Hearts won't win the SPL 2008/09

Not just any 40-year-old man, mind. Has there ever been a time when Russell Latapy wasn't ridiculously old?

Heading for an inevitable late Kris Boyd winner here

No, he seemed old when he played for us and that was LAST CENTURY. xpost about Wee Russ.

Late dubious penalty in this one, I reckon.

It is a shame that Davie Weir is suspended, because seeing him pwned by a man older than him is one of my favourite things. Listening to this on the radio is torture, but I imagine watching it to be worse.

Nice to see Wattie remember that Kirk Bigfoot is actually a centre-half. Also, he can't take as many terrible throw-ins from in there. It might just work...

Pre-match, Yogi was on about how Wattie was the best manager in Scottish football. I presume someone had put some crack in his tea.

Reading elsewhere that Rangers goal came about as a result of the Falkirk full-back being out of position having been chopped down by Whittaker (who was already on a booking), totally ignored by ref. This true, or the bleating of paranoid Celtic fans?

Paranoid Celtic fans? SURELY NOT. In other news OFFS it's going to be like this for us all season, isn't it?

in other paranoia news, certain types of internets people are going off their nuts at Phil O'Donnell's brother-in-law refereeing a game involving Celtic, casually ignoring the fact that said match featured Celtic playing against a team starring THE REFEREE'S NEPHEW (St Mirren's Stephen O'Donnell).

I have a feeling that this year's new "Ross Wallace is not a left back/Gary Caldwell is not a right back" is going to be "Barry Robson doesn't play out wide on the right". Still, good to be back, innit?

I picked the wrong side of the OF for a late dubious penalty winner, obviously.

What a surprise, Colin Nish attempted something that was more like a backpass than a shot at Alan Combe.

Looks like I've gone back to being terrible at predictions again.

You know that "people you thought were dead but aren't" thread? Well, that's what St. Mirren's like, in the sense that you're always surprised to find they're still in the SPL.

Easy seeing you've moved away from Paisley, not allowed to forget it round here!

BREAKING NEWS!

Aston Villa agree fee for Ugly Betty!

(also Hamilton not shite)

http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1363790,00.html

Accies!!! Great performance, thoroughly deserved to win and played very good football as well. John Hartson tipped us to win before the game too.
Let's hope we can keep up the home form and get some good away results. Inverness and Killie away are our next two games so hopefully we can pick up something from them.
The James gang were superb tonight. Wonder how long we can hold on to them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7554946.stm

http://i34.tinypic.com/33kby35.jpg

...

OMG MY EYES! MY BRAIN!

That Mikoliunas goal was quite good, wasn't it?

Adam Virgo watchers might be interested to know that he has now scored three goals in two games. can we have him back please? (joke)

seeya Carlos :'( . but hey, with that £17m accumulated from selling defenders in the past six months, Walter can splash some cash on the new Tore Andre Flo.

I watched most of the Rangers and Celtic games live and decided that I was never going to watch football again. But the other games look like they were quite a bit better. Shame that Laszlo is clearly far too much of a free spirit to keep the Hearts job for more than a few months.

Looking forward already to our top of the table clash with the impressive Accies on Saturday. After their united demolition i think Brewster will (and probably should) stick with one up front, despite it offending some 'proper SPL club an thah' sensibilities. First game since mid April, having successfully avoided all the pre-season guff.

And then afterwards I'm taking my mate's wee boy to the Nairn Highland Games fair. Fun beside the seaside/apocalyptic Moray Firth weather-death fairground shitemare...........time will tell!

Good luck to QOTS tonight. Hopefully the team from the second half of the cup final will turn up. I think they'll get a pretty decent crowd an' all. I'd definitely go if I was a bit nearer. Airdrie seems a bit of an odd venue choice though.

humphrey, are you a 'snecker then? Which side of the divide were you in the Highland league days?

Aye, good luck to the Doonhamers - as a by-product, it was nice to see Morten Weighorst and his comedy Danish-Dundonian accent on the news last night.

nice to see new blood in the SPL threads, it was getting oddly reminiscent of the actual SPL in terms of contenders :-)

Reports suggesting the bad weather is going to postpone the QotS game.

Also reports suggesting Celtic have actually signed someone! Glenn Loovens of Cardiff, that is, who was meant to be Rangers' replacement for Ugly Betty. Am hoping this does not mean that Caldwell is getting dunted out of the team.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2008/08/14/breaking-news-loovens-joins-celtic-91466-21536549/

Pedro Mendes set to join Rangers today - I think he's exactly the kind of player they need, unfortunately.

Fortunately they need another 15 of them

Lots of people at work are saying how good Loovens looked in our pre-season friendly, maybe forgetting that he was playing against our static forward line.

With Elvis gone, Bobo not wanted and Cuthbert out on loan we definitely needed another centre half. I think he's predominantly left-sided though, meaning he's fighting with Mick and Darren O'Dea rather than Caldwell for a place. What worries me is that Strachan may decide to pop Loovens straight in and shift Mick over to the right which = disaster.

Bobo has apparently rejected a £30k a week move to Birmingham :/

Man cannot live on £30k a week alone

Must be that time of year. Rumours abound that wee Shaun is coming back again...

Hope no-one's told Neil Lennon

Pedro Mendes is going to Rangers just to give Lee McCulloch someone who is used to being elbowed in the face to practice on.

That's every transfer window since he left that someone has started a rumour about the return of the prodigal Shaun. Bound to be true one of these times...

I'm beginning to remember why I like to watch games in pubs, this is awful. Teams tipped by most to finish 3rd and 1st and they're both fucking rubbish so far. I don't think there's any danger of Hamilton being knocked off the top of the table today.

Celtic consider bid for Maloney

Get the fuck on with it then!

its a poor game.

Bye then, Thomas Gravesen. Perhaps his wages will go to the imminent return of the prodigal Shaun. Or a full back or two.

1 x left back (maybe Robinson from WBA?) and 1 x Shaun by the end of the month I reckon.

So long Tommy G. I kind of liked you, useless though you mostly were.

All you need is someone out to get Bobo.

I'd rater he was in the team tbh.

rather, rather.

I quite like Mark Wilson at left back, though his disintegrating legs are going to put paid to that, aren't they? Do not understand continuing ostracisation of Bobo, he looked pretty useful pre-season, and it would have saved us paying £3m for Glenn Loovens to sit on the bench waiting for an injury to Captain Undroppable.

I liked Gravesen pwning St Johnstone for rofflez, and for a quality goal against Rangers a couple of years ago when I was pished in the pub for my birthday. Also frontrunner in "shite apart from his hat-trick" stakes for a game against St Mirren once. Not a great return for the money, to be fair, but it's hard to be good when you're turning out for the reserves/Everton. File alongside Jiri Jarosik as "good idea that didn't quite work out".

Did anyone see Reporting Scotland tonight, where Stephen McManus bridged the Glasgow divide by giving Kris Boyd a birthday cake? I can only assume it was a cunning tactic to beat Rangers by fattening Boyd up more than he appears to have managed himself over the summer. He certainly doesn't look a stranger to a fish supper, and I feel him and Darcheville could be close to giving the legendary fatso forward line of Lavety and Yardley a run (well, plod) for their money.

Cheerio then, Alan Stubbs. You were always one of my favourites. Please use your retirement to come up to Celtic and teach Stephen McManus a bit about passing the ball out of defence.

and cheerio to Evander Sno. Ajax evidently needed a bloke with big comedy clown feet who walks like Charlie Chaplin more than we did.

Wow, what are Ajax thinking? He'll probably be great now.

He certainly doesn't look a stranger to a fish supper

Talking of which, Artur's been piling on the pounds again I see.

I like Evander Sno! Though we already have about 8 million midfielders, but at his age it might have been better to farm him out on loan then bring him back when Robson & Hartley get past it. Still, return of the prodigal Shaun edges ever closer.

Scott McDonald's also been at the pre-season pies.

Wow, what are Ajax thinking? He'll probably be great now.

Ajax were probably thinking he'll probably be great now, same as most people who looked beyond him dwelling on the ball a couple of times.

I really think we've fucked up letting Sno go - the things that were wrong with his game were all things that a good coach (as Gordon Strachan sees himself) should be able to eliminate. The things that were right with his game (long passing, vision, skill, strength) are all things you look for in a modern midfielder.

Welcome back Shaun, if indeed you're coming back. Your last half a season was mince and I don't remember too many being that annoyed at your departure (given that it led to a hurried Hartley signing that eventually proved fruitful) but if you can recapture your 05-06 form you'll be a star again. A wee apology for a being a greedy fucker might not go amiss.

Shaun's previous departure not exactly lamented on here:

Scottish Football Predictions Competition: Thread 2

I have a very real fear that Sno will turn out to be our Rino Gattuso, though I hope he turns out to be our latterday Liam Miller :-)

Scott McDonald's also been at the pre-season pies.

He's been on the ciggies as well.

That's supposed to suppress your appetite!

Anyway, welcome back Shaun, officially like. I promise not to compare you to Barry Ferguson in terms of running off down south then slinking back home with your tail between your legs...a couple of goals against Rangers next weekend should do it :-)

Wasting the day looking up shit on Youtube, just found Celtic's Crossbar Challenge from Soccer AM. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T-V_rxfQJhw&feature=related

LOLOLOL at Gary Caldwell, needs to practice those long-range punts some more. Unsurprisingly, Lee Naylor pretty good at hoofing the ball 50 yards down the pitch :-)

can we have liam miller back (rather than maloney)?

and while we're at it can we have kris boyd an all?

Aye, one prolific striker with a propensity for pies and a grumpy attitude isn't enough. Don't think Liam Miller would exactly be welcomed back with open arms. At least Shaunaldinho had proved himself before he cleared off for what he thought were better prospects.

miller's a definite no go; still don't understand why he left

boyd, I'd love but I don't see it happening anytime soon

still don't understand why he left

£25,000 per week.

Compare and contrast Celtic's crossbar challenge with that of Rangers, the useless bunch of numpties. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kfsFHeixclc&NR=1

Some good results today!

Maloney returning as man of the match as well. Happy!

nice vault up the predictor league for me with 12 points this week to add to the sparkling single solitary point I got last week. 13*!

Talking of 13, welcome back Shaun. Nice to have you back :-)

* would have been 14 if the BBC had adopted the ILX methodology of comedy lol huns dropped points bonus

Onimo to me: "not convinced by Samaras at all here"
Me to Onimo approx 30 seconds later: "you were saying?"

Took a wee while to get going, but once we did, there was some lovely stuff there. Naka was great as well, and McManus did a big mad Boboesque burst down the park at one point! I actually had a grin on my face for most of the second half, and I can't remember the last time *that* happened at Celtic Park.

Oh aye, Crosas looks a player as well. Loovens didn't really have enough to do to make an impression, but he does look worryingly like Mark McNally...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7lGXIGXqe3M&feature=related

Scotland one, maybe worse than the Rangers one.

No, at least no-one ended up on their arse in that one. Nice to see Gary Caldwell's consistency in hoofing it off the left - no wonder he tries to go for the silky pass rather than the big hoof every time.

Nice start for QotS in Europe against FC Nonchalant

Aw, poor wee Doonhamers :-(

Five minutes to take it to extra time...

Poor wee Queens properly this time. Still, congratulations to Morten Wieghorst and all his supporter.

Hibernian  	0-1	Morton 	HT

	 	 	Russell 29

Hibernian  	0-2	Morton 	L

	  	Russell 29

	  	Masterton 66 

Masterton's goal was worthy of the great Andy Ritchie, according to the radio.

I thought this looked a dodgy draw for Hibs but Morton have been struggling in the league so I decided against betting on it.

ooh squeaky bum time... goal for Hibs while Morton had a man off being repaired.

St Mirren giving Dumbarton a proper doing, 7-0 and counting.

Poor wee Morton. 2-2

Onimo jinxed them

lol 3-2 Hibs a minute into extra time. Morton can concentrate on finishing 3rd bottom of the league.

You lightweights. OH HOW YOU WISH this was the highpoint in your domestic calendar.

ahem 4-3 morton

onimo not a jinx

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE

How you wish this was a highpoint, etc...

I MEAN, I FUCKING GIVE UP.

We weren't this bad the last time we went down.

I can only think this is how you all felt at the time of SuperCaleyGoBallistic the first time it happened.

Look on the bright side, at least you're free to concentrate on not getting relegated now though without the distraction of diddy cup competitions, eh?

(note: this was not my thought when getting arses kicked off Caley bastarding Thistle)

OK, how did it feel the second time?

Baiting does not detract from THIS IS PISH but you saw our pre-season results so this is no surprise.

"oh fuck, not again" xpost.

Never mind, you might have Deek back by the end of the week.

This is gold :))))

You lightweights. OH HOW YOU WISH this was the highpoint in your domestic calendar.

-- aldo, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 21:58 (Tuesday, 26 August 2008 21:58) Bookmark Link

ahem 4-3 morton

-- Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:13 (Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:13) Bookmark Link

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE

-- aldo, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:23 (Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:23) Bookmark Link

How you wish this was a highpoint, etc...

-- ailsa, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:24 (Tuesday, 26 August 2008 22:24) Bookmark Link

Congratulations to Morton and all etc etc

Mixu chewing soor grapes crying foul

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7581110.stm

Think you mean this one:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/7583444.stm

Wonder how this will add to the debate about the declining standards of refereeing in this country, which seems to have reared its head after Celtic get a couple of breaks (funnily enough didn't happen last season when Craig Levein got hauled up for disrepute and ultimately fined five grand for saying the same thing, except it was Rangers getting the breaks), with our glorious impartial SFA chief Gordon "It's Rangers For Me" Smith sticking his oar in now that it's Celtic getting the early rub of the green which I believe, having heard it often enough, will even itself out over the course of the season? Perhaps even this weekend at Celtic Park.

No I meant the first one that had match a report and a 3 or 4 minute audio of big Mixu mumping about the ref.

