If you are missing your competitive football fix you’ll have devoured the fixture list this morning but it’s still over seven weeks until the first league game of the season, when the league flag will fly before we face Ross County (we will have played a Champions League qualifier five weeks from today). Thereafter, due [...]

News that Hearts are set to go into administration today will give Scottish football has yet another morality lesson to consider, but this time, there will be no pleas for rule changes, no lobbying by the massed ranks of the media for other clubs to ‘do the right thing for Scottish football’, as opposed to [...]

After a couple of days away from the computer I caught up with the Ben Nevis Huddle photographs, magnificent achievement to everyone involved.  Our 1254125 project is in good hands.  I’d no idea there would be snow at the top of the mountain in June. Have you bought your ticket for the Lions Roar event [...]

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 9-in-a-row CQN Charity Golf Day at Aberdour in Fife, yesterday.  The event, auctions and raffles leading up to it raised £6000, the bulk of which will go to the 1254125 appeal, while some will go to Clic Sargent, who help families with children with that dreadful disease. Lisbon [...]

13 June and Celtic have signed a striker!  Do we have some important games coming up early in the season?  6’4” Amido Balde joined Sporting Lisbon three years ago but never made an appearance for the club. After three loan deals he joined Vitoria Guimaraes a year ago, where he caught the eye of Celtic [...]

With former Rangers International director, Charles Green, no longer on the scene, Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, has had a sudden change of heart. After encouraging member clubs to reject the SPL proposal to merge leagues, yesterday he congratulated clubs who voted for the merger as “reluctant heroes”. SFL president, Jim Ballantyne, was [...]

We are only two days away from the 9 in a row CQN Open, which again takes place at Aberdour Golf Club in Fife.  This year our guest of honour is Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace.  We have already raised over £2000 from a shirt auction and raffle (thank you very much to all who participated) [...]

What a rascal that Neil Lennon is, laughing off interest in Amido Balde while leading us all down the Kevin Doyle road last week, then Amido pitches up at Celtic Park, complete with obligatory Celtic scarf, before heading for some scans and time plugged -up with on the running machine today. Amido’s road to Celtic [...]

The mainstream media, football administrators, football club directors, former football club directors, together with the executives from PR companies, are in a new space this week. Many of these people have spent over 20 years controlling all important aspects of the media in relations to football in Scotland.  Some have established a culture of dependency [...]

No one on Celtic Quick News ever doubted Gordon Strachan, did they? It’s been a long 8 years since that dark week but our former manager demonstrated enormous resilience to win three consecutive league titles and twice qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.  He is perfect for the Scotland role, although, to [...]

Issue 16 of CQN Magazine is out today and (in my never humble opinion) is our best yet.  We are right up to date, with coverage of the Scottish Cup final.  Phil Mac Giolla Bhain gives historical perspective on Celtic’s position as the last apex in the game. You’ve ready plenty of great stories of [...]

There are limits to how far we can recruit from our domestic market and continue to prosper.  Martin O’Neill preferred to sign players his teams had faced, which meant Hibs and St Johnstone being plundered, eventually leading to decline.  Gordon Strachan enjoyed watching Hibs all his life; it showed in his Celtic signings. Rumour has [...]

Neil Lennon did us all a favour yesterday by dismissing rumours that he was targeting a striker from Vitoria Guimaraes as nonsense this early in the transfer window. The guidelines are set for your summer ahead. As well as being nonsense, though, it is also profitable news fodder; just think of the amount of advertising [...]

I read our treble-winning captain, Tom Boyd, in the Herald advising Celtic to retain players who want away or decline to sign new contracts, until after their Champions League qualification ties, an idea we discussed some time ago.  Tellingly he added, “They will see when they go down south it’s not always as bright down [...]

Thank you to everyone who participated in our auction for the Lionel Messi signed shirt, which raised £1020 when it closed this morning, a clear £20 more than the Celtic top signed by the Seville squad, which closed a few days earlier, you are a credit to the club.  Our summer fundraising for the 1254125 [...]

I took a nasty Pavlovian reaction today when I heard the radio announce “Derby day” before realising the presenter was talking about the actual Derby.  The last thing anyone planning a night out in Glasgow is the ‘Glasgow derby’, as it was known in its final few years. As anyone walking the streets of Glasgow [...]

With financial projections which provide entertaining reading, Rangers International promoted director, Walter Smith, to the position of chairman.  Smith immediately proclaimed, “Unity among the directors is vital”, although he was not asked about the forthcoming EGM where fellow directors Malcolm Murray and Chris Morgan face dismissal, while a third director, Charles Green, suggested he was [...]

We are all familiar with brinksmanship; adopting what seems like an uncompromising position despite acute potential consequences.  Correspondence recently released around the goings-on at Rangers International and associated companies suggests at least two combative parties have been edging towards the brink since last year.  Now it is clear they are both well over the brink, [...]

Several years ago, long before CQN, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of 10 of the 11 Lions who took the field in Lisbon.  It was a great to see them interact with each other.  A grinning Jinky walked in late, “Am I in trouble again?”, bringing a playful shout from all [...]

A crucial aspect of the season just past was the form of goalkeeper, Fraser Forster.  Fraser has been Celtic’s first choice goalkeeper since joining on loan from Newcastle United as a 22-year-old but his deal was only made permanent 11 months ago, when he was secured for a fee reported as £2m. Now 25, the [...]

Leigh Griffiths has had plenty of uncomplimentary discourse written about him this season, most of it deserved, so it should be recorded that he was the first Hibs player to return applause in the direction of Celtic fans yesterday, closely followed by his team-mates. This is the way football should be. For too long our [...]

Live updates will appear below after 15:00. Remember to buy a raffle ticket to win a framed Celtic top signed by the Seville squad.

James McPake’s absence tomorrow will be a blow to Hibs and a significant boost to Celtic.  Hibs are short on cover in all areas and McPake, their captain, is an instrumental component in their defence.  Celtic are without the suspended Victor Wanyama but they are far better provisioned all over the field, especially in central [...]

I’m still meeting people who haven’t noticed.  Hibernian are on an outstanding run of form, having won their last three games and undefeated in six.  The last reversal they had was at Celtic Park the first weekend in April.  On Sunday we’re playing the team with the best recent form in Scotland; the warning signs [...]

There are truisms in life.  The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, night follows day and Hibernian Football Club will not win the Scottish Cup.  However, a failure to lift the trophy since Orville said to Wilbur, ‘I bet this thing gets off the ground’, does not guarantee subsequent failures.  Hibs [...]

I didn’t comment on reports earlier this week that the SFA would allow Rangers International to complete an internal investigation into alleged links between Craig Whyte and Charles Green as I thought this was the appropriate course of action. The SFA acted correctly: they wrote to Rangers International expressing concern over the matters in hand, [...]

In the months afterwards I made a trip to the Celtic Superstore to buy the DVD of the match.  I wasn’t ready to watch it but needed to have it nonetheless, for when the time came.  I’ve still not opened the box. I watched the game from high up in the Porto end.  The Porto [...]

There is a degree of public interest in reading about, or listening to, spivs exploit the stupidity of some football fans to bring a club to its knees, but the sight of a tired and emotional looking Malcolm Murray stumbling away from an event is neither entertaining nor of interest to anyone with a sense [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45.

Had a great time at the Celtic Supporters Association Rally last night.  It was a great celebration of all that is good about our club, with thousands of pounds raised for the John Hartson Foundation.  Neil Lennon spoke warmly of John, about his courage and ability.  As well as recognising the great achievements of this [...]

You and I have been discussing football finances here since 2004.  In our early years Celtic lost several million pounds each year, CQN’s call was ‘we must breakeven over any business cycle’, an incredibly controversial view in those times of indulgent bling. By 2004 Celtic hadn’t added a player who held down a sustained first [...]

Lots of details became available yesterday but if you can drag yourself away from the most gratuitous, concentrate on the dates. 12 December 2012. One week before the IPO.  Material information disclosed to the nomad? 21 June 2012. Four weeks after Mr Whyte was banned from participating in Scottish football, enabling Newco to exist. 11 [...]

A Hibs fan suggested to me on Twitter that as his team are wearing their home kit for next week’s Scottish Cup Final Celtic should take the opportunity to wear their 125th anniversary top. Despite there being 100 years precedent of Celtic and Hibs both wearing their home kits, recent rules (or perhaps customs) dictate [...]

This seems to be a week for leaks.  I hear one club recently refunded two investors to the tune of £500k each.  Don’t worry, it wasn’t Celtic, and I hear the club involved are one of the most financially secure in Britain.  I also hear the national broadcaster rejected a former presenter’s request to return [...]

In a universe close to you, one side of a football club boardroom battle thought it would be a good idea to undermine the other side by accusing them of leaking company information.  The allegations of a leak [at Newco Rangers, in case you were unaware] were blazoned across The Sun today, who were shown [...]

Photo by Vagelis at Big Lens. I know when you begin to dominate a championship that when another team eventually lift the trophy it can seem like an intolerable failure; compare our distress in 2009 to our resolve to do better after the final home game in 1996.  Time adds perspective to our triumphs.  As [...]

Live updates will appear below at 12:15 BST.

Heart of a Lion, the autobiography of Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace, went to print this morning and will be out the day before the Cup Final.  It is a joy. Willie starts with a remarkable 17 days in April 1967 when the takes us through five games, Dukla Prague, home and away, in the semi-final [...]

I remember singing “It’s going to be 10 in a row”, but back then 10 had no significance.  Neither did 9, it was like 8 in a row, another stop along the way.  But when Jock Stein’s team finished their spectacular domination of the Scottish game in 1974 with nine successive titles and four European [...]

The news yesterday from Glasgow City Council that Celtic’s planning application for the areas outside the stadium had been approved will do more than deliver shrubbery to a currently derelict landscape; your match day experience is about to be transformed. Unless your ticket is for the executive lounges, your match day will involve turning up [...]

The resignation of Charles Green from his post as Rangers International chief executive last month was more curious for what it wasn’t – a resignation from the board.  Green retained his position as a director of the club.  This was always likely to have consequences. BBC report this morning that club chairman, Malcolm Murray, who [...]

The Scottish Football League programme is now finished with only play-offs still to complete but there is still a great deal of business to complete.  The remarkable persistence of First Division clubs to find a financial model which will allow them to retain full time football shows no sign of ending, despite the difficulties presented [...]

The world looked so different for Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, back in March.  He convinced half of the member clubs to reject a deal which would earn them considerably more money next season, while enjoying the accolades of Rangers International chief exec, Charles Green. Green remains a controlling director of Rangers International, [...]

With Ukio Bankas bankrupt there is an acceptance that Hearts, who owe the bank in the region of £15m, will go into administration shortly after the end of the season.  This might not be the case. Hearts major problem is their major asset, Tynecastle Stadium, which occupies a valuable patch of land in Edinburgh.  If [...]

Photo by Vagelis Georgariou, Biglens. Almost exactly 10 years after Celtic fans alleged Porto’s adherence to the rules was less than faithful, when they won the Uefa Cup after extra time, their creative genius, Deco, failed a drugs test a substance used to mask performance-enhancing substances were found in his blood. Is anyone surprised? Congratulations [...]

