Celtic

With Apollogies to Lee Naylor…

Matt — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:06:55 +0000

Many times have I considered that Lee Naylor might be getting an unfair shake in his time at Celtic. More often than not he is at the receiving end of criticism. At most CSCs across the world there seems to be a fund raising effort for Naylor’s taxi fare from Celtic Park to the airport and new suitcases for his travels. When I think of these things, I remember games like the Champions League qualifier against Spartak Moscow and I put my 2 dollars towards his taxi fare. It was not always like this. Naylor had at least a solid first season with the club and most Tims thought that they had a solid future at Left Back. But to say that Naylor has lost the plot would be an understatement. Shaky at best, and down right scary most times, Naylor welcome at Parkhead is probably gone. Celtic, Portsmouth, and the press teased us with rumors of Naylor moving back down South, but it seems to have fallen through at least for now.
There have also been rumors of old friend Martin O’Neill might take Naylor off our hands, but nothing solid has really come forth. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if Naylor stays on the books and has a solid career in the reserve league, but for most people priority number one this transfer season is a replacement. Paul Caddis has a bright future with a solid performance against Barca, but he is probably not quite ready for a permanent place in the starting XI. The question still needs answered. Perhaps an answer is saying “Bonjorno!” right in our face! Roma fullback Vitorino Gabriel Antunes has not found the first team much in the Italian capital, only appearing nine times, and the Portuguese fullback has made it clear he would like a future in the Green and White. Celtic have also made it clear they are interested in Antunes with a possible season long loan move or a long term deal. This deal needs to be priority number one for Strachan and co. and needs to do pretty much whatever it takes to finish it. Celtic’s midfielders and strikers were able to hang with Barcelona last year in the last 16 of the Champions League, yet the team faltered because of defensive mistakes and Thierry Henry wunder-strikes. If the back line is strengthened then who knows what is possible.

TAL

Naka to Italy? Baloney!

Matt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:21:52 +0000

Sky Sports last week reported that free kick and tin opening with his left foot specialist Shunsuke Nakamura would be heading back to Italy with recently promoted Serie A team Bologna. With only one year left in his contract and Naka not getting any younger, no one would be really shocked if Celtic tried to make a tidy profit for their Japanese star. Sky even had quotes from Bologna’s chairman courtesy of the Scottish Newspaper The Daily Record saying “We want to build a great team at Bologna and the first new face I want on board is Nakamura. We have already formalised our offer to Celtic, so they know the conditions of the proposed transfer. We are waiting to hear back from Celtic about the offer once they’ve discussed it with the player. We hope they’ll give us permission to speak to Nakamura. If they do we’ll contact him to discuss the move.” It seemed like Naka would be saying “Arrivederci!” to Celtic and Glasgow. There was only one problem…
Sky Sports made a fatal flaw in trusting the journalistic integrity of The Daily Record. After reading these reports, Celtic were quick to say “Baloney!” and have said not only have they not received a offer from Bologna or anyone for that matter, that Naka is a big part of their plans next year. In fact a Celtic spokesman said: “We’ve never heard of the representative who has claimed Bologna has made an offer for Shunsuke Nakamura.” The Daily Record making up stories and Bologna representatives? Is there a game against Rangers this weekend that I was unaware of?

If there is any weight to the story that Gordon Strachan will be using a 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrid, then it would seem Naka would be a good candidate for this type of system. Yet, this blog still wonders why and Ginger would want to mess with the success that was found at the end of last season…

Naka’s Goal against Rangers last season…

Man City Friendly at Celtic Park

Matt — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:26:52 +0000

On August 6th, Celtic will face Manchester City at Celtic Park. This will be the last warm up for the Bhoys before the season begins against St. Mirren. While there will be no chance of a Willie Nelson cover band after the show, City will be a decent test for the Bhoys. After a flying start to the season, City fell out of Champions League contention eventually, but finishing in the top half of the EPL and beating their Mancurian rivals twice is nothing to sneeze at. Of course, if this game is exciting as the friendly against Parma last year, fans should get complimentary pillows with their ticket.

