Celtic in the Premiership?

[The invisible mullet]

A good link about Berwick

http://www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk/BerwickuponTweed.htm

 

[robbieando]

I think I know about the bloodly town, after all I do come from there and most of my Dad's side of the family still lives in the town.

 

[Shinboners]

Originally posted by robbieando
Out of the 2 Old Firm managers Alex McLeish has taken over O'Neill as the most likely out of the Old Firm to manager Man Utd, even Sir Alex is said to be in favour of him being the next manager after him, while there was talk at the start of the season Sir Alex wanted Big Eck as his number 2.

Is that from the Scottish press or from reports from Rangers websites/zines/mailing lists?

I can't recall reading any detailed reports liking McLeish to United.

By the way, commiserations on the United vs Rangers result last week. Good luck for the rest of the comp. If your blokes can't sneak through to the next stage of the Champs League, good luck in the UEFA Cup if you end up there.

 

[The invisible mullet]

Originally posted by robbieando
I think I know about the bloodly town, after all I do come from there and most of my Dad's side of the family still lives in the town.

Then it should have a familiar, comfy ring and shouldn't get you too uptight. Bloody town is a good description though given the battles that have taken place there or thereabouts.

 

[moomba]

Originally posted by robbieando
I think I know about the bloodly town, after all I do come from there and most of my Dad's side of the family still lives in the town.

Why don't you support your local team then.

Moomba

 

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Shinboners
Is that from the Scottish press or from reports from Rangers websites/zines/mailing lists?

There was an article in the September 2003 issue of FourFourTwo magazine on who was more likely to get the job out of O'Neill and McLeish.

Plus the following quote from Sir Alex himself: "McLeish is top drawer. I've always believed he would go right to the top at club level."

By the way, commiserations on the United vs Rangers result last week. Good luck for the rest of the comp. If your blokes can't sneak through to the next stage of the Champs League, good luck in the UEFA Cup if you end up there.

Thanks, you were just too good for us. I was hoping for at least a point out of the 2 games, but once you got ahead at Ibrox, I knew that we little chance. Hopefully we can get a win next week and finish off with a win at home. Can you guys do us a favour and win your remaining two matches

 

[robbieando]

Originally posted by moomba
Why don't you support your local team then.

Who in Scotland does

 

[Voice of Reason]

Originally posted by robbieando
Plus the following quote from Sir Alex himself: "McLeish is top drawer. I've always believed he would go right to the top at club level."

Fergie's just sticking up for the Aberdeen connection by saying that about McLeish.

I wish people in sport would be more forthcoming about people they've played with (e.g. wouldn't it be good if Terry Venables was quoted as saying something like "Terry Fenwick is crap - always has been and always will be. I only recruited him because we're as corrupt as each other. Couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag without claiming offside. Couldn't teach someone how to defend if they were standing next to him")

O'Neill is a proven manager in two difficult, and quite different, roles.

Incidentally, I'm not trying to pick the better one, because I don't know.

 

[Shinboners]

Originally posted by robbieando
There was an article in the September 2003 issue of FourFourTwo magazine on who was more likely to get the job out of O'Neill and McLeish.

Plus the following quote from Sir Alex himself: "McLeish is top drawer. I've always believed he would go right to the top at club level."

Cheers for that.

 

[Shinboners]

Originally posted by Voice of Reason
I wish people in sport would be more forthcoming about people they've played with (e.g. wouldn't it be good if Terry Venables was quoted as saying something like "Terry Fenwick is crap - always has been and always will be. I only recruited him because we're as corrupt as each other. Couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag without claiming offside. Couldn't teach someone how to defend if they were standing next to him")

You've obviously never read Fergie's assessment of Brian Kidd's managerial abilities (and this was before Kidd took over at Blackburn Rovers).

Even Fergie fanatics felt that he went overboard with his criticisms of Kidd.

 

[Shinboners]

There was an article in the September 2003 issue of FourFourTwo magazine on who was more likely to get the job out of O'Neill and McLeish.

Plus the following quote from Sir Alex himself: "McLeish is top drawer. I've always believed he would go right to the top at club level."

Two years on and it looks like neither O'Neill or McLeish will be on the list of people to be interviewed to find the bloke to take over from Fergie.

 

[Strawberry Pancakes]

Start them in the coneference league

 

[tribey]

Just on the original point (2 years late) as to how competitive the Old Firm would be in the Premiership, what is often forgotten is that both Rangers and Celtic would finally be on the same page as existing English clubs in arguably the most important realm of attracting talent.

With their massive gates and rich tradition - and most importantly, EPL membership - players across the globe would see either of the two clubs as a tasty proposition (sectarian nonsense notwithstanding) and within one or two transfer windows the SPL-standard chaff would be well and truly shorn and replaced with enough class to challenge for Europe as a bare minimum year-in, year-out.

Just think. Had the Glasgow giants changed affiliation say, five years ago, we may have seen someone like Roy Keane in the hoops far earlier, or the current strikeforce at Celtic Park may well be Viduka and Bellamy rather than Sutton and Hartson and so on.

Are we any closer to this northern experiment becoming reality, or is it destined never to happen?

 

[jeka]

Are we any closer to this northern experiment becoming reality, or is it destined never to happen?

IMO it will not happen for one reason. Neither the English FA or the SFA will want it. There is alot of stuff in the British press at the moment about a British team for the 2012 olympics in London, Scotland have already said no as they fear for their right to field a separate Scotland side at international level.

BBC article on GB side for olympics

Reading between the lines the those that want to remove the independance of the Scottish and Welsh FAs would use the Old Firm playing in the EPL to further this aim. As such IMO the SFA in particular would see it as the thin end of the wedge to them losing their international staus, and I think the FA would rather an English side competing in World Cups than a GB team.

 

[ALwaysNorth]

Don't think it will ever happen , too many obstacles put up by too many organisations. Lot of tradition will be lost .

However , I think the long talked about North Sea League with Scotland , Netherlands and Belguim Leagues providing their top 4 teams for a home and away competition would attract media dollars and keep Celtic,Ajax etc at least on a par with the majority of EPL clubs for TV handouts .

They play in their home leagues until Christmas , then top four move up while the rest play another home and away round - make it for a EUFA spot to keep it interesting and even add top four teams from lower division to make relagation interesting.

Will EUFA agree - no , but one can dream .