Youths back on top, Start of the season for Fortune

Celtic's u-19 side moved back to the top of the league with a convincing 4-1 win over St Mirren today.

Hamilton Accies had overtaken Stevie Frails side when Celtic were on SFA Cup duty last weekend but had their match with St Johnstone abandoned due to fog on Friday.

James Forest marked his return to the Celtic side with a double with Greg Spence and Johny Marsden the other scorers.

The u-19 side face Aberdeen next Saturday in their final league match before the winter break and have been drawn away to Dundee United in the quarter-finals of the SFA Youth Cup.

Meanwhile along at Fir Park the best and worst of Celtic was on display as Tony Mowbray's side clocked up their fourth win on the bounce.

Three goal of the season candidates delivered the points but sloppy defending and a missed penalty ensured that Celtic had to work extra hard to secure the points.

The most welcome aspect of the game was Marco Fortune's glorious 79th minute winner- delivered after being on the park for 50 seconds.

It was a great move from Gary Caldwell's crossfield pass finding Fortune who exchanged passes with Scott McDonald before the former Nancy striker sent an unstoppable drive past Motherwell 'keeper John Ruddy from 25 yards out.

After the recent scary performances at Falkirk and Dundee United there was an anxiety about the closing minutes but seeing the game out should give the team confidence going into a crucial run of matches.

Three wins against Hearts, Hamilton and Rangers should see the team move into the new year in style and on today's performance there was lots to be optimistic about.

Tony Mowbray resisted the temptation to highlight his inspired substitution but was clearly delighted by the impact that his record signing made.

The Celtic boss said: "It has been a tough period for him,I don't want to shout from the rooftops, but that's why he is here.

"In my opinion he is a quality football player who can score goals. I've seen the evidence of it in six months at West Brom and I am delighted for him and I hope it gives him a lift.

"As a human being it is difficult to stay top of the game and injuries affect players in lots of different ways.
"Marco was getting up and running and his injury came at a bad time for him and to spend two and half months out has been a disappointment for him."

Fortune added: "I am happy because I have been waiting for this goal for a long time. When you go to a new club you want to show what you can do but the injury came and it has been difficult.

"But I kept going and today is maybe the start of the season for me."

Dallas vow of silence broken within 24 hours

Surprise surprise, less than 24 hours after claiming 'I will make no further comment' to the SFA website Hugh Dallas was breaking his vow of silence today on Radio Scotland.

In an interview with Chick Young Dallas again went into detail about the SFA's tracking system and how they follow up on all correspondence.

The postal system in use at Hampden is unlikely to ever be a talking point amongst football supporters, players or manager.

"No one has explained the Royal Mail saga or Royal Mailgate as we call it," Dallas joked. "Comments from managers, coaches and also club directors is something that we treat very seriously.

RESPONCE
"They are frequenly in contact with me and they always get a responce. All of the copy letters, the Royal Mail tracking, the recepit of letters from Motherwell have all been catalogued and listed and sent back to Motherwell."

Perhaps if equal attention was given to refereeing standards as to following the post Jim Gannon would have less to complain about.

Dallas once again avoided the question of poor refereeing, Gannon's most outspoken comments on refereeing came after his opponents, Dundee United, had had two players sent off against Motherwell.

Bringing up Craig Thomson's performance in the October 4 Rangers-Celtic game reopened an old sore with Dallas.

Such were Thomson's errors that day that Dallas came out and admitted that he had made ONE mistake, other contentious incidents involving penalties and bookings were quickly swept over by the admission of one mistake.

EXPLANATION

No explanation was given for the mistake, we weren't told if the referee was unsighted or why he failed to award Celtic a penalty which would likely have also involved a booking for David Weir.

"I thought that the Dallas soap opera had finished in the 80s," Gannon replied when told about the latest comments from the man that was fourth official at the 2002 World Cup Final.

"The SFA PR machine is much stronger than hours they get on the front pages of newspapers and the BBC website."

Gannon's intervention and comments are a welcome breath of fresh air to Scottish football where too often mistakes and incompetence are excused with the time honoured 'these things even themselves out over the course of the season' excuse.

An invite to explain his comments is bound to be heading Gannon's way, that hearing at the SFA could be as explosive the great 'Who Shot JR' mystery of the eighties.

