The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[mhacadoir]

Neil Lennon has been confirmed as new Celtic manager!

according to who?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Celtic being linked to a move for Kris Boyd by some papers - silly season indeed! 

[illdecide]

1146 BST: Celtic have categorically denied reports they are preparing a sensational swoop for Rangers striker Kris Boyd. "We will not, repeat NOT, be making a bid for the player," read a statement on the club's official website. (Press Association)

[Main Street]

I see Lennon's odds have come down to 1/5.

It's a bit like giving a game to the only kid who comes along with a ball.
From the few titbits of gossip, you get the impression that Desmond needs more convincing.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

New Celtic strips for next season (allegedly). 



Goalie's top

[Main Street]

Green and white hoops, that makes a change.

I see the Ireland team were wearing hoops against Paraguay, green and white hooped socks. I never noticed that before.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Green and white hoops, that makes a change.

I see the Ireland team were wearing hoops against Paraguay, green and white hooped socks. I never noticed that before.

Seen that alright, I liked it. 

[tyroneboi]

I see Paddy McCourts goal against St Mirren (I think) is leading the Goal of the Season on Sky Sports News with 31% at the moment. Was a great goal and shows what he is capable of. If Rooney or Messi had have scored a goal like that then the papers would still be drooling over it.

[Doogie Browser]

BBC report Lennon will be named manager within 10 days.

[the colonel]

That came from the open forum meeting at Celtic Park last night with the Celtic Trust and supporters. Lawwell said there will be an announcement within 10 days, he never stated it would be lennon would def be the manager. Below is the transcript of the Q& A



Lennon and Lawwell Roadshow (05/27/2010)
5:43 All being well we will be live blogging from tonight's roadshow. This page should update automagically. Provided of course our iPhone battery holds out.

Thursday May 27, 2010 5:43
6:55 That's us here and nearly read to start. There's more folk here than were at the alkmaar game.

Thursday May 27, 2010 6:55
7:04 And we are off.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:04
7:05 Mobile phones on silent

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:05
7:06 Asked not to make long statements. In order to give everyone a fair chance to ask questions. Last question will be at 8:20

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:06
7:07 Jeanette finlay, peter lawwell and neil Lennon introduced and Lennon gets a massive cheer

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:07
7:10 Minute silence held for tommy burns' mother. Jeanette now explaining rationale behind meeting.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:10
7:12 Jeanette: we hope you go from this meeting feeling that you have had chance to ask questions. And that peter and neil go away with a better understanding. Non Celtic supporters asked to leave as this is not a media event. We need to be mindful of the fact that there may be journalists here.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:12
7:13 Jeanette: not asking folk not to ask difficult questions but remember that we are all Celtic fans. Onto questions.

13 Peter and neil - what is your plan to take Celtic back to where we belong. How far along the road are we to getting a new manager?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:13
7:14 Peter: thank you for coming tonight. We are going through a selection process. Neil understands that. Taking longer than we thought but hopefully sorted in next few days.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:14
7:15 P: last season unacceptable. Easy yo point fingers of blame. We all take our share of the blame.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:15
7:16 P: our dedication to getting this club back to where it should be us absolute. That's why we are taking our time yo get the manager job right. We need to get back to winning football. Win domestically first and then look to Europe.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:16
7:17 Question from floor: kenny butler from Celtic trust. Are you endorsing neils as manager?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:17
7:18 P: we all appreciate what neil has done. He is a very very strong candidate. Huge groundswell of opinion in favour. Very very string candidate

