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The Board - general discussion (including Res 12); notes from the AGM
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Topic Started: 15 Jul 2014, 12:03 AM (1,414,664 Views)
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Willie Wonka
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25 Apr 2016, 01:44 PM
Post #7161
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Slavery fled, oh glorious dead
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- shugmc
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:39 PM
- Wanyerma
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:09 PM
Heated driveways and raised temperatures I understand that there was a board meeting at Celtic on Friday.
Moreover, I am told that Dermot Desmond attended the meeting physically, a rare enough event for the globe trekking billionaire.
My source said “Deila didn’t spare Lawwell”.
I found it interesting that Dermot Desmond appeared to have been very well briefed about the players Celtic had signed.
He had some very pointed questions about specific acquisitions.
Desmond wanted to know who had signed this player and that player.
He also wanted to know why the squad had so many central midfielders and I think it is fair to say that some folks in the room were surprised at the extent of his knowledge.
I understand that the affable Norwegian took this opportunity to set the record straight from his perspective.
I do realise that what I have been told by an in the room source is at total variance with what the current Celtic manager is saying in public.
Perhaps there is a confidentiality constraint upon him.
If there is then he cannot mention that there is one.
The upshot of what I have been told is that the meeting on Friday was not good for the Celtic Chief Executive.
The very nice chairman of Celtic Ian Bankier was also asked some tough questions by the Irish billionaire.
Desmond reminded him his duties of oversight etc.
I asked my source what he thought would happen next and his answer was that “Dermot is looking for a name”.
I asked him to clarify and he said that the Desmond is seeking a manager who is “box office”.
My understanding from this conversation is that this executive search is being led by the Irish billionaire and his inner circle rather than the Celtic Chief Executive.
This morning I phoned around people within the football management village in England .
The consensus view among them was that Celtic was a poisoned chalice because of the belief that the Chief Executive was the de facto Director of Football at the club.
Of course, such an accusation has been strenuously denied by the man with the heated driveway.
However, perceptions are important and that was the view that was being proffered to me this morning.
Consequently, potential successors to Ronny Deila might not be interested in putting themselves forward for the Celtic job.
Given Friday was probably his last opportunity to set the record straight as he saw it the Norwegian also had some pointed observations about several senior members of his squad.
Three players were named and characterised by the manager as acting like spoiled children.
The picture he painted was of a clique of disaffected players who seemed to put themselves above the greater good.
One player who he did mention in favourable terms was young Kieran Tierney.
The fullback had apparently resisted any attempts to recruit him into this sulking group.
He also referenced the resistance of the senior pros to the dietary requirements of a 24-hour athlete was referenced by Deila.
The picture painted to me was of a manager who felt that he could not trust those who should have been shoulder to shoulder with him.
If this is a fair reflection of the facts on the ground then it is difficult not to feel for the affable Norwegian in those circumstances.
After another stumble in the league yesterday against Ross County then the only hope for the Parkhead club is that they limp over the line.
Of course, a defeat at Tynecastle to Hearts cannot be ruled out given the current form of the men in Hoops.
Indeed, if Celtic need to take something out of the last match of the season then you wouldn’t bet your heated driveway on them delivering on the day.
One the basis of what I have been told I have binary expectations of the Desmond camp apropos their continued involvement with Celtic.
Interesting times… The picture he painted was of a clique of disaffected players
and that's just on the park.
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markybhoy
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25 Apr 2016, 01:51 PM
Post #7162
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The only thing you would have to say about that, if true, is that Deila should have gotten shot of them or walked. If 3 players (who guessing 2 out of the 3 isn't difficult) caused dressing room problems then get rid of them! Commons and Mulgrew have barely played anyway ffs.
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remy mcswain
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25 Apr 2016, 01:54 PM
Post #7163
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What a load of keech from Phil.
I understand there was a board meeting... FFS mate it's a fact and I don't even have an NUJ card.
No-one will work at Celtic because of Lawwell...
We already have 3 "apply" publicly and Moyes and Rodgers (seemingly) have been spoken to.
Edit - there a lot more than 3 players pissed off at the hapless haddie who was hired to manage them. And, as for the he doesn't mean what he was saying to the press well, blow me down, that's a hell of a scoop apart from the 300+ posters on here who have all said the same.
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mvtommy
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25 Apr 2016, 01:55 PM
Post #7164
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- McStay
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:33 PM
- Wanyerma
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:09 PM
Three senior players named as acting like spoiled children. Commons obviously one, who would the other two be? Johansen? Izzy and Mulgrew
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Quiet Assasin
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25 Apr 2016, 01:56 PM
Post #7165
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..for the maintenance of dinner tables for the children and the unemployed
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- remy mcswain
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:54 PM
What a load of keech from Phil.
I understand there was a board meeting... FFS mate it's a fact and I don't even have an NUJ card.
No-one will work at Celtic because of Lawwell...
We already have 3 "apply" publicly and Moyes and Rodgers (seemingly) have been spoken to.
I won't believe anything he says until John James confirms it.
