I was at the Allianz Arena when we visited on Champions League duty this season. There are many reasons to like the Munich stadium (although navigating back to the bus was not one of them), but stadium lights were like nothing I had ever seen.
Not only do they illuminate the Arena to a near-daylight level, they can instantly flash on and off, creating a spectacular pre-match lightshow. Tools like this improve stadium atmosphere as well as providing a more striking event for TV viewers. Celtic Park will be transformed when we install these lights this summer.
A new hybrid pitch (part grass, part plastic) will provide the very best surface available anywhere in the world. It will be durable and bowling green-smooth.
Money will also be spent on the roof, which is the Achilles heel of the stadium. The design is prone to leaks and makes it difficult for public address and wifi systems to effectively reach spectators. A seven figure sum will be spent on the roof, but we need to realise a fundamental rethink is required.
As international tournaments reached Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and now Russia, closing roofs were installed at stadiums. This increases attendance, game-experience, time inside the stadium and makes the game attractive to new attendees, who would never consider sitting in an exposed wind 147 steps in the air.
This technology has never been more affordable and is the norm from Kazakhstan to Cardiff. It needs to come to Celtic Park. I suspect those who sit in the South Stand do not have a full grasp on the match day experience of those in the upper sections of the rest of the stadium.
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SFTB,
good informative post earlier about how theres always been a financial edge to the club.
I think though that what has happened within the last 15 years is different though.
If it was just the PLC legally skimming as other boards before them did well thats life and I would accept that , under certain conditions.
The most important of those conditions is you represent us,,you are our legal and business face yes but ultimately you represent us.
For quite a while I accepted the stench and the corruption that surrounds the domestic game for one reason only, our team. And to be more specific the love of our team and the respect I hold for that club and the great men and women who have both been employed and followed it.
I thought although the set up is corrupt and rotten at least we are the good guys.
Like i say I was willing to look past the point that we are making millionaires richer everytime we go to a game or buy a strip etc. That is part and parcel of the modern world and game and although Brother Walfrid would not be happy at that ( no doubt he would harrange them to open hospitals and foundations with their huge wealth ) I was willing to go along with it.
To me at least Glasgow Celtic is a trinity, a holy trinity and 3 is indeed the magic number.
The fans
The team
The board.
The fans have never been in question and could easily be in the running for best fans in the world,,if other fans say to me thats subjective Mahe my reply is well Seville is there in black and white. Won awards for the attitude and exemplary behaviour of a travelling army as a matter of fact I would say. It was a festival of friendship, kinship and pride.
Just like the lions what happened in Seville wont be repeated. Probably. Added on to the numerous statements about the match day atmosphere and I think it would be fair to state theres actual proof the fans are different and would be in the running for that award.
The team,,well you bhoys know more than me ,at the moment that is , but the team has gave us soo many good memories and we all have our our personal favourite moments and players. Love a good left back myself as Ive discussed on these pages.
No the team have never let us down , have they ? If anything the team have more than done their part by punching above their weight on the European stage. No,,the teams good.
The board,,,I will never agree with every decision any board made unless I was that board.
But at least show me we are on the same page. Show me you will stand up for us at the very least. Yes I will give you time , devotion and money but give me something back right ? And not just football because any team can offer me that.
Look I could fill the rest of this page describing each incident I feel they let themselves down. Ajax home and away,,the toilets video,,the kettling incident ,,GB dawn raids etc etc.
Theres no need is there.
So I have seen a board turn its back on the fans many times
Opt to keep the Old Firm alive
Are earning well out of the club
Seem to be very indifferent to the average fan ( DD doesnt attend the AGM for instance )
Who have been in situ quite a while , perhaps too long
And yet they are lauded on here ? Why ?
I read regularly best times ever etc and cant believe it . i think because the match day experience can be amazing it washes away a lot of the stench of the corruption and fans dont see the bigger picture because they had a good time and are busy planning more of those good times or talking about those times.
