First Minister Nicola Sturgeon , faced with a resurgence of the Covid virus, has placed the country into lockdown again to try to get the country back to where it was a few months ago.
No doubt that will cause friction amongst those who think the virus is real, and those who think it isn’t.
Football is largely unaffected, but fans will now have to stay home to watch the next game, the Glasgow derby.
Which is probably a good idea even without global pandemics on the go.
What matters is how people react to it. House parties are largely uncontrolled gatherings and when you add beer and the emotions of a football match with a fair bit at stake, you could have a recipe for disaster. Pubs, at least tried to follow the rules with distancing and sanitisation, and it’s difficult not to be sympathetic towards them, well, most of them, but they sell drink, and drink clouds judgement , which lowers self restraint and common sense flies out of the window.
Another aspect of the times we live in are the self isolation policies, and Ryan Christie may well have followed them to the letter, but apparently a game of FIFA on a video console with plague ridden Stuart Armstrong means he now has a fortnight in his room.
The club said;
FOLLOWING today’s news regarding Ryan Christie, he has reiterated his adherence to all relevant protocols while on International duty.
In light of this, Celtic confirmed today that it aims to open dialogue with the Scottish Government and other authorities to fully understand the self-isolation procedures for those players who continue to deliver negative test results, as Ryan has.
Ryan said: “I am so disappointed by the events of today and the potential effects this could have on my country and club. As I have operated within these protocols for such a long time now, I am well aware of all the rules and social distancing from team mates has become the norm and something I have observed.
“The situation is very frustrating, particularly as I don’t believe I have done anything wrong.”
Armstrong never did get his head around the idea of passing anything that anyone else could make use of. As for christie, if he has caught it, and returns to Celtic without quarantining, then it will go through the squad quicker than an MSM reporter running from the Resolution 12 files.
International football involves bringing together people from all over the world to live in a little bubble, and thats kind of the exact opposite of sensible behaviour during a pandemic.
Celtic aren’t best pleased with the situation, but there’s little they can do as UEFA and FIFA have pretty stringent rules about releasing players for internationals, but whatever the penalties are, it must be worth taking a hit if they are to offer a duty of care to their staff.
The club said;
“The Club will always do everything possible to protect the health and wellbeing of our players, but the release of players for international matches is governed by the FIFA regulations.”
Someone needs to grow a pair, and tell them where to put their regulations. Health always comes first.
Let’s face it, in any other industry , health and safety would have their personnel demanding action, but football ?
Sometimes it thinks it’s above all that.
Then again, as Private Eye reminds us, the rules don;t seem to apply to everyone, let alone the punishments…
Celtic have a few players on duty for their countries this week.
I’ve got a half a pack of cigarettes and some sunglasses, and I’m ready to go and pick them up .
A mate’s lending me his motor….
Elsewhere, and very much without any questions from the media, “rangers ” have issued another bundle of shares.
The Rangers News website explained… well, tried to.
Rangers have issued new shares worth more than £8m, according to documents submitted to Companies House and highlighted by The Scotsman.
Which suggests this piece has been produced to counter any queiries from fans and shareholders.
Businesses issue new shares for any number of reasons – including to raise funds, convert loans, secure investor funding or to award bonuses – and the current Gers regime have done this multiple times in the past.
And, of course, when they are skint, perhaps because they have been unable to offload assets….
The Ibrox club allotted 42.25m shares at 20p a share at the end of last month, an amount that totals £8,450,000.
Rangers announced similar moves on four separate occasions in 2019, with similar share allotments taking place in June, August, September and November at 20p per share.
The Ibrox club have filed such a notice to Companies House around the same time of the season every season for the past three years as investment into the club and squad has grown.
The suggestion is that the money has been used to strengthen the squad. in reality, that probably wouldn’t stand up to closer examination.
Regarding who purchased the shares, this has not been named by the club but this information should be found in the company’s annual return.
Should…
The last set of accounts was filed with Companies House on 17th December last year and covered the period from 30th June 2019.
