Lifelong Celtic 'fans' who reject the club

It's very easy to say "I would choose Celtic over Barcelona any day" in reality if you were given the chance to play first team football for barcelona I very highly doubt you would turn them down, even if it was to play for the team you love. I know for certain who I would choose. I'm afraid it's not Celtic.

I would choose Celtic over a mid-rate English team, such as Wigan, Wolves the likes, but to turn down the chance to play for, arguably the greatest ever team, I don't think so

 

Dont forget Shay Given

 

It is also surely a question of career progression and achievement. I can hand on heart say I wouldnt care if I earned £40000 or $200000 a week as I wouldnt come close to spending it. But I would never live with myself knowing I had the skill to be an all time great and stayed here to play for Celtic. Seeing as I would also be playing for Scotlands national team, I would be resigned to a career of Scottish cups and SPL titles, instead of being part of potential champions league winning teams and the history of football!

I dont think many professionals (in any occupation) would have that attitude.

 

If I'm being offered first team football at Barcelona, I must be pretty * good. So I'd stay at Celtic and become a legend, help them in Europe and skelp the huns.

 

I think the way some people talk about Tony Mowbray these days is despicable. He failed but deserves more respect.

 

Check the Darren O'Dea thread for an example of that, it works two ways. The abuse Neil Lennon was getting sickened me on the weekend.

We show our players and players that are without doubt die hard legends no respect, so where's our loyalty?

 

Yeah and the abuse some of our players have got past and present is also out of order. I wont name any names because, it will just turn into one.

 

Playing in a mediocre league where the other clubs have no ambition to push or improve as a team/club. Earning a pittance of what is on offer of Prem/Championship clubs pay add that to the media circus of the Scottish papers and goldfish bowl lifestyle of playing for either of the Auld Firm, i can see why players no matter how much they love the club would give it a swerve.

Football is no longer 'for the love of pulling on the jersey' is a matter of stepping stones and who's paying the most cash, you could go as far to say the modern days footballers are mear mercenary's in a sport that counts money over fanbase.

 

I like Faddy but I suppose he is not the sort of player that is priority. I knew we were doomed when Everton came in. I think if it had been a real bottom of the EPL side we may have got him but Everton and Moyes and the standard of the league and the money all combined to give us no chance. Also, it probably didnt help that it looked like the chances of a league medal in short stint dont look so great. Think one day he will regret it though.

 

If I was in Faddy's situation, I would of hand on heart picked Celtic. I'm sure one day when he's warming the Everton bench he will realise he has thrown away a massive oppurtunity.

But.. to say you would turn down a move to Barcelona . That's just ridiculous

 

anyone who picks everton over the hoops isnt a fan

 

If Celtic & Barca came in for me i'd choose Celtic every day of the week. I wouldn't give a * how much Barca were offering me. Just to be able to play 1 game for Celtic would be an absolute dream come true, so it's a no brainer for me. And obviously if Barca want to sign you, you must be a good player, so i could potentialy become a legend at Celtic.

 

I'm not sure I would be able to live with myself knowing I'd turned down the opportunity to experience something I've dreamed of every day of my life. I think if Faddy doesn't get to play for us he'll kick himself for turning down this opportunity. John Hartson said one of the biggest regrets of his career was that he never got to play for Swansea. You never know how many chances you'll get to play for your boyhood heros, so if one comes along you'll have to take it.
Agree with you about the money though. Whether it's £10,000 a week or £100,000 doesn't make that much difference to me, because both are far more than enough to live on. Besides, I can't put a price on the opportunity to play for the Hoops. That would be worth more to me than any wages.

 

McFadden was never going to get more than till end of the season to prove himself at whoever he signed for.

Celtic dont need to be nursing another John Kennedy hence the trial offer. Hard to believe that people expected him to get a contract without a proper look at him or his knee.

McFadden was after a contract and regular game time, no doubt that Celtic werent going to be offering this. McFadden had his priorities, Celtic werent offering them so he went where they were on offer.

Was he suppose to take whatever offer Celtic had regardless of what options were on the table and priorities he had?

 

Id question your sanity if you turned down the chance to play for the European Champions beside Puyol, Pique, Fabregas, Alves, Busquets, Thiago, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa, Sanchez and Messi in the good weather of Barcelona being paid brilliantly to live in miserable Scotland and play with Majstorovic, Izaguirre, Kayal, Ledley and Stokes on less money in a worse League in worse stadia and probably under more pressure.

 

That's what Celtic does to people mate. Nobody questioned Henrik Larsson's sanity when he stayed here for 7 glorious years when in reality he could have easily played for any club in the world long before he joined Barcelona and he wasn't even a die-hard fan who'd dreamed of running out the tunnel at Paradise since he was little kid.

 

I think its all fine and well saying - if you support Celtic, if they want you! You MUST! sign.

Not really the case, and the 2 keanes done it because it greatly benefitted them at the time. Its hard as if they dropped all to join us. Roy knew his legs were gone hence why he didnt sign for Juve or the other big teams that wanted him and Robbie done it because he needed game time and had something to prove, they never done it for the badge infact they milked us. However atleast we got goals out of Robbie. Neither of these guys up sticks and changed their whole lives for Celtic, just a simple 5 months and they were gone.

The end of the day, its easy to claim your a Celtic fan but I hardly see these guys turning up at every match, your lucky even if you see them at glamour fixtures. They aint Celtic fan's no more than they support the clubs they played for previously.

Also, when your a kid watching celtic and playing for celtic is everything to you but when someone else dictates how much you earn and were you live you have to look after yourself, fans and footballers alike. Often getting accustomed to life elsewhere and living life with the salary they are on.

I tell you now, as a fan I wish i could watch celtic at home everyday, i really do. I even wish I could watch them on something else other than my laptop screen but I cant. However, a drop in salary and moving back to Glasgow! No way! not for all the love in the world for celtic would I and many alike do that. Does that make us less of a fan? I don't think so.

MON took the job because the jobs in the UK that were bigger at the time were taken. and at the time it was really only Arsenal and Man UTD that would have been a step up from Celtic.

I guess my point is, you can justify being a fan to yourself by watching and wishing the team on, by when it comes to changing your whole life around which it does for many of these players like faddy, moving kids, dropping salary, convincing the wife and then putting up with the high expectations and drama of playing for the OF... Maybe it becomes a bit of a deterrant rather than a pleasure.

In reality for a lot of fans, dreaming about pulling on the hoops is sometimes best left as a dream.

 

to get back to your original point, maybe those that have grown up in the area understand all the * away from the park that goes with playing at Paradise. in all honesty could you imagine some of the * that players, coaches, back room staff etc have had to endure because of the bigotted morons they would encounter whilst shopping\cinema\picnic in the park? not too sure i'd want that for my family

 

I love my team as well, have done for over 45 years, but I no longer have they daft dreams.

Didn't intend to patronise, but think yer being very misty eyed and naive.

 

Smashing post mate, well said.