Berkovic on the Old Firm

[Trueorange 0]

I got this e-mailed to me from a mate who is working in Israel, how come we never get to read this stuff in Scotland?

Berkovic lifts the lid on latent racism at Celtic Park by Robert Miller.

The years have may have rolled by but Eyal Berkovic retains the looks and spirit of a man which belie his thirty six years. Sitting relaxed in the rustic tranquility of his spacious villa in the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Berkovic radiates a certain calm and peace which is at odds with his colourful, and at times tempestuous career as a professional footballer.

"Looking back, football has been good to me and my family. It has enabled us to achieve a standard of living that would not have been possible had I followed my original path as a chartered accountant. I was pretty academic at High School and good with numbers. My father especially wanted me to go into business and establish myself with a reputable company. He saw football as nothing more than a diversion from my main focus in life. Years later, he recognizes that I made the right call, though the old man would never bring himself to admit that I was right and he was wrong!".

Within Israel Berkovic remains a controversial figure with his constant, and at times acerbic criticism of Israeli football in general, and the national team in particular. Just about every major figure in that sport has received the sharp end of Berkovic's vitriolic tongue.

" Look, I am not proud of what I said but the fact is somebody had to speak out. We were amateurish in the past and were led by people who as they say in England, "could not organize a piss up in a brewery". In recent years Israel has become a far more professional team and that is seen in our results. Nobody and I repeat nobody, likes coming here, as they know they will get a tough game. I would like to think that by putting my head above the parapet, I have in some way helped address the deep seated problems that beset our team".

Berkovic's career can serve as a paradigm for foreign players and their growing influence in the English Premier League. He moved from team to team and from North to South with alarming regularity.

" My arrival in England coincided with the big bucks from SKY television and for that I will always be grateful. We literally saw our salaries double overnight and with the right agent, we were able to command excellent wages operating from a position of real strength. I think that you have to realize that a footballer's career is relatively short and you have to make your money while the sun shines."

Berkovic is convinced that the SKY money has been a force for good in football as it has helped make the Premier League the best in the world. It can offer top salaries and can therefore attract the very best from all over the world.

He spent two troubled years outwith the EPL and it is at this point that his mood changes as the conversation takes an unexpected and dark path.

" Celtic was a big mistake for me, that's for sure. Celtic never understood me , and I for sure never understood them. It was a club with an image which was full of its own self importance and role in the world. The club was going through a troubled time and when manager John Barnes got the sack, my days there were numbered. It's hard to say this but I feel that I have to point out that Celtic, certainly at that time did not react well to people who they did not consider were 'one of them". I am Jewish and proud of my religion and background, Barnes and Ian Wright felt the same as me, and they were quickly ostracised when results went against us. After one midweek game which we lost, Wright and Barnes were subject to really disgraceful racial abuse in the car park. It was at that point I knew I had to get out. I found it really disconcerting having to play in front of a huge crowd where many fans had PLO flags and celebrated terrorist actions. They were backing an organization which, after all, wanted the destruction of the State of Israel. How could I give one hundred percent for such a club with an ethos like that?

The Celtic Rangers games were utter madness, and I had to remind myself for which club I was playing! I always stood up for the sovereignty of the nation and the right of law. Celtic seemed to be going for the opposite, by supporting terrorist groups from Spain, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa. It was crazy!".

As if to underline Berkovic's anger, was the fact that shortly after his departure from Celtic, (the man who released him) Martin O'Neill signed John Hartson who had assaulted the slight Israeli at a training session when both men played for West Ham. Even a quick glance on youtube years later, does nothing to dampen the sheer brutality of the unpremeditated attack on Bekovic.

"The signing of somebody like John Hartson by Celtic did not come as a surprise to me. It was a marriage made in heaven. The fans finally had found somebody who embodied everything they stood for, and I for one was not astonished that he went onto become a cult figure at their club."

As for tomorrow's derby in Glasgow, Berkovic will be tuning in to watch the game though it comes as no surprise at all to learn that he will leaning towards the blue side of Glasgow tomorrow. Berkovic, like him or loathe him, usually gets the big decisions right.

[RangersKenny 0]

The wee reptile actually seems to have his head screwed on a bit tighter than i thought.

Just wish he'd revealed this earlier.

As much as i like the fact he's supporting Rangers tomorrow, i'd still pay good money to get a shot of what Hartson done to the wee fucker!!

[Youllneverwinaway 0]

Sounds like a lot of shite to me.

I smell a smelly thing covered in a rotten smell.

[Trueorange 0]

Here, have a look at this!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbiaXYLD-Ok

The wee reptile actually seems to have his head screwed on a bit tighter than i thought.

