26th October 2006
A good year for the club
AFTER a successful yea when achievements on the park were
matched by considerable financial progress, this year’s Annual General
Meeting reflected positively on the past 12 months at Celtic Park.
Around 200 shareholders attended this morning’s meeting at the
stadium and after an introduction by chairman Brian Quinn, where he also
gave apologies from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond who was unable
to attend the AGM, there was a video presentation featuring interviews
with the Chairman, Chief Executive Peter Lawwell and manager Gordon
Strachan.
The Chairman discussed the past year, including a 50 per cent cut in
operating losses, the initiatives set-up to combat sectarian behaviour
and the progress of the club’s new world-class training facility at
Lennoxtown.
Mr Quinn also highlighted the fact that the signings of Thomas
Gravesen and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink were not a “shift from club
policy”, but were made possible by prudence and careful planning over
the past 12 months.
He also added that the board would be aiming to again support the
manager in the forthcoming transfer window.
Peter Lawwell added that board was committed to “improving and
maintaining the quality of the squad” and that the construction of the
Lennoxtown base was still “on time and on budget” and should be ready
for the forthcoming 2007/08 pre-season schedule.
The club will also continue, in the coming year, to build links and
working relationships overseas, with the recent visit to Japan one
success story that was still being worked on.
Gordon Strachan then offered his own view of the past 12 months, in
where a league and league cup double at first-team level was coupled
with a clean sweep of honours by Celtic’s youth and reserve teams.
The clinching of the Scottish Premierleague championship will, he
explained, remain the club’s main priority, although the team would
continue to aim to make progress at UEFA Champions League level.
All nine resolutions that were discussed were carried, including the
re-election of Mr Quinn, Mr Lawwell, Mr Tom Allison and Mr Dermot
Desmond to the board of directors.
Questions were then taken from shareholders, with several putting on
record their praise for the work of the board and the success of the
team under Gordon Stracham.
In response to further questions on the club’s anti-sectarian
measures, Peter Lawwell also highlighted a five-point action plan that
had been submitted to the SPL and which ahs been taken up by the member
clubs to deal with such behaviour at matches.
Mr Quinn also praised for the majority of away supporters while
re-iterating the club’s determination to deal with actions of the
minority.
21st October 2006
Celtic
old bhoy in Norwegian league final
A number of previous players in English and Scottish league
football will be battling for the Norwegian league trophy this weekend.
Brann from Bergen and Rosenborg of Trondheim are playing each other in
Bergen this Sunday.
In the Brann team you have players such as Robbie Winters (x Aberdeen),
Charlie Miller (x Leicester, Dundee Utd, Watford and Rangers), Martin
Andresen ( x Wimbledon, Blackburn), Cato Guntveit (x Aberdeen) and Eirik
Bakke (x Aston Villa, Leeds), and Rosenborgs team includes the following
group: Lars Hirschfeld (x Tottenham, Dundee Utd, Leicester), Bjorn Tore
Kvarme (x Liverpool), Stale Stensas (x Rangers, Nottingham Forest), Vidar
Riseth (x Luton, Celtic), and Steffen Iversen (x Tottenham, Wolves) could
all be in action for their teams.
Rosenborg is at the moment the leader of the league in front of Brann. A win
for Rosenborg will see them most certainly as winners of the Norwegian
Tippeliga in 2006, but if Brann can manage to grab all three points they
could be fighting until the very end with just two games remaining of the
season after the big clash on Sunday.
20th October 2006
Bobo plans Bhoys stay
Bobo Balde claims he has every intention of honouring his
contract at Celtic.
The Guinea defender has failed to nail down a regular start at
Parkhead this term and reports on Friday morning suggested he had caught the
eye of Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill.
Celtic chief Gordon Strachan claims Balde remains in his plans and now
the strapping defender has signalled his intention to fight for his place.
"The team has been doing well in The SPL and the Champions League, so
I will just have to work hard and wait my turn," he told Record FM.
"I think we have a very good chance to get through to the next stage
of Europe and I'd really like to be part of that.
"But the most important thing is to get my fitness up."
Balde added: "The only thing in my head right now is to stay free of
injury and get back into the team.
"I have a contract which I have every intention of seeing through."
Stephen Pearson has revealed that he will look to move on if he fails
to land a start under Strachan.
The midfielder has been a regular on the bench this term and he is
growing frustrated with his situation in Glasgow.
"I am at the age where I need to be playing games," said the
24-year-old. "I have said that all along and the manager knows that as well.
"Obviously, I have been linked with Derby and my old manager - I would
need to see how things go.
He added: "I don't think I would like to go on loan, I would maybe
rather move permanently."
13th October 2006
Celtic FC statement
CELTIC have tonight reiterated the club’s policy regarding any
supporter convicted of sectarian or racial abuse, while also
acknowledging the excellent behaviour of the overwhelming majority of
fans.
A spokesperson said: “Celtic Football Club has a long-established
policy of banning those convicted of sectarian or racial abuse, and the
success of the exercise has seen these issues all but eradicated from
Celtic Park.
“This is underlined by the fact that last season a total of five
ticket holders (including one season ticket holder) were banned from
Celtic Park, having been convicted of breach of the peace aggravated by
religious prejudice.”
05th October 2006
You'll Never Walk Alone
CELTIC Football Club would like to point out that, contrary to
reports in today’s press, You’ll Never Walk Alone as not been
‘banned’ by UEFA.
