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 they tried to recapture those heights in the Champions League with a new team. They remained an engaging team but when it came to the big clubs there was always one who would wipe the floor with them. Manchester United scored four without reply in the 1997 quarter finals. The following season Real Madrid hit six over two games without conceding as Porto exited at the group stage.
It was a group stage exit the next season, before Bayern Munich took them in the 2000 quarter final. Then what looked like a significant reversal as they failed to qualify for Europe’s top tournament, settling for Uefa Cup football instead in season 2000-01. They eliminated Celtic from the group stage in 2001-02 but were taken home and away by Real Madrid in the last sixteen.
All this time they were fine-tuning player development and recruitment strategy; buying marginally better players and selling for ever-increasing money. Real Madrid may have wiped the floor with them but Porto’s business model was fine-tuned by 2002. Real won their last European trophy that season but the gap with Porto was closed in an instant.
Celtic are less than two years into their current strategy and we’re miles ahead of where we should be. It will be extremely difficult to match this season’s on-field achievements next season, but the stage you exit the Champions League is only one yardstick available. It took Porto years of slow and meandering progress to learn what it took to reach the highest level. This is our task.
On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.
The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
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thomthethim
16:25 on
14 February, 2013
monaghan1900,
Thanks.
I think I understood the first link you posted more than the second! : > )
I suppose it means that the one in L is now irrelevant to the charade that is going on now.
Obfuscation and muddying of waters in the best traditions of the three card trick.
——
Even I understood the first link.
Rangers Football Club is in the process of being liquidated. The liquidators duty is to ingather the assets of RFC, to sell them and to distribute the proceeds among creditors. Once this is done, they make an application to the Court to throw RFC in the bin. This will take some time as the activities of previous directors and of the Administrators will be scrutinised. In the case of previous directors, this will be to determine whether there was any malfeasance which might result in their being personally liable for RFC’s debts – one example would be where they were found to have been trading whilst insolvent (i.e. dealing with people they knew they were in no position to pay for goods or services)
In the case of the Administrators, they will scrutinise dealings they had with the assets of RFC and may apply to the court to reverse transactions which are open to challenge. This is the case where assets are sold at undervalue (thus denying creditors a greater dividend). The obvious transaction which looks like the world’s biggest (another record) sale at undervalue is that of the sale of Snake Mountain and Murray Park to Green et al.
I hope this helps a bit.
Thanks, Mort.
So, they are not officially dead, then.
It is all to confusing for my simple, aging mind.
I was looking forward to listening to Paul mc convinle on shortbbread tonight.
Unsurpisingley he has been dropped from the show.
Paul explains why on his latest blog which i would have posted but sum of the quotes he uses from hunmedia sites have wee sweary words in them:-((( Hailhail.
thomthetim
Or the green and red of Mayo?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6ea2bru2OE
HH!!
wits,
Och, it was about my wee ” marooned” joke, vis a vis, Galway.
Anyway, as I’m in Donegal, I’m above all this small parochial tit for tat.
Off to watch L’pool on 3e, presented by my wee boy.
How come everyone from Mayo has the surname Costello ? -))))
Italiabhoy,
In highlighting the corruption in Italian football, spearheaded by Juve, it is no more a reflection on the Italian people than the corruption in Scottish football, which is exclusively for the benefit of one club.
In my, slowly dawning opinion, football, as a sport, has gone the way of cycling and other contaminated sports.
My only consolation is that I lived through an era of blissful ignorance whenI thought that sport was a true reflection of youthful excellence.
Damn you, Murdoch et al.
********
….tell that to Steve Martin, age 67.
Strong in the arm weak in the head
Yorkshireman Charlie bought a club that was dead
He flannelled the fans with stories of gold
Sevconian Numpties believed all they were told
The nonsense he spouted went unabated
To followers of Hunco a club liquidated
He promised recovery and that they should have no fear
But the blue team from Govan go bust twice a year
thomthethim
You asked if RFC in the process of liquidation has any relevance to present goings on. It sure as Hell will if BDO decide to challenge the sale of assets to Chawz!
That response was for Corkcelt.
Ipad c&p is shocking.
corkcelt @16:24 what has your post to do with Celtic?
thomthethim
No not yet and to be honest, I think it will be another few years before the coffin is finally lowered.