Ah OK. The second one is a nice link for people not willing/able to listen to mumping (i.e. me until I find out what's wrong with the sound on this PC)

Hearts won't win the CIS Cup 2008/09

(because let's face it, when things are this bad you need to find somebody else to laugh at)

Penalty shoot out in Arbroath vs ICT game looked a laugh - 6 bookings and a red card after 120 minutes.

Bookings:

Raeside 120	  	Djebi-Zadi 66

McMullan 120	  	Barrowman 83

Gates 120+4	  	Esson 120

	  		McGuire 120

	  		Imrie 123
	  		Sent off:

	  		Barrowman 120+1

Kinda thing that would have had fun bonus point implications in the predictor old days.

Hearts won't win the CIS Cup 2008/09 lololol.

Oh, you said that. Sorry.

Hearts were playing against ten men for the last 15 minutes :)

Yeah, but Airdrie were playing against HEARTS, should have had it wrapped up by then surely.

Sky Sports News reporting Hearts have signed someone from Kaunas. Surely not?

Daily Record reports an SPL WAG has joined Blue Peter

Other news sites are available for people who don't want to give that shower of bastards any revenue.

(she's the girlfriend of an Accies player)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7585906.stm

Magdalena Hedman she is not.

(countdown to someone misreading that as Magdalena Hedman, she is hot...)

RIP ex-Motherwell player Jamie Dolan. Heart attack, apparently.

I thought it was in the rules to post a picture of Missus Hedman everytime she was invoked?

RIP Jamie Dolan

That Celtic keeper looks like our sort of player, want to let him go? Do you a swap deal for Old One-Eye?

For Aldo. It's safe for work (unlike most of the other ones that a quick GIS returns), but I resent having attractive women all over this thread.

Boruc distracted by muck-raking press yesterday, but still didn't appreciate the text from my mate asking me why we'd signed Ma-Kalamby and dressed him as Artur Boruc (this from a St Mirren fan!)

Can Cyclops play at left back?

Given the way Daniel Cousin skinned Mark Wilson, probably at least as well as him.

"Mark Wilson is not a left back" = this season's "Ross Wallace is not a left back"

Artur Boruc singled out again. Shouted at and barracked for the entire second half, and his conduct is called into question. Can we call into question the racist and sectarian howlings of the Rangers fans for 90+ minutes yesterday as well please, or would that not be as easy as just watching Artur Boruc in case he fucks up again? (I'm not connecting the two, but if we're going down the "likely to incite violent reaction" route, which is what has been flung at Boruc every other time he does something "controversial", then surely the abuse and taunts being rained down from the Rangers end every time they come calling might be worth a look as well?)

In other news, Neil Lennon has been released from hospital having been knocked unconscious in a sectarian attack in the West End of Glasgow last night. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/sep/01/celtic.scottishpremierleague

As I read elsewhere, the best way for Boruc to stick a finger up at the bigots is to get his fucking head down and concentrate on the game.

How long ago was it the powers that be told us they would come down hard on sectarian chanting? Will Rangers be docked points or fined following thousands of their fans singing "what a hell of a way to die, to die a Fenian bastard" at Stephen McManus when he injured his leg while heading(!) the ball?
(brushed_under_carpet.jpg)

So long Deek and good luck. Fuck knows how/why you got less of a shout at Celtic than Chris Killen but it was a crying shame. Sno setting up Deek's equaliser against St Mirren last year shows (imo) that we appear to have released two potential stars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYfT4bD3PSQ

It's funny because it's true.

Cheerio then Alan Gow. Surprised Rangers managed to find him to send him on his way.

where have they both gone then? I haven't been keeping up to date with transfer dealings today

Deek to Hibs, Gow to Blackpool. Dunno where your assistant manager's off to, but Sky Sports reporting he's left Hamilton. You've signed Martin Canning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/default.stm tends to be quite helpful, I find, but a bit slow on the updates just now.

He only just joined us I think! Ok i better phone or email someone in the know and find out more.

I am excited about Deek because he will actually piss in doorways and abuse Rudi Skachel...

no...

wait...

YAY DEEK.

hey, George Burley's gone mad! We're flying out for Scotland's qualifier just 24 hours before the match against FYR Macedonia because apparently it would be more beneficial to train here because it's too hot to train over there. Might it not be a good idea to get a tiny bit used to it before going out to play in it for 90 minutes? No?

Berti Vogts II?

David Tanner on Sky Sports news last night "Cousin's gone to Hull, Riordan's gone to Hibs...[some other pish about Aberdeen and Hibs and whoever]...but the big story in Scotland tonight is that Bobo Balde has not gone. He is still on Celtic's books". FUCK OFF. He wasn't taking the piss either. I am willing to understand that Gravesen was like a square peg in our round midfield (actually, he's more round than the rest of them, but bear with me), and that he wasn't mentally fit. I am willing to understand that Deek is a wee troublemaker. But I do not believe for a second Bobo is snorting coke, pishing in doorways and worse than our current central defence, at least against big physical guys like Daniel Cousin. He was given a run-out pre-season and looked like he could still do a pretty effective job, and I'm rather see him clattering fuck out of Berbatov than McManus or Caldwell come the end of October.

*bangs head off brick wall*

We can still sign out of contract guys though, yes? There MUST be a left back out there somewhere" *clutches at straws*

We can still sign out of contract guys though, yes?

As can everyone else, that's why I think Bobo is hanging on. He thinks we'll eventually get fed up paying him for nothing and just buy out his contract and give him a pile of dosh to fuck off then he can get a good deal elsewhere and effectively double his income.

It's only a year. We can wait. We've effectively been paying him for nothing for two years anyway (which is a crying shame, because if we played horses for courses there's been a couple of games it'd have been way more beneficial to have him in the team). Buying out his contract is also paying him for nothing, isn't it? It's not like we're paying for our shiny new first-teamers or anything.

Hi guys, is there an official Neil Lennon hunting season up there?

Yep, it runs from 1st January to 31st December. Every year.

Buying out his contract is also paying him for nothing, isn't it?

Yes but it may have been possible to buy him out for less than his total wage would have been for the season and saved money overall.

Even buying him out for the total amount ensures that the rest of the team don't have to watch the highest paid player at the club scratching his arse and laughing in training every day. It can't be inspiring for, for example, the club captain to see someone getting double his wages for doing fuck all.

Hanging onto Deek for so long was a joke too. We could have got double what we paid for him in January and yet we demanded more, got nothing and let him go for buttons six months later. Seems to be that if your hard-nosed negotiations result in deals not getting done at all then you're doing it wrong.

Seems to me, that is.

Another season of languishing in the reserves and knocking back comparable wages isn't going to help him find a new club any time soon, is it? I'm still of the opinion that if he's being paid full wages, is performing well in training and isn't going anywhere, we might as well use him.

Incidentally, anyone seen Massimo Donati?

Are you missing him?

Yes, every time I chuck a 50p coin at his head I miss

No, just thinking of our effective signing policy and how well it's working out for us.

xpost

Once we've got all of Nakamura, Mizuno, McGeady, Robson, Hartley, McCourt, Crosas, Donati and Maloney fit and available we've any number of ways to be outnumbered and out-muscled in midfield :)

No wonder Sno left!

You forgot Scott Brown! Or are they just the potential partners for him?

Scott Brown is easy to forget

Aw, poor wee Skoosh :-(

I've decided Brown is a forward. There must be somewhere he can fit in (and don't say HIBS!).

I'd be pleased if he just did something

Scott can fit in back at Easter Road any time he likes. This is the age of the return of HIBS HAIR.

He's been good the last two games for Scotland. George Burley knows what to do with him :-)

I'll excuse him last season due to circumstances beyond his control, even though there were some flashes of a potentially great player from time to time (that game against Hearts that we won 5-0 where he totally ran the show and threw in some fanny-dangling tricks and flicks for fun, for example). He's only young, and it doesn't help him that he appears to be playing with a big visible "I cost lots of money" pricetag round his neck. He'll come good.

xpost, lol at the DEEK REVOLUTION

DEEKVOLUTION

that game against Hearts that we won 5-0

Ahem

yes?

Wee Scotty raising his game to play Hearts

It was an example. He's had plenty good games, and has a perfectly good excuse for his downturn in form towards the back end of last season. He was outstanding for Scotland against Northern Ireland the other week, and I have no reason to think he won't come good again unless he continues to be played out of position.

Anyone know if Callum Bagshaw can play left-back?

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/817621?UserKey=

I'm fairly sure I'm on safe ground when I say he will be the first Bagshaw to pull on the hoops

I am watching an old Celtic game on Celtic TV just now while waiting for my dinner to cook (Neil Lennon has just had a goal disallowed for offside!), and have come to the conclusion that we need to start playing Fiesta after goals again, because no-one wants to hear Chelsea fucking Dagger, hence not scoring enough goals.

I wd miss on purpose if they were gonna play that shite.

OMG WORLD GONE BATSHIT OFFICIAL:

Kirk Clubfoot, Scotland international

CONSPIRACY TO DEVALUE THE DEEKVALUTION

(see also ILX shutdown)

Aptly titled album from Hib's other celebrity (non-Proclaimer) fan.

http://991.com/newGallery/Marillion-Clutching-At-Stra-334248.jpg

(note Deek at front, Franck Sauzee and Mickey Weir next to him. Are they part of the Deekvolution as well?)

Deek grumpy because he can't get served due to being banned from every pub in Edinburgh, the wee numpty.

ILX comes back just in time to celebrate KIRK BROADFOOT INTERNATIONAL GOALSCORER AND FOOTBALLER

Am surprised that the hardon collider didn't implode us all this morning, because Kirkie-boy looking like a semi-competent footballer (woefully mistimed tackle notwithstanding) is surely an indicator of end times and impending apocalypse.

Good thing about Scotland hardly ever qualifying for major tournaments, and never getting past the first round if we do: we will never have to take part in a penalty shoot out.

Just remembered to get my predictions in for this week.

Who else picked Deek as first scorer?

<raises hand>

Mixuu claiming he's not fit though.

Not me. The Deekvolution is not scheduled any time soon in my world.

I think the "most read threads" thingy isn't working. It says 20 people have read Scottish Football Predictions Competition: Thread 2 in the last hour.

Deek will play, and score, on Saturday.

He came on as a sub. didn't he?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/7615647.stm

Excellent goal by David Graham.

roffle

"Last Thursday McCurry resigned from his position as Associate Pastor of Moss Bank Baptist Church to pursue a career in worshipping Satan (more formally known as Sir David Murray in Scotland)."

Not wishing to open a can of worms, but just incase you didn't see this
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7625293.stm

and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7625395.stm

Perhaps if Mr Campbell decided to pay a visit to Parkhead he could hear for himself the total absence of IRA songs, rather than going on what he has "been informed", which sounds like it might be a load of old bollocks.

btw, pfunkboy, why do you not play the predictor?

cuz im no good at predicting results?

Doesn't stop the rest of us!

We really aren't that good. Aldo's the best predictor in our minileague at the minute and he's got 23 points - the overall leader has 40points. Hell, someone last week got 18 points for the week and that would put them in serious contention in the minileague.

It does encourage me to pay more attention to the league as a whole, though I preferred the fantasy football league for that.

Saying that, I tend to pay attention to the league, form, referees, injuries, etc, then go for a huge bout of wishful thinking. Put it this way, my weekend accumulators tend to bear little resemblence to my predictor predictions :-)

It helps me maintain some kind of interest in the SPL, because otherwise it would just pass me by.

Yr news story's gone, btw. Possibly because it was a load of old pish, and relates to an invitation offered to the guy a year ago.

(story basically "Northern Ireland sports minister was invited to Parkhead after getting pelters on a ferry last year, says he doesn't want to go because he's heard from other people that it's wall-to-wall celebration of terrorism", i.e. hearsay and bollocks)

Oh is that the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx story I spotted?

"Loyalist Norn Iron dyed-in-the-wool Rangers fan wouldn't be seen dead at Parkhead" isn't really news no matter how long ago it happened.

It's changed to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7626038.stm

That's been totally rewritten. Where's all the shite about how he thinks Rangers had cleaned up their act and Celtic were still a bunch of terrorist-celebrating scum?

Original version: http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/sport/soccer/norths-sports-minister-refuses-celtic-invitation-1478774.html

Dude was on the telly last night with a Rangers scarf artfully draped over his table, obviously quite well disposed to thinking good and positive things about Celtic.

Didn't see it and I haven't seen any papers today yet about it.

DEEKVOLUTION

Haha, I was surprised not to get a DEEKVOLUTION text :-)

I was surprised I didn't send one.

Riordan's goal coming up on the telly yesterday afternoon was a cue for the whole pub to go on about what "that cunt Strachan" did to poor wee Deek.

I think he's played more for us since coming back than his entire time under Strachan.

League starts 8, sub appearances 16
Cup starts 5, sub appearances 2

In two years.

Not even two years - as he pretty much froze himself out in January by calling Gogs a liar in the papers.

Just back from the shop where I clocked the front of the Sunday Mail featuring the Reverend Mike McCurry waving a big pointy foam finger and leading his congregation in a rousing chorus of Simply the Best.

Seemingly it was over six months ago it happened, so as non-story-ish as "Ulster MP writes to Celtic to turn down an invitation of hospitality that was extended to him 11 months ago then ccs the papers in on it because he doesn't like Rangers being portrayed as the only bigots in town".

Completely coincidental that McCurry's making his return to the SPL today, in charge of Kilmarnock v Celtic, I am sure.

Rangers fans protest outside BBC
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45038000/jpg/_45038193_rangers_protest226.jpg

Worst protest ever. Also, least catchy slogan ever. Seriously, what?

Mike McCurry had an, erm, interesting performance at Rugby Park this afternoon.

Caldwell absolutely outstanding today, red card notwithstanding. My campaign for Player of the Year award for him starts now.