Celtic hear about this whole “Northern Ireland” thing and Shaun Maloney?

Matt — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:07:26 +0000

Apparently the members of the Celtic board were informed that there were some minor tensions in the past in Northern Ireland. Seeing that more often than not the different sides of this little spat have very polarizing feelings on Celtic, the team decided not to go ahead with the friendly scheduled with East Belfast team Glentoran FC. Instead of a friendly with Glens, a Celtic XI will now be taking on, in much more Celtic friendly West Belfast, Donegal Celtic on July 23rd. Besides being a namesake, Donegal Celtic has been facing financial trouble and a high profile friendly like this might be able to help some of these woes. Without even getting into the politics of it, it seems like this is a much better friendly to help a club facing difficult times. As far as I know (and if anyone is aware, please correct me), Glens is not facing the financial trouble and it seems like a charitable thing to try and help out a struggling club. The day out against Glens at the Oval would probably had some good craic, but it seems more like the “Celtic” way to help Donegal Celtic.
In the wacky world of transfers, old Bhoy Shaun Maloney was reported to be having a wee sleep over at Celtic Park. The rumor was that Maloney was at Celtic Park to discuss a five year deal for “substantially” more than he was offered before he packed up and left to go down south. With Gordon Strachan oozing over the 4-5-1 formation that can become a 4-3-3 when the ball is possed during his time as a commentator for the Euros, one must wonder if Maloney is a piece that Ginger Baws is looking to put forth this plan. Sources inside Celtic Park have said that Strachan believes that a Roman Pavlyuchenko would be a perfect top man for this formation, but a Maloney could morph into one of those midfielder/striker types on the attack. Many Celtic fans have called Maloney less than flattering things such as “a greedy twat” and “a moneygrabber” and I can’t say I disagree. It finally seems that at the end of the year, Strachan found a formula that worked yet he is already wanting to change it up it seems. Hopefully this all just pish…

TAL

(The Picture meant to attract the female hoops fans to the blog, did it work eh? It was one of the first pictures that came up on Google Images…)

Sentanta Deal equals the close of CSCs?

Matt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:22:45 +0000

Sorry for the silent weekend from me, as I was in the Land of Lincoln aka Illinois. Over the weekend, the big news for me was Celtic “signing James McFadden”…except that a jerk texted me a fake news story. The real story over the weekend was the SPL agreeing to a £125 million dollar contract with Sentanta to continue to broadcast the SPL until 2014. This of course means more money for all of the teams in the SPL, which can only be a good thing right? Unfortunately, while it might land a big signing and possibly increase the stature of the SPL, this move might be a continuation of pricing the average fan out of football. Perhaps the most effected might be the follower of the SPL in North America.
It has been reported that Sentanta will be increasing their subscription fee for the season. Perhaps it is to cover the now more expensive costs of the SPL or other leagues. No matter what, the bill will be much more expensive. Who is this going to hit the most? The former season book holder who could no longer afford his season ticket so he has to catch his beloved Celtic on TV or the North American supporter in the CSC who barely makes enough money to pay for the club’s subscription and now might not be able to afford it.

Listen, I’m not a class warrior and this is not an article on the proletariat or bourgeois, but it certainly seems that Celtic and the rest of the SPL are trying to maximize profits. The big clubs of ~~the Old Firm~~ Glasgow are certainly leading the way, trying to clean up their history, both the good and the bad to become a more profitable entity. In the world of modern football, where you need the big profits to sign the big players in a seeming endless cycle, this type of business practice is hardly new or unexpected. Yet, Celtic isn’t exactly in a bidding war with Real Madrid for the pretty Ronaldo, yet a “new”home kit will be released (let me give you a hint, there are still green and white hoops) for $80 American and be bought up. Celtic triumphantly announced that this year’s season book prices were frozen. ALL HAIL THE HEREOS OF THE WORKING CLASS! Or was it because people could not afford your raised prices from the previous season? No matter what, it seems that the “average” Celtic fan is being priced out of the club.