Some say never been as well run,,If you tell me the club is extremely well run Mahe I would reply the finances are spectacular yes and team are cleaning up yes but the fans side is split.
We arent together ,, we arent united. Read the blog, its split. There are many disenfranchised. So they arent getting pass marks while one part of the trinity is broken . Despite how well the other branches are doing. No, they arent.
Football without the fans is nothing kinda states that the fans are the most important part.
They should actually be priority number one,,fullstop. Especially in a backwater where they provide most of the turnover.
Its not that I dont like the board personally or anything ,, it just seems for a long time I really really cannot agree with them on a lot if not most things. When that happens you are failing to represent me. We arent alike or aligned .
We all have a relationship with Celtic that Im sure differs for each of us.
Now like I say its a relationship,,ie a two way street. In every relationship there is give and take, if theres not then thats being abused or taken advantage of.
We give them a lot,,do they give enough back to us ?
You finish by saying the support makes Celtic more than a club,, a point i would embrace and echo,,and for some reason those who authorize the sound bites keep putting the word club in there . The one branch who can control that insist on using the word club recently instead of fans or team. Its disingenuous but I for one see through it.
Probably wont be able to reply, far too busy domestically but perhaps food for thought. Hope youre well and Hail Hail
Bhoys & Ghirls,
Get with it; the term Altar Boy is outdated, it’s Altar Server.
However, What on earth is got to do with renewing a Season ticket for Celtic ,God only knows ( with one exception)
I feel there is far too much cajoling to have a ST. It does not make any individual a better supporter and I hate to think that supporters are going into debt to obtain one. Nevertheless , if you can afford it and it gives you enjoyment then that should be the crucial criteria.
If you no longer enjoy it , for whatever reason then the answer is very simple. Don’t let your heart rule your head.
As for the team/ club I would suggest that there is also food for thought. When so many ST holders don’t turn up for games then something isn’t quite right. Be it apathy, logistics , entertainment etc.
HH.
PS : For what it’s worth, I’m an ex Altar boy who has renewed.
Earwigo
Tenninnarow
Altar bhoy, Altar ghirl, Altar person, Jacob Rees Mogg, what the hell do we care, in FACt, Pope Francis said the other week that there wizny a hell, just a heaven. Nae wonder some of us need stronger medication.
Scottish fitba, a one horse race, or is it ?
Second season on the trot that, non regulated £49 Rangers FC get a European licence, and not an eye lid is batted!
But, was last years granting of the licence a test, to guage reaction ?
Or, do corrupt rules only become an issue when they actually produce trophies for the huns, or when Celtic are mibberied oot of a trophy ?
Apathy…………..will find you.
…..oot.
I thought they only cost a pound tae…..
??????
Here fishy fishy
H.H
Eight
And a Big Happy Friday to all of you.
Good morning from a bright and mild Clydebank. Looking forward to tonight’s supporters do in Kerrydale Suite and trophy day on Sunday. Many great Tims from here to socialise with this weekeñd.
YNWA
KEVJ the Vatican stared quite clearly that Scalfari misrepresented what the Holy Father said. If you know your history Pope Francis has often spoken about Hell.
Scalfari has a history (if you know it) of mid-quoting Pope Francis and using that to his own ends.
Much like those who misrepresent the Glasgow Celtic 49’ers.
KTF
“I spoke with Gordon Strachan after that semi-final defeat. I sat down, had a conversation and it was him who convinced me that just because I was 30 I shouldn’t believe everyone who says your legs have gone.
“That was huge. Gordon played on until he was 40 eating bananas and porridge and James Forrest now has two bananas every day because I told him that story – and I didn’t even know if it was true!
Very funny, from Broony :)))
HH
Good morning good ghuys from a dry but chilly North Glasgow
Not been out for a walk this morning, I was knackered what with this being my first full week back to work in 3 months and trying to get this hip working again and getting fitter.