There appears to be a degree of confusion over the report Rangers International FC PLC have commissioned into the conduct of its directors.  This report resulted from the revelation that Craig Whyte was a director of Sevco 5088 Ltd, the company which paid for exclusivity rights and had an irrevocable agreement to buy the assets [...]

A game against Union Berlin, from the second tier of German football, four days before our Champions League qualification campaign gets underway sounds like perfect preparation.  Union will be better than any opposition we have or will play since defeat in Turin last month and they will be miles ahead of our Champions League second [...]

Enormous congratulations to Georgios Samaras, Celtic’s Player of the Year, 2012-13. Scoring in five consecutive Champions League away games this season was a remarkable feat.  His last minute winner in Moscow was a seismic moment in our progress in that tournament.  Georgios is a player who thrives on positive reinforcement but endures negative sentiment without [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45.

I’m a bit confused at the chat this morning of reintroducing the sale of alcohol at football games.  Alcohol is available for sale at games at Celtic Park, you just need to have a ticket for an expensive enough seat.  If you’re in the cheap seats, you get to queue to pay for some cola.  [...]

An appropriate course of action when you are the chairman or a non-executive director of a PLC when a fellow director and, until last week, chief executive, has been reported to the Serious Fraud Office for matters in connection with the company, would be to immediately contact the accuser asking for full and immediate disclosure [...]

Boavista v Celtic, 24 April 2003, was one of the most frustrating games of football I’ve sat through.  Needing to score, for 78 minutes Celtic were moribund; they made not a single attempt on goal.  Instead, they did what most teams do away from home, condensed midfield and defended, while Boavista, who would qualify for [...]

Readers of Celtic Quick News will know that our club has not been out of debt since Fergus gathered up our cash in 1994 and set about building the new stadium.  19 years later, with the mad arms race which consumed Scottish football over, we stand on the verge of coming out of debt. The [...]

Yesterday Rangers International issued a statement saying, “Rangers International Football Club plc (“Rangers”) has instructed the law firm Pinsent Masons, supported by forensic investigators from Deloitte, to investigate the connections between Craig Whyte and former and current personnel of Rangers and its subsidiaries.” Mr Green is both the club’s former chief executive and is a [...]

Good afternoon, champions!  If you enjoy your history………. Yesterday, Celtic retained the league title, which has been a rare achievement for much of our history.  We won six in a row during the first decade of the 20th century, then won four in a row (1914-17) during the Great War, but it would be another [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who winced when I read Neil Lennon suggesting tomorrow would be “very joyous”.  Let’s remember, Inverness Caledonian Thistle won at Celtic Park on their visit earlier this season and have punctured our title ambitions in recent seasons.  There is a competitive football game to win before anyone can [...]

BBC report that Newco Rangers chief executive and major shareholder, Charles Green, has indicated to his board that he will resign.  Two weeks ago the last owner of Oldco Rangers revealed that he was also a director of Sevco 5088 Ltd, the company who had an irrevocable agreement to buy the assets of Rangers from [...]

A year ago Scottish football was gripped in debate over the audacious plan by Craig Whyte to liquidate Rangers and ask the SPL to parachute a phoenix club into the top flight.  No one had ever previously made such a suggestion but Whyte found common ground with many around the game, who had good reason [...]

The first thing you do when you raise an asset dispute is issue a Cease and Desist notice.  Inform the other party to stop using your asset, whether it is a piece of intellectual property, like a logo or badge, a piece of equipment or a physical property. In conjunction with this you also ask [...]

There’s those words, “prima facie” again.  “After examination of the evidence, Leading Counsel’s advice is that there is a prima facie case to answer”, read a stock market statement this morning by Worthington Group PLC, after the Leading Counsel “who is also a Deputy High Court Judge”, examined the case of their subsidiary, Sevco 5088 [...]

I see a justification for yesterday’s vote has been issued.  The chairman of one club spoke to several of my contacts in the media with a completely different version, using both the F word and the C word. Apparently he believes several SPL clubs are being led by the C word – Celtic.  Or to [...]

Stewart Gilmour was angry a year ago when Scottish Football League clubs offered Newco Rangers a place in the Third Division, rejecting a proposal to parachute them into the First Division, saying “This is horrific news for St Mirren Football Club. The consequences are terrible, catastrophic even. “The St Mirren board will meet in the [...]

St Mirren chairman, Stewart Gilmour, last week suggested the SPL’s 11-1 protected voting rule, which in the past enabled Celtic and Rangers to block changes against their interests, was a reason for him to oppose Scottish football’s league reorganisation plan. Today, with Rangers consigned to history, Celtic chief executive, Peter Lawwell, proposed a change in [...]

No disrespect to Falkirk, but I was delighted Hibs overturned the three goal deficit on Saturday’s Scottish Cup semi-final.  It was almost a miraculous victory for a team in bad need of a miracle.  Things were not always this way. Celtic and Hibernian meet in next month’s Scottish Cup final sixty years and six days [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45 BST.

It is nonsense to talk about Hampden Hoodoos, Celtic’s five defeats there since Neil Lennon became manager have been a result of poor performances, not superstition (fighting the urge to mention two last minute penalty decisions).  Celtic were unquestionably the stronger team on four of those five occasions, arguably all five, but they have been [...]

On the face of it, it’s just too crazy.  Why would Craig Whyte become a director of Sevco 5088 Ltd, the vehicle his collaborator and Our New Hero, Charles Green, would use to buy the assets of Rangers from the administrators? What options did he have? He was, is, and for the foreseeable future, will [...]

Charles Green’s media team did well a week ago today.  The Sun had an extremely damaging story on Green but demoted it to page six while dedicating its front page to the man himself, but the consequences of the story remain. The Daily Record, who today confirms they are being fed stories by Ally McCoist, [...]

We now know that Craig Whyte met Neil Doncaster and Ralph Topping, directors of the SPL, in London in October 2011 and informed them of the likelihood that Rangers would go into liquidation.  Whyte’s plan, to start a Newco and have it parachuted into top flight football was only taken seriously as a result of [...]

Have you ever seen a ‘Rangers’ director pushed by a journalist on a question he dodged before yesterday?  It’s never happened.  STV’s Peter Smith did something no journalist in the history of Scottish football has done before, pressed a question when the man in charge at Ibrox dodged the initial inquiry.  Smith dismissed the deserved [...]

I’m sure many of you will remember the home game against Dundee in April 2001. We needed a win to be able to secure the title the following week, at home, against St Mirren. After the game Martin O’Neill sounded irritated at the anxiety in the crowd, oblivious to the fact that the loss of [...]

It’s not often CQN quotes the Daily Record, so hold onto your bonnets………. Most of us have been watching the old media/new media for years.  Actual news is now well and truly in the domain of the new media but when it comes to some matters, the authority of the old media seems to be [...]

There is a realisation that the information issued by Craig Whyte last week is only the beginning of what promises to be weeks of salacious details.  Ownership of Ibrox, Murray Park and other assets purchased by Sevco 5088, a company which Charles Green signed a Companies House form for on 27 December 2012, but which [...]

Rangers International chief executive, Charles Green, speaking to the PLC’s official website, yesterday referred to a conversation he had with Craig Whyte before Rangers attempt to survive via a CVA finally failed in June last year. Green said “In a discussion with Mr Whyte, who taped some conversations, I am alleged to have said: ‘You [...]

After 11 months of innuendo and unanswered questions the Sun today publish confirmation that Charles Green was a frontman for Craig Whyte.  The news will be a bombshell to many but few in the Celtic online community will be surprised. The Sun today report that Craig Whyte and partner, Aiden Earley, are majority shareholders in [...]

The seemingly chaotic life of the Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, appears more predictable after First Division clubs made their feelings on league reconstruction known. Significant amounts of trickle-down money is available from the SPL to second-tier clubs from next season if they vote to merge the league organisations, which is likely to [...]

Offensive, insulting and abusive language is not condoned on CQN nor anywhere else but if you’re mumbling to this effect while typing more prosaic comments we don’t have a problem. If, by some clever use of technology, I discretely caught you on mic while recording a feature for CQN and broadcast your words it would [...]

While Neil Lennon’s mind will be more engaged with preparations for next season than SPL results between now and then he will be a bit alarmed at how porous his midfield has been recently. Celtic have been leaking goals at the back in an alarming manner but the cover from midfield has contributed most to [...]

Football is a results business and Sunderland’s results have been rotten for months, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Martin O’Neill was dismissed as manager on Saturday.  But he is Martin O’Neill, who appeared to be able to walk on water when at Celtic.  What happened? Martin’s teams played the same football at Sunderland as [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45 BST!

Sometimes it seems there is a constant struggle underway for the heart and soul of Celtic.  It is incredible that for 125 years a community has managed to retain the conviction to help the less fortunate which drove forward those who formed the club. Scarcely a day goes by without me receiving a message from [...]

I hear the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have written to complainants confirming they are investigating adverts run by Rangers International Football Club plc, in which they claim to be Scotland’s most successful football club.  You and I know that’s not the case, Celtic are Scotland’s most successful football club, followed at a distance by Aberdeen, [...]

Celtic’s statement yesterday (available on Phil Mac Giolla Bhain’s site) covered a lot of ground.  It explained the environment the club operates in, its policies and strategy, gave historical context of their objections to the Offensive Behaviour Bill and on-going opposition to the Act.  In short: Where we are How we arrived here What we’re [...]

I spoke to Celtic today about various questions surrounding stewarding and policing in and around the stadium. The club would not be specific on any particular incident but I got a run down on various instances (alleged assault, vandalism) when Celtic have responded to police requests for identifying information on fans.  Celtic said the police [...]

Several news outlets are running with our name attached to a prediction that we will join one other club in the English football structure within five years.  This prediction is little more than background noise and is not indicative of any initiative or plan.  A Scottish club cannot ‘buy’ an English club, relocated them and [...]

I watched Scotland play a more accomplished Wales last night.  No one in blue played particularly well but when Charlie Mulgrew prepared to take a corner from the right in first half stoppage time we knew Wales were in danger. The pace, low trajectory and movement Charlie gets on the ball negates the natural advantage [...]

Derek Adams propensity to waste time and then complain about time being added on should not obscure the fact that he is a remarkably productive football manager.  Ross County, from Dingwall, population 5,000, are sitting fourth in the SPL and remain in touching distance of a place in Europe.  No need to highlight their Scottish [...]

The umbrella group, Fans Against Criminalisation, issued a statement yesterday (kindly published here by Joe O’Rourke on the Association site) which details a number of events in response to Saturday’s policing on Gallowgate, and the resulting response from the SNP government.  Witnesses are invited to give evidence on Saturday (23rd March), with three protests planned [...]

The Football League in England have woken up to the notion that they do not have a working business model.  Solidarity payments from the FA Premier League’s new TV deal will earn Championship clubs £2.3m a season (considerably more than Celtic will receive from TV for winning the SPL), with League One sides earning £324k [...]

