An Away Day For Scotland!
Morning,all.
Dunno what the warm weather training camp in Dubai taught us. Last season we came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders and showed the country what quality is all about. Saturday,on the other hand,showed us that we didn’t learn enough over there to make a blind bit of a difference.
I don’t know what has gone wrong,but I do know that it needs fixed. If we can’t fix it after a three week break and coming back with a shoe-in game against Partick Thistle,still looking as turgid and ineffectual as we have since the Rennes game,then we have real big problems.
You and I cannot fix this. But then,we didn’t break it in the first place. We pay our money in the expectation that it is used to best effect. On and off the pitch. Celtic supporters have turned up for over 130 years to support the team,the club,the spirit that inspired our founders. Good or not.
When we can’t be good enough? We will still be there,unquestioning in our support and willing on mere journeymen to rise above themselves to achieve things they never thought they could.
As they have done all through our history. And they are lauded for that,their likenesses emblazoned around our stadium.
But the flip side is also true. All our lives,Celtic have been known for a disinclination to build from a position of strength. Are we wrong to question the powerbrokers? Were we right to question them thirty,forty and fifty years ago,but not now?
Thirty,forty and fifty years ago,we had a position of strength on the pitch. But amateurs in charge of finances. Some of the time,they had good intentions but little financial nous. Other times the opposite. But when you have c£50m in the bank and looking at the possibility of losing a title to a cross-eyed arsehole who is going to crow about it for the rest of your life and you’re still sitting on your overpaid arse and doing eff all about it,I think every Celtic supporter is entitled to ask why.
You’ve been watching this car crash the same as us,yer CEOness. In fact,as I said,you broke it so you fix it. Ten days or so to fix it,or be damned.
Some legacy,Peter. A wing and a prayer.
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On a happier note,COSYCORNERBHOY reminds us of days of yore when even the diehards would still support-or so pretend to their significant others!-that the Scotland football team was important.
The Wembley Weekend.
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McCaff’s mention of going to Scotland games with his Dad reminded me of my first and only away game to watch Scotland…and what a team to be playing! England versus Scotland 1957 at Wembley.
I had just joined the Meteorological Office at Prestwick on 30th September 1956 and the system was a couple of weeks at Prestwick,6 weeks at Met Office Training School in Stanmore then could be posted anywhere in UK.That was the plan…
Unfortunately or not,Britain,France and Israel decided to invade Egypt over the Suez nationalisation,and the course was abandoned after two weeks and we were all sent back to where we had joined! The ‘war’ didn’t last long (look it up?) and lo and behold I am back down at Stanmore for another 6weeks mid March.
My Dad who organised the bi-yearly trip to Wembley for Ardrossan shipyard gave me a ticket and said just get there yourself and don’t bother looking for us!
So I sets off to Wembley from Harrow Weald where the digs were and got off a The first Tube station I saw Scottish supporters and followed them. A couple of pints(might have been more!) I am inside,about 15 mins to kick-off.
I knew a few of the England team by name,Billy Wright,Tom Finney ,Stan Matthews but that was all.
The Scottish team nae bother-Younger Young Caldow Docherty McColl Collins Fernie Reilly Ring Hewie and Maudie.I think the last two were ‘Anglos’. Two Celtic men there,you’ll notice-but as my Dad always said
‘Aye but they’re no Tims’.
Anyway just as well I got there early,as Tommy Ring rang rings round the English defence and scored in the first minute.Ya beauty says I!-though that’s not what I said when Bonnar dropped his corner kick in the net in the Final yon time?.
Anyway we pummelled them but they scored twice in the second half and won 2-1.
Their second was scored by Duncan Edwards-just a boy who was built like a heavyweight champion and was terrific on the ball and in the tackle.A tradgedy he died so young.
However,I fair enjoyed my day oot and it’s no as though the Celtic lost! The next weekend I went to Mildenhall to play for a local amateur team but that’s another story??.
******
Above article is a family affair from BMCUWP and COSYCORNERBHOY. There’s a full-on rant coming unless some of you send in something quick for Article of the Day. I’m in a good mood after a lovely wee family day,and I still came out with that,so spread some pleasure and light with a mail to Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
Thanks for the article boys though I must say cosy corner bhoy’s story has been somewhat edited from the version he tells me.