Just wish he'd revealed this earlier.

As much as i like the fact he's supporting Rangers tomorrow, i'd still pay good money to get a shot of what Hartson done to the wee fucker!!

[Thermopylae 15,287]

As you said why don't we read this ... can you imagine the mhedia reaction if one of our ex's put the boot into us (assuming it's true of course )

[BallochBear 1,613]

I got this e-mailed to me from a mate who is working in Israel, how come we never get to read this stuff in Scotland?

Berkovic lifts the lid on latent racism at Celtic Park by Robert Miller.

The years have may have rolled by but Eyal Berkovic retains the looks and spirit of a man which belie his thirty six years. Sitting relaxed in the rustic tranquility of his spacious villa in the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Berkovic radiates a certain calm and peace which is at odds with his colourful, and at times tempestuous career as a professional footballer.

"Looking back, football has been good to me and my family. It has enabled us to achieve a standard of living that would not have been possible had I followed my original path as a chartered accountant. I was pretty academic at High School and good with numbers. My father especially wanted me to go into business and establish myself with a reputable company. He saw football as nothing more than a diversion from my main focus in life. Years later, he recognizes that I made the right call, though the old man would never bring himself to admit that I was right and he was wrong!".

Within Israel Berkovic remains a controversial figure with his constant, and at times acerbic criticism of Israeli football in general, and the national team in particular. Just about every major figure in that sport has received the sharp end of Berkovic's vitriolic tongue.

" Look, I am not proud of what I said but the fact is somebody had to speak out. We were amateurish in the past and were led by people who as they say in England, "could not organize a piss up in a brewery". In recent years Israel has become a far more professional team and that is seen in our results. Nobody and I repeat nobody, likes coming here, as they know they will get a tough game. I would like to think that by putting my head above the parapet, I have in some way helped address the deep seated problems that beset our team".

Berkovic's career can serve as a paradigm for foreign players and their growing influence in the English Premier League. He moved from team to team and from North to South with alarming regularity.

" My arrival in England coincided with the big bucks from SKY television and for that I will always be grateful. We literally saw our salaries double overnight and with the right agent, we were able to command excellent wages operating from a position of real strength. I think that you have to realize that a footballer's career is relatively short and you have to make your money while the sun shines."

Berkovic is convinced that the SKY money has been a force for good in football as it has helped make the Premier League the best in the world. It can offer top salaries and can therefore attract the very best from all over the world.

He spent two troubled years outwith the EPL and it is at this point that his mood changes as the conversation takes an unexpected and dark path.

" Celtic was a big mistake for me, that's for sure. Celtic never understood me , and I for sure never understood them. It was a club with an image which was full of its own self importance and role in the world. The club was going through a troubled time and when manager John Barnes got the sack, my days there were numbered. It's hard to say this but I feel that I have to point out that Celtic, certainly at that time did not react well to people who they did not consider were 'one of them". I am Jewish and proud of my religion and background, Barnes and Ian Wright felt the same as me, and they were quickly ostracised when results went against us. After one midweek game which we lost, Wright and Barnes were subject to really disgraceful racial abuse in the car park. It was at that point I knew I had to get out. I found it really disconcerting having to play in front of a huge crowd where many fans had PLO flags and celebrated terrorist actions. They were backing an organization which, after all, wanted the destruction of the State of Israel. How could I give one hundred percent for such a club with an ethos like that?

The Celtic Rangers games were utter madness, and I had to remind myself for which club I was playing! I always stood up for the sovereignty of the nation and the right of law. Celtic seemed to be going for the opposite, by supporting terrorist groups from Spain, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa. It was crazy!".

As if to underline Berkovic's anger, was the fact that shortly after his departure from Celtic, (the man who released him) Martin O'Neill signed John Hartson who had assaulted the slight Israeli at a training session when both men played for West Ham. Even a quick glance on youtube years later, does nothing to dampen the sheer brutality of the unpremeditated attack on Bekovic.

"The signing of somebody like John Hartson by Celtic did not come as a surprise to me. It was a marriage made in heaven. The fans finally had found somebody who embodied everything they stood for, and I for one was not astonished that he went onto become a cult figure at their club."

As for tomorrow's derby in Glasgow, Berkovic will be tuning in to watch the game though it comes as no surprise at all to learn that he will leaning towards the blue side of Glasgow tomorrow. Berkovic, like him or loathe him, usually gets the big decisions right.

Can you get the original source for this, I'd love to send it to Graham Spiers to get his reaction.

