Back in the days, when some of us were predicting financial meltdown across the city, we were mocked by commentators in the old media for focussing too much on Rangers. How the world has flipped. At Newco’s EGM yesterday, chairman Andrew Cavenagh’s focus was somewhere else in the city – Celtic.
“Our rivalry with Celtic, Rangers wouldn’t quite be the same without that rivalry.” Can you imagine a Celtic chairman saying the same to supporters? Compare and contrast to Peter Lawwell’s comments as Rangers slipped into administration in 2012:
“We look after ourselves.” “We don’t rely on any other club.” “”We have a stand-alone strategy, a stand-alone financial plan.”
The new sheriff in charge across the city explained to his shareholders he believes they need Celtic. We are the reason he bought into Newco, we bring the glamour, we bring international relevance, we are champions worthy or rivalling. Newco are a division, within a division, on the coattails of a dominant champion. And £20n? It wiill keep the lights on for a year, maybe a little longer. They will need to sell in order to buy in any significant way without a lot more cash coming in. You know this, everyone knows this, why the pretence that £20m is a lot of money?
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HH
Well played VALE BHOY! Wednesday eve!
A little over two weeks until I venture across the pond again.
Act accordingly BRRB!
Howdy y’all – agree with Paul on the £20MM.
In perspective – it would buy you Idah and Engels if you didn’t address the £17MM loss I heard they had last season.
Tavpen will be disappointed.
Yeah – nobody is the slightest bit interested in what’s happening across the city…..
It’s why they and the SMSM persistently use the term “Old Firm”.
It gives the illusion of continuity and equivalence their support so desperately craves.
They need us in order to remain relevant (and solvent).
Fortunately, we do not need them.
Jeez, Shortie now writing puff pieces the would make Keith Jackson blush.
“We look after ourselves.” “We don’t rely on any other club.” “”We have a stand-alone strategy, a stand-alone financial plan.”
We sure did. We sold our best players, cut the wage bill and downsized. And missed out on three champions league qualifications.
As long as we are one step ahead of those across the city that we pay no attention to.
AT- I see the guys posted the Club tribute
Another wee tale about Luggy, it seems that he had moved to live in Balmaha, a place close to my heart as its only around half an hour by road from Balloch plus the old Maid of the Loch on its Loch Lomond cruises used to stop there, so every Sunday during the summer, within reason, we as a family used to picnic there.
Anyway, John periodically would attend Holy Mass down in St Kessogs in Balloch and then cross over to the Corries Restaurant for breakfast, at the time it was owned by an acquaintance of mine who told me she was often tempted to tell him he was one of her dad’s favourite players.
If we needed Rangers you would think it would have shown up by now.
Glass 2/3
Look at our support drop and our ability to sign or compete in Europe 2012/2015.
Head in the sand CSC might be your happy place.
Watching the 2-2 at ibrox new year 23 game.
We did have a stronger team then than we have now IMO. Def a stronger squad. Happy to hear anyone who thinks differently.
Hopefully we can get back to that level or better this time.
Of course, we keep our eye on the rivals at Ibrox. it would be an error to ignore them. Brendan and the Board will watch what they do. We of course have our own strategies both on and off the field.
Brendan has been criticised for his stubborn tactics against Sevco and would be well served with setting his team up against Sevco to get around their counter tactics. 1 point from 9 is not what we expect from our superior team. I am sure Brendan will have a strategy in mind for dealing with Sevco and their new manager.
The Celtic Board have less interest in the Sevco new Board in that we have our own strategy and it is well developed ahead of Sevco. We outperform them in every field. Nevertheless, we need to keep an eye on what they are up to as they are known to break the rules and our Governing bodies turn a blind eye to the Ibrox club moves.
Where Sevco is ahead of Celtic is in their relationship with the MSM. A difficult task as we are dealing with a hostile media showing bias towards Sevco and anti-Celtic views. Our communication to supporters and shareholders is poor and is the key to bypassing MSM message. For example, Celtic applied for Planning consent for New Museum etc but these plans seem to be stalled. Instead, we have accumulated cash in Bank and this is a departure from previous behaviour. What is the long term plan? This was not been discussed at AGM in previous years.
The new Board at Ibrox have altered the Articles of association and moved Sevco into a private limited Company. They can do what they want without explanation to shareholders or supporters. Celtic are a PLC but are equally silent on our short, medium or long term plans. Celtic Board need to communicate with its shareholders and supporters in what the Strategy is currently. Dermot is a private individual and guards his own publicity but as a major shareholder who exerts controlling control on the club, he should allow improvement in our communications with our friends through our own outlets, Celtic View and Celtic TV.
Mr Desmond is the 6th richest man in Ireland. He is worth $2.3b.
Burnley78
Record signings and into the CL play-off round last season. Do keep up!
And yet Paul, in 2014 yer man Peter was quoted in The Herald as saying their demise cost Celtic mullions.
“PETER LAWWELL last night admitted for the first time that Celtic are being forced into selling players to make up for a £10 million black hole caused by the annual absence of Rangers from the top flight of Scottish football…
We could have lost £10m a year, quite easily, on the back of Rangers going down.”
Mibby the Herald is misquoting him, or mibby the Celtic business secretly did miss the currant buns?
I don’t mind wee domestic games vs them, as long as the team show they’re up for it and, regardless of the result, as long as we’re making strides in Europe.
