It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Aberdeen fans’ banner on Saturday in response to their chairman, Stewart Milne’s suggestion that fans are damaging our game with talking about the consequences of clubs being found to be cheating.
I know some people learned the lessons of 2012 but others appear to have acquired amnesia. Back in 2012 only one SPL club was of the view that Rangers should not be allowed to phoenix and gain entry to top flight football. After a considerable campaign by fans, all others, apart from Rangers themselves, and Kilmarnock, decided it would be better if existing rules were allowed to stand on the matter.
Milne was off his head making his comments. The only way to possibly pull a stroke like this would be to keep quiet about it, even then I doubt it would be achievable. Making his feelings known was only going to engage Aberdeen supporters, who will have the ultimate view on what the club do.
The issue remains in the long grass until the Supreme Court have concluded their business, but what we said in October remains valid: if Celtic stand alone, the matter will not be looked at again, if other clubs are on-board, it will be examined appropriately. It is for fans of Aberdeen, United, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell and make their feelings known.
The Herald’s piece this morning on Newco being “handed a place in the Premiership next summer as a result of some hastily-arranged league reconstruction” was remarkable. It was absurd but also worthy of respect. “NOBODY at Rangers (sic.)” wants this, but as other clubs need for Newco’s promotion is so great, apparently this is not really implausible.
Promote them, not because they are in need, because other clubs need them.
The starting position on league reconstruction is notable. For years only Celtic and Rangers blocked the SPL from being expanded. The majority of top flight clubs live in fear of (and experienced) relegation. They want a less competitive middle to the league. When the SPFL was formed a temporary moratorium of league reconstruction was agreed. This moratorium is due to expire shortly, a window for change is about to open up.
Tracking underneath all of these debates are the financial fundamentals. Newco is not financially viable. They are not viable in the Championship and although Premiership football would give them a few millions more, it would not change the fundamentals.
The circa £17m it takes to run a club at Ibrox before you employ football staff leaves little money for football given their anticipated top-flight income. It would take years and many tens of millions of dead investment to change this, as well as Mike Ashley raising the white flag.
These facts have not been grasped yet as the consequences of the hoped for investment of tens of millions not appearing are not being considered. Dave King might invest £30m-£50m, so with a fair wind everything might be OK. On the other hand, I think even £50m is tight, and I don’t see anything like that money heading to Ibrox.
The consequences of what happened in 2012, even on these pages, have yet to be realised. The old business model is finished, it’s not coming back.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the Foundation Christmas Appeal bucket collection on Saturday. You see people at their very best on these occasions. If you want to know how your money will be spent have a read here.
Very last shout from CQN Bookstore for Christmas delivery, if you’re after 16:00, it’ll be after the festives’ before you get your book or DVD.
627 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- ...
- 17
- »
Not only do people who think that Peter Lawell recruits the players not know how our football club is run – they don’t know how a whelk stall runs.
I hear the Truss are sponsoring a course at the Caledonian (kiddy on) University “How to run a whelk stall on the moral high ground”
Only whelks that have been found accidentally will be sold.
SIPSINI
Cheers for that buddy. Met Dena and her daughter on Saturday, the highlight of the day, after watching the garbage on the park. Lol. See ya. :-)))HH
Ron B-a simple programme note, when Sevco played their first game in Div 3, to say welcome to the new club, yours in football, blah blah, job done. They have helped perpetuate the myth.HH
TET…
I mind last year we both posted about having more experienced players to bring on the youngsters.
As you highlighted, without Broonie we seem rudderless, there should be cover at least.
Where I disagree as James Forrests blog said…I think his RD’s had his chance.
Time to move on. HH
Fred
Well that rules me out, cos I don’t think Pedro scouts or recruits the players.
Need to try harder Mrs Pastry.
Bada bing
They won’t say anything ….they’re terrified of the Hun reaction …apparently
Alfie Quimby
An expert on seafood selling and an expert on education as well. Wow.And a complete tosser as well. Congratulatoons your parents must be so proud.
Jimbo67
Lawwell and Park control players in and out, that’s why any manager worth his salt, won’t come anywhere near Celtic, this regime needs to end before we can move forward again
PF……….
How you doing chum?
My comments earlier refer specifically to this issue at hand.
Thinking strategically my views are aimed principally at the sleekit rabble rouser(s) who would gleefully see our club yield the delicate but pivotal position of power we hold in this intractable problem. My views differ from the brazen, kid-on, pantomime cage-rattlers but are totally in-sync with those of ordinary (genuine) hurting tims anywhere.
Hope you have a great Christmas matey.
HH.
Sipsini
We differ on the Ronny thing.
As far as I can see he was brought in for the long term, and from what I have heard from him and Pedro, youth is the aim, produce our own as opposed to buying projects, which patently wasn’t working.
It takes time mi amigo, lots of time, it’s no easy to do your job when your better players are sold from under you.
We can only speculate as to what the board see as success, the league is a given, and europa footy, Pedro has told us that we don’t need CL footy, so by what they have told us, Ronny is doing a grand job.
I am in the minority, but when we are top of the league, still in with a chance of both cups, I can’t work out what the problem is.