Completely agree about the embarrassment that losing this title would bring. It is beyond belief to me that we are gambling it. It means so much to the support so that embarrassment is understandable. What isn’t understood is why anyone would want Dave king getting one up on him. Imagine that. It would be like Harrod’s getting put out of business by poundland.
Losing the title this season would have a near catastrophic impact on Celtic which could take at least five years to recover from. Leaving aside the massive “55” festival with every Scottish news outlet celebrating along with their favourites at Ibrox, Celtic supporters would turn their rage on Lawwell and the rest of the board. Clearly, this would manifest itself in may ways but chiefly I estimate that season ticket renewals would fall by around 50%. This is mainly a gut feeling on my part but is also partly based on the two Delia seasons when the top half of the Lisbon Lions stand was shut because falling demand. Even when Delia gave notice he was quitting and we knew the Blue half of the Old Firm had been promoted, season ticket renewals continue to plummet and it was only the appointment of Rodgers that reversed this trend. ST sales have continued to be healthy since then the closer the club gets to TIAR which is possibly the biggest single reason a lot of ST holders have for renewing. If that goes, then the club is going to have to order more of those Banners of Shame to cover more than just the top half of the LL stand. I could go on to speculate about the need to sell all of our best players to make up for the loss of ST sales and CL income but have made myself depressed and angry enough just thinking about the part the enemies in our boardroom are playing in all of this. I don’t think they quite realise quite how bad things could get for them personally if Celtic fails to get TIAR because of their gross and criminal mismanagement. If they do then they really need an escape plan as there would be no hiding place for any of them in Glasgow/West of Scotland.
All talk of the migration plans between Lawwell and Bain shocks me none; a lot of the proposed actions are commercially sound, and mibby even good for other SPL’ers. Just think…it coulda been Aberdeen’s turn to get pumped oot CL qualies by Cluj et al 😉
Possibly, uber-rich CEOs and celebs get to a wealth threshold, where the opinions of the common man or wummin means nothing to them, cos their eyes are trained on a different game. Do the fears and vitriol of fans bother or irk Peter? I do not know if T or F.
Does Desmond’s end game see Celtic as EL or CL champs?? Would these guys hearts be anyway heavy if we muffed 9 and 10?
As the average tenure for a CEO is around 5 and a half years, PL has endured longer than most; so this may well be his last CEO gig before heading to a nice UEFA role, or even a genteel retirement in the USA complete with a nice gold SFA pocket-watch.
As a businessman, Peter has earned some stripes. But mibby us supporters can present him with a moral compass on retirement where the hands perpetually point to the heart and not the pocket.
I find it hard to believe he’d look to retire held in deeper disdain than any club office bearer in our esteemed history.
Squib 9, and it will be so Peter.
LIBERO
There are more mails doing the rounds than just the one alluded to by JJ today. This site has been sitting on a few,including that one,for a couple of months. In fact,I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that one before,and also that e-Tims printed it pretty much in full a few weeks back.
But that one only hints to an attempt to jointly leave for England and we all knew that had been the case for years. Others are much more damning,and again have been hinted at. One in particular could lead to at least one director being struck off,depending on how seriously the authorities view the offence.
M6BHOY,LIBERO
Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Famous words from Johnny Rotten,about 42 years ago this month. Tinfoil hat on and a what if scenario.
What if the huns “got their sums wrong” and couldn’t last long enough to stop the ten,that they had to stop the nine or they were screwed? And that Mags,AWENAW,et al,were right all along,that someone has decided that we are only viable as one half of the o*^ f+>m?
What does Lawwell do?
1-Play along and hand them the title which will keep them in business at the expense of,well,his health and wellbeing?
2-Say-tough,we tried!-at the risk of being sacked and/or Celtic beginning a slow malaise?
3-Tell the someone that he’s wrong,that we don’t need that lot,and I’ll prove it to you! Your plan was useless anyway!!!
*
Because let’s face it,no-one can fuck this up by simple incompetence alone. A clusterfuck this big takes meticulous planning.
BMCUWP – it was in the redtops today too; so if any moves involve exec transgressions (such a polite term considering the cesspit of cheating that is scottish prem league football) i hope they feel the full weight of corporate law and then the wrath of influential shareholders.