The Rangers chief executive, Charles Green, yesterday made an extraordinary bid to bribe his way up the Scottish Football League (SFL), saying, “I would … be prepared to guarantee other clubs the ticket revenue equivalent of 300 Rangers fans turning up for matches.” The SFL will soon vote on reconstruction and amalgamation with the SPL [...]

Wee Oscar’s dad, Knoxy, asked me to relay this message to you…… “The BIG cycle to Belfast… WOW! What an absolutely incredible effort by so so many people all to raise money for our wee hero, and a great night was had by all on Saturday night up at Donegal Celtic. It is very very [...]

Live updates will appear below after 15:00 GMT.

So how many of us checked the fixture schedule a month or so back and thought, “We can win the league on the St Patrick’s Day weekend”?  Then came Motherwell and Ross County, now we will do well to win the league on the same date as Gordon Strachan’s team did in 2006. This seems [...]

I hear there are rumours in the old media today that David Longmuir prepared a plan with Charles Green and Peter Lawwell before briefing Scottish Football League clubs this week.  I suppose the rumours are half right.  No one from Celtic was involved in this nonsense. Special mention to Gavin Masterton, owner of 94% of [...]

Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, emerged from the shambles that the game’s administrators got themselves into last year with a remarkably solid relationship with the SFL’s member clubs, indeed, he has been singled out for high praise from the Newco-club. The flow of sentiment reversed after he wrote to member clubs suggesting Celtic [...]

After writing a piece on our European season for the forthcoming CQN Magazine I read the excellent contribution from SFTB this morning.  It is only natural that we live in the moment but for the last 70 years of the 20th century Celtic fans, more than anyone else, viewed each day in its historical context. [...]

If we are looking for reasons why Celtic have dropped so many points in recent weeks it is revealing that we have not kept a clean sheet away in the league since Boxing Day, and that was to bottom club Dundee. Losing goals, of course, is seldom about the last line of defence, and losing [...]

Neil Lennon seemed hurt by the performance yesterday.  “Some of [the players] look like their minds are elsewhere at other clubs. “I don’t know if they have been tapped up, I don’t know where they are mentally, but you can tell by their body language they are not with us at the minute and I’ll [...]

Live updates will appear below after 15:00 GMT.

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou biglens.co.uk We’ve often discussed that the difference between success and failure at Champions League level more often than comes down to which team makes mistakes.  In the group stages Celtic were 31st out of 32 teams for the amount of possession they had, and for the number of chances they created, but they [...]

Live updates will appear below after 19:45 GMT.

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou biglens.co.uk Georgios, “I’ll have two goals in the first half”. No matter what Celtic’s objectives for tonight are, to keep things decent, or to overcome an enormous deficit, priority no. 1 will be to protect Fraser Forster’s goal as much as possible.  Juventus scored three goals at Celtic Park while making sure Celtic [...]

There is an unusually sombre tempo head of tomorrow’s Champions League last 16 tie, a consequences of the 0-3 reversal at home three weeks ago and the general sentiment around Scottish football this week, but this match is an excellent test for both manager and playing squad. We are a Champions League team again with [...]

So how about this scenario, Celtic Youths are trailing in their league with 10 games to go when they register three new players, but someone’s ‘at it’.  The players are all over-age but the date of birth on their registration forms have been incorrectly completed, so the players are registered and become eligible to play [...]

So the chief executive of the appellate body awaiting a decision to appeal says, “It’s crucial with league reconstruction being such an important issue for the game that we now draw a line under what’s happened”. According to the SPL Commission the president of that same appellate body was one of the “directors of Oldco [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45 GMT.

Last year we attempted to quantify the money other SPL clubs were denied by Rangers improperly registering football players – on the assumption that being found guilty of improperly registering football players was actually worthy of punishment. Below is an excerpt of the article and figures: Some of the losses were easier to calculate than [...]

Scottish Football Association. Articles of Association. Powers of the Board of the SFA. 56, (8). “It [the Board] shall have power to enquire into all and any financial arrangements between recognised football bodies, clubs and players and to cancel any agreement between clubs and players contrary to the Articles and to publish in the public [...]

Alexander (Sandy) Bryson has been mentioned in reports concerning another controversial matter in SFA history.  He was Head of Registrations when Celtic tried to register Jorge Cadete in 1996.  That case led to SFA chief executive, Jim Farry, being dismissed for gross misconduct after he failed to register the player in time for him to [...]

The SPL Commission today ruled that Rangers EBT payments in connection with side-letters should have been disclosed to the SPL and SFA as financial entitlements, that senior management of Rangers (in liquidation) decided these side-letters should not be disclosed to the football authorities, and that the old board of Rangers made such payments without taking [...]

Your fathers, their fathers, and their fathers before them, have walked away from football grounds thinking the game in Scotland was skewed in favour of another team.  As a club founded by immigrants, with our historical support drawn largely from some of the poorest sections of society, for decades Celtic-friendly people were underrepresented in the [...]

Live updates will appear below after 19:45 GMT.

At the first hint Rangers illegally ‘won’ league titles, members of the board who made all the controversial decisions called-in all media favours to paint a picture of an innocent mistake being made.  Innocent mistakes are occasionally made when registering players, and have been known to cost clubs up to 25% of their annual income [...]

The enormity of the forthcoming SPL Commission report could easily be lost in the ocean of headlines which has engulfed this matter in recent years.  I’ve noted below more information from the recent First Tier Tribunal report on Rangers tax case, in an attempt to clarify some of the key issues. From The Evidence: “The [...]

Will Lord Nimmo Smith’s SPL Commission report this week?  I’ve no idea, but as the day draws near it is perhaps worthwhile reminding ourselves of the relevant matters already established by the First Tier Tribunal, which, reportedly, Rangers ‘won’.  We will have more excerpts as the week progresses. The decision was anonymised, so names, such [...]

Live updates will appear below after 12:45 GMT.

I was delighted when Dundee were awarded the vacant place in the SPL in July last year.  They are a club with an outstanding history (check it out here) whose fans have suffered poor performances and downright bad decisions since the finished within a point of Dundee United and Aberdeen, and were relegated from the [...]

I see a bit of debate on the blog this morning on Lord Nimmo Smith’s SPL Commission, which has retired to prepare its report.  In March last year former Rangers owner, Sir David Murray, insisted no Rangers players had “side contracts”, inferring there was no case to answer.  This line has not been peddled since.  [...]

Congratulations to Mark Daly and the BBC production team behind The Men who sold the Jerseys, who received the award from the Royal Television Society for Best regions current affairs and news event for their documentary into the goings-on in the years before Rangers descended into liquidation.  They won against Grananda’s Hillsborough – The Truth [...]

After some horse-trading towards the end of last week, involving a reluctant Spartak Moscow, a huge step was taken on Monday towards establishing a Unified Football Championship across former-Soviet countries.  14 Russian clubs met a representative club from the Ukrainian league in Moscow, with Ukrainian clubs now due a corresponding meeting. The event was hosted [...]

Yesterday’s statement by Celtic was clear and unambiguous.  The club are aware of reports of ill-treatment of supporters by police and have an established process in place to handle concerns, directed through the umbrella Fans Against Criminalisation Group (incorporating Association, GB, Affiliation, Irish Association and Trust).  Two complaints have been received and actioned since December, [...]

The comment in today’s Telegraph by Joe Ledley confirming that, in the event they win the league early, Celtic have considered giving players some extended rest period before the end of the season has a lot of focus about it. We have Champions League qualifiers starting on 2 July and hopefully extending six games later [...]

When Anthony Stokes picked himself off the ground having won a penalty yesterday his eagerness for a piece of the action was clear.  Having missed the majority of the season through injury he is a player with a point to prove. The penalty correctly went to Kris Commons but Anthony still had an opportunity to [...]

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The Guardian did an excellent piece on Wednesday on how referees in various European territories would view the penalty box wrestling of the Juventus players.  In short, there is a variance in how these offences are punished.  Who knew? Juventus knew.  I hear they watched four videos of referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco ahead of the [...]

Back in the 80s I had a soft spot for Porto.  Their 2-1 1987 European Cup final win over Bayern Munich, coming from behind in the last 15 minutes and scoring with a back-heel, against a vastly better resourced opponent, was something Celtic fans could relate to. A decade later I followed Porto’s tribulations as [...]

…OK, I suppose we have to mention them. I did a preview for STV on Monday and was asked what my expectations were for last night but had to admit I had zero expectations.  This season I hoped we would get into the Champions League group stage, or at least, the Europa League.  We remarkably [...]

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Football reporting tends to follow trends and the Celtic support has been trending since the Barcelona game in November.  Juventus have arrived ready to steel themselves against wave after wave of Glasgow sentiment, but Gianluigi Buffon is right, crowds don’t score goals, or win games. We have a part to play in settling the Celtic [...]

Champions League football this season has enabled Celtic to achieve a remarkable set of interim financial results for the period 1 June 2012 to 31 December 2012.  Turnover was up 71%, a stunning-ageddon figure. Ticket sales and other stadium revenue was up marginally, to £18.598m (2011: £16.446m), as was merchandising, to £9.847m (2001: £7.821m), both [...]

I don’t subscribe to the ‘Nothing to lose’ lobby, who seem to think underdogs can play free from the burden of having to win.  Let me remind you where this Celtic team have come from….. Celtic came through two qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League group stage, as bottom seed.  The collected 10 points [...]

Lazio were Celtic’s first Italian opponents when the clubs drew 0-0 in Rome in 1950 before a Celtic Park rematch a few months later when Celtic won 4-0.  The next four occasions Celtic met Italian teams would all be played on neutral ground, starting with a draw against Bologna on a 1966 preseason tour of [...]

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Juventus’ closest journalist gave their fans a preview of what The Old Lady can expect next week.  Apparently, Juve were lucky drawing Celtic, who are not the same as the team who beat them 4-3 11 seasons ago (but didn’t qualify for the knock out stage). The outcome of the second leg is a formality, [...]

Scottish clubs are now subject to Uefa Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations which insist club’s pay creditors in a timely manner or become subject to sanctions.  These pesky rules should prevent debts reaching a maturity of more than six months old and becoming subject of a Winding-up Order.  I am sure old Heavily Conflicted, [...]

A group of Russian and Ukrainian clubs hoping to form a joint championship have formed an organising committee and have invited top flight clubs in both countries to a meeting in Moscow on 18th of February to formalise arrangements. The invitation letter states, “The main goal of our organization is the development of club, national [...]

The news yesterday that HMRC would appeal the decision by the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) to reject the part of their tax demand against former club Rangers which was still open to dispute was received by most with passing interest.  The FTT returned a split decision, with the minority view giving HMRC substantial grounds for [...]

Kris Commons looked like he had put a lot of practice into taking penalties yesterday.  The ball was firmly hit and found the corner of the net, a feat which is far from impossible but which has been beyond various Celtic players for the last few years.  We have little a little over a month [...]

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Georgios is hugely important to Celtic on Champions League duty.  His presence and experience is crucial, but his ability to hold the ball up, often the subject of frustration for some in SPL games, is fundamental to Celtic’s chances of playing at this level. Georgios Samaras hamstring injury, coming late in the first half against [...]