When you have players who are of our standard, they are inconsistant, if they weren’t, they would’t be playing with us, they would be earning millions elsewhere.
I have followed the club since the early mid 60s, we have had much worse times that this, tho for the life of me, I can’t understand how winning the league is a bad time, but there you go.
The msm have a lot to answer for, and so do those who lap up their pish.
HH
The Exiled Tim
Am with you, we should start our own clique thing…..
Ronny can infuriate me but he’s in the job so he is answerable to his bosses not CQN or the fans…..
TET
Agree
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
Count me in. Do I need a password??? Lol. HH
There wodny be many in the clique :-)
HH
Exiled Tim
You say when you have players of our standard they are inconsistent . Our team is more or less full of full international players. When we see the performances like Malmo & Molde away and even Saturday it could easily have been 5-1. There’s a lot more wrong than the standard of player.
Ooft, podium on page 7. I owe this success to my family and friends. Thank you all so much. HH
Weefrathetim
The code is
“We want the best for Celtic”
There are no goats involved just daft Celtic fans who want the best for Celtic, not sure if it will catch on….
AB
So do you want to start from the keeper and go through the team……….
Take our keeper, aye has a few caps, and when on his game is as good as it gets, now can you please tell me where the coach is responsible for the keeper making howlers ?
When you do that we can move on to the next in line.
HH
TET
We are already at three !
Hopefully some of Ronny’s family might join, Scott Brown and wee Leigh seem to like him, in Ronny we trust
TET…
The problem is… We keep playing players out of the position that we expect them to play in.
RD is not getting the best from his signings due to this.
I realise he had his best players sold from under his feet by a board that is money driven (for their pockets) but if you buy a player, play him where best suited.
Too much tinker man for me. HH
Aiden Bhoy
Mode & Malmo were total downers
Ajax away & Fenerbache away ?
Fenerbache 2-0 and cruising at home, this team has very little European experience, Craig Gordon was making save because he had Van Dijk & Denaymer in front of him, take £20m worth of defending away and am sure if not mistakes, your defence is obvious weaker ? No ?
SPFL Development League
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie
Monday, December 21, 2015
PARTICK THISTLE…0
CELTIC…1
(Nesbitt 82)
AIDAN Nesbitt’s late strike gave Celtic’s Development Side a hard-fought 1-0 win over Partick Thistle at the Excelsior Stadium and maintained their unbeaten domestic record.
The winger rifled in at the near post after fastening onto substitute Dan Higgins’ pass with eight minutes left on the clock settle a tight Glasgow derby.
The triumph keeps the young Hoops top of the table on goal difference, with games still in hand over their closest challengers.
There were four changes to the team that defeated Dunfermline 1-0 three days earlier as Jamie McCart, Calum Waters, Mark Hill and Nesbitt were restored to the starting XI. Tyler Blackett, Aidan McIlduff, Joe Thomson and Regan Hendry made way.
The hosts made a positive start as the adverse pre-match weather conditions abated somewhat, with some industrious work down the right from Andy McCarthy giving David Edwards a sight of goal in the box. His shot was charged down by a host of Celtic defenders, before Kevin Nisbet blasted the rebound over.
Aside from that, there was little action of note in both boxes in the opening quarter as the young Celts took time get into their normal rhythm.
In the 17th minute, they carved out their first chance. Anthony Stokes’ powerful cross was narrowly away from the onrushing Luke Donnelly, but Waters retrieved the situation. His cross picked out Nesbitt in the box, who sent a first-time spinning wide.
Thistle failed to capitalise on a promising attack at the other end when Matthew McInally’s cross drifted behind for a goal-kick, but the young Hoops were now beginning to establish a greater control of proceedings.
Stokes came close in quick succession, heading wide from Calvin Miller’s corner, before lashing a speculative half-volley wide after fastening onto a long ball over the top.
The Irishman also curled a free-kick from 30 yards over following a foul on Miller as the deadlock remained.
The Jags were proving a resilient foe, however, and a searching cross left-back James Penrice founds McInally at the post but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
Conor Hazard’s clearance was then seized upon by Edwards in a dangerous position, but the Hoops backline scrambled quickly to clear the subsequent cutback.
On the stroke of half time, Donnelly, who had driven a ball across goal a few minutes earlier, met Stokes’ inviting free-kick from the right but the forward’s header was straight at goalkeeper Marc Waters.
It had been a frustrating opening 45 minutes for Tommy McIntyre’s side, and they could have been behind seconds after the restart as Declan McDaid fired inches wide from 18 yards after swift exchange of passes.
Miller tried to spark the Bhoys into action with a good run and cross that took the ball away from Stokes and a solo run through the middle that saw him eventually crowded out.
However, back came the Firhill side and Declan McDaid sent a half-volley over after Celtic failed to clear a long ball through the middle. Hazard also had to make a smart save from Michael McMullin after the centre-half had connected with a cross from the right.
But just as the game looked to be heading towards stalemate, Nesbitt struck. Collecting Higgins’ through ball in the box, he drove forward before drilling a shot beyond Marc Waters.