What happened to the Raskin money?
PS for the doubting Thomases among us:
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13177583.peter-lawwell-admits-rangers-absence-top-flight-left-celtic-10m-black-hole/
Occupation Movie
@OccupationMovie
During Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, amazing to see US media shine a light on the sheer brutality of the invasion & openly blast Israel as an imperial bully. Far cry from the stenographers to power posing as “journalists” in corporate media today. bit.ly/3N8Oi44
https://x.com/OccupationMovie/status/1841494731584315638#m
Interesting.
That awkward moment when you’re outbid by Queens Park Rainjurz
Lovely message from Atletic Bilbao to John Clark, need to get a friendly sorted with them
Celtic suffered financially from the Huns going bust, no amount of wishful thinking about it not impacting on the business changes that. Our worst season for season books was the one immediately after they went.
Celtic can and do have a stand alone strategy. It would be foolish for Celtic to have a strategy that is dependent on a business that operates in such a reckless way. Say what you want about the board but they aren’t fools when it comes to our sustainability
It’s two different things, they can both be true at the same time
Simply put, the reason they bought into thems is to make money, it really is that simple
kinglubo
I don’t blame their new owners, hate it as we do, the old firm is a worldwide brand that he probably thinks can be leveraged
Hus comments were interesting, no immediate return for him and the investors, the key is growth. So expect more losses, probably at a lower level than up to now, looking to profitability and a sustained challenge to our dominance over a good few years
The Lions
RIP The Brush
@ arseneparcelle
**WARNING** List In Progress…
Burnley78 @ 1:06 pm,
You are aware of Celtic PLC’S strategy of player trading one hopes – the selling of HVPs* etc….
FW Giakoumakis – 4 mn
DF Juranovic – 8 mn
MF Aaron Mooy – Injured, retired.
FW Jota – 30 mn
DF Carl Starfelt – 6 mn
FW Liel Abada – 10 mn
GK Joe Hart – Retired
MF Matt O’Riley – 30 mn
DF Alexandro Bernabei – 4 mn
FW Kyogo – 10 mn
Celtic have sold over 100 mn pounds worth of players since the 2023 New Years Old Firm game.
The fact that we have done so much better as a team, especially in Europe since then is surely a great testament to BR&CO
HVPs = High Value Players
Hail Hail
Cracking Test Match at Headingley
“Celtic have sold over 100 mn pounds worth of players since the 2023 New Years Old Firm game.
We have sold or moved on many more players of course – those are the ones that features in the ’23 New Years Old Firm Game.
Hail Hail
As mentioned the other day….
Ronnie Simpson Back Heeler
👌
Quad at 1.31
Big Pedro’s bottle crashed .
His comments at the end of August 2014 came shortly after Celtic’s defeat at the hands of Maribor in a Champions’ league qualifier .
And this shortly after a reprieve due to Legia Warsaw being turfed out of the tournament .
Regarding John Clark –
I attended the funeral of John Kelman (ex Celtic chief scout) in 2007 .
During the graveside service , Billy McNeill (a good friend of Kelman’s) was standing near the grave , with John Clark standing a couple of yards behind Billy .
My mate nudged me saying “There’s John Clark still covering for big Billy” .
Fred; thanks for the reminder of an episode I’d almost managed to erase from my memory ;)
Be careful Paul, you are developing Rangers Derangement Syndrome.
As the song goes…” What the hell do we care? “
Aipple
Your comment on Desmond is most timely.
Our Majority shareholder as with most of our shareholders are not interested in dividends. He and they have an emotional investment. Not in it for the money
Meanwhile, not only have the new Sevco owners to pay the interest on their borrowings to acquire Sevco, they are there to make a profit. They also have to make the loss making business sustainable and then profitable. All of this with a smaller stadium, inferior commercials and player assets inferior to Celtic.
Its a magic wand they need
quadrophenian on 24th June 2025 1:31 pm
` ….could be ….`
In May 1979 I managed to secure a front stand ticket for the season’s last game against Rangers A strike meant that there is no television recording of that epic game.
When Celtic went ahead, 3-2, for the first time in that momentous game John Clark, very uncharacteristically, leapt from the dug-out to celebrate. In the heat of battle John had completely shed his ice-man persona probably for the the first and last time. In fact, John’s celebrations were so uninhibited that big Billy had to drag him back to his seat in the dugout.
If the Celtic Board and Brendan were not looking across the city I would be worried
Ignore your enemy and suffer the consequences
Remember Nokia – they ignored Apple
What I see is an investment company that think the road to riches is occupied by one team
Get past them and get rich quick
Hence the frequent reference to Celtic yesterday
They will improve both on and off the pitch – don’t underestimate these people
The old regime would have spent the £20m already to gain CL Football
These guys will be cautious
They are not buying players to get into the CL
They will buy with a view to sell at a profit
For this season I expect them to loan players particularly from Leeds
I would think one of their objectives is to at least break even
Probably content with the Europa League (but they won’t tell the hoards that)
Final Point IMHO
All the talk about this manager and the next the reason they have the one they have is because he was prepared to take the job under the new rules
New rules being limited money
Be it Gerrard Ancelotti Mourinho or any other, their first question is how much can I spend
When the answer is not a lot – they are gone
Tough year again for the Huns – but from our point of view keep a good eye on them
I like them on the floor – depressed and demoralised – lets keep them their
67ECW
there not their.