Pressley has 'great track record' in youth development
You have to dig through some serious fan fury to find any kind of positivity relating to Steven Pressley's Dundee appointment.The Dens Park board are facing intense criticism from supporters for their decision to bring in the former Celtic defender, whose previous job in management was a 10-month spell at Carlisle United six years ago.But does the ex-Hearts captain's history of youth development provide some optimism for the Dundee fanbase?The 51-year-old joins after spending four years as Brentford's head of individual player development, and former Scotland centre-back Joelle Murray hailed his "great track record" of working with youngsters at Falkirk more than a decade ago.Murray says the decision to bring in Pressley points to Dundee looking to recruit young talent from south of the border, develop them and sell on for profit. "It's definitely a route that they will be looking to go down," she adds on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "What Pressley might have from working in his previous role at Brentford is a network of really good young players he has knowledge of, and he will be looking to try and bring them to the other side of the border to develop them."
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Glasgow Times
25 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
How Johannes Edvaldsson made Celtic history and led a foreign invasion
Dan Lavery (Australia), Joe Kennaway (Canada), Bent Martin and Lief Nielsen (both Denmark), Mohammed Salim (India) Ronaldo Ugolini (Italy), Gil Heron (Jamaica), Konrad Kapler (Poland) and August Julius Hjulin and John Donoghue (both the United States) had all spent time on the Parkhead club's books prior to him joining. So Edvaldsson, the Icelandic internationalist who spent five memorable seasons in a green and white hooped jersey during the 1970s, was by no means a trailblazer for foreign imports. Yet, did the impact which Edvaldsson, who quickly endeared himself to the Celtic support as a result of his wholehearted and highly effective performances in a variety of outfield positions and who was soon affectionately nicknamed Shuggie, pave the way for other overseas players? Andy Lynch, who was involved alongside the defender cum midfielder in some of the most momentous victories in the Glasgow giants' long and storied history during that era, is convinced the success which his old team mate enjoyed on these shores led to the foreign invasion which followed his departure. Read more: The Celtic side which has taken to the field in the past season has comprised of young men who come from Denmark, Canada, Finland, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Ghana, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Poland. But the football landscape on these shores was entirely different 50 years ago. 'It was a bit of a novelty for us to have an Icelandic player coming in,' said Lynch. 'I think Johannes was the first foreign player we had played with. It was a very unusual at that time. But looking back I think that was maybe the beginning of more outsiders coming in to the Scottish games, of more foreign players coming in.' Sean Fallon, the Celtic assistant manager who was put in charge of the first team in 1975 while manager Jock Stein was recovering from the injuries which he had sustained in a near fatal car crash, was tipped off about Edvaldsson by Joe Gilroy. Gilroy, the former Clyde, Dundee and Fulham striker, was the head coach at Valur in Iceland at the time, had seen the player in action in an international match and had been highly impressed. The 6ft 3in utility man, who had previously been rejected by Dundee United before following a trial at Tannadice, joined a pre-season tour of the Republic of Ireland that summer and was offered a contract after scoring the winning and only goal in a friendly against a Derby County side packed with England internationalists on his Parkhead debut. (Image: SNS Group) 'He adapted to Scottish football very well,' said Lynch. 'He was best at centre-half, but he could play in other positions. He was a useful player. He was good at corner-kicks and free-kicks and could score goals. He was a good man to have on your team. He was a good lad, too. He enjoyed life. 'He liked a pint after the game, liked to let his hair down a wee bit. We used to go out for a pint in town after a home game, but it would always be quiet. But Shuggie would always want to go out and party. There was no stopping him. He would say, 'I played my game, now it's time to relax'. He was a funny big guy. 'He formed a good central defensive partnership with Roddie MacDonald. Roddie was a quiet lad from the north of Scotland, Johannes was far more outgoing. But they really hit it off. Opposites attract I suppose. They were good at their job, were a real handful for opposition players. They would just kick them for 90 minutes.' Lynch is perhaps best remembered by Celtic fans for scoring the winner against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden in 1977. The left-back converted a first half penalty, his first of his professional career and the first of many, after Derek Johnstone had handled the ball on the line. He is reminded about the moment to this day. However, that was arguably Edvaldsson's finest hour-and-a-half as a Parkhead player. He was drafted into the starting line-up in midfield after Ronnie Glavin was ruled out by an injury he had picked up on Scotland duty and performed brilliantly. He always seemed to rise to the occasion in Old Firm derbies. Read more: 'That was a very tetchy game,' said Lynch. 'But I think we deserved to win. It was a big thing for the club, beating our greatest rivals to complete a league and cup double. Shuggie had a very good game that day despite being played out of position. 'Pat [Stanton] slotted in behind Roddie and Johannes and that meant Danny [McGrain] and I were able to attack down the flanks. We were forced into it because of Ronnie not being available, but it actually made us stronger. Our defence was able to cope with Rangers' long ball game.' Both men were in the Celtic side two years later when they came from behind to beat leaders Rangers 4-2 in their final Premier Division game at Parkhead and clinch a famous Scottish title triumph despite Johnny Doyle being sent off – a victory which has since become known as 'When 10 Men Won The League'. 'That's probably the biggest game I was ever involved in,' said Lynch. 'It was incredible night. The official attendance given was 52,000, but there were far more people than that there. When Johnny got sent off with Rangers leading 1-0 and we went down to 10 men. I thought, 'That's us done'. But we came back to win. Johannes played his part that night too.' (Image: SNS GROUP) Edvaldsson moved on the following year and played for the Tulsa Roughnecks in the United States and Hannover 96 in Germany before returning to Scotland and spending two seasons with Motherwell. He moved into the hospitality industry when he retired from football and ran a pub in Glasgow as well as a hotel in Poolewe in the Highlands. 'He opened a pub in Bridgeton Cross after he left the club and I popped in to see him shortly afterwards,' said Lynch. 'I said, 'Johannes, this area is a real Rangers stronghold, it's not a Celtic area!' He said, 'Oh no! They told me they'd love to have me here!' He picked the wrong spot. But that was the sort of guy he was, he would just go for it.' The 34-times capped player certainly had, after stints with Valur in his homeland, Cape Town City in South Africa, Metz in France and Holbaek in Denmark, no qualms about moving to this country to further his career. His old captain is adamant that, despite the overseas players who had plied their trade here before him, he had a seismic impact on Scottish football. 'I definitely think Johannes was the start of the influx of foreign players,' he said. 'He had a good attitude, he adapted to the game and to the lifestyle here well, he was popular with his fellow players and the fans. Yes, more foreign players coming over would have happened at some point. But if he hadn't been able to do the business then clubs would have been put off. 'I think foreign players are good for the Scottish game. I know people get upset at the lack of Scottish players coming through and I understand why, but I do I think they're good for the game. Look at all the brilliant players we've had over the years. They give the fans a bit of colour and excitement. Johannes certainly did when he was at Celtic.'