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Patrick_Bateman
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25 Apr 2016, 02:10 PM
Post #7166
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Retired and now a BT Sports pundit
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I'd hazard a guess that there are far more than 3 senior players acting like knobheads. I would be surprised if Commons, Forrest, Brown, Mulgrew, Johansen and maybe Bitton were card carrying members of this clique of malcontents.
It's funny, when Scepovic was here a lot of us commented on how he was getting into good positions a lot of the time but not passed to. It looked deliberate at the time. It was the first real obvious sign of the malaise at the club manifesting itself on the pitch. I suppose Stefan wasn't in the clique.
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marcat
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25 Apr 2016, 02:28 PM
Post #7167
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- Patrick_Bateman
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:10 PM
I'd hazard a guess that there are far more than 3 senior players acting like knobheads. I would be surprised if Commons, Forrest, Brown, Mulgrew, Johansen and maybe Bitton were card carrying members of this clique of malcontents.
It's funny, when Scepovic was here a lot of us commented on how he was getting into good positions a lot of the time but not passed to. It looked deliberate at the time. It was the first real obvious sign of the malaise at the club manifesting itself on the pitch. I suppose Stefan wasn't in the clique. Valid point re Scepovic as it was obvious at the time had excellent positional sense in the box but got very little service.
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Luca
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25 Apr 2016, 02:33 PM
Post #7168
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Off treasure hunting in Holland
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- mvtommy
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:55 PM
- McStay
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:33 PM
- Wanyerma
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:09 PM
Three senior players named as acting like spoiled children. Commons obviously one, who would the other two be? Johansen?
Izzy and Mulgrew I'd have thought Brown and Mulgrew
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CaltonBhoy1967
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25 Apr 2016, 02:33 PM
Post #7169
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Billy McNeill - "Mr Celtic"
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- remy mcswain
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:54 PM
What a load of keech from Phil.
I understand there was a board meeting... FFS mate it's a fact and I don't even have an NUJ card.
No-one will work at Celtic because of Lawwell...
We already have 3 "apply" publicly and Moyes and Rodgers (seemingly) have been spoken to.
Edit - there a lot more than 3 players pissed off at the hapless haddie who was hired to manage them. And, as for the he doesn't mean what he was saying to the press well, blow me down, that's a hell of a scoop apart from the 300+ posters on here who have all said the same.
Don't see one bit in that article that couldn't have been drawn from reading of this thread in the last two/three weeks.
The CL developing Manager does seem to be attempting sticking up for himself a bit/preserving his CV for his next gig whoever the unfortunate feckers are that he descends upon - PL's project having a pop at PL behind closed doors would have been interesting but then again Ronny says in public (and is still being believed by some of the wise the sages of Kds) that he is still being backed by the Board and it is his decision to leave/he made all the signings/don't blame PL etc etc so it must be a lot of tosh because he is an honest man
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largent80
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25 Apr 2016, 02:42 PM
Post #7170
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- marcat
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:28 PM
- Patrick_Bateman
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:10 PM
I'd hazard a guess that there are far more than 3 senior players acting like knobheads. I would be surprised if Commons, Forrest, Brown, Mulgrew, Johansen and maybe Bitton were card carrying members of this clique of malcontents.
It's funny, when Scepovic was here a lot of us commented on how he was getting into good positions a lot of the time but not passed to. It looked deliberate at the time. It was the first real obvious sign of the malaise at the club manifesting itself on the pitch. I suppose Stefan wasn't in the clique.
Valid point re Scepovic as it was obvious at the time had excellent positional sense in the box but got very little service. Don't think so. I watched Scepovic play 30 minutes for Getafe the other night and he was at the same thing, greeting when he wasn't played in by his team mates. I think he is just a moaning Mavis.
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popeyed
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25 Apr 2016, 02:54 PM
Post #7171
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Climbing walls while sittin' in a chair.
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- fatboab
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:40 PM
ultimately, DD is the problem. Why he would give Lawwell pelters for successfully implementing his strategies is an odd one, but I guess that's the privilege of being head honcho. The sooner DD fecks off, the better. On the proviso he takes Lawwell with him. Maybe he really hasn't been paying attention and just looking at numbers.
It's like we've been arguing for years - the budgets are fine, it's how they're being allowed to be spent that's the problem. If Dessie was just looking in and seeing that we're winning most stuff, shagging the odd team and a youngster or freebie doing well then he'd probably be content enough. Closer examination and all 28 midfielders, Cole, Kazoo, etc, are revealed, and he's not happy?
Edited by popeyed, 25 Apr 2016, 02:55 PM.
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shugmc
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25 Apr 2016, 03:04 PM
Post #7172
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I stuck this in the Press thread, but it might be better in here...
ETims - Celtic Diary Monday April 25: Apathy, Celtic and Resolution 12
By Ralph Malph Celtic continued their march towards a fifth consecutive title by securing the first of the four draws needed to clinch the trophy.
Another shocking performance from a set of players who clearly want the end of the season to come very quickly watched by a support that wish it already had.
Its certainly the end of something.
A couple of banners and the silent treatment from the Green Brigade-itself not a bad thing if they’ve ditched that bloody drum - irked Lawwell, who is having trouble coming to terms with his unpopularity, and its likely his visit to the dressing room was to tell the players and management not to comment on it, showing a new found interest in controlling press conferences.