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:18
7:19 N: the club have to get this right. I understand that. Going through process. In the running. If I don't get the job and am asked to stay on I'll consider what's best for future.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:19
7:19 Question: are you saying it's our fault? I think it's your fault and mr reid's fault. You didn't look at his cv.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:19
7:20 P: I didn't say it was the fans fault. The board picked Mowbray. Jusgementsl mistakes were made. I'll take my share of responsibility as member of Celtic board.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:20
7:21 Question: how do you think we've done getting value from money from playing staff, coaching staff and board of directors?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:21
7:22 P: on playing field we have won trophies. We have stabilised club financially. Lennoxtown second to none. Academy will see produce through. Huge achievement however over last two years we have lost championship. That is unacceptable and has to change.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:22
7:23 Question: we are linked with this player and that player if neil doesn't have job why is he being being linked with players? Some of our players aren't Celtic class.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:23
7:25 N: I've been making recommendations. Scouts have watched players four or five times. It's all about judgement. Players have shown me they are well capable. They owe us. Needs little bit of experience. Fulham can get to uefa - why can't we? Clubs down south going to wall. We are in strong position.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:25
7:26 P: the club is run such that every penny that comes in is reinvested. O don't think anyone in here was disappointed on 31st of January.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:26
7:27 Question: mindful of January 2009 budget appeared to be dictated that what happened at ibrox influenced Celtic. Can you assure us that this is not the case?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:27
7:29 P: categorically not the case. We take no account of rangers. January 09 will be on my gravestone. We worked as hard then as we did this January. It just didn't happen. We understood what it means to bring players in then to get that extra jag. No lack of effort that January. It just didn't happen. We take no account of what happens at rangers.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:29
7:29 J: is the scouting network as good as it could be?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:29
7:31 P: we invest £500k in our scouting. Different era under martin - we could scout via match of the day. We spent £40 mill is those five years and £45 mill since. Hyper inflation in Market. How much would neil Lennon cost today? We went yo the best clubs in countries that have punched above their weight and took their best ideas. In terms of the produced we can all question it but it's developing.

N: rogne will be exciting if we can keep him fit. Sticky injury record. Misun. Slane. This will benefit the club. We can scout anywhere in the world but it's difficult to travel to japan. It's down to one mans opinion and that will be whoever the manager is.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:33
7:34 Question: can we break away from this old firm sponsorship deal? There was s big web campaign. We should br on our own. And will there be an option for a strip without sponsorship?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:34
7:37 P: there will be non sponsorship strips. It was not our preference to have joint sponsor. In this particular Market there is not a lot around. We have been round the world and have taken Celtic to marketing experts there. We took the Celtic story around the world. Our charity our history our underdog status. Nobody was able to come up with a deal. We went round the world and had to come back to duke street. We were offer joint deal. So we have a question to answer - do we take the money? We need the money. So we take the deal.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:37
7:37 P: outwith top four in England there are serious challenges to getting a sponsor.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:37
7:39 Q: you say it's not all gloom and doom- the feeling of the support is that it is exactly that. The support wong take another leap of faith the empty seats are alarming. We will have problems convincing fans. I need convincing. I cannot put my faith in dermot or john Reid or you anyone. ( big applause) we need something toreignite the support and he is sitting at that table now.( massive cheer)

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:39
7:40 Q: if neil Lennon asked the support to get behind him season ticketscthrougj roof. Appoint neil Lennon now. ( massive cheer)

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:40
7:41 N: can I have you as my agent?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:41
7:42 P: listen when I said earlier nobody recognises neil lennon's candidacy more than me. Bear with us. It will be worth the wait.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:42
7:42 Q: was that net spend? £40 mill and £45mill?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:42
7:42 P: gross. Got to have money to spend it.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:42
7:43 Q: we're not spending £40 mill net and this leads to demise in standards.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:43
7:44 P: remember last 16 and 2 in a row. Let's not get carried away. We are not obsessed with debt. We can do no more than spend what we earn. We know what happens to clubs that don't.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:44
7:44 Q: what did we bring in?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:44
7:45 P: don't know but we sold viduka for 5 we sold berkovic for 6. Whether we spent the money wisely is another debate.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:45
7:46 P: the reason we are here is to put a successful team on the park that will entertain. Everything else is secondary. Everyone on the board is a Celtic supporter.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:46
7:47 Q: number of candidates for new manager apparently what assurances will you give us that neil will stay if he us unsuccessful?

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:47
7:48 P: we will do everything we can to keep neil ifhe us unsuccessful.

