SPL Discussion Thread [Archive] - Page 41

Charlie Darwin

09/01/2013, 4:46 PM

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/scottish-league/2013/0109/361961-rangers-threaten-to-quit-scottish-football/

Reasonable as ever.

"I can't see any point in carrying on with meaningless matches.

"In what league do you win a division and then end up playing the same teams again the following season?"
I believe that would be the Premier League. The one you got kicked out of.

peadar1987

09/01/2013, 5:04 PM

Aren't the tears of whiny, entitled Old Firm fans delicious?! :)

DeLorean

13/04/2013, 1:25 PM

Some match between Hibs and Falkirk in the Scottish Cup semi final. Falkirk were up 3-0 after a half hour and the Hibs 'supporters' starting leaving Hampden in their droves. Happily the idiots have missed an amazing comeback, 3-3 now and going into extra time. They also had a penalty saved at 1-3. I'm sure Fenlon will get a lot of plaudits for his half time team talk and change of system (going with two up front) if they can finish the job! He'll probably still get slated if they don't though.

It has to be pointed out also that the new Falkirk manager, Gary Holt, is the bulb off a futuristic James McClean!

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/fJIfREZXe.oY2P17H_I69g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzYwO2NyPTE7Y3c9NjQwO2R4PTA7ZH k9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0zNTU7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_GB/Sports/Eurosport/988919-16105938-640-360.jpg

Edit: What a goal by Leigh Griffiths to win it for Hibs 4-3. You really do have to laugh as those fans who left at 0-3. First time Hibs have reached two Scottish Cup finals in a row since the 1920's.

geysir

13/04/2013, 2:20 PM

In the Andalusian derby last night, R Betis came from 3 goals down at half time to equalise against Seville. More that a few of the spectators left at half time.

That result is hardly enough for Fenlon to keep his job, is it? If you finish outside the top 6 in the SPL, it's bad news. Maybe he'll survive if Hibs win the cup?

SkStu

13/04/2013, 2:56 PM

That result is hardly enough for Fenlon to keep his job, is it? If you finish outside the top 6 in the SPL, it's bad news. Maybe he'll survive if Hibs win the cup?

He won't keep it unless he wins the final in which case they'll build a gold statue of him outside Easter Road!

I really think the hibees are being harsh on him. He deserves another season.

ArdeeBhoy

14/04/2013, 10:14 AM

Aren't the tears of whiny, entitled Old Firm fans delicious?!What does that mean?

And most Tims don't even recognise that term...

peadar1987

14/04/2013, 11:06 AM

What does that mean?

And most Tims don't even recognise that term...

It means that many Old Firm fans are whiny and entitled, and throw the toys out of the pram whenever things don't go their way. And that I find it quite funny and satisfying when they do.

Case in point, Rangers fans thinking that because they've won a few trophies, it means they shouldn't have to pay their taxes.

ArdeeBhoy

14/04/2013, 12:41 PM

peadar1987

14/04/2013, 12:51 PM

Except you could say that about any big club, not just Celtic and The Zombies. At least 5-10 spring to mind and even one or two in Ireland.
Whilst every other European country whose national team are in FIFA's top 50 must have at least 2 or 3 each.

So that means I'm not allowed dislike the whining that comes out of Rangers and Celtic? It's just as satisfying when it comes from entitled fans of Manchester United, England, or the Australian cricket team.

ArdeeBhoy

14/04/2013, 12:59 PM

I didn't say that. Just that it's hardly unique. And part of the modern human condition.

geysir

14/04/2013, 5:19 PM

Two cup semi finals with a 4-3 result, the game in Scotland isn't goal shy or lacking excitement.
Our forgotten bhoy Stokes, came on as a sub and impressed with heading the winner from 6m out.
That Dundee Utd team had a few talented schoolboys playing for them.

Stuttgart88

14/04/2013, 5:21 PM

Some of those United kids were really talented alright.

I'd never hear the Tony Stokes song before.

Jackie McNamara hasn't aged one bit.

Junior

15/04/2013, 11:36 AM

Some of those United kids were really talented alright.

I'd never hear the Tony Stokes song before.

Jackie McNamara hasn't aged one bit.

Neither has Willo Flood - He's looked about 40 now for the last 20 years.

