The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Doogie Browser]

He is a cheating cnut, even Wenger who is a bull shitter at the best of times was struggling to defend him, his 'celebration' was just as annoying.  Unfortunately he will get away scot free.  It was an appalling dive.

Probably, but apparently Donati is asking for Eduardo to be banned, citing the following precedent:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6993901.stm

I must say, whilst I hold no brief for Celtic, I found myself feeling genuinely outraged when the penalty was awarded, and really hoped he'd miss it.

That said, I still had to laugh when Boruc "sent himself the wrong way" in attempting to save it.

That 'precedent' involved Lithuania though, who UEFA would have no fear of, I would be very surprised if they tried to cite Eduardo now after the event.  There is a great reluctance for retrospective action on Uefa's behalf - Darren Fletcher last season being a case in point.  It would have made little or no change to the outcome of the game, but his smugness really got on my breasts, it would be nice if they had the balls to do something though...

[Evil Genius]

E Genius, hpefully Boruc will retain his sense of rage to be suitably motivated to restrict the North of Ireland to a blank scoresheet on Saturday week, not that that would be a particularly momentous achievement really

A "raging" Artur ("Ulster's No.1") Bollox is exactly what I want to see out there!

After all, he was spitting feathers at Windsor, for all the good it did him! 

[lynchbhoy]

Boruc was one of the best penalty stoppers I have seen - at least a couple of seasons ago - hasnt had too much pracice in the past couple of seasons to be fair.
Def moved and dived way too early imo - bit like eduardo I suppose !

At least Boruc looks like he is back to his best now after an indifferent season last year.

[illdecide]

The financial implications of dropping out of the Champions League for Celtic are huge, make no mistake, the £10 million they would have received for reaching the group stages is far more important to Scottish clubs than it is to Premier League clubs. SPL sides receive only a fraction of the TV money that Premier League clubs get, so that £10 million is a lifeline (maybe Eduardo can delve into his pocket!).

You cannot underestimate the significance of losing that money and, like we've seen with Rangers, it is now likely one or two big players will leave Celtic - they'll do well to hold onto the likes of Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown.

Of course, the financial struggles of SPL sides always raises the debate over whether there can be a form of merging with The English Premier League, but that is a minefield. Put it this way, I would not like to be the one who has to think through the logistics of that decision!

The obvious question, if you're using Celtic and Rangers as examples, is what route do they take to the Premier League? Do they have to qualify from the Championship? Or do you form a new league, which is an idea I've heard touted behind the scenes.

I do believe something may change over the next five years, I will say that. It's been over 40 years since a Scottish side won a major European trophy and, while the SPL throws up some absolutely cracking matches, it is absolutely essential that representatives from Scotland are totally prepared for the challenge of Champions League night on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

What makes this topic so dangerous is that the fans themselves are divided on it. There are many who would love to see their club playing in The Premier League against the Gerrards and Lampards of this world.

But then you have the logistical nightmare of getting fans from north of the border to travel all the way to an away match at Portsmouth for instance. Financially that is crippling for the average fan. You also have Scotland's footballing identity to consider.

Only once in the last 15 years have the Old Firm been separated though (by Hearts in 05/06), so maybe those other clubs may fancy having a real crack at league success in the absence of Rangers and Celtic.

The big two shouldn't forget that the 'guarantee', if you like, of competing for Champions League football helps them lure big players. Jean-Alain Boumsong is an obvious example, Rangers got him for free and then sold him to Newcastle after six months for in the region of £8 million. Some fans don't like their club to be used as a stepping stone, but it does have its financial advantages that may not be so prevalent if they cannot qualify for Champions League football from the Premier League.


The weekend ahead
A tough task lies ahead for Celtic this weekend, trips to Easter Road and Hibs are never easy, particularly with confidence riding high for John Hughes' men after two opening victories.

Easter Road is a tight ground and the crowd will definitely try to ramp up the pressure on Tony Mowbray's men as they look to put the Arsenal game behind them. They may face a Celtic backlash, so I think that's got all the ingredients for a really big afternoon in Edinburgh.

[illdecide]

I'll decide, Rangers won the ECWC in 1972 as did Aberdeen in 1983, a lot less than 40 years ago.

Celtic were unlucky to draw Arsenal, I believe they would have had a reasonable chance of beating any other side at this stage of the competition.

ahh just found on a site Tony and posted it...never paid to much attention to it

[lynchbhoy]

The financial implications of dropping out of the Champions League for Celtic are huge, make no mistake, the £10 million they would have received for reaching the group stages is far more important to Scottish clubs than it is to Premier League clubs. SPL sides receive only a fraction of the TV money that Premier League clubs get, so that £10 million is a lifeline (maybe Eduardo can delve into his pocket!).