I mean, it's like, what, 15 minutes walk from Ibrox where they were playing, and they couldn't organise more than 35 people who thought they were being unfairly reported on. I mean, what with the viewpoints of a man with a Rangers scarf on his table reporting on stuff he's heard secondhand and has decided to make an issue of 11 months after it happened, coupled with mobile phone footage of half a dozen people allegedly singing pro-IRA songs (which needed subtitling it was that unclear, and I'm still not convinced it wasn't "Ooh Aah Samaras" that was being sung) being wheeled out to counter 7,000 people continuously dishing out racist and sectarian abuse for 90+ minutes on international live telly...I'm surprised it's not Celtic fans protesting at being lumped in with this shite for no reason whatsoever other than to make it an Old Firm problem rather than a Rangers problem (see also Barry Robson's dodgy knee pre-Scotland "Old Firm players withdraw from squad" fiasco).

Actually, I don't know why I bother posting this pish, because it's so fucking obvious to people with an ounce of common sense in their head. Sorry onimo, aldo and treefell: I shall endeavour to keep it about the football instead from now on.

Mild lolling at Celtic away fans appropriating Sloop John B on the back of the sinister minister's headline news to sing "Mike McCurry, we know you're a hun" for most of the game.

I'm assuming that was a dig at me? x-post

My second post on Scottish footy threads, four years ago (God I need to get out more):

The All New Scottish Football Predictions Competition

No-one is trying to brush bigotry under the carpet Kerr, but no-one who posts here is a bigot. Everyone who posts here (as far as I know) is opposed to sectarianism, opposed to bigotry, opposed to racism, etc.

You keep posting links to "controversial" bigotry/sectarian stories from the BBC (which, incidentally, we all probably read anyway) while claiming that you don't want to "open a can of worms" or that you just want to "allow a discussion" but I get the impression your sole intention is to stir up shite amongst people who have no problem with each other. Your posts on the Irish famine thread do nothing to dissuade me from the feeling that you're simply trolling what you know to be a rich vein of controversy.

How often do you actively join in any discussion about Scottish football?

Look on the bright side, I'm not sure any Scottish refereeing bigotry could produce anything as daft as Reading/Watford. NB, LJ has tracked down the YouTube for this now.

I am not trolling or stirring up anything. I simply posted links for those who may have not seen it. But if that is what you really think then there is not much point in me posting on this thread or indeed reading it is there.

youtube for what now?

xpost
You can post or read what you like Kerr but when was the last time you posted a link about an injured player or a difficult team selection or a record attendance? Is it a coincidence that every news story you think we might have missed is about bigotry?

Do you have an opinion about Neil Lennon being attacked? The DUP dude calling out Celtic as bigots while happily attending Ibrox matches with the Billy Boys is full flow? Rangers protesting about media coverage on their bigoted singing?

Post links by all means but pass opinions as well, otherwise it appears you're trying to prompt other people into discussions you don't want any part in.

Youtube for the Reading 'goal'. On the Championship thread.

I'm all for believing CERTAIN referees might have had CERTAIN influence on CERTAIN fixtures in the past, but that is whole new levels of blatant.

also, as an xpost I think people know where I stand on bigotry.

I never said I wasn't going to, Gerry.
I could post about Accies reserves being injured but none of you care, it's much easier to post about something everyone may be interested in.
And as for predictions, I don't participate in that because I'm not part of the competition.
I just post the links, you all can choose to ignore them if you wish to. No-one needs to comment on it.
But I won't bother posting the links to news stories anymore if that's what everyone on the thread wants.
x-post

As for bigotry, I think everyone knows my opinions on that too.

Aldo, I heard it was worse than the Partick Thistle Vs Dundee Utd game with Les Mottram missing the goal.

That Reading "goal" is a shocker. Why would the linesman think a Reading player was attempting to clear the ball off the line?

SPL Season so far:

Hibs appear to have 10 points and are 4th in the league. They seem to have found form without me noticing. Hopefully they can keep it going for another week :)

Hearts approaching something akin to stability and consistency. I'm sure Vlad will sort that out asap.

Dundee United looked to be in bad shape until their win at Pittodrie but a wee look at their results shows they'd only played 2 home games out of 6. Once that evens out I think they'll be back challenging for 3rd before long (didn't hear them moaning about the fixtures unlike rearRangers).

Motherwell, on the other hand, have had three home games and haven't won any of them* and look to be struggling to repeat last year's achievements.

*See also Aberdeen.

Disappointed in Falkirk so far. I expected them to improve on last year but they look very fragile and could end up fighting with St Mirren to stay up.

Accies and ICT look safe and mid table-ish so far, though I expect Accies to struggle a wee bit once everyone has had a look at them as they're still a bit of a surprise package.

Rangers looks to have offloaded a couple of good players and become a better team in doing so. Their home form has carried on where it left off last season but they seem to have improved vastly away so I expect them to be challenging strongly for the title despite what many smug Celtic fans predicted in the summer.

Celtic are playing some great stuff in spells but the dreaded Sieve seems to have returned. They look vulnerable right across the back four at the moment. Goals are mostly still going in so hopefully that'll keep us going till we learn some proper defending.

Have I missed anyone? Oh, Killie = meh... good start, will finish between 5th and 8th and Big Glum Jum will be cheery as ever.

Kerr, sorry late back to your reference to me "having a dig at you", was out most of the evening.

Onimo has covered my thoughts for me, I notice, pretty much as OTM as if he had actually been stealing my thoughts. I think that proves that it's not just me that's getting wound up by this. I did comment on the famine thread about your ridiculous wind-em-up-and-watch-em-go method of thread-bumping, and you have done precious little to convince me that this isn't some attempt at trying to troll people, specifically the two Celtic season ticket holders on this thread, who have (giving myself a bit of credit here!) put forward eloquent and researched and as unbiased as possible opinions on what has been a problem in Scottish football for years, rather than kneejerk reaction to whatever the tabloid press set as their agenda. I have kept rising to the bait because I want people to stop associating Celtic with Rangers, with sectarianism, with the vile abuse that I find myself and fellow fans subjected to on a regular basis with nary a hint of criticism from the powers that be prior to the intervention of external parties. If you post things without comment, I don't want them ignored or uncommented, I feel that they merit some sort of discussion - which is obviously more than you do.

I don't presume to think that most people care about my Gary Caldwell cheerleading or my crusade against the Scottish media or my random musings on most stuff, but I still attempt to offer opinions on the things that interest me rather than assuming no-one reads the BBC web output on the one subject that unites people on this thread (that's Scottish football, not bigotry, btw). I'm quite happy to voice my opinions on the topics you put out for discussion - it is current and relevant to Scottish football and probably merits discussion - but it would be nice if you did the same. Otherwise I will refute and/or confirm whatever allegations about the fans of certain clubs that I feel you are hinting at by hiding behind a link to an article reporting stuff we all know about. You are not "posting" about anything we are interested in. You are dropping bombs and hiding away watching the fallout.

btw, let go about Les Mottram :-)

Haha OMG that Reading goal. Is there an emoticon for a jaw hitting the floor with total WTF astonishment? o_O doesn't even come close! Consider one of them suitably appended to this post.

I too haven't noticed the DEEKVOLUTION in full effect, and I duly apologise to aldo for this and will endeavour to stop assuming them as a guaranteed loss in my predictor guesses.

CIS Cup action looming on the horizon. Celtic playing on Tuesday night, two days after our league game. Haven't noticed any attempts at rearrangement requesting yet. My vague thoughts of putting out a few fringe players (would quite like a look at Koki Mizuno and Paddy McCourt at some point, wouldn't mind a defence featuring Loovens, O'Dea and Caddis for games like this) somewhat scuppered by us playing Rangers in the reserve league at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon.

I had forgotten all about Paddy McCourt! Is he gonna be the new Deek?

No evidence as yet that he has been abusing foreigners, spending his life in the pub and pissing off the manager in the national press, so I doubt it. Also doesn't have that much footballing grace to fall from in the eyes of the watching world. I feel the new Stephane Bonnes may be a better comparison.

Abusing foreigners?

Oh I had forgotten about Stephane Bonnes too. How is that Marc Crosas guy? I forgot to watch the game on TV today and only saw the last 20 mins but after the game someone was raving about him.
BBC livetext during the game says Billy Dodds said Rangers played total football for the 2nd week in a row. Have Rangers changed that much or is wee billy on something?

Yes, abusing foreigners. Rudi Skacel to be precise. Presume you missed that when trawling the BBC for controversial things.

Crosas looks very good indeed, sits deep and has a lovely way with an accurate pass, seems to instinctively be able to pick out players' runs. Early days, but I'm optimistic about him.

Am just about to watch Rangers highlights now - they're on the BBC website, which I'm sure you know how to find.

Can you tell us your opinions on things now? Something? Anything? How have Hamilton been looking overall this season, for example?

After watching the highlights of our game yesterday, I think there is a rule at Hamilton that you can only shoot at one goal.

CIS cup? WHO CARES. ;-)

I am slightly disappointed, I half expected the Jagger to come up with a florid "Ballad of Reading's 'goal'."

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo claimed to know nothing of the problems around the Tynecastle wages, saying: "I must ask my wife, I don't know my accounts."

Reminded that it was the players that had not been paid, he replied: "I must ask the players, I don't know. I work only on football."

I actually watched some of an SPL game on Setanta this weekend. OK the Dundee United - Aberdeen game was enough to send me to sleep but I did get the impression that United's Sandaza will score a few goals this season.

I can see Laszlo has been learning well from Vlad the master. Staff meetings must be a hoot at Tynecastle.

Sandaza looks a good buy for the Arabs. Levein tipped him to score 20+ a season.

I wouldn't go as far as total football but the Rangers midfield is looking very useful at the moment.

(Ailsa I emailed you re tomorrow night)

Cheers, got it. Reply sent!

Sandaza looks no' too bad, agreed. I think the usefulness of Rangers' midfield is in no small part down to the permanent addition of Steven Davis and lack of Barry Ferguson - they certainly have an attacking edge that was very lacking for most of last year. I was very pleased when it looked like they weren't going to stump up Fulham's asking price for him.

Saying that, I am delighted with the return of the prodigal Shaun, with the difference that's come over Samaras (which is just as well, since Skippy appears to have put on two stone and developed a massive attitude problem/sense of entitlement that reminds me of Craig Bellamy at his worst), the prospects afforded by Marc Crosas and the fact that Lee Naylor appears to have stopped being shite. I am also pleased that Strachan has seen fit to drop McGeady who has been way under par for some time now. I await the similar "no-one's indispensible" attitude to relegate Captain Undroppable to the bench some time soon :-)

lol Sportscene commentator describing Deek as "not quite as skelf-like as he used to be". Seriously, use of words like skelf is why I am delighted to pay my licence fee for a regional broadcasting service.

Celtic were an absolute joy to watch tonight. OK, it was only Livingston, but I feel 10 or 11 goals to nil would still have flattered Livi. They weren't even that poor, but Celtic were rampant. Lee Naylor could have had a hattrick! Hopefully Scott Brown enjoyed his goal and will remember that he used to be good when allowed to go forward. Aiden McGeady looked back to the form that he had for most of last season, and Giorgios Samaras looks unstoppable at the moment.

Killie 4-2 Aberdeen and it's only half time!

Third-string USA goalie set to sign w/ Celtic

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2451750.0.full_cervi_history_should_mean_dom_signs_on.php

Dude left a bit of a bad impression here in Chicago when he reneged on a deal due to not being able to sign a special developmental contract. AFAIK he has never played for the full national team and was unspectacular in Olympic qualifying, and did not see the field at the Olympics.

Welcome new reserve reserve keeper! Hope you enjoy muddy fields and being kicked!

Gers game is available on the bbc website tonight for anyone in the UK who doesn't have BBC Scotland (or who has a wife watching Supernanny).

Dull second half at Rugby Park then? Where's the 15-9 goalfest to screw up the ten second highlights packages?!

Interestingly, it appears that Rangers are breaking cup rules by not having numbers on their shorts. The commentators were chuckling away about it earlier, how Partick wouldn't complain. Oh won't they now? And won't anyone else? Eh?

The rules don't say what happens if you break the rules.

http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/res/documents/SFL/SFLHandbook/League%20Cup%20Comp%20Rules.pdf

14.4 The players’ jerseys and shorts must be clearly numbered and the numbers must be distinct in colour from the remainder of the players’ kit.
14.4.1 The numbers must appear on the back of the players’ jerseys and must be not less than 25cms in height. The numbers on the players’ shorts must appear on the leg and must be not less than 10cms in height.

I am entertaining the idea of being fond of Aberdeen. Does this seem like a turrible mistake? Not that I can get hardly any games here, Setanta only seems to cover about half? But it would add a little vim to checking the results on Mondays.

Aberdeen have some decent players, and an utterly horrible management team. You could do worse as an arbitrary pick (is it arbitrary?), I suppose. Jamie Smith, Zander Diamond and Lee Miller are pretty useful players. Also good for occasional comedy goalkeeping giggles at Jamie Langfield.

The Jags vs Gers game switched to BBC2 and the online link didn't follow it :(

Nacho Novo subbed and booed off the park, which was entertaining. is Supernanny not finished?

and we're back...

Jags chanting "Get intae em!" - haven't heard that for years :)

Supernanny finished and she went on to "The Family" - think that's done now too but I may as well stay her and watch the last 5 minutes.

ah well

Poor wee Partick :-(

Fuck

Note: Mendez not booked for running to crowd

If you liked the other thing, I once listened and watched Thistle vs. Hearts by having teletext show the scores and having the window open to listen for cheers at Tynecastle.

Ooh, look, it's a Partick fan. Sorry, Keith. You've done better against them that Celtic did, and we were at home.

Was Mendes booked for that celebration where he hugged some fans?

xposts

Not entirely arbitrary, but among other things they were founded the same year as the house I grew up in was built so it's one of those "when the first children to live in this house were young, their lives were like THIS...and also football was being played in Aberdeen" sort of historical things. We don't have a lot to hang our hats on in America, you have to give us a pass on our awe of hundred-year old things.

You should support Rangers then ("lol Davie Weir is 100 years old" joke there for you)

Well done Hamilton, I'm sure sure round here likes them. Seven bookings and a red card, looked like fun.

