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AGM, Foundation stars, Uefa changes, stadium developments

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Celtic’s Annual General Meeting took place at Celtic Park today as the club and shareholders reflected on a year in which the Scottish Premiership trophy was secured for the 10th season in 11.  Chairman, Ian Bankier (70) confirmed his decision to step down as at the end of next month, 11 years after replacing John Reid in the job.  An announcement on his replacement will be made to the stock market before then.

The most illuminating part of the day was Celtic FC Foundation chief exec., Tony Hamilton, explaining the work your Foundation has done in the past year and has planned for the difficult winter months ahead.  The Foundation continues to feed, educate, aid those in need of medical assistance and help those struggling in poverty.  Whatever happens on the park at Celtic, the Foundation is your proudest boast.

Ange Postecoglou pinned his familiar colours to the mast.  If we are to reach the highest levels of European football, we will not do so playing defensively in the Champions League.  It is an admiral conviction and Ange had more than enough affection to carry this or any other room full of Celtic supporters.  Other outcomes are possible.

It was not overtly clear to the room, but much of Celtic’s planning in recent times has been to be in the right place when Uefa change the Champions League in 2024.  Next season’s competition will feature the last of the Group Stages, a status that has occupied our hopes and dreams for so many years.

Instead, an open draw from 36 teams will see participants play four home games and four away, all against different sides.  Getting into this 36 team contest and remaining is a huge objective for the club.

Chief executive, Michael Nicholson spoke to on-going stadium developments.  The new sports bar opened recently in the Jock Stein Stand, which will help fans who travel from distance in particular.  Lots more work is needed here.  We have a fine 20th century stadium but the more Celtic fans travel to great European stadiums and come back with tales of extravagances, like catering facilities you can reach during halftime, handtowels in the toilets throughout the day, merchandise outlets you can spend money at, from the largest seating area at the group, the more we will realise there is work to be done.

Fan liaison chief, John Paul Taylor spoke about the fight he led (although he took no credit for it) against the regime at Glasgow City Council, who planned to impose a 1m parking exclusion zone around Celtic Park on match days.  This would have displaced the nearest drivers to park 1m away, while many would be forced multiples of this distance.

It was a beyond crazy idea that only a local government/Holyrood/Westminster politician could have suggested.

Chief Financial Officer, Chris McKay dived into the numbers, indicating some significant relief that the years without fans were behind us.  He and former chief executive, Peter Lawwell, had a significant influence on the new Uefa Financial Fair Play regulations.  An understated indication of the soft power the club has amassed in the game in recent years.

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  2. Saint Stivs on

    BLAKEY on 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 4:52 PM

     

    I’m sure PL said about 4 or 5 years ago at the agm that a new main stand would cost up to 40 or 50 million.

     

     

     

     

    Nicholson today quoted 100m. If this is the rate of construction inflation we’ll never get there.

     

     

    —————————–

     

     

    Evening,

     

    This is not in defence of any PLC statements.

     

    It is however an insight into Design and Build costings for a Construction of a football stand with reasonable fit up.

     

     

    I am no expert on stadium builds, but I have been involved in 500+ Commercial and Corporate Real Estate projects of all types, and including financing via REITS and Pension Investors.

     

     

    But if you want real costs from a fag packet MadMitch will be on sometime later.

     

     

    ————————————————–

     

     

    I follow the Anfield developments via a Project Manager I worked with previously.

     

    I have access to the Selhurst Park main stand expansion via a works platform.

     

     

    Anfiekd is adding a total of 16,000 seats, taking capacity to 61,000 next year.

     

    This build is very comparable to what I would expect to happen for Celtic Park.

     

    Capacity and Attendnace for the “old main stand” continues while the concrete foundations, steel frames, and skeleton are built over the top of the current one.

     

    For Celtic Park, the new top level stand might be opened before the old bottom teir is refurbished.

     

    I doubt very much they would demolish the current south stand and build new from the ground up.

     

    Much of the original 1929 stand is still in existance inside the 1970s building, and behind the centenry office block.

     

     

    The Anfield 2 stage development , first main stand then anfield road added 16,000 seats at a cost of £288m

     

     

    £288,000,000

     

     

    that is £18,000 per seat.