Talking about St Mary’s Calton brings back good memories of meeting my dear old Dad in the cottage bar in Abbercrombie street, just down from the Chapel before every home game.
I had moved to the east end and he would come from Knightswood on the train and meet me and a couple of my mates and his mates there, we would go back to the Cottage after the game and he would sometimes go to the vigil mass, I think he used to go to a mass on a Saturday before we met in the pub??? Maybe some of you Calton bhoys would know if that’s correct as my memory might be playing tricks on me.
Anyway those were great days, having a pint or 5 with my dad and watching the Famous Glasgow Celtic… Every time I here of St Mary’s it is all fond memory’s not just of the Celtic variety but on a personal one as well…
Have a good day everyone
D. :)
Managed to see last 35 mins of game in Danny Boy in Salou and was glad I missed the rest
Ten men defence can only be beaten with quick passing… we don’t do that
Anyway roll on Sunday in Salou?
Good morning CQN.
VFR, you beat me to it regarding the fake news and misrepresentation of what the Holy Father said about hell, but I’m not surprised that the CQN perpetrator of this misrepresented fact was a person who lives on fantasy island, watching fantasy football and living in a fantasy past, whilst fantasising about great Celtic managers who never were.
*Mark McGhee
* Jim McLean
* Stevie Clarke
* Artur Jorge
* Delete as necessary
DAVID66 on 11TH MAY 2018 7:22 AM
There was often a lunchtime Mass in St Mary’s or St Alphonsus so it’s quite probable.
In the 80’s I used to come up from Windsor for the games and would often meet a friend in The Cottage before games! Sadly it’s gone now!
You can rekindle your memories by joining us on Tuesday night for the Tommy Burns 19th Anniversary Mass in St Mary’s!
KTF
Word of The Day
Fossick /ˈfɒsɪk/
verb
1. to rummage or search for (something)
2. to hunt; seek; ferret out.
3. to search for any object by which to make gain:
4. to search for gold or precious stones in abandonedworkings, rivers, etc
Derived Forms
fossicker, noun
Word Origin
C19: Australian, probably from English dialect fussock to bustle about, from fuss
KTF
DBHOY on 11TH MAY 2018 7:13 AM
————
That’s brilliant :-))))
Me and Wee BGFC renewed our season books.
Being a ‘season ticket holder’ doesn’t make us better than anyone, it just means we can definitely get in to see Celtic every time they play at home – which we do – and gives us a better chance of getting a ticket for every away game – which we try to do.
I don’t like having to buy a season book – I think there is a tendency in some to use it as a bit of a badge of honour – to say ‘I’m a real Celtic fan’, but others are lesser supporters.
This view is divisive.
However, it has a mirror image in Kevj’s (IMO) jaundiced, bitter, spiteful and nasty view of those who do love to go to see Celtic.
HH to all Celtic supporters
BGFC
Its,
Big Mark McGhee
n
Big Stevie Clarke
k.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
MAHE THE MADMAN on 11TH MAY 2018 1:12 AM
Excellent post, much of which reflects how I feel about the team I supported since the sixties. However, I don’t detect the split you refer to as I think the biggest majority of the support are happy to go along with the board’s current strategy which is have the occasional sly dig about them not being the same club (latest ST advert the most obvious example) but not actually be serious about challenging their cheating and the Strong Rangers Association corruption in a meaningful way. I get the sense that most of our supporters (including many on this blog) are just too addicted to the club and their support for the team is unconditional.
When Res 12 first was raised in 2013, I decided that this was my red line. If the board and corporate shareholders voted this down then my support for the team and interest in Scottish football would end at that point. When the resolution was withdrawn on the understanding the board would listen to the evidence, I decided to hold on to see how things panned out but would keep my green pound in my pocket till then. Five years later it now looks like there will be a conclusion when the Compliance Officer’s report is considered by the SFA board. Based on their decision to award Sevco a Uefa licence, I now expect there will either be no action or a messy fudge.