You get the feeling that when Celtic do win the league, which they probably will, the dj will be playing “We are the champions ” to a somewhat deserted ground, and unless the presentation of the trophy is accompanied by a resignation speech by Peter Lawwell, that could be a bit of a letdown as well.
Still if he thinks it will sell tickets, then there’s every chance he’ll go for it.
Right now, the prospects of selling season books in sufficient numbers is looking grim. We hear that the club is being inundated with emails ranging from
“ Dear sir, I would like to point out that in view of recent events i will not be renewing my season ticket ”
to the less diplomatic
” If you even think of sending me a renewal form I will come down there and stick it up your arse. ”
All of which explains the rumblings in at least one of the offices within the bowels of Celtic Park, but as with all bowel problems, a good old fashioned clean out usually does the trick.
We also hear that the visit to the dressing room wa sso the CEO could ask the players not to start fighting at the awards ceremony later on.
It was close…
There was certainly tension in the air, and rumours of rifts between players were given more credence whn it was noticed ( see above ) that perennial feartie Dedryck Boyata actually wore his running shoes in case things got out of hand.
The awards , predictably, went to Leigh Griffiths, Keiran Tierney and Tom Rogic, ( Player, Young Player and Goal of the season respectively -Griff picked up a couple more, players player and top goalscorer ).
Kris Commons was coaxed on to the stage for Best Impression of a Five Year Old, Scott Brown got the Margaret Thatcher Award for Leadership and Industry , and Jozo Simunovic got the gong for ” Least Convincing Injury “, wresting the crown from now departed permapatient Derk Boerrigter.
There was disappointment in the ranks as well, when Stefan Johansen failed to win an Oscar for his role as a combative, free scoring midfielder, and Nir Biton was upset when he realised the award for the Best Woman player would actually go to a woman, and not to a big girl.
One player missing from the awards was on loan Michael Duffy, who turned in the bravest and most admirable performance over the weekend when asked to form part of a guard of honour for first division winners “rangers “..
The official twitter account kept in line with the general ineptness of the season with a remarkable tweet, featuring Keiran Tierney and Danny McGrain, with the phrase “from left back to left back “, showing apathy at best and ignorance at worst.
Then there was the “pink top 2 scenario, when a website released advance pictures of the apparent new away top, in “shocking” pink.
At the recent kit design meeting, both pink and blue were rejected as having no place on a Celtic top, so i wouldn’t hold much truck with any of this, but when I saw the initial design of the suits the players were supposed to wear last night, i wouldn’t be surprised at anything any more.
You should take us more seriously when we tell you something… or do you need to see it in the paper ? Like the Irish Post…
LOOKING back to September, Martin O’Neill’s contract was running down but the FAI’s patience was hardly running thin.
In a rare interview, John Delaney – the association’s Chief Executive – made it plainly clear that come what may, O’Neill will be in charge for the next World Cup qualifying campaign.
“It is always positive to hear the senior manager is very happy in the job,” Delaney said. “From his point of view, there are two big games coming up, and possibly two more in November. Results went our way in September but they could go the other way in October just as easily.
“With this in mind, the thing, as always, is to let the games take place, see where we finish up post October or November, and then sit down and talk about what he – and the Association – would like to do. He has done a really fine job.”
So far, so straightforward. All we needed to hear, then, were O’Neill’s thoughts. And in October, they came.
He said: “My plan is to qualify for France and if I think that my employers would want me to stay on, then I would certainly want to have a look at that.”
Within a month, he had achieved just that. Victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina sparked wild celebrations in the Aviva Stadium and generated fresh debate about the future. Would O’Neill stay?
Another month passed and incredibly there was still no sign of that elusive new contract.
Christmas, New Year, his daughter’s wedding and even St Valentine’s Day all passed before the subject was brought up again. And still there was no deal signed.
“Regarding my contract, there is no great difficulty,” O’Neill continued. “In actual fact, contracts have never been a big issue for me throughout my career. I’ve tended, for the most part, to stick to them.
“So we will hopefully sit down before the couple of friendly games [against Switzerland and Slovakia next month]. The fact is that I have loved the job here. It’s been really, really fantastic and obviously qualification is, for lack of a better word, vindication for the time spent here.”
The matches came and went. But what about that new contract? “I haven’t any news on it,” O’Neill said in the aftermath of the Slovakia game. “I think there should be something very, very shortly but I think that we’re keen to get things going and the FAI have been excellent about it.”
Perhaps, though, it is time their standards dipped from excellence to mediocrity. Perhaps they should cast their minds back to Euro 2012, to another manager, another successful qualification campaign and another decision whether to stick or twist.
In handing Giovanni Trapattoni an extension to his terms back then, they left themselves open to being stuck with a man they didn’t want in the aftermath of that tournament. Of course there’s a notable difference.
By 2012, Trap’s regime was four-years-old and showing signs of fatigue. Qualifying merely masked over the problems that were deeply set. O’Neill’s voice, by contrast, remains fresh.
