Neil Lennon was at the Huddersfield game last night, which added to speculation that no-one has told him that strike target Jordan Rhodes isn’t there anymore, so he saved face by letting us think that James Vaughan is the actual target, and Huddersfield boss Mark Robins supported him by announcing that;
“There’s no way on this planet we will be parting with James.” , who immediately rang his wife and asked her to start looking for schools in the Glasgow area.
Vaughan has seen his value rocket, £6m in some papers, which if such a sum is available to Lennon in January, then he would have to think of offering it to Blackburn, who are skint, for Rhodes.
In fact, there are probably several better options than Vaughan, and if he’s the one they want , we’ll just have to trust the managers judgement on another striker.
He’s especially useful at corners, apparently.
One man who won’t be coming to Celtic is Dutch keeper Warner Hahn, who has opted for a three year deal with Feyenoord. He said;
” I am incredibly happy with this three year contract. At one point i could choose from many clubs, Newcastle Utd, Celtic, Roma, Lazio-It was getting crazier by the day. But for me at that time it was already clear I wanted to develop in Holland at Feyenoord. I come from Rotterdam, Feyenoord is in all respects a great club. I can only be satisfied in retrospect as to how my career has gone this far. ”
If only he had spoken to Henrik Larsson about Feyenoord..
We do already have a couple of young European keepers on the books at Celtic. Max and Leo.
Google doesn’t always work.
The two keepers, Leo Fasan and Max Oberschmidt are doing well in the youth teams, and Fasan ( now third choice ) spoke of his time at Celtic on the official website;
“It’s always different for goalkeepers, so usually they come into the first team a little bit later than other players. I feel like I am making progress in the right direction and I always try my best in training and games to try and step up to the next level.
“It is fantastic working with Fraser. He’s a great player who is great to train with. I try and take it all in, both what he’s doing on the training pitch and in games.
“I found it quite surprising just how long it took him to get his first England cap, looking at this year and last year, he performed really well in the Champions League against Barcelona and other top teams.
“But now that he has made his debut, hopefully he can get many more starts for his country.”
He added: “It’s been a good season so far, we lost the game against Partick Thistle, but after that we’ve come back pretty good, winning almost every game.
“I think I’ve played quite well this season and I try to make the most of things by trying to get clean sheets every game..
“It gives confidence to me as a goalie, not to concede any goals plus the defenders and the team overall as they take confidence from it.
“We are winning and we need to keep winning. We are Celtic so our support demands a high standard and they expect us to win every game.”
Ugly little spud, isn’t he ?
However, he speaks well of the club, and I think we’ll hear more of him. He’s highly rated at Celtic, and is earmarked for the future. Its what we do with keepers, get them in young and groom them. But not in the way the BBC do.
Remember Islam Feruz ? He’s been in the news. The former Celtic youth star allegedly drove at excessive speed in the city of London, repeatedly braked sharply at pedestrian crossings and accelerated and drove on the opposite carriageway at a bend with poor visibility in a BMW 3 series. All without insurance. Allegedly.
And him such a nice humble guy as well. Never saw that one coming .
Motherwell, Barcelona, Hibernian , Hearts, St. Johnstone and Inverness all play Celtic this month, which has lead to the postponement of the Kilmarnock game in the New Year. The players, faced with an unprecedented and harsh nine hours work this month obviously need a break, and are looking at a training camp in Turkey.
Meanwhile , supporters such as Paul, who replied to the diary yesterday, are looking at a couple of plane tickets, hotel reservations and a diminishing household budget wondering if he can sell them on ebay before the wife notices the bank balance.
We might be at the same match as the players and management, but we sure as feck aren’t playing the same game.
This, and a few other topics were discussed with supporters liason officer John Paul Taylor onlast nights podcast, which survived ( sort of ) a few technical difficulties and should be on the site later today.
Also discussed were the recent events in Amsterdam, and I have to say I feel a little more confident for the lads facing a jail term over there now. Though I wish I’d seen this before we started recording;
Letter to the city council ( from the mayor of Amsterdam )
Date 29 November 2013
Subject Statement of facts on disturbances Ajax-Celtic, 6 November 2013
Dear members of the General Affairs (AZ) commission (Amsterdam City Council),
On 14 November 2013, the General Affairs (AZ) commission was asked to consider the
football match between Ajax and Celtic, and I agreed to provide a statement of facts from the
police. I hereby offer such a statement. Within this letter you will learn more about my
analysis of the actions of the police during the disturbances that took place, as well as
lessons learned in policing policy for future international football matches.
Analysis
Overall, on 5 November and on 6 November up until late in the afternoon, there was a
relaxed atmosphere throughout the city and a good (normal) relationship between the visiting
Scottish supporters, Amsterdammers, tourists and the Amsterdam police.
