I received an email from John Paul Taylor, Celtic’s recently appointed Supporter Relations’ Manager, asking for some help getting the message of his appointment out to the support, and explaining what he is there to do. This, for a guy whose inbox will never be empty, was a refreshingly proactive approach.
Here are the questions I put to John Paul, with his answers below:
So what is the scope of your Supporter Relations remit?
“The role is basically to provide a link between supporters and the Club. Since starting I’ve had a number of issues to deal with including the 5:15 Kick Off, Hearts away and what supporters should do in terms of submitting ticket applications given their current financial plight, supporter behaviour and specifically the Section 111 issue.
“I’ve also travelled to Sweden to provide information and assistance to supporters and officials of If Elfsborg at our UCL Qualifier and more recently I have been working with supporters who have been trying to obtain visas for Kazakhstan. In addition to this I have been working with colleagues relative to Stadium Catering and providing feedback in order that we can assess what happens next, so as you can see a wide and varied range of issues to work on.”
What will you be able to do if supporters come with issues around policing or stewarding?
“These are basically matters which come under the remit of the Operations Director, however there is a responsibility on my part to ensure that they are being addressed. Consequently any issues raised will be discussed and action appropriate action taken.
“Naturally any action has to be consistent and appropriate to the nature of the complaint. The issue of Policing of Celtic Supporters is very much to the fore at the moment and we welcome feedback and specific examples of inappropriate or unfair treatment.”
There are tens of thousands of contacts between supporters and the club, between getting entry to the ground, to buying a cola to using the toilets. Lots of these interactions don’t hit the mark, if you are successful in getting things done, you know it’s only a matter of time before you’re swamped, unless the supporter experience reaches legendary levels?
“I think this is a good point, however I think in the main supporters are generally satisfied with their match day experience. Quite clearly though there are some things that we could do better, equally there will be times where we just get it wrong. This is where the service aspect of my role comes into play and I would ask that on such occasions, supporters make me aware in order that we can provide a swift resolution through the relevant Departments.
“That is a particularly challenging aspect to the role but I believe that we are putting processes in place which are helping us turn around our complaint handling very quickly.”
Are there limits to what you can talk to fans about?
“Football and Finance are really areas where I can’t offer any real assistance. Although, like almost every football fan in the world I would consider myself to be a football expert its one area that there are people more qualified than me to speak about these things when it comes to Club matters “
Have the club established a route for you to get things done?
“I think because this is an entirely new role we are working on a ‘let’s see how it develops’ basis. Naturally I have KPI’s and specific projects that I need to complete but I am working for a lot of the time on my own initiative and providing feedback on the key issues of the day so it’s important to keep a handle on everything that’s going on with the support and what the main topics are.
“I think being close to supporters and having a wide circle of friends and family who are supporters is a real benefit in this respect.”
Final question, who are we going to sign?
“Ha, see the answer to question 4!!!”
I made the point to John Paul that if CQN is anything to go by, in many areas, satisfying one group of supporters is almost certainly going to compromise relations with another – the nature of a divergent club, open and tolerant of all from inception, perhaps, so this is not an easy shift.
That being said, news today suggests he’s off to a good start, which as Mo Bangura will tell you, is half the battle at Celtic.
CELTIC PAY THE PENALTY
I’m sure your mind has already cast ahead to Wednesday night. We will have plenty of possession inside the Shakhter box, which will increase the likelihood of being awarded a penalty kick.
Failure to properly prepare for penalty kicks has cost this football club more than I am prepared to recall in recent seasons, so we must be aware of the following:
There is a high probability we will be awarded a penalty.
Shakhter will know that Kris Commons is likely to hit any penalty.
Shakhter will know that Kris hit his last penalty straight down the middle.
We should prepare not just for a penalty kick competition, but for penalties during normal time.
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fritzsong
Yep ,
that sums him up perfectly.
TT
…wonder if the name “A. Trialist” appears on Supper Ally’s……….Little
……..list?
;)
HH
TT no prob enjoy the day Hail Hail Hebcelt
TT
Say hello to your good Lady and pass on my regards to PL..
Enjoy your day..:-)
Hopefully see rogic,matthews Dylan and watt get a full 90 mins today.see how they perform as might be worth playing them on wednesday night. Chance to prove themselves.
Also good run out for atajic, id rest kris commons today as he is vital for us on wednesday.
Back 3 of lustig, virgil and mulgrew is what i would go for on wednesday. They will sit back so id go for 3-5-2 on wednesday night
FF
Lustig Virgil Mulgrew
Matthews brown Ledley Sammi
Rogic
Commons
Stokes
I fancy that team to win by 2 or 3nil.
Crushed nuts.
;)
They’ll have another trialist soon.
I’m sure I read Ian black was going on trial.