Touchy Dallas blasts back at Gannon and blames the Royal Mail

Referee supremo Hugh Dallas has launched an unprecedented attack on Motherwell boss Jim Gannon.

From behind his desk at the SFA where he has the title of Head of Referee Development Dallas said: "I am astonished by the personal attacks made by Jim Gannon, which have questioned my honesty and integrity, and wish to set the record straight on the chain of events that have created an air of tension and negativity."

Dallas then goes into a civil service like explanation over letters opened and unopened, the chain of command and the general breakdown in communications between Hampden and Fir Park.

At no point does Dallas explain, justify or answer the issues raised by Gannon about the quality of officials and the channels of communication between the SFA and the clubs although clubs have their responsibilities as they make up the SFA.

Paper chasing about 'I did this' and 'he said that' does nothing to address the issues, there is a tone to Dallas's statement which seems to infer that he is bigger than Gannon and who is Jim Gannon to publicly criticise Hugh Dallas?

NEGATIVE

Dallas statement said: "The type of adverse media coverage generated by Mr Gannon - which is extremely uncommon in Scottish football - has a negative effect on the confidence of referees and is counter-productive."

On their own Gannon's comments relating to decisions effecting Motherwell are stinging enough- bringing in the performance of Craig Thomson at the Rangers-Celtic match has clearly got under the skin of Dallas.

"His dissection of refereeing decisions involving Craig Thomson, one of UEFA’s elite referees, is wholly unnecessary," Dallas added.

The purpose of the Dallas statement is unclear, if he thought that it would end the matter he must be living in a parallel universe.

SCRUTINY

Adding fuel to the fire is a more reaction, the timing, on a Friday tea-time within 24 hours of a full SPL card will only put the referees that Dallas is so keen to protect under greater scrutiny.

Dallas, who was fourth official at the 2002 World Cup Final concluded by saying :"I will be making no further comment.”

I suspect that there will be lots more comment on this statement.

Dallas statement on the SFA website

New date for Rangers game (February)

With two months notice the SPL can't be criticised for putting back the Rangers-Celtic game scheduled for February 27 to February 28.

The third derby match of the season will be screened live by Sky Sports, hardly a surprise, with a 12.30 kick-off.

Celtic's trip to Aberdeen on Saturday February 13 will have a 12.30 kick off to enable it to be shown live on ESPN.

Other less exciting fixture news sees the u-19 side face St Mirren tomorrow at Barrowfield with an 11am kick-off which makes it possible to catch the first half before heading along to Fir Park.

Jim Gannon's thoughts on that match should be interesting after his recent criticisms of referees and in particular 'supremo' Hugh Dallas.

EXPLAIN

The Motherwell boss has come out with some risky comments over the last few weeks and can expect a request to visit the SFA to explain himself.

Last year's embargo on directly criticising referees has been disregarded by the new intake of bosses with Gannon not prepared to stay silent on issues effecting his team and indeed others.

His comments about the abysmal performance of Craig Thomson in the opening Rangers-Celtic game of the season were stronger than anything issued by Celtic at that match.

On the subject of the SFA it seems that Celtic are still awaiting an explanation for the criteria for incidents referred to the SFA Review Panel.

RESPONSE

Celtic issued a statement on October 16 saying: "We have received no substantive response on this issue so far and the procedure by which Glenn Loovens and Scott McDonald were referred for review remains unclear.

“Therefore, we still do not understand the procedure by which Glenn Loovens and Scott McDonald were referred for review and other similar incidents in recent months have not been. The process seems to be disparate and arbitrary."

This disparate and arbitrary process has not been used so far this season...

Tom Boyd's thoughts on the Robbie Keane rumours

Marsden turns his back on Premiership for hoops dream

Christmas has come early for Celtic striker Johny Marsden with two goals in a week.

The 18-year-old from Wigan has spent most of the season on the sidelines with injury but has notched back to back goals against Brora Rangers and St Mirren.

Marsden turned his back on half a dozen Premiership clubs in his own backyard to join the hoops to the delight of the Celtic-mad elements in his own family.

"Half of my family are Celtic fans and they are one of the biggest clubs in the world," he smiled about his choice of club.

"I thought that I'd get a better chance here than I'd get at an English club where they just go out and buy top class strikers for £25m or whatever.

