"Don’t anybody start talking about morals, because we don’t have any in football" - the rolling Scottish football thread, season 2014/15

Thanks to Gordon Strachan for being the moral compass of this thread and providing our new title.

Aberdeen get the new season off to a flier by thumping Daugava Riga home and away before the World Cup even finished. Some sleeping/comatose giants will be fighting it out in the Championship and apparently this will be exciting for us all, while Celtic take a step into the unknown with a new manager no-one had heard of two months ago, kicking off tomorrow night in Reyjavik.

Oh, and Dundee are, for now at least, better than Man City. Scottish football still not dead yet.

Have at it.

Has there been any chat abt this anywhere?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/14/england-scotland-friendly-celtic-park

Oh, and we get to play England again this year, though perhaps that's for the Scotland international thread.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/14/england-scotland-friendly-celtic-park

xpost haha, there has now!

A combination of the world cup, travelling, and not really giving a fuck means that as we are on the cusp of Celtic's latest great adventure in Europe, I have yet to hear the new manager speak.

Here's the considered opinion of a colleague:
"Have you heard him talk? Dunno if he's stupid or gay but there's something fucked up about his voice. That 'Only an Excuse' guy will have a field-day with him. Fucking own goal right away if you ask me!"

Like we shouldn't employ managers if some piss-poor impressionist will mock them for 5 minutes a year, or if they "sound gay", which is apparently "fucked up" - wtf :(

I asked said colleague how intelligent and/or hetero he would sound speaking Norwegian and got a hard stare in return :)

Met a mate of mine today and he was asking where I was watching the game tonight and I had to think about what game he was talking about despite having started this thread yesterday with mention of it :-(

Stokes and Griffiths running to all the wrong places. Pedestrian midfield. Sole strategy seems to be to hope Commons cunts one from 30 yards.

So staggeringly inept and unimaginative that I can't even get annoyed.

We won!

Mostly meh. Couple of good efforts off the woodwork. Commons mostly decent. McGregor looks promising.

I accept that it was difficult to break down what was effectively a back six but we seemed devoid of any invention or variation.

I'm expecting a shitefest in Luzern on Thursday, no good reason really other than pessimism. Cautiously looking forward to the home leg. Would be nice if everyone at least got through their current rounds.

I am hoping that Deila gets some dosh to spend, and spends it more effectively than Griffiths and Stokes did on whatever the fuck they did to their hair.

I knew there was a reason I should have watched that game last night!

I was watching last night and thought "hang on, they're still bald!"

Refunds in order.

As for spending, looks like the same shit Lennon put up with - you can't buy the players who'll get you to the Champions League until you get to the Champions League.

iirc he spent it all on segways quite soon after arriving?

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/400xY/2014/7/24650498.jpg

(oh hello new thread!)

smooth segway into the new thread sktsh

irl office lol

Never has a man looked more The Accused than Leigh Griffiths in a suit

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74300000/jpg/_74300438_leegriffiths.jpg

Has his missus got all the hair he couldn't hold on to?

she looks more wig than wag iyam

Perfectly chosen photo on wikipedia

http://i58.tinypic.com/jgtjsy.jpg

Please, I was having a good day till I opened this thread.

That should cheer you up! We used to have that, now we have, well, someone none of us knows anything about!

1-1 away to FC Luzern, would have taken that before kick off.

At least he's taking it on his forehead not taking it on the fucking chin like in every post-match interview ever. Still, I think we can agree he looks like every fucker that paid to watch one of his teams.

Great result.
Aberdeen ok so far at 0-0.
Motherwell have lost an away goal but lead 2-1.

Draws all round. Fingers crossed we get everyone through.

If Celtic get through they'll face the winners of St Patrick's and Legia Warsaw (currently 1-1) in the next round.

Europa League: Aberdeen will play Real Sociedad should they progress from their match with FC Groningen.

Europa League: St Johnstone will face FC Zestafoni or FC Spartak Trnava if they can beat FC Luzern in the second leg.

Europa League: Motherwell will take on JK Nõmme Kalju or KKS Lech Poznań if they overcome Stjarnan in Iceland next week

plum tie for the dons there

Indeed. St Johnstone's potential opponents, not so much (basis for this: I've never heard of them therefore they can't be in any way relevant or good). Am aware of both Motherwell's potential opponents, specifically Poznan for inventing the huddle and having a ton of mad ultras who make the Green Brigade look like a Sunday school picnic.

Celtic v St Patrick's Athletic in 1998 remains one of the worst games of football I have ever seen in my life. And I watched that Iran v Nigeria game in the World Cup.

This is gold:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-match-reports/sacramento-republic-1-rangers-2-3886112

Would totally go to Championship football matches if you always got free food for Ian Black fouling someone and free pizza for someone scoring against Sevco. And you could piss off to the shows half-way through.

Seriously, why the fuck are they flying half-way round the world for this when they could just play a Sunday league team in Strathclyde Park? I thought they were skint?

Are the Pars playing all their pre-season fixtures against teams in their own league? (NB This may be complete bollocks, but I know they played us and I see from that Record page they also played Rangers. I can't be arsed looking it up though, and truth be told this is a rhetorical question because I don't really care.)

The Pars aren't in that league.

Ah, that'll explain it.

dunno how reliable this is but...

http://www.vipboxgb.co/football/238436/1/celtic-vs-kr-reykjavik-live-stream-online.html

Have to say kudos to the Celtic fans: I live near Murrayfield, but didn't hear a peep from Scottish rugby fans, nor the Tweens at their One Direction concert, but can hear the football!

Best fans in the world iirc :)

Weird game, playing well and dominating but all goals coming from set pieces or stupid mistakes. Was fearing the worst, entertainment wise, early on as KR basically set up like Levein era Scotland - needed the early goal to open it up a bit.

Dying at this

The Huddleboard ‏@huddleboard 8s

I like Liam Henderson even if his head does look like a balloon with not enough air in it. #celtic

http://img.uefa.com/imgml/TP/players/1/2014/324x324/250056848.jpg

haha, that is gold.

Mon the coefficient! Aberdeen through to play Sociedad, and St Johnstone and Motherwell both a goal to the good in their ties.

I don't hate penalty shootouts quite so much anymore.

Congratulations! Shame Motherwell couldn't hold onto their lead.

So long Tony Watt :(

Amido Balde is apparently a better squad option :(

Loan deal for Jo Inge Berget, who couldn't get a game at Cardiff :(

Yay! Away goal!

No! Conceded shite goal!

Sell England World Cup Goalkeeper Fraser Forster while there's still money in him!

It's that time of year when we say...

WE NEED A FUCKIN LEFT BACK!

Is that not all year every year?

aye but louder in transfer windows

I like Packie Bonner as a co-commentator.

WE NEED A FUCKIN CENTRE HOFF!

RIGHT BACK AN ALL FUCK SAKE!

FFS DEILA OUT

(getting in early this year)

GREAT DEILA TROUBLE

at last that's Ambrose out :/

to be fair to Ambrose, that was fucking clownish

Possible candidates all look worse than more Lennon imo

― pick it up for ripple laser (onimo), Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:30 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

standing by this

Down to ten men and we have an away goal in the bank just fucking take the 2-1 you dick! Cunts bombing forward leaving holes everywhere.

Could be on the end of an Artmediaesque doing here.

More clowning at the back, this time from Mulgrew. Legia miss the penalty.

I've had to stop watching for the good of my health. I'm about to burst something here.

My stream died. Thank fuck. This shite is killing me.

Right I'm back in. Got some more swearwords ready.

We've subbed on Izzy THAT'LL FUCKIN SHORE THINGS UP

I know he's a keeper and not meant to be silkily skilled or w/e but he seriously can't kick a fucking ball. We apparently knocked back £7.5m for a footballer who can't kick a fucking football.

Bonner on Griffiths

"he plays well up front on his own because he doesn't have to think"

Virgil van Dijk seems to be our only defender who can defend. Bet we fucking sell him.

Missing Samaras yet?

I am enjoying all the variations of "Berget tae fuck" on Twitter.

Izzy turned inside out. Forster planted. Free header. Arseholes the lot of them.

and another penalty FUCKING MAKE IT STOP

missed again lol wtf

could easily be 6 or 7 goals down here tbh

FFS DEILA OUT

― ailsa, Wednesday, July 30, 2014 8:25 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

4-1 and that's with two missed penalties and a number of Forster saves. Ridiculous.

That's that for the season then, all that's left is working out what round of the cups we'll fuck up in. See yous next year.

Sorry for undoing all Aberdeen & St Johnstone's hard work in doing good things for the coefficient :-(

We've been here before, remember Strachan/ Artmedia? Still it's no fun being back there. Lustig is shite, Ambrose is not so much an accident waiting to happen as an accident that did happen right in front of your astonished eyes etcetera etcetera.