I am looking for a moral boosting win today ahead of Wednesdays huge game.I want to send big Butcher and his mob back North with his tail between his legs.H.H.
gerrybhoy57 06:40
A good read but fails to address most of and the main points that Morrisey23 raised. The silence is not dignified. Its deafening and seen as complicit and not just by the possible majority of Celtic supporters but other fans and non football people too. If you cannot see that it is our job to fight our corner with the SFA for a level playing fiield for the product that is being sold i.e a fair game of football then you will forgive mě if I ignore your further observations.
HH
GCT
Made mě laugh
the honest mistake loves being first
09:55 on 24 August, 2013
Crushed nuts.
;)
They’ll have another trialist soon.
I’m sure I read Ian black was going on trial.
£££££££
As far as the MSM are concerned ‘it’s all an honest mistake’ until proven Irish.
ver sad to hear of the 3 missing in the north sea, hope and pray they are found, had to sit mrs masty down and calm her, she was at the bingo when my daughter called her to tell her about it, as my son came ashore at 5 last night from his rig although he is down off the coast of Norwich, my daughter at that time had no other details other than a helicopter had went down, he is safe and well, in fact just got up and said did you get me a ticket for Wednesday?.as I have already said I truly hope the missing are found and will light a candle for each tomorrow at john duns scotus.
I don’t buy the Record so forgive my ignorance but did it run with the story of the GB being reinstated as its main headline..?
Masty, I think it’s worse than that.
4 are dead.
Thoughts to their families.
TopTip
Confuse a Sevconian by saying you feel sorry for them.
THM
sorry to hear that…
Big day the day………
…it’s practice for Wednesday. Nothing else.
HH.
BankieBhoy1, 3 points in the bag is what today’s about, hopefully a level of performance that gives us some hope for Wednesday.
Aw Naw
There is a third option to being complicit or not complicit and that is we are not as squeaky clean as we like to think we are.
Now that would explain away a lot. Its the one you come up with when you know the evidence is there but is not being used ( or there is no evidence it is being used).
Football is interdependent and with no independent governance will do what it thinks best for football and in a closed community, not willing to take on board external perspectives, the decision on what is best for Football or indeed Celtic might not be correct.
In short Football suffers from herd think and cannot look beyond the herd.
A line in Soccernomics sums Football up for me.
“As oil is to the oil industry so stupidity is to football”
I would hate to argue this is not true in a debating society given the overwhelming evidence that backs up the stupidity charge.
Two bodies found recently, one still missing…..
Is the game on telly and what time ko please.
Desertbhoy.
4 have been named as dead on sky news. Including a woman. All in their 40s and 50s all earning a living.
Super pumas have been grounded. Sad day
Always nice to sent Butcher home having administered a good thrashing to his team.
Although , Big Tel was responsible for giving us a brilliant day at Paradise when he shoved everybody out the way to score that peach of a diving header og!
Never forget him pounding the turf in frustration as the jungle roared…. ‘ one Terry Butcher, there’s only 1 Terry Butcher’
Happy Happy day indeed!!!
Terrible news about the lost men in the North Sea after the crash. Some families and friends will be devastated tonight.Thoughts with the families of those men who went to work and didn’t get home.
Doc.
Amen to that.
HH.
Auldheid.
Even if we where complicit in some way, surely if any other team was squeaky clean it would be to they’re advantage to bring it up , no?
As a few have mentioned there is still alot of celts who buy record and other hun biased media..surely a campagin to try and make celts think twice would be a good idea.
Hit them where it hurts and get everyone to get there info from the many celtic media options.
Top of the morning to you all from a grey, dull, Fife.
Hope we can get a result today with a second-string team but Wednesday must take priority.
I felt guilty about saying that James Forrest had little heart (compared to Jinky) when I heard the news about his sciatica problem, but I shouldn’t have. If he is not fit he should be rested and treated/operated on to cure his problem.
As for the board not coming out against Rangers’/Sevco’s excesses, I can have some sympathy with them on this as it could be construed as stoking the fires of sectarianism, but there is no excuse for them to join in with the police and the press in condemning all, or a group of Celtic supporters, for the actions of a few.
The GB ban would have been a massive own-goal if it had gone ahead and it is a relief to me at least that it has been solved.
A disaster avoided but who comes up with such ill though out strategy? I suspect Bankier on nothing more than instinct. He looks a mean, arrogant, ruthless sort.
Talking of which, petition on judges mason register is still open till 29 October. Please consider signing:-
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/judgesmasonregister
Sad news about the deaths in the North Sea.
Authorities will have to seriously do some thing about those super pumas, looks like some serious design fault or something.
Turned on tv, sports talk programme… Who’s on.. Mark HATEly… Need Al Jazeera for the football but will be more selective in choice….
Ohhhh well I suppose I suppose that’s me up….. Need to look the season ticket out of the drawer for the first time this season suppose since I have paid for it I might as well use it.