From the weekend outing, we still need a Mitrovic up front and a Darren Fletcher as midfield mentor.
How’s the Gutman and Perez kids visa biz going too?
BMCUWP; Mr Lydon was my teenage hero.
LIBERO
Just had a quick check there. The Scottish Sun is indeed claiming that as a scoop. An exclusive,no less.
Pity that e-Tims went with it three weeks ago!
http://etims.net/?p=15098
Celtic need to do a clearance whether we get 9 in a row or not ,quite a few off the present team look if they like would be somewhere else playing football ,Personally I think Lennon shouldn’t have been given the head coach job,And reading this morning that he is going to allow Alfobi the young striker to go out on loan,This is another bug beare for me young players who are supposed to good not even getting a sniff at first team football and to me that’s wrong,This present crop except the 2 new signings seem a spent force,but I think he Lennon thinks different,he needs to take a chance and bring in a few off these youngsters,and Saturday there was a perfect opportunity for him to do so,but he didn’t and as much as I hate to say this that’s we will fail this season
LIBERO
Since JJ is predicting a gambling charge around lunchtime,I’ll make a prediction of my own. It will be our player-and I know who my guess would be!-and the press will say Down with this kind of thing! It is time for punitive action. Gambling is a scourge on society and examples need to be made to protect the vulnerable!!!
As they wield the trusty and valiant Sword of Truth and Valour,the saviours of the meek. Gawdluvemguv.
TIMBHOY2
Your concerns are increasingly shared by others,mate. Complains about players being tired-then plays them every bloody week,even in games where rotation makes perfect sense!
say nothing
LIBERO
Let’s not speculate,mate. No matter who it is,it will have been revealed through malice rather than any other consideration.
Wee choon for my mate’s latest grandchild,Leila.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9-n3Ydy7ras
M6Bhoy
wholeheartedly agree, tho not with 5 years to repair, it will take a generation or more.
Watched Sportscene on BBC last night. They obviously showed highlights of the Celtic match. After it I fully expected a thorough examination of the controversial penalty incidents. Nothing. They were more interested in talking about Kenny Miller’s contribution to the game. Who, it just so happens, was a pundit on the show.
When they covered the Sc. Cup Draw, the presenter managed to slip in “Rangers, 33 times previous winners”.
They just can’t help themselves.
JIMTHETIM53
It’s their sacred number,33. We’ve won it 39 times,btw.
Bobby, aye the huns rarely mention that wee stat. Prefer to talk about ‘going for 55’ etc. But it was the BBC reinforcing the continuity myth that annoyed me. They know it annoys us (and fans of other clubs too). They could have been diplomatic and said ‘beaten finalists in 2016’.
That was a good wee story from CCB. Given the age similarities I wonder if Packy was at that game too?
LIBERO
You can relax,mate. As can we all. Any gambling charge is to manager of a smaller Lanarkshire outfit.
Good luck to Brian Rice. Let’s hope some understanding and assistance are available.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brian-rice-opens-up-gambling-21318740
The full implications of the same club narrative are getting clearer by the day.
Celtic Plc and Sevco are the Same Club.
Forget any squirrels about 55 and The Gers, it’s all about the same old firm club. The same money making cartel.
At the weekend the pundits on Premier Sports could barely contain their hilarity at the refereeing. The Celtic players looked dejected at the end. They know they are being set up. They know that that the complicit,devious PLC won’t support them.
The cover up of the 29th of December is proof positive that the game is a bogey. Pedro’s favourite tabloid broke the story of the three yellow card trick. The story was confirmed by a magazine article in Pedro’s favourite blog.
Job done. The players, support and Ryan Christie have been shafted.
The same club narrative demands a share in the spoils. The same club can’t have one team dominating. The southsiders will be given every support possible in their quest to win the league.
The PLC have betrayed us. It’s almost pointless debating tactics online. The goal of our board isn’t 9 or 10. It’s securing the old firm.
Every opportunity to improve the governance of the game has been shunned. It’s a sham.
The players know it. NFL knows it. The Celtic support and team are the victims of an ongoing fraud.
Under these circumstances there’s no hope of cutting out the sectarianism. Sectarianism is the dominant force in Scotland.
McCall’s “F Off” to Neil before the game said it all.
Even the commentator apologised for the language.
