goals in 253 mins). Time will tell.
I thought his best game was v Salzburg, but he was let down by Johansen behind him, who did score but was terrible otherwise.
btw, I’m not counting the games against Reykjavik, where he played about 130 mins – no point counting games v part-timers imo – but Griffiths didn’t do anything there either.
Lefty
Love reading your stories, keep up the good work mate
KTF
1st concrete proposal.
Keep it tae fitba.
Just a quick sports post, I know this is more a politics blog nowadays, but Australia 308 all out.
For the few of us into the cricket, that’s the same as their first innings score at Edgbaston in 2005 and we all (all three or four of us!) remember what happened then!
StatattackCSC
tictaewin
12:34 on
10 July, 2015
1st concrete proposal.
Keep it tae fitba
————————
great shout
however the arrogant fud’s writing style gives me an idea on how we can get the 15,000 or so fans who no longer go to watch celtic to come back to the fold
get P67 to write an article abusing those who no longer buy season tickets, he can write about how they were all conned into giving them up, and most importantly – WRITE A LOT OF THE WORDS IN CAPITAL LETTERS
it is a tried and tested method to get people to agree with your way of thinking on a subject, so i would look forward to the return of 60,000 crowds on the back of said article
tictaewin
12:34 on 10 July, 2015
1st concrete proposal.
Keep it tae fitba.
——–
Concrete proposal?
A swim with da fishes proposal??!!??
;-)
HH jamesgang
Clogher/Almore mail sent re Easter 1916.
Enjoy the game tonight Celts :-)
keep the faith and keep correcting the level 5 pash
HH
Look at your life now….tattered and torn
You fuss and you fight and delight
In the tears that you cry until dawn.
Go and do one.
fieldofdrams
Love cricket. And a bit of a geek.
But dude you trump me twice over there!!
RespectCSC
HH jamesgang
Maybe St. Johnstone would do better if they wore a more modern strip instead of turning out in knitwear and welly boots, and fielding a sheep dog at centre forward.
North Cyprus (formerly Baku) Bhoy
12:10 on 10 July, 2015
Hail Hail from the sweltering Algerian Sahara!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome back, what kept you?
Home on the 20th for me…….. :-)
In local news:
Refugee wave has now exceeded Turkey’s capacity to take any more.
Figures released today are at TWO MILLION !!!
Cook flashes at a wide one and is caught at backward point
TawkinAboooooooooooot
SURE ITS THE BEST DARN TEAM IN SCOTLAND
AND THE PLAYERS ALL ARE GRAND
WE SUPPORT THE CELTIC
AS THEY ARE THE FINEST IN THE LAND..WE LOVE THEM
WE’LL BE THERE TO GIVE THE BHOYS A CHEER
WHEN THE LEAGUE FLAG FLIES
AND IT CHEERS US UP WHEN WE KNOW THE SCOTTISH CUP
IS COMING HOME TO REST IN PARADISE!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What would be the mechanism to restrict the pool money? Top six pay outs only perhaps? Payments based on attendance?
Philbhoy
12:57 on
10 July, 2015
SURE ITS THE BEST DARN TEAM IN SCOTLAND
AND THE PLAYERS ALL ARE GRAND
WE SUPPORT THE CELTIC
AS THEY ARE THE FINEST IN THE LAND..WE LOVE THEM
WE’LL BE THERE TO GIVE THE BHOYS A CHEER
WHEN THE LEAGUE FLAG FLIES
AND IT CHEERS US UP WHEN WE KNOW THE SCOTTISH CUP
IS COMING HOME TO REST IN PARADISE!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
———————————
well if you put it like that then im compelled to agree with you
better start getting ready for the game shortly
Burgas Hoops
12:53 on 10 July, 2015
In local news:
Refugee wave has now exceeded Turkey’s capacity to take any more.
Figures released today are at TWO MILLION !!!
!!!!!!!!!!!
Crazy stuff, a desperate situation for these poor people.
BT Sports 1 showing 2nd leg our CL qualifier 8.15pm kick off, hope Ronny & the bhoys can make that a nice wee watch after 1st leg game next week, remember everybody a wee rain dance tonight for us Lanarkshire bhoys the wetter the better the morra
coolmore mafia
12:59 on 10 July, 2015
What would be the mechanism to restrict the pool money? Top six pay outs only perhaps? Payments based on attendance?
——
That would do little to help St J.
Or their 247 fans!
HH jamesgang
Philbhoy, somethings are Timeless.
The Celtic Song is definitely Timeless.
Disappointed for St.Johnstone?
Nah.
As Al Pacino would comment, ‘F’k’Em’.
Watched their televised cup tie at Mordor last season when they somehow collectively contrived to bend over and take it from the worst Hun team in memory, not mustering a shot on goal, merely going through the motions until the clock ran out and the Zombies rejoiced in a 2-0 victory.
Then Tommy Wright praises their performance and the Huns ‘triumph’ in post-game interviews to keep him onside with his Northern Irish brethern. Despicable, unprofessional, downright match-fixing it was.
What happened to them last night was karma. Pumped out of the Euro glamour by FC Unpronouncable before Wimbledon is over. Good enough for the forelock-tuggers that populate their squad. Now they can look forward to drawing their heroes in one of the Scottish dometic trophies without the distraction of european trips.
Maybe in future some of their ‘professional’ players might consider the concept of total commitment rather than picking and choosing when they’ll put in the effort to win a game of football. Reprobates.
‘Mon Andy Murray!
E Sno
12:13 on 10 July, 2015
P67,
For a blog which, apparently, is of a left wing disposition on its occasional ventures into politics, your current hobby horse about division of funds is utterly extraordinary. You propose nothing less than to deny the ambitions, dreams, and hopes of clubs to become bigger and successful based only on the premise that this is justified because they are not already big. You are, in essence, proposing a hereditary system of patronage within Scottish football.
The Lord Paul67 of CQN. Perhaps that would be a fitting title for your enoblement.
==========================================
Aye, distribute funds to clubs who would delight in the demise of Celtic to facilitate the rise to dominance of the Huns.
As you are. Roaster.
Greenpinata…
I just scanned back and seen your post, thanks for the reply.
CB, doesn’t ring a bell, it was a big place and long time ago. Glad to here of your mate worked all over the world and doing well for himself, the travelling abroad to work is one of regrets not doing.
Enjoy the mate. HH
Leftclicktic…
A lovely post mate, it’s posts like that, that makes pauls site so special. HH
Wee fact I wheel out every six months to bore everyone- Pontius Pilate was born in Perth.
One thing I don’t understand – why did the crowd ask for Barabus to be released instead of Jesus?
Oops, enjoy tonight mate. HH
Fortingall , north of Loch Tay.
We go to Kenmore now and again.
Beautiful countryside.