However, the rhetoric surrounding his contract is beginning to tire. We are in April now and if both parties are genuinely interested in re-enacting their vows and prolonging the marriage then why has it taken so long for a deal to be struck?
If ever there was a case of inactions speaking louder than words, this is it, and O’Neill’s old club are Celtic surely monitoring the situation.
But foe now, we return to the massive disconnection between the club and the players, the club and the management and most importantly , the club and the support.
We’re becoming more of an irritation of late, which at least means that our current custodians will have to at least pretend to be interested in what we think. Especially as those renewal letters are ready to hit the doormats.
That's the outside mat, as supporters push them back through the letterbox when they arrive.
We’re well aware now that the board are under the impression that we’ll all be happy again when the new “rangers ” come up the top division next season, and that alone will make all the problems go away.
Seriously, not since the captain of the Hindenburg told passengers it was fine to smoke has someone underestimated the consequences of a particular action.
The action by the Celtic board in question is the blatant ignorance and shameful procrastination on the Resolution 12 issue.
Celtic have been repeatedly asked to sort it out, and they haven’t..one of those behind the campaign, auldheid, offered a summary on CQN..
Even when provided with clear evidence of skullduggery they have kept their silence.
That silence has allowed the internal war that our enemies occupy to rub their hands with glee.
Faced with a morally bankrupt rival, a morally bankrupt governance and a morally bankrupt media, we have said nothing. That vacuum of silence gave them ground to occupy rather than slink away in shame.
I can take a Celtic who are not playing well. I cannot take a Celtic lacking moral courage.
If we want to recover we need to start a moral fightback and it needs to start now by revealing the full extent of the cheating that has taken place. No more silence on Res12 no more silence on LNS. There is a clear link between both. There is an SFA needing reform. There is no reason for silence any more.
There is a feeling that this is a Celtic -rangers thing. It isn’t. Its far more than that, and affects all clubs, because its about the moral flexibility of those running the game.
I met up with the Res 12 guys on Saturday, and listened to evidence and stories that would make you weep in shame for the inaction of our club and the people who run it.
I don’t doubt the integrity and honesty of the men behind the campaign, the work they have put in is humbling, and the obstacles they have had to overcome daunting.
But they are winning, and you’ll hear more about that soon.
On the train home, however, i couldn’t help but wonder why they have to do all of this.
Why aren’t the club doing it ?
If they are aware of shenanigans, and they are, because all the evidence is there, why aren’t they screaming about them from the rooftops ?
Why has it been left to a group of supporters to carry on the battle ?
A battle for fairness and integrity, a battle for the image and viability of the game in Scotland.
Why have they been left to shoulder the burden ?
They’re getting no help at all from the board, and if anything, appear to be blocked at every turn, and offered lame excuses, the most common one concerning the EBT scandal. That is, Celtic will make a move if and when the EBTs are declared illegal.
That shows a remarkable lack of understanding of the issue, which concerns the granting of a licence when there was a significant change in circumstances by the UEFA confirmation date that rendered Rangers participation in the champions League illegal .
The SFA and Rangers didn’t mention it when they should have. Nothing to do with EBTs.
The club are aware of this, several media outlets are aware of this, but no-one seems to want to do anything about it, bar the hardy souls of the Res 12 group.
Why is it down to them to try to sort the problem, when the club should be doing it ?
The club will try to sell season books soon.
Ironically justifying an increase in price because ” the “rangers ” are “back ” . “
We need to know why they won’t support Resolution 12.
We can ask them.
Emails, phone calls, letters wrapped around a house brick, alright, maybe not the latter, but you get the point.
Forget the team for a minute, and concentrate your anger at the club.
If this isn’t sorted now, it will mean that apathy has won. It means that we have colluded with the cheats in the same way the club has.
We’ve missed an opportunity to cleanse the game once, when Turnbull Hutton made us aware of the depths of corruption and nepotism within Hampden.
We cannot afford to let things go back to the way they were.
Ring the club, email the club, and ask them why we should buy a season book if they’re not prepared to fight our corner when the money is being paid into a sport with all the credibility of the wrestling .
A sport which depends on our money, but somehow doesn’t have to be accountable to us.
Resolution 12 cannot be allowed to fail.
They’ve been doing their bit, now you can do yours.
Press Office
tel: +44 (0) 871 226 1888 *
Ticket Office
Sales tel: 0871 226 1888 *
fax: +44 (0) 141 551 4223
Public Relations Celtic Football Club Celtic Park GLASGOW G40 3RE
( I know, this one surprised me as well. Seems there actually is one.)
Celtic View
Editorial
tel: +44 (0) 871 226 1888 *
General Enquiries & Sales
Should be enough there to get you started. Let me know how you get on.
See if they’ll tell you why the Res 12 guys have had to do it all themselves, because they sure as hell aren’t telling them.
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Fearghas
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25 Apr 2016, 03:29 PM
Post #7173
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- remy mcswain
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:54 PM
What a load of keech from Phil.
I understand there was a board meeting... FFS mate it's a fact and I don't even have an NUJ card.
No-one will work at Celtic because of Lawwell...