Two players arrived during this transfer window: Rami Gershon and Tom Rogic, with no first team players leaving the club.  I don’t know what Neil has planned for Rami but his loan deal and stats at Standard Liege suggests he is here as cover.  I expect to see as much of him as we saw [...]

I know what you’re thinking, let’s hope we get more exciting January signings like Pawel Brozek, Rabiu Ibrahim and Freddie Ljungberg. It’s slightly unfair to mock our January transfer business. Kris Commons arrived two years ago and constituted a one man title challenge for a few months (and still delights).  Georgios Samaras and Barry Robson [...]

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Some of us will have revenge in mind tonight for the defeats Kilmarnock inflicted on Celtic in October and at Hampden in last season’s League Cup final.  Others may be motivated by Kenny Sheils frank views on Celtic’s performance at Hampden, but the dressing room will have more aspirational matters to address. Players will have [...]

We’ve not really discussed the enormous political and disciplinary matters hanging over Scottish football since before our Champions League campaign got underway but it moves to the fore today, as the SPL Commission, headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, sits to consider charges levelled by the league against former member, Rangers FC.  The Commission is expected [...]

Was anyone surprised at yesterday’s result?  You shouldn’t have been.  I don’t think I’ve ever before written two articles against taking a result for granted.  Celtic are ridiculously inconsistent as Kilmarnock, Hibs, St Johnstone, Inverness and now St Mirren will testify, even Arbroath left Celtic Park with a draw.  The intensity which has been self-evident [...]

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St Mirren lost at Tynecastle in November, their fifth consecutive in the league, but since then they have lost only twice: at Celtic Park and last Saturday, when the roof fell in against Ross County.  During that run they recorded good wins against Dundee United and Motherwell.  They sit second bottom of the league but [...]

This time last year there was far too much talk about trebles on these pages.  Celtic were flying in all three competitions, having established a lead in the league, and were heading for a League Cup semi-final against Falkirk.  Falkirk were beaten but it took a late Anthony Stokes goal to make the game safe [...]

On watching Celtic on Tuesday I wondered, ‘What will Juventus learn from this performance?’  Their scout will have left with a few notes. Celtic can break quickly and effectively.  Both Hooper goals came as a result of moving the ball the length of the field, mostly on the deck, at pace. Their threat from corner [...]

Last night when Neil Lennon told BBC Radio Scotland that Norwich’s second offer for Gary Hooper was “not as high as £6m” and that despite reports, the club had not tabled a fresh contract offer to the player, you would be forgiven for thinking the entire transfer saga was a product of fantasy. Neil also [...]

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Can you imagine offering £5m for the first-choice striker at any team on the Champions League knock out rounds?  I’m less concerned about the forthcoming Juventus game, which will take care of itself, but Celtic hope to have three Champions League qualifier rounds in July and August.  Many highly sought-after players don’t move until late [...]

Following on from our discussion yesterday about adopting one or two of the techniques the enormously successful GB Olympic cycling team there are other areas where a technical advantage can be sought. Football is awash with metrics these days.  Clubs know things about their players they never even wondered about 10 years ago, leading to [...]

Fraser Forster has missed the last two games with a neck injury, which Neil Lennon suggested could have been sustained as a result of sleeping on an unfamiliar pillow in Spain last week.  Fraser has been treated by a chiropractor but it might be a few games before he is back between the posts. This [...]

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Sean Fallon was known as The Iron Man, a hard left back at a time when pretty much all footballers were hard.  I met him and his wife Myra at their home a few months ago to prepare an interview in advance of his autobiography, which is due for release soon, the hard-man reputation could [...]

Tomas Rogic’s club, Central Coast Mariners, formally announced they had agreed terms to transfer the player to Celtic a few hours ago.  The Australian attacking midfielder, who turned 20 last month, will require a work permit before the transfer is concluded, but should be a formality. After having an extensive look at the player, Neil [...]

The success rate of Celtic’s player recruitment strategy in recent years has been exceptional; pound-for–pound better than any period in our history.  Forster, Mulgrew, Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Wilson, Ledley, Wanyama, Commons, Kayal and Hooper have arrived for limited outlay and have propelled the club into the latter stages of the Champions League. By contrast, Mo [...]

The phrase Poisoned Chalice could have been written with the Scotland national team manager’s job in mind.  Even in the 80s when we had great players, and the likes of Stein and Ferguson in charge, a sense of under-achievement followed Scotland in tournament football. In Gordon Strachan’s favour as he takes over at Hampden today, [...]

It is one thing for football fans and administrators to be embroiled in the politics of the game but it’s no wonder that Neil Lennon tires of such subjects.  His team are top of the SPL and in the knockout stages of the Champions League but he is being distracted by references to his club [...]

St Johnstone have been a managerial proving ground in recent seasons.  Owen Coyle did a great deal of good work without achieving promotion to the SPL, but his two years there managed to sufficiently impress Burnley that they tempted him south.  The people of Burnley were probably as surprised as the rest of us when [...]

The Rangers International share prospectus contained references about league reconstruction possibly expediting the club’s ascent to the Scottish Premier League for the first time.  This was never on anyone else’s agenda and was merely the latest manifestation of the train of thought that Scottish football could not, and would not, consider life without ‘Rangers’ in [...]

Sponsorship income is harder and harder to find so securing an improved shirt deal, while others flap to secure lesser deals, is a genuine result for the Celtic commercial team.  Irish cider maker, Magners, will have their name of the Celtic shirt for three years from this summer. This will be the first time Celtic [...]

I have a recurring complaint whenever a politician talks about the economy.  We have millions unemployed with no shortage of policies, from back-to-work schemes to aggressive incentive-isation of the unemployed, offered as a solution. Back-to-work schemes are all right, as far as they go, especially for people who need retrained, but they do not address [...]

Neil Lennon has been fluid with his team formations in recent weeks.  As a result, three central defenders, Efe Ambrose, Kelvin Wilson and Charlie Mulgew could each be regarded as first choice picks, although Ambrose and Mulgrew have also been deployed in midfield.  Ambrose has featured in all nine games since the beginning of December, [...]

The great and the good (extensive poetic licence used) of the SPL and SFL will gather at Hampden tomorrow to shuffle the deckchairs of Scottish football.  For reasons which no one has, or will, explain, it will be suggested that three leagues, with 12, 12 and 18 teams, will be able to resolve the problems [...]

We spoke about Stale Solbakken here as an option during one of our recent management vacancies.  At the time he was manager of Copenhagen, who were playing monopoly with the Danish game and had become the first regular Champions League competitor from that country.  Yesterday he was sacked as manager of Wolves, who are 18th [...]

Mistakes in the transfer market are more costly to a club than any mistake made on a football field.  It’s too easy to spend millions on a transfer fee and commit to the kind of contract you or I will never see in our lives.  After contracts are signed you need to hope the player [...]

Anchoring to a distant geographical base is not intuitively how you would expect a football club to recruit but Celtic are clearly working their contacts in Israel these days.  Beram Kayal has worked out well in the two and a half years since joining from Maccabi Haifa, as has Nigeria international, Efe Ambrose, who joined [...]

News (confirmed by his club) that our next Champions League opponents Juventus have opened negotiations with Athletic Blibao striker Fernando Llorente, ahead of a possible free-transfer move in the summer, appears to put recent fantasy stories about Gary Hooper supposedly moving to Turin in the correct context.  Liverpool, who several newspapers also ‘reported’ were interested [...]

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My friends in Celtic, pause for a few moments and peruse your domain.  On the field of play your favourites matured into accomplished football players.  2011 ended with an acclaimed Joe Ledley header confirming what we already knew, Celtic were the best team in the land. Despite ‘losing’ the previous three league titles Celtic held [...]

Neil Lennon accepted responsibility for the tactical decision to start yesterday’s game with three at the back, saying, “We thought the three would suit us, but that didn’t seem to be the case. We looked a little bit flat the first 10-15 minutes and I don’t know why.” Hibernian scored during this period, which may [...]

Celtic should accept the offer of a two match ban for Kelvin Wilson following an incident at Dens Park on Boxing Day.  He has never been an aggressive player, so there is no need to assume intent, but an elbow to the face is a painful experience and potentially dangerous.  These are the rules and [...]

Dundee are nine points adrift at the bottom of the SPL but made a good fist of it against Celtic last night, after a rocky start.  They held their own for a good 30 minutes either side of the interval.  They are clearly the worst team in the league but they are a pretty decent [...]

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Hope you all enjoyed a great Christmas yesterday and are looking forward to what is sure to be an atmospheric Celtic fix tonight. Dundee are six points from safety at the bottom of the table and drifting ominously after their mini-revival ended a few weeks ago, so is this a forgone conclusion for Celtic?  Not [...]

Every year we ask you to put your hand in your pocket for various causes and every year you react, but never more so than 2012.  You responded magnificently to the Wee Oscar Appeal, which from Celtic fans in total raised £31k in a bucket collection in September and £27k at a race night last [...]

Not before time but it’s good to see Uefa get to grips with clubs which fail to pay their dues.  Malaga, who are still this season’s Champions League, have been banned from European competition the next time they qualify.  In the event they win the competition this season, they would join a short ignominious list [...]

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There were some tasty, some would say succulent, draws in the Champions League yesterday.  Milan-Barcelona have both won the tournament within the last decade, and although Milan are at the bottom of the trough at the moment, this tie will be a huge attraction for those of us who like our football tinged with history. [...]

Celtic will play Juventus in the last 16 round of the Champions League.  Juve are seven points clear top of the Italian league having won the competition last season without losing a game.  They eliminated reigning European champions, Chelsea, in the last round and finished above a good Shakthar team. They are remarkably well organised [...]

A quick glance at the eight Champions League groups indicate that three were won by German clubs, indicating the strength of the Bundesliga at the moment, but although Shalke topped their group ahead of Arsenal, they are toiling in seventh place domestically and sacked manager, Hubb Stevens, this week.  Bayern Munich are nine points clear [...]

The December issue of CQN Magazine has arrived!  We have 116 pages material written for and by Celtic supporters.  We cover 1254125 (hopefully a phrase you are already familiar with), and our newly fertile African territories.  There is an excellent analysis of our perennial penalty problem with lots of articles from fans sharing their Celtic [...]

The momentum for a confederated regional league in Eastern Europe continues to gather pace with clubs from Belarus keen to join.  With a population of around 10m, Belarus is sandwiched between Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states, but their league has been rendered uncompetitive by the domination of Bate Borisov, who are on their [...]

Dramatic and ambitions developments in European leagues, in this instance Russian and Ukraine, who have taken Michel Platini’s endorsement for the regionalisation of domestic leagues, should inspire the imagination of every football fan and administrator in a league with problems. Scotland has a league with problems. Our clubs and national association are committed to reorganisation [...]

In the most significant development towards the regionalisation of European leagues yet, Russian Premier League chief executive, Sergei Pryadkin, has announced plans to merge the Russian and Ukrainian leagues.  The plan has been driven by CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg and Anzhi Makhachkala, who have formed a foundation committee. Russian clubs already deal with the [...]