Also that show about the roughest pubs in Britain or something, that showed Peep Peep's down by the docks in Aberdeen. A guy in that vid speaks about how their supporters had to be known for something, it just wasn't fair that there was a Glasgow smile and a Glasgow kiss, and the Granite City was left behind...like they had a meeting and said "We have to do more to be hard, lads! Get out there and do your best!"

Their supporters are known for shagging sheep! That's, er, something.

Oh well... There goes another f***er. One of these years!

Are they? Aww bless.

To be fair to Laurel, Ailsa, it's not just Aberdeen supporters, but anyone who lives north of Stirling that are famous for shagging sheep.

Their supporters are known for shagging sheep! That's, er, something.

They also have the only non-white manager in Scotland.

Yes but where do they stand on sectarian violence? Joke answers on a 3 x 5 to New York.

lol

xpost

I'm still struggling to come to terms with the commentators comparing Kris Boyd to Marco van Basten earlier.

comparing Kris Boyd to Marco van Basten

First thing I thought thb - reminiscent of Van Basten's goal but not quite as good (Boyd mishits slightly plus it's not anything like as difficult an angle). Superb goal anyway.

Ach, tons of people have scored goals on the volley without the comparison. If you take away the angle that MvB scored from then it's not that amazing. Except for the sight of Kris Boyd being mobile, I guess, that's fairly amazing.

It was an angled volley, just not quite as much of an angle. It's not like he was in front of goal. As I said, similar, not as good, but still very good. Ball from Davis was a peach too.

C'mon, I was having a cheap roffle at Boyd's expense. It wisnae a bad goal, but he's no Van Basten. OK?

but he's no Van Basten

Similar goal though...
:)

Let go.

Looking at them again I think Van Basten was trying to cross it :P

Quarterfinal draw:

Falkirk v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Rangers v Hamilton Academical
Kilmarnock v Celtic
Dundee United v Dunfermline Athletic

I'm guessing Killie v Celtic will be the TV game.

Thank fuck it wasn't Inverness Caley. Come on you Accies.

Last gasp Celts again :) Sheepers must be sick, they were well worthy of at least a point.

Ach, stops the complacency setting in :-) And, as I said to you earlier, anything that makes Jimmy Calderwood greet is an added bonus.

How's this Aberdeen supporting working out for you, Laurel? :-)

Crosas has to start against Villarreal. His range of passing and his vision are excellent, and he makes Scott Brown a better player.

OK, Setanta believe in the DEEKVOLUTION. Trailer for this afternoon's game is Deek scoring with the voiceover "he's back, and he's doing what he does best". Sadly doesn't continue "...abusing Rudi Skacel, pishing in doorways and getting skelfs in his arse", but hey, THE DEEKVOLUTION IS ON.

Need to watch the highlights to roffle at Stephen McManus falling into the crowd again. Sadly they didn't tie him to a chair and force WGS to put Darren O'Dea on instead. Hopefully that was Loovens getting his one stinker for the season out of the way and not a sign of things to come. We'll be better on Tuesday when Super Gary Caldwell comes back.

Hang on a second. the return of the age of HIBS HAIR and the DEEKVOLUTION is not meant to include a return to goalscoring for Kenny Misser. Bah.

WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE? Can we have the old Kenny "couldnae hit a coo's arse wi' a banjo" Miller back please?

Also, piss off Setanta dude "there's something about Kenny Miller scoring twice in a game against his old club this season" SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP :-(

Having once sent Ivan Sproule out with SRPOULE on the back of his jersey, the proofreaders in the Hibs backroom team are at it again, with David VANZANTAN the latest victim.

Big SPL THREAD CLASH OF THE DAY as Celtic take Kerr's Accies. Kerr, are you going? We'll try not to offend you with our singing :-) Seriously, if you are, can you report back on what you find unacceptable? All the pro-IRA or sectarian stuff you hear? I'm quite happy to put my neck on the line and tell you you won't hear anything like that in the stadium, and rather than me telling you repeatedly, I'd be glad to see you take this opportunity to find out for yourself.

Kerr I've got a spare ticket. If you fancy sitting in the Celtic end drop me an email.

leaving now but I think you've got ailsa's mobile, get in touch if you fancy it. you can buy me a beer if you win.

Too late. I didn't have Ailsa's mobile anyway. Thanks for the offer though!

Your team were rotten, you probably did yourself a favour.

This is the funniest thing ever. So FICTIONAL people aren't allowed to support Celtic now?!?! Rangers' supporters are offended by a fictional person not liking them?! A fictional character living in a city that they trashed - they should be thankful that that wasn't referenced as well :-) LOL,WTF,OMG,ROFL etc etc

She added: "We also felt in the absence of a character balancing things up on the other side of the Old Firm, it was a line not worth repeating." WTF? WTF? WTF?

Also, Shaun Maloney's fanny-dangling piss-ripping set up for Celtic's fourth goal was brilliant, he looked like someone overdoing the step-overs on FIFA 2008 or whatever.

DEEKVOLUTION

Deekvolution + pissing off Jimmy Calderwood = result

Except Tango didn't sound that pissed off judging by his post-match interview with Radio Scotland, in fact he was positively insistent that the sinister minister had a good game as ref, despite sending off one of his players, not sending off Sol Bamba, and awarding a goal that was apparently offside. Hmmmm.

Too late. I didn't have Ailsa's mobile anyway. Thanks for the offer though!

― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname),

Gimme a shout for 4th April game and we'll meet up if you fancy it and I've got a spare ticket.

Hamilton looked every inch a first division team today and even with their penalty (lol ref really! Celtic get all the decisions eh?) posed less of a threat than Livi did last week. Hopefully for you St Mirren can finally take the drop I've been tipping them for for years.

If that Hibs boy keep s banging them in like that I can see Celtic in for him in January.

Cheers, buddies :-)

Gers lose, Sheep go bottom. GOOD RESULT ALL ROUND.

Might have to go out for a pint in Paisley later on :-)

roffle at the result but sadly it's not a good one for Accies.

But surely if you can beat Rangers in a couple of weeks, that will negate it. They are there for the taking, though I think, from what I've seen this season, that St Mirren are a better-organised team than Hamilton. Not good, not pretty to watch, but I wouldn't put money on them going down, put it that way.

I think we dodged a bullet with Lafferty, btw. He looked mince.

These dudes are soundtracking pre-match drinking for Scotland for me.
http://www.tartanspecials.com/

Chris Iwelumo fuck off. Burley go with him. How can you pick that useless numpty instead of boyd.

WORST MISS OF ALL TIME

He should never have been picked in the 1st place. That miss is unforgiveable unless he scores in the next 20 mins.

FFS GET HIM OFF AND GET BOYD ON. How he got on ahead of Boyd is unreal. Now just admit your mistake Burley and get Boyd on.

DON'T DIS BIG CHRIS

Gordon keeps us in the game there

Takes off Faddy to be replaced by a non-scottish carthorse , carthorse misses, doesn't touch the ball after that , yet he stays on the park instead of bringing on Boyd. Who at least has scored for Scotland.

he's missed again

BURLEY OUT!! NUMPTY MUST NEVER BE PICKED AGAIN

2 Bald Men 1 Comb

Were you moaning about non-Scottishness of players when Andy Goram was saving our arses all over the place? Do you hate, say, Shaun Maloney? While I agree it was a shocker of a miss that Boyd would easily have stuck away, your DJMartianness is making me feel some sympathy for him now.

the saving our arses bit's important. goram did this. iwelumo didn't.

also, when's nacho getting his passport?

I assume Kerr meant Steven Fletcher isn't Scottish?

He's had one fucking game. His non-Scottishness is neither here nor there. Kris Boyd cannae get a game for his club, Iwelumo is playing and scoring regularly. Most folk were expecting him on from the start as a result.

xpost, aye, bet Real Madrid who were supposedly in for Fletcher are pishing themselves laughing at not having him now.

Wasn't disagreeing, I reckon if you're eligible then you're eligible.

btw, how is a guy who was born in Coatbridge and did his apprenticeship with St Mirren not Scottish? Is it because he is black?

(xpost, sorry Noodle, wasn't aimed at you)

how's he playing for Wolves, btw? My St Mirren pal loves him (though might be revising that when I go and meet him in the pub in a wee bit)

I didn't realise Big Chris was Scottish until I saw him interviewed on The Championship the other week. His accent makes it pretty clear. He's scoring regularly and when we were winning he was a big part of that, I think. My Dad's got a season ticket and isn't wholly convinced. He was chatting to a QPR scout at the Wednesday game, I think, and the QPR guy reckoned he was shit. My philosophy's always been that you can't ask much more of a striker than to keep scoring, tho.

Ok sorry I didnt know he was born in Scotland

Is it because he is black?

So why DID you assume he wasn't Scottish? He was born here. His formative football years were spent here. He sounds Scottish. He plays for Scotland.

(also, y'know, Ali G? Learn to take one joke.)

Talking of Ali G, well, Sacha Baron Cohen, all hail the glorious nation of Khazakstan against teh mighty England.

How many mins til the commentators mention Borat?

Or maybe even seconds?

It's into the second half, I think the book might be closed on that one now. Any time you feel like apologising for telling me to fuck off just for doing shite Ali G impressions would be much appreciated, btw.

Oh it's actually started and just isn't on TV up here.

x-post

Sorry

Sky 993 has ITV London. Also, radio? Internet?

Apology accepted. So why DID you think he wasn't Scottish?

(am not ignoring any response you care to give, btw, have a pub to go to)

Don't have sky. Just Virginmedia and the ITV red button thing doesnt even have it. Dont think theres other stations but I'll flick through just incase.

I dont know why I thought he was english born. Obviously I need to read the daily record more.

ok its on 853 on virginmedia

I don't read the Daily Record. I do have the internet though, and a passing interest in things to do with Scottish football. I also have this ridiculous theory, no idea why, that people who get to play for Scotland are in some way Scottish. I'm sure there's some reason why a guy who has scored 8 goals in 7 games shouldn't get the nod, on current form, in front of a guy with skelfs in his arse from benchwarming given that he can't get a game ahead of Jean-Claude Darcheville, but I'm fucked if I know what it is.

Also feel duty-bound to point out that Henrik Larsson looked a total fucking dumpling based on one incident in the first game I paid any attention to him. He turned out no' too bad.

by the way, not enough positives on here. Scott Brown was great once again in a Scotland shirt, showing the kind of form he doesn't show often enough at club level. Shaun Maloney was pretty good. Craig Gordon showed a bit of class, and makes a mockery of the old "Scottish goalies are shite" received wisdom that people still persist in peddling. I think the one-up-front route was wrong, but on another day, we could have won that. Norway looked a one-trick pony, i.e. hoof the ball to Carew and let him make David Weir look a very old man, and I think they might struggle against other teams with a more mobile defence (not to take anything away from the sainted Gary Caldwell, who did a power of work and did little wrong, despite what Sky's commentary team might have suggested). Gary Naysmith was pretty solid again, and remains totally under-rated. No idea about Darren Fletcher because I hardly saw him the whole game. Don't think James Morrison covered himself in glory, but he wasn't dreadful. Barry Robson had flashes of being good, and again did little wrong without being overly noticeable. Kirk Broadfoot is just killing time until Alan Hutton comes back. James McFadden was up against it all game, he's not the kind of guy that poaches goals, and was a victim of the one-up-front formation.

I can't help but be fond of Broadfoot, terrible though he may be. There's something very likable about a lumbering oaf who sometimes manages to be pretty decent just through hard work.

I didn't see the game, but it doesn't seem like an unlucky home draw against the team that are realistically your main competitors for the runner-up spot in the group is that bad a result. We'll hump Holland twice anyway.

I'm guessing you've all had this emailed to you, but it's still worth a chuckle:

The Glasgow Rangers player Kirk Broadfoot has today revealed that he has been part of the Channel 4 TV show "Faking It" for the last 3 years.

The player broke the news today at a hastily arranged press conference as it emerged new Scotland manager George Burley had drafted the " player " into his squad for the up coming world cup qualifiers.

Broadfoot who told the waiting press that he was in fact a carpet fitter from Fife said " This experience has been great but I now feel that I would totally be out of my depth and there was no way I could let the country I love so much down by pulling on the dark blue jersey"

Channel 4 have defended their decision to allow Broadfoot to move to Rangers from St Mirren.

Saints have issued a statement saying " The program makers approached us with their plan, we were only too willing to be a part of their experiment. We started that season with 4 or 5 new players and knew one was from the program".The only real surprise said saints boss Gus McPherson is that the player is not Will Haining considering how he has had a terrible start to the S.P.L season.

Rangers would not be drawn on the future of the player at Ibrox only saying in a short statement " Kirk has been one of our most consistent performers over the last 18 months". Gers boss Walter Smith was unavailable for comment.

The S.F.A chief Gordon Smith was quick to back Burley after some sections of the tartan army turned on the manager and pointed out what they have always known, that any carpet fitter from Fife could get a game for Scotland if he wore an OLD FIRM strip.

Aberdeen were quick to reassure fans that Jamie Langfield had not been part of the experiment.

^ was emailed before the last lot of games before he became a bona fide Tartan Army hero by scoring, btw.

Great picture of Iwulemo on the BBC website, demonstrating a hand gesture not unlike the one that several people in the pub were making when talking about him this evening.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45100000/jpg/_45100116_iwelumo282i.jpg

Meow

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/noodle_vague/mantfu.jpg

lol strikers

Ha, was just coming to post "Kris Boyd says he won't play for a guy that won't pick him anyway" thing. Can't there being a big rush to put his toys back in his pram again, put it that way.

every home nation needs their own andy cole

and every home nation needs their own james beattie

Lee McCulloch did the same thing to absolutely no uproar whatsoever the other week as well.

Can't wait for the rush to call Boyd a traitor in the tabloids. How can a Scottish born player born his back on blah blah blah. I expect him to be roundly booed by his club for turning his back on Scotland like that other traitor McGeady.

He said that he did not want to be considered for future Scotland squads so that he can concentrate on his club career.