Q: does the changes to appeals meet the clubs needs? We will always br held back in this country.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:49
7:51 P: pleased that the blatant unfairness about appeals has been taken on. In terms of way forward clearly we are committed at the moment to the spl we see ourselves as a champ league club. You need someone to want you to enable change. Nobody wants us. Very difficult because epl turkeys don't vote for Christmas. Spain Italy and England outwith top teams everyone is struggling. There will be some form of change. Don't know what it is though.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:51
7:53 J: we will meet with cross party msp group about sport.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:53
7:55 Q: we have lost championship to club that's in financial mess. You also said it's fair to say that tony has not inherited the best squad of players. During your rant at agm last year you said the wage bill was higher than Seville. How can you say to me that we are ina solid financial position but we have lost a championship. And the scouting system isn't working.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:55
7:55 Q: we have lost championship to club that's in financial mess. You also said it's fair to say that tony has not inherited the best squad of players. During your rant at agm last year you said the wage bill was higher than Seville. How can you say to me that we are ina solid financial position but we have lost a championship. And the scouting system isn't working.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:55
7:56 P: in Scottish context massive investment in club. We take tte responsibility for loss of league. That's down to judgement and not policy or investment.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:56
7:57 Q: we should be signing first team players. Not squad players.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:57
7:57 P: I think we should do both. Buy for today and the future. We cannot buy top stars. We need to buy future stars

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:57
7:58 Q: have we missed on players under our nose? Missed McCarthy. Fantastic player. Steven fletcher is another.

P: judgement call - I don't pick players. I'm not qualified to comment on players we should have bought or have lost.

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:58
7:59 Q: why so many players from overseas at club? Lot of junk. I'm a shareholder. I've followed Celtic for 77 years. I'm very disappointed

Thursday May 27, 2010 7:59
8:00 P: we back manager. He picks players. Maybe we have got the balance wrong and the next manager will bring in more British players.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:00
8:01 N: British players overpriced. Yes we need British and Irish players who understand club. I want more men round club who take the club by scruff of neck. Won't be held to ransom.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:01
8:04 Q: I want to quote lenny: let's not mince our words writing has been on wall... What we have been witnessing has led yo thousands walking away. I think you should bring the captain and vice captain to these meetings to understand out passion. ( big cheer). Make them fully aware of the fact that second place is not good enough. In dressing room put quote about jersey not shrinking to fit inferior players.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:04
8:04 Q: we have aiden Scott and shaun what are the plans for those three?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:04
8:07 N: We will not get rid of aiden and Scott if we can avoid it.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:07
8:09 Q: there is a meek acceptance from Celtic as to the treatment we get from the refs the sfa and the media. We need to get back to a seige mentality. What Celtic should do is come out and say we still have no answer from the sfa. We want answers. This country asks us to accept onesided incompetence.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:09
8:10 P: I assure you we are not meek. You have yo pick your time. Refs - last year we were told it was sour grapes.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:10
8:10 Q: I disagree. Facts are facts.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:10
8:10 P: we are challenging it

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:10
8:10 Q: what processes are we going through for a manager and why did we get it wrong?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:10
8:12 P: we go through cvs and select best. Not many dissenting voices when Mowbray was appointed. Folk complained about strachan's football so we got tony. It didn't work for whatever reason. We have to move on and appoint next manager who will drive us forwards. We need fans behind us.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:12
8:12 Q: what you doing about bad press?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:12
8:13 P: win games. The facts are that the record and sun sell 700000 copies a day and it's bit all rangers fans buy them?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:13
8:13 Q: is it not time we all turned our back on the hacks?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:13
8:14 P: I agree we don't get a fair crack of the whip. We have to win and win well.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:14
8:14 Q: if neil is successful will a mentor be appointed?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:14
8:15 P: if neil is successful that's up to neil

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:15
8:16 N: I haven't got experience. I might need someone to turn to. I'm going into unknown. I would like an older head. ( shout of David hay from crowd. Limited applause) it is a possibility that if I am successful I will go down that road. It would be foolish to think I have all the answers myself.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:16
8:18 Q: I saw my first game in 1938. Two goals chopped off. So things never change. I question Scott browns commitment. We have not had enough out of him. I remember hearing he was going to sign for rangers.derek Johnstone says he is a rampant blue nose.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:18
8:19 N: that's crap. He is committed. Great drive. You all loved it when he booted lafftery up in the air.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:19
8:19 Two questions left

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:19
8:19 Q: what about the 5% levy on away tickets?