Live updates will appear below after 15:00 GMT. Ordered the CQN Annual yet? Get it here in time for Christmas! Remember to buy Rod Stewart’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas last day for the Christmas chart!

You know a transfer window approaches when practically every media outlet has a story on Celtic are set to lose an important player.  Transfer stories are one of the most reliable commercial ventures in business.  They require no effort to produce, or recopy, as most outlets appear to, do not need to lead anywhere, but [...]

One or two of us mocked another team for struggling against Second and Third division sides this season.  All good sporting fun but from the lofty heights of the Champions League knockout stages you need to make sure you can overcome a team who are treading water in the third tier of Scottish football. Arbroath [...]

Charles Green and his initial backers have achieved a remarkable result with what is already evident in their prospectus.  Page 66 notes: “In the period to 31 August 2012, a total of 25,340,000 shares were issued for a total consideration of £7,719,000”, issued at approximately 30.4p per share.  At a price of 70p per share these [...]

Before we get down to less important matters, let me know, did you buy Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? There are so many reasons to be cynical about football people (players, directors and fans alike) in the modern era it is scarcely worth listing them but occasionally a pillar of strength comes along and [...]

I’ve had an initial read through the prospectus for yet another Newco, this time Rangers International Football Club plc, which “was incorporated with the intention of acquiring RFCL upon Admission in order to allow an investment in the Company to qualify for VCT and EIS tax relief”. There can be no qualms from HMRC that [...]

Two clubs from outside the top five wealthy leagues reached the quarter finals last season but Benfica were drawn against another team from outside the big five, Zenit St Petersburg.  Apoel Nicosia eliminated Lyon in the last 16 on penalties (we should be practicing penalties every week between now and then). Two teams, Basel (who [...]

Qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League is an astonishing achievement for a team seeded in pot 4.  You need only look around Europe to see how unforgiving this tournament is.  The champions of England and Europe are both out, while England’s reigning champions last year went out at the group stage (to [...]

We’ve never known an easy Champions League game.  Ever.  Teams with low resources who have pitched up at Celtic Park have always caused us problems.  Even our biggest win (3-0, Benfica) was a tense affair with little between the teams territorially. Five years ago we returned home with a point from Spartak Moscow, expecting a [...]

With Lionel Messi and Barcelona focussed on winning their final group game against Benfica tomorrow night Celtic must achieve a better result against Spartak Moscow than Benfica manage at the Camp Nou to progress to the latter stages of the Champions League. Aiden McGeady has suffered a recurrence of a pennate muscle tendon injury and [...]

Here is a prediction for you, Wednesday’s Champions League game at Celtic Park will not end with 22 players on the field.  Spartak and Celtic are both enduring awful form at the moment but with different characteristics.  The accusation against Celtic (valid or otherwise) is that they have failed to apply themselves sufficiently to overcome [...]

So what did we learn yesterday?  Primarily we learned that you can’t replace 8 players from a team which won 0-4 at Tynecastle while leaving the core element of the team in place.  It is justifiable to be critical of the performances of experienced key players who didn’t perform, but Wanyama, Brown, Matthews, Miku didn’t [...]

I suppose we should start by heading the warning from Sevconian under-performer, Ian Black, who suggested that the Third Division is harder than the SPL.  By this logic, Second Division Arbroath will terrify the life out of the Celtic defence ahead of their Scottish Cup tie tomorrow, they did, after all, put three goals past [...]

When they dispensed with Unai Emeri last weekend, Spartak Moscow brought to an end an experiment to bring sophistication to their team.  New caretaker manager, Valeriy Karpin, was manager immediately before Emeri, was also the man who appointed Emeri and stood over him as general manager of the club since moving from the dugout in [...]

News this morning that Uefa president, Michel Platini told newspaper, Quest-France, that the governing body are considering dispensing with the Europa League and broadening the Champions League from 23 to 64 teams is far from welcome. Celtic fans have grown to love the Champions League since our early exploits in the group stage in 2001 [...]

I’ve resisted temptation to comment on the comical over-reaction to another below-par league performance by Celtic.  Most of us realise where we are as a club (champions, champions-elect, post-Christmas in Europe, perhaps Champions League knockout, improving young squad, improving young manager), so the troughs between the peaks are to be anticipated, even if you can’t [...]

Spartak Moscow have appointed Valery Karpin as caretaker manager.  The former Russian international has had an active role in the club since 2008, variously as chief executive and manager.  He took control of the first team when he replaced Michael Laudrup in 2009 until Unai Emeri’s appointment this summer when Karpin returned to his executive [...]

Spartak Moscow today sacked manager Unai Emeri after a 1-5 home league defeat against eight placed Dinamo Moscow.  Spartak are confirmed as bottom of Celtic’s Champions League group before they head to Celtic Park for the final game on 5 December. Emeri has been increasingly unpopular since taking over earlier this year when his spell [...]

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Celtic recorded victories over Dundee and Hearts after their first two Champions League games but collected only one point from the two league games following the double header against Barcelona.  They also won after only two of their four Champions League qualifying games, so there is no reason to expect a convincing win against Inverness [...]

Last night my brother reminded me of a comment he made after the 0-0 against Benfica on match day one of the Champions League, “I hope we’re not sitting with one point after five games”.  Expectations can be as high as you like, but reality based on experience at that stage suggested Celtic would struggle [...]

It is a measure of how far we have come during this Champions League campaign that a 2-1 defeat away to Benfica, leaving us favourites to qualify in second place for the Champions League knockout stage and assured of European football after Christmas, is a disappointment. Unlike previous defeats in this competition, this one has [...]

The First Tier Tribunal not only delivered a verdict on Rangers tax case, they also nailed the issue facing an SPL Commission on the non-registration of player earnings.  Certain HMRC assessments were upheld and some declined, as we expected.  The findings: Some payments were taxable and liable to NIC Some payments were loans to players [...]

An anonymised version of the First Tier Tribunal verdict was published by the Finance and Trbunals service today.  The 145 page document will take some reading but it concluded: “the trust payments are to be construed as ‘emoluments’ for the purposes of the tax legislation” For those without a dictionary to hand,… Emoluments: Synonyms earnings, [...]

Years before Celtic Quick News I was at an event with ten of the Lisbon Lions in attendance, before playing football later that evening.  They say you should never meet your heroes but ‘they’ never met the Lions.  Bobby Murdoch asked about my job and spoke about his wife’s job, showing the kind of interest [...]

Benfica enjoyed a 0-2 away win on Friday evening to remain joint-top of the Portuguese league with Porto.  They will have enjoyed a day off while Celtic played on Saturday and will two days training before tomorrow’s game.  By contrast, Celtic player will have rested yesterday and will get no more than a run out [...]

In a month full of events which resonate with the spirit which inspired those who formed Celtic Football Club, last night’s Wee Oscar 4 Life race night at the Kerrydale Suite was as special as it gets.  Those who were there know they gathered as a community to help the family of Oscar Knox do [...]

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Just days after The Beating of Barca in 2004 the youthful Celtic chief executive, Peter Lawwell presented teenage sensation, David Marshall, with a new contract, reward for his incredible goalkeeping performances against the Catalans.  Having made only a single first team appearance, in a cup game against (then) lower league opponents, David played the second [...]

After two highly productive performances against Barcelona confidence will be high, but it is worth remembering that Benfica earned a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park on Champions League match day one, and will have no fears for Tuesday. After that game in September Celtic were favourites to finish bottom of the group.  Barca managed a [...]

Charles Green told TalkSport, “Scottish football effectively is Rangers and Celtic. I mean, there are many other clubs but everyone has to acknowledge that that’s a fact.” No, no, no, no.  No.  This is not a fact, it is not even a credible opinion.  Instead it is deeply insulting to dozens of teams who conduct [...]

Dictionaries across the English speaking world will need to be updated for the term ‘loose cannon’, currently- noun, a person whose reckless behaviour endangers the efforts or welfare of others.  In future they should be appended, ‘Charles Green’. For months Charles has been busy telling anyone who would listen to him that his The Rangers club will never appear in the Scottish Premier League.  Now, [...]

It was (honestly) a complete coincidence that at the start of last week I wrote that football clubs need “people who can say to the manager, “A club in Romania is doing something really clever, we should try it”, without being frog-marched off the premises”, a few days before Celtic employed a GAA coach as [...]

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Reason to enjoy Wednesday night number 67: Victor Wanyama didn’t get booked. 21-year-old Victor is a fabulous talent but he has also been a tad rash in his earlier Champions League outings this season.  One more yellow card will bring a suspension but his timing, and more importantly, his concentration, on Wednesday was excellent. This [...]

‘News’ that a football club can actually go out of business will come as a surprise to no one here as Hearts issued a statement saying “Without the support of fans there is a real risk that Hearts could possibly play its last game on 17 November.” Hearts have two commercial problems: they owe HMRC [...]

Where do we start discussing last night?  Perhaps the end of the night.  There was joy in abundance, not only inside Celtic Park, but in the streets surrounding the game and in a hundred thousand homes across the world.  This joy manifest itself into a great sense of community.  That performance brought tears, hugs, spontaneous [...]

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On hearing the results from England’s vaulted competitors in the Champions League last night, against teams ten points off the pace in the Netherlands and seven adrift in Germany, my first thought was, I wonder how they’d get on against Barcelona?  This is a guide to the magnitude of the challenge facing our manager and [...]

Adam Smith, regarded by many as the father of modern economics, once observed that crop failures caused dearth but that it took “the violence of well-intentioned governments” to convert “dearth into famine.”  Throughout the 19th century, governments, social-reformers and subsistence –dwellers learned the enormous human cost that resulted when the poor were left to starve. [...]

Sometimes I look at the trajectory of Martin O’Neill’s career and wonder why he didn’t land another top job after leaving Celtic.  He was the hottest property in football while he was in Glasgow, almost joined Leeds United (then a top side), while he was short odds for the Liverpool manager’s job at each annual [...]

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I can remember a few comfortable wins at Tannadice but only when Celtic have played at their very best.  Even good Celtic teams have found Dundee United a handful for over 30 years.  Tomorrow will be no different. I watched some of United’s League Cup game against Hearts on Wednesday, it’s hard to figure out [...]

Issue 11 of CQN Magazine is our biggest and best yet; 100 pages of smooth as silk, green as grass, content for the Celtic community.  This month we mark the club’s 125th anniversary with a look back at one of our founding fathers.  We have a look at ex-Celts playing in North America, with some [...]

I may have told you this before, apologies if I’m repeating myself.  Around 20 years ago, in a TV studio minutes after a Rangers victory, a former captain, Terry Butcher (what ever happened to him?), told the audience, “David Murray will not stop until he’s won two European Cups and 10 in a row.” Use [...]

May all the scammers rot and toil in hell. May the cheated titles fall and may we live to tell. May all the world forget they ever played. And David Murray regret he never paid.

I see Charles Green dismissed out of hand the suggestion that his new company’s property assets were worth in the region of £8.5m, as suggested in a recent blog [he may be referring to Celtic Quick News, but we made no comment on what the assets were actually worth], although he refrained from disputing heads [...]

