Tuesday 21st September 2004

15.20

A Minutes silence tonight for Brian Clough.

THERE will be a minute's silence at Celtic Park before tonight's CIS Cup tie against Falkirk for Brian Clough who died yesterday.

The former Nottingham Forest manager, who led his side to successive European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980, when Martin O'Neill and John Robertson were players in the squad, lost his fight against stomach cancer.

Often described as 'the best manager England never had', Clough was a supremely confident and outspoken manager who brought success to two unfashionable English clubs in Forest and before that Derby County.

Martin O'Neill said yesterday: "It is very sad for us all, I'm still in shcok if I'm honest. We had Brian at a game when we were at Leicester and he had expressed a desire to come up to Glasgow and take in a game at Parkhead. It is my regret that that didn't happen."

And Celtic assistant manager, John Robertson, who scored set up Forest's winning goal in the 1979 European Cup final, then scored the all-important goal in the following year's final, added: "What he achieved was just incredible. To take a team like Forest from the Second Division to the First Division Championship and then the European Cup in just three years was stunning.

"He achieved terrific success with both Derby and Forest - both provincial, unfancied clubs. I don't know anyone who could have done that but Brian Clough. He was the best there has been."

Tuesday 21st September 2004

11.00

HOOPS TIE UP NIKE KIT DEAL

Celtic plc (“Celtic”) announces that on the expiry of its current kit supply contract at the end of June 2005, a new agreement with NIKE will come into effect.

The agreement, between Celtic’s wholly owned subsidiary, Celtic F.C. Limited and NIKE European Operations Netherlands B.V. ("NIKE"), will commence on 1 July 2005 and is for a term of 5 years.

In return for the grant by Celtic to NIKE of exclusive worldwide rights as official supplier of kit and certain ancillary products to Celtic Football Club, NIKE will pay royalties to Celtic on NIKE’S sales of Celtic branded products.

A minimum royalty of £5 million is payable in each year of the agreement together with further bonus and royalty payments, depending on football success and sales, which Celtic believes are capable of being achieved given the worldwide status of NIKE, who are best suited to meet the global aspirations of Celtic. In financial terms the new contract is the largest commercial licensing transaction entered into by Celtic.

Thursday 16th September 2004.

15.30

Celtic cleared by Uefa after delay.