Right, so sitting on a bench at Hampden is interfering with ability to sit on a bench at SPL grounds across the country, is it? Fair enough. Wouldn't he be better off handing in a transfer request at Rangers in order to get himself some first team football and enhancing his chances of getting a game for his country? Otherwise, one would almost think this was some kind of publicity stunt.

"born his back on"
Can you tell I've had 4 hours sleep since yesterday morning?

To be fair to Boyd though, if he can't get a game in front of Iwelumo he wants to chuck it :) Current purple patch aside he's averaged about 10 goals a season.

Can anyone really defend Burley's substitutions? Leaving a proven goalscorer (and whining childish traitorous cnut obv.) on the bench, taking off an iconic, albeit rare, goalscorer and sticking on two debut strikers in a must-win game? He started with the wrong team and made the wrong changes. Carew should have been leaving with two match balls.

btw, from FIFA regulations about international football:

Annex 1, Article 3

As a general rule, every player registered with a club is obliged
to respond affirmatively when called up by the association he is
eligible to represent on the basis of his nationality to play for one of
its representative teams.

Might be quite amusing if Messrs McCulloch and Boyd were called up every time anyway for a laugh. Especially when there is punishment involved:

Annexe 1, Article 5

A player who has been called up by his association for one of its
representative teams is, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant
association, not entitled to play for the club with which he is registered during the period for which he has been released or should have been released pursuant to the provisions of this annexe. This restriction on playing for the club shall, moreover, be prolonged by five days in the event that the player, for whatsoever reason, did not wish to or was unable to comply with the call-up.

Not that not getting a game from Rangers is going to be much of a punishment...

This restriction on playing for the club shall, moreover, be prolonged by five days

You mean he'd be allowed to keep his suit on instead of sitting in his trackie on the bench?

I said already I think he got it wrong. McFadden is the wrong guy for a lone striker role, and thought someone else should have been sacrificed to put someone else up front with him when it became clear it wasn't working (or before the match kicked off, if he's ever seen McFadden before). I don't have a huge problem with his decision to pick the in-form Iwelumo in front of Kris Boyd, but I'm not too keen on the team he put him into. Thought S Fletcher was very poor when he came on - might have been a better idea to try Iwelumo up front with the more experienced McFadden for a while, with the removal of the ineffective Morrison or D Fletcher.

xpost, aye, not much of a punishment, is it?

looooooooooooooool

Can't wait for the rush to call Boyd a traitor in the tabloids

Looks like they might be doing pretty much the exact opposite: "Passionate Scotsman Boyd [...] hasn't made this decision lightly [...] would love to play for Scotland but hasn't been given a chance."

Can't say I've been wowed by Burley so far - he's made some truly dodgy tactical decisions and dealt quite badly with the media a couple of times (c.f. his comments on Broadfoot, and his indelicate response to Chico yesterday that caused Boyd to throw the strop) but I think elements at the red tops and the beeb really don't want him as manager, and have been sharpening their knives for a wee while- when McCulloch did this last month, Traynor was dropping lots of not-so-subtle hints that others would follow.

Anyway, I'm sure Boyd would have scored that one - I'm sure my Gran would have scored that one. But it's interesting that Burley, Smith and McLeish have all benched him quite frequently. He definitely seems to have a madly inflated self-image. Wonder where he's got that from..?

xpost "flat-footed" hah!

I was going to ask if Iwulemo was Scotland's first black player (knowing that I've probably forgotten someone very obvious, since otherwise someone would've said), but a little research reveals that that particular first was in fact Andrew Watson, 117 years ago. Ha. But who have I forgotten?

Nigel Quashie.

Did David Johnson ever turn out for Scotland? I remember there was talk of it, but I'm fairly sure he represented Jamaica instead...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Johnson_(footballer_born_1976)

Turns out he wasn't even eligible.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/504982.stm

tony adams' tackle on dodds, one of my great early football memories that

Ban L0u1s J4gg3r :-)

George Burley's press conference was pretty spot-on, I thought.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7666954.stm

This 'the only test of a striker is whether he scores goals' meme - if it's not good enough to get Michael Owen a game anywhere that counts, it'd bloody better not be good enough for Boyd. Plus Scotland did fine for years (okay, not really) never having Duncan Ferguson, they'll cope without Kris Boyd

Eddie Thompson has passed aaway - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7670895.stm

Aw, he really did seem like one of the good guys. RIP

Aye RIP Eddie.

Gers vs Arabs game has been postponed.

Good set of results tonight. Might yet make second on goal difference in a four-way tie

Aye, was as good as could be expected. I love that the probability calculator's out already after three sets of games, it's usually more than half-way through before we get to that stage :-)

Could have done without Sky commentator comparing Steven Gerrard skelping a post as "not quite a miss of Chris Iwelumo standards", like no-one else has ever missed a sitter before.

'course, Scotland are currently the ninth-best runners-up (of nine), so scraping that second-place would still mean elimination

Are you including how the rest of the second placed teams get to scrap their results against the bottom team in their group because they'll all got more games to play than us?

Working out this shit is one of the joys of being Scottish.

Wikipedia does it for you. Can't say I was entirely surprised to see it pan out this way. Could always do a crafty re-edit if things don't improve by this time next year

Good old Wikipedia.

Unsurprisingly, Soccer AM's "taxi" slot, where they laugh at total howlers, was dedicated to Chris Iwelumo. They played the miss soundtracked by the Radio Clyde commentary which was fucking hilarious. They thought he'd scored and were cheering away until they realised he hadn't, cue two commentators going "aw NAW" in unison. Poor wee Chris :-(

Celtic's defence = TEH SCARY. The god-like Gary Caldwell had better be fit for Tuesday.

I always forget how much I hate Caley Thistle until I see them, and then remember that they are my least favourite opposition in the SPL. I derive no pleasure at all from watching them and I will cheer myself stupid when they finally get relegated back where they belong.

Shocking refereeing by Iain Brines (surprise!), with Ian Black allowed to get away with assaulting Aiden McGeady without a caution (he was already on a booking, and though the tackle looked a straight red to me, nothing), and Dougie Imrie an early front-runner for Lee McCulloch's crown as dirtiest clogging non-defender in the SPL (took him 73 minutes to pick up a yellow card despite his best attempts to get himself sent off).

Require a result from the Deekvolution to help me out here, though I'm guessing aldo's deekvolution evangelising has you all predicting the same as me :-(

Bah Steven Fletcher takes less than 2 minutes to ruin my Deekvolution Deek Bonus Scorer Points :-(

If deek keeps playing well Smith is gonna end up signing him for Rangers.

Why? He's already got Steven Naismith for stupid-blond-haired-kid-that-can't-get-a-game and Kris Boyd for troublesome-ned-that-can't-get-a-game to fulfil his taking-players-off-the-wee-teams quota. Don't imagine Deek's going to be up for another couple of seasons of doing fuck all except bleating to the press about how he's doing fuck all.

This is a cracking game, btw. I think this is the first game I've watched this season not featuring either of the Glasgow teams, and it's been top entertainment.

tis a good game

I was hoping it would be rubbish so I could turn over and watch Andy Murray.

(have just flicked over, he's a break up in the first set)

I didn't realise until a few months ago that Ma-Kalambay wasn't Scottish. He joins Roy Makaay on the short list of players with names that sound Scottish but don't look Scottish written down.

Also nice to see Deek playing well. I have a mind to walk up the street to Strachan's bit and shout at him.

Want me to walk down to the end of my street and tell eddie smith that was a penalty?

Yes please. Record the conversation and post it here please :-) More interactive reaction to things you feel are unjust on this thread!

Me and herman on the front of the record tomorrow for harassment.

I've actually never spoken to him or even had a hello. his wife is very nice though and always says hello.

Really? From a Liverpool Hamilton fan and a Celtic fan? Don't you have injustices of your own to fight?

xpost, wooh, namedropper!

Sadface at no-one having put Glenn Loovens kissing Scott Brown when handing him his MotM champagne up on YouTube yet. Lol you continentals with your continental ways, giving poor Skoosh a total beamer on live telly.

Woops, Jim, never saw the bit where you were off to shout at Strachan, thought you were joining in the Eddie Smith harrassing. Sorry.

How many right backs do you have to injure to get Glenn Loovens a game there? I understand his decision to rest no-knees Wilson but what happened to Paul Caddis? Is JJPD still around? If Glenn Loovens is a "fantastic centre half" (Gordon Strachan's words, not mine) and Gary Caldwell has played right back numerous times - wouldn't it have been safer to switch them?

I just remembered Caldwell at RB last December, I take that back. Maybe we should play with no right back at all.

Experimentation, innit? (as in, I have no idea. Can't believe two months ago everyone was bleating about lack of cover for left back and moaning about how we had right backs coming out of our ears!)

I think basically that the idea was that Man Utd are a bit scary and Caddis is a bit weak, and no-one can remember what Joe Doumbe looks like, so Fantastic Glenn Loovens might be the guy to stop them marauding down that wing, given that The Mighty Gary Caldwell isn't really a right back. Presumably (like the rest of us) Gordon Strachan watched the Aberdeen game with his eyes shut.

We still have no cover for left-back, despite getting away with Barry Robson at LB vs Hamilton.

I'm worried they we might end up getting a real humbling on Wednesday.

that we might even

So worried I've became semi-literate.

I know that, but we have millions of cover for right back, and that's doing us fuck all good (see also fear of taking on Man Utd with only Skippy up front)

xposts

The game's on Tuesday, btw

lol, I'm a twat (even got something I'll need to cancel tomorrow now).

see also fear of taking on Man Utd with only Skippy up front

Now is the time for Cillian Sheridan to step up to the plate!
(Whatever happened to Ben Hutchison and Chris Kilolen?)

Killen's injured, no idea what Hutchison's done to fall further down the pecking order, since he seems to be doing OK in the reserves.

We should never have sold Jiri Jarosik :-(

rofl http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/7680238.stm

Wouldn't have that nonsense on a good old plastic pitch eh?

haha. I remember Celtic playing somewhere in Europe once (MTK Hungaria, I think) and a sprinkler started going off, and Neil Lennon decided to stem the flow by, er, standing on it. It didn't really work.

I have FEAR. You just watching at home, onimo? I might be going to the usual pub, in which case my phone will only be working intermittently since the pub is not very reception-friendly.

Aye I'm going home to suffer alone.

As one Rangers bench-warmer departs the Scotland's international set-up, another one threatens to arrive:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7688703.stm

I look forward to this being decried by everyone who has criticised Aiden McGeady or James McCarthy for choosing the land of one side of their family over the other.

Not that anyone's asked him, like, and I can hazard a guess at which paper is trying to break him into the Scotland squad...

Anyway, the Deekvolution roadshow rolls up at Celtic Park tomorrow. They'd better bring their waterwings :-(

I'm hoping it's going to be off else we're going to get helluva wet on the way. Forecast is for chucking it down in buckets all day.

Ach, I've got a rain coat. Your weans have got wellies. It'll be fine.

harumph

You'll have a long wait on the press calling Novo a traitor (see also Goram, Gough, McCall). I can't imagine how Novo could have watched Boyd's saga with the national team and thought it would be any different for him.

Walter Smith talks some sense:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7689580.stm

"Scottish football is not in a desperately poor situation just because Celtic got beat 3-0 by a team who can probably beat any team in Europe 3-0."

Also saw David Weir on the news yesterday not being overly enthusiastic at the thought of Nacho Novo turning out for Scotland. What is going on? Start being horrible again please! (not really)

Thought Nacho Novo was a Tex-Mex chain restaurant tbh.

I take back my enthusiasm for going out in the rain, it is horrible out there, proper weed-out-the-real-fans stuff.

It's all going a bit Pete Tong in the predictor - I seem to have freefallen down the league :-(

Apparently Rangers fans were singing "why don't you go home" to James McCarthy yesterday.

Think they left out the famine is over bit to avoid police getting involved (hah, as if they would anyway). But the intent is there. Cunts.

Accies fans tried to phone in to radio Clyde to complain but Radio Clyde were more interested in callers about how Boruc should be banned.

I don't know why you are surprised at anything on Radio Clyde, tbh.

Apparently Rangers fans were singing "why don't you go home" to James McCarthy yesterday.

No "apparently" about it. Loud and clear.

Incidentally, how are some Rangers fans suddenly cnuts for shouting at a Scotsman who has chosen to play for Ireland when you were shouting (online at least) at Chris Iwelumo because you thought he was an Englishman choosing to play for Scotland (even though you were totally wrong)?

I wasnt telling him to go home.

(I'm not saying some Rangers fans aren't cnuts, btw)

What was the gist of the reasons given for banning Artur Boruc?

On radio Clyde? I cant even remember who it was said he should be, it wasnt hugh keevins or derek and davie.

My dad said someone on Radio Scotland thought he should be banned too as a fine isn't enough. He thought it was traynor who said it but couldn't be sure.

OK, I thought you'd been listening. I wasn't bothered who said it, I wondered WHY they'd said it or what they'd said.

Did you go to the Hamilton v Rangers game, btw? Am surprised you're not more indignant about Kris Boyd's offside goal. As I can tell you from Tuesday (and plenty other times as well), iffy decisions putting you on the back foot when you've otherwise been holding your own are one of the most sickening things as a fan.

(reason I ask is because the "James McCarthy, why don't you go home?" song was very clear on the telly, and I wondered if it was less clear in the stadium)

Nah i didnt go. I was going to but shit weather and game on the telly and me with a sore throat and runny nose meant watching on setanta.
Yeah i'm pissed off about the goal but these things happen against rangers. Rangers were outplayed i thought 1st half but deserved to win in the 2nd half. The chants were disgusting and i bet theres no action taken.

My mates who were at the game said the rangers fans were mostly quiet in the 1st half apart from the hospitality wankers who were really badly behaved (and complaints from the accies fans led to the usual Police: It's the stewards responsibility to Stewards: It's the police... and then accies fans got lifted for complaining.)

There was some other rangers fans in our end too who celebrated the goals (and the usual disgusting shouts aimed at catholics .. This happens EVERYTIME we play rangers (and will probably happen when celtic fans are in our end too) It's not like rangers sell out their allocation so theres no reason for rangers fans in our end. The stewards could easily move them into the Rangers end.