Back in the 80s, when Billy McNeill was in charge, you could relay in Celtic responding after a defeat by giving the next poor team to face them a pasting.  They played with urgency from the start, which they often only deployed in the closing minutes of games when they were chasing a winner. Football [...]

I’ve been to a few non-Celtic games over the years and always found is striking the different reaction mid-table teams have to a defeat compared to how we react.  There is simply not the expectation that every game has to be won.  For most of the last 40-odd years Celtic have been nip-and-tuck with a [...]

We should commission a study into what happens to football teams immediately after a big game when they need to play a less illustrious opponent.  This week Kilmarnock got a better result against Celtic than Barcelona, and unlike the Catalans, Kilmarnock were away from home. Cast your memory back five years for a better example.  [...]

I have a Heads of Terms document for the sale and leaseback of Ibrox, Murray Park and the Albion Car Park. The purchase price for all three assets is £7.285m.  In addition to this there is a £6.9m loan provision with 15% interest payable monthly (£985.5k annually).  Initial rent for all three properties is £1.8m.  [...]

The testimony of Gary Allan, QC, to Channel 4’s Alex Thomson, on the threats and intimidation he received after sitting on the SFA tribunal which imposed a 12 month player registration ban for various financial misdemeanours while the club was in administration, is stark. The details of what Mr Allan went through is available on [...]

There’s a gentleman that’s going round Turning the joint upside down Stool Pigeon – ha-cha-cha-cha He’s an old ex-con that’s been away Now he’s back, no one’s safe It’s quite likely that David Grier and Craig Whyte had many conversations they didn’t want replayed on BBC Reporting Scotland.  Their deal to acquire Rangers from Sir [...]

Rolling-over St Mirren easily tells you nothing about what will happen at the Camp Nou.  As it is, we performed as well as any team in Europe would have last night.  Inter Milan and Chelsea won the Champions League in 2010 and 2012 respectively after putting on a similar performance to Celtic in the most [...]

Football fans the world over know Barcelona better than any other team, apart from their own personal favourites.  We have all marvelled at how this side redefined the game at club level, before carrying their modus operandi and success to the Spanish national team, with an even greater win ratio, but the devil is in [...]

Following RangersTaxCase’s information that Rangers-HMRC First Tier Tribunal report was in the hands of both parties’ solicitors on Friday, I subsequently heard the report runs to in excess of 300 pages.  It will be published by the court authorities in due course but I don’t expect anything this week.  Any attempt to spin or release [...]

Outrageous results, and a 4-5 win is an outrageous result, could be seen as reason for encouragement by future opponents, but Barcelona played the majority of the game against Deportivo with 10 men, scored an own goal, conceded from a penalty and their keeper made a mistake for another, yet they still scored five goals [...]

Quick question for you.  Which Scottish team has won their last four home games, scoring 13 goals in the process?  St Mirren are on a run of form at home.  One of those wins was against Second Division opposition, but remember, this season, Second Division teams are on a par with AC Milan in the [...]

I thoroughly enjoyed Chris McLaughlin’s interview with Our Hero yesterday; there is so much to digest.  It’s tempting to explore the information that in October last year Craig Whyte informed SPL chief executive and chairman, Neil Doncaster and Ralph Topping, that Rangers were very likely to go into administration and that a CVA was likely [...]

“I brought Charles Green in to buy Rangers” screams the BBC headline ahead of this evening’s interview by Chris McLaughlin of the Last King of Rangers, Our Hero, Craig Whyte.  Whyte has retained private contact with a couple of journalists but he has previously declined earnest requests to go on the record given the level [...]

Two things to cover today but important item first… Mark Cameron, from the John Thomson Memorial Committee has been in touch to invite you to participate in the Ballymote to Glasgow Cycle next month to commemorate and promote our club’s important origins. I know there are several enthusiastic cyclists in our community so I hope [...]

The hours immediately after the First Tier Tribunal reports on Rangers use of Employee Benefits Trusts, which the BBC discovered is due this month, to loan money (!) to staff what happens at Hampden will be most interesting.  SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, as a director, was legally responsible for Rangers when they started using EBTs [...]

Exactly one year ago today, just after lunchtime, one of the pivotal moments in Celtic history occurred.  Neil Lennon took his Celtic team to Kilmarnock, who had lost their three previous league games, and for 73 minutes looked like surrendering their league title chances just as Tony Mowbray’s team collapsed at St Mirren Park seven [...]

Scottish Football League, rule 23. Members’ Financial Records, “All Members and Associate Members shall keep detailed financial records of their activities and the board may arrange an inspection of all such records”. In the absence of audited accounts for a new club, the board of the SFL are in a unique position to examine the [...]

Football can be a primitive sport on occasions but before kick off at Cardiff tonight the Wales and Scotland players will acknowledge the nation’s thoughts for a family in distress. The game provides many of us with opportunities to remember we are members of a complex and caring society. The The Wee Oscar 4 Life [...]

I remember interviewing Brian Quinn in 2005 ahead of the share issue Celtic announced would take place later that year.  For Brian, it was a relatively safe environment to speak freely, and he did on many subjects, on and off the record, but when it came down to money, the share issue and financial plans, [...]

There are two questions to look out for when The Rangers provide information on their public offering share issue: Are the public being offered shares at the same price as investors who sign up prior to the public offering? In 1994 Fergus McCann offered you shares in Celtic at exactly the same price he paid, [...]

Forbes Magazine’s article on the demise of Rangers and prospects for its successor club are notable only as they do not emanate from the Celtic online community.  Jon Pritchett, an advisor to one-time preferred bidder, Bill Miller, explains why he believes a commercial turnaround of “Rangers FC” isn’t feasible.  This assessment was based on season [...]

Owen Coyle has probably no idea the trouble caused in his name at Celtic.  Notions that his granny’s uncle’s cousin passed on verifiable information that either Owen rejected the Celtic job, or that he did so because he didn’t agree with the direction the club were going, were clearly nonsense at the time and are [...]

Over the summer I could frequently be heard muttering, “We need a left back”.  Despite returning from injury at the turn of the year, Emilio Izaguirre was unable to command a regular starting place in the team.  His occasions starts provided evidence why.  With Charlie Mulgrew the most authoritative central defender in the squad the [...]

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It’s great news that Celtic have secured three first choice players, Charlie Mulgrew, Adam Matthews and James Forrest, on new long term contracts.  It allows the players to forget about long-term career issues and concentrate on team matters and the manager and scouts can worry about squad recruitment efforts in other areas. This news is [...]

Congratulations to Fraser Forster on his international call-up, I am absolutely delighted for him.  It occurred to me that he left Sports Direct and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley’s clutches on the cheap early this summer, while Ashley had other matters in Glasgow under consideration – partnering with Sevco. It was with customary bombast that [...]

Celtic’s win in Moscow on Tuesday has caused an interesting introspection in Russia, with both Spartak and some in the Russian media coming under scrutiny.  The pre-match tone was set by comments we reported from former Spartak player and coach, Andrey Tikhonov, who, on the day of the draw, said: “Barcelona are favourites from the [...]

Much of our Champions League history was on show last night, apart from the fragility which has accompanied Celtic so often on the road.  The game was immeasurably more difficult than any challenge we face in domestic football.  The opening minutes were so stressful, otherwise composed players were spooked, but winning is all about how [...]

Live updates will appear below after 17:00 BST.

Following on from the SFA issuing an important announcement just as the Olympics opening ceremony was getting underway (Mr Regan, take a long hard look in the mirror), Duff and Phelps yesterday issued their final progress report to creditors of The Rangers Football Club PLC (in administration), recently renamed RFC 2012 PLC. ….On a Sunday, [...]

Just as Celtic’s injury problems appear to be lifting Spartak Moscow’s are getting more acute each passing game.  Their cult-hero goalkeeper, Andriy Dykan, was substituted after picking up an injury in yesterday’s win against 10-man Amkar Perm and is unlikely to face Celtic.  Already injured, Pareja, Welliton, Parshivlyuk, Jurado and Romulo, never made the squad. [...]

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It is early enough in the season that Celtic have ample scope to recover from the odd reversal but with October just around the corner Neil Lennon and his players will be wondering why they have not won two consecutive league games this season.  This particular oddity can be put right tomorrow if Celtic win [...]

Efe Ambrose is quite rightly receiving praise for an impressive debut on Tuesday but these are still early days, our comrades from Fife didn’t present a great challenge.  Berman Kayal also put in a sold shift and, for the record, I’ve been more impressed by him than the even more lauded Victor Wanyama, when both [...]

Having disposed of Raith Rovers last night, Celtic have two huge away games, against top of the table Motherwell before a trip to Moscow for a Champions League match against Spartak in six days. Tonight Spartak play just a few miles from the Ukraine border and have a journey of close to 1000 miles on [...]

Despite one former Rangers chairman, Sir David Murray, denying his board issued second contracts to players which were not registered with the football authorities for a period of a decade or more, a more recent chairman, Alastair Johnston, yesterday accepted that the club were guilty of a “breach of procedure” over player payments. This being [...]

The fact that the Wee Oscar 4 Life campaign inspired hundreds from the Celtic community to raise money for the treatment of Oscar Knox will surprise no one, but the stunning amount of money raised by the bucket collection outside Celtic Park on Saturday, £31,918.05, is breathtaking. I know those who decided something had to [...]

Various people have demanded an explanation as to why executives at the SPL and SFA proposed to fast-track disciplinary procedures against Rangers and rubber-stamp access for their successor club into the Scottish Football League First Division. There are two possible scenarios for this: Rangers are guilty as sin, everyone knows it, results achieved by illegally [...]

If you sponsor a sporting organisation you would normally assume positive association would follow from the members and supporters of that club, who benefit from the income you contribute.  When it comes to top level football the dynamics change. Your name or logo emblazoned on the chests of footballers is often the source of resentment.  [...]

Fabulous goals from Gary Hooper and Victory Wanyama put Celtic back on winning ways, their first victory in four games in September but Dundee held out until minutes before the break, aided by an excellent performance from Rab Douglas. Another ex-Celt, Gary Irvine, had a penalty claim 7 minutes in but the ref wasn’t convinced; [...]

Live updates will appear below after 14:30 BST.

If you are going to Celtic Park tomorrow you will see a lot of photos like the one above.  Outside the ground 200 bucketeers will be collecting to raise money to send Oscar Knox for treatment for neauroblastoma. Be prepared.  Bring spare cash with you, have it ready and do your bit for Oscar. For [...]

So what did we learn last night?  For a start, when we need to, we can defend effectively and shut up shop, last night was our fourth clean sheet in Europe this season.  The 4-5-1 formation, deployed for the opening 65 minutes, was not effective at producing attacking opportunities, although this may be as much [...]

Celtic and Benfica fought out a tight, chess-like, game in their opening Champions League group stage encounter.  Celtic had the best of the opening 15 minutes as Benfica seemed to spooked by the occasion.  Kris Commons, in particular, made good on his pre-match promise to make the most of his Champions League stage, but once [...]

Live updates will appear below after 19:45 BST.

