Fraser Forster has decided to snub Premiership makeweights Newcastle to sign for Champions League hopefuls Celtic.
Faced with a potential forty year plus wait to win a domestic trophy, the fun loving Geordies haven’t won a pot during Forster’s lifetime, the keeper has pledged his future to Celtic despite interest from a number of Premiership clubs.
The decision is a huge boost for Neil Lennon’s plans for the new season with Celtic having to negotiate two Champions League qualifiers if they are to return to the group stages of the competition.
Forster has spent the last two seasons on loan to Celtic and was a key player in last season’s SPL winning side showing a level of consistency that had been lacking in his first term with the club.
The turning point in his season, and possibly Celtic’s as well, was a last minute penalty save from Eggert Jonsson on December 10Â after Calum Murray awarded Hearts a penalty.
Speaking after that save the keeper admitted: “”This is a great club, and I have loved my time here so far. The manager has been brilliant with me, so I can’t really ask any more. It is a fantastic club, and the chance to play in Europe is something that very few players get to do.
“So I’m just honoured to be playing for such a big club and I just work hard and see where it takes me.”
Celtic and Newcastle had agreed a fee in the region of £2m for the keeper with personal terms to be ironed out.
The signing of the keeper also puts to bed the notion that players only sign for Celtic to play in the Glasgow derby which will be absent from the fixture list for the first time in 110 years when the new campaign gets underway.
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Haha he didn’t have a say in the matter as Pardew didnt want him! He’s not good enough for Newcastle!
pardew is probably one of the worst managers in the epl. He doesn’t make the decisions at newcastle. Ashley does. The three team epl is at an all time low and this shows in the decision of a mediocre goalie not seeing that league as better than the SPL. newcastle will be back in familiar territory next season, fighting relegation, probably failing too.
As much as pardew said he watned Forster to stay, (you may want to read your local rags),he got Forster for nothing, but paid for the clown wearing the #1 shirt today. This is why pardew is told to play him instead. The credibility of english football is at a fantastic gutter level with the negativity of all teams there except Man Utd, Man City, and Liverpool. All other epl teams play not to lose, like the international squad. What an embarrassment in the european championships!! thanks for making all Scots happy!! At least we know we aren’t good enough while you lot live in lala land. Keep it up, we all love to laugh at you.
What utter dribbling cack
When FF has signed on dotted line let’s remind Nu-Mad – the closet hun and open bigot of his jibes that the big man would never sign for Celtic…..
Ha ha Newcastle didn’t want him. The only things Celtic will win are domestic Scottish things!! What a waste of time!!!!
and what have newcastle won in 40 years? SFA….ps you play in black and white because thats what TV’ s were like when you last won anything….
We play in a real league against quality teams – Celtic play in a joke league
Great point. remind me again what newcastle have won recently i think we all forget.
Now now Tom,don’t get above your station. Remember it was only a couple of years ago that the mighty Newcastle (who don’t win anything and are only big in Newcastle) were playing in the championship. Let’s hope that day returns soon 😉
Don’t judge every Mags fan on the mouthpiece Nu-Mad, cos we hate him too. The majority of Mags would be willing to give up his identity and location if it would stop the fueding between our neighbours over the wall. Good luck to FF, Celtic are a massive club and he will be happier than down here with no work and poor housing.
Cheers mate. It’s good to hear you saying that. I’ve always liked the geordies. All of the ones I’ve ever know were good lads with a great sense of humour. So I was shocked by some of the arrogance and anti-Celtic comments I read recently.
Good luck next season.
I live down in the area and it does have its share of ‘idiots’. There is a lot of inexcusable bile aimed at other clubs and supporters. I do find it strange, however, that a support or supporters should describe a club or its leagues as not worth mentioning and then proceed to expend excessive energy vilifying the quality of the country’s football and one club in particular, especially when the achievements of their own club would hardly fill a shelf in the Scottish club’s trophy cabinet. It would appear that the infiltration of the moron gene in British society was much more widespread that first thought. However, I am being utterly sincere when I say that the people of the whole of North East England, and I met and worked with a lot of them from Berwick to the Nth. Yorkshire border, are among the nicest, friendliest and most accommodating folk I know. It is just a pity that the barrel of excellent fruit has been infested by a few rotten……..!
H H
My faith restored. There is a smart Geordie after all. One who knows what he is talking about.
Well I did say the big man would sign but that’s great news.
As for the NU-Mad site, I’ve blocked it via the Newsnow site as the blogger talks total pish and I suspect if enough other folks block that shite, sorry site, they will drop them from their communication list.
HH
I’m sure Celtic and Newcastle fans can have a civilised debate about football matters- ah the banter.
I don’t think Fraser Forster will get a testimonial from Celtic but the club and player can help each other over the next few seasons before the inevitable parting of the ways.
Yeah okay then!
he’s out fourth choice keeper. no disrespect meant to Celtic, but it’s no coup, it’s like signing a reserve player with no future at our club. Tim Krul, Steve Harper and Robbie Elliot would all get on ahead of Fraser Forster. Had you got Krul off us, with the promise of a potential CL winning season, then maybe you could have gloated, but really not so in this case.
You do realise that in a competition like the Premier League Celtic would be lucky to win anything as often as Newcastle ? That’s why a player far down our pecking order is a first teamer for you !