At last season’s AGM a £10m funding gap was highlighted by outgoing chairman Dave King but this was filled by existing investors who have bankrolled the club’s growth into a potentially title-winning unit.
Again, they are claiming that the money has gone on players, which some has, and it has increased their outgoings even further beyond their incomings.
“The funding gap referred to has already been filled by existing investors,” said now-interim chairman Douglas Park [Rangers].
“And all of the potential new investors remain fully engaged. We will be in a position to announce something in the next couple of months.”
The only thing they will be announcing is administration.
They can keep the lights on with European football’s tv money, which isnlt a lot but it’s better than nothing, and nothing is exactly what they have raised from player sales, which will be a cause of much bowel emptying until they can try again in January.
The media aren’t interested in looking into what is increasingly looking like a second insolvency event at ibrox, let alone why it is being allowed to happen again.
All they are promoting is the “title race ” and how this season the club, despite signing a couple of players no one else wanted and hanging on to a couple of others no one else wanted, are very much candidates for the title.
Steven Davis , for instance, is getting on a bit.
Compare and contrast the narrative arond Scott Brown, our own warhorse, who is clearly past it according to some, whilst Davis….
Steven Davis’ ultimate backing as Rangers star compared to Andres Iniesta
Gabriel Mackay in the Record says….
Rangers midfielder Steven Davis is set to win his 120th cap for Northern Ireland after a stellar career at the top level of the game.
The 35-year-old is still a regular for club and country, and is a key component of Steven Gerrard ‘s title-chasing side.
His influence cannot be understated but former boss Mauricio Pochettino has paid Rangers hero Davis perhaps the ultimate compliment.
The Argentine, who worked with the midfielder at Southampton, reckons the veteran is up there with Barcelona greats Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Davis played over 200 games for Saints and clearly left an impression on Pochettino.
The former Tottenham boss said on Sky Sports: “The talent of him I compare to football people like Xavi and Iniesta.
“You put him in the same level as this type of player because of this capacity to play football, be a playmaker, the intelligence to read the game, his capacity to run.
“I think to compare Christian Eriksen to this type of player too, they make your team better.
“I think how humble he is, that it is the most you can appreciate in a professional.
“He is a simple guy, a family guy, a good friend and we feel very proud and lucky to have spent time with him. He is a big player and a big person.”
Davis has played for both Ibrox entities, so the fans will regard him as something of a hero, and have conveniently forgotten his words when he TUPE’d out of there when the original club folded.
Odd how he never followed up with
” I haven’t come back to Rangers, I’ve joined Sevco “.
All of this guff is desinged to give reporters something Ibrox themed to write about.
They can’t mention the financial problems of the current lot, nor indeed look into the issues surrounding the first edition of the club, as that would involve talking about David Murray, who despite his shennannigans never gets talked about these days, and one can only suspect thats not because of a lack of interest.
Are his friends looking out for him, or has he taken out some sort of injunction ?
If he has, I hope they got the money up front.
Meanwhile, on a cheery note….
CAPTION: “Where’s the pitch gone?”
By the way, there’s a cracking video doing the rounds of the day Scott Bain told Neil McCann to fuck off.
Today we have this for your perusal and comment
A touch of sanity:
https://gbdeclaration.org/
Mush, ya tubby wee toerag, mush!
Never tell your ugly husky that he cannae pull
A young Charlie Nicholas…. Even the dug knew he could take a Len a him! Cmon Charlie free soup that a way!
Caption
‘ Is that a husky dog’?
‘No it’s an alsation with laryngitis’
Caption. Future sevco shareholder.
Listen ya fleabag, Covid or not we’re going to the pub, if I take my “guide” dug they’ll let me sit inside fur a swally. And you are driving home tae.
Caption : ‘A young Scott of the Antarctic on a long learning curve’.
Caption
Your no sitting there. It’s a green seat,come on tae!
Celtic should be threatening the SFA with legal action regarding the safety of their players as their track and trace bubble is a disaster. How we have the Israeli team in the same position, they took an injured Bitton away, also ElHamed is involved.
Snow denier avoids fine saying he needed to take husky for an eyesight test
That confused me anaw, Naismith made the crack about sevco, not Davis.