Should that happen and I fully expect it to then my personal red line will have been crossed and I will stand by the decision I took five years ago. I will of course be on my own as most of my friends and family (including both my English born sons) will still be prepared to support the team as they have their own personal red lines. At the end of the day, it always comes down to personal decisions and whether in all honesty, you can live with them.
?????
Here fishy fishy fishy…..
H.H
* Big Mark McGhee
* Big Ego Jim McLean
* Big Stevie Clarke
* Big Moustache Artur Jorge
* Delete as necessary
Heaven and hell debate.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qIO8z4yOA8w
RENEWAL
On the matter of my season ticket renewal for 2018-19 it has been a very difficult decision for me this year.
2017-18 was the first time I decided to take a tiny stand by no longer attending domestic cup games. But that turned out to be a very personal protest as my Bhoy asked that I still purchase my standing space for each game so that he could pay me for it and take his wife. It was impossible to say no. However, in my own heart at least I knew that I wasn’t personally supporting the 2 cup competitions. Nothing changed in relation to me wanting the team to win and clearly I’m very excited about the thought of next Saturday (just 8 more sleeps, but you probably know that).
Then, earlier this year there seemed to be a glimmer of hope when we learned that the Compliance Officer was carrying out a review of previous years’ licensing issues. There were also strong suggestions that our own club were monitoring this closely and might even make some sort of comment. Even when the renewal process was announced about 6 weeks ago I thought that the Compliance Officer’s report would be published before today’s deadline date. Seems that I was over optimistic.
Celtic has been and still is a huge part of my life. I remember the years when I was newly married with 3 fantastic kids arriving soon after where the cost of buying a season ticket was miles down the list of priorities. I witnessed the Wim Jansen title with my ear tuned to Radio Clyde and resolved to get back to The Park. A couple of seasons later I shared the cost of a season ticket with my brother in law, taking turns at attending whilst the other one baby-sat our gang of 5 young children. The following season I managed to get a parent and child restricted view seat, taking my daughter to most games. From there we progressed to the front main stand where I now had a parent and 2 child tickets and that prevailed until about 6 years ago when my children were of adult age and had different commitments.
The past few seasons it’s been me and my youngest 6ft 2in Bhoy. 3 seasons together in the main stand and then the last 2 in the Standing Section. Apart from the winning, I’ve also had so many ‘father and son’ moments that I can treasure. And we’ve also been lucky that in both of those locations, most of the folk around us are pretty decent people (even the big bearded guy 2 rows behind).
For 10 months of the year, every 2nd weekend centres around my trip to Celtic Park. Family celebrations and holidays have to be carefully planned (“…why don’t we go to Spain the following week so that I don’t miss ‘home to Ross County’…”). The fact that I’m relatively near to the ground means that it’s only about 3½ hours out of my weekend and yet everything else has to be arranged around that, particularly as I’m now in a 1-car-marriage!
But what is it that I am actually going along to watch? A corrupt game where rules and regulations are bent, broken or just plain ignored in order to ensure the survival of a team that’s 6 years old? In a country where our national press prop then up with weekly propaganda (I see John McGinn’s off to Ibrox??). That’s the real question I’ve been toying with for weeks.
Ultimately we all get just one single chance at life. One opportunity to Seize The Day. There’s loads of important stuff – far more so than games of football – that have to take priority. But when you get to my age and most things fortunately are pretty much sorted, there is finally the option to be a bit more selfish with certain decisions – splashing out on a new acoustic bass which I didn’t really need, buying tickets to see Gilbert O’Sullivan just before the fire that affected The Pavilion), going to CQN Golf Events and staying over. All of which are done primarily for the pure selfish enjoyment that I personally will get but which has been earned after years of hard work. No point in saying ‘next time around I’ll do things differently’. That’s not an option I expect to be given (so unfortunately, Yanet Garcia [Mexican weather girl who just might shade it for me from Big Judith] looks like it won’t happen, doll).