"I've settled in quickly at Celtic although it's obviously difficult when you leave home as a 16-year-old but that's what you need to do to be a footballer.

"Celtic was always in my thoughts when I was growing up, my family is all English but there might be some Scottish and Irish relatives far back and that's why they've supported Celtic.

"I'm a Liverpool fan and remember not being too pleased when Celtic beat Liverpool in the UEFA Cup but they did well in that tournament."

Marsden is one of a number of players from outwith the traditional Celtic heartlands making their way through the club Academy.

Josh Thompson and Matty Hughes have also been recruited from the North-West of England with the Twardzik's, Filip and Patrik, picked up from Germany.

Various players are currently being assessed by the Academy coaching staff with the Celtic scouting network covering Europe extensively.

Recruiting young talent from England should be a difficult task with parents being offered massive amounts of money and even houses or jobs for getting their kids to sign up.

Against that the lack of opportunities for English players could give Celtic a chance to offer players the prospect of a top level career.

Nothing is left to chance within the Celtic Academy with every aspect of the players development monitored in the hope of producing first team candidates.

Marsden added: "Being at Celtic has been brilliant for me, with full time training I'm learning every day. The players can see themselves improving as the coaches Stevie (Frail) and Tommy (McIntyre) keep on pushing us.

"It's great to get back involved playing and scoring goals, that's what strikers are judged on and hopefully there will be lots more goals for me to enjoy this season.

"Last season I was playing for the u-17's and this season is only just starting for me. Scoring gives strikers confidence, when I'm scoring I'm happy with my game and looking to score in the next match."

Celtic 4-1 St Mirren, youths back on top of the league

Liverpool Echo article on Marsden's signing

Richie Towell's 'Iron Man' challenge

Dublin kid Richie Towell is hoping that the 'Iron Man' contest can help push him into Tony Mowbray's first team plans.

Once a week the Celtic Academy squad is put through a punishing schedule of weight-lifting, running the treadmill and cycling as they arm themselves for the future.

Playing the beautiful game will always be the priority but being as physically prepared as possible is essential to succeed in the modern game.

Towell (pictured left after winning the 2008 Glasgow Cup) said: "On a Tuesday or Thursday we do our 'Iron Man' training which is hard work but beneficial.

"We see who can lift the most in the gym, then run on the treadmill and finish up with some cycling and at the end you get an overall score.

"These things give you an edge and you feel better on the park. The day after isn't too bad and on a Friday training is usually quite light because we mainly work on set-pieces for the weekend match.

"I'm loving my football at the moment. I've moved up to training with the reserves but play for the 19s to add a bit of experience.

ENJOYING

"The results have been great this season and everyone is enjoying their football. Training is all about working on the ball and passing quickly to penetrate defences. We're getting the benefits of that when we're playing as the results show.

"Everyone wants to get on the ball and work on their skills. There are a lot of good players at the club and the scouts are bringing in lots of talented boys as well."

Towell has been playing at right-back this season and is beginning to feel comfortable in the role although he misses the cut and thrust of centre midfield.

Sunday's 6-0 win over Brora Rangers in the SFA Youth Cup was an exception however with Towell charging forward at every opportunity.

The 18-year-old is in his third season at Celtic after signing from Crumlin United in Dublin and scored for the reserve side as a 16-year-old.

BREAKTHROUGH

Making the first-team breakthrough is the goal of everyone in the Celtic Academy with Towell hoping that his opportunity isn't far away.

He added: "I'm training with the reserve side now and we usually have a game on a Monday or Tuesday.

"I'm happy with my form and know that it's upto me to impress the coaching staff. Playing for Celtic is my priority and I'm happy with how things are progressing.

"This season I've played mostly at right-back and I'm getting used to that role although I prefer playing in centre midfield.

"At right-back I can get on the ball and push forward which I enjoy doing, I've played there for Ireland so it's not new to me."

Celtic have a new management team in charge of the u-17 and u-19 set up with former Aberdeen and Hibs defender overseeing the development of the professional side of the club's Academy.

HEARTS

Working exclusively with the u-19 squad is Stevie Frail who had a spell in charge of Hearts before taking up the Celtic job earlier this year.

Winning is an essential element in the development of players with Frail pleased with the attitude and performances from his side this season.

Despite the ease of the win over Brora Frail ensured that his players gave 100% commitment till the final whistle.