Fifa yesterday banned Benfica and Brazil central defender Luisão from all football activities until November for knocking a referee unconscious in a preseason game against Fortuna Dusseldorf in August. Benfica didn’t expect Luisão to be available for tonight’s Champions League game against Celtic but the decision, coming a day before kick-off, will do nothing for morale.  While they [...]

Celtic released accounts today for the year ending 30 June 2012, a season in which they won the league and exited Europe at the Europa League group stage.  Turnover was down less than £1m at £51.34m but bank debt rose £2m to £2.77m despite a £7.37m loss (the difference between the increase in bank debt [...]

I caught a bit of yesterday’s newspapers; the contrast between an article in The Herald, linked from the Quick News section, and one elsewhere was stark.  It brought to mind a very politically incorrect cartoon depicting a conversation someone trying to explain the consequences of a football club getting into vast amounts of debt.  “You [...]

Benfica will arrive in Glasgow tomorrow without having played a competitive game since 2 September, when they thumped Nacional 3-0 in Lisbon.  They arranged a friendly against Real Betis on Wednesday in an attempt to prepare them for this week’s Champions League challenge but the lack of meaningful football is less than ideal, especially at [...]

Our now-annual defeat against St Johnstone yesterday was a timely reminder of how close to defeat any team can be if they are even slightly off their game.  Despite fighting the urge not to be disrespectful to yesterdays’ victors, they are a poor team, previously without a win, bottom of the league and they had [...]

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Celtic have been dragged into a former club’s scandal today by Scotland’s former best-selling daily newspaper, who have completely misrepresented issues surrounding the registration of Juninho. The newspaper makes the astonishing and completely inaccurate claim that the “SPL have revealed they decided not to investigate Celtic’s EBT payment to Juninho”. The SPL have investigated Celtic’s [...]

The SPL yesterday released a statement concerning the Employee Benefit Trust payment Celtic made in 2005 to Juninho, in response to what sounded like unfounded allegations made earlier this week. The league noted, “we have seen reports regarding an EBT in relation to a former player of Celtic FC.  The SPL has investigated the arrangements [...]

There has been a pattern for me in recent days.  I’ve read a statement by a current/former football club director, then I’ve gone looking for corroboration, just in case the report is a sabotaged attempt to make the author appear foolish. A statement was released by former Rangers chairman, Alastair Johnston yesterday, discussing the current SPL [...]

Charles Green, owner of “The Rangers Football Club Limited“, formed in May this year, yesterday released a remarkable statement yesterday, ahead of the SPL Commission into How Rangers FC, formed in 1872, registered football players for over a decade. “In short, what was decided by the SPL membership is that Rangers was finished as a [...]

The good people running the weeoscar4life campaign have been in touch and asked me to pass on information regarding the appeal and forthcoming quiz night in Glasgow later this month: “As many of you will be aware the weeoscar4life campaign team have recently been involved in raising the profile of a wee 3 year old [...]

Celtic have only one game before they meet Benfica in the Champions League, away to St Johnstone on Saturday.  The Perth team are bottom of the SPL without a win so far this season, so will not present a significant challenge, but Celtic could do with a sterner test. Lassad Noiuoiu, Efe Ambrose and Miku [...]

Georgios Samaras journey over the last twelve months has been astonishing.  The player was subject to treatment by those who enjoying booing at the football and suffered the indignity of being subject to an exchange at last year’s AGM which must have made it difficult to rebuild confidence and form. Now he is the most [...]

Anyone consuming media coverage would think that the on-going investigation into the registration of Rangers (since renamed RFC 2012) players over the last decade or so was the most pressing matter within The Rangers (until recently, Sevco).  I really don’t think so, although it is a useful rallying flag.  The EBT issue is not short [...]

You have to wonder about football people sometimes when they appear to not know the difference between a contract and something which is not a contract.  A contract is a signed document committing one or more parties to do something.  For example, Lassad Noiuoiu and Celtic signed a contract committing the player to perform the [...]

One of the things Neil Lennon may have on his agenda for the international break is an inquest into the physical condition of his playing squad.  The season is a month old and Celtic have an injury list which would wipe out pretty much every other team in the country.  If this was an isolated [...]

Spanish football, like its economy in general, in mired in difficult financial times, which, apart from one or two well-funded clubs, has restricted the budgetary scope of a large number of teams.  I had hoped all summer to hear we were on the case but it wasn’t until the final day of the window that [...]

So how do you feel about playing a couple of teenagers, Filip Twardzik and debutant Jackson Irvine, in central midfield, but dropping a couple of SPL points?  Good, I hope.  Welcome to the world of player development. For a decade or more Celtic produced prodigious youth teams but watched as Dundee United, Hibs, Hearts even [...]

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If ever you needed a reason to convince you to ignore the vast majority of transfer speculation which inflicts football fans from May until 30 August, the signing of Miku Fedor is a gift.  Spanish football is suffering from the kind of economic wake-up call which makes it possible for aspirational Scottish clubs (I know [...]

Celtic’s first piece of incoming transfer business this evening was for Nigeria international central defender, Efe Ambrose, 23, who joins from Israeli club Ashod.  I’ve absolutely no recon on Efe but I can tell you he has been our primary defensive target for some time now.  There has been considerable research put into his capture, [...]

The day has arrived, 31 August, on a Champions League season, but news has been slow (in general) or there has been no news (at Celtic) so far.  Pity help those who were not busy this morning and have burned through a packed of antacids.  Deadline day reveals human nature in all its glory. Last [...]

I’ve been trying to interpret the Champions League group all evening.  It’s an exciting draw.  The world’s biggest box office team will come to Glasgow, a chance for us to marvel at, and test ourselves against, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and the rest.  We also have a sporting chance of finishing second or third, either of [...]

Celtic will play three familiar opponents in the Champions League group stage: Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.  We have a mixed recent record against Barcelona, eliminating them from the Uefa Cup in 2004, but finishing behind them in the Champions League group stage in the autumn of that year.  Barca also knocked Celtic out of [...]

There has been a bit of revisionist nonsense expressed recently which appeared to damn the achievements of the current team by comparing them to the great Martin O’Neill side, but Martin’s team were known to struggle in qualifying on occasion. Let the record show, four wins from four games.  Three clean sheets, two of which [...]

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Celtic Park was packed with an expectant crowd 11 years ago when Celtic took a two goal lead into the second leg of a Champions League play-off round.  Many of us felt it was to be a sort of Coming of Age.  After our long hard slog throughout the 90s we were champions and ruthlessly [...]

I’ve only seen a Swedish team play live on two occasions, the national team, at Hampden, twice. The first was in 1977. Kenny Dalglish was still very much a Celtic hero at the time but back then I was captivated by Ronnie Glavin, who, for me, provided as much thrill as his more celebrated team [...]

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a home game; 4th August, against Aberdeen.  Since then we’ve played five games on the road, three of which involved international travel, with two games in the Highlands. Statistical analysis shows that form suffers when teams are forced to pile-up away fixtures.  Training schedules are interrupted as [...]

There were so many pleasing aspects to yesterday’s performance.  Perhaps most importantly, we won a game and scored goals without our primary creative fulcrum, Kris Commons, and without playing our backup fulcrum, Charlie Mulgrew, in a creative position. Several players will return for Wednesday’s Champions League play-off decider against Helsingborgs but Tony Watt has given [...]

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Best wishes to Ki Sung-Yeng who joined Swansea City today.  The Korean international joined Celtic in January 2010 but the subsequent arrival of central midfielder Beram Kayal, Joe Ledley and Victor Wanyama, curtailed his first-team opportunites. Ki possesses excellent technique and can cover 50 yards as quickly as anyone at Celtic but he often failed [...]

The Champions League play-off round can be a horrible place for seeds against teams with lesser reputations.  Celtic drew Helsingborgs from a group of five possible teams.  Three of the other four were away from home in the first leg but two recorded wins. Hapoel Kiryat Shmona lost 2-0 away to Bate Borisov while Maribor [...]

There are several parts of Tuesday’s performance which could be improved upon, parts which will be exposed by the rigours of Champions League football, but we looked like an experienced European team, one who could go away from home, roll with the early season uncertainties, but still have enough in the tank to win comfortably. [...]

You will remember times, not so long ago, when a successful Celtic team went 15 months without keeping a clean sheet away from home in any competition, even against lower league opposition. Already this season we have achieved what until recently was regarded as beyond the club, won two games away from home without conceding. [...]

Live updates will appear below after 19:45 BST.

We’ve been here several times before.  Our first venture into the Champions League play-off round was in 1998 against (then) Croatia Zagreb.  Zagreb were clearly the better team but while a 1-0 win in the home leg gave us hope we were outclassed in the return game. The unforgettable tie against Ajax was next.  Celtic’s [...]

If you have been in Celtic Quick News or several other places online in recent months you will be aware of Oscar Knox’ battle against Neuroblastoma.  The CQN community has never been slow to react for those in need.  On this occasion Bundoran Bhoy and Celticrollercoaster have taken the initiative and have launched the Wee [...]

Playing Adam Matthews and Emilio Izaguirre as wing-backs with Kelvin Wilson, Charlie Mulgrew and Mikael Lustig as a back three looked a bit clumsy and didn’t last the 90 minutes but that was to be expected.  New defensive formations are not supposed to operate as smoothly as familiar systems. I’m far from certain three at [...]

I suspect we have not seen the best of Daryl Murphy, who has proven to be a solid Championship and fleeting Premier League player in England but has been unable to retain a place in the SPL, but his hamstring injury, suffered after the long flight to Pennsylvania, will be a blow on two levels [...]

Is it really possible that Charles Green made a genuine oversight and believed that monies due to Rangers FC (IA) could be paid by a debtor to selective creditors in order to let his Newco gain access to the Scottish Football League? Back in May, while Rangers FC (IA) were adamant they would continue in [...]

Ten years ago this morning we were celebrating what appeared to be the importance of a Momo Sylla goal two minutes from time to give Celtic a 3-1 first leg lead against FC Basel in the Champions League play-off round.

The trip to the US to play Real Madrid is core to strategy for Celtic right now. It allowed the significant North American support an easier opportunity to see the team, keeps the club’s profile high among the game movers and shakers and will have contributed valuable financial resources.

Seven goal scores are remarkably scarce in football but for the second time this month we look ahead to a Champions League opponent who has recently scored that number in a single game.

Celtic were given an excellent opportunity to shape up against Real Madrid last night but a suspected broken jaw to Dylan McGeouch who was knocked unconscious will set the player back several weeks.

Celtic will receive £1.65m from the Uefa revenue distribution system for participating in the Champions League play-off round against Helsingborgs.

Helsingborgs IF are sixth after 17 games in the Swedish Allsvenskan, seven points off Elfsborg and Malmo, who ended Scotland’s interest in the Champions League last season.

Celtic will play Swedish champions Helsingborg IF in the Champions League play-off round later this month.  Helsingborg eliminated Polish champions Slask Wroclaw in the last round, winning 0-3 in the first leg in Poland, but our man in Poland assures me Slask were one of the weakest Polish champions in recent season and have lost [...]

Live updates will appear below after 18:00 BST.

Old Lumley-troubled used a classic rhetorical technique yesterday. Give your target audience lots of points to consider which you know they will agree with; build empathy, get heads nodding, fists banging on tables, then slip in the line you are trying to sell.