If I don’t renew today I’ll be able to say how proud I am that I saw through with my threat, that I took the correct moral stance, that I listened to my head rather than my heart. But then I won’t be supporting the team in the only way that I know how – attending whenever I can and adding harmonies to the songs! And what a team, and what an age we are all living in.
So it looks like the heart will win, as it usually does.
Of course, this could simply be the most long-winded excuse I’ve ever used for having to finish at half 3 on a Friday as I need to get home to renew before 5pm.
At least I’ve taken it down to the wire. And there’s still a chance that the renewal deadline might be extended ;-)
Sorry for the long post.
Go back and read SFTB at 8.23pm
Jobo
Lovely bit of blogging.
Many folk have chewed on the same cud, myself included, in recent years.
Beyond the desire to watch the Celtic play, two things swing it for me on this issue:
1) Celtic have played by the book all the way. Why would I want, in effect, to sanction Celtic for being the unwitting victims of a conspiracy to defraud?
2) Those who carried out the fraud, and those who enabled it, would like nothing more than for you, me and the Celtic support at large to walk away from the club.
My answer to the question in point 1 is: I don’t.
As to point two? Stand up for the Champions.
BTW, you can renew online via all payment options. Takes 10 minutes if the workplace IT Use policy permits.
Odsonne Edouard to @lequipe: “I am happy at the club, with the team, the coach. He has given me a lot of confidence. The aim is to stay here. For me, this would be the best option.
“It’s a top club with a top coach. He will help me with my development.”
Jobo
You (always) make me smile. Even/especially when discussing really serious matters.
You’re a pure tonic so you are!
HH jamesgang
JOBO BALDIE
Great post to start the day…
HH
Mahe
I think though that what has happened within the last 15 years is different though.
I think the nature of the Board has always been changing but they were always socially conservative fellows who rarely rocked boats. We remember Bob Kelly’s stand against the flag issue because it was such a rarity. But our previous Board’s never protested the sectarian signing policy at Ibrox or the refereeing decisions that were visited upon us before TV coverage. That was left as a fan’s issue.
We talk less of Bob Kelly’s decision to protest against playing Soviet Bloc countries after the invasion of Czechoslovakia though we played in Fascist Spain and in an Argentina led by General Ongania after a coup d’etat.
And when we measure Celtic fans dissatisfaction in general, it was at its height during the Celts for Change period and it favoured a competent cpaitalist in Fergus over an inefective group of locals who inherited their position but who were less good at capitalism.
We usually get emotionally affected by our own timeline so we can only protest our own current Board. Yes, there is some dissatisfaction on social media. Yet, while social media, can be a force for good, it can also serve to dissipate any protest by providing a safe outlet for venting. The closest I have seen to any protest involving Celtic (as opposed to the Palestine flag show etc;) was when we had a string of bad results under WGS and I saw 2 drunk guys remain behind to shout insults up at what they thought was the Board room but was actually Hospitality. And they wanted a better striker rather than more ethical financing.
To me at least Glasgow Celtic is a trinity, a holy trinity and 3 is indeed the magic number.
For me and my forebears, it was pretty much a different trinity:- The team , the fans and the management. We never got too bothered or involved with all that Board stuff- it is a pretty modern phenomonon. Boards are there to draw the heat when things are not going well. They, in turn, diffuse any rising tension, by sacking a manager. And, in football clubs across the world that model seems to survive.
No the team have never let us down , have they ? If anything the team have more than done their part by punching above their weight on the European stage. No,,the teams good.
I don’t believe that represents the average celtic fan’s view. I hear much more often that we could have another Seville or get closer to the lite clubs if we just splashed the cash better- but we only mean a little more cash, they add. Not so different to the view across the city, where they think, only a little change will get them back on par with us.