Caption:
Thick Hun comes last in dog-sled race
“No doubt that will cause friction amongst those who think the virus is real, and those who think it isn’t”.
To be fair I don’t think there is anyone who says that the virus isn’t real. I think the difference is how we believe the virus should be tackled. The latest research from Edinburgh University, for example, is very strong on the view that more harm has been done by the lockdowns and restrictions than by the virus itself (the “cure is more deadly than the disease”). This new group of health professionals – The Barrington Declaration (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54442386).
I think we need to move away from a blanket approach of lockdowns and restrictions – we know that those over 70 are 1,000 times more likely than those under 25 to get sick from COVID – so why not have crowds at football matches? Just make sure the vulnerable don’t come.
We knew that John Park played a blinder with some of his ‘Celtic Finds’, players like… Virgil-
Gary Hooper- Viktor Wanyama- Ki, – Fraser Foster- and he has been named as finding Moussa Dembele. He left when Brendan became manager. Brendan brought in Lee Congerton with mixed success, some were rubbish, but you need to know the full, behind the scenes stories, before you can really judge. So, although P.Lawwell takes the credit for slightly opening the Shortie tin, the real success has been Nick Hammond’s as Head of Football Operations and Gary Penrice, our new Chief Scout, who have done us all proud with their own ‘Celtic finds’. Celtic gold, 22 carat, the best kind of gold, just hiding below the surface, waiting to be found.
Huskies growls to Billy no mates, this is the last time I go sledging wae you withoot heated seats, ma hawmaws are stuck tae this thing.
Caption. “ kid says I learned all I know about sledging from Boris and the Tory Party!”
They called me barking mad when I told them I’d pulled a husky bitch in Iceland.
Caption: Daily retard…photo evidence of Celtic fan refusing to walk the dug!
rangers own website states 260631982 shares, if they sell at 20p / share that puts the company’s worth at £52,126,396.40. This may or may not include the new ordinary shares. So £52M for a company that had to find £10M to keep the lights on and have shown losses in every year, they also owe around £10M in transfer fees (estimate) to other clubs!!
These shares are grossly over inflated in my opinion and Financial Fair play is being abused.
There’s also plenty of people out there who believe that a nasty corona virus was possibly doing the rounds. However looking at all the information available question whether the response is any where near proportionate to the threat.
Its a bit curious that covid was floating around January February March with no excess deaths and then as soon as lock down began deaths spiked. How many of them were caused by NHS focusing on covid only. Where does dumping old people into care homes and denying them treatment count as protecting the vulnerable.
Maybe some people think that the response is going cause far more damage than the virus
It’s easy for politicians, public sector workers to go along with it, they’re getting paid no matter what.
Especially when the government and media are proven liars.
The PCR tests are not reliable.
The relaxation for reporting covid on death certificates along with dodgy test results make it impossible to know how many people have died from CV.
There is no evidence that lock downs do anything.
There is no proper evidence masks do anything. Every expert agreed the evidence was weak and the effect likely to be small. In fact most said they would do more harm than good. Don’t wear them at the peak, wait until nobody is dieing and then all changing the story at exactly the same time. Try reading any studies pre 2020.
As a sovereign human being with inalienable rights I do not believe that anyone should tell me I must cover my mouth and nose. Nobody can tell me how many people can be in my home and that I can’t visit my family. I don’t consent strangers taking my temperature.
I don’t consent to the new normal which looks like its going to be permanent. I don’t think the government should control every aspect of my life
When do you take the masks off
The modelling that was done before lockdown showed that 250,000+ would die without it. Whilst the current total of approx 60,000 is still horrific, it is a fraction of what it would have been without lockdown.
The wearing of masks is advocated by the WHO and governments and scientific/medical bodies worldwide. Sure you can get the odd dissenting voice on YouTube that appeals to the tinfoil brigade.
“As a sovereign human being…” Oh, for goodness sake, you’re not sovereign, you live in a society, with its rules and regulations to protect all despite what you or, I assume, your hero Thatcher think.