We already have 3 "apply" publicly and Moyes and Rodgers (seemingly) have been spoken to.
Edit - there a lot more than3 players pissed off at the hapless haddie who was hired to manage them.And, as for the he doesn't mean what he was saying to the press well, blow me down, that's a hell of a scoop apart from the 300+ posters on here who have all said the same.
sorry i don't buy that. the players don't have a right to make that decision. they are employed by the club and paid good money to follow the manager's instructions, whoever that may be.
maybe that's the problem. they're getting paid more than him, some of them anyway. so they don't have respect for him. shame on them if so.
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SwavBhoy
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25 Apr 2016, 03:30 PM
Post #7174
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- Luca
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:33 PM
- mvtommy
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:55 PM
- McStay
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:33 PM
Izzy and Mulgrew
I'd have thought Brown and Mulgrew Commons yesterday before he came on, gave a couple of players high fives at the right-end of the dug out, blanked another couple of players and kinda blanked the coaching staff.
Although the fat dick didn't blank the steak sandwich and plate of chips he was munching eff out of at Dundonald last midweek.
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tinytim81
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25 Apr 2016, 03:32 PM
Post #7175
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- tenerifetim
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:25 PM
So the Board got upset at POTY last night ! Obviously beelin from earlier Banners too ! The Mire CSC @TheMireCSC2002 10m10 minutes ago Security sent to the @GovanEmerald table last night. Bid cancelled and tablet removed from the table. Board didn't like it. Sack The Board https://twitter.com/CollectCelticFC/status/724506125522067456
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markybhoy
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25 Apr 2016, 03:39 PM
Post #7176
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- shugmc
- 25 Apr 2016, 03:04 PM
I stuck this in the Press thread, but it might be better in here... ETims - Celtic Diary Monday April 25: Apathy, Celtic and Resolution 12By Ralph Malph Celtic continued their march towards a fifth consecutive title by securing the first of the four draws needed to clinch the trophy.
Another shocking performance from a set of players who clearly want the end of the season to come very quickly watched by a support that wish it already had.
Its certainly the end of something.
A couple of banners and the silent treatment from the Green Brigade-itself not a bad thing if they’ve ditched that bloody drum - irked Lawwell, who is having trouble coming to terms with his unpopularity, and its likely his visit to the dressing room was to tell the players and management not to comment on it, showing a new found interest in controlling press conferences.
You get the feeling that when Celtic do win the league, which they probably will, the dj will be playing “We are the champions ” to a somewhat deserted ground, and unless the presentation of the trophy is accompanied by a resignation speech by Peter Lawwell, that could be a bit of a letdown as well.
Still if he thinks it will sell tickets, then there’s every chance he’ll go for it.
Right now, the prospects of selling season books in sufficient numbers is looking grim. We hear that the club is being inundated with emails ranging from
“ Dear sir, I would like to point out that in view of recent events i will not be renewing my season ticket ”
to the less diplomatic
” If you even think of sending me a renewal form I will come down there and stick it up your arse. ”
All of which explains the rumblings in at least one of the offices within the bowels of Celtic Park, but as with all bowel problems, a good old fashioned clean out usually does the trick.
We also hear that the visit to the dressing room wa sso the CEO could ask the players not to start fighting at the awards ceremony later on.
It was close…
There was certainly tension in the air, and rumours of rifts between players were given more credence whn it was noticed ( see above ) that perennial feartie Dedryck Boyata actually wore his running shoes in case things got out of hand.
The awards , predictably, went to Leigh Griffiths, Keiran Tierney and Tom Rogic, ( Player, Young Player and Goal of the season respectively -Griff picked up a couple more, players player and top goalscorer ).
Kris Commons was coaxed on to the stage for Best Impression of a Five Year Old, Scott Brown got the Margaret Thatcher Award for Leadership and Industry , and Jozo Simunovic got the gong for ” Least Convincing Injury “, wresting the crown from now departed permapatient Derk Boerrigter.
There was disappointment in the ranks as well, when Stefan Johansen failed to win an Oscar for his role as a combative, free scoring midfielder, and Nir Biton was upset when he realised the award for the Best Woman player would actually go to a woman, and not to a big girl.
One player missing from the awards was on loan Michael Duffy, who turned in the bravest and most admirable performance over the weekend when asked to form part of a guard of honour for first division winners “rangers “..
The official twitter account kept in line with the general ineptness of the season with a remarkable tweet, featuring Keiran Tierney and Danny McGrain, with the phrase “from left back to left back “, showing apathy at best and ignorance at worst.
Then there was the “pink top 2 scenario, when a website released advance pictures of the apparent new away top, in “shocking” pink.
At the recent kit design meeting, both pink and blue were rejected as having no place on a Celtic top, so i wouldn’t hold much truck with any of this, but when I saw the initial design of the suits the players were supposed to wear last night, i wouldn’t be surprised at anything any more.
You should take us more seriously when we tell you something… or do you need to see it in the paper ? Like the Irish Post…
LOOKING back to September, Martin O’Neill’s contract was running down but the FAI’s patience was hardly running thin.