But at least show me we are on the same page. Show me you will stand up for us at the very least. Yes I will give you time , devotion and money but give me something back right ? And not just football because any team can offer me that.
Which Boards, exactly, in our history, ever showed us that? I am struggling to remember a time where I was proud of the Board. For me they were peripheral, a necessary evil, but not something to get too worked up about. In pubs and grounds, I heard very little chat about Boards and policies but I heard lots about players and managers. The Board fixation is a very modern trend and, in particular, an internet chat fixation.
Look I could fill the rest of this page describing each incident I feel they let themselves down. Ajax home and away,,the toilets video,,the kettling incident ,,GB dawn raids etc etc.
Actually, this is the necessary stuff. This is the bit where our hearts and souls could meet because they have been very quiet about fan welfare issues. Their social conservatism kicks in and they tend to view any fans being involved in violent incidents or being charged for “sectarian” offences as something they should keep quiet about for fear of being seen to defend riotous behaviour and “offensive” singing and chanting. I think they should have been more vocal than they were. However, I would also contrast- where was our organised fan activity against these issues. The Celtic Trust and FAC, for example, are small but effective bodies but the vast mass of our “exceptional” fans did not get involved. We can hardly berate the Board for failings we were guilty of ourselves. (BTW I do think our fan behaviour has a touch of magic about it but, when I step out of my own perspective, I can see that all fans of all clubs think that theirs is a special movement, yes – even the darkside ones. As human beings we are not alll that different- we have rogues in our support too.
And yet they (The Board) are lauded on here ? Why ?
I see precious little lauding and wherre I have seen it, it is for the same reasons you praise yoursellf- presiding over a period of efective financial accumulation and for not letting our club go under like other Boards did.
I read regularly best times ever etc and cant believe it .
In contrast, I have never read that phrase on here. Can you point it out the next time you see it?
What I have seen is that these are good times to be alive- we are dminant domestically- we are financially stable and we are, on the whole, realistic about Europe. But no-one, and I mean even the ones who were not alive in 1967 has said “best times ever”.
Football without the fans is nothing kinda states that the fans are the most important part.
And they are buying up in their thousands. We even have a waiting list facility. Despite constant threats that we will enjoy attendances of 30k or less (historically, a high number for Celtic), we have record breaking ticket sales. Yes, people pick and choose which match to attend but, hell, I was doing that before Season Books became a realistic option for me. Fan satisfaction is prety damn high because we are domestically dominant and we are fulfilling our main priority – to be a successful football club.
We give them a lot,,do they give enough back to us ?
I’ve never consciously given them anything- they may have taken things I have donated willingly to the team but so long as they don’t get too greedy or are ineffective in their duties or grossly immoral in their ethics, I ignore them and they occupy precious little head space for me.
You finish by saying the support makes Celtic more than a club,, a point i would embrace and echo,,and for some reason those who authorize the sound bites keep putting the word club in there . The one branch who can control that insist on using the word club recently instead of fans or team. Its disingenuous but I for one see through it.
I am not sure of your drift here. Are you saying that “more than a club” is a Board invention and they “control” it somehow? I am sure I heard it used by fans primarily and proudly. Do you think it was invented and owned by the Board?
Hail Hail to you too.
I am aff oot again
Jobo I’m glad I’ll still be able to slap you on the back of the nut at each home game!
The truth is (IMHO) the heart will always win for a this supporter.
That’s not to disparage BEATBHOY,M6bhoy, ? and others who hold a different view.
GlasgowCeltic49’ersCSC
KTF
Ha ha ha, just seen the Mcginn to the Zombies story, brilliant remind me who are Hibs playing this weekend….
H.H
I see that our club has also installed a helpful countdown timer so that I renew on time http://www.celticfc.net/news/14363
Some fantastic reading on the blog over the past 24 hours.
Many thanks to all those whom have contributed.