I see several “fans’ groups” are engaged on the subject of our old friend, Juninho, who played around 13 games for Celtic eight years ago and benefited from an Employee Benefit Trust.

Over 70 CQN’ers gathered in Aberdour, Fife, on Friday for our eighth annual charity golf day. As before, the day was hugely successful.

Live updates will appear below after12:45 BST.

My friends in Celtic, for the first time in four years we start a league campaign as champions.

In days of yore Celtic would rattle nine goals past the Finnish champions on European Cup duty. That was never going to be on the cards last night but there remains a clear gap in quality between the teams.

The juices are flowing ahead of tonight’s crucial third round Champions League qualifier against HJK Helsinki at Celtic Park.

As far as Armageddons go, this one will surely be known as the Amiable Nursemaid of all Armageddons. The kind that not so much wipes everyone out, but buys them a meal, then takes them to a show and onto a nightclub.

Friday is the 8th annual Celtic Quick News Open. The event is completely booked up with a record 54 golfers. In addition to playing golf and having fun the CQN Open raises funds for good causes.

Our man on the inside, Charlie Green, seems to have upset a few people over the weekend.  Charlie was playing to the gallery with his “bigotry” comment; it is not credible that the 35 clubs who voted against providing Sevco access to an elevated league are demographic significantly different from those of Rangers (1872/3).  Although, [...]

This time next week Celtic will have played two competitive games, both at home, and we will have a chance to properly assess preseason preparations.  Even if victories are achieved against HJK Helsinki and Aberdeen the challenges for the remainder of the month, with at least four and possibly five games away from Celtic Park, [...]

Sevco owner, Charles Green, got himself a bit confused last night when talking about Celtic, saying, “Our main rivals, or our former main rivals, across the city, they have had three different companies in their lifespan.  In fact if you look at their corporate structure now it’s more complicated than Rangers”. For the record…….. Celtic [...]

Tonight Sevco accepted all outstanding penalties attributable to the SFA membership of soon-to-be-liquidated Rangers.  They also agreed that if Rangers are found to have cheated for over a decade by illegally registering players that they will be subject to whatever penalties Rangers would be due, in order to acquire Rangers SFA membership. Only a week [...]

I am sure we will see a full strength Celtic team against Inter Milan tomorrow but that doesn’t mean Celtic will be able to overturn their summer form against what will be the best squad of players they have met since facing the same team in the Dublin Cup almost exactly a year ago.  Inter [...]

I’ve not spent a lot of time online this week (work sometimes creeps in) but can’t believe the amount of traction that notion that Sevco would somehow be able to acquire SFA membership of a dead club, with all associated benefits, but be in a position to dictate set terms on how past misdeeds of [...]

There comes a time during any endeavour when you have to ask, is this worth all the hassle?  News revealed by Phil MacGiollabhain last week and swiftly picked up by the newspapers today that an SFA executive has had his life threatened for what some regard as holding a firm line on application of the [...]

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We got sight of a couple of interesting stats in the last 24 hours.  Sevco released their proposed season ticket prices for this season – £258 for adults.  The Herald today told us they have sold 450 tickets, which would generate £116k. For every 10,000 full price adult tickets Sevco sell they can expect an [...]

You and I have been through a few close seasons together, so  it’s no surprise we have this uncomfortable feeling as we look ahead to (hopefully) four hugely important Champions League qualifiers while contemplating how ring-rusty Celtic have looked preseason.  These games really don’t matter, of course, they are there to allow us to experiment [...]

In terms of pure logic, Ally McCoist was quite right to insist, “I can also assure every Rangers fan I will not be accepting any talk of stripping the club of titles. That is something we will never accept and everyone at the club shares this view.” It is outrageous to put Sevco in the [...]

“Sell Out Saturday, show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”. Discuss. You have to admire the Aberdeen fans, and fans of every other club in the league, even Kilmarnock fans, who are clearly infuriated by the actions of their chairman.  For perhaps the first time in history they have stood up [...]

This evening we received clarity on two items first reported here and on several other locations months ago.  Sevco have accepted the 12 month player registration embargo handed down by Lord Carloway’s Appellate Tribunal as a condition of their application for membership of the SFA, while Fifa have granted four former Rangers players permission to [...]

Celtic will almost certainly face HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.  The Fins are 7-0 after the first leg of their second qualifying round against KR Reykjavik. HJK were the first team to beat Martin O’Neill’s Celtic as they overcame a first leg deficit in the 2000 Uefa Cup to [...]

Celtic have received some clarity concerning their first Champions League qualifying round opponents after this week’s first leg results in qualifying round two.  The five matches that could provide an opponent for Celtic all produced hot favourites to progress. Sheriff Tiraspol, who won away in Armenia, are 22 games into their league campaign and top [...]

The Daily Record today report the contents of a document drawn up after a meeting between the SFA, the SPL, the SFL and Sevco suggesting “punishments for Rangers for the Employment Benefit Trust tax dodge used by Sir David Murray’s regime to pay players”. The document details that Rangers would be stripped of titles and [...]

Celtic will face their first Champions League qualifying opponents on either 31 July or 1 August but heartbeats among the scouting staff will quicken tonight and tomorrow when every potential opponent will play in the second qualifying round. A number of potential opponents from eastern and northern Europe are mid-season but all will benefit from [...]

Congratulations to Dundee FC who return to the top flight of Scottish football for the first time in seven years.  Back in the 60s Dundee were a top European team.  They won the league in 1962 and in the preliminary round of the European Cup they trounced West German champions, Cologne, 8-1 at Dens.  Cologne [...]

All eyes are on whether or not Neil Doncaster will be asked to step down at the Scottish Premier League annual general meeting, which is underway at the moment, after he threatened to renege on the SPL’s legal obligations to the Scottish Football League. It may seem obvious that he has to go but don’t [...]

Tomorrow’s Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Premier League is set to be the third great football meeting in the last two weeks.  The Prophet of Armageddon, chief executive Neil Doncaster, will face his shareholders and either have to declare he was being truthful when he told them, and Scottish Football League clubs, the SPL [...]

If the statement by Inverness chairman Kenny Cameron was utterly bizarre, St Mirren’s Stewart Gilmour explains so much about Scottish football.  10 days after Gilmour voted to refuse Sevco a parachute into the top flight of the game, he accused Scottish Football League clubs of doing damage to Scottish football by standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him [...]

There has been an enormous amount of guff said and written during the last five months but last night’s statement by Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman, Kenny Cameron, is surely is up there with the most bizarre. “All clubs will now have to live with the repercussions of this decision. Scottish football was at a cross [...]

The Scottish Football League today placed an upper limit on which division Sevco can play in next season – their Third.  We must now wait on the company providing sufficient information to complete their application to the SFL and for membership of the Scottish FA.  Although many Rangers fans want Sevco to join the Third [...]

The Scottish FA has an interesting history of leaked emails.  I hear.  Today’s presentation, by that persistent thorn in the side of those who would rather awkward questions were not asked, Alex Thomson of Channel 4 News, is surely a contender for Leaked Email of the Season. The critical words, written by SFA chief exec [...]

Our third and final video with Scotland’s top model and TV presenter, Nicole with social media masters’ graduate, Suzie is now available.  We finish with a bit of fun, looking at the Saints and Sinners of Scottish football, including some of the main characters involved in football’s current woes, as well as one or two [...]

Former Celtic striker, Joe McBride, died yesterday after suffering a stroke at the weekend.  Joe spent only three years at Celtic but was one of the most prolific strikers in the history of a club known for its prolific strikers. Brought to the club by Jock Stein in 1965 Joe instantly became the star of [...]

I received updates direct from last week’s Scottish Football League meeting shortly after it concluded.  My information was that Neil Doncaster in particular was given a torrid time and that the mood among clubs was firmly against agreeing to place Sevco into the First Division. Within a couple of hours it was clear that many [...]

Neil Lennon’s interview with the official site was the second resounding State of the Club address from Celtic within a week.  The manager said: ”Clearly, in terms of where Rangers do play, that is now a matter for others to decide upon, it is something we have no control or influence over. “We must now [...]

Channel 4’s Alex Thomson’s source at the SPL yesterday confirmed that the league will not proceed with their hearing into Rangers illegal registration of players until Sevco agrees to be bound by its findings.  This is curious as Item 12 (Sanctions) from the SFA’s ‘List of items required to accompany application for transfer of full [...]

Let’s be clear about what is going to happen on Friday.  Monetary inducements are being made to allow a newly created company to advance its football team two divisions up the league structure. The overwhelming majority of money to pay for these financial inducements will be taken from Celtic, who vehemently oppose all these measures.  [...]

This is our second CQN TV stint where Glasgow’s hottest model and TV presenter Nicole and social media masters’ student, Suzie, ask me about the season ahead Celtic and our Champions League chances.  I also get a great question about the Generation of Domination, which I’ve not written much about here recently, but you’d better [...]

You wonder if Ally McCoist rues the day he called for the public outing of members of the SFA Judicial Panel which imposed a player registration ban on his club.  One judge, one journalist and one football club, Raith Rovers, were soon outed.  Crossing the Fifers was a mistake. Raith Rovers are now pointing out [...]

Predicting what is about to happen in Scottish football is a bit of an art.  We all realise that just about everyone has an agenda, so the first thing most of us do is ignore whatever overt line is being promoted by one or two sources of ill-repute, especially when they suggest that Sevco will [...]

After yesterday’s significant news CQN TV kicked off the summer season with a bit of fun. I spoke to Glasgow’s hottest model and TV presenter, Nicole, together with social media masters’ student, Suzie, at Epicures in Glasgow’s west end. We have a few videos coming up, hope you enjoy them.

So what do you do with a “dead parrot” (© Turnbull Hutton)?  Well, as anyone familiar with the Monty Python sketch (and if that doesn’t include you, go watch) will tell you, you need to admit that the parrot is, technically an ex-… As soon as you have widespread acceptance of this fact, your problems [...]

You asked for it, many of you campaigned for it.  All of you debated it, expressed a view on it and now your wish has been granted.  The SPL voted 10-1 against parachuting Sevco into the league next season, with only Sevco itself voting for, and the Loyal Resisters abstaining. Our fellow SPL clubs have [...]

Scottish football has gone through months of drama and uncertainty to rescue ‘Rangers’.  Only weeks ago we were told a CVA was likely.  Once this failed the question of today’s SPL vote crystallised. The SPL met several times to discuss this matter, even doing so before Rangers CVA failed.  Sentiment was firmly behind Newco, to [...]

Despite of the most intense lobbying and doomsday predicting from chief executive, Neil Doncaster, SPL clubs have “overwhelmingly” voted ‘No to Newco’, finally rejecting the bid by one of Charles Green’s Sevco companies to form a team and gain access to the SPL. This is the conclusion of what only last month looked like an [...]

Since October last year, when I first predicted the SPL would vote to gift a Newco-Rangers into the league, some people ‘close to Celtic’ have cynically held to the view that our club would be the only ones to vote against the proposal. Plenty has happened since then, most notably fan pressure has been brought [...]