Ajax hooligans displayed serious provocative behaviour, initially in Glasgow on 22 October
and then again in Amsterdam. I refer to the premeditated hit-and-run attack on unsuspecting
Scots present in Amsterdam’s Old Sailor pub, which took place on 5 November. I absolutely
condemn this cowardly attack. This, in combination with the massive numbers of Celtic
supporters present who were in themselves not a risk but indeed very intoxicated, caused an
unacceptably negative influence upon public order in the city on the Wednesday afternoon. I
interpret this hooligan behaviour as possibly the most important cause for the emergence of
disorder between the Celtic supporters and the Amsterdam police at Dam Square on 6
November at around 17:30.
From the statement of facts, I have concluded that all necessary measures were taken by the
police in their preparations and focussed on preventing escalation. At the same time, I must
note that it is impossible to completely prevent and rule out all escalations and flashpoints,
such as those that occurred. The combination of drunken and provoked men, who were
already anticipating an exciting football match, is always potentially dangerous.
All in all, the police in the city faced a major challenge to continue to separate the Ajax
hooligans from the groups of Celtic supporters, whereby a major escalation threatened to
take place on Dam Square at around 17:30.
In relation to the images of the actions of a Detention Unit (AE) agent, I note that the
Detention Unit agents were met with excessive violence from some of the Celtic supporters
and no fewer than seven agents were injured. For a short time the Detention Unit agents no
longer felt safe. They must and are expected to react proportionately in such a situation. In
the trial of the arrested Celtic supporters (on 21 November 2013), the magistrate ruled that
given the circumstances, the conduct of the police was proportionate and that the behaviour
of the five supporters was punishable. I conclude, however, that in this specific case, we were
not sufficiently successful in avoiding the necessity of such action, or at least to better protect
the individual agents.
From the statement of facts, it appears to me that the actions of the police between 17:30 and
18:00 ultimately prevented further escalations around Dam Square.
How to proceed?
Football matches must be organised in such a way that supporters of both clubs, as well as
residents and local business owners never feel threatened or intimidated. Not only in and
around the stadium, but also in the city centre or in public transport. Hooligans are a very
small minority that cause much misery. This demands for extra prevention and a rigorous
approach to rioters and the immediate circle that facilitates them. Our historic city centre must
be available to everyone1, and this calls for the imposition of a minimum of general mitigation
measures. Such does justice to residents and businesses as well as ‘normal’ supporters.
On the basis of this statement of facts, I propose tightening the following football policies:
1. Working with Ajax and supporters clubs to find a mix of preventative and repressive
measures to tackle hooligan behaviour, including that of the newest generation.
2. The maximum and targeted use of existing instruments (removal orders, group bans,
area exclusion orders based on General Municipal Regulations (APV), emergency
order and/or football governance) to quickly intervene and nip the behaviour of Ajax
hooligan groups in the bud, and preventing the priming effect of groups of hooligans.
3. With the policing policy experts (Driehoek), I will discuss short-term plans over the
available capacity of the cooperating organisations so that it becomes possible to act
upon hooligans quicker and better, also on the basis of football governance.
4. In the city centre it is difficult to impose an alcohol ban on football match days.
Regarding the maintenance of an alcohol ban, I propose the following:
a) the possibility to curtail the area of the alcohol ban on match days so that the
ban can be more effectively enforced
b) for each international match, consider whether sales restriction regulations
are necessary, and if so, implementing this (such as the temporary measures
on Queen’s Day)
c) installation of a formal moment during preparations, in which a critical
decision about the enforcement of an alcohol ban in the city centre is made
5. The coming period should be used by the policing policy experts to examine how
Detention Units can be effectively utilised during football events. In doing so, more
attention will be given to examining how Military Police (ME) can provide better
support to Detention Units.
I will undertake to notify you of the proposed tightening of football policy before the next
international home match, if not by the Champions League. I hope that for the moment you
have been suitably informed.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. E.E. van der Laan
Burgemeester van Amsterdam (Mayor of Amsterdam) ”
Which effectively blames the Celtic support.
