Neil Lennon took his players to the vast open spaces of the Camp Nou last year, took the lead and held onto a point until the fourth minute of added time. It was an enormous and disciplined achievement. I feared we would suffer a backlash when Barcelona visited Glasgow.
What we experienced instead was more of the same. Barca played some of the most mesmerising football we have ever seen, but it took them until the 92nd minute until they managed to beat Fraser Forster, this time, too little, too late.
Barca have the best Plan A in football but they were unable to effectively change when making no progress and unable to cope with Celtic from set pieces, while their own concentration was called into question.
While our visitors will be keen to make up for their disappointing result in Glasgow last season, Celtic have their own disappointing result to avenge. The heroic tales from Milan last month count for nothing. Celtic need to show they have the necessary edge.
We are the team with something to prove. We are the only team who can leave Celtic Park tonight with any material achievement; a win would do nothing for Barca, whose place in history is already acknowledged. The only prize in the game worth having – professional honour – is only available to Celtic.
Tonight we have a rare opportunity. Take it, Celtic.
A good day to bury bad news
Rangers International FC PLC accounts, released this morning, curiously report “First team wages/turnover ratio at 43% while total staff costs are £17.9m, or 94% of turnover. I’m not convinced this is evidence of a vast and unnecessary filtering of cash out of the club. While the board and management will take a slice of the extra wages this total figure is not unusual, or unexpected. It takes several hundred people to run a football club with an average attendance at 39k. There is not a whole lot they will be able to do about this figure.
DM Hall, who produced fabulous property valuations for Ibrox and Murray Park when Sir David Murray was in charge, are back, this time valuing the assets at £65.2m and £14m respectively. This is vastly more than was paid for them last year but still a fraction of what DM Hall valued the properties at in 2005. The combined existing use valuation recognised in the accounts is £42.5m – a tidy sum, if achieved by sale and leaseback.
The club has operating costs of £33.6m while income is £19.1m. They are clearly spending more than necessary. When looking to cut costs there will be some low lying fruit (or Greggs pies) but cutting into the player budget, or back office staff costs will be difficult, while cuts to policing, rates and utility costs are unlikely.
Cash at 30 June 2013 was £11.198m, so, before cost cutting and after exceptional costs are removed, they are looking for circa £18m cash to fund operations until 30 June next year. There are several established ways to achieve this, including ticket securitisation, used by both previous owners of Ibrox.
A significant uplift in season ticket prices is also likely to be necessary. Charles Green set initial ticket prices low. An appeal could surely have been made to fans to step forward and offer support at a higher price, but Green was under pressure from Paul Murray’s various attempts to win control-while securing fan support for his Blue Knights group.
If Murray hadn’t run his ultimately-doomed campaign, Green’s need to over-promise and under-price, in order to sell any tickets, would have been different. As would the operating deficit reported today.
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What is this ‘Old Firm’ that some people – including ex-Celtic players – keep referring to?
Celtic are CELTIC – the club is not part of any firm, or associated with ANY other club in any kind of formal relationship.
Or is it?!
HH!!
VP KO’d by fearless Oscar Knox
Fashion Designer?
Well done
Love
When looking to cut costs there will be some low lying fruit (or Greggs pies)
hahahahhahahahahahahha, nearly choked on my dinnertime donut.
tully57 – praying for Wee Oscar
08:42 on 1 October, 2013
Have the 9 counties of Ulster ever actually been majority Protestant?
Very much doubt it – it was the reason the artificial 6 counties were created after all.
_________________
Only 2 of Ireland’s 32 counties, Antrim & Down, have a majority Unionist / Protestant majority. As you say, that was the reason for the creation of a completely artificial British statelet.
Once again Britannia waives the rules.
One more
but cutting into the player budget, or back office staff costs will be difficult, while cuts to policing, rates and utility costs are unlikely.
———————–
they could employ off duty soldiers as security staff, and for policing.
i mean what could possibly go wrong.
I have a dream MLK
Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?” RFK
I can dream NFL
Inspirational words lets see history repeating itself tonight Celtic
lucky champions league jumper and rio csc t shirt packed in my bag for tonight.
looking forward to a fantastic occasion!
HH
josimar
setting free the bears:
I’m sorted, in my own old seat too. Thanks.
Hi Paul67,
“While our visitors will be keen to make up for their disappointing result in Glasgow last season, Celtic have their own disappointing result to avenge. The heroic tales from Milan last month count for nothing. Celtic need to show they have the necessary edge.”
Good Article, we played well in the San Siro, but Milan shoold us what we all knew, you have to take your chances ’cause at this level the opposition Will take theirs.
I wodidn’t be at all confident of getting anything from this game if it wasn’t for the fact Sammi’s on fire.
He could be the difference, we have a National audience this evening, hope we put on a show.
Celtic 2-1 Barca
Hail Hail
ASonOfDan
11:51 on 1 October, 2013
Barca playing in Black strip tonight.
===============================
That’s ridiculous. Outrageous even.
Done to wind us up?
Where do they get off donning the strip of a known gambling cheat? Is it some kind of crazy bet he made with them?
I hope UEFA step in.
vp ko’d by fearless oscar knox
12:25 on 1 October, 2013
Got a new job today….erse making buttons.