[Thermopylae 15,287]

The wee reptile actually seems to have his head screwed on a bit tighter than i thought.

Just wish he'd revealed this earlier.

As much as i like the fact he's supporting Rangers tomorrow, i'd still pay good money to get a shot of what Hartson done to the wee fucker!!

Strange post considering what he's said about septic

[Youllneverwinaway 0]

Can you get the original source for this, I'd love to send it to Graham Spiers to get his reaction.

www.madeupbyaboredtimtogetariseoutofthebears.com

[ManchestGer 347]

Celtic have got it that bad that even their ex players criticise them yet once again the media are still blind to Celtics activities

[RangersKenny 0]

The wee reptile actually seems to have his head screwed on a bit tighter than i thought.

Just wish he'd revealed this earlier.

As much as i like the fact he's supporting Rangers tomorrow, i'd still pay good money to get a shot of what Hartson done to the wee fucker!!

Strange post considering what he's said about septic

Alot of ex-players are bitter about their old clubs after they leave, if things didnt work out for them, so say things to deflect their failures and place blame on others.

Fair enough he's slagging them off, but all i remember of him was him doin that annoying wee chicken celebration when he scored at Ibrox and generally just bein a wee shite.

he seems to have caused alot of trouble at numerous clubs and it now appears he was at it at the spud-dome too.

[BallochBear 1,613]

Can you get the original source for this, I'd love to send it to Graham Spiers to get his reaction.

www.madeupbyaboredtimtogetariseoutofthebears.com

I get a lot of stuff from that site.

[Thermopylae 15,287]

Well I could turn it round and say lots of players do annoying things when they score

[Ibroxblue 122]

Much as I might like to believe it, the article looks like a fake to me.

[RangersKenny 0]

Well I could turn it round and say lost of players do annoying things when they score

Valid point Thermopylae, but that doesnt excuse him from acting like a chicken. He played for THEM, thats enough for me to say he's a fanny.

[Thermopylae 15,287]

Your just saying that because he only has 2 posts and his name may refer to the orange on the eire flag

[kirkiebear 1,013]

Nothing like a good tim bashing.

[airdrieloyal1 6]

Much as I might like to believe it, the article looks like a fake to me.

Somebody needs to get the original, If there is one, DONT be fooled

[Guest The Brown Brogue]

Couldn't find any trace at all of the original article, I suspect it is in fact bullshit and is in fact loosely based around this article...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ism-742930.html

In which he accuses West Ham of being a racist club.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

He's said all this before in previous interviews.

The Herald's tim editor at the time pulled the article and the same thing happened at the Record. Liewell had his hounds out quickly.

[Trueorange 0]

And don't forget he was shipped out quickly by O'Squeal and made to sign a 'gagging' clause. I assume that after almost eight years it has expired. The story about Lieweell and co is true, they have tremendoud power.

He's said all this before in previous interviews.

The Herald's tim editor at the time pulled the article and the same thing happened at the Record. Liewell had his hounds out quickly.

[Trueorange 0]

This was from a previous article AFTER he had returned to Israel. He has a reputation for shooting his mouth off and is supported by that article. I'll try and get the original.

And don't forget he was shipped out quickly by O'Squeal and made to sign a 'gagging' clause. I assume that after almost eight years it has expired. The story about Lieweell and co is true, they have tremendoud power.

He's said all this before in previous interviews.

The Herald's tim editor at the time pulled the article and the same thing happened at the Record. Liewell had his hounds out quickly.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

And don't forget he was shipped out quickly by O'Squeal and made to sign a 'gagging' clause. I assume that after almost eight years it has expired. The story about Lieweell and co is true, they have tremendoud power.

He's said all this before in previous interviews.

The Herald's tim editor at the time pulled the article and the same thing happened at the Record. Liewell had his hounds out quickly.

Sno said something similar recently. I think it was the Evening Times that had it in an early edition, but pulled when Liewell paid an emergency visit.

[Coopermania 1]

If true, no surprise here. Septic: rotten to the core.

[Trueorange 0]

Here is the original!!! It is written in Jewish or Yiddish or Hebrew or whatever you call it! I haven't got a scoobie it looks like Chinese to me ! My mate got his Israeli girlfriend to translate it for him. Check the date, it came out this morning. Also, don't forget Jews don't celebrate Christmas so it is a normal day there.