It’s a big thing to ask Seamus Workingman to spend his entire paycheck on Celtic for Half Dead crowds against Killie or extreme prices with Thomas Crook to European trips while fans who have been to every game are left out for Joe Corporate. And now, to seemingly price out the North American fan spending $15 a game to watch a small tv at 7 AM seems quite ludicrous. Sentanta has a decent product, but if no one in North America (I realize the price gauges effect all, but I am focusing on the CSCs in North America closing) sees it, you lose money. If people are not following the team, they aren’t buying replica kits, they’re not buying Celtic jewelry , and your losing your stake of the new football market that is North America.

The most disappointing of all this is Celtic’s history. If Celtic were Man U or Chel$ki well known for being a corporate entity this would be a less hard pill to swallow. The fact that the club WAS FOUNDED to help the poor Irish of Glasgow makes this more sickening. The questions we should be asking is…what would Brother Walfrid think of this? What would Willie Maley think of this? It might not be feasible to be putting soup on the tables of the poor and still be competitive, but I would like to hope that every Celtic fan regardless of occupation and class will be at least able to come to Celtic Park as a release from the troubles of his day, or at least watch it on tv but it seems like even these are becoming less and less possible.

TAL

“New” Home kit released

Matt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:58:46 +0000

Celtic released the home kit for the 2008/2009 season. It always seemed like that new home kits, especially with clubs like Celtic where the jersey is known throughout the world and would never see huge alterations, were like trying to reinvent the wheel. You can put rubber on it, but it is still a wheel. The same can be said for this jersey. The most obvious changes are the gold trim and gold “swoosh”, along with the less than subtle slag of Rangers in the Willie Maley quote “It is not the creed or nationality, but the man itself” on the collar. The gold trim looks smart, but other than that it is a Celtic home kit. Green and white hoops, there you have it. (Photos of the kit after the jump)

Nice, but not worth 40 quid if you have an older version…

Who are ya?-Paddy McCourt

Matt — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:00:28 +0000

On Thursday, Celtic signed their first new player of the transfer season in Patrick “Paddy” McCourt. McCourt comes from is from Northern Ireland and has chosen Celtic, allegedly being a supporter of the Bhoys since being a boy, which is usually enough to endear him to a good majority of the Celtic Support. Given that McCourt played in the Eircom League in Ireland, he is not well known especially to supporters not in Ireland. By many accounts, McCourt was considered one of the best of the Eircom League. A primer is still necessary for most Celtic supporters on Paddy. McCourt is 24 years old and born and raised in Derry.

Along with his time with the Candy Stripers of Derry City, where he appeared in 37 games and scored 6 times in three years, he also played a season with Shamrock Rovers of the Eircom League appearing 17 times and scoring 7. Obviously McCourt is more of a winger/playmaker rather than a finisher, but when he does score they seem to be flashes of brilliance.

Many people are down on McCourt because of the fact that he is a small name from a small league, as well as hearing reports that McCourt can be lazy and disappear on the field at times. However, McCourt was a relatively cheap buy with a chance for tremendous upside. Those who are down on the Eircom League should remember that such names as Roy Keane and Paul McGrath have come from the very same league. Finally, it has been reported that McCourt has been a Celtic fan for life and playing for your boyhood team is always a grand motivator!

Some videos of Paddy McCourt at work…

Some tasty footskills and finishing here…reminds me of a current Celtic winger…

Welcome to Celtic, Paddy! Like most of us, you’re just trying to live the dream!

Friendly announced…with Belfast loyalist team?