Mort
Now CultsBhoy, that is a proper poem, it has rhythm & rhyme, you have set a new standard its up to the budding Poet Laureates to raise their game with their new offerings.
Mort, monaghan1900,
Thanks for your reponses.
South of Tunis
Un piccolo aperitivo?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Loy55z4GpA
HH!!
Ntassoola, Nothing to do with Celtic and nothing to do with you either, just exchanging a bit of banter with a Dublin Tim. What did your post telling a self confessed alcoholic, “To have a Drink” have to do with Celtic.
Sportsound with Stuart Cosgrove and Graham Spiers. Tallking artificial surfaces, Kenny Shiels and Sevco 810 mw 6.10pm
Corkcelt
Cheers… It’s an inspiring subject for poetry.. Hahaha
ITV4-Liverpool v Zenit
corkcelt @16:59 if there are people on here who can’t take the rough and tumble of the debate, or want to be treated with kidgloves because of what they were, they should say so clearly to make newcomers aware of it. No-one has ever complained as such to me.
You, on the other hand seem all too ready to take vicarious offence rather than deal with what I say.
The Cork Brigade? Is that the ones who wrote their own history starting about 18 months after the 1916 Uprising?
our young team… players and managers .. are on a learning curve
and as much as tuesday night ” stings” …. often learn more in defeat than victory.
god bless the hoops and particularly efe ambrose
First action of the Cork Brigade. They broke into a school.
Charles Green….
The man with the midas touch ? or the man with the silver tongue ? or maybe just the man who brings toxicity wherever he turns up (usually not for very long )
Lets look at his history
Sheffield United
Before we look at the period when Green was involved, lets look at where they are today.
Last 3 years financials
Financial Year ended 06/12
Loss £12.98 million
Financial year ended 06/11
Loss £13.59 million
Financial year ended 06/10
Loss £18.79 million
Turnover dropped over a 4 year period from £32 million to todays £10 million
Naturally its balance sheet looks like it has been on far two many nights with Campbell Ogilvie and Chic Young , as the business teeters on the edge of insolvency, with the subsidiary football club insolvent to the tune of £29 million and the plc down to its last few coppers, enough to cover approximately 5 weeks at Sheffield Uniteds current rate of collapse
The funny thing is Green is extraordinarily proud of this, quoting his involvement in the prospectus and bragging about it on a regular basis
Any reasonable view would say this is a basket case business.
However what did Green achieve in his very short time at Sheffield United ? Well he certainly didn’t leave a legacy of success or build a profitable business model. From a business perspective Sheffield United have been a disaster.
In the 11 years following Green riding into Sheffield and making many of the claims he makes today about Rangers, they lost money in 10 of those years. In the last 20 years they have played only a single solitary season in the Premier League, and are currently in the English 3rd tier
Regardless of what Green now claims , he was an unmitigated disaster at Sheffield United. Nigel Spackman lasted 8 months and Steve Bruce lasted a year, both complaining bitterly of boardroom interference from Green.
There’s quite a bit more to be written on Green, however, that can wait for another day Rangers fans should be very worried. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest Green has either the business ability or track record for the job required. His relevant history at Sheffield United suggests another disaster looms, and with Stockbridge being a novice and Malcolm Murray floundering around like a man desperately in need of a life raft, there appears no safe have from Hurricane Chuckles
Hmmm………quite possible that Newco will be completely liquid before Oldco.
Ntassoolla,you are the one today who appear “to be taking offence”, the period in question would be closer to 5 years after The Easter Rising” and in a sense, yes, they did write their own History by their actions.
Hopefully when the heat has gone out of the situation Efe will have a look at his performance on Tuesday night and realise he has a lot of work to do.
No corkcelt, I’m not offended. I just find all that self-congratulatory, starry eyed romanticism very boring. Ditto the cut and paste brigade.
rebelbhoy72, good to hear from you.
ASonOfDan, twice that!
Mort, too true.
South Of Tunis, a great memory.
Nuclear Bovril, I quickly recovered any ill-feeling for Porto. Their former manager, however, is another matter.
weeron, absolutely.
singapore celt, Charlie didn’t have his best day on Tuesday. Really disappointed he was not given corner kick duties.
67Heaven, indeed.
Shieldmuir Celtic, I doubt if Platini would be inclined to react.
corrib04, thanks.