OwlsFan

19/04/2013, 11:02 AM

geysir

19/04/2013, 12:04 PM

If it's not Raith Rovers, then I would generally be in the Celtic corner for obvious reasons but this year I hope the Hibees win the cup. It's been a very long time, they wear green, they have an Irish heritage, they have had to play second fiddle to Hearts for many years and they are managed by an Irishman.
Cough ... both teams are managed by an Irishman :)

It would appear that teams playing Celtic in Scottish cup competitions have every chance of beating them.

geysir

24/04/2013, 9:18 AM

Recently Neil Lennon received a 3 match touchline ban for using offensive language on the sidelines, being found guilty of that offence triggered a previous suspended 3 match ban.
Gordon Strachan when asked about it at a press conference, said 'it was f*****g ridiculous'.

DeLorean

22/05/2013, 8:14 AM

Kris Commons has retired from international football (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22620011) at the age of 29. Difficult to understand how he has only 12 caps for them given their lack of quality over the last few years.

KK77

22/05/2013, 8:18 AM

ArdeeBhoy

22/05/2013, 11:52 AM

Not really.

He's been crap/consistently overlooked for Alba.

And says has a young family etc.

DeLorean

22/05/2013, 1:43 PM

Most 29 year old footballers have young families I would think.

The retirement isn't that big a surprise, the fact that he found it difficult to play consistently for them is. I know he's had a lot of injuries alright, hamstrings, etc.

geysir

27/05/2013, 10:21 AM

Scottish cup final day and another big defeat for Hibs.
Stokes played very well, more the provider to Hooper, the finisher. Paddy McCourt came on as a late sub to a great reception, probably his last game for them.

Nice pre-match display from the Celtic fans, which helped ease the assault on the ears from the Hampden pk sound system.

1888 Brother Walfrid (could pass as an image of Neil Lennon)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLNHQnnCYAEjNVa.jpg:large

ArdeeBhoy

27/05/2013, 12:08 PM

The silly season started early, yesterday...

http://joe.ie/football/football-news/misread-achill-celtic-supporters-flag-causes-quite-a-stir-after-being-mistaken-for-islamic-banner-0038269-1

OwlsFan

27/05/2013, 4:44 PM

I see Celtic's attendances were down on average 4k per home game this season. I wonder why.

Disappointed for the Hibees and Pat Fenlon but they were very much second best on the day.

ArdeeBhoy

27/05/2013, 4:50 PM

The continuing recession and missing around 14k visiting fans didn't help.

geysir

28/05/2013, 12:28 AM

The continuing recession and missing around 14k visiting fans didn't help.
The biggest drop in Celtics' EPL home game attendance happened in 2009/10,
average went down from 57k 2008/9 to 45k 2009/10 Probably the recession/depression affected sales of season tickets.
Went up to 51k last season, down to 47k this season.
This approx �1.5m drop in ticket income was easily offset, twenty or thirty times over, with 6 CL games at Celtic Pk and CL income.

SkStu

29/05/2013, 12:30 AM

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLQ8XCjCIAEHI-u.jpg:large

ArdeeBhoy

29/05/2013, 7:01 AM

Paranoid? Them? Surely not...
:waving:

geysir

29/05/2013, 11:33 AM

They targeted the wrong island.

Fortunately the Gardai know what's what,

http://www.imcdb.org/i070107.jpg

but not where the real threat lurks.

Speed 3

http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/f3BFdHlHsJY/hqdefault.jpg

OwlsFan

23/09/2013, 4:28 PM

Celtic's profits "soar" to 10 million http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/scottish/2013/0923/475987-celtic-profits-soar-to-almost-l10m/

The use of the word soar is a bit of a hyperbole bearing in the mind that many of players of the teams they will meet in the CL would earn that in less than a year but it does show the importance of the CL run and what they are up against. Must be one of the few teams in the UK turning over a profit. Happy days for Dermot Desmond.

Junior

24/09/2013, 1:18 PM

Doesnt include the 20m� of player sales (Wanyama, Hooper and Wilson) since then nor indeed the Monley from this years CL qulaification and Group matches. Next years numbers should be equally healthy if not better. Of course the money is nothing in comparison to the big players as you state , though would be interesting to compare to Ajax for example.

geysir

24/09/2013, 5:47 PM

There are quite a few similarities with Ajax. Both clubs need CL qualification.
Ajax have a bit more revenue, about 100m Eur and recorded a 10m profit.

Like Celtic, they end up selling their best players, not necessarily out of necessity but it's just the way of things.

Another comparison
Celtic shirt sponsorship worth maybe 2m p/a
Ajax's is Eur 8.8m

OwlsFan

12/11/2013, 7:46 PM

Good to see the club I support in Scotland, Raith Rovers, through to a Final, namely the Ramsdens Cup final where they'll be taking on Rangers. Raith has been a club in decline for a while but the past few years have seen a recovery. I remember them winning the League Cup many moons ago but other than that......not a lot to sing about. They were in the Scottish First Division as it was called then when I first started supporting them in the late 1960s and only because they were called Rovers like Shamrock Rovers. If I understood more of the origins of Celtic/Hibs at the time, I suspect I would have followed one of them.