Then theres this
Big thanks to Belgrano of the KDS board, who worked diligently on translating it into these main points;
* 50% more police on duty than usual due to the Royal event taking place at Dam Square that same evening
* 6 Police Scotland officers on duty as spotters, as well as officers from Croatia and Belgium, observing the Dinamo Zagreb and Anderlecht fans present
* Police Scotland officers identified members of the Celtic Soccer Crew to their Dutch colleagues
* Dutch police well aware of the Green Brigade, but also well aware that they contain no hooligan element, also well aware of previous peaceful visits by Celtic
* Report maintains that actions of the Dutch undercover police was “proportionate” to the situation
* The Ajax fans detained for the attack on the Old Sailor pub the night before, were all released the following day
* 7 Anderlecht fans in city, 3 St Pauli and around 30 Dinamo Zagreb fans
* Dutch undercover police preventing ‘hit-and-run’ attacks by Ajax fans throughout the day
* Scottish police state that large numbers of Celtic fans were standing with their arms in the air, “as if challenging the police to fight”
* 6 of those arrested for violence turned out to be undercover (Dutch and Scottish) police – only once realised
* The Dutch undercover laying the knee in was forced to, in order to get the Celtic fan under
* The timeline of the report suggests that the guy laying the knee in was doing so because he’d been attacked beside the tram earlier
* The media is unfamiliar with techniques of subduing fans, and the kneeing incident is normal and was only used to prevent the bottles being thrown at him
* Restraining techniques used are painful, but if these are not sufficient, further painful restraining is necessary
* Lessons learned include a higher risk assessment next time Celtic visit. Celtic fans violent behaviour is a new development.
* Police were powerless to prevent the attack on the Old Sailor pub due to it coming as a surprise
* Celtic fans started it. They threw bottles and cans at uniformed officers arresting the Ajax fans who had stolen the flag from the edge of Dam Square
* Undercover police and subsequent actions were necessary due to the violence of the Celtic fans
* More police vehicles must be congregated and ready to act, consider banning away fans from Dam Square and setting up Fan Zones instead
* Can’t rule out that Celtic fans genuinely thought undercover police were Ajax hooligans. Consider more uniformed police next time instead
Six of those arrested turned out to be undercover police!
So, if the cops didn’t know who was who, what chance did A supporter have, when faced with an enthusiastic kicking from a stranger.
Get this to the lawyers .
Whereas our supporters should be proved innocent of any crime when the trail kicks in, probably in 12-18 months time, the same cannot be said of the fans of Motherwell and Second Rangers, who have been throwing flares onto the pitch at their recent Scottish cup games.
Ibrox boss McCoist was shocked by his fans behaviour;
“These things can give you horrific injuries. ”
How would they be able to tell ?
He continued;
“The police, fire services and hospital staff would obviously be against them. ”
“I don’t think it’s a lot to ask that people can be guaranteed they are in a safe environment when they go to watch football.
“Our supporters have been nothing short of sensational over the past two years. But we don’t want incidents like that.
“The damage to the surface is bad enough. Falkirk have put down a new pitch in the close season and then we have managed to ruin it through an act of stupidity.”
He didn’t mention any of their other acts of stupidity recently, such as buying shares in the new company/club. But then he wouldn’t, would he ?
Flares are in the news in England as well, with Sky TV picking up the story and running with it.
Clubs involved in three or more incidents with flares in 2013-14
5: Everton, Manchester United, Wigan Athletic
4: Liverpool, Manchester City, Sheffield United
3: Bradford City, Bristol City, Burnley, Charlton Athletic, Leeds United, Mansfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic
Source: UK Football Policing Unit
Peter Myers, a Celtic man from Wigan insists there must be some confusion;
Whoever filled out the questionnaire at the DW probably thought they meant “flares” as in “flared trousers”
” Must be some 70’s style Wigan Casino fashion coming back in ”
Which leads us to the six reasons that Neil Lennon would take the managers job in the bleak northern town of Wigan. (now a lot more bleak since the Montrose pub-an old haunt of mine -was turned into a care home )
According to Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail. ( And there is no way the Daily Mail would have sent anyone to Wigan. Wigan , to them, is a place in a radical communist manifesto, with a pier and a road. )
SIX REASONS WHY ENGLAND CALLS FOR CELTIC BOSS
1. No other manager of a Scottish club has reached the last 16 of the Champions League with 10 points from their group, as Lennon managed last season in a section which included Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.
For the record, that run included a draw with the Portuguese, wins over the Muscovites home and away, and a famous victory over the Catalans in Glasgow.
Of course, things didn’t go quite to plan this year in a group of death featuring Barca, AC Milan and Ajax.
2. While Lennon and his team were receiving all the plaudits for last year’s glorious European achievement, pundits were scratching their heads as to why higher-profile names in England weren’t managing to do the same with bucketloads of cash at their disposal.
Roberto Mancini’s £250million Manchester City side crashed out after finishing bottom of their group, while Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea also failed to make the knockout rounds.
Both Italians were to pay for those disasters with their jobs.
3. The Northern Irishman has shown an ability to get big performances out of teams acquired on modest budgets.
A classic example was the backs-to-the-wall 2-1 victory over Barcelona in October 2012, a match which will never be forgotten.
How long Lennon could continue punching above his weight at that level was a matter for conjecture, and perhaps his £17.5million team’s recent defeat to £75m AC Milan said it all.
Wigan could surely provide him with the cash to keep taking a swipe at the bigger boys down south.
