Celtic FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014/15 Mod Warning post #6011

PauloMN wrote: »

Jaysus. I honestly think Hooper would stay at Celtic rather than go to Hull. The draw of Europe has to count for something, even if the draw of Fir Park doesn't!

Lennonist wrote: »

Was there any figure mentioned in the Hull rumour? It was rumoured a while ago that QPR were willing to pay £6 million to bring him to the Championship, which wouldn't be bad money for a player entering the final year of his contract who doesn't look likely to sign a new deal.

premierstone wrote: »

In Forster's case though it was very clearly on the back of he's Champions League performances and a bit in reverse to the points you make about Hooper he gets very little to do in the SPL.

With regard to Hooper, to my mind Stokes is every bit as good especially if he gets a consistent injury free run inthe team and yet especially in teh media here there is very little made of the fact that Trap has ignored him, he is definitely a better striker than Salmon or Cox and I would have him as Ireland third best striker at worst - he doesnt have Robbies experience but would surely be a better bet for 90 mins and while Long has a great attitude and energy I would argue that Stokesy is a more natural goal scorer.

A Celtic fan who sang a pro-IRA song has been cleared in a landmark ruling that could have an effect on future cases where charges have been brought under the Offensive Behaviour at Football bill.

Sherrif Margaret Neilson cleared Celtic fan Calum Graham of singing a chant that was “likely to incite public disorder” after being accused of singing a pro-terrorist song at a football match.

In her judgement, Sherrif Neilson said that it was not enough for a song to be offensive to warrant a conviction.

She said: “Parliament clearly has it in mind that you must pass this hurdle [of inciting public disorder] for it to be an offence,” she explained, admitting she had “certain sympathy” with the police trying to deal with the legislation.

Police identified Graham as he sung The Roll Of Honour at a match between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Celtic on August 25 last year. The song is a pro-IRA song commemorating hunger strikers in Northern Ireland prisons.

The fan, from Glasgow, admitted he was one of a group singing it but denied behaving in an offensive manner likely to incite public disorder.

The court heard Graham was among dozens of fans caught chanting on camera by officers drafted in from Glasgow.

The judgement has lead to calls for a review of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012.

Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said the law was “fundamentally flawed”, before adding: “Neither the police nor the courts cam be expected to have clarity about what constitutes an offence when the Government wasn’t able to provide evidence of this to Parliament.

“It is essential this legislation is urgently reviewed before the start of the new football season.”

PauloMN wrote: »

Another Balde for Celtic?
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-target-amido-balde-ill-1921078



Touch of the Banguras about him, cocky wee fecker. "Gary who?". Always the kiss of death!

PauloMN wrote: »

I think Stokes shot himself in the foot with the whole "I'm tired" stuff wrt those friendlies. Himself and Trap didn't seem to see eye to eye. I think Stokes has grown up a lot since then, and grown into a better player, but I think Trap is still a stubborn git. Would love to see him do well for Ireland.

Pudders wrote: »

Someone employed by the club. Cup final will be his last game. Premiership bound. 3 clubs already enquired and 2 willing to meet club's valuation.

Don't shoot the messenger.

I'll post the source later once the transfer news omes out but was told last night in London.

And you can joke huddleboard etc but this is someone from the club.

THE spotlight was intense. About a week after I arrived I made my debut in an Old Firm match.

I had heard all about the atmosphere in those Glasgow derbies and the build-up and the atmosphere in the ground.

I thought I’d take it in my stride. I was used to big games, I had played in other derbies. But everything people had told me was true.

The atmosphere got to me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was being watched everywhere.

Glasgow was a tough city. You were adored and you were hated. Even I realised I had to tread carefully.

The night before the game, people from a neighbouring building rigged up some contraption that allowed them to fire water bombs across on to the balcony of the apartment I was renting.

I wasn’t there. I was with the team at a hotel but my family was staying there. It was ingenious but it gave them a hell of a shock.

After everything that had gone on at Newcastle, I didn’t really feel ready to play in that first match against Rangers at Celtic Park. I was still a bit frazzled. We lost 2-0.

We were in Inverness one night for a game that was postponed the next day. But that night someone staggered into a police station in Glasgow and said they had just been assaulted by Craig Bellamy.

Inverness is about 200 miles from Glasgow. Funnily enough, they didn’t press charges.

Despite that, I loved it at Celtic. The standard of football is probably below the English Championship, but when you talk about clubs of stature and tradition, you have two of the greatest clubs in the world playing in that league and that makes it special.

When I went into my second Old Firm game I was ready for it.

This one was at Ibrox, which is a fantastic ground, but I wasn’t intimidated by it and I got the second goal, which was the winner in a 2-1 victory.

To score the winner in an Old Firm game was one of the dreams I’d had when I had made the move.

It felt as though that victory had secured us the league title. We were five points clear with four games to play.

We lost to Hibs in our next game but went into our final match away at Motherwell with a two-point lead.

Rangers were away at Hibs and had a better goal difference than us so we knew a draw might not be enough.

It was going to be a ‘Helicopter Sunday’. The league trophy would be airborne until its destination was decided one way or the other.

When Chris Sutton scored 29 minutes in, we were cruising. As long as it stayed like that, there was nothing Rangers could do.

As the end of the game drew nearer, we started to get nervous and there were two minutes left to play when it happened.

A mis-hit shot bounced into our area and Scott McDonald cushioned it on his chest and then hooked it over our goalkeeper, Rab Douglas, into the net.

Rangers were winning 1-0 at Easter Road. A sense of panic swept over us. We had to score again. We threw everybody forward. But then Motherwell broke forward and McDonald scored again.

We had lost 2-1 and lost the league by a point. I was vaguely aware that the noise of a helicopter buzzing overhead had disappeared. It was carrying the SPL trophy to Easter Road.

It was a desperate, desperate feeling. We went into the changing rooms and there was just silence.

I have heard Neil Lennon say it was the most sickening blow of his career. Martin O’Neill didn’t attempt to disguise his disappointment, either.

He just muttered something about seeing us on Wednesday or Thursday. That was it.

I was in shock. I went back to my apartment where Claire and the kids were waiting. But I needed to be by myself. I left them at the apartment, went straight to the airport and got a flight to Cardiff. I didn’t sleep for two days.

I felt tormented by it. I thought I was cursed, I thought I was destined never to win anything. I stayed at my mum and dad’s house and drank.

I wallowed in self-pity and didn’t think about Claire and the kids being by themselves.

Eventually, I snapped out of it and told myself I had to get ready for the Scottish Cup Final. I knew there was a chance to salvage something.

There was extra emotion attached to the final because it was Martin O’Neill’s last game as manager. He was going to take time off so he could help care for his wife, who was suffering from cancer, and nobody really thought he would be back.

We were up against Dundee United. It was another match we were expected to win but after what had happened at Motherwell, no one was taking anything for granted.

Alan Thompson scored in the 11th minute and I felt a sense of elation when the final whistle blew. Martin went up to lift the trophy himself.

He was very popular with the players and everyone was keen to make the gesture as they knew it was the end of an era.

It was the end for me too at Celtic.