You cannot underestimate the significance of losing that money and, like we've seen with Rangers, it is now likely one or two big players will leave Celtic - they'll do well to hold onto the likes of Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown.

Of course, the financial struggles of SPL sides always raises the debate over whether there can be a form of merging with The English Premier League, but that is a minefield. Put it this way, I would not like to be the one who has to think through the logistics of that decision!

The obvious question, if you're using Celtic and Rangers as examples, is what route do they take to the Premier League? Do they have to qualify from the Championship? Or do you form a new league, which is an idea I've heard touted behind the scenes.

I do believe something may change over the next five years, I will say that. It's been over 40 years since a Scottish side won a major European trophy and, while the SPL throws up some absolutely cracking matches, it is absolutely essential that representatives from Scotland are totally prepared for the challenge of Champions League night on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

What makes this topic so dangerous is that the fans themselves are divided on it. There are many who would love to see their club playing in The Premier League against the Gerrards and Lampards of this world.

But then you have the logistical nightmare of getting fans from north of the border to travel all the way to an away match at Portsmouth for instance. Financially that is crippling for the average fan. You also have Scotland's footballing identity to consider.

Only once in the last 15 years have the Old Firm been separated though (by Hearts in 05/06), so maybe those other clubs may fancy having a real crack at league success in the absence of Rangers and Celtic.

The big two shouldn't forget that the 'guarantee', if you like, of competing for Champions League football helps them lure big players. Jean-Alain Boumsong is an obvious example, Rangers got him for free and then sold him to Newcastle after six months for in the region of £8 million. Some fans don't like their club to be used as a stepping stone, but it does have its financial advantages that may not be so prevalent if they cannot qualify for Champions League football from the Premier League.


The weekend ahead
A tough task lies ahead for Celtic this weekend, trips to Easter Road and Hibs are never easy, particularly with confidence riding high for John Hughes' men after two opening victories.

Easter Road is a tight ground and the crowd will definitely try to ramp up the pressure on Tony Mowbray's men as they look to put the Arsenal game behind them. They may face a Celtic backlash, so I think that's got all the ingredients for a really big afternoon in Edinburgh.

dont think financially Celtic would have to sell anyone. A lot of their revenue comes from merchandising. While the cl money would have been great, the actual money lost is 2 million quid. the rest on match receipts is going tobe much the same for Celtic - esp if they can progress a bit.
I think they made more money in 2003 on their way to the uefa cup final than they would have if they had been in the cl group stages (and gone no further as was the usual then for Celtic teams).
I could be wrong, this is from recollection of what I think I heard a few years back.

[Evil Genius]

The financial implications of dropping out of the Champions League for Celtic are huge, make no mistake, the £10 million they would have received for reaching the group stages is far more important to Scottish clubs than it is to Premier League clubs. SPL sides receive only a fraction of the TV money that Premier League clubs get, so that £10 million is a lifeline (maybe Eduardo can delve into his pocket!).

You cannot underestimate the significance of losing that money and, like we've seen with Rangers, it is now likely one or two big players will leave Celtic - they'll do well to hold onto the likes of Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown.

Of course, the financial struggles of SPL sides always raises the debate over whether there can be a form of merging with The English Premier League, but that is a minefield. Put it this way, I would not like to be the one who has to think through the logistics of that decision!

The obvious question, if you're using Celtic and Rangers as examples, is what route do they take to the Premier League? Do they have to qualify from the Championship? Or do you form a new league, which is an idea I've heard touted behind the scenes.

I do believe something may change over the next five years, I will say that. It's been over 40 years since a Scottish side won a major European trophy and, while the SPL throws up some absolutely cracking matches, it is absolutely essential that representatives from Scotland are totally prepared for the challenge of Champions League night on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

What makes this topic so dangerous is that the fans themselves are divided on it. There are many who would love to see their club playing in The Premier League against the Gerrards and Lampards of this world.

But then you have the logistical nightmare of getting fans from north of the border to travel all the way to an away match at Portsmouth for instance. Financially that is crippling for the average fan. You also have Scotland's footballing identity to consider.

Only once in the last 15 years have the Old Firm been separated though (by Hearts in 05/06), so maybe those other clubs may fancy having a real crack at league success in the absence of Rangers and Celtic.

The big two shouldn't forget that the 'guarantee', if you like, of competing for Champions League football helps them lure big players. Jean-Alain Boumsong is an obvious example, Rangers got him for free and then sold him to Newcastle after six months for in the region of £8 million. Some fans don't like their club to be used as a stepping stone, but it does have its financial advantages that may not be so prevalent if they cannot qualify for Champions League football from the Premier League.