‘You do realise that in a competition like the Premier League Celtic would be lucky to win anything as often as Newcastle.That’s why a player far down our pecking order is a first teamer for you!’
Now Colin, I hope you understand that if Celtic were in the EPL then they would have a bigger budget than they currently have.
I would hope, however, that they would continue their excellent scouting operation that has unearthed some quality players for a very small price (I know it doesn’t work 100%).
We would dwarf small clubs like Newcastle as we attract better players thus hopefully finishing higher in the league.
Why would a player knock back the chance to play in front of 60,000 every other week for a club with a worldwide appeal to go and play for a small club at the Sports Direct Arena(ohh that last bit hurt eh?).
As I said, our fourth choice keeper just signed as your first choice. So the name of our stadium is irrelevant (that the best you got ?)
Umm, by better players do you mean a 2mil quid goalie who got no where near our first team, even in the championship ? You’re team is like Martin oneil … Found out
If we got the money you get i beg to differ, we generate our own income, not rely on Sky like you lot, now run along and support the biggest club in the North East, SUNDERLAND
Obviously you can’t read and understand Colin. I said that if we were in the EPL we would be able to attract better players sooo by you saying ‘umm better players,do you mean a £2m goalie’ well it doesn’t make sense does it?
When you refer to Martin O’Neill,can you name a team that he has left who have prospered since his moved on?
Enjoy the never watching your team win anything at the anything at the Sports Direct Arena. Mon the cockney mafia eh?
*I should not reply on my phone after a night out drinking. Jeeeez I don’t make any sense lol.
I should have said ‘When you refer to Martin O’Neill,can you name a team that he has left who have prospered since he has moved on?
Enjoy the never watching your team win anything at the Sports Direct Arena. Mon the cockney mafia eh?’
Anyway,I’m going to leave it at that
Good to see common sence has got into the big mans head at last, i said yesterday he would regret not signing for the champions as he wouldnt get near anything like it again (maybe he reads this)so good on the double F enjoy the medals. hail hail
Gd on the big fella. The lure of silverware and european fitbaw every season to great for him. No brainer really. Gd tae see hes use his head instead of thinking about his pockets. HH
Some Geordies have got expectations of thier club that far exceed the clubs actual status… its fair to say they had a good season, they are a decent team and that Krul would be hard to shift from the No1 spot but Forster could play for Newcastle no problem given the chance…. Ive always like Newcastle and wish them all the best but as for that Nu-mad helmet… get it right up ye!
Oh, and welcome aboard FF… I hope this will encourage other reported wantaway players to commit and look foeward to CL qualification! HH
Excellent new and well said with your last line Joe!!
‘The signing of the keeper also puts to bed the notion that players only sign for Celtic to play in the Glasgow derby which will be absent from the fixture list for the first time in 110 years when the new campaign gets underway.’
HH
Good to see him sign at last. We will make a killing in the transfer market when he up sticks. Welcome Lurch the Third! As for that f**knugget numad. I reckon that cretin is still waiting for a ball to drop.
Good to see the bigman showing some ambition and putting his career ahead of his bank balance.
He will put himself in the shop window in both domestic games & Europe rather than fighting relegation / mid table mediocrity as the mags return to normal again.
I’m sure Celtic will make a handsome profit on the deal when he is eventually replaced by some of the highly promising keepers we have in the youths.
I reside in the vicinity of Newcastle and have lots of friends in the area who are fanatical supporters of United. We have discussions, arguments even and certainly a lot of banter but making derogatory comments about each other. I think you may find that the ‘tumshyheids’ commenting on here are much more red, white and blue than black and white for they most certainly have a secret ‘toony’ army down here that crawls out of the slimy woodwork when they see the opportunity for a sneaky jibe or two. As for the quality of F.F., I would agree whole heartedly that he is not the greatest. However, he is so young in goalkeeping terms that in a few years he could be a world-beater and we do not know it. Even his numpty manager recognised that he had ability when he put a 2 million price tag on him. However, he could also turn out to be the biggest and the tallest flop ever. Hey guys, that’s fitba!
H H
Should read “not making derogatory comments”
H H
Steve and Colin- what League did Tim Krul play in a few seasons ago???
We’re under no illusions about FF , he is a decent keeper,who’s still a young guy and will get better each season ,So welcome Officially to Paradise all the best!!!.
We know the strength of our League and we know our place in world football.
The EPL IS THE RICHEST League in the world, NOT the BEST. And its clear that the English media’s DELUSIONS,have seeped into every English household.
Apart from 5 clubs in Manchester,London and Liverpool,who have a realistic chance of winning the League,the other 15 are there to make up the numbers!!!
With the sky money and overseas players,the EPL is now a league of above average teams.
Your national teams performance in major championships proves this theory!!!
But seriously a few seasons ago, we got a manu player in loan, we were better than them that season, honest
I work away with a lot of Geordie’s and they have this delusion that they are a big club. They are a one team city so in their own goldfish bowl they are but outwith the surrounding areas nobody decides to grow up a Newcastle fan.
I had a lot of respect for Newcastle fans during the days when they fought their way back up to the top echelons of English football. But now, in my opinion, they have the arrogance of Manchester United fans without the silverware (I’ve lived in Manchester for 20 years)
Knock knock
Whose there?
Scottish football
This must be some kind of joke!!!