It isn’t a coincidence that our best performances this season have been in Europe away from the cesspit that is Scottish football.
THEGOMBEENMAN
Collusion or incompetence. Those are the only options available. Each makes Lawwell unfit for the position he holds.
CCB,
Thanks for the article this morning. You’re probably out golfing at the moment but it was an enjoyable read and you’ve certainly passed the love of football down the generations.
I was out for my jog this morning at the Battle of the Boyne battlefield. Hard to believe that it’s four years since that memorable weekend of Easter 2016.
BMCUWP’S,
I think you might be enjoying a trip home this week? Enjoy the Counting House. It’s good to see the Blog doing so well. Thanks for the article.
HH
BMCUWP’S,
Incompetent at colluding would be my guess…resulting in a colossal feck up.
Libero
All talk of the migration plans between Lawwell and Bain shocks me none; a lot of the proposed actions are commercially sound, and mibby even good for other SPL’ers. Just think…it coulda been Aberdeen’s turn to get pumped oot CL qualies by Cluj et al ?
Possibly, uber-rich CEOs and celebs get to a wealth threshold, where the opinions of the common man or wummin means nothing to them, cos their eyes are trained on a different game. Do the fears and vitriol of fans bother or irk Peter? I do not know if T or F.
Does Desmond’s end game see Celtic as EL or CL champs?? Would these guys hearts be anyway heavy if we muffed 9 and 10?
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One interesting aspect about the PL/MB story is the time it took place. Feb/March 2011.
The thot plickens when you read an article from Rangers Tax case of 6 April where Martin Bain gets a mention in terms of wee tax case knowledge.
Rangers Knew About Other Tax Bill
https://rangerstaxcase.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/rangers-the-other-tax-cases/
06/04/2011 139 Comments
On 1 April, Rangers’ Chairman, Alastair Johnston, presented his club’s Interim Results for the six month period ending 31 December 2011. A bit of a fuss followed his revelation that Rangers had taken a charge of £2.8m for a tax bill relating to a Discounted Options Scheme used to compensate players between 1999-2003. This is a second, and entirely separate, tax case from the much larger one related to Rangers’ use of Employee Benefits Trusts (EBTs). This smaller bill has been seized by the creative PR staff spinning the on-going “takeover” saga involving Craig Whyte as a snag holding up a deal to sell the club. However, it was Johnston’s claims that this bill “came out of left field” that struck me as strange. So I did some digging.
If Johnston is claiming that no one at Rangers FC knew about this bill, he is either ignorant of the facts or is deliberately misleading his shareholders. It is possible that Johnston and other board members did not know about this bill, but my research reveals that staff at Rangers FC have been aware of this issue for at least two years. Contrary to speculation, this issue was not discovered during Craig Whyte’s (or anyone else’s) due diligence. Back-office staff at Rangers have been corresponding with HMRC on the matter for all of this time, and cannot claim that this was any kind of surprise. After many months of discussion and correspondence, HMRC finally sent an assessment in recent weeks.
If Alastair Johnston’s claims of executive surprise are true, it is indicative of an organizational and leadership vacuum at the club.
==> Certainly, Martin Bain, as Chief Executive charged with day-to-day management of the business, should have been fully aware of this issue. If Martin Bain knew but did not inform the board of developing risks, it would reveal the extent to which Rangers have become distracted by internal feuding and ownership issues. <====
The obvious next question: Are there any more tax issues?
I have been told of a few issues bubbling under. It should not surprise us that more issues exist. Once you ‘cross the Rubicon’ and embark upon what is, at best, a high risk taxation strategy, your door will be open to every snake-oil selling law firm with a plan. Other schemes in which it has been claimed that Rangers have participated over the last decade include one to award share warrants in cash-rich offshore companies to staff and to make use of film partnerships. (Coincidentally, this last scheme was apparently used to compensate a former Rangers manager who bears a startling resemblance to the actor David Caruso).
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I'll leave joining dots to others but was that EPL exercise as much about saving Rangers as securing a future for Celtic without any dependence on a Rangers up to its knees in ebts and debt?
In that respect PL was doing his job to protect Celtic in that way at that time.
It is a great pity the EPL clubs didn't want to know, it could have saved Scottish football years of grief and continuing toxicity from 2012 and killed the "Old Firm." toxic model.