Lustig and Ambrose have been two of our better/less shite players recently, which makes this all even more alarming.

you had me until Ambrose

Ach, he's been not bad, high-profile Euro fuck-ups notwithstanding.

Since day one he's been the "I can take the ball out of defence" guy who can't take the ball out of defence. He's surely lost the ball in his own half more than anyone who's ever played a decent number of games for us.

^ sounds like Ambrose to me... but only for Celtic, not for Nigeria. I admit however that last season was the least number of Celtic games I've watched in a season ever, so fair enough

Well, that was rotten tonight. Trnava a decent side, not amazing but you'd regularly see worse in the SPFLP. Their theatrics were embarrassing, though.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/troubled-former-scotland-star-garry-3677989

http://i4.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article3666033.ece/alternates/264x400/Garry-OConnor.jpg

A £1.3M house being sold for £70k sounds like a pile of pish to me.

Pile of pish/shady insolvency scam - pick one.

Enough money left for pies though amirite?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/04/steven-naismith-everton-tickets-liverpool-unemployed

What's that niceness doing on a thread about lack of morals in football, eh?

I am going out tomorrow night and completely forgot Celtic were playing. That's how much I don't give a shit this year already.

You'll miss the 3-1 victory.

Thanks to dropping down a league we have managed to create a different opportunity to be out of a competition before the league starts.

But same old way, eh? (Sevco are struggling, opposition mysteriously find themselves down to ten men when everyone expects nothing more than a yellow card).

/paranoia

We scored a goal, at least.

basically it feels like it'll come down to whether the total fucking ineptness of sally is enough to counteract the >10 penos they'll get at home

i didn't see the game, but it sounded like hibs were trying to play good football?

Feels like it. A bit of huffing and puffing in the first half but plenty of good chances spurned int he second and the game should never have gone to extra time. Keeper error for Rangers' first and poor defending for the second mean it's going to be a long season though.

Keeper error from Hibs? Surely not, etc.

Plus ca change.

I knew that the Rovers weren't going to defend the trophy. Going out to Dunfermline is a bit galling though.

The better half is keen to go to watch Barry Ferguson's return to Ibrox in the next round now. Me, not so much.

Training games have taken place at Riccarton involving ten men versus 11 to work on playing with a disadvantage. Neilson is coaching his team on how to cope in that situation and has given his squad information on how to adapt and what formation to take up should it happen this weekend.

“We’ve been working on ten versus 11 because we know what it’s like when we go there – the atmosphere, with referees, and you never know what’s going to happen,” said Neilson.

^ kens the score

Okay we have a left back at left back and a right back at right back - that's good, right?

Oh, and we've also got a right back at centre hoff and a former left back (or whatever he is) in central midfield...

Berget dropped, Griffiths dropped, Pukki dropped, Stokes not dropped.

Legia chewing up time at every opportunity and looking more than capable on the break, again.

Nothing has happened.

Something has happened :(

CelticTV: ‘due to to the overwhelming demand for this game we have had to suspend the comments wall’

aye ok

Something else has happened :(

We need a try and a conversion.

Can't believe I sat through that.

Worst thing is this won't highlight a need for investment (well it will but it will be ignored) - the fall in income will prompt further dismantling of what's left of the team to make up the shortfall. Neil Lennon (who looks like a fucking GENIUS at this point btw) got out at the right time.

If Aberdeen and Motherwell are as good as last season they'll run us close.

Lawell out. Deila out. Stokes out. Izaguirre out. Every cunt out.

Except Commons. He can stay. Except he's in his last season and yet to sign a new contract.

Was wondering the streets last night cursing London for not having any pubs showing the game, so glad I didn't find one.

Except Commons. He can stay. Except he's in his last season and yet to sign a new contract.

For a club intent on wringing every last penny out of everything, this seems to happen quite often, people getting to go away for nothing (hi dere Samaras, Ledley, etc)

Samaras, Ledley, etc

Don't forget Steven Mouyokolo!

Comeback is on!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-could-handed-champions-league-4021809

CELTIC could be handed a Champions League reprieve after UEFA began a probe into the eligibility of Legia Warsaw player Bartosz Bereszynskiego.

Celtic got some weird lifeline back into Europe a few years ago didn't they?

Oh yeah, Sion, as it says in that article. Would feel a bit sorry for Legia Warsaw if they got kicked out for this - seems like the flimsiest of technicalities.

Yes, Sion ignored a signing ban and fielded players they shouldn't have bought.

xp

I would feel sorry for them too except I'm shameless.

Me an' all. Also would welcome a further opportunity to look completely fucking rubbish in Europe.

We don't have any morals in football anyway.

Anyway, if this random message board dude is right, looks like we're still in it. Mon the coefficient! We're getting good at these 3-0 wins (aiui, we get a 3-0 win for last night's game, putting us through on away goals).

http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/single/?p=13088777&t=9131505

haha Celtic officially back in

LOL

Well done to Callum McGregor with the crucial away goal.

fuck uefa man, this is some shameful shit

otoh prescient thread title tbf

If this would've happened to Barca or Arsenal, I'm quite sure they'd just fine the team or something. Feel bad for Legia. Anyway, wb Celtic.

Barca or Arsenal wouldn't be stupid enough to field a suspended player in the first place.

Henning Berg has a lot of explaining to do. This is a shameful decision in the light of the precedents though. Two minutes of play in a 6-1 aggregate win.

It looks like they thought he had served the three match ban already, the sticking point seems to be that he wasn't registered for the squad in two of the games (because of the suspension) and so wasn't officially serving a ban for them.

Otoh Celtic will get the honour of being the first club to be comedically punted out of the CL twice in one season.

Yep - Legia could easily have won that tie 10-1. I'd expect our next opponents to be better than them.

First time since Rangers went bust that it's been so easy to play Goodguy/Wank at work.

Episode has taught me the word "walkowerem", though.

we'll walkowerem all!

Someone at Legia is totally getting their baws toed over this.

Still, at least we'll make a bit more money off the extra gubbing - hopefully enough to buy Ronny a one-way ticket back to Stromsgodset :)

btw, had Legia not missed either of the two penalties in the first leg, they'd still be in. The result of the first leg still stood, it was just the second leg, the one that they fielded the ineligible player in, that was changed. The official aggregate result is now 4-4 with Celtic going through on away goals, following the Legia 2 - 0 Celtic being changed to Legia 0 - 3 Celtic. It just so happens that the 3-0 default result made a difference - one goal more for Legia at any stage and it wouldn't have done.

that's a fucking repulsive decision

brought on in good faith for two minutes, an honest error? if it was the other way around pfunkboy would probably go postal

ailsa, your evident glee is completely unbecoming here, hope celtic lose every game 7-0

What if Celtic got booted out? I very much doubt that.(xp)

xp that's only two games tbf

If this would've happened to Barca or Arsenal, I'm quite sure they'd just fine the team or something. Feel bad for Legia. Anyway, wb Celtic.

― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 8 August 2014 10:27 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The rules are explicit re fielding a suspended player - you forfeit the game 3-0.

It's a shame for Legia though - as I said they could have won even more comfortably. They missed two penalties in the 4-1 win in the first leg - looking like a really bad decision to let the misser step up again.

What are you getting your knickers in a twist for? Break the rules, you're out.

xp

And one that they've made before

http://www.uefa.org/disciplinary/news/newsid=1845491.html

xposts

specious technicalities are the best kind of technicalities tbf

They missed two penalties in the 4-1 win in the first leg - looking like a really bad decision to let the misser step up again.

― a curious shade of pale (onimo), Friday, August 8, 2014 9:59 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is one of the most ridiculous 'they deserved it and here's why' posts in the history of argument

However, in 2010, Uefa fined Debrecen £15,000 but rejected a protest from opponents Litex Lovech, who wanted the Hungarian side kicked out of the tournament for fielding an ineligible player.

Debrecen argued that they fielded Peter Mate in good faith as a substitute in Bulgaria when they were leading 4-1 on aggregate.

Uefa ruled that Debrecen had "no interest in fielding this player for the three last minutes of additional time, when the score was so clearly in its favour".

ps what evident glee? I want the manager sacked, and I've pointed out that Legia were a better penalty taker away from this not even making a difference to them. Joyful stuff, oh yes.

re Debrecen, there's a difference between "ineligible" and "suspended"

It's sad and also pretty fucking dumb but it's plainly in the rules, so yes Legia did deserve it. "Good faith" and "honest mistakes" don't mean shit. And yes the same should happen if it's Real Madrid doing it.

(xpost - it's the Debrecen decision that was bullshit)

Imago, I'm glad you can read between the lines of people pointing out that Legia could still have gone through to see us going "nah nah nah-nah nah" and thumbing our noses at them for not managing to do so. I don't see any evidence that anyone's saying they DESERVED it. Rules be rules. Legia cocked it up, and got caught out. One more goal across 120 minutes of football against one of the most inept Celtic sides I've seen in years would have meant it making no difference to the result.