31003, ermmm.
tigertim, the work permit rule is often quoted but usually misunderstood. Celtic have excellent access to all the talent in the world, as Mr Mizuno proved. We seldom lose a young player for the want of a work permit, the only ones we cannot get are players from their mid-20s onwards who have little international experience.
BRTH, thanks.
What is the Stars, down with that sort of thing.
corkcelt, at the risk of starting a songs debate or getting into rights and wrongs, old and new…. Ballads to the IRA are not for CQN. Deleted.
Ole Chortles also failed to make a single first team appearance as a professional footballer whilst at Sheffield.
Ntassoolla, didn’t see your second post before I responded to your first. I’m glad you know a bit of Irish History, yes the first recorded action was a raid on Cork Grammer School seeking weapons.
Efe should remember you win as a team you lose as a team. He has made great contributions to offset his weaker performance the other night.
Learning curve all round imo
Ntassoolla
You were quite happy to see Cork burn then ?
Sir Paul
Good Article,Kiddo.
Porto.. is smart.
Time.. fur Celtic tae get smart.
‘
Time fur us tae Unload.
Ah wiz hopin fur . Hoops tae go in January.
Time tae cash in oan him..
However.. that wiz not tae be..
In the Summer.. We should Unload..
Hoops.. Victor… Izzy…Ledley…Kayal..
We must strike when the Iron is HOT…before, any of these guys goes aff the Bile..
That wid gie us a nice wee.. Bankroll..
Fur as You know and Ah know.. but.. it seems that the majority oan here.. Don’t Know..
IT’S AWE ABOOT THE MONEY.. HONEY!
The Funds we receive fae oor Euro Journey.. plus the money
these Guys wid Bring in wid gie us a Healthy Bank Balance.
A Fifty Million Bank..is No tae be Sneezed at.
Look.. the Players whom we goat..the Noo.. hiv goat us…
SO FAR… SO FAR..
But.. They jist don’t hiv that Je Ne Se Quoi.. that is Needed tae
progress much farther than the Sweet Sixteen in the Euro League Competition.
They jist dinna hiv that Extra Wee bit Class , that Is needed tae get us over the Goal-Line.
Two tae Three Million Players.. wull only get ye so far..and Nae Further.
That’s Why they only cost… Two or Three Million.
Right?
They are Good fur the S.P.L. Hell..nae question.
and ..Not wan of them wull be missed.. Ah guarantee.
We hiv plenty of replacements within oor present squad eager tae step in..
Plus the fact, with the New Funds Available ,from their Transfers oot..
‘
We kin go intae the Market..and Buy a…
Coupla Class Acts.
But..
It is awe a matter of how wan looks at things..
Me?
Ah am AMBITIOUS.. Ah always want tae..
PROGRESS.
. and as ye know.. Ah am .. Doing Quite Well.. at this Moment..
Progressin tae Beverley..
If Celtic have Ambitions..which, Ah believe that they dae..
They must.. Get aff the Dime..
‘
And.. Eeether…. Fish or Cut Bait..
They must take the Dough and Run..
In the Summer.
Kojo
Still. Laughin’
Ntassoolla went on Countdown
with consonants to spare
but when they called the letters out
he arranged them in three pair
DoorootDoorootDiddlyDoo BONG.csc
Celtic: We don’t need no stinkin’ Rangers
13th February 2012
235
I may have slightly embellished our chief exec with my headline but that’s about the measure of Peter Lawwell’s message this afternoon. He told the BBC, “We don’t rely on any other club. We are in a decent position, we’re very strong.
“We have a stand-alone strategy, a stand-alone financial plan and a robustness hopefully that will take us through that.
“Times are pretty tough. I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to talk about any individual club, these things are hypothetical at the moment.
“I think we’ve a view, a very strong view on certain circumstances but we’ll only share that at the right time.”
He said, contemplating a plate of ice cream and jelly after lunch. He really should order 60,000 small tubs of both for our last home game.
Rugby player Billy Twelvetrees’ nickname is Billy 36.FACT
Burgas Hoops @17:18 “Ntassoolla, You were quite happy to see Cork burn then ?”
Burgas I don’t answer leading or double questions. Yours has no base in anything I have said.
paul67
no rebel songs … but zombies welcome …
deary me