pap

Valuations are always going to differ, so it's a difficult balance. That said, I do share the disquiet on this front. Either bid for the players or don't. They must have an idea of what a club wants after they've submitted the first bid. At least try and get close if you're going to make another bid.

F**k me. What a line-up! Are tickets still available, mate?

Didn't this guy just get a new agent? As things stand, Hooper isn't moving clubs and isn't getting a new contract. Agent can't be too happy about that, I'd imagine.

This is interesting. No contract for Hooper until the summer. Back on, boys/bhoys? Linkage

Champions League qualification is easy when you only have one effective opponent most of the time, with the rest making up the numbers, as is unfortunately the case in the SPL. Last non-Celtic/non-Rangers Scottish Champion was Aberdeen in '85. During the same period, no less than seven teams have been English Champions and seven different runners-up. We have seen dynasties rise, fall or not quite get there (think Newcastle). With the rise of Manchester City this year, it's possible we'll see an eighth team become champion since 1985. Celtic and Rangers are victims of their own success. They've swept the rest of Scottish football aside, and in doing so, have made the SPL into what many believe to be a dull procession. Let's face it - if Celtic were in the EPL, any Championship club would be laughed out of town for making a bid for Hooper. Yet, poring over the relevant media reports, the only people who think this bid is audacious are the people on the Celtic board. Hmm.

You got two posts left today, kid. Make 'em count.

I fear for his current missus the next time he fancies writing a romantic comedy.

Since we're having a moan, why did they change the Doctor Who theme music? It's only a little bit wail-y now. Anyone knows that it has to be 98% ethereal and weird for it to work. Leave it for the techno remix, Moffat.

Maybe not this thread, but this forum could have been a factor. Imagine if he'd googled us and looked at a historical Match Day thread in which Saints conceded a goal. Might have took one look and ran away screaming

Bearsy, I think you're being extremely uncharitable about the depth of Moffat's big pool o' ideas. Only half of his stuff is based on the lead-up to boning a babe. The rest is Victorian stuff which he puts through his patented McMoffat Modernizer TM.

To be fair, we've spent a lot longer arriving at no concrete conclusion. This thread is a mere whelp in comparison.

So the Barcelonasaint translation is:- "I like being paid my wages. I still live in Scotland, and the locals are already going mental because they think I might want to leave. Until I say the complete opposite in two days time, I love playing for Celtic". I like your thinking, mate (Cue two more pages of bile over on the Celtic site)

We've seen what happens when they remove the kid demographic from Doctor Who. It's called Torchwood, and is mostly arse (mini-series excepted).

Do what you like, Alps. Can't speak for Verbal, but from my POV, you can just take it that I'm going to dismiss everything you say until you become a lot more conciliatory in your posts. I am highly amused by your whining though, so please, continue pulling people up for stuff you do in 98% of your posts. Your inane proclamations and simplistic traps provide a welcome break from sensible and well-reasoned posts.

I wouldn't say nothing, exactly. We've managed to annoy our cousins north of the border with our astonishing arrogance, so there is that.

No point. You'd swear it was black, and suggest that there is "something wrong with people" that disagree. Have to say though, it is much easier to respond to you as a troll than as a human, so thanks for that.

They could get relegated this year. If they get a really low points total, they will be relegated to the SPL instead of L1.

Celtic’s Gary Hooper has responded to speculation about his future by insisting he is happy in Glasgow. Several clubs are thought to be tracking the striker and Southampton have made enquiries about a possible transfer. Hooper says that transfer talk does not concern him and he does not want to move. “I’m very happy,” he told Celtic’s official website. “I’m back playing now and scored at the weekend. It was good to be back in the team. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m a Celtic player and very happy here, winning games for Celtic and we’re two points clear at the top of the league just now. I’m just focusing on football - training, playing and scoring goals – that’s my job.”

While this is not the death-knell for this transfer, pretty close. Cue the sounds of a million battered Mars bars hitting deep fat fryers in celebration.

Careful now. I know for a fact that Alps got this for Christmas:-

Hmm, the focus group. Politicians actively seeking the views of real people. The whole thing would be considerably cheaper if we froze MPs assets and gave them the average public sector wage. They'd soon find out about the needs of real people.

As you (probably) know trousers, I have no political allegiance either way - but I feel I must stick up for Miliband et al. The Tories are nicking their ideas left, right and centre ( see what I did there? ). That to me suggests that they didn't really have any plan or political convictions, at least none that would get any sort of backing from the British public.

And on another note, it really does go to show the p*ss-poor Government that we have at the moment. Schools are in peril, youth unemployment is sitting at unprecedented levels, yet Michael Gove apparently has the time to go outside his remit and suggest that 60M of tax-payer's cash should be spent on a floating white elephant. Hardly indicative of a government with its priorities set straight, or even, the right people in the right places.

I've been watching The Thick of It on Netflix. This is like an episode of that

She can, many times over.