Anyway, we are rewarded with a gubbing from Maribor.

I'd suggest fielding Efe Ambrose and keeping it down to a three-goal deficit, tbh.

this is one of the most ridiculous 'they deserved it and here's why' posts in the history of argument

I see you're selectively not quoting the "It's a shame for Legia" bit in the same fucking post in order to keep pointing your righteous indignation at the wrong place.
I didn't say they deserved it - I said they could have won even more comfortably. We were piss-poor and deserved to get stuffed.

'S okay I remember him doing this on a cricket thread when some player got banned for match fixing

suspended vs ineligible - the rules:

A match is declared forfeit if a player who has been suspended following a disciplinary decision participates in the match

A match may be declared forfeit if a player who is ineligible participates in the match, as long as the opposing team files a protest

lol Amir is nearly eligible to return. it's been a stressful 4 years

Bartosz Bereszyński (born 12 July 1992) is a Polish international footballer who plays professionally for Legia Warsaw as a defender.

NK Maribor for Celtic. Lucky bastards.

Haha.

btw, I did post a link up there to a guy on a message board pointing out the relevant rules, precedents, red herrings (and ending by saying what a beamer it'd be if we did blag our way through on this). This decision isn't strange. it's covered in the fucking rules!

It's almost like some people enjoy getting a rise of trolling.

xpost

Anyway, we are rewarded with a gubbing from Maribor.

Another year, another set of Maribou Stork Nightmare puns.

We've got more chance of beating Haribo amirite

xpost EXACTLY. They keep sending them over here for that very reason.

former Rangers non-entity remains classy
http://www1.thesportbible.com/images/content/630w/53e4a45e829ed.jpg

He's really trying to work his way back, isn't he? He makes Nacho Novo looks like the Dalai bloody Lama.

Now I'm paranoid that everyone's for us.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/celtic-award-bullshit-goals-to-fictional-player-2014080889421

classy stuff from weiss there o_O

the hate inside, you take it with you

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bug4JaKCUAAQKEJ.jpg

This whole fiasco suggests that Norwegians don't even have the most basic of skills to manage a football club, they don't seem to know the fundamentals that a pub team manager could grasp .. and the same goes for Henning Berg.

ISWYDT

The infamous Albion Car Park is now a drive-in movie theatre wtf when did this happen?

http://www.showtimedriveinmovies.com/

Least there'll be something entertaining on at Ibrox at the weekend, etc.

"I'd love to see all the fans unite and hate me - at least then they'd be united!"

Chuckles Green is back. What a day.

Still talking about himself in the third person an' all. Man's solid gold.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28713408

A Green-led consortium bought Rangers' assets in 2012 - the same year the club was placed in the lowest tier of the Scottish league set-up following financial problems

Aye, being liquidated can prove a wee bit financially tricky, tbf. And stop it with this fucking "placed" thing. It's still really annoying.

"Maybe we could've done things differently but I don't think we would've won this game."

He's saying there was no way for him to put a winning team on the pitch.

Sack him.

lol

And there was me thinking we'd just bought a goalie.

So long Fraser Forster. Loads of goalie records, a couple of amazing performances and some fine penalty saves. Not sure he's a £10m keeper but I suppose he's moving to a world where £10m keepers aren't necessarily good keepers.

Only a couple more players to lose and we'll have no-one left that I actually want to see in a Celtic jersey.

Still, the balance books are off to a flyer once again.

Legia Warsaw have issued an open letter to Celtic requesting a one-off match to decide which side should progress to the Champions League play-off round.

"Meet in Warsaw or in Glasgow and let's settle this matter honourably," wrote Legia co-owner Dariusz Mioduski in the letter.

so proud of poland rn :)

lol "imagine if jock stein and billy mcneill were deprived of the chance of the greatest triumph in their sporting career by completing the application form wrong while acting in good faith"

i made 30 quid on this afternoon

Celtic's response is basically "stfu"

http://www.celticfc.net/news/6419

otm

Player			From		Fee
Craig Gordon		Unattached	Free
Jo Inge Berget		Cardiff City	Loan
Aleksandar Tonev	Aston Villa	Loan
Jason Denayer		Manchester City	Loan

^^^ 6 senior appearances between them in 2014.

Really tearing up the transfer market here with our £75m turnover.

http://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/uploads/u20news12aug14.jpg

I reckon if we take the felt pens to Murray Davidson's arms it'll be like Stevie May never left.

I'm not taking it well.

ha! are st j trying to take over from hibs re having a team of bad haircuts?

We're balancing it off with the no-nonsense close crops of Mackay and Mannus and the dad-do's of Ando and Wright.

I'm still persevering with a toned-down variation on the Rowan Vine, so can't really comment.

Terrible attacking play all round tonight. 3-0 beyond flattering - two gifts from St Johnstone and one from the ref.

Hint of a 4-6-0 about our final formation :(

Was a bit Leveinesque towards the end. Least deserving 3-0 win since the one UEFA handed us last week :-(

More like 2, maybe 3, gifts from the ref by the sound of it. That's the first home league game I've missed in over three seasons, thankfully.

"It'll be even stevens over 38 games"? Fuck off Ronny, utter shite.

More like 2, maybe 3, gifts from the ref by the sound of it.

Just one soft penalty imo. Not making a similarly bad mistake at the other end was in Celtic's favour but looked the right call to me (and I also think Izzy was fouled 2 seconds before it).

A high straight leg studs up tackle on McGregor was ignored in the first half too so, you know, it all evens out over 90 minutes :)

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2565&newsCategoryID=1&newsID=13600

Alleged Party in Breach: Derk Boerrigter (Celtic FC)
Match: St Johnstone v Celtic, SPFL Premiership, 13th August 2014.
Disciplinary Rule(s) allegedly breached:
Rule 201: Causing a match official to make an incorrect decision by committing an act of simulation.
Fixed suspension offer: Two matches
Principle Hearing Date: Thursday 21st August 2014. Mr Boerrigter has until Monday at 3pm to respond to the fixed suspension offer.

I thought Lawell was supposed to have everyone in his pocket?

wtf @ 2 match ban for an alleged yellow card offence

That's just bonkers. Ref doesn't do his job right and our player cops a two-match ban for it? Jesus.

Talking of bonkers, Legia can go take a running jump an' all.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) registered today
at 17:30 a statement of appeal filed by the Polish club
Legia Warszawa against the decision of the UEFA
Appeals Body confirming the result 3-0 (forfeit) in favour
of Celtic FC against Legia in the second leg of the third
qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
UEFA considered that Legia had fielded an ineligible
player (Bartosz Bereszynski) during the match.

Legia requests urgent provisional measures from CAS
allowing the Polish club to participate in the play-offs of
the Champions League (20 & 26 August 2014). More
generally, the club requests that the UEFA decision be
set aside and that all sanctions against the club and
the player Bereszynski be annulled.

The CAS has immediately initiated an arbitration
procedure and the Respondents UEFA and Celtic FC
have been invited to file written observations. A
decision on request for provisional measures is likely to
be issued on Monday 18 August around 18:00 (Swiss
time).

Let go. You fucked it up. You can't rewrite the rule book and disrupt the entire season just because you cant accept a clear rule with a clear punishment. Also, wtf do Celtic's thoughts have to do with it?

Ambrose to join Celtic for Maribor tie after some confusion about whether or not he had served his ban.

No chance of anything going wrong there.

I read that yesterday and assumed UEFA were just trolling us. I'd be leaving him at home to be on the safe side. Both in terms of the rules and in terms of our defence. Boom boom.

Ok performance last night - created several clear chances and should have taken two goals back with us. However, it looks like we learned nothing from the Legia games in terms of protecting our own goal and picking our times to attack. We're 1-0 up away in Europe and our opponents decide to sit back and play counter-attacking football and we just go and enable it! If they want to sit in their own half at 1-0 down watching our centre hoffs roll it to each other then let them!

hallo stranger! http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/new-ricoh-arena-boss-life-6749312

Ahahahahahahahahaha.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/crystal-palace-next-manager-latest-palace-consider-ally-mccoist--exclusive-9686808.html

jesus god no please. i have a tenner on us winning the first division and i feel like that's largely contingent on sally's continued presence.

ah as if they'd actually make a competent choice with his replacement

May I suggest Barry Ferguson?

otm

Fucking left backs fuck fuck fuck

Aye, that. I just called my parents and told them I wasn't coming to visit them next week because I'm boycotting Inverness. I fucking hate them anyway (ICT, not my parents), and this really didn't help. Seriously, Dylan McGeouch? Seriously? Deila out again.

Oh, and Teemu Pukki can fuck off an' all.

Fucking shambles again.

;_;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJFnBHWZYOg

can I ask yous to continue your sluggish start to the season past the third round of the diddy cup? kthx

Oh, probably.