Thistle rallied, with Nisbet and Penrice having late efforts saved by Hazard, but Miller could have also extended the youths’ advantage with a dipping drive as the Hoops youngsters saw out the closing minutes to claim maximum reward.
CELTIC (4-2-3-1) Hazard; Wardrop, Kelleher, McCart, Waters; Breslin, Hill; Nesbitt, Donnelly (Hendry 46) Miller; Stokes (McIlduff 61)
Not Used: McCabe, Murray, Archibald, Lafferty
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
Not sure about the no goats. We’ve an 8 month old pet tup here, does he count? Lol. HH
Exiled Tim
The coach can’t legislate for some of the individual errors we have seen. But he can play stop playing players out of position and change the set up of the team.
Arsenal 1 up, what a strike from Wallcot. HH
Walcot playing on the left cuts inside onto his strong right foot and curls in a beauty 1-nil Arsenal
Sipsini
I would never class fans who stay away from games as ‘ diehards’
I certainly know a few folk who have stopped going to games.
The fact that they don’t go any more means they ain’t diehards.
Diehards are the guys who travelled with me when the cheats were romping to 9 in a row and are still going.
They would never dream of withholding their support.
Now I ain’t a fan of Lawwell or the board but we can show our displeasure in other ways.
Celtic are too precious to play politics with.
Latch ford.
Come on my man. ‘ Good to see ETims come out against RD’
You sound as if you’re enjoying it
HH
Weefra
Probably more sensible than most on here (myself included)
I can understand fans being annoyed / disappointed / fed up, but some of the football (especially in Europe) has been pretty good, at spells I have watched Celtic in Europe and it’s not the team I usually watch, Saint Martin away from home, how many points ? And remember St Martin was paying millions for guys like Valgharen (sic) then playing him out of position, it’s easy to pick holes, St Martin probably cost us two leagues against the cheats 2003 & 2005 but hey-ho he got us to Seville, the same guys who loved Seville are too ready to turn on a manager who is actually winning leagues….. But again for me it’s about Celtic and not Saint Martin or Ronny the scapegoat
BIGBHOY on 21ST DECEMBER 2015 7:35 PM
“What I know is that the Football Division is rum by the First Team Manager, Ronny. John Park runs the scouting and brings players in positions that the manager had identified. The Manager then decides who is he wants. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Choice. He has a budget and he decides how he spends it e.g one £5m player or 5 £1million player
Only when the football dept has done their work, then the commercial piece is done by the club and ultimately the CEO. They negotiate the contact and Transfer Fee for players in and out.
Peter Lawwell is not qualified to handle the Football part, that is the Manager who has the final say. Peter Lawwell does the financial negotiations which he is qualified to do.
John Parks team scout the players and then the Football coaching staff decide who to sign within their budget, its only the Financial gets left with the Commercial people.”
———————————————————————
Hopefully you know this through factual knowledge and not hopeful guesswork.
I have no reason to doubt you, therefore thanks for the great detailed post.
It fairly challenges the assumptions of the ” Blame Lawell for everything ” gang. I would expect them to have an equally detailed post if and when they challenge your assertion on the running of our club.
Hail Hail to you.
Burghbhoy…
Maybe they’re not uber fans in the sense of the word but they are certainly p****d off with what they are watching just now.
No, I’m not or never happy to watch Celtic get beat by a team third from the bottom of the league. HH
GERRY
The past few years have been fantastic. The football, most of the time, has been a pleasure to watch. I feel things will improve after this wee sticky patch and I will defo be renewing my ST next season. Oh, and I believe we will still be Scottish Champions. :-)) HH
Gerry
We were shipping lots of goals in Europe with Virgil and Denayer last season . That is one of my problems with Ronny he doesn’t learn from his mistakes. This season their have been some decent performances as you say Ajax and Fernabache away but there have been a lot of dire ones as well.
2 nil Arsenal
should there not be a well learned footballing man in a NE position
Arsenal go 2 up. Girout. HH
Burchill sacked by Livingston
Sips~AB
Ok, for a start I don’t believe he signed the players, so we are at a crossroads.
As for playing players out of position, I agree and disagree.
He plays with the 4231, which in effect is more like a 2 9 when at home and we are attacking, this is a problem granted and needs sorted.
Back to the players out of position.
His back four picks itself when fit, so no problem there, agreed.
The two middys, Broonie and Biton when fit, agreed.
Now the problem as you see it, we have three positions that yous have a prob with,
We have no idea what goes on at the training ground, so we can only assume that he is playing the three as they perform at training, he obviously thinks Rogic is one for the future and his best position is in the mid of the three, that used to be reserved for Jo Hansen, but he saw the light and dropped him, tho I see little praise for him for that, he then decides between JF and SA, only one can play in the mid of the three, he has tried to switch them around to no effect as yet, but he will get it right imo.
Injuries also are giving problems.
Been given coaches you don’t know or prob didn’t wanted disny help either.
I doubt he can run to the boss and say get rid of the staff you have given me.
HH
Totally agree with The Green Man”s posts earlier, we need to stand together against the cheating and corruption !! Ayrshire”s Green and White !!