'Celtic are not a selling club'

[lbb]

So speaketh 'Dr' John Reid. An easy statement to make, I suppose, if no-one is bidding for your players. Or, at least, none of those who actually play in the first team regularly.

It's understandable from Reid's point of view - he is universally loathed by the Celtic support. The lampposts of the East End of Glasgow were covered on Saturday with 'Not Wanted - For War Crimes' posters with Reid's unhappy coupon attached. An easy way to win these malcontents round is to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I just wonder if Reid thinks the Celtic fans are stupid enough to forget his statement when the next first team player is shipped out the door.

[the hibLOG]

So speaketh 'Dr' John Reid. An easy statement to make, I suppose, if no-one is bidding for your players. Or, at least, none of those who actually play in the first team regularly.

No truth in the speculation that Scott Brown will be offski to the Premiership at the earliest opportunity, then?

It's understandable from Reid's point of view - he is universally loathed by the Celtic support. The lampposts of the East End of Glasgow were covered on Saturday with 'Not Wanted - For War Crimes' posters with Reid's unhappy coupon attached.

Ah, good old Militant, the voice of the people...

An easy way to win these malcontents round is to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I just wonder if Reid thinks the Celtic fans are stupid enough to forget his statement when the next first team player is shipped out the door.

Well he clearly thought the British public were stupid enough to believe Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction trained on Tel Aviv, so one assumes his opinion of the average Celtic supporter is not exactly flattering.

Anyway, he's merely quoting from 'Football Chairmen for Dummies', the standard handbook for the job. Is there a chairman in history who hasn't lied through his teeth with these words at some point?

[lbb]

No truth in the speculation that Scott Brown will be offski to the Premiership at the earliest opportunity, then?

Anything is possible in the loony world of the Premiership but I'd have thought Brown's star has fallen since his move to Celtic, rather than risen. And I say that as someone who was a fan of the player at Hibs.

Ah, good old Militant, the voice of the people...

I think the 'Not Wanted' bit is definitely confusing. I think they're trying to say he's 'Not Wanted' at Celtic but is 'wanted for war crimes'. You and I might understand that but I imagine a few furrowed brows (or brow, seeing as we're talking about Celtic fans ) before the game on Saturday. It's better to make your meaning clear, I feel.

Well he clearly thought the British public were stupid enough to believe Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction trained on Tel Aviv, so one assumes his opinion of the average Celtic supporter is not exactly flattering.

Anyway, he's merely quoting from 'Football Chairmen for Dummies', the standard handbook for the job. Is there a chairman in history who hasn't lied through his teeth with these words at some point?

There is that - and having a pathological liar like David Edward Murray in charge then perhaps it's pot, kettle. It was the direct reference to Alan Hutton's transfer to Tottenham that got me. Was Reid seriously claiming Celtic were routinely turning down £9m bids for their players and would do so in the future? Why are they going for guys like Barry Robson, then? It was ill-advised bravado that will almost certainly come back to haunt him in the future. Rather than sneering at such offers, I suspect the Celtic boardroom were rather envious and would gladly welcome such offers for Nakamura and Boruc, for starters.

[Scottish]

It's understandable from Reid's point of view - he is universally loathed by the Celtic support. The lampposts of the East End of Glasgow were covered on Saturday with 'Not Wanted - For War Crimes' posters with Reid's unhappy coupon attached.

I'm wondering how you know this. Were you at the game, caller? It's hardly a scientific analysis of attitudes, is it? A bit like saying the last time I was at Ibrox every lamppost and wall was covered in BNP propaganda (which they were) and drawing whatever ridiculous conclusions I care to make about the nature of the Rangers support.

Instead, I make the assumption that the people with the paste and brushes are not necessarily the same as the ones with the scarves and replica strips.

[Lisbon67]

Well he clearly thought the British public were stupid enough to believe Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction trained on Tel Aviv, so one assumes his opinion of the average Celtic supporter is not exactly flattering.

So all those Scud missiles he lobbed into Israel during the first gulf war were just big fireworks, were they?

John Reid will be an outstanding Celtic Chairman. He's a genuine fan unlike some politicos who just jump on the bandwagon.

[lbb]

I'm wondering how you know this. Were you at the game, caller?

I was 'in the area'. It was an undercover anthropological study, if you must know.

It's hardly a scientific analysis of attitudes, is it? A bit like saying the last time I was at Ibrox every lamppost and wall was covered in BNP propaganda (which they were) and drawing whatever ridiculous conclusions I care to make about the nature of the Rangers support.

That's true, to an extent. But I would also cite further exhibits - a Celtic fanzine that had a similar cover (Tiocfaidh Ar La, or something equally impenetrable) and the online fury, including petition-organising, that erupted amongst the green-faced community when Reid was appointed. All this evidence points to it being something more than loonies with brushes - though I think Reid would like it to be portrayed as such.

Case closed.

[the hibLOG]

So all those Scud missiles he lobbed into Israel during the first gulf war were just big fireworks, were they?

Ahem. Not wishing to turn this into a political debate, but subsequent events have rather proven beyond all reasonable doubt that prior to the current conflict Iraq hardly even had any big fireworks.

John Reid will be an outstanding Celtic Chairman. He's a genuine fan unlike some politicos who just jump on the bandwagon.

Quite possibly. Doesn't mean he's not a bare-faced liar like the rest of them.

[nightfire]

I'm wondering how you know this. Were you at the game, caller?

I was 'in the area'. It was an undercover anthropological study, if you must know.

It's hardly a scientific analysis of attitudes, is it? A bit like saying the last time I was at Ibrox every lamppost and wall was covered in BNP propaganda (which they were) and drawing whatever ridiculous conclusions I care to make about the nature of the Rangers support.

That's true, to an extent. But I would also cite further exhibits - a Celtic fanzine that had a similar cover (Tiocfaidh Ar La, or something equally impenetrable) and the online fury, including petition-organising, that erupted amongst the green-faced community when Reid was appointed. All this evidence points to it being something more than loonies with brushes - though I think Reid would like it to be portrayed as such.

Case closed.

First the decoration of lamp posts and now a magazine with a small readership and from that you have determined that Reid in universally hated by Celtic fans - bollox

Next you will confirm that all Airdrie fans are KKK supporters and that the majority of Rangers fans are fully paid up members of the Nazi party practising their salutes on a regular basis.

[lbb]

First the decoration of lamp posts and now a magazine with a small readership and from that you have determined that Reid in universally hated by Celtic fans - bollox

No, it's gospel.

Maybe 'universally loathed' was stretching it. Quite a good number would like him to trip over his shoelaces or something, though. Are you denying that the appointment of Reid wasn't meant with some apoplexy in certain green quarters?

[nightfire]

First the decoration of lamp posts and now a magazine with a small readership and from that you have determined that Reid in universally hated by Celtic fans - bollox

No, it's gospel.

Maybe 'universally loathed' was stretching it. Quite a good number would like him to trip over his shoelaces or something, though. Are you denying that the appointment of Reid wasn't meant with some apoplexy in certain green quarters?

No I'm not but my point was that he is not universally hated.

1. Some people do hate him enough to protest although not very many.

2. Some people are not happy with the appt and would prefer someone else but not enough to protest.

3. Some people go to watch the game and don't give a toss.

I would expect any club's fans to be split in a similar way