In a rare interview, John Delaney – the association’s Chief Executive – made it plainly clear that come what may, O’Neill will be in charge for the next World Cup qualifying campaign.
“It is always positive to hear the senior manager is very happy in the job,” Delaney said. “From his point of view, there are two big games coming up, and possibly two more in November. Results went our way in September but they could go the other way in October just as easily.
“With this in mind, the thing, as always, is to let the games take place, see where we finish up post October or November, and then sit down and talk about what he – and the Association – would like to do. He has done a really fine job.”
So far, so straightforward. All we needed to hear, then, were O’Neill’s thoughts. And in October, they came.
He said: “My plan is to qualify for France and if I think that my employers would want me to stay on, then I would certainly want to have a look at that.”
Within a month, he had achieved just that. Victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina sparked wild celebrations in the Aviva Stadium and generated fresh debate about the future. Would O’Neill stay?
Another month passed and incredibly there was still no sign of that elusive new contract.
Christmas, New Year, his daughter’s wedding and even St Valentine’s Day all passed before the subject was brought up again. And still there was no deal signed.
“Regarding my contract, there is no great difficulty,” O’Neill continued. “In actual fact, contracts have never been a big issue for me throughout my career. I’ve tended, for the most part, to stick to them.
“So we will hopefully sit down before the couple of friendly games [against Switzerland and Slovakia next month]. The fact is that I have loved the job here. It’s been really, really fantastic and obviously qualification is, for lack of a better word, vindication for the time spent here.”
The matches came and went. But what about that new contract? “I haven’t any news on it,” O’Neill said in the aftermath of the Slovakia game. “I think there should be something very, very shortly but I think that we’re keen to get things going and the FAI have been excellent about it.”
Perhaps, though, it is time their standards dipped from excellence to mediocrity. Perhaps they should cast their minds back to Euro 2012, to another manager, another successful qualification campaign and another decision whether to stick or twist.
In handing Giovanni Trapattoni an extension to his terms back then, they left themselves open to being stuck with a man they didn’t want in the aftermath of that tournament. Of course there’s a notable difference.
By 2012, Trap’s regime was four-years-old and showing signs of fatigue. Qualifying merely masked over the problems that were deeply set. O’Neill’s voice, by contrast, remains fresh.
However, the rhetoric surrounding his contract is beginning to tire. We are in April now and if both parties are genuinely interested in re-enacting their vows and prolonging the marriage then why has it taken so long for a deal to be struck?
If ever there was a case of inactions speaking louder than words, this is it, and O’Neill’s old club are Celtic surely monitoring the situation.
But foe now, we return to the massive disconnection between the club and the players, the club and the management and most importantly , the club and the support.
We’re becoming more of an irritation of late, which at least means that our current custodians will have to at least pretend to be interested in what we think. Especially as those renewal letters are ready to hit the doormats.
That's the outside mat, as supporters push them back through the letterbox when they arrive.
We’re well aware now that the board are under the impression that we’ll all be happy again when the new “rangers ” come up the top division next season, and that alone will make all the problems go away.
Seriously, not since the captain of the Hindenburg told passengers it was fine to smoke has someone underestimated the consequences of a particular action.
The action by the Celtic board in question is the blatant ignorance and shameful procrastination on the Resolution 12 issue.
Celtic have been repeatedly asked to sort it out, and they haven’t..one of those behind the campaign, auldheid, offered a summary on CQN..
Even when provided with clear evidence of skullduggery they have kept their silence.
That silence has allowed the internal war that our enemies occupy to rub their hands with glee.
Faced with a morally bankrupt rival, a morally bankrupt governance and a morally bankrupt media, we have said nothing. That vacuum of silence gave them ground to occupy rather than slink away in shame.
I can take a Celtic who are not playing well. I cannot take a Celtic lacking moral courage.
If we want to recover we need to start a moral fightback and it needs to start now by revealing the full extent of the cheating that has taken place. No more silence on Res12 no more silence on LNS. There is a clear link between both. There is an SFA needing reform. There is no reason for silence any more.
There is a feeling that this is a Celtic -rangers thing. It isn’t. Its far more than that, and affects all clubs, because its about the moral flexibility of those running the game.
I met up with the Res 12 guys on Saturday, and listened to evidence and stories that would make you weep in shame for the inaction of our club and the people who run it.
I don’t doubt the integrity and honesty of the men behind the campaign, the work they have put in is humbling, and the obstacles they have had to overcome daunting.
But they are winning, and you’ll hear more about that soon.
On the train home, however, i couldn’t help but wonder why they have to do all of this.
Why aren’t the club doing it ?
If they are aware of shenanigans, and they are, because all the evidence is there, why aren’t they screaming about them from the rooftops ?
Why has it been left to a group of supporters to carry on the battle ?
A battle for fairness and integrity, a battle for the image and viability of the game in Scotland.
Why have they been left to shoulder the burden ?
They’re getting no help at all from the board, and if anything, appear to be blocked at every turn, and offered lame excuses, the most common one concerning the EBT scandal. That is, Celtic will make a move if and when the EBTs are declared illegal.