Matt — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:00:46 +0000

While another Championship year last year, the board, coaching staff, and team in general made some moves that baffled the mind and confused even the most advanced scholar of philosophy (I shall be changing my major in school to Transfer Rumors Philosophy. I shall not try to interpret what a rumor is, but why it has come to be and for what purpose it serves. I will also minor in Strachan squad selection and nursing to revive myself after I see Chris Killen starting in our first Champions League match this season…) Yet, it is been an announcement of a friendly that has confused me the most. It has been announced that a Celtic XI will be traveling to East Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 23rd to face Glentoran FC. Celtic last played there in 1963.
To some, this might seem like a regular friendly with a smaller club in a proximate area. This assertion does not take into account the Glentoran fan base, which is to be put nicely, pro-British. Glentoran are notoriously known as one of Belfast’s “Big Two” with Linfield, not exactly the ~~Old Firm~~, I mean the Celtic-Rangers rivalry. Linfield is much more well known for their loyalist ties and near fascist fan base, but an element of this still exists in the Glentoran support. Without getting into each side of the conflict, I think both sides of the Northern Ireland debate would agree that a match like this is asking for trouble. When you get both sides together in one stadium, you will hear all the songs, slogans, and such. For a board trying to distance themselves from sectarianism that is often associated (though many times unfairly, but that is for another day), why would you schedule a match where you are almost guaranteed songs that you do not want to hear and possibly crowd trouble? I do not have an answer for this question.

I do not agree with the board’s attempts to censor certain songs that use to be sung at Parkhead in the past. These songs are often called sectarian, when in reality they simply talk about Ireland’s history, a country that will be forever linked with Celtic because of the nature of the club’s founding. However, there is an extreme element in the support of Celtic. Whether you agree with these people and groups or not, a fixture like this is inviting them to attend and for a club trying to become more of a business commodity it is a head scratching move. But becoming a business commodity is not what Celtic should be about. It should be a link to the Glasgow Irish to their past, and dispersed Irish all over the world. It should welcome any person of any race, creed, nationality, etc. It should represent not only the beautiful game, but a beautiful family of green and white clad brothers and sisters. We can’t forget the past, we must make the present the best for every supporter and player of the club, and we must prepare for a future that no one can predict. As the Green Brigade said best…

TAL!

Rangers fund Celtic for swoop of West Brom target!

Matt — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:38:24 +0000

You, the loyal (no pun intended) reader of the Celtic Offside Blog, are probably aware that Rangers are signed up Kenny “Fans Behind the Goal Duck!” Miller. What might not be known that since Miller was at Derby County on loan and moved from there, Celtic get a fee for Miller rumored to be around £200,000. You usually don’t here of either team of Glasgow sending checks to each other, which makes this instance so rare and unusual. Stranger than Rangers fans upset and protesting this move as well as calling for Walter Smith’s job because of it, is the fact that Celtic will use this money to go ahead and knick Derry City winger and Northern Ireland international Pat McCourt from West Brom. West Brom and Derry City had been rumored to have agreed on a transfer fee, but it seems the deal fell through when Paddy McCourt learned that Celtic were after him, and being a Hoops fan since a boy, McCormick jumped at the opportunity to play in the Green and White.
Apparently McCourt is in Glasgow today to work out the terms of the deal and baring a complete breakdown he should be signed soon…

To say that this is a unusual situation would be quite the understatement. Funded by Kenny Miller and Rangers, Celtic steal a player away from West Brom. I’m not sure which is funnier, the fact that Kenny “Supersize it!” Miller is on Rangers again, that his move there got Celtic a check for £200,000
from the rumored skint Rangers, or that they used this move to land a Northern Irish Celtic fan…A draw perhaps?!

Oh the Rangers are shite!

Skippy the Kangaroo signs an extension

Matt — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:54:32 +0000

The first signing of Celtic’s transfer season is a thirty goal scorer. Yes, Scott McDonald will remain in the Hoops for the near future, signing a 5 year contract extension. The 24 year old Australian international came to the Hoops from Motherwell last summer. While McDonald was a proven goal scorer at the ‘well, he wasn’t exactly a popular signing with the Celtic faithful mostly due to a certain goal he scored on a certain last day and his celebration after said goal. It seems that Celtic fans can forgive and forget about it when Skippy scores 31 goals, including some big goals in the Champions League. McDonald also comes from a Celtic mad family in Australia, so I’m sure the whole McDonald family will be excited about the extension. McDonald commented that the deal was agreed on before the end of the season, but he had to concentrate on winning the league and then international duties with the Australia Socceroos. Once he finally had a chance to sit down and sign the deal, he did.