I have a lucid and coherent argument about where it's all going wrong but I'm on my phone and can't be arsed. So basically, stop fucking downsizing, start learning from mistakes, stop selling everything half-decent and replacing them with cheap/on-loan pish, and get Lawwell tae fuck.

Derek Adams out at Ross County. I sense Terry Butcher heading back up the A9.

Worrying prospect of County looking competent before Christmas. Though with Butcher or (D) Lennon in the frame...

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28995560?SThisEM

?!

I know! How bizarre is that?

it's like championship manager from ten years ago

in other news... uh... craig gordon looks ok...

I like Craig Gordon. Not so sure about the ten diddies standing in front of him.

Ya there wasn't much nice i could say about the bits i watched

Oh FFS. Deila out.

In fact everyone that isn't Craig Gordon out.

I'm pretty happy with today's result, though I think we could have won. But a point against Celtic is always good.

I'm expecting Dundee to have a pretty good season - Top 6 seems more likely than 11th or 12th. I expect the "derby" in a couple of weeks will be tough.

Just saw Brian Graham's goal from yesterday, very nicely taken. I'm not used to seeing us score from headers.

I think they could have won as well. We were fucking abject, but that's what happens when you sell all your best players and replace them with shiter ones (or don't replace them at all). I will give Deila time to see if he gets to bring anyone in tomorrow (or manages to shift any of the dead wood), but I'm not banking on it. I don't believe he has it in him to get the current lot playing whatever way he wants (and I'm fucked if I know what that way is, because I'm not seeing anything that looks like a plan thus far).

Celtic solve our striking crisis by papping most our strikers away out on loan and then failing to secure one who has already been for a medical and got his work permit. Top work, chaps.

(I don't particularly like Pukki or Balde but surely crap strikers are just about better than no strikers, no?)

No Pukki >>> Pukki

It's a tough call. I mean, I don't particularly like Balde, McGeouch, never even seen yr Icelandic kid, still mystified at punting Watt. But not replacing them is madness.

Craig Beattie has signed for Ayr Utd. Missed a striker there...

you're getting John Guidetti on loan apparently

A striker! Now, could we not have done that *before* we got papped out of the Champions League?

hard to fathom why an owner who threatened to walk away from Hull less than 12 months ago is throwing this much money at them now

oops sorry

Scepovic deal back on, apparently. I'm sure he'll be popular, having chucked it earlier until Getafe backed out. He should just kid on he was trolling Lawwell to get folk back onside.

Pukki out, Balde out, Guidetti in, Scepovic in, Virgil still here. No idea what I was moaning about, tbh. Except the lack of a left back, but twas ever thus.

*waits for first game back after international break*

Keeping Van Dijk's been a good effort, especially if it wasn't achieved by locking him in a cupboard all day.

Wasn't expecting Saints to do anything today, and even if there were more signings to come they'll be freedom of contract anyway so no hurry. Reasonably happy with the squad, though there's been a lot of disquiet over the summer about how the club have communicated. May was never staying, we appear to have got the best deal we could in the circumstances. Goodwillie would have been a risky punt, but may have paid off. Hopefully Brian Graham will get his confidence back - scored about as many as May in his last season at Raith. We'll always struggle to get a goal-scorer on our budget. We got most of the key players from last season (and Gary McDonald) signed up early, which I think was forgotten at times. Will miss wee Nige, though.

Today's BBC Scottish Gossip reporting via the Herald that Pukki's glad to be away from Celtic as SPFL football is "too weak" for him. That'll be why he was a roaring success and punted out on loan, then.

Top of the Premiership table looks a bit weird.

Bottom of the Championship table looks familiar.

Rotten again today. Not much better midweek. No-one knows what they're doing.

Saw a "Celtic haven't won the last five games where Zaluska was in goal" stat earlier, which seems deeply unfair on him since his inclusion is usually a sign of massive changes afoot throughout the team.

I have no idea what Deila's plan or system is (or whether he even has one).

It is unfair on him. Then again he's kind of pish and there should never be any need to rest a fucking keeper.

Looks like Leigh Griffiths is going to Hibs on an emergency loan. The emergency presumably being that Hibs aren't very good.

that and we're paying for him to watch us from the stands when he'd clearly much rather watch Hibs

p sure hibs brought in at least two strikers before the window shut?

(but tbh I don't really get why they call them "emergency" loans at this stage in the season, because I don't think they really are. They don't need any special dispensation to make loan signings until april.)

No results found for "holocaust denayer"

✓

A++ would lol again

probably not wise to steal it for a quiz team name

fucksake hearts

So Hibs not that pish at all. Or Rangers are that pish. Or both.

McCoist looks worryingly close to losing his job :(

Will it no' cost about £2m to sack him? He doesn't do walking away, you know.

Will it no' cost £5-10m to keep him, miss out on promotion and add at least another year till their first ever European match? At some point, if they actually want a long term, they need to plan for it.

That said, in the short term, given the lack of £2m in readies, it's probably worth punting him onto gardening leave and getting someone (anyone) else in on a fraction of his wages.

Not til after our cup game, thanks. Though on recent showings I can see us managing to take a pumping. Never fear, though, Faddy's here!

Yeah, but I don't think they have the dosh for paying McCoist's wages plus the wages of AN Other less-crap manager, do they. given that they had to have a share issue just to pay off a loan? Rock, hard place. I think they're stuck with him. What they really could do with is someone somewhere in there stopping sanctioning shite like signing Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd.

If they can afford the players they have (lol ikr) then they can afford £100k a year for a decent manager. That's an eighth of Sally's wages but probably still more than any manager other than Ronny Deila and Gordon Strachan is paid.

Lovely opener from us tonight. Something to look back on when the wheels fall off.

So you're 1-0 up and struggling to hold the ball. The only place it's sticking is with Kris Commons, your goal scorer and playmaker who keeps winning free kicks.

Do you
a) sub Commons off
b) do something else

Phew!

Entertaining game - lucky win. Craig Gordon and the Neil Lennon fat club making all the difference.

I couldn't remember Evander Sno's name today and I ended up searching ILX for "clown shoes".

He's still only 27!

Some clown in the pub tonight was moaning about how Ronny Deila had no Scottish players he could rely on like Strachan did. I was sitting going *cough* Craig Gordon *cough* *cough* Scott Brown *cough* ahem *cough* like, er, Kenny Miller *cough* until his death stares withered me down. His trump card to his mates was his point about Strachan signing Scottish guys like Aiden McGeady. I thought I was going to hack my lungs out by that stage. He also claimed "van Hesselink" was a Mowbray experiment that didn't work like Jarosik.

I fucking LOVE Craig Gordon, btw.

<3

so happy for gordon

http://f.cl.ly/items/1O3y380d2Z3Y3G382B0w/Unknown.jpg

Ref books Accies player for foul in the box but doesn't give a penalty. What in the actual fuck?

I just found out that Dundee are sponsored by a drum & bass label

https://www.facebook.com/HANGAR.RECORDS1

John Guidetti feat. Virgil van Dijk

http://youtu.be/G_eTe6muArI

Good performance today. That's at least twice this season we've looked like a team.

Deila out.

When Stefan Johansen is turning in an MOTM performance, you know Ross County are shite.

Nice to see Stokesy's hair transplant worked.

Piss poor again tonight. One man team and that man is a fucking goalkeeper.

FFS DEILA OUT

― ailsa, Wednesday, July 30, 2014 8:25 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― a curious shade of pale (onimo), Wednesday, July 30, 2014 9:31 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Me on twitter earlier: "Can we just give Craig Gordon his POTY trophy now and just pretend the rest of it isn't happening?"

Deila (plus his entire team of useless fuckers that aren't Craig Gordon) out. I still kind of want to like him, but then he does things like think that Callum McGregor is a footballer.

Oh FFS. Deila out.

― ailsa, Sunday, August 31, 2014 2:22 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

In fact everyone that isn't Craig Gordon out.

― ailsa, Sunday, August 31, 2014 2:22 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Think we should have a thread called Deila Out containing nothing but posts bumping it once or twice a week.

Omg that goal

https://vine.co/v/OhYVII925eE

(Fucking travesty that we got anything out of that though, hibs deserved the win by miles)

That was quite good. Celtic, on the other hand, are not quite good. Not even close to passable.

quite good against ten men tbf

Why the Deila hate? Celtic are going well in Europe and nobody's seriously going to challenge them in the league

Playing really badly and relying on your keeper to somehow get points in Europe after being knocked out of the Champions League twice != going well.

We're almost a third of the way through the season and we're three points behind newly promoted Hamilton.

Our win percentage last season was over 80% in the league. It's at 60% now and a couple of those were lucky. I know no-one else is realistically going to win the league, that doesn't mean Deila is doing a good job. He's doing about as badly as possible given Celtic's resources vs the rest of the league.

Not having a serious challenger doesn't mean the manager's doing well - David Murray, Craig Whyte and Vladimir Romanov deserve more credit for that than Ronny Deila.