Speaking of which I see Terry Butcher is the new Hibs manager. Will be interesting to see how he goes.

OwlsFan

03/01/2014, 11:03 AM

Really enjoyable game last night between Hibs and Hearts. Sell out match which Hibs played at huge pace throughout. Battered Hearts for most of the game but only went one up midway in the second half only for Hearts to equalise. Great atmosphere at the game and Hibs won it in the end with a late penalty. Nice also to see Paul Heffernan, once of Sheffield Wednesday, come on and do well for Hibs. Cracking game.

Stuttgart88

24/02/2014, 3:12 PM

Not technically SPL but has anyone got the low down on the latest financial fiasco at Rangers and what the consequences of administration would be?

BonnieShels

24/02/2014, 9:58 PM

Where are you reading that?

ArdeeBhoy

25/02/2014, 1:03 AM

It's all over the Scottish media Bonnie.

To answer Stutts, difficult to call given all the behind-the scenes machinations, but they're not looking overly healthy.

However can't imagine anything will happen before the summer, when the major cash-flow issues hit the fan.
Primarily are paying their players far too much to win that division and even the one above? And whilst their gates appear healthy, have cut their prices and being giving out loads of freebies to achieve this, so that's probably (& hopefully!) unsustainable.

Here's to Mark III, If we must.
:yawn:

geysir

01/03/2014, 8:13 PM

Not technically SPL, in any remote shape or form,
but here's a link to a photo from todays game East Fife v Rangers (http://willievass.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/010314-East-Fife-v-Rangers/G0000Nh5PnSv1OyQ/I00005Ml2sQ1EOmM).

Stuttgart88

09/04/2014, 9:08 PM

Any idea what the Leigh Griffiths racist song controversy is about?

Charlie Darwin

09/04/2014, 9:16 PM

He was caught singing a Hibs chant about former Hearts player Rudi Skacel being a refugee, which is apparently what qualifies for witty in Edinburgh. It was the same song Derek Riordan got caught on camera singing drunk a few years ago.

geysir

09/04/2014, 9:40 PM

I think that was an afterthought charge by the SFA, Charlie.
Griffith was originally charged with singing some song about Hearts being in liquidation, just that and nothing more than that, and that was enough to inspire the SFA to charge him with making an offending remark against another club.
The original charge was ridiculous but now the SFA have managed to save their face with some other evidence.
Only a kangaroo court though could find him guilty of being a racist, seeing as how a refugee is not a race but the song in question was definitely stupid.

Charlie Darwin

09/04/2014, 9:52 PM

I wouldn't call him a racist, but a mouth-breather for sure. Ah, I wasn't aware about the previous charge. Scottish football does seem to be a hotbed of people eager to take offence right now.

Stuttgart88

09/04/2014, 10:01 PM

There is suggestion that he stayed quiet during the refugee bit too. Echoes of Donald Findlay QC though.

geysir

09/04/2014, 10:19 PM

Echoes of, "I didn't inhale".

Stuttgart88

24/04/2014, 7:16 PM

So, are Rangers really on the brink again?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27142340

Is it just me or is the article laden with innuendo-of-sorts?

"I ask loyal fans, and I pick my words carefully" and the "Union of fans".

Either way it's such a miserable, backward looking organisation. I wouldn't miss them one bit.

CraftyToePoke

25/04/2014, 3:26 AM

What will they all do each week if they fold I wonder, ferry it to Windsor for Linfield for a few songs maybe.

Or form a F.C.U.M. type effort, The Rangers Union Of The Loyal & Embittered Of Glasgow With No Place In This Century F.C., perhaps.

Charlie Darwin

25/04/2014, 11:58 AM

Those are some shocking comments from Easdale. "It doesn't matter who's running the club, you just have to be loyal and give us loadsamoney." What kind of idiot would fall for that?

DeLorean

26/04/2014, 2:40 PM

I presume that's rhetorical :)

geysir

28/04/2014, 3:15 PM

A message to Leigh Griffiths from the Green Brigade

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmPd2q0CcAE06Bw.jpg:large

OwlsFan

01/05/2014, 12:37 PM

A message to Leigh Griffiths from the Green Brigade

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmPd2q0CcAE06Bw.jpg:large

What's that about.

Meant to post earlier that it was great to see the mighty Raith Rovers beat Rangers in the Ramsden Cup Final:

2076

Mr. Butcher doesn't seem to be doing much better at Hibs than Pat Fenlon.