The simple fact is that every single UCL venue across the length and
breadth of the continent is subject to UEFA guidelines on the day of each
match and every single team is contracted, as part of the competition
rules, to abide by all UCL matchday practice.
As Handel’s Zadok The Priest boomed out over the
loudspeaker system at Celtic Park last Tuesday at precisely 19:42, it was
simultaneously broadcast at every other UCL venue throughout Europe at
exactly the same time…
And at every other ground there was also two minutes and 20 seconds
of ‘dead-air time’ following the UEFA hymn – that has always been the case
at each of the UEFA Champions League games played at Celtic Park since the
club first took part in the newly-formatted competition back in season
2000/01.
You’ll Never Walk Alone has never been played just prior to
kick-off at any of these games and the same rule stands at Anfield when
Liverpool play UCL games there.
In answer to an enquiry following Celtic’s 1-0 UEFA Champions League
win over FC Copenhagen when the traditional club anthem wasn’t played
prior to the kick-off, Celtic’s Multi-Media Manager, Tony Hamilton said in
this week’s Celtic View:
“UEFA have a document which countdowns what should happen across
each UCL venue in uniformity to 19:45 hours (or 20:45 in Central Europe).
“It includes when partners’ adverts are played out, when the UEFA
welcomes (in both languages) are read and when the teams emerge from the
tunnel and enter the field etc etc.
“So, this document tells us that at 19:42 hours we should play a
40-second version of the UCL theme as the last player falls into line and
play nothing else or make any further announcements (in the time we would
normally play YNWA) for the remaining two minutes and 20 seconds before
the match starts.
“If we played it before this time it would need to be much earlier,
when there are very few people in the stadium.
“Technically the stadium is ‘handed over’ to UEFA and their
marketing company the day before each match and we need to ask permission
for everything we do.”
03rd October 2006
Reserves keep up winning habit
East End Park,
SPL Reserve League.
DUNFERMLINE……...0
CELTIC………………..2
(Maloney 28, Beattie 73)
A STRONG reserve side maintained Celtic’s unbeaten start to the league
campaign as goals from Shaun Maloney and Craig Beattie gave Kenny McDowall’s
side a 2-0 win over Dunfermline.
With the international calendar now taking precedence over the next 10
days, the encounter at East End Park was a chance for Gordon Strachan to give
match practice to some of his fringe players.
As such it was a strong starting XI that kicked off at Dunfermline, with
Alan Thompson, Evander Sno, Stephen Pearson, Derek Riordan, Craig Beattie and
Jiri Jarosik all in the side. Shaun Maloney also got another 90 minutes under
his belt as he seeks to consolidate his return to full fitness.
And it was Maloney who opened the scoring on 28 minutes with a rifling
20-yard shot from the edge of the box following a Riordan corner, and the
Scotland internationalist’s involvement will be a boost to Strachan.
Had it not been for his injury problems at the beginning of the season,
Maloney would probably have been involved with Walter Smith’s squad for the
forthcoming double header against France and Ukraine, but on recent evidence
it would appear that the 23-year-old is set to pick up where he left off last
season when he collected the dual Player of the Year awards.
Riordan, too, could have improved his chances of selection but despite his
industry on the left flank, the former Hibernian star was denied a goal by
Roddy McKenzie after a slack pass-back from Scott Morrison.
The former Hibernian player ought to have done better rather than hit his
effort straight at the Pars keeper, while Pearson was guilty of a bad miss
when he miscued an effort and sent it wide of the target.
At the other end of the park David Marshall had to be alert to a header
from Iain Williamson just after the interval when he stooped to collect, but
for the most part it was Celtic who dominated the exchanges.
Riordan pushed further up front in the second period to partner Beattie but
it was teenage defender Paul Caddis who came closest to adding to the Hoops’
tally when he collected from Jarosik and then tried a swirling effort that was
held by McKenzie.
Beattie and Riordan then combined, with the latter’s effort just pushed
back the post. Thompson was also denied by McKenzie when he tried his luck
with a long-range effort, but from the resultant corner Celtic couldn’t add to
the scoreline.
As Celtic took the game by the scruff of the neck, Thompson then turned
provider when he sent a ball through for Maloney who volleyed his shot just
wide of the target.
A 1-0 lead, though, is always a slender one and Williamson almost snatched
an equaliser against the run of play, only for his effort to sneak wide of the
post when it looked certain to hit the back of the net.
Dunfermline were made to pay for their profligacy within seconds when
Beattie secured the win, collecting the ball on the edge of the box and
breaking through before unleashing a low shot past McKenzie.
And the Celtic striker ought to have added another when Pearson put him
through but his first touch allowed McKenzie to compose himself and stand up
to shot.
Next up was Jim O'Brien, with Pearson again the supplier, but although the
youngster darted past the Pars keeper he screwed his attempt agonisingly wide
of the upright.
Not that it eventually mattered for Kenny McDowall's side, who once more
had good reason to feel satisfied with their afternoon's work.
CELTIC (4-4-2): Marshall; Caddis, O’Carroll, O’Dea,
Thompson; Jarosik (O’Brien 60), Sno, Pearson, Riordan (Conroy 84); Beattie,
Maloney. Subs: McGlinchey, McGovern, Riley.
DUNFERMLINE (4-4-2): McKenzie; Labonte, Fenwick, Kay,
Morrison; Daquin (Muhsin 81), McCunnie, Wilson, Muirhead (McBride 64);
Williamson, Smith (McDonough 76). Subs: Paterson, McCulloch.