Of course the rangers fans in their own end were chanting about mccarthy and you can bet nothing is done at all. The club should complain.

Why do the rangers fans at away games act worse than they do at home? Do they think it's only home games they can get into trouble for? SPL will never dock points and until they do these bigots will chant their filth.

btw when i say will probably happen when Celtic fans are in our end, i didnt mean the sectarian shouts, i meant the fans complaining that theres celtic supporters in our end and nothing being done.

funny moment
When the teams were read out, the Rangers fans booed James McArthur by mistake.

Fans chant more at away games because they aren't separated from their pals like they are at home games. I like how you've gone from "apparently" to "of course" with regards to the singing - were you watching Setanta with the sound off if you needed your friends at the game to tell you what was being sung? It was loud and clear on the telly in the first half, almost from the off.

I think it's cheaper to get into the home end than the away end, which might be why local fans of the opposition team just buy tickets from the home team instead? I'm pleased you are so confident that anti-Catholic jibes would never come from fans of any team that aren't Rangers, btw, I wish I shared your view that anyone that does it is automatically a Rangers fan. Having heard several lots of away fans over the last few years, I wouldn't bet on it.

I'm no legal expert, but I think since the chanting aimed at McCarthy, wasn't overtly racist (despite implication), and totally non-sectarian, it could be difficult for the club to do anything, or indeed McCarthy himself as the "victim".

btw, "EVERYTIME" you play Rangers? How often is that?

I have no real opinion on the football, since the weather made it all but impossible. When Kirk Broadfoot took a throw-in that blew back off the park before it reached a team-mate (insert your own "lol but missing the pitch with a throw-in is typical Kirk Broadfoot" gag here), there was no way of convincing anyone it was a useful exercise in assessing either team. Saying that, it was a daft penalty to concede, Boyd was offside for the second, and you did have a couple of relatively inexperienced players in there - on the positive side, bear in mind that Mensing had hit the bar early on as well which could have rattled Rangers had it gone in. They certainly looked a bit less shite than they did at Celtic Park.

Sorry, by "totally non-sectarian", I mean the "James McCarthy, why don't you go home" chant. If he was called anything else sectarian, I missed it.

we played rangers in the cup quite a few times in the mid-late 90s.
You might be right about the away game thing.

More worrying really is we've lost 5 in a row now. We have to get something at Motherwell to stop the rot then beat Falkirk at home. If we lose both then we're in trouble as we could be adrift at the bottom of the league.

I'm sure that shit weather and game on the telly and me with a sore throat and runny nose explains a lot, but Att: 4,613? For a Rangers game, ten miles from Ibrox?

Weather was a bit worse than shit, try some Day After Tomorrow type thing. Also, lol credit crunch.

(also, ground capacity only 6k)

Also no pensioners/student concessions so a lot of those Accies fans didn't turn up.
As for Rangers fans maybe didn't like to be ripped off by away teams by paying less to see Rangers than they would at Ibrox :)

Boyd was offside for the second

Following a counter attack from what should have been a free kick to Hamilton up the other end.

Massive lolz at the radio this morning - Nacho MacNovo says he won't play Scotland and Spain against each other to vie for his services. Reaction from Spanish FA to follow... or maybe not.

Nacho Novo Scotia wants to get a grip on reality. What would be great would be if he came off the bench for Scotland for two seconds to waste time once, then never darkened the national squad's doors ever again, thereby fucking his chances of ever playing for Spain, should some freak run of accidents befall every other Spanish person that isn't him.

Following a counter attack from what should have been a free kick to Hamilton up the other end.

Now now, these things happen...evens itself out over the course of a season, etc etc. I wish I could remain as complacent as Kerr when they happen to my team.

corpse of Salvador Dali goes missing, Nacho Novo finally called up. I was going to mention that the Novo situation isn't quite the same as the McCarthy or McGeady situations since Novo doesn't really have anything to "turn his back on", but hey, if he's deluded enough to think that he does, good for him.

You're forgetting that Novo will also qualify for England once he gets his passport

but sadly not for Ireland.

Also Norn Iron, where he can partner Kyle Laugherty.

And Wales. And Northern Ireland. xpost

Some quite staggering reporting from The Scotsman on the chanting at the Hamilton v Rangers game on Saturday. Biased much?

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Clinical-Boyd-shrugs-off-jeers.4631057.jp

Also, Novo seems to have a grip on reality from the quote in there, unlike most of the Scottish press. "I don't want to cause any trouble, I just answered a question about it," said Novo. "I was honest and said I would think about it if someone from the SFA asked me. I don't have a British passport but if the SFA were interested, then I would think about it." Presumably he then went home and had a wee read of the papers and realised there's quite the clamour to make him the new Kris Boyd, oh, wait...

Jeez, what tortuous writing:
"Boyd had assured himself of such antipathy from those who consider him guilty of treasonous conduct in regard to the international team. Just as surely as he will contemptuously shrug aside such judgment of him, however ... a remarkable strike rate by any standards and one deserving of respect regardless of the weaknesses in other aspects of his game which have been pointed out ad nauseam by a variety of managers"

Had his head stuck in his dictionary too long/spent too much time composing long sentences to hear any Rangers fans giving James McCarthy a similarly hard time for "treasonous conduct" then?

SFA high heid yin has ears shocker!

Hearts none-too-happy with their ref on Saturday either, btw, awarding a penalty then changing his mind on the advice of his linesman.

From The Times Supporters drag Rangers through the mud again

Just going to read my dads Daily Record to see if it's mentioned there.

hmm a tiny mention by Hugh Keevins in his match report. Maybe the irish consulate will have to complain again to get some press coverage instead of the usual sweeping under the carpet.

btw there's a thread on the Accies forum about why accies fans didn't go on saturday . And other threads on the behaviour of away supporters.

Being mentioned in the press is not sweeping under the carpet. The Irish consulate didn't complain the last time, btw, an Irish citizen complained TO the Irish consulate that he felt racially abused outwith Ireland by citizens of this country.

£350 for an Accies season ticket is the same price as the cheapest season ticket at Fulham, by the way

Chortle (from the Daily Mail)

Kris Boyd's double, naturally, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Scotland manager George Burley had acted heinously in ignoring this prolific world-class striker - and should pay for that crime with instant dismissal.

Because a penalty and a goal with just a hint of offside about it, against a team struggling at the wrong end of the SPL, is all the evidence some will ever need of Boyd's brilliance.

Nacho Novo getting the third? Well, that's bound to persuade Burley that this son of Spain should be called up for Scotland immediately.

More gratuitous swiping at Scotland's most natural goalscorer here: Rangers cast envious glances at thriving Le Guen. Nobody's asking whether he'd have played four minutes of a European final had Le Guen stayed

hahahaha http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7696386.stm

btw I'm disappointed Ailsa misled me and there is no journalist called Chortle working for the Daily Mail :(

Couple of lovely pics of Kris Boyd on the Beeb website today

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45144000/jpg/_45144393_kris_boyd_126.jpg http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45142000/jpg/_45142332_boyd_celebrate_126.jpg

It's no' Hallowe'en until tomorrow!

Let me see your war face!

http://i38.tinypic.com/fje246.jpg

http://d.imagehost.org/0615/boyd.jpg
Wild boys wonder where is glory?

Came home last night to discover, by accident, that the Celtic game was on Freeview!

We were pretty good considering we were playing against a bunch of hammerthrowers and a ridiculous ref. Naka booking was ridiculous.

Ridiculous! Ridiculous, I tell you!

(could do with a thesaurus)

Never mind Berba and Bents, what about that third Celtic goal!

Aye, it wasn't too shabby, was it?

Christian Dailly red-carded in under a minute in a reserve game.

Somehow the Evening Times turns this into a positive.

From the Predictor page:
http://i36.tinypic.com/fxcsch.jpg

I know there's a DEEKVOLUTION going on but I can't see him scoring in the Hearts vs Celtic game.

haha (also thanks for the reminder!)

Biased much?

With the return of Barry Ferguson, Rangers have midfield strength that Celtic can only dream about

Um, who was October's player of the month again?

RIP Brooks Mileson

Shame, though not the best advert for a diet of fags and Irn Bru, or indeed for how to run a successful football team once the money runs out. Still, batty old eccentrics are always a good thing when they aren't in charge of your team, so I'll raise a wee glass for him nonethless.

Rangers come from behind twice to not lose any further ground to Dundee Utd in the race for second place :-)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/celtic/2008/11/08/graham-roberts-celtic-s-artur-boruc-is-entitled-to-make-sign-of-the-cross-86908-20878474/

The rules of engagement as they apply to Old Firm rivalry weren't drawn up for Roberts by a Celtic player, but by a Hamilton Accies player wearing two hooped jerseys.

Roberts said: "We met the Accies in a league match just before facing them in the Scottish Cup in 1987.

"I got a second yellow card for fouling one of their players called Albert Craig. It was never a foul but he went rolling about as if he'd been shot.

"Once he'd conned the referee and I had to go for a second caution, this guy lifts up his red and white top to reveal a Celtic jersey and kisses the badge in front of the crowd at Ibrox.

"I thought to myself, 'You sad b*****d.' "But the incident taught me that Old Firm rivalry is like racial tension in the deep south of America. And certain to last just as long."

Copyright Graham Roberts with Colin Duncan from Hard as Nails - The Graham Roberts Story by Graham Roberts and Colin Duncan, to be published by Black & White Publishing on Wednesday at £17.99.

NOW READ GRAHAM ROBERTS' SENSATIONAL BOOK - IT ALL KICKS OFF IN MONDAY'S SUPER RECORD

UTTER LIES. I wasn't at that game but it WAS on Scotsport and that did not happen. Utter shite by Graham Roberts surprise surprise. If it had I think there might have been some mention of it in the last 20 years. The Record can fuck right off for printing that.

Presumably Roberts had some legal input from his publishers, if not he might want to have a wee look at his contract with them.

Thank you for repeating that load of shite :)

In sectarian news: I was informed today in the pub that the solution to bigotry in Scotland was to ban Irish people from entering the country "and I mean Ulster proddies as well so I'm no' a bigot!"

I despair. This fucking tiny wee country.

Headline appears to be Roberts saying that Boruc is entitled to make the sign of the cross. That's big of him. WTF does it have to do with him, exactly?

Also, there's a reason I've been boycotting the Record. It's based on them being full of shite. If you feel so strongly about them, I suggest you do the same.

also, onimo, I've heard some extremely daft viewpoints in my time, but that's a cracker.

I'm not sure Albert Craig will want the publicity either after his brush with the law a few years back.

Publicity for something he (possibly allegedly) didn't even do?

I think Albert would rather not have the conviction for embezzling 40 grand from the post office brought up..

http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=95096

I meant to post but that above link is about Graham Roberts book anyway

That tackle on bobby barr by terry the butcher still makes me wince

Graham Roberts and the Daily Record lawyers really should've checked youtube ..

In sectarian news: I was informed today in the pub that the solution to bigotry in Scotland was to ban Irish people from entering the country "and I mean Ulster proddies as well so I'm no' a bigot!"

I despair. This fucking tiny wee country.

I'll raise you with

"I also started out at Clyde with a former Celtic player, Joe Miller, as my assistant manager. That was proof of my interest in football and not bigotry.

I think Albert would rather not have the conviction for embezzling 40 grand from the post office brought up..

Aye, let's hope no-one mentions it on a public messageboard or anything like that...

The "possibly allegedly" in my previous post had nothing to do with something that he was found guilty of in a court of law and punished for appropriately. I was referring to this thing he's meant to have done 20+ years ago and the fact that you felt he could do without the publicity (despite you giving it a wee extra bit here) and why, if he didn't do anything that Roberts is alleging, would it bother him to be associated with something that you're alleging has been made up? Surely he can just sue the arse off Roberts if he feels so hard done by.

It's got fuck all to do with the Record's lawyers btw, from what youve posted the comments are copyrighted, and clearly attributed, to the authors and/or the publishing company, not to any employee of the Record.

xpost, I'm sorry, what's the point you're making? You think Roberts' comment there is WORSE than dude in onimo's pub?

I'm glad Roberts learned his lesson about Old Firm rivalry in 1987 and didn't do anything totally fucking stupid that same year like get himself arrested and charged with breach of the peace for his actions during a match.

No, im not. Just a bit of banter. Nevermind.

"just a bit of banter", where have I heard that before recently? Sorry, thought the phrase "I'll raise you" tended to indicate you having a better hand than the person you're raising.

Anyway, in an attempt to get this thread back on the topic at hand, i.e. Scottish FOOTBALL, how the holy hell are Kilmarnock so far up the league? Game at home this afternoon, not a single shot on goal.

Celtic's squad coping admirably with a horrendous injury crisis, and glad to get the three points under the belt after the exertions of Wednesday night. Thought Paul Hartley was magnificent yesterday. Haven't seen any of the rest of the weekend's games yet.

James McCarthy's goal was a great finish.

btw, to play devil's advocate for a bit - having just watched that YouTube clip, the camera goes off Craig, so I've no idea what he's up to while the ref is speaking to Roberts - it's hardly convincing evidence that nothing happened. Also, you suggesting that TV cameras never miss anything at games? To give an example from this week alone, plenty people didn't even know there was a pitch invader at Celtic Park on Wednesday night from the Sky Sports pictures.

DEEKVOLUTION-watch: he obviously learned penalty taking skills at Celtic, if nothing else :-)

Aye, not a bad finish from McCarthy, but LOL at the comedy overhead kick in the run-up to it.

^ my first reaction was "haha what a horrible goal" then on the replay from a better angle it turned into "nice finish but lol at fresh air overhead kick!"

I realise I am being a bit unfair on ICT goalie re Deek's penalty skills, but being unfair on ICT is kind of my thing.

Somebody seems to have deleted all the footage of Accies in Rangers half from that YouTube clip.

It was never a foul but he went rolling about as if he'd been shot.

Fuck me, he's not kidding. A dive worthy of Gerrard or Rooney.