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Crumlin Road Gaol and courthouse: Contrasting fortunes of two listed Belfast buildings
On a street in north Belfast, two Victorian buildings with colourful histories sit facing each other. The Crumlin Road Courthouse and the Crumlin Road Gaol have had very contrasting fortunes since they both closed in the jail, which is owned by the Department for Infrastructure, has been transformed into a popular tourist attraction, a conference and wedding venue and is also now home to a whiskey on the other side of the road the courthouse lies empty and derelict. It has suffered numerous arson attacks and is a shell of its former self, with weeds and trees growing where its roof once new plans have now been submitted for a mixed-use development which could turn it into a hospitality, tourism, educational and commercial space. Both buildings were constructed in the mid-19th Century and designed by the architect Sir Charles courthouse has changed hands a number of times since it closed in 1998 but various development plans have failed to get off the new owners are hoping their proposals will prove more plans include the restoration of the Victorian front of the building and the recreation of one of its courtrooms.A tunnel beneath the road, which connected the courthouse to the jail, would be reinstated and there would be a partial demolition and new build to the rear. Sustainability Johann Muldoon, from Manor Architects, is involved in the new scheme."For most of our heritage in Northern Ireland, we see all these proposals, but they really struggle to find a sustainable use that is economically viable," she said. "That is why I think a lot of our heritage seems to degrade."She hopes the mixed use plan for the site might improve its chances. "Why we have those proposed uses is to balance what we've got in terms of heritage offering, in terms of a tourism, against the commercial viability and the sustainability of it all." The sorry state of the courthouse stands in contrast to Crumlin Road Gaol on the other side of the former inmates included the likes of former Irish taoiseach (prime minister) Eamon De Valera, former Northern Ireland first minister Ian Paisley and IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. It closed as a working prison in 1996 and is now a popular tourist attraction where the public can visit the cells and learn about its history. Local historian Tom Liggett, who used to give tours of the jail, thinks it is essential that its past is never forgotten."While there are people who take a stance that all this should be destroyed and you should forget about it, I wouldn't agree with that," he said."I think local history is told from our perspective - a working-class perspective - and it's hidden and it shouldn't be hidden." Last year a whiskey distillery opened in one of the Kelly, chief executive of McConnell's Irish Whisky Distillery, was among those behind the development. "A wing lay derelict for many, many years, and we saw the opportunity of bringing the McConnell's story, dating back to 1776, into a wonderful heritage listed building," he said. "For us, it's three parts of the business: it's the brand, it's the distillery and it's a wonderful tourist attraction." Storytelling So can the courthouse learn anything from its opposite neighbour and should we as a society do more to protect our built heritage?Rita Harkin, the Architectural Heritage Fund's development manager for Northern Ireland, said: "We have to be able to use these buildings to tell our stories. "And that's a reflection of a city and a place that it's grown in confidence, to be able to look honestly at our past to use that to move forward."You can hear more on this story by listening to the latest episode of Red Lines.
Telegraph
30 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Teachers' gold-plated pensions are about to be exposed as a Ponzi scheme
The Teachers' Pension Scheme is the second-largest of the 'unfunded' public sector pension schemes, behind the NHS. Like all the gold-plated public sector pensions, it offers a guaranteed, fully index-linked 'defined benefit' pension. Like all the other unfunded schemes, there is no pot of money funding it – the money contributed towards these pensions over the years has been spent, not saved. Spent, by the way, on anything the Government of the day fancied at the time. In essence, there is a raid every year on these funds – just like Robert Maxwell did when he illegally plundered the Mirror Group's staff pension fund. But when the Government does it, it's entirely legal because it makes the rules. You might imagine that, seeing as there is no fund, the Government would not bother to calculate what they should have put in it. But there is a whole industry devoted to just this – charging public sector employees and employers for the fund-that-never-was. All paid for ultimately by the Government itself, which means you and me. Except in the case of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, taxpayers aren't the only ones funding it. Private schools are also eligible to enrol their teachers on the state-backed scheme.