     

     

    As a going rate, lets say Celtic add 7,000 seats to a top deck with full construction and refurbishment of the bottom tier stand without reducing capacity.

     

     

    That is

     

     

    £126,000,000.

     

     

    The PLC could offcourse raise the finances via an REIT or others, or ask Dessi bank for some preference loan. Or a mortgage ?

     

     

    They wont take those riska in the current borrowing environment,

     

     

    As an aside, allthough many commodities price decreased or stayed the same during pandemic, this is turning again. Its lower than its highest cost point but steel and glass are still 50% higher than 6 years ago,

     

     

    Energy prices in particular affecting the cost. Its real inflation.

     

     

    We wont be building anything soon.

     

     

    As an aside to the aside, I am away to look at the full year annual report for the cost of upkeep for Celtic Park last financial year, I bet there aint much change from £2m as we reopened fully.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ———————————–

  4. Saint Stivs on

    On to Selhurst Park, which is a live hot topic in the Construction world of South London.

     

     

    I really like the design, They will increase the capacity by some 8,000 (2500 of them “business” seats.

     

     

    At a conservative cost of £100m (I doubt very much it will come in at that cost)

     

     

    Cost per seat £12,500.

     

     

    If Celtic could get similar pricing, which i really doubt, We will still be looking at £88 million, maybe that is sign.

  5. bigrailroadblues on

    Big Jimmy

     

    If you fell in the Clyde you would come out on Shergar with Lord Lucan as yer prisoner. Get in there James. 👏👏😂

  12. Tom McLaughlin on

    Shareholder questioning the GB song book and complaining about a drum?

     

     

    Who gave MADMITCH access to the AGM?

  14. bigrailroadblues on

    Team for tomorrow; Joe, Tank, Carl, St Moritz, Greg, Reo, Matt, Aaron, Gio, Liel, Jamesie. Ange told me after he won 5 games of pool in the International Bar. Helluva man.

  18. Tom McLaughlin on

    My first ever bet was in the Foinavan Grand National.

     

     

    At the off, my horse turned and ran in the opposite direction.

     

     

    Luckily for me, I’d bet it each way.

  21. An Tearmann on

    Not the Bus.

     

     

    Wish they would show that as a clip on ctv,as you say leader!.heard from a few tims that Ange s answer to supporter on his way of playing football was special.

     

    Show that instead of the corpo slick clip shown by TET at end of last blog.

     

    How do you feel it went? I wasn’t there.

     

     

    HH

  22. bigrailroadblues on

    PARKHEADCUMSALFORD 6.15

     

    The chap who complained was Joe Hart as it was disturbing his sleep pattern.

  23. Tom McLaughlin on

    PARKHEADCUMSALFORD

     

     

    I think you’re getting confused with the guy who asked when the team who won the league 2 years ago were founded.

     

     

    That reportedly got the biggest round of applause.

  27. An Tearmann on

    St.Tams,I refuse to call it the Sports Bar

     

    Was in the St.Tams bar before Donetsk game tho :-)

     

     

    HH

  34. Tom McLaughlin on

    BUS – BLOOTER – GOAL

     

     

    Where do you get all these different monikers every day? Is there a book of KevJ monikers?

  35. notthebus on

    AN TEARMANN on 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 6:21 PM

     

     

    Ange is special. His answer on his philosophy on how to build a football club capable of competing in CL was inspirational.

     

     

    A very good AGM…bit of a love in tho,

  36. EmeraldBee \o/ A Double Niner!! on

    AN TEARMAN @ 6.09

     

     

    Thanks for the link to Ange’s media conference. A MOST impressive guy, how lucky are we.. But ….. anyone else aware of/worried about that cough of his? Or is it just a nervous cough?

     

     

    Right, now that there is a troll feckwit on, and as I was going to make dindins anyway I think I’ll be offski for an hour or two. Best to just ignore it, don’t engage.

     

     

    Ave Ave

  38. bankiebhoy1 on

    …………………………………………………………..

     

     

    If the Lonely-Hearts could only resist.

     

     

    NotDifficult CSC

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