4. Lennon has perfected the art of bringing players in for modest fees and turning major profits.
Victor Wanyama arrived for £900,000 and was sold to Southampton for a staggering £12.5million, making him the biggest Scottish export since Aiden McGeady.
Gary Hooper wasn’t a bad acquisition, either, coming in for £2.4m and going to Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £5m.
Expect similarly bumper profits in the future from the sales of goalkeeper Fraser Forster and defender Virgil van Dijk.
5. Histrionics of the past have gone, replaced by a more restrained, calmer figure on the sidelines.
The infamous touchline spat with Ally McCoist was an obvious low point, but Lennon’s overall demeanour seems to have changed for the better.
Perhaps his well-publicised problems with a lunatic fringe who sought to drive him out of Scotland helped him put football’s pressures in perspective.
Having lived in a goldfish bowl here, he’s media-savvy enough to deal with anything in England.
6. He’s up for a challenge. Now the Champions League has gone and the Scottish league title is a foregone conclusion, there’s only the Scottish Cup to compete for between now and the end of the season.
A club like Wigan would have enough resources to allow Lennon to build on their FA Cup triumph and really go after that play-off spot which seemed to be eluding Owen Coyle.
After upsetting Barcelona, a crack at the Premiership big boys would be the ideal next step for ambitious Lennon
Wee Willie Pettigrew?
Willie Pettigrew?
It’s the only guy I remember from back then.
‘But not in the way the BBC do.’
Really? ‘Humorous’ references to child abuse…
Expected better from Etims.
Willie Pettigre..he used to look like Magnum PI pulled trhough a wringer!, that or Hen Broon wae a mullet,
Best Pettigrew story, Tam Cowan offering Tony Higgins £50 for charity every time he could cram in a mention for Cowans beloved Pettigrew on BBC Scotlands Fitbaw Results TV show only a few years ago…Higgins commenting on a Celtic win said “Henrik Larsson there, he reminds me of Wullie Pettigrew, the way Wullie Pettigrew used to twist and do that Wullie Pettigrew turn and shot. Now Im no saying Wullie Pettigrew is like Henrik Larsson or Henrik Larsson is like Wullie Pettigrew but watching that goal, the first thing i thought of, Wullie Pettigrew! Good old Wullie Pettigrew!”.
Cue Tam Cowan 350 quid out of pocket!
Is it Pensionerbhoy’s school photo from 1938 ?
I remember Willie Pettigrew having a mullet and a tache . He was a preyty good striker with a half decent scoring record.Was he not about at the same time as Joe Harper – another striker who then coudn’t get in to the Scotland squad but these days would walk into the scotland team (if he could fit through the dorr).
And RAlph- for the love of the wee man – can you NAKE THE COMMENTS BOX BIGGER ? God knows how pensionerbhoy writes his volumes in such a confined space.
Best to type up comments in Notepad, Word or email then cut and paste…this also helps if they dont load correctly due to WordPress being shite at times when handling comments.
Wigan?!? Aye right. Just give the managers job to Dave Whelan’s son and be done with it.
Funny I thought we were after a proven goalscorer(penalty box striker),not in a million years could Vaughan be that man,if were willing to spend the money then Finnbogsson must be the target
Willie Pettigrew has his right hand man, Bobby Graham, to thank for making him the striker he was. Bobby made all the goals.
Ach.Poor old PB – He’s not all bad. I can ramble away at copious length with the best of them. I can even do a rant which – when I get up to speed – might see me overtaking Ralph -Blly Connolly on Quaaludes but not in the least bit boring voiced-ish -Malph on the outside. However, PB, I can highly recommend Twitter for forcing a discipline with it’s 140 bytes maximum that teaches you to do short,sweet & to the point (i.e choose the right words or die trying) which, with my natural verbosity and tendency towards spit dribbing big moothed diatribes, has forced a seachange in methodology which has been very challenging & rewarding.(<Ach STFU Ed) OK
1)Willie Pettigrew =A name which demands daft wordplay jokes
2) Finnbogasson – maybe if we have the money, but, I still think Graziono Pelle is a more out & out number 9 and a better fit to the more physical demands of the SPL : Big, strong, holds the ball up well, lethal in the air and
(the following was contributed by Miss CJB -20) – ripped, hot, sexy , nice smile, nice hair, wonderful addition to hidden team bath video – after all Ghirls also wanna have fun on matchdays too
Did he shave off his ‘tache for Movember?
” classic example was the backs-to-the-wall 2-1 victory over Barcelona in October 2012, a match which will never be forgotten.”
Obviously he has – it was the 7th November ya prick!
when arguing witn a sevconian, as soon as they realise they’re loosing the argument , they quickly revert to their default setting, child abuse. for you to come away with the same disgusting nonsense,, makes you, in my eyes, no better than them. you should retract the comment and apologise immediately.