Jim Craig would have fitted in well at Tannadice last week. There weren't many of the Celtic team there who seemed to have an interest in football. Although some of them did summon up the interest to stand back and admire the bamboozling skills of Barry Robson.

Sure Telfer was a stop-gap. but the fact is he held down a regular first team place for most of his 2 years at Celtic. He was a solid and reliable pro (albeit unspectacular) who brought out the best in Shunsuke Nakamura, Celtic's most gifted player. He deserves thanks for his contribution, not mean-spirited articles like this.

#2 Mungo

I believe you miss the point of the article. I do not perceive any mean-spiritness about it. I found it rather refreshing actually, comparing Telfer;s approach/attitude to the game with past great as exemplified by denis law etc. The Ally McLeod reference in particular was good to remember, because as I recollect, back in these days there was none of the wild and crazy pantomimes over such a simple thing as scoring a goal such as there are nowadays. it was the normal thing to turn around and get on with the game other than congrats and thanx from team members. Some players just go about there business on/off the field without the prima-donna hoopla.

I felt the article was complimentary to Telfer and am sorry you appear to have missed the point....

#1 You are almost right!

Unfortunately Robsons skills had nothing to do with football they were more akin to a street fight and does nothing to help his ambition of an international call up.

#3
Absolutely correct. Some people have a god given ability which they will utilise to the maximum without being obsessed by it and Dennis Law was a case in point. I once had a brief conversation with him in the 60s and he confirmed to me that if he wasn't a professional footballer he probably wouldn't go to a match but it didn't stop him performing to the best of his ability. Mark Viduka is another good example. A talented footballer but would much rather be involved in motor sport. How many of us are good at our jobs but would rather be doing something else? Me for one!

I agree with the senitment form most of the posters esp. #5.

Only football to some is so important as to be all pervading.....Forgetting the football/golf bit I was pleased to learn that the boy was putting his family above all else - an entirely sensible attitude to his life.

Well done Paul you did your job well when asked but kept your feet firmly on the ground...... as to what is truly important.

Song moment - Saving all my love for you.....as in his family.

Robson is a wonderful player - far too good for Dundee United - I would not be surprise to see him shipped on in the summer if the right bid comes in for him

Mister Boruc also has a dislike for the sport. It's just a job to him.

Mr Gibbons gets way too much stick on these forums. He's the only reporter North of the border capable of writing objectively, with insight and using decent English. On a no-news day this was an intelligent article putting a curret issue in perspective.

#9
I agree entirely.

Actually, I thought this article was interesting and don't understand why some would object. As far as I know, Jim Craig likes rugby, too, and may even have family who play it. He's a pretty objective commentator on the Celtic channel, if you've ever listened to him, and on air often expresses respect for the skills of opposing players. As for Telfer, I've never understood why some Celtic fans didn't respect him. The few errors he did make were never forgotten, while some less skilled and more error-prone players could do no wrong in the eyes of many fans. I thought he was a very good player, and somewhat underrated.

The article's view of Celtic fans may have been accurate 12 months ago but Paul Telfer in this season has impressed with his honesty and commitment. He was not a star but he worked hard and won the fans over. He leaves with our best wishes for the future. He realised what it meant to play for Celtic (in the same way he would have been respected in the south side if he had played for Rangers) Football isn't always about superstars, sometimes the jorneymen win our hearts as well. Good luck and best wishes.