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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Bada Bing
Meant to add he cost Salzburg £700k
Tony Adams on BT Sport doing Fulham/Arsenal. Always liked him. One of the best football books I’ve ever read was his. Top class defender.
Neganon.
But as Celtic supporters who love our club, we couldn’t anticipate such a result or outcome. Bring on karagandy night.
Neganon
Banking?
We’ve manged to be Champions of Scotland and competing in the Champions League while being well-run.
Could we do better?
Probably.
But not in scoddland.
HH.
Where did night come from in that post.
PF Ayr– Ayr Races 20th Sept
Technically that is a weekend when I have my kids — but yes I do fancy it so let me see what I can arrange and I will get back to you.
Cheers
BRTH
2 huns in the petrol in the Halfway 10 mins ago
“didye see the gemme las nite?”
” Naw bit a saw the highlights”
“they looked like a ragers teem”
” aye…bit the big test will be Tuesday…Queen of the South.
FEKMETRYNNOTOLAFFOOTLOUD C.S.C
PF
When you off on hols?
Vp
Haha…….big test indeed:-)
Bankiebhoy@9:48
Don’t know if the extra ‘p’ in ‘supper ally’ was intentional or not … But either way, it made me laugh!
MiT
BRTH
Be good if you can make that day at the races…be nice to meet you.
Sorry if this has been posted before, but great article on the battle facing ex Arsenal and England player Kenny Samson.
He has been battling the bottle and was sleeping rough but has been taken in by Crystal Palace and given a coaching role ( big shout to Palace and whoever sanctioned that ).
Hopefully he can get back on track and just goes to show how anyone can come up against hard times.
Oh– and it also goes to show that there is always hope!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23821613
Geez…thought Bolton started well, so dived in at 2/1, never kicked a ball since…hmmm
PFAyr/BRTH
Not meaning to presume…if you want owners badges for that meeting, let me know.
Awwww ffff..beckford clean throb and sclaffs the shot……eejit
TnT
Thanks– loadsa people say it would be nice to meet me before they do ….. then they realise I am just a half wit lol.
But it would be good to come so I will try and organise that.
Cheers.
Through!!
BRTH
If you really are a half wit…we meet up…then we’ll have ….a wit between us.
Mike –
:)
Intentional….but I can’t claim it………….another CQN’r……….
Kwality!
Supper Ally!
TnT
Aye…… just about lol
BRTH
Papers down here had pictures if him only 2 weeks ago, lying drunk in a pub doorway in mid afternoon. Great to see someone making the effort to help him back on the Straight and narrow. Good luck to him.
THM
herenveen offered finbogsonn a new improved contract, hardly the actions of a club desparate to sell him…..of all the players we have been mentioned with he is the one that fits all our requirements, YOUNG, SELL ON AND MOST OF ALL SCORING FOR FUN I A BETTER LEAGUE THAT THE ONE WE PLAY IN….no gamble for me, 2 years 3 tops buy for 5 sell for 10+
Off to the game now :) see ya
Joey Barton booked….harsh
starry plough forza oscar
19:33 on 23 August, 2013
Best wishes and prayers to yer Mum and lets hope she makes a full recovery.
Thanks for the repost BRTH, I will do yer goal challenge today for MacKenzie. £5 per goal. Just off to spread my bet in case I loose heavy!
HH
CRC
Kilmarnock 3 Celtic 3
Who said this:
The league is over. The language coming from CP is already defensive. They know that the gamble on a rookie has cost them another title to the bankrupt side in Govan. When will people wake up. being a Celtic fan is not about being faithful through and through, when the cost is the consistent failure to win titles. Some of the people on here are two faced apologists for Neil Lennon. I have said time and time again, it was these very same people who wanted the head of a title winning manager in Gordon Strachan. I listened to the moans about rubbish football…..well what the heck do we have now? I would rather have rubbish that wins than rubbish that fails. But you see, those same people back Neil for the scurrilous reasons why they wouldn’t back Gordon.
I have followed Celtic all my life and I call a spade a spade. Neil Lennon and peter Lawwell are sinking the club. We are third in the league. We scraped a draw yesterday.
Bankiebhoy but are we going to play football this season or will we be content to gaze lovingly at the bank statement? Right off to the game to sit with my arms folded and tut!
Boy just played against Celtic U15 and won 4-0… strange imagine cheering against ma club….!
Ayrshire is Green and White and no bad at fitba, but ye all know that anyway…!
HH
CRC
Give me a ring today so I can sort U out with the predictor money, if not today, wee day oot on Wednesday, spoke to BT last night so trying to organise a grey brigade day oot in the town for CL.
Kikinthenakas
MICKTT
Watching yer BHOY beating THE HOOOOOPS must have short-circuited yer brain,haha!
How’s life?
Same game, who said this:
Today we were three-nil down at Kilmarnock at half time. They are a truly dire football team (Kilmarnock I mean, for the avoidance of doubt), playing in a truly dire league, and they destroyed us in 45 shambolic (there’s that word again) minutes. Had we been playing a better team in that first half it would have been eight or nine and they would not have conceded three in seven minutes to allow us to put a respectable gloss on a disgraceful performance.
And better teams await us. We ARE heading for a disaster.
stor mo chroi
12:13 on 24 August, 2013
Mea Culpa:
Jon Daly is a man doing a job, he might not have the prejudiced attitude that you so obviously have.
Rangers were slated when they didn’t sign Catholics and now when they do Celtic supporters slate the Catholics for signing for them.
Who in the equation is the sectarian bigot?
&&&&&%4
It’s good to see the newest club in Scotland have shaken off any vestige of the sectarian signing policy which brought great shame on the game in Scotland.
The supporters who transferred their loyalty from the dead club to the new club will slowly adjust to a more open viewpoint, everyone benefits!
The ideal position will be where nobody cares where someone comes from or what they believe in.
Neganon….
last time I looked – play fitba’………………….
Any balance sheet assessment…………last time I looked is what properly run organisations do.
……anyway, mind an take a big bag of toffees with you!
;)
HH
Allegedly Tottenham have agreed a fee of 30Million Euro for Roma Striker Erik Lamela– plus a further 5 million in add ons.
Now– what is the betting that this will not happen until Tottenham have finalised the deal with Madrid for Bale and wait and until last week Roma were saying this guy was just not leaving at all!
That means that Tottenham will have spent circa £60Million on two players alone.
Bloody Hell!
Besides that– this is an interesting wee film.
http://www.uefa.com/trainingground/coaches/video/videoid=1973633.html?autoplay=true
richie #teamoscar
12:31 on 24 August, 2013PFAyr/BRTHNot meaning to presume…if you want owners badges for that meeting, let me know.
Gentlemen I plan to be there that day also, champagne bar at four…
HH
And who is going to put his hand up to this:
James Forrest is Lennon says:
16 October, 2011 at 01:57
Your points are salient and yet painfully uncomfortable to some. For that you have my gratitude and respect. It is clear there are is a large section of the Celtic support, who will cheer Neil al the way as he shuffles the deckchairs on this sinking ship.
as he shuffles the deckchairs on this sinking ship.
Kitalba:
Was it Oscar Wilde?
It’s always Oscar Wilde.
Only a wee joke. Good to see you back.
A Stor:
If Jon Daly’s presence at Ibrox does take a step towards breaking down the sectarianism amongst those who supposedly support him, then I for one would be exceedingly happy.
But do you think that his presence will make a difference?