The Gombeen Man
Funnily enough I was thinking on the lines that the “Celtic family” contained a wayward son with certain issues called Rangers.
That is a situation some families will be familiar with and have to deal with but what they don’t do is stop helping the delinquent until it becomes harmful to them to continue to do so.
That imo is where Celtic now are.
Trying to make a lie real is energy sapping. Reality has an army of elephants at its end of the tug of truth rope, it never tires and always wins because it is timeless.
On that timeless spectrum it is now time for Celtic to admit powerlessness and open the way for a new discourse for Scottish football free from sectarianism and where fair play off and on the park is the bed rock of future success.
It will happen by choice or by force as supporters finally decide enough is enough.
I mean apart from the poor standard of play on Saturday, did anyone at the end feel happy or were we all raging at the referee?
Sport is not supposed to deliver anger, it should be a source of joy, win or lose, not a vehicle for a false manifestation of supposed supremacy by those lacking intrinsic self worth.
That Celtics custodians are not prepared to countenance a life in another league without Rangers proves a few things and in order of importance
1) Who the REAL FUCKING scumbags are
2) That Celtic FC is currently as “special” as Sevco (Possibly since 189x and something
3) That the Celtic support consist mainly of mindless bigots and 1) knows this
4) That Celtic PLC are wannabe establishment arsehole lickers
5) That Celtic PLC always want their cake at eat it
6) They view the Celtic community as second class citizens compared to the Ibrox hoardes who will always have a team regardless of their financial plight. Why ? because there are more of them therefore more chance to make more profit.
AULDHEID
As I said earlier and often,other stuff is more damning. A desire to join the EPL was widely known as was the BOGOF element of it. That it was still a hot topic even at the time mentioned,quelle surprise.
C welcome the rolling stones
THEGOMBEENMAN- FWIW,Neil and Ian McCall are very good friends. HH
C
To misquote a statement from the owner of PL’s online edition of Pravda to clarify my own stance on the old firm , Sevco / Rangers
“I will happily lose any part of Celtic that is reliant on Rangers / Sevco, that includes elements of the Celtic support”
Hypothetical Q: Would I be happy if Celtic were to emulate Belfast Celtic and do the honourable thing and unilaterally quit Scottish football? A: Yes – if it meant exposing the lies, cheating and blatant re writing of history / facts that we, as a club, have openly colluded with and start a revolution within Scottish football and who knows given the ramifications of a club of Celtic’s stature quitting perhaps even beyond our own wee patch.
Don’t worry, we could then start afresh as ‘The’ Glasgow Celtic – honours and history intact. Isn’t that how it works in Scotland?
Sick of it all CSC
Pointless banning Brian Rice for owning up to his gambling addiction, he should be praised for his honesty, and probably helping others seek help.
SPFL blocks Rangers deal for Daniel Cousin
Daniel Cousin has been training with Rangers all week
Rangers will be without Daniel Cousin for Saturday’s match with Kilmarnock after the Scottish Premier League declined to register the striker.
Cousin arrived in Scotland last weekend intent on rejoining the club he played for nearly four years ago.
But the SPL imposed a transfer embargo on Rangers as well as deducting 10 points for going into administration.
Rangers have the right to appeal against the decision to the Scottish Football Association.
The Ibrox club announced on Monday that a deal had been done for 35-year-old Cousin, subject to international clearance.
However, they went into administration the following day, carrying automatic restrictions on registering players with the league.
And a statement from the SPL says they were “presented with a contract between Daniel Cousin (“the Player”) and Rangers FC dated 17 February 2012, signed by the Player and by Paul Clark, the Joint Administrator of The Rangers Football Club plc (in Administration)”.
It added: “In terms of SPL rule A6.20, the consent of the board of the SPL was required for the registration of the player with the SPL. The board of the SPL declined to give that consent.
“Accordingly, the player is not registered with the SPL and is not eligible to play in SPL matches.”
Rangers manager Ally McCoist had been hoping to sign Cousin to replace top scorer Nikica Jelavic, who moved to Everton on the final day of the January transfer window.
Cousin, who joined Rangers from Lens in 2007, was a free agent after spending last season in his homeland with Sapins following a spell with Larissa in Greece but impressed for his country during the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Daniel Cousin is shellshocked at the moment, like the rest of us,” said McCoist prior to the SPFL announcement.