I am losing faith in the DEEKVOLUTION. We are fucking mince.

You're not wrong!

Celtic now four points clear as the wheels fall off the Kris Boyd bandwagon somewhere in deepest Lanarkshire. Thoroughly enjoyable game at Celtic Park tonight, though I doubt any Kilmarnock fan could agree with me. Possession stats would be interesting, we seemed to have the ball nearly all the time. If we could have converted that into goals it would have been totally embarrassing for them. Killie really are rotten. Nearly as bad as I am at predictions! (onimo, turns out I had 4-0. Bah)

Also, good luck to former Ibrox stalwart Craig Moore in his battle against testicular cancer. Can't say I was his biggest fan as a player*, but people younger than me getting things that can kill them always puts the fear in me. When various Celtic people are struck down with bad things, I am always glad to see the rivalries put to one side (Darren Jackson, Alan Stubbs, Morten Weighorst, Tommy Burns), so it would be remiss of me not to put in writing my good wishes for Craig Moore.

* ok, i was never going to be a fan, but there are players of other teams that i respect for being good/am scared of facing. he was never one of them.

Wasn't at the game (rarely am these days, although I'm definitely thinking of getting a season ticket again) but nice to see Sheridan scoring. I've not rated him too highly thus far, on account of his slack finishing, but can respect the rest of his game. So a good sign.

Can anyone tell me how Scott Brown (recently his old awesome self), Gary Caldwell and especially Mark Wilson (after playing the game of his life against Man U last week) fared?

Caldwell was his usual self (that's effective, calm & composed, btw), Wilson and Brown were both very good as well (Wilson ran into the box trying to walk the ball into the net at one point and nearly succeeded!) Scott Brown was everywhere he needed to be (which wasn't very far, since Kilmarnock were pish) and has been certainly a front-runner for my player of the season so far, and Wilson has taken on the mantle of left back pretty well since WGS has decided he doesn't actually want the only left back on our books playing at left back. I thought the latter would have been a worthy winner of the man of the match award (given to Massimo Donati, who was probably worth it over the piece).

There's no way Sheridan would have been thrust this far into the limelight at this stage had it not been for injuries to everyone above him in the pecking order, so I'm not going to criticise him for having to do his growing up in public. Was delighted to see him score twice - he took them both well.

Um, not the latter, necessarily. I have no idea what I was on about there. I meant Scott Brown would have been a worthy winner. Either of them would have been though, I think. I don't know. Where's my coffee?

wow, Donati winning man of the match and being worthy of it!

He seems to have shaken off whatever it was that was holding him back last season. Perhaps playing against teams not as pish as Kilmarnock :-)

Also, his comedy dive in a futile attempt to win a penalty was pretty lolsome from where I was sitting (very far away from where it happened, in case video evidence proves me to be wrong)

doubt it, he's learned one thing from old mother Italy!

Dr Jo Venglos doing the half-time draw! Didn't win us anything like, perhaps they should get John Barnes to do the next one...oh, hang on...

He did give you one of the finest footballers to have ever played in Scotland.

Aye, but he's pish at doing half-time draws when I need the money.

Jim I've usually got a spare ticket going so if you're looking to get to the odd game give me a shout. A very good seat it is too - £20 or thereabout unless it's a derby game.

Donati well worth motm award, apart from his rubbish dive (Which video evidence shows was a rubbish dive). Brown is playing as well as he has since he arrived. Skippy's found a bit of form. Wilson's looking solid, albeit against a team that offered very little.

Considering we've had Maloney, McGeady, Samaras, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Loovens, Naylor, Boruc, Nakamura, Mizuno, McCourt, Killen and Doumbe (and probably a dozen others I've forgotten) out injured for most of the last few weeks it's remarkable we've managed to win 9 league games in a row, particularly with midweek CL exertions thrown in.

Next up for the DEEKVOLUTION: Jonatan Johansson
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/7728021.stm)

Do dodgy curly perm-a-likes count as HIBS HAIR?

o_O

Fletcher for sale then?

I have watched 180 minutes of Killie recently. They have been uniformly mince. I believed in the powers of the SANDAZAVOLUTION. So what happened, eh? My wallet is technically £2 lighter, but could have been about £50 heavier. Bah.

Phew. Now can we have our team back please? Bare bones of squad seeing us play with none of our regular strikers does not cheer me up much. That was our Gretna of last year.

fucking referees and dodgy penalties. Only thing he got right was a red card. never in the box in a million years.

Hint of offside about your goal as well, tbh. I think it was the linesman that gave the penalty, not the ref - they had to show the replay from several angles to be sure if it was in or out the box, so it wasn't that clear. Was it that obvious in the stadium?

These things even themselves out over the course of the season :-)

aye right... :-)

And no it wasn't offside.

When did I go top of our minileague? Last time I looked I was mid-table!

Bit like hibs getting up into 3rd for a week or 2.

I've got dreadful at the predictions (well, more dreadful than usual). Also haven't won money off a coupon for weeks. Mug's game!

My mate that I'm in another mini-league with always picks St Mirren to win 2-0 and both Celtic and Rangers to lose 2-0 every single week. Blind faith does not get you points!

Hearts in 3rd are still closer on points to the bottom than the top.

Not surprising since even hearts fans say Accies were better than them the other night.

btw, talking of inconsistent refereeing, which we weren't, I would be quite interested in a breakdown of players who receive yellow cards for celebrating vs players who run off the pitch to celebrate without getting booked.

xpost I think it's not specifically about Hearts v Accies in particular, more that there's a great big amorphous blob of average teams below the big two. This is why I am shite at the predictor, because no-one is stamping any authority anywhere in the fight between the UEFA Cup place and relegation. I thought Dundee Utd were looking the most likely to, but one game against the totally woeful Killie, and that's that one right back out the window for now.

The gap has never been bigger. Though todays game was hardly men against boys like the last game at Parkhead. But noone is consistent outside the top 2.

Mind you it doesn't help when the old firm sign any half decent player from the other teams. Like we will find out to our cost by the end of the season.

We've got almost a whole team injured and started with none of our first-choice strikers. Are you convinced we're taking James McCarthy before the end of the season then - because last time I looked, we're not exactly short of midfielders. Also OH NOES TEAMS SIGN PLAYERS FROM OTHER TEAMS! THE BASTARDS! is a rubbish argument. Perhaps you might like to moan at Hamilton until they give Clyde all of theirs back, since your SPL status mostly came about by removing several of the players from one of your rivals who had come pretty close to promotion a couple of times prior to that.

Who are all these players Celtic have signed from elsewhere in the SPL to the huge detriment of the team we've taken them from without suitable recompense to find a replacement? (I'll admit we made a mistake with Riordan, but we gave him back!)

In your favour, that boy Offiong looks useful, if a little prone to overreacting to losing the ball/being tackled.

Yeah like teams can afford to spend all the transfer money on replacements.
x-post
He needs someone to play alongside him. He's been struggling playing up on his own.
Tactics may be justified today against one of the old firm but we have to go 442 against other teams if we're gonna win enough games to stay up. We have no goal threat when dickie is playing up front on his own.

Selling players on and buying cheap replacements/bringing on their youngsters is how clubs make money. To give some examples, if we didn't buy Scott McDonald, someone else would have done, and Motherwell weren't in a position to turn it down. It's not like I'm not resigned to losing Aiden McGeady to the Premiership. Even Rangers haven't managed to adequately replace Hutton or Cuellar with the almost-£17m they raked in for them. Also, again, how is that any different to Hamilton hoovering up the results of a fire sale at Broadwood following Billy Reid's departure?

Anyway, though it pains me to say it, congratulation *spit* to Airdrie United for lifting the first silverware of the season after beating my dad's old team Ross County on penalties to win the Alba Challenge Cup. Gaelic commentary on the telly, ye cannae beat it, as Mr Cosgrove might well say.

fuck airdrie.

I mean Clydebank.

btw, treefell, Raith have been one of the teams I always put on my coupon these last few weeks and they keep coming up trumps for me. I hope not to jinx them by backing them!

here are some questions I have asked since the game finished this afternoon in direct response to things posted here.

Was it that obvious in the stadium?

Who are all these players Celtic have signed from elsewhere in the SPL to the huge detriment of the team we've taken them from without suitable recompense to find a replacement?

Are you convinced we're taking James McCarthy before the end of the season then

how is that any different to Hamilton hoovering up the results of a fire sale at Broadwood following Billy Reid's departure?

I'm beginning to wonder why I bother trying to open up points for debate here. Perhaps this thread should just be a repository for links and pointless moaning. I miss the good old days when we talked aboutfootball. And treefell gloating about his predictor skillz :-)

Darren Fletcher's out of the Scotland squad for Wednesday's pointless exercise in knackering players and raking in some money to cover losses due to over a year of no Scottish Cup sponsor money exciting friendly against Argentina, btw.

yes tho some thought it wasnt a red card while the rest did.
you know teams cant afford to spend all the money on replacements of the same quality.
id rather he went to a big team :-)
Because it's not the same thing. Clyde boardroom had troubles and for some reason the main men broke away and it's only natural players who were brought through by him would go.

Thank you. Though I am impressed that you knew it was blatantly outside the box, on first look, without video evidence - I was watching on the telly and needed the replay. The initial contact was on the edge of the box with both players travelling forward at speed, they both ended up on the ground well inside it. It was a tough one to call, put it that way. Perhaps you should become a referee! Or a linesman, since the ref didn't give the penalty, the linesman did, I think.

How is that the fault of Celtic or Rangers? We bought Henrik Larsson for less than we bought Scott McDonald ten years later. Replacements are out there. Good players do not have to cost lots of money. If we can sign a Paddy McCourt, so can anyone else in the SPL. He'd walk straight into most teams, and he cost £20k.

I'm sure you would, but that's not answering my question. You think your team is going to be pillaged by the Old Firm Wee Team Hoover. Presume you are talking about McCarty. Presume you are talking about Celtic, because given the abuse he'd be hounded out of Ibrox before he kicked a ball. Why? I've not heard any serious talk of this, have you? Where from? I don't see the point, really. We have wee midfielders coming out our ears. Anyway, it doesn't matter if he goes to an SPL team at the end of the season, because you won't be playing against him unless you get drawn against them in the Cup :-)

It is exactly the same thing. Clyde couldn't afford to keep them, and couldn't turn down the money offered. Motherwell couldn't turn down the money for McDonald, Dundee Utd for Robson, Hibs for Brown, Whittaker etc. Economic factors and market forces rule the selling policy of many clubs, and other clubs take advantage. You took advantage of Clyde's position, Celtic take advantage of the market forces which dictate a breeding-and-selling policy elsewhere in the SPL. As I said, Rangers couldn't turn down serious money for Cuellar or Hutton or Cousin.

Celtic have paid good money for inter-SPL transfers - Caldwell and Killen came on free transfers, but I think that's it (both notably from Hibs, who might want to look at extending the contracts of players rather than let them go for nothing...). We definitely paid money for Browns Scott and Mark, Wilson, Hartley, Robson, McDonald and Riordan. This is hardly underhand.

Also worth noting that players aren't forced to sign for bigger clubs and are generally well disposed to increasing their wages 500%.

I missed the game today as I was out with the kids. I understand there were a couple of borderline decisions :)

These things even themselves out over the course of the season :-)

From what I saw at Celtic Park earlier this season I don't think Kerr needs to worry about the Old Firm hoovering up any Hamilton players in a hurry.

Jim I've usually got a spare ticket going so if you're looking to get to the odd game give me a shout. A very good seat it is too - £20 or thereabout unless it's a derby game.

Cool, thanks for the offer. Away on holiday for a few weeks from midweek but definitely maybe take you up on that offer at some later stage!

Sadface at no-one having put Glenn Loovens kissing Scott Brown when handing him his MotM champagne up on YouTube yet. Lol you continentals with your continental ways, giving poor Skoosh a total beamer on live telly.

During a trawl through the thread, just came across this:

Did you go to the Hamilton v Rangers game, btw? Am surprised you're not more indignant about Kris Boyd's offside goal.

...

Yeah i'm pissed off about the goal but these things happen against rangers.

No calls of fucking dodgy decisions and fucking dodgy refs? just "these things happen"?

let go

are generally well disposed to increasing their wages 500%

DING DING DING

I've given up caring.

I posted this on another thread but incase you miss it

Top commentator lol for the night

"Scotland have made three substitutions already, but Diego Maradona is keeping his powder dry". That'll be renowned cocaine user Diego Maradona, lol powder.

What's the story behind that Cavese clip? It's surely not just a regular match, unless these guys really are the mythical best fans in the world

There's a load of mad ultras displays on youtube. Safety concerns aside I think it looks great (and beats reading a fanzine/moaning about not having a left back/some pish Irish band/etc as far as pre match entertainment goes)

Red Star:

this is a training session!

St Pauli have a brilliant ultra support as well, but youtube isn't being very helpful here. I like the ideas and atmosphere that the Green Brigade (Celtic's ultras) are trying to bring to the games, and they were outstanding against Livingston the other week, but then they go and do stupid things and it just annoys people (well, me). Also nae chance of getting flares into the stadium over here!

Why did the green brigade have an upside down banner at the weekend? Also why against hibs did they have a Celtc banner?

Anyway, there was a game on tonight. We made a zillion substitutions, made an international footballer out of Scott Robertson (who he?), and learned precisely nothing we didn't know, or couldn't guess, already (Argentinians are pretty useful with the ball at their feet, Kirk Broadfoot isn't a left back, Scott Brown is indestructible, Charlie Nicholas is a prick).

xpost, they always have an upside down banner. It's supposed to be a protest against the appointment of John Reid.

I mean, it *IS* a protest against John Reid, but it's presumably not very effective if no-one knows the significance, it's not like holding up a banner saying "we don't like John Reid very much".