You could try living in the woods away from all people and the produce of modern society but there again you probably enjoy them too much.
‘You could try living in the woods, away from other people’. That’s what some people are doing and not just here in the UK. In Spain, Madrid, people who have been renting in the city are moving out to more remote locations, taking their families up into remote towns with much smaller populations. In the UK. the smaller coastal and countryside towns are witnessing people leaving the cities and working from home. This will continue until there is a vaccine. People must do what they think is the safest thing that they could do to protect themselves and their families. + Keep a safe distance, wear a mask, wash themselves especially their hands, stay in and either read or get p*****. I chose the first.
Ouch. That was a low one. I actually have an “I still hate thatcher t-shirt” bought long before she died. I do come out with some crap after a few drinks.
Imperial college of London and professor Neil ferguson haven’t exactly got a great track record when it comes to computer modelling. Have a wee look at their previous predictions about things
They predicted 85,000 people would die in Sweden with out lockdowns.
I think you are completely wrong on all counts but of course you know that. wear a mask, distance and wash your hands
I am wrong now and again.
Is there anything that may happen that will change your mind. A point where you think the damage is going to out weigh any benefits of the restrictions. Millions of unemployed. Extreme food poverty in developing countries doubling. Mental health issues among the young.
Why have astra zeneca been stockpiling vaccines before they have passed safety testing
Health passports to allow you to travel.
Why does a test for the flu just need a quick throat swab.
Covid needs a 5 inch swab up your nose
If in time things go back to normal. No masks, no social distancing. Full houses at celtic Park singing at the top of their voices. No restrictions if you don’t have a health passport. No restrictions if you don’t have a vaccine. No mandatory testing or temperature checks I’ll admit I was so wrong I’m embarrassed and ashamed. I’ll take the biggest slice of humble pie imaginable.
Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get me.
What chance did I have being brought up in a republican family in the North of Ireland but to mistrust governments.
Being a celtic fan and seeing how the media continously vilify our fans and club.
I’ve no problem giving people space. I like it. I worked in a hospital for 7 years I know all about hand hygiene. You’re right stick a mask on for 10 minutes out of respect for others. I don’t like things being mandatory.
I honestly worry about young people working in low paid jobs being made to wear face masks for prolonged periods every day. I see health problems coming down the line. The people I’ve talked to hate having to wear them.
It breaks my heart when I see young children wearing them.
Most people I see wear them completely wrong. Touching them every 30 seconds and then everything else. Smoking with them round their chin. Talking on their mobile phone through them. On off on off. Completely unhygienic.
I’d love to know about China but that lab in wuhan makes It a bit suspicious. Event 201 suspicious.
I’m more interested in how Sweden have handled things. No masks no lock down. Almost back to normal. Why does this virus behave so differently in different places. Some places that locked down hard have had worse outcomes.
Cases seem to have increased since mandatory masks.
30 million people effected. How many get flu every year. TB, malaria, HIV, suicide, cancer, heart disease, stroke, road deaths, starvation.
Sweden has a population of: 10,115,901.
The UK. has a population of: 66,830 million.
There are many, many more people of Black and Asian ethnicity living in the UK.
Think about it, that many people condensed into England’s cities- 61,000 million.
Sweden could afford herd immunity because of the space it has compared to England.
Covid affects mostly the elderly and people of ethnic minorities.
Sweden Median age is: 40.9 years old.
IMO. Age and the more condensed people are, spread’s the virus faster and affects more people.
Thanks Mike. I’ve went over every argument back and forth. Most of Swedens population live in cities not far off the population density of London. Old people are very vulnerable to a lot of virus all the time I just think that the response will cause more harm than the disease.
Vitamin d3 seems to be a factor in blah blah love celtic love the ra love humanity
Sorry drunken bhoy. Respect.
Imagine all the world leaders and governments got together and put the same efforts into ending world hunger as they have trying to find a vaccine for a virus that kills 0.0000somethng percent of the world population. But that only effects poor developing countries right. Billionaires won’t make any money out of that.
You’ve made me paranoid. Paranoid Celt
Did the Record really say that his influence cannot be “understated”?