^ this. We are horrible to watch. Directionless and no sign of any cohesion or potential.

...aaaand tune in to BBC1 to watch us get humped.

Would rather have had them last season with may, mclean and a functioning defence.

Wasn't as bad as it could have been but incredibly frustrating as it was a winnable game. First half was one of the better performances I've seen recently. Make of that what you will.

I'm in better shape than Lee Croft just now.

We need to sign John Guidetti up before anyone else notices him.

srsly

no kidding

Yep. This is the first game in forever I haven't bothered trying to find a stream for or cancelled other plans for in order to watch. Perhaps I should try this more often.

quite good against ten men tbf
― butt slam mechanics (onimo), Sunday, 26 October 2014 16:01 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think I've worked out Deila's vision and strategy.

Stuart McCall has jacked it at Motherwell.

i know it's been a shit start to the season for them but I'm really surprised

Yeah, me too. Like Butcher at ICT, I thought he'd be there for life if he wanted it. Surprised he would leave voluntarily, presumably with no job offer if he's not performing so well. My first thought was "off to Ibrox?" but not sure I can see it.

I thought the same thing! But yeah I reckon (/hope) there's no chance they'll pay sally off.

Guess this must be making sure he doesn't harm his reputation by staying too long. Didn't he turn down a job in the english championship recently?

Smiling at league cup draw passing entirely w/o comment in here vs the froth it met on sportsound btw

Ach, I always worry when we draw a lower-league club, we're shite in cups. Hopefully Deila will have developed his masterplan by then (hint for Deila: you're unlikely to get to utilise the "play better against ten men" scenario in this one).

McCoist's weapons-grade trolling here is awes, btw:

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/ally-mccoist-calls-for-calm-over-old-firm-frenzy-1-3591805

The manager added that thoughts then turned immediately to tomorrow night’s rearranged Championship clash against Cowdenbeath at Central Park. “We were in the dressing room listening to the draw on the radio,” he said. “And unlike the Celtic dressing room there was no hollering when it was made.

“What there was was a quiet nod of the head from some. That will do for me. I said, ‘great lads, that’s the draw and that’s who we are getting but we’ve got Cowdenbeath on Tuesday’. They all nodded in agreement.

Uh-huh, that happened.

Aw, man, not Hearts AGAIN :-)

(genuinely had the fear we were going to get Sevco)

Not feart of playing them, just of exploding journalists and even more ramping up of internet twattery.

hahaha ffs!

Huge lol at that mccoist quote. It makes the ibrox home dressing room sound like that painting of the dogs in top hats playing poker.

haha, true. And apparently (I can't corroborate this, but have read it a couple of places) McCoist wasn't even in the dressing room but was in the corridor being interviewed for the radio when the draw was made. It is hilarious how he tries to portray himself as dignity personified.

http://i4.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article920293.ece/alternates/s615/ally-mccoist-296278416.jpg

Also lolling at Boydichenko making out like his mob know more about playing derbies than our guys do, which I guess Brown, Mulgrew, Izaguirre, Commons, Stokes, Kayal, Zaluska and Matthews (not to mention Collins, Kennedy & McGrain out of our coaching staff) might find a bit mystifying. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-ace-kris-boyd-insists-4556273

hah, smh at boyd's guid scoatish laddies routine

Calum Baird going the extra mile to describe the tedium and torture of a goalless Morton vs Airdrie cup tie.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/football/morton-0-airdieonians-0-yin-to-be-missed-managers-philosophical-at-journey-into-the-v.25756605

An article about Hamilton in the NY Times!

that's a really nice piece - had no idea about the addiction support stuff. Also lol at that match report.

https://twitter.com/mikedunn/status/529938954175655937/photo/1

That's really interesting about Hamilton, I too had no idea about the addiction stuff. Amazing that it takes the NYT to open your eyes to what's going on in your own neck of the woods.

yeah seriously. best scottish football journalism since c4news.

Finally!

As It Stands Table
Pos.	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Celtic	12	17	26

Terrible stuff for the most part yet again today but fair play to them for sticking at it.

Aberdeen fans seem to think they're at a pantomime. Boo! Yay! Boo! Boo! He's behind you!

Despaired when our answer was replacing Forrest with McGregor, and when we went down to ten, but FINALLY we showed a bit of fight when up against it. More of that sort of thing please (not necessarily the "going a goal down/man down" thing, more the gutsy thing). Brilliant to see the players and the manager with the fans at the end, a glimpse of some sort of positive mentality, which has been massively lacking all season. Corner hopefully turned (just in time for the international break, when it'll all dissipate again).

RIP Arthur Montford

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30220020

:-(

When did Willie Collum convert?

Took an executive decision to avoid game in favour of mate's kid's first bday. Just sneaked off to check the score and feeling vindicated.

Shocking decision there to rule out the fifth. That's things evened out.

lol

The Parkhead club have been linked with Canadian starlet Jay Chapman, a renewed bid for Dundee United’s Stuart Armstrong and are also said to be interested in Tranmere star Max Power.

Max Power used to have his own segment on Soccer AM based solely on his awesome name.

Max Power and Arm Strong. I like the sound of this new pumped up midfield. Chapman will need to change his name.

Celtic have been drawn against Inter Milan in the last 32 of the Europa League

ach well it was a good* run :(

*mostly shite with some good goalkeeping

More of a stumble than a run.

a visual representation of celtic's inevitable 2014-15 europa league triumph:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj_V3DP6r-s

^ better running technique than James Forrest

Hibs were 21/10 to beat rangers. Bookies clearly been at the port.

Yeah, free money in time for New Year. Cheers, bookies!

I have been on a train since ten to three, I assume Celtic were as abject as my twitter feed suggests?

Yes, and unfortunately for me this was my One Celtic Game of the Year too.

I'm massively surprised (not surprised at all) that the usually very vocal Arabs on my Facebook feed have been very quiet this weekend. Can't think why.

Seen this doing the rounds on twitter earlier, made me chuckle

http://d1p3t35jiqtse7.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/2015/01/pie.jpg

a+

massive blow for accies if neil goes

Yeah, been pleasantly surprised at how well he has them playing.

Got my tickets for the League Cup New Firm derby

Also when you phone Tannadice the menu options are read out by Sean Dillon :)

Is that meant to encourage you? :-)

Yes, and it does

Not exactly overwhelmed by the arrival of Henri Anier tho

Piss poor game yesterday, not helped by a joke of a pitch.

Rangers (or "Rangers" if you prefer) by far the worst team we've played all season - that they're patting themselves on the back for not getting humped 6-0 and thinking leaving an elbow or a stud in second half makes them competitive says it all.

Also can't believe (actually of course I can) the media and pundits are saying that clown of a ref Thompson had a good game. When you've got referees denying clear goal scoring opportunities there's something wrong with your game.

Refereeing was abysmal.

Refereeing was utterly Collum-like in its completely comical ineptitude. Did any pundits really say it was good? Am I right in saying that Leigh Griffiths was booked for celebrating his goal, yet neither McCulloch nor Black were booked for elbowing and kicking?

I'm *still* baffled at that Guidetti thing near the end where he ended up on his arse surrounded by defenders and managed to concede a free kick.

Mackay-Steven and Armstrong apparently having medicals and will sign for Celtic tonight.
£2m is a fair chunk to fuck up your opponent's league cup final team.

You are the ref. Who gets the free kick?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B83jRmHIAAE2HQh.jpg

Which ref am I?

dunno, what's your lodge number?

Ah, I'm not a ref. Can't answer then, sorry!

Easier one

http://youtu.be/eUWUhJVMsYg

a) red card
b) yellow card
c) quiet word
d) blind eye and a drink at your member's club of choice?

Griffiths clearly asking for it. Ten match ban for Neil Lennon.

Am I hired?

One more question: wit school did ye go tae?

:-)

Quite enjoying the wee videos of Ronny Deila gieing it laldy in the pub in Erskine that are doing the rounds just now. Didn't realise he was living round here (two seconds of judicious googling and I now know where he lives).

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80744000/jpg/_80744018_gms.jpg

He's very shiny.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B84SnDvIUAAIrLx.jpg

i slept through the Celtic v Rangers game. it was case of badly set mobile phone alarm rather than the game being so bad that it induced somnolence, although it was pretty dire from what i watched later. had really wished that the fixture wouldn't happen this season, and that rangers don't get promoted this season - which hopefully is still on the cards. it's a nothing game now, rangers are irrelevant.

I am seeking comfort in the fact that they're so pish that it won't happen again this season because they surely can't make it past another round of the Scottish Cup. Five cloggers, five guys from Newcastle that HAVE to go in the team, plus a goalie (I genuinely thought Cammy Bell was their goalie until Sunday and yon Simonson chump turned up. Turns out Bell's been injured forever), surely Raith are better than that (I only know who they're playing because BBC had an advert on straight after Sunday's snoozefest advertising Sevco v Raith as their live TV game. Honestly? That's the best game they could get? They're at home, ffs, so it's not like they're catering for the millions of not-walking-awayerers who couldn't get tickets.)