That shows a remarkable lack of understanding of the issue, which concerns the granting of a licence when there was a significant change in circumstances by the UEFA confirmation date that rendered Rangers participation in the champions League illegal .
The SFA and Rangers didn’t mention it when they should have. Nothing to do with EBTs.
The club are aware of this, several media outlets are aware of this, but no-one seems to want to do anything about it, bar the hardy souls of the Res 12 group.
Why is it down to them to try to sort the problem, when the club should be doing it ?
The club will try to sell season books soon.
Ironically justifying an increase in price because ” the “rangers ” are “back ” . “
We need to know why they won’t support Resolution 12.
We can ask them.
Emails, phone calls, letters wrapped around a house brick, alright, maybe not the latter, but you get the point.
Forget the team for a minute, and concentrate your anger at the club.
If this isn’t sorted now, it will mean that apathy has won. It means that we have colluded with the cheats in the same way the club has.
We’ve missed an opportunity to cleanse the game once, when Turnbull Hutton made us aware of the depths of corruption and nepotism within Hampden.
We cannot afford to let things go back to the way they were.
Ring the club, email the club, and ask them why we should buy a season book if they’re not prepared to fight our corner when the money is being paid into a sport with all the credibility of the wrestling .
A sport which depends on our money, but somehow doesn’t have to be accountable to us.
Resolution 12 cannot be allowed to fail.
They’ve been doing their bit, now you can do yours.
Press Office
tel: +44 (0) 871 226 1888 *
Ticket Office
Sales tel: 0871 226 1888 *
fax: +44 (0) 141 551 4223
Public Relations Celtic Football Club Celtic Park GLASGOW G40 3RE
( I know, this one surprised me as well. Seems there actually is one.)
Celtic View
Editorial
tel: +44 (0) 871 226 1888 *
General Enquiries & Sales
Should be enough there to get you started. Let me know how you get on.
See if they’ll tell you why the Res 12 guys have had to do it all themselves, because they sure as hell aren’t telling them. Someone suggested Lawwell may well have been going into the dressing to have a go at the players for leaving the league still not won (I know it couldn't have mathematically been won) and it makes sense.
Lawwell must surely be worried about a trophy being presented to a half empty stadium, that would be incredibly embarrassing for the club. Is it really a possibility? One way to help mitigate the disaster that this season has become could well be to present the new manager after the trophy presentation. The stands would likely be full for that.
That started off with a good few chortles and got less and less funny as the res12 stuff took over.
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sevilliano
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25 Apr 2016, 03:46 PM
Post #7177
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Retired and now a BT Sports pundit
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- fatboab
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:40 PM
ultimately, DD is the problem. Why he would give Lawwell pelters for successfully implementing his strategies is an odd one, but I guess that's the privilege of being head honcho. The sooner DD fecks off, the better. On the proviso he takes Lawwell with him. Dermots disinterest is a problem but if as he does he delegates to his CEO and leaves bankier Allison et al to oversee and report and they feed thru the we're doing ok up until Christmas they're negligent and the squad imbalance and quality is ultimately down to one person pl
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shugmc
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25 Apr 2016, 06:08 PM
Post #7178
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James Forrest
Apathy Not Anger Is The Real Danger For Those Running Celtic Yesterday at Celtic Park the media’s attention was focused on the wrong thing.
As usual.
I’d like to think that inside the boardroom the men who sit there know that, and they got the real message loud and clear.
Perhaps they did, or perhaps they like the media were blindsided by the protests. Certainly, they moved Peter Lawwell to do something he hasn’t done before. They got him out of his soft seat in the stand, even if he didn’t belong where he ended up.
But the real protest was more potent, whether in the stands or outside them.
It was to be found in over-busy cinema queues and Sunday pubs more full than usual.
It was found in an increased uptake of day-trip tickets.
It was found in empty seats at Parkhead.
And it was found in the stands themselves, personified by those who had shown up, eschewing the other temptations of Sunday to be there on the day. Perhaps attendance was a protest on its own, to sit there as silent observers.
Perhaps they were just following habit or perhaps they were simply unable to think of anything better to do.
But that silence spoke volumes.
This is the protest that should really scare the Hell out of our board.
There’s more wrong at Celtic Park than just what happens on the pitch.
There isn’t one of us who grew up with Celtic who isn’t a keen student of its history.
Many of us come from Celtic families, from deep Celtic backgrounds. It’s as if we born into this, and as our fathers and mothers and older brothers and sisters handed this to us, it’s our privilege to take on the responsibility not just for keeping the flame but of passing it on too.
Those guys in the stands at Celtic Park yesterday weren’t angry for the most part, except at the end when the final whistle blew, and those on our board should be more frightened by that than I suspect they are.
What we saw yesterday was apathy.
Those were guys going through the motions, attending because they already had the tickets, but taking no joy in the experience at all.
Those guys are becoming disconnected from the emotional experience of following this club, and if that goes completely, if disillusionment hardens into cynicism, the ball is up on the slates.
Beyond that, we might be looking at a generational disconnect, and if we are then the consequences are going to last far beyond the here and now.
Anyone who has kids knows that if you want to get them interested in something that the window for doing so is small.