“At this moment in time he is in the squad and still has an opportunity of getting the signing through. I’m still very hopeful we can get through the bits of red tape.
“The administrators want Daniel to come, The players still want Daniel to come, we still want Daniel to come and the support want Daniel to come. Most importantly, Daniel still wants to come, his wife would love him to come on her at least once this year. we love come here at Rangers. come come come”
bada bing1
Ironic isn’t it that everyone is up in arms about someone gambling yet the whole Scottish game is financed by gambling companies. If it were up to me gambling and alcohol sponsorship would be banned from the game.
OGLACH
If the board/club ownership are involved in a hun rescue plan,they might as well shut up shop. That will be too much for most of us.
OGLACH/ AWENAW I have a plan, lets all meet up at parkhead cross, march up to celtic park, and throw them tory bassas to feck,any takers.hh.
Auldheid,
As you know better than many of us the game in Scotland isn’t really about football.
We enabled the continuance of this expensive sham, which on Saturday looked utterly ridiculous.
We have a seemingly endless line of projects and an insistence that we won’t invest in the team to make it as capable as we can afford.
Nothing has been done to improve the governance of the game. We hear talk of a private 5 Way Agreement that our very long standard CEO hasn’t seen and cover ups that would embarrass Donald Trump in the wake of the 29th of December.
The power lies with the support. They can walk away but paradoxically that’s what the peepul want. I don’t believe for a minute they have bought into Pedro’s Same Club narrative.
Hopefully there will be a soft landing.
Keep going.
Bada,
Thanks for that. It wasn’t a pretty moment.
sorry, meant to say tory freemason bassas
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
If the board/club ownership are involved in a hun rescue plan?
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If? Well given the clubs reluctance to place any distance between Sevco and ourselves despite having an overwhelming financial advantage in order to do so, given the clubs refusal to call out the continuity myth, given the clubs refusal to act on Res 12 I would say that the ‘circumstantial’ evidence that something well shady is going on is damming.
BP,
I fear that it would be quite a small group of us marching on Celtic park. But you never know, quixotic rebellions sometimes lead to great things – IE – Dublin Easter 1916.
The Gombeen Man
Hopefully there will be a soft landing.
Keep going.
=================
The Res12 guys have been throwing pillows to Celtic for a good few years now.
OGLACH, wish there were more of us with the same viewpoint.hh?
Packy, you will be knackered by the time you get to Parkhead cross, marching from Cheshire! Never mind, I’ll be waiting with a can of Red Bull. 🙂
HI jim, what about a Drambuie chaser,?
deleted pointless post 🙂
Consider it done Packy. A double!
Here’s a question or two …you dont need to answer on the blog.. but, of course, you can if you want to …… but think about it,and be honest with yourself …
1.If we could have killed off the zombies, would you have supported that?
2, If so, why? If not, why not?
3. If Celtic are found to have assisted in the cover-up/cheating, would you still finance Celtic?
4. If so, why? If not, why not?
For me, the answers are:
1. yes. Without hesitation.
2. Even if it meant reduced protits in the short terms (although, PL’s favourite blog promised us unfettered access to European riches such that we would be so far ahead that they would never be competitive), the social ill that they represent is more important. And ending them would go along way, I believe, to ending bigotry in Scotland. Not saying it would end it, but, if they dont have a place/focus to express it, it would be lessened ….
3. No. Not unless and until our present custodians are forced out (hell, run out of town)
4. The only thing worse than bigots are people who profit by selling out their own kind to bigots. If Celtic PLC has an OF business model (we are the people v. know your place, timmy), then I think it is as offensive as the Zombies, and if the zombies need to go, then so does our club if it is party to profiteering from anti-Catholic/anti-Irish bigotry.
Although, as I have always said, I dont believe it would ever get that far. All if would have taken to get our Board on the right side was the threat of withholding ST … or, would have forced them to sell out, and be replaced by a new Board who was not in cahoots with the zombies.
JIM, cheers? while your on, remember me telling you I was trainspotting daft when I was a kid well ive just clicked on a trainspotting site, ffs im nearly 40 years old? and one of the biggest trainspotting sites is in Lanarkshire, a place called thankerton ive never heard of it, and im from Lanarkshire.