Actually, I've just looked at the fixtures. Slim pickings there, but would honestly rather watch Partick v ICT or QotS v St Johnstone. Spartans v Berwick would probably be more enticing, tbh.

To be honest, the rovers have been awful against them this season. I wouldn't hold out any hope that things will be better this time around.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9QUaS_IcAI9rBH.jpg

just a yellow, according to the linesman

lol

It's good we create 20 chances every game, we need them.

Ian Crocker pronounces Bitton's name in a way that makes it sound like he's saying Pete Tong. It's very disconcerting.

we lost a goal - first time in living memory (weeks)

I know. And I am instantly jittery and irrationally worried. Deila out! (not really, I've kind of warmed to the guy now)

cracking double save from Gordon

great result tonight, wish I'd seen it

It was some game. I was watching it on a dubious Brazilian stream. Their commentators are way cheerier than the BT chumps.

Deila can stay, btw.

lol

My cynical heart has melted at Jay Beatty getting 97% of the vote for Goal of the Month. Well done to Hamilton for letting him do it - a nice touch and I think the thread title's just a wee bit wrong right now. Also <3 to Sami taking time out to do a wee congratulations video for him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LPKk4q-gQI&feature=youtu.be

Deila out. It was an exciting game but this guy has basically mastered setting a team up to lose 2/3/4 goals any time we play anyone remotely decent.

I know it's been better domestically but that was always going to happen.

Would we be better or worse off with e.g. John Hughes or Paul Hartley in charge?

I still maintain no-one was even concentrating until someone shouted to tell them who'd killed Lucy Beale. Both Armstrong's goals were just after EastEnders had finished.

I'm prepared to give Deila a bit of time as he at least seems to have found a settled team and they all seem to be playing for him. We really need to sort out our full-backs though. And stop relying on Craig Gordon so much. He picked a bad match to have a stinker in.

Signs your club's squad is too big: Celtic TV facebook page thingie has an interview with Wakaso Mubarak who has apparently been away at the African Cup of Nations and my first reaction was "hmmmm, oh aye, forgot about him, zzzzz". Turns out he got to the semi finals and scored a really good goal, and this all completely passed me by. I also mentioned Derk Boerrigter to my dad at the weekend then had to look him up to see if we still had him.

Mubarak got to the final and scored the opening penalty in the shoot-out.

Our squad *is* too big, but it's all midfielders or strikers who aren't strikers (and are thus possibly midfielders).

I stand corrected.

Jambos hit double figures against the Blue Brazil.

the maroon germany

(damn fucked up the joke, should've said pink huns- youse've been saying that for years!)

Congratulations sktsh - can't remember the last time anyone hit double figures in the league.

Weird day with Motherwell, Ross County and St Mirren all winning. I imagine those well earned 3 points weren't celebrated for long in the dressing rooms - especially with Partick winning as well to maintain their cushion (and costing me £112 on my accy as well, bastards).

Cheers! Have kept as quiet as poss about this season because pride before fall etc but have really enjoyed it. By the tail end of the romanov era it really didn't feel like my club any more. It's nice to have a club - even results notwithstanding - to be proud of.

Quite pleased for motherwell i have to say. Hope they stay up.

Goals 4 and 7 the pick of the bunch, the whole mess made even stranger by the goals all coming in period of less than 50 minutes.

Hearts to win and over 2.5 goals was the safest bet I've had on in years there. St Mirren not conceding did me for £45 on my other coupon. Bastards. It's very hard to get sweary and call St Mirren bastards for winning to nil in a pub in Paisley, btw.

None of us could remember anyone hitting ten either, Celtic's 9 against Aberdeen seemed to be as far as any of us could get.

I remember Morton beating Forfar 9-1 (my dad took my sons to the game - they reckoned Morton scoring 9 made them better than Celtic. I laughed and laughed until we played them in the cup).

Celtic the only team in the top 8 to win this weekend wtf.

Difficult game today with Aberdeen more than matching us for the first half hour or so but then we could have ended up winning by 7 or 8 if we hadn't kept letting Guidetti join in.

Guidetti was fucking mince. Quite an enjoyable game to watch, Aberdeen could be decent if they had any strikers.

Things I didn't know that I've just found out and can't believe I didn't know:

It was Stefan Scepovic's old man who scored the goal for Partizan Belgrade that put Celtic out of Europe that time.

rip dave mckay :(

My boss offered me a shot of his season ticket, declined. Probably sensible.

I seem to be a bit jinxed in terms of having not seen some of what have been reported as our best performances, and have sat through some guff. Hopefully kick on with a strong finish.

What a screamer. Makes up for being a diving wee cheat in tangerine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFVKK_7AQGE

Congrats Michael. Feel from the outside looking on as if the saintees have had some cracking highs over the last couple of seasons.

Even better in this gif.

https://i.imgflip.com/ifh28.gif

In my previous comment I meant best performances/guff this season. Overall the last few seasons have been very pleasing. A little part of me regrets not going to at least one of the away Europa League games as you can't expect these kind of things will happen again soon, but it's fair to say we're punching above our weight. Picked a great few seasons to be a season ticket holder, but I'm not going to take it well when things inevitably go south.

Not sure it would be easy to check but we must be coming up for one of our longest unbroken spells in the top flight too - this is our sixth I think.

yeah sry my comment wasn't challenging what you said, more of an idle babble!

That's a peach of a goal.

(hope ailsa and omino had other things to do tonight)

I was more clarifying than anything else - the usual gap between what I think I said and what I did say crossed with pedantry.

Having Hearts back up is going to be interesting. Looks like some excellent work being done behind the scenes.

Yeah it's all very positive around the club. Be interesting to see if bigger clubs start sniffing around Nielson over the summer- Levein's whole thing seems to be to have a route of succession built in so when Neilson goes, Stevie Crawford is anointed etc.

I have a funny feeling we might start quite slowly next season and the fans might be in for a bit of a rude awakening. It's been easy to forget the gulf at points this year. I reckon we have a top six team but beyond that it's hard to work out how good we are..

I was out and only just saw the score. Well done Michael :-)

Looks like the best time to get Celtic is the game after the game after a European away tie.

Yep, I'm pretty sure that's what Aberdeen thought on Sunday :-)

Neilson appears to have been pretty well supported in terms of bringing players in throughout the season. Must be building a pretty solid squad, all getting some game time?

Yeah it feels like we've got a pretty deep squad. A few youngsters have got frustrated enough with lack of game time that they've left - e.g. Jason Holt, or Brad McKay to you! - but it seems pretty harmonious..

I think that's the nature of it, in a way it's good that players want to go off to play. Mark Durnan seems to have done well after leaving us for QotS - wanted first team experience, didn't want to just go out on loan.

I sat tonight in the pub and listened in hilarity as some bluenoses argued over which of their talented giant squad they wanted to keep. A surprising amount of them are very highly rated, it seems! (no-one likes Kenny Miller though)

Utterly rotten refereeing ruined that game the day. Never a red card for either VVD or Paton (since he wasn't even involved). Ciftci shouldn't have been on the park to score. Going to be so sick of the sight of Dundee United by the end of next week.

Oh, and the penalty wasn't a penalty either.

Artur Boruc Dance - HIT: https://youtu.be/dUdK5yBRh70

TROPHIES! YAAASSS!

Not the best of games and with the tackles still flying in we may not need a ball by the time we play Utd for the 4th time in a row on Saturday.

GET EM OFF RONNY!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py--D5N8erE

I assume he's saving that for the treble.

Wasn't the greatest game I've ever seen, but a trophy's a trophy. Kudos to whoever it was (internets suggests Adam Matthews) who walked by Broony then sat slumped against the goalpost for a second. The team has a definite look of a team about them. Now can we sign a striker please?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CANZUFBW8AA5xIf.jpg

with the tackles still flying in we may not need a ball by the time we play Utd for the 4th time in a row on Saturday.

two more reds tonight - and another should have been given to Cierzniak

There's now terrific amounts of man-love for Deila all over the internet (and not just because of the sight of him in his pants). Got to say he's winning me round. Not entirely convinced by the contents of his squad, but he talks a good game and it all seems to be heading in the right direction.

Bloke on KDS says his mate met him out in the pub and had a wee word with him about giving the media too much ammo with talk of trebles and he might want to wind his neck in so they don't try to trip him up and make him eat his words. Ronny apparently just says to him "I know. I don't care. Bring them on".

He's got confidence, I'll give him that!

(was going to say he's got balls, but that's evident from the youtube clip...)

I'll give him one thing, I haven't seen any evidence of anyone pining to get Neil Lennon back for a while.

We're all scared Lennie might have something to prove and attempt the pants and press-ups trick.