No sense of anticipation excitement or appetite for today’s game and 1 member of the household already giving the game a miss (good news for the bookie and publican).
As for atmosphere ? Competition and games of excitement create that but there is always the sideshow of the GB that will keep some of the crowd entertained.
DisillusionedCSC
Hail Hail the Celts are Here.
Hope we’re all singing from same hymn sheet today, and supporting our Beloved Celtic.
No need for petty squabbles, we are Celtic Supporters
Faithful through and through.
TBJ, do you need me in for 2.15 :-)
COYBIG
I spoke to loads of English fans over the summer. All bar none had much to moan about, especially both halves of Liverpool.
It seems to be the way of the football fan. I’m no different in that I’ve criticised the board and manager all week.
I said a few days ago that this camp seems to be split down the middle. Trying to view the Celtic issue objectively is difficult, but I would suggest that any business model which sends out a negative vibe to a large chunk (perhaps 50%) of its customer base is somewhat flawed. The PLC, with all their training and experience will know this is usually how it works in business.
Are we not a business?
hh
Contradicted myself but meant to finish by asking..do football fans just moan by nature?
big nan
10:29 on 24 August, 2013
Don’t feel guilty there are hundreds of thousands of people who struggle into their work every day in this country with ailments and illnesses and are still able to perform their job and are paid peanuts compared to JF
The nursing profession is one that immediately springs to mind
Mickybhoy1888:
But you wouldn’t shout abuse and criticise nurses who werent operating at the top of their game would you?
Ghuys
Good opponents today in terms of practice for Wednesday , big guys who run around a lot.
The team will be broadly unchanged from midweek, no experiments with back 3 , more game time for Steve and Virgil , Chas to be benched ( very poor on Wednesday) and if fit Stokesy to be re-called. Whilst, Anthony clearly has his limitations at SPFL and Shakter level , he should be able to notch.
Adam in if Mikal hurt again.
Bhoys to line up as :
Fraser
Adam Steve Virgil izzy
James Scott Joseph George
Kris Anthony
Good to see that the section 111 folks and the board have kissed and made-up , although disappointly the conspiracy theorists were claiming it was somehow connected to getting gubbed in midweek. Astonishing from the usual nutters.
Overcast but no wind , good conditions for a match today. 3-0 win with very little for the negative twerps to get their conspiracy theories going…….
For today,
How about Watt and Balde, up front, playing around the width of the 18yard box today, and not one out wide on the left ?
Lets see how they do.
Also another run in the centre of defence for Moyakoula & Virgil ?
Hail Hail
Back page of Express….. No pay rise for ‘Lennon’headline news
Hurtin in Sevconia
Morning,all
And especially STARRY PLOUGH
Reading back,I saw this…
“starry plough forza oscar
19:33 on 23 August, 2013
Many years ago when I was a young mental Starry I had hit a brick wall in London( let’s just say my life choices weren’t great) and had come up the road for Christmas and New Year.
I was done in, skint and downright unhealthy, I tried to bluff my folks but who was I kidding they knew straight away, anyway a bed was prepared and food was cooked, at the table the conversation turned to Celtic as it mostly did with me and ma Da’ and he asked me if I was going to the game to which I replied ” I canny be bothered with Celtic any mair Da’ ” he said fairynuff and got his paper, I went to get up when ma Mammy said ” sit where ye are” Weird thought I, “did I hear you correctly GMPJ ma full Sunday name” Whit says I full of cheek,
” Ye canny be bothered with Celtic? Do you know how many shifts yer Da’ changed and how many double shifts he worked so he could take you to see Celtic? Do you know how yer Granda scrimped and saved to get ye yer first scarf which I believe ye still have? Do you know how many nights I sat here waiting for yous to come home from Rangers games, only to see yous come in greeting because ye’es had lost? And now you come back up the road in a mess to tell me ye canny be bothered with Celtic, no way Sir, get on that phone and get yer mates to get you a ticket and get yourself to the game as it seems to me since you’ve been away you lost touch with who you are and where you come from, you lost touch with faith family and friends and your beloved Celtic and she was right I had, I got on the phone and the getting better process began, I think we even won at Mordor!!
Now that wee wummin has never set foot inside Celtic Park but she is as much Celtic through and through as any one of us on here how could she not be coming from Carfin and I am eternally grateful to her for booting my arse when I needed it..
My wee Mammy is back in Wishy HDU the night after her third heart attack and i can’t be there so thank God for CQN and thank you Paul 67 for making this place for me and for all of us and most of all thank you CQN’ers for being here when times and good, bad or downright ugly…
C’mon Cathy you can do it Darlin’…
Sorry for interrupting whit looks like quite a lively thread!!
Play nice now you lot…
Starry…”
Super stuff,mate.
I hope all goes well for her. She deserves it!