יום שישי 26 בדצמבר 2008 00:04 מאת: ירון פריד, הארץ

בחדשות 2 לא טרחו להתייחס למותו של המחזאי וזוכה פרס הנובל, ובערוץ 10 סימנו על הידיעה וי סמלי. בחדשות סקיי לעומת זאת, זכה פינטר לכבוד הראוי לו

פינטר, מתוך רשת סקיי ניוז

פרסומת פרידה מהרולד פינטר, כל הערוצים

"העולם חולק לו כבוד, וגם אנחנו", אמר חיים אתגר בחדשות 10 על מותו של הרולד פינטר. כבוד כמובן הוא עניין יחסי, אבל מדויק יותר היה לומר: "אנחנו עושים וי על הידיעה שבאמת העסיקה את שאר העולם, ומקדישים לה כעשרים שניות, אחרי אייטמים על הפגנה, תערוכה וסדרה חדשה על בית המלוכה, ולפני כתבה מורחבת על נשרים בסכנת הכחדה".

אפילו הפירור הזה היה יותר ממה שחדשות ערוץ 2 הואילו להעניק לפינטר בדרכו האחרונה – דבר מותו לא הוזכר במהדורה המרכזית ולו ברמז - מה שמבהיר שוב שלא רק הנשרים נמצאים בסכנת הכחדה. אם לענקי הרוח של "האח הגדול" הרבה יותר קל לקבל שערים במגזינים והתייחסות תקשורתית רצינית מאשר לחתני פרס נובל, יש פה בעיה. הבעיה היא לא של פינטר, שגם בחייו לא הוטרד במיוחד ממי אומר עליו מה, אלא של צרכני תרבות מקומיים ושוחריה, שערוצי הטלוויזיה המובילים, איך לומר, משתינים עליהם בקשת. וברשת. ובכלל. על תוכנית תרבות אמיתית מתוצרת מקומית הפסקנו לחלום כבר מזמן. הנמכנו ציפיות לאפס, אבל לא ציפינו להגיע כל כך מהר אל מתחת לאפס.

מה למדנו על המחזאי הדגול בהספדון החפוז-בעמידה של ערוץ 10? שהיה יהודי, אם כי "לא יהודי חם" (אז הוא לא חגג את חנוכה כהלכתו לפני ש"סיים את חייו", כהגדרת אתגר?), ששם משפחתו המקורי הוא פינטו (טעות), ושמחזותיו היו "אניגמטיים ופורצי דרך", ניסוח אניגמטי למדי בפני עצמו. אפילו לסרטן שלו לא קראו בשמו, והסתפקו ב"מחלה קשה" הכללי, הישן והרע. במגע מקרי אך הולם של תיאטרון אבסורד, עבר ברקע האולפן מישהו עם בלון, כרמז למסיבה שאליה לא הוזמנו.

סדרי העדיפויות של חדשות סקיי, לעומת זאת, היו אחרים. הסתלקותו של פינטר פתחה בהרחבה את מהדורת הערב של חג המולד, עוד לפני נאומיהם של המלכה, בסוודר עם דוגמה פרחונית, ושל הארכיבישוף מקנטרברי. כך עושים כבוד למי שהעולם האמיתי חפץ ביקרו. מבקר התיאטרון והביוגרף מייקל בילינגטון ישב בסלון ביתו אשר בצ'יזיק, למרגלות עץ אשוח זוהר באור נגוהות, דיבר על ה"דומיסטיקציה של הפוליטיקה" במחזותיו של המנוח והכריז שכמו איבסן וכמו צ'כוב, גם פינטר הוא קלאסיקן שיצירתו תשרוד לנצח.

בסקיי לא חששו להזכיר את סרטן הגרון של פינטר, והביאו קטעים מהופעותיו הפומביות האחרונות, שבהן נאבק במיתרי קולו שבגדו בו ונראה כחוש וקמל, אף על פי שעיניו בערו כתמיד. גם אם מוות בחג המולד אינו שמור לצדיקים ויחידי סגולה בלבד, פינטר זכה במותו למעמד של גיבור לאומי, ולא רק גיבור תרבות. אחר כך כבר מצאו זמן לדון בזקן החדש והשנוי במחלוקת של הנסיך וויליאם, בתרנגול ההודו המלכותי וקשקושי חג אחרים, אבל הרוויחו את זה ביושר.

רוצים

And don't forget he was shipped out quickly by O'Squeal and made to sign a 'gagging' clause. I assume that after almost eight years it has expired. The story about Lieweell and co is true, they have tremendoud power.

He's said all this before in previous interviews.

The Herald's tim editor at the time pulled the article and the same thing happened at the Record. Liewell had his hounds out quickly.

Sno said something similar recently. I think it was the Evening Times that had it in an early edition, but pulled when Liewell paid an emergency visit.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

You posted the wrong Hebrew article, mate.