Aaarrgghhhhhhhhhhhh! There's a mental image I'll never shift.

Didn't realise Hearts could wrap up the Championship title this afternoon if results go their way. Though that does involve Rangers beating Hibs, so I'm guessing sktsh will have to keep his champagne on ice for a couple of weeks.

not this afternoon, this weekend.

A draw in tomorrow's game will be enough.

Aye, not going to happen though, is it.

Three cracking goals from Celtic thus far. Dundee Utd so sick of the sight of us that they haven't even bothered turning up.

no a bad wee touch for a centre hoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMvaSVSQ7O

video deleted in the time it took me to copy and paste the link

ok dunno what's happening - maybe embedding disabled?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMvaSVSQ7Ow&feature=youtu.be

Michael Chopra plays for Alloa!

Also good candidate for fat footballer thread now, Or else Alloa have the least flattering strip imaginable:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/19/26BFB28C00000578-3001692-image-a-57_1426725346953.jpg

lino looking for a job in Scottish football

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eL67lUQFSc

well that was a walk in the park - Dundee Utd gave up before they arrived

Hrm, the romantic in me would rather we won the league at tynecastle. And I'd always rather hibs beat rangers. I can wait a week. (he says, invoking the wrath of roman god of hubris AlbertKidd)

Congrats youse on the league cup btw- though your constant dundee utd fixtures are doing nothing to disprove the old saw that there are only two teams in scottish football

Congratulations to Hearts and all their supporter.

(watched about ten minutes of Hibs v Sevco. Not very good)

:D

congratulations Hertz

Neil Lennon talks a bit of pish:

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2881/scottish-football/2015/03/23/10109402/lennon-rangers-return-to-premiership-essential-for-Scottish

Crown jewel Samaras sold for £0.00

Guidetti charged with singing "the huns are deid" on Dutch telly.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2566&newsCategoryID=1&newsID=14500

Aye. And we never sold players ever before that xpost

please tell me he pronounced it "deid"

There's a video of it somewhere. It's deid to rhyme with super Swede.

(maybe the offensive comment is referring to himself as a super Swede rather than an average Swede...)

"he's a super Swede and the huns are deid, walking in Guidetti wonderland". He was asked about songs sung about him and sang it. I have zero clue how the SFA are going to make this stick, and Celtic should fire their lawyer if it does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UljTJvS8Dic

http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/4268

good stuff all round

http://www.celticfc.net/news/7948

Celtic Football Club is extremely disappointed with the ticket pricing for our forthcoming Scottish Cup semi-final match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Celtic argued strongly that the pricing for North Stand tickets should be reviewed and lowered, to be brought closer to prices for other parts of the stadium.
‘As in previous years, due to Celtic supporters being in the vast majority, a huge number of our supporters will be required to pay a ticket price which we believe is too high.
'Clearly, we feel that SFA and other Clubs involved should have taken a common sense approach to this matter in the interests of fairness for our supporters and to ensure attendances at the matches are as high as possible.’

^^^this over £23 ticket for cup semi vs ICT.

Celtic are currently selling tickets for Partick Thistle in the league next Wednesday for £26.

Fucking clowns.

wow, mcnamara supposedly made half a mil off armstrong and mckay-steven

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/jackie-mcnamara-cashed-in-over-player-sales-1-3737692

RIP Turnbull Hutton. Slightly less morals in Scottish football tonight :-(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32195362

Fewer, even. Stupid grammar.

Ah damn, he seemed like a good one. Didn't know he was ill. RIP

Post-split fixtures out, and Celtic don't have a single 3pm Saturday kick-off.

Oh, and Rangers get to play their final game of the season a day after everyone else (except Hearts, obv, but they've already won). Hibs understandably unhappy about this.

http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/5353

Rangers = Sevco, obviously. Oops. Nearly made it through the season without doing that.

Half of the players who are set to contest the play-offs are out of contract before they start.
Keith Jackson tweeting that it'll cost one club £100 on short contract extensions.

er that should be £100k

Can't believe the powers that be didn't anticipate someone from their predicted best league in Scotland/only show in town Championship (ran away with with seven games to go, like...) might get into the Scottish Cup Final. Thought Hibs, Hearts & Sevco were too good for everyone else and all that carry-on?

Also, let's have a think about this. You are a very skint club. Would you pay £100k for a temporary extension to a few players who are leaving anyway to try and guarantee Premiership football when there's a perfectly good chance you'll be papped out at the first attempt at it?

And then there's the Championship final day fixture fiasco when Sevco could go into the Sunday to play against a team that's already won the league knowing exactly what they have to do to secure a certain path in the play-offs since the rest of it was all decided the day before. One of the beneficiaries/losers of your scenario are your opponents' biggest rivals and cash cows. Is this fair on anyone?

Neil Doncaster still has a job. Why?

Apparently the Hearts game has just been moved back to the Saturday after they supported the Hibs complaint and raised one of their own that it was too late in the day to be changing matches to suit the tv.

loved the SPFL statement that basically said "WTF are you all moaning about?"

omg what a fucking shitshow

Neil Doncaster still has a job. Why?

so so so otm

The fact that this game was against Hearts (I believe they have a rivalry of a kind with a team called Hibernian) makes the sheer effrontery of it even more 0_o

Aye, all games now Saturday lunchtime: http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/spfl-statement-on-fixtures/

Original SPFL statement for posterity:

"In response to recent criticisms of the Championship fixture scheduling for the weekend May 2/3, we'd like to clarify some specific points. On this weekend, the Hearts v Rangers match is scheduled for Sunday, May 3 to be broadcast on television and it is not clear to us why this has caused so much surprise.

"This is a key game in the Championship season and will inevitably attract huge interest from fans around the world.

"It is unreasonable to expect all Championship fixtures that weekend to move to the Sunday when a number of them will be unaffected by the Hearts v Rangers tie.

"However, as a result of this fixture, all Championship clubs have been invited to submit a request should they wish to move games to the Sunday.

"To date, the only feedback we have received is from one Championship club which has asked for its match to remain scheduled for the Saturday.

"For the avoidance of doubt, we have had no request from Hibernian FC to move its fixture to the Sunday at the time of writing.

"We also note speculation that Police Scotland expressed concern to the SPFL about the scheduling of the Hearts v Rangers match.

"However, Police Scotland confirmed to us that there were no security issues with the scheduling of all Championship fixtures that weekend.

"Whilst we regret any inconvenience to supporters caused by rescheduled fixtures, the circumstances surrounding the matches on the weekend of May 2/3 are in no way unusual."

I believe the one club who asked for its match to remain on the Saturday was Hearts :-)

Aye, Hearts complained first:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32325215

"When it also became apparent to us that our fixture was the only game to be moved, we were equally alarmed as, rightly or wrongly, this casts a shadow over the sporting integrity of the Championship," she (Ann Budge) said on Hearts' website. "While it may not be enshrined in the newly merged rule book of the SPFL, it is protocol the football world over for fixtures such as the last day of the championship to be played simultaneously. To move only one (or even two or four) out of five fixtures would seem to be leaving our game wide open to unsavoury accusations. I will be sending in a formal complaint to the SPFL in relation to this appallingly late decision."

Well said, Jambo lady, fucking dicks

(I've just thought of a good headline if a player or official of Hearts FC is ever found to be dealing in untruths: Jambo Liar).

Absolutely the correct statement from Ann Budge. The fact that the SPFL need to be told this should be shocking, but, y'know, it's the SPFL.

Ann Budge in danger of becoming Scottish fitba's voice of reason.

I honestly can't get over that SPFL statement "it is not clear to us why this has caused so much surprise" - seriously? You don't know why every other footballing event in the fucking world has league games finishing at the same time?

"For the avoidance of doubt,

SPFL spokesperson has been reading too many Phil MacG blogs and this annoying phrase has stuck.

"for the avoidance of doubt" site:philmacgiollabhain.ie
About 80 results (0.55 seconds)

(then again, Jim Traynor often used the same phrase when he was the Sevco PR)

“The SPFL would like to thank Sky Sports for its flexibility and understanding and we’re sure all football fans will look forward to an exciting climax to the Championship season.”

Fuck these fucking clowns.

Two sets of fans have had to change their arrangements *twice* (some of whom took refunds and are now trying to get their tickets back) and the others all have to rearrange travel for a lunchtime kick off and the SPFL thanks fucking Sky for its understanding?
No hint of an apology for this fuckup anywhere?

You know if Doncaster had completed Objective #1 of running a league and got some fucking sponsorship for it, they wouldn't be so fucking beholden to Sky's pittance screwing over the people actually still care about this shambles of a league.

Utter, utter, clownery.

The way I've read a couple of statements, i.e. the Hibs one, it looks like Sky may have actually taken some kind of lead to sort the SPFL's mess for them.

Other than that, well said Ms Budge. I was missing the Romanov-era Hearts press releases, but having a voice of reason will do in place.