He said: "For a right-back Richie's performance against Brora was great. He's doing well in the position and suits the way that we like to play.

"In the modern game full-backs are essential. Ritchie has the edge and fitness to his game to get up and down, we encourage our full-backs to overlap.

"His pace is good and right to the end of the match we were encouraging him forward. In the 85th minute and six goals up we were still asking him to run at their full-backs."

PADDY POWER Champions League specials

Twardzik Bhoys on target as Celts win 6-0

Celtic's u-19 side put in a great professional performance today to beat Brora Rangers 6-0 and win a place in the last eight of the SFA Youth Cup.

The Highland League side had a difficult afternoon as Stevie Frail's side bounced back from their only defeat of the season last week when they lost 2-1 away to Dundee United.

In truth the margin of victory should have been greater with Celtic failing to convert their first half superiority into goals with only strikes from Declan Gallagher and Jordan Lowdon separating the sides at the interval.

Two quick goals at the start of the second half from Lowdon and Filip Twardzik put the tie beyond doubt with Patrik Twardzik and substitute Johny Marsden completing the scoring in the last ten minutes.

Despite putting the game well beyond Brora, Celtic never let up with their controlled passing game troubling their opponents throughout.

Right-back Richie Towell put in a power of work up and down the right flank where he supported Patrik Twardzik with Brora offering little in an attacking sense.

"It was a pleasing win after the disappointment of losing last week," admitted Frail. "It was good to get over that and to score six goals.

"Fair play to Brora, they stuck at it, but it was obviously a step up in class for them. We were hoping for more goals but they worked hard to keep the score down.

ATTITUDE

"The big thing today was attitude and the players were spot on. They enjoyed themselves, we expect them to work hard, they did that and did well on the ball from first whistle to last.

Frail added: "To be brutally honest we were a bit disappointed to be just two up at half-time, we had chances to be further ahead if we had played a little bit better. We're satisfied but there is always room for improvement.

"Jordan (Lowdon) did well with his two goals, it's been difficult for him to break into the team because they players that are in have been doing well.

"I felt that he got better and stronger as the game went on which is pleasing for him.

"We need to have depth and players to come in, we have had a few injuries with James Forest and Callum Bagshaw out."

Without going overboard the quality of football being produced by the u-19s is very encouraging.

All of the players are comfortable on the ball, they pass and turn with ease, control the ball with their first touch and have a good grasp of the basic skills.

Developing youths with potential into first-team players is the task for everyone at Celtic.

The drop out rate for players between the ages of 17 and 21 is terrifying but the level of skill and resources currently spent on development has never been higher.

CONTRIBUTION

Only Aiden McGeady, Stephen McManus and Shaun Maloney have come through the ranks in the last decade to make a serious contribution to Celtic although others have made an impact before moving on elsewhere.

Pushing through a batch of players ready to win in Scotland and compete in the Champions League is very demanding but Frail and the coaching team won't compromise their demands and beliefs.

Frail added: "We have to win games, make no mistake about that, we don't apologise about that but we have to do that with a style.

"That's the way that Celtic teams have won in the past. We have to develop players and be winning, players have to step up into the reserves and be ready to do the job required.

"We're reasonably happy with how the season has gone so far."

Next Saturday the u-19's face St Mirren at home in the league before stopping for a winter break with another home match against Aberdeen.

CELTIC: Kennedy; Towell, G Gallagher, D Gallagher, Brennan; F Twardzik (McDonnell 69), Santonocito, Lowdon; Keatings (Ordish 59), Spence (Marsden 59), P Twardzik. SUBS: Witeman, Jones

Feel free to add comments or questions below

Youth's in action today at 1pm

Is it really a December morning?

The sun is shining brightly and the u-19 side are in action at 1pm when they face Brora Rangers in the SFA Youth Cup.

Stevie Frail's side will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season away to Dundee United by making it into the fifth round of the national knock-out cup.

The Highland League side must have something about them to have reached the last 16 of the competition but hopefully their journey ends today.

I've no idea of what sort of side Celtic will put out but James Forrest and Josh Thompson, who have oth been on the first team bench this season, are likely to be playing.

On a normal grotty December Sunday this game would likely be for die-hards only but it looks like being a dry afternoon for those heading along to Lennoxtown.

Korcsmar on trial at Celtic