Today there are so many distractions for the younger generation; keeping them interested in football at all is tough and getting tougher. If you’re a parent trying to get your kid interested in Celtic, you’re already competing with the EPL and La Liga to a certain extent, even if you get them really young; if you’re a parent, a Celtic fan, trying to get your kids interested in this version of Celtic it’s a tough enough sell if you’re fully onboard.
But it’s hard to imagine being able to generate much enthusiasm at the moment.
It’s just not there.
This game at the weekend was one shy of being a title decider, yet the ground was half empty and those who showed up sat in morose silence, and I don’t blame them one bit.
Outside of our ground, our shiny frontage boasts of heroes, but inside the boardroom any interest these guys had in that went out the window years ago.
We’d never retain a Larsson under this “strategy”; he’d have been sold in year two and the best would have passed us by.
We’d never sign a Nakamura now, a player close to the finished article, playing at his peak, who was there to improve the squad, not for a resale value.
For months now I’ve pondered this; who’s the next player we’re going to feature on The Celtic Way?
Will it be a player at all?
To listen to some of his defenders, Celtic would have gone bankrupt if not for Peter Lawwell.
Apparently, we owe this guy everything as though Celtic wasn’t here before him and won’t be here 100 years after he’s gone.
But that’s the rub, isn’t it?
What’s this guy’s legacy going to be?
What are he and the present board handing down to our kids and grandkids?
Something they can be proud of?
Something they’ll actually want?
Or a utilitarian corporate “franchise” with no emotional roots for them, and therefore nothing in which future generations can take pride?
The silence at Celtic Park on Sunday was a final warning to the people running our club at the moment. The mood is darkening, and a change in manager isn’t going to make any difference, even if it’s the kind we can all support.
Whether it’s the composition of the board itself, the club’s apparent unwillingness to fight it’s corner over stuff like Resolution 12, the notion that we’re still watching a rigged game because nothing’s changed at the SFA or a combination of all this and more, something’s gone wrong, far wrong, something that goes beyond football, that’s left us a hollowed shell, stripped it of it’s soul, reduced somehow, a “business” with “customers” instead of fans.
And customers have a choice what they do with their money.
They can take it somewhere else, spend it somewhere else, on something else.
How does that change?
How do we make Celtic seem special again, especially to the next generation who this club needs if it’s to thrive in the long term?
Because this is the real legacy of the current setup.
A disconnect with the present, that threatens to destroy the very things that will ensure we have a healthy future.
Anger is bad enough. It’s dangerous to the men in the boardroom.
Apathy is worse. It’s dangerous to Celtic itself.
The people running our club had better think hard on how they’re going to change that.
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Marado
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25 Apr 2016, 07:25 PM
Post #7179
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I'll give you a war you won't believe.
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- marcat
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:28 PM
- Patrick_Bateman
- 25 Apr 2016, 02:10 PM
I'd hazard a guess that there are far more than 3 senior players acting like knobheads. I would be surprised if Commons, Forrest, Brown, Mulgrew, Johansen and maybe Bitton were card carrying members of this clique of malcontents.
It's funny, when Scepovic was here a lot of us commented on how he was getting into good positions a lot of the time but not passed to. It looked deliberate at the time. It was the first real obvious sign of the malaise at the club manifesting itself on the pitch. I suppose Stefan wasn't in the clique.
Valid point re Scepovic as it was obvious at the time had excellent positional sense in the box but got very little service. I honestly don't think it was obvious at all. He looked pretty average most times I saw him and that is being generous.
Agree about Phil's article. Nothing anyone with half a brain couldn't put together from a quick scan on KDS.
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Torquemada
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25 Apr 2016, 07:26 PM
Post #7180
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Off treasure hunting in Holland
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- sevilliano
- 25 Apr 2016, 03:46 PM
- fatboab
- 25 Apr 2016, 01:40 PM
ultimately, DD is the problem. Why he would give Lawwell pelters for successfully implementing his strategies is an odd one, but I guess that's the privilege of being head honcho. The sooner DD fecks off, the better. On the proviso he takes Lawwell with him.
Dermots disinterest is a problem but if as he does he delegates to his CEO and leaves bankier Allison et al to oversee and report and they feed thru the we're doing ok up until Christmas they're negligent and the squad imbalance and quality is ultimately down to one person pl DD's MO has always been to make sure the club was run by Scots even though the vast majority of the shares was (is) in Irish hands. His other companies have a preponderance of Irish directors -- has there ever been even one at Celtic during his tenure? I don't remember.
His Celtic CEOs and chairmen have always been given a relatively free hand, though he has intervened occasionally, MON being the most obvious example. None of his other company directors get such autonomy. The idea that DD wants Roy Keane in order to appeal to the Irish fanbase is a KDS tartan floof fantasy. If he wants Keane, it's because he thinks RK can do the job. I'd rather have Moyes but ho hum.
Maybe Phil has been briefed that those days of DD checking the score on his phone are over and that Desmond is going to keep a closer eye on events in Glasgow. I sure hope so because Lawwell's strategy of blanking Resolution 12 and waiting for Sevco has been a catastrophic miscalculation.
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