HH.
https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1414725-body-found-in-search-for-missing-frightened-rabbit-frontman/
Reading one of the bloggers, saying if Brendan Rodgers leaves Celtic,then the ideal replacement is Neil Lennon,I don’t think so, watched him coming of the pitch on Wednesday night,after Hibs got beat, giving it Tight to Jambo Supporters, his actions for a coach are a disgrace,it’s everybody else to blame,he is a bad loser,and if he thinks he can just turn up at Celtic,well he can think again,I personally don’t want him near our club,he at times thinks he to good for the Scottish Premiership,well he was a failure at Bolton,so stick with Hibs ,they gave you a chance,so don’t ditch them,like you did when you couldn’t get your own way,or did Lawell suss you out ,and folk’s, Supporters this is just my opinion on him.
Good reads……………..
Straight bat bloggin’ from CQN’s best…….
well-played SFTB, Jobo and TBB.
HH.
There will be remembrance Mass on the 10th anniversary of Tommy Burns death – Tues 15th May 7.00pm in St Mary’s Abercromby St Calton at the request of Rosemary and family. Please come along if you can make it!
https://www.celticdayone.com
KTF
Mahe,
A good post, an emotional one, tying to unpick Celtic the football club, Celtic the plc, Celtic the charitable ethos.
The plc runs a business enterprise that this year will generate £105M or thereabouts in sales revenue, and a further £10M or more in gains from player trading. That’s a big operation, and a complex one at that, and demands people of substance and experience to lead and manage it.
Personally, I think the CEO is overpaid, but that’s an instinct not borne out by comparison. If taking as a benchmark the salaries of the CEOs of public companies of similar scale – Small Cap plcs – his salary and benefits package is a higher than average (£810k) , but lower than the upper quartile (£1.1M). If taking as a benchmark the CEOs of the FTSE 250 Index, his salary is half of the average (£1.9M).
More relevantly perhaps, this is the football industry, and he would earn considerably more were he to accept an offer to run a club in the EPL, the offer from Arsenal 10 years ago being the catalyst for the change in his package at Celtic.
On balance, Peter’s salary is uncomfortably high for the likes of you and me to rationalise, but considerably less than he could earn elsewhere if he fancied a move.
In the meantime, he’s doing a sterling job as a business manager. I rattled up some numbers which provide some perspective in this post from last week: https://someoldhat.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/steven-gerrard-expect-the-unorthodox/
Celtic the football club is doing pretty well, although there’s room to improve in Europe. While the Champions League has become the purvey of choice for the wealthy few, a number of clubs of similar size to Celtic are doing better in Europe. Salzbury and Monaco this year, Porto and Benfica virtually every year, Ajax, Basel and Villareal generally. Meanwhile Ludogorets, Sparta Prague and Plzen all have a better UEFA coefficient.
But there’s hope we will improve in Europe, and little doubt we’ll continue to dominate at home.
What’s really rather interesting is what the combination of club and plc is now doing to support our charitable ethos. The Foundation now generates a remarkable £5M per year to support its many projects across Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty, double previous years.
£5m per year, and growing. Locally, nationally and internationally, the Celtic Foundation is doing things that Walfrid would rightly be proud of, and it is able to do it in large part because the club and the plc enable it to happen. You can read the annual report here to get a measure of the scale and extent of its activities: https://www.oscr.org.uk/downloadfile.aspx?id=149408&type=5&charityid=SC024648&arid=235134
As in all things, at Celtic there’s always a balance to strike. Some would like more charitable efforts, some more football success, others would prefer a not-for-profit model for running the whole enterprise.
Across the club, the plc and the community, I’d say I’m generally pleased with our performance.
!!Bada Bing!!
Terribly sad news. I can’t even imagine the anguish he was in and now the pain that his family and loved ones are in.
Easy for me to say, but it underlines the importance of talking to people when you are in a dark place, and more generally de-stigmatising mental health issues.