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:19
8:20 P: we fund Scottish football we asked the clubs to fund it.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:20
8:20 Q: the fans have to pay it though. Aberdeen Motherwell hibs hearts

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:20
8:20 P: well we will review it

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:20
8:46 Lost connection for last two questions. Bloke asked about reducing ticket prices to get bums on seats. Lawwell said they'd look at it. And final question had our very own psychoheart asking if we will look at communication using Twitter and podcasting. Lawwell says he doesn't know how to switch on computer but it's all about communication. Jeanette finished by saying ignore the media. She said image that the trust had taken over and we were a democracy. Let's have a show of hands - who wants lenny as manager? Overwhelming response in favour. And that's a wrap.

Thursday May 27, 2010 8:46
9:40

[Main Street]

Neil Lennon on question of Scott Brown's commitment

"that's crap. He is committed. Great drive. You all loved it when he booted lafftery up in the air"


At least Neil understands the core values.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

I get the feeling that these roadshows and "shows of hands" are the boards "get out of jail free card" if Lenny as manager is a complete cockup, they can turn round and tell us - "well the fans got the man they wanted".
Hopefully it won't matter and Neil has a long and successful career managing the Celts.

Hail Hail

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Feck it, would they ever just give him the bloody job and get on with things!

Neil Lennon adds Forest stopper Kelvin Wilson to wishlist as wait for Celtic appointment goes on
Jun 7 2010 By Keith Jackson

NEIL LENNON wants former Nottingham Forest team-mate Kelvin Wilson to partner Sol Campbell at the heart of a new-look Celtic defence.

Record Sport can reveal Wilson's name is the latest to be added to Lennon's list of signing targets as the caretaker boss awaits his own unveiling as Tony Mowbray's full-time successor.

It is now anticipated that appointment will be ratified this week and the man from Lurgan will agree to work with Finland boss Stuart Baxter, the man the club have hand-picked as his managerial mentor.

While Baxter's attempts to persuade the Finnish FA to allow him to work part-time at Parkhead could take some time, Lennon is keen to have his own situation resolved as quickly as possible and certainly before the end of this week.

The 38-year-old is currently in Ireland but if enough progress can be made in the next 24 hours he could be back in Glasgow as soon as tomorrow to finally put pen to paper and officially begin his job as Celtic's 16th manager.

And that will finally allow him to begin securing his top summer transfer targets, includi ng 24-year-old centre-half Wilson.

Lennon has already held talks with veteran Arsenal stopper Campbell who has promised to hold off on making a decision about his future until Celtic fill their vacant hotseat.

Hefty If Lennon does get the job then Campbell may feel compelled to move to the Hoops and help the Northern Irishman in his quest to add defensive steel to his side.

Lennon believes Campbell and 6ft 2in Wilson would form a perfect no-nonsense pairing and is hopeful Forest will be unable to resist a hefty Celtic offer, possibly around the £1million mark.

Wilson moved to the City Ground from Preston three years ago for just £300,000 and played alongside Lennon for six months after the former Celtic skipper called time on his playing career at Parkhead.

Now they could be reunited in Glasgow's East End as Lennon a t tempt s an overhaul of Mowbray's malfunctioning squad.

As well as his plans to snap up Campbell and Wilson, he remains hopeful of capturing Hull playmaker Jimmy Bullard, Cardiff City's Joe Ledley, Stoke winger Liam Lawrence and Scunthorpe's Gary Hooper.

But first he must finally be confirmed as Celtic's new manager.

[the colonel]

Lennon to be unveiled tomorrow according to usual media outlets

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Lenny officially new Celtic manager.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8728818.stm

One year contract, sensible thinking from the board.

Good luck Neil.

Hail Hail