Ok, that's what they said on the Accies Msg board , fair enough. I know the ultras in Itsly do that but wanted to hear it from an actual Celtic fan.
What about the misspelling? Some Celtic fans told accies fans that the Celtc banner also left out the i as a protest. But noone really believed it. I cant believe anyone would be daft enough to misspell your clubs name on a banner so I guess they have to be given the benefit of the doubt.

btw that youtube tune, accies have been singing it for a while, sadly not as well as on that clip hahaha

Everyone should protest against John Reid!

Itsly? Man i better join the green brigade!

(My comps getting fixed so im on a laptop lying on my bed and I cant type at all)

did iwelme kick the ball tonight? I think he was afraid of getting near the goal after last time. I felt sorry for him.

I know the inner workings of the Green Brigade as well as your average Hamilton Accies messageboarder, btw, but since I am a Celtic fan with the ability to read the internets, you can take it as truth if you want. I have no idea about the misspelling, and can't be arsed looking it up. Perhaps the "i" went off looking for all your apostrophes?

yes, Iwelumo kicked the ball. He's scored for Wolves since that last Scotland game, I'm pretty sure he's not scared of doing his job that he's been doing for years and years and years just because of one incident in one game once, and I think most Scotland fans are fully behind him and supportive of him. Also, you have to get past Argentina to get near the goal, and even when they stopped trying after about 10 minutes, they were kind of way better than Scotland. One of the best chances we had from open play was when McFadden nearly capitalised on a defensive fankle* - ball played in by one Chris Iwelumo.

* proper Scottish commentary term, that

ok
here is what was posted. Maybe someone will confirm it.

Sorry, I'm lost:
1. Is the banner meant to be upside down?
2. Why are the words "Green Brigade" offensive?
3. Why are they not offensive when turned upside down.

I may be falling for the biggest wind-up in history here, but I'm genuinely in the dark. Please help.

...
OK, here goes.

1. Yes, it's meant to be upside down.
2. They're not, but depending on your point of view, the organisation may be (John Reid says they support terrorists, they say John Reid is a war criminal, if I understand the essence of the dispute correctly).
3. My understanding is that the first time the Green Brigade held their banner upside down was a mistake*, and they've since tried to justify this by claiming it's a protest against John Reid. I may be wrong, but this explanation seems to make more sense than anything else.

* if you think this is not believeable, remember these are the same people who took a banner to Easter Road last season saying "Hibernian FC - Celtc's feeder club since 1888" (note the spelling of Celtic, printed on the banner with the i missing - if you can't even get your team's name right ...)

...

dropping the "i" out off all written comunication is common in many left wing revolutionary organisations throughout recent history. Members of Bader meinhoff never used "i" as a way of showing that they had totally given up their own identity or ego in order to promote the revolution that they beleived in. Other organisations such as Black september and red october did likewise. The green brigade are trying to affiliate themselves with these groups by the spelling in the Easter Road banner.

Your search - "do not use the letter i" revolutionary - did not match any documents.

^ PROOF BY INTERNETZ ^

Having a wee look at a Green Brigade website to save you the bother of looking this up yourself (http://www.s211584331.websitehome.co.uk/11.html), I found the i that was missing from Celtic. Green Brigade In Milian. It's in Italy.

Sick of "You're Gonna Get Your Chief Federal Prosecutor Capitalist Running Dog's Head Kicked In" chants tbh.

rofl
x-post

Did you not watch the Scotland game then Kerr?

Missed the 1st 20 mins.

What did you reckon?

Never really threatened and Argentina could've easily upped a few gears. Thought Kris Commons was good. Been impressed with him since he joined the squad TBH. Maybe there's something in bringing in english championship guys after all.

James McFadden's a Championship player, so too is Gary Naysmith, who we were missing tonight (is there like a world shortage of left backs or something?). Do you think the likes of, say, David Clarkson or Stephen Fletcher - to pick a couple of random players from middling SPL teams (with apologies to aldo, obviously) - is better or worse than someone who plays in the Championship?

My general theory was that this friendly was a really shit idea. It didn't make money, the SFA seemed to failed to notice that everyone's fucking skint. They won a watch with Maradona's appointment boosting ticket sales, meaning they were only a bit short rather than lots short. If you want to have a look at players like Christophe Berra and Scott Robertson, 15-20 minutes against people like Carlos Tevez isn't the way to judge. I'd have rathered we used this break to play a smaller team at a smaller stadium and, rather selfishly now, give some of the Celtic players a break - we've got a fairly crucial Champions League game in under a week, and it's not like he doesn't know what they can do already.

Well at least he used Rangers' right back at left back instead of Mark "ow my knees" Wilson :)

The whole exercise was a money-spinner that didn't spin any money. Scotland were dire. Argentina were a class apart.

Also:
Dear Terry Butcher,
if this is about Scotland and not about England or Terry Butcher as you said, then shake the opposing manager's hand after the game you miserable embarrassing bitter prick.
G

'I greeted the manager of Scotland but who is Butcher?'
Diego OTM

Bah, had Hearts to win 2-1 and Aguilar to score first. Right score, he did score, but Steve Lovell beat him to the first one.

Lovely goal by Nakamura at Love Street.

borucs shood of been off refs a cheetin basturt

(Seriously though, could have been a red - as could the unpunished studs up shocker from Ross on McDonald - these things even themselves out over the course of a match/season eh?

)

Could have been a red, yes, but reasonable case for it just being a yellow as well - Dargo heading away from goal with two defenders behind Boruc so perhaps not prevention of a clear goal-scoring opportunity, though there could have been a case for violent conduct which could have been a straight red. It wasn't quite cut and dried and was fairly open to interpretation, put it that way.

Compare and contrast with this one:

Haven't seen any of the chip-wrappers today, but imagine they are calling for Boruc's head on a plate and mumping about the injustice. Perhaps even with reference to Naka's "dodgy" free kick at Love Street last season.

(the crunching tackles on McDonald and Robson were by John Potter not Jack Ross, btw. Getting my ex-Clyde defenders mixed up there)

Samaras having an absolute nightmare tonight.

Terrific header from Barry Robson. Would be a pity for Celtic if Man Utd and Villareal have decided to play for a draw that sees both teams through.

There's still more than half an hour to go. If we go out, we'd maybe have been better beating Aalborg at home rather than grumbling about results elsewhere.

And Celtic crash out of Europe. Rangers fans who will be celebrating will also realise that there's no fixture pile up for Celtic this year because of European games to help them win the league back.

How they lost that I'll never know.

Rangers fans celebrating might want to look at their identical game against Hearts' feeder club at a way earlier stage. That game should have been dead and buried after 10 minutes. I still think the game at home to Aalborg was the killer though.

xpost, they lost it by not scoring any of the 8 zillion chances they had to bury it early on.

2 freaky goals to lose as well. I don't remember such bad luck for such a long time.

Having an unfit and uninterested striker on for as long as he was isn't bad luck. Giving Shaun Maloney all of 30 seconds to make an impact in a game crying out for a wee bit of invention isn't bad luck. We were only defending desperately at the end for the Caldwell OG because we hadn't killed the game off before that. Wilson and his non-existent knees were getting left for dead down that left hand side - with Hartley on the bench you could have shoved Robson to left back, brought Hartley on to shore up the middle of midfield, taken Loovens off and put Caldwell back where he belongs and still allowed Maloney on. Preferably with more than 30 seconds left to go.

(also seem to remember us winning the league twice while still being in the Champions League after Christmas, btw. Playing midweeks + weekends is not "a fixture pile-up". We've been doing that all season thus far with fuckloads of injuries and we're still 4 points clear of Europe-free Rangers)

Despite my half-hearted attempt at flippancy texted to a couple of folk earlier "concentrate on the league, innit?", that was a load of old shite and totally embarrassing.

Oh look, here's Strachan on Sky Sports. Someone ask him about his tactics please? Boring shite about hoodoos and monkeys on backs is just annoying me now.

despite being pish and playing in slow motion, Celtic take advantage of Rangers' defence's keystone cop routine to go seven clear at the top of the SPL, having not lost or even drawn a single SPL game since 31st August. That's 12 consecutive victories (with Champions League midweekers played as well, and a wee gubbing of Killie in the league cup). So what do the News of the World do on Sunday? Yep, it's the first unveiling of the cracked Celtic in Crisis crests. Cheers.

Scottish Cup draw sees Celtic getting the snoozefest 1-0 hangover game at home to Dundee, Rangers get The One On The Telly (probably) at McDiarmid Park, the DEEKVOLUTION trundling to a halt as Hearts head east to kick their arses (which should really be The One On The Telly), Hamilton heading for Dingwall or Dumbarton (I'd guess Dingwall) for the One That'll Go To A Replay, and Raith, if they can dispose of Alloa, hopefully putting Tango and Sash out of a job.

Shit we've scored too early against Rangers. Time to score a winner against Rangers is the 89th minute lads!

countdown til rangers get a dodgy penalty and/or offside goal given..

or a Kenny Miller screamer...

fucking falkirk

lol you ship 7 to Rangers and moan about Falkirk. Bottom 5 all within 3 points now.

I only had 5-1 in the Predictor.

fucking falkirk burst my coupon this afternoon. Rangers looked mightily impressive, given that every other time I've seen Hamilton they've put up considerable resistance and this afternoon looked like they could have lost 20-1 and still not had grounds for complaint.

My brother's mate Martin Canning is doing well for red cards, eh?

Getting in with LOL BORUC before anyone else does :-(

I'd rather have our keeper than yours onimo.

Did I miss something?

Anyway, Celtic didn't lose because Boruc had his annual Easter Road nightmare. Celtic lost because we had Gary Caldwell and Scott Brown - arguably our two best players - both playing out of position, presumably just to accommodate Glenn Loovens in order to nullify Hibs' aerial threat from set piecs. Which never materialised. This comedy experimentation meant all our actual attacking creative forces were sitting on the bench being pointless, meaning that Hinkel and Wilson had to go forward more than usual, leaving us vulnerable at the back.

But hey, we're still 4 points clear at the top of the league, and I'd still rather have Artur Boruc.

I'd rather have our keeper than yours onimo.

lol ok Kerr keep saying that to yourself as he picks the ball out of the net so often his back is going. Boruc at his best is as good as any keeper I've seen at Celtic Park in my lifetime. He has lost a bit of form this season (spectacular double save against the might Accies aside) and I think the manager should consider resting him. Brown did very little wrong in his last spell between the sticks.

Just listened to Gordon Strachan saying we should be a bit more direct and stop looking to take the extra touch all the time - maybe he can hear me from up in the rafters of the North Stand after all.

I'm hoping Mark Brown might get a go in our meaningless game against Villarreal. OK, he's not world-class, but he's done little wrong when called on, and, lest we forget, was in goals when Celtic's year-away-from-home-without-a-clean-sheet hoodoo was finally laid to rest. Boruc's mind is wandering and his place shouldn't be automatic on past glories. On reflection, I'm glad we had a bunch of howlers all at once rather than a few collective mares over a few games resulting in a few spilled points. As it stands, we've lost three points away from home at a ground we often struggle at. As I've already said, we're still four points ahead at the top of the league. We've come through a horrible injury crisis, and turned around a deficit to be clear leaders. I'd have snapped your hand off if you'd offered me that at full-time on August 31st.

Yikes, have just seen Jackie McNamara's red card tackle on Jim Hamilton. Ow. Has there been much of an outcry in the tabloids, anyone who reads them, or is that just reserved for leg-crunchers when they (still) play for the big Glasgow teams?

Just watched the reserve match from the other night. Hamilton got another penalty for nothing! When will it end?

When it's all been evened out over the course of the season, duh :-)

OMG STOP THE PRESSES DRUDGE SIRENS.JPEG etc etc

Barry Ferguson got booked!

OK, who saw the headline Hibs star fined for casino attack and assumed it was Deek?

*raises hand*

*Me*

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/7783858.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7786170.stm

Well blow me down with a feather

the shock of smith not getting into trouble will send shockwaves across the sport and tomorrows newspaper headlines

Yup, headline grabbing stuff it will be no doubt.

Aiden McGeady is a dobber.

And Gordon Strachan isn't?

Not really, no.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7788669.stm

ha, was just coming here to post "Clyde - bunch of wankers" :-)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7789421.stm

A competition run by an Aberdeenshire beer firm has been hijacked by football fans who want the new drink to be named after their club favourites.

Celtic fans have suggested Fraserburgh's BrewDog call the drink Lubobeer Moravcik, and Rangers fans have offered Ger-onimo.

I think the latter has a certain ring to it.

Now we know where onimo got his name

^true

lol at Valenciennes signing Jean-Claude Darcheville, mostly because they already have Filip Sebo so might now have the least effective and most lumbering centre forward partnership in the known universe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/7792638.stm

^ not exactly safe for work (contains graphic images of Billy Reid, haha)

seriously, wobbly arses not really the best idea to have up on your screen at work. not that I'm still at work just now, but, y'know, warning?

Surprised no posts yet about dodgy cheating offside goals for sides that haven't otherwise been in the game and resorted to kicking the opposition.

Can only assume Kerr's at the game. I've had it on in the background but haven't exactly been watching.

If your team want to kick the opposition and score a dodgy offside cheating goal this afternoon, there will be no complaints from me :-) I am debating going to dodgy hun-friendly boozer this afternoon to watch it on arab telly for giggles.

I am never going to get any first-scorer bonus points off the Predictor this season :-( I had picked David Clarkson earlier in the week, but had to change it when the lineups came on, so changed to, er, John Sutton. Who hasn't scored for months. I R dum.

I had 0-0. :-/

Kerr's posting on ILM from the game then, which is impressive.

Motherwell denied a pretty good penalty shout there. I had 2-1 Motherwell :-(

God, Motherwell are manky, aren't they?

FUCK THE WELL

Didnt go to game as I have a sore back.
Goal was ONSIDE.
And it wasnt a penalty it was outside the box. I coulda posted from the match on my phone tho aldo.

I've decided the whole league's manky. Entertaining flowing football is something of a rarity these days - though I expect Falkirk will remember how to do it tomorrow :(

ha, this Nakamura documentary is several different shades of pish. Also appears to actually be an Alex Miller documentary.

Countdown to kerr referencing that Partick game ...

(Les Mottram has just shown up)