So, the upshot of every official on the pitch missing Josh Meekings's handball is that he's being retrospectively charged with handling the ball by the SFA. Caley Thistle have appealed it.

"Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC can confirm that it has declined the fixed one match suspension offer in relation to the Notice of Complaint issued to Josh Meekings following an alleged breach of Disciplinary Rule 200 at the ICTFC v Celtic game on Sunday, 19th April 2015."

“The club intends to vigorously defend our player and is taking legal advice on the issue."

“We are extremely disappointed that this has arisen and the player himself is mentally shattered at the turn of events."

Josh Meekings looking mentally shattered in the pub:

http://i.imgur.com/geneoy0.jpg

he's trying to smile but all around him is darkness

I find that happens to me in pubs in Inverness a lot too.

Someone's shrunk Leigh Griffiths!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11150449_10153750901378998_8853562112423108354_n.jpg?oh=e194ce49c4d073c5a97ca4d081ab9d4d&oe=55D59357&__gda__=1439829178_d8c23c3867ccdb087364151b4d8aaf2c

GMS and VVD making a play for the unintentionally homoerotic images thread.

Considered putting it there too.

FIFA's refereeing boss in "talking total pish" non-shocker:

"It doesn't help us if someone gets banned. I don't think that's right. I don't think he did it on purpose, the ball was going very quickly. It was reaction, but it was a clear handball, a red card and a penalty.

"I hope that he will play, the best players should always play in the final. I don't think it is a positive thing to ban anybody."

Um, does someone want to tell him that if it was a clear handball & red card, then Meekings would be suspended for the final had the referee done his job right? I wonder, if Celtic had sneaked through, if he'd advocate wiping Craig Gordon's red card? Of course not, because that's not how punishments work. Or is he advocating scrapping suspensions now?

Sorry, link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32416795

And why is he speaking in a personal capacity to the press anyway?

Meanwhile, John Brown, affectionately known to all of us as 'Bomber', makes a useful contribution to the debate .

That Roy Aitken throw-in's never going to get old, is it? I don't think Celtic can dispute the fact they were pish and deserved to get beat on Sunday, but there's a ton of wilful point-missing as people jostle for position to stick the boot in. What's basically going on is that everyone's prepared to defend shite refereeing because of the team that were shitely refereed.

Ronny Deila got his subs wrong, and Craig Gordon was stupid and reckless. That's not in doubt. But if Celtic had been 2-0 up and/or playing against 10 men, it may have panned out differently. None of which is the point. The point is there were four officials who could have spotted that. None of them did. That's not very good, is it?

Leigh Griffiths said the ref told him after the game that the goal-line guy told him it had hit Meekings in the face. He chose to accept that version from an unsighted guy rather than trust what he should have been looking at himself face-on. Someone somewhere has cocked this up. It's not unreasonable to ask for clarification, which is all Celtic have done. They congratulated ICT, and asked someone to review the referee's decision. That they did, and handed out a ban to Meekings as a result, is by the by.

Mind you, last time Celtic questioned some questionable refereeing, the refs all closed ranks and went on strike. And people went "ooh, look at Celtic, trying to lose bad referees their jobs". Um, aye. I wish more people would do it, rather than let Keevins, Chick et al waffle on about things evening themselves out. And if I hear one more person say that Celtic should be good enough to win despite things like this, I'll burst something. Why the fuck should they have to be? Why can't they just win according to the actual rules, rather than having to beat them as well as their opponents.

Grrrrr.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32402364

Compliance officer Tony McGlennan had charged Meekings with breaking disciplinary rule 200 by "denying the opposing team an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball".

But it is understood the panel took into consideration that the referee and his other officials had seen the incident, when Meekings blocked a Leigh Griffiths header in front of goal.

In his report, referee Steven McLean explained that he had sought the advice of the official behind the goal and was told by Alan Muir that he thought it had struck the defender's head.

The panel decided that it had been "an honest mistake" by the officials and that they were not minded to change the referee's decision.

So if a referee admits he cocks it up, it can't be overruled? Why even have review panels?

The good bit is that they haven't even said whether or not it was deliberate, and all the Inverness fans I encounter on Facebook are still all "ha, told you he didn't do it". Saying that, they also think Celtic asked for him to be punished, so I don't think reading comprehension is their strong point.

Ha, comedy Inverness fan now reading "The panel decided that it had been "an honest mistake" by the officials and that they were not minded to change the referee's decision" as "Meekings didnae do it".

Just seen someone make the so-obvious-I-didn't-think-of-it point that if Steven McLean believed Josh Meekings to have just headered the ball clear, why mention it in his referee's report at all?

Because it was clearly a controversial moment and the officials were challenged repeatedly by Celtic players at half time.

People get away with hand balls all the time. The problem is with officials, not Meekings. I have no issue at all with him playing the final.

Same here, I just hope it's on the losing side.

Off on a technicality then.

https://twitter.com/STVGrant/status/591562514179186689

So why say it was an honest mistake if you weren't considering it, eh? Fecking shambles.

St Mirren captain Steven Thompson says he is "mortified" after 'spearing' team-mate John McGinn in a training ground prank.
Thompson threw a spiked pole at McGinn which pierced his thigh and meant the 20-year-old missed Saturday's win over Kilmarnock.

bantz

Paisley bloke chibs bloke in Paisley. Sounds about right.

Given that they won at tge weekend I expect the rest of the squad are nervous as to who the next sacrificial offering will be.

It's a bit late in the day to be burning Jim Goodwin at the stake but let's do it anyway.

John Guidetti found guilty of offensively repeating something on Dutch telly which isn't offensive anyway.

Congratulations to Ronny Deila, Robbie Neilson, Jim Duffy and Darren Young, Twitter tells me this means that every division in the SPFL has been won by a manager in his first season at his club. Armageddon, etc.

btw, fuck Aberdeen for capitulating so meekly and doing me out of my biggest BTTS coupon of the season. I honestly thought they'd make more of a fight of it :-)

Congrats celtic ilxors! (do we have any morton or albion fans? To them too!)

Congrats to PFA manager of the year John Hughes on winning a league game for the first time in three months, against a team that has won two league games in three months.

St Mirren also making a mockery of our thread title:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32617883

Just seen Michael Stewart on the telly telling everyone to give him their details to try and get cheaper energy bills. Almost as weird as it would have been seeing him at Westminster.

https://www.onebigswitch.co.uk/

Congrats to PFA manager of the year John Hughes

I heard that at the start of the season he was the favourite for the first manager to get sacked

He's done well imo

he's had that lady bit of luck and installed a siege mentality

Ian Murray in at St Mirren. Probably not a bad choice for them, up-and-coming manager, probably not cost much, knows the Championship.

i was in the same higher geography class as him for a month when he was in the year above me at school. so good luck to him!

^should have sold that to tattler

jambo geein it laldy

http://i.imgur.com/mYDBYvF.gif

feeling a bit like that ^ myself the now. wonderful stuff motherwell

lol at this

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGHg3gTW0AA8XPL.jpg

https://vine.co/v/ebDi3F2TJT9

Greetings, Scottish football thread. I am in a pub full of English people being glad no-one recognises an Inverness accent lest they mistake me for someone who wants ICT to win dis ting.

One guy has just said that it's weird Rangers aren't in the final. Assume he wasn't watching Thursday night's hilarity.

Oh lol, ICT down to 10.

Bollocks. Though does that put St Johnstone in Europe? Well done Michael, if so...

It does indeed! First leg is the night before my sister's wedding, though, so I'm hoping we are at home or we get someone like UCD so I can get back easy.

Getting to experience a cup win is brilliant, if you support a "diddy" team winning it for the first time it's even better.

congrats ict - fairly entertaining final once it settled down

getting to hate this kids on the pitch lap of honour shite

Also congrats St J for EL qualification

It was quite entertaining, I just wasn't quite neutral enough to enjoy it.

Our worldwide scouting network seems to have a thing for Belgian centre hoffs who can't get a game for Man City.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32954918

inauspicious first mentions:

James Mitchell wrote this on thread NAMING RIGHTS THREAD: Liverpool really won't win the Premiership 2010-2011 on board I Love Everything on 24-Oct-2010

After four minutes:

Cesc Fabregas slides a lovely pass through to Marouane Chamakh and Dedryck Boyata fouls him - the ref has got no choice but to send him off and it's 10 v 11.
r|t|c wrote this on thread NAMING RIGHTS THREAD: Liverpool really won't win the Premiership 2010-2011 on board I Love Everything on 24-Oct-2010

aw man look at dedryck's sad baby face. heartbreaking :(

didnt he have a earlier appearance that wz similarly calamitous?

The sheer delight on his face

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGff6k5WwAAeQgm.jpg

Bleurgh

http://i.imgur.com/hLUo6RL.jpg

saw this pop up a few times this week since David Weir went to Ibrox. All time.

https://theclumpany.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_2968-0.jpg