The weekend ahead
A tough task lies ahead for Celtic this weekend, trips to Easter Road and Hibs are never easy, particularly with confidence riding high for John Hughes' men after two opening victories.

Easter Road is a tight ground and the crowd will definitely try to ramp up the pressure on Tony Mowbray's men as they look to put the Arsenal game behind them. They may face a Celtic backlash, so I think that's got all the ingredients for a really big afternoon in Edinburgh.

Some interesting points, ID, but in analysing what Celtic and their fans want etc, you are overlooking something far more critical i.e. what the EPL wants.

What would the presence of Celtic and Rangers add to the big teams in the EPL, who manage to fill their stadia every week as it is? In the end, C&R would either be uncompetitive in the EPL, in which case there is no point in adding them, or they would be competitive, in which case they'd be a threat to the existing big clubs.

As for the smaller clubs, which of those is going to vote for a measure (i.e. adding two Glasgow teams) that would inevitably see two from within their own ranks be forced to leave the EPL?

As it is, the whole pressure (from UEFA and FIFA) is to see the big European Leagues reduced to 18 teams (though that is being stoutly resisted by the EPL).

Unless something changes significantly, imo there is no prospect of the Old Firm being invited to join the EPL, though there may be some chance of them being admitted to the Football League, or any European Super League which might be created.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Your not far wrong LB.
We are still in Europe and will still be getting ticket money, TV money, Merchandising etc, etc...
Not that worried about the cash as we are financially healthy, looking forward to getting some strange teams and places to travel to away this year, flights will have to be booked early! 

[illdecide]

This is my opinion...If Sky TV realise the viewers are dropping off and they need to spice it up a bit then it will be Sky TV who decide who joins what...they call the shots and as much as the smaller clubs do have a vote/say etc when it comes down to the coupons and Sky tell the EPL accept the 2 Glasgow clubs or we cut your money in half...what do ya think will happen?

As it stands Sky are prob secure enough with viewers and if it's not broke don't fix it but things can change and the money men are the ones to change it...all the above will need UEFA approval I'll assume before Sky have a say...

Usually I decide but in this case Sky will decide

[Evil Genius]

This is my opinion...If Sky TV realise the viewers are dropping off and they need to spice it up a bit then it will be Sky TV who decide who joins what...they call the shots and as much as the smaller clubs do have a vote/say etc when it comes down to the coupons and Sky tell the EPL accept the 2 Glasgow clubs or we cut your money in half...what do ya think will happen?

Why on earth would SKY tell the EPL that? SKY quite clearly don't much care about the Old Firm - otherwise why would they have let Setanta outbid them for Scottish football rights last time around?

In the end, SKY are influenced by selling subscriptions and with the whole of Scotland only having a population of around 5 million, they are no more important to SKY than 7 or 8 English regions outside London with a similar population eg West Midlands. And with Villa, Birmingham and Wolves, the W.Mids already "outvotes" Celtic & Rangers 3 to 2.

As for who calls the shots generally, whilst SKY are clearly influential, ultimately it is not they or the FA or UEFA etc who call the shots, it is the 20 EPL Chairmen, each of whom have an equal vote.

And as for how they will exercise those votes, clearly they will sell the rights to whoever gives them the most cash. On which point, you must remember that SKY were not just the highest bidder, but they were also first (successful) bidder. EPL football allowed them to build up a subscriber base which other broadcasters have found difficult to emulate to date. However, so successful have SKY been, solely on the back of the English football market, that huge American broadcasters such as ESPN are now starting to sniff around.

Therefore, the demise of Setanta notwithstanding, once we emerge from recession, the EPL Chairmen will  very possibly be in a seller's market, playing one buyer off against another.

More to the point, with the technology of Satellite Broadcasting etc having already been established, ever more cheaply, they will likely soon be in a position to tell SKY and ESPN etc that if they don't make an acceptable bid come renewal time, they'll set up their own TV company, and sell the rights unpackaged, directly to the subscribers themselves.

In the end, whilst marketing, distribution and technology etc are all very important, by far the most important component is control of the product itself, and that is in the hands of 20 men, most of whom are billionaires. Somehow, I can't see even Rupert Murdoch "playing ducks and drakes" with that lot.

Meanwhile, like a boy whose spent all his pocketmoney for the week, Rangers and Celtic can only press their nose up to the window of the sweetshop and dream.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Looking like Donati is going to Bari for 1.5 million.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8225760.stm

Tone the Korean is coming in January.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8219721.stm

Now for the draw for the Europa league!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Ah fcuk we got the nazi of Hamburg, at least we'll have the St Pauli boys behind us.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Jesus have now gotten Israeli side Tel Aviv

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Celtic
Hamburg
Tel Aviv
Rapid Vienna

[tyroneStatto]

no mugs in that group.