Good luck with your new job mate.HH
Paul67
You should have called it ‘Armageddon’ and the Champions League!
my dad is still looking for a ticket if there are any available.
please get my email via paul
Afternoon all, jealous of all those with tickets for tonight. Wish I could be there. Will be a fantastic atmosphere. Looking forward to seeing the GB display. Re. the Zombies, after reading the accounts I can’t see them surviving long after Christmas.
bwin betting quotes ——-
1 8.50
X 4.75
2 1.35.
Mrs S of T is going out . Hopefully she’ll be out long enough to enable me to watch Celtic and then Arsenal v Napoli in peace [ looks like Insigne is playing —-player ! ]
VOGUEPUNTER
Congratulations,bud.
Anyone know a reliable taxi driver now our star man has moved to pastures new?
Errrrm….
Sftb.
brilliant,am in tears here.
Hail hail and god bless the celtic.
big sean.
Weeping like a bairn.
From page 18…
“The Group meets its day to day working capital requirements through existing cash facilities and finance leases.”
What is a finance lease and in the accounting argot is it debt?
Chairbhoy, agree.
Chairbhoy, SFTB, my preference was CL group stage and then a third place finish. This has served Benfica extremely well in recent seasons. A second place finish puts circa £4m in the pot but does little else for us.
From Garngad, indeed!
Ticket has been offered to Tiny Tim as the first responder after Kitalba on CQN- Sorry to other enquirers.
Paul67- Glad of the clarification. My only addition to it is that we do not gain much prestige with the real Big Boys for progressing to Europa quarter finals or beyond. Maybe it helps us to build up funds and co-efficient points to make a renewed and more secure dent in the CL in future but I am sure the players of both Benfica and Celtic want 2nd place more than 3rd.
Apologies for mentioning them on such a momentous day for us , but i’m not sure that the hard of thinking have picked up on the latest post to the stock exchange .
Vexatious – aye , that’ll be right
=====
The Board of Rangers confirms that it has received a notice dated 27 September 2013 from certain minority shareholders (“Notifying Shareholders”) under section 338 of the Companies Act 2006 requesting the Company to circulate certain resolutions to shareholders for inclusion in the business at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Company (the “Notice”). The Notice puts forward resolutions for the appointment of Malcolm Murray, Paul Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson as directors of the Company.
Whilst the Board has requested the Notifying Shareholders to authenticate their signatures on the Notice and their shareholdings as required under section 338 of the Companies Act 2006 in order to validate the Notice, the Board notes that the Notice has been received by certain of the minority shareholders who were involved with the Requisition, the receipt of which by the Company was announced by the Company on 2 August 2013.
The Board further notes that on 12 September 2013 the Company announced that the Requisitioners had agreed the withdrawal of the Requisition including their proposal for the appointment of directors on the condition only that the Company convened and held its Annual General Meeting no later than 31 October 2013. The Board notes that no variation or amendment to the terms of the withdrawal of the Requisition has been discussed or agreed with the Requisitioners.
The Board considers that the Notice, if authenticated, is unlikely to be properly constituted under s338 of the Companies Act 2006. Given the basis upon which the Requisitioners had agreed the withdrawal of the Requisition and as the Notifying Shareholders have not requested to discuss this prior to sending the Notice, the Board currently considers the proposed resolutions to be vexatious. The Board is also concerned that the contents of the proposed resolutions may also be either ineffective or frivolous as any director appointment must comply with the Company’s articles of association and is subject to prior regulatory approval.
=====
bazzabhoy
08:36 on 1 October, 2013
The institutional investors only intend to “make it” until December, when they can off-load their shares and scamper…..hahahahahahaha
Greenock Morton @Morton_FC Celtic U19s vs Barcelona is a 2pm KO at Cappielow with tickets available outside the ground should anyone want to turn up.Retweeted by Greenock Telegraph
come on you bhoys in green.
Midfield Maestro
Pretty much sums it up. But you missed out Jimmy Delaney. My dad will be shaking his head
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Good afternoon CQN
Nearly time for the off to see the famous Glasgow Celtic
Can’t wait will have to go for a wee sherry or two
Good luck Bhoys hear to a great night at CP
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail
I’m hoping to get DM Hall to value my house in Castlemilk. Everyone elses valuation 90k, DM Halls valuation £10,000,000. Thats it, I’m off to the Bahamas.
I will make my traditional CQN matchday doom and gloom post.
At this elite level of competition where many squads in pots 1 to 3 have reserve teams which cost more than our first team, severe doings can be handed out.
Roma, Galatasaray, Olympiacos etc; have been badly beaten at this stage. Up to now, this has not happened to us yet the fear is there that Barca who, unlike AC Milan, have only two major players unavailable, are exactly the type of team that can do this if they are on song.
The mood in the blog seems realistic at present but post-match after a defeat, posters can be quite unreasonable and hurtful in comments made to our players and club, especially those who are only motivated to vent when points are dropped or lost. I trust we will remain reasonable no matter how small or large the gulf may be tonight.
Feel free to be as joyous as you like should we turn them over again, mind!
The nearer we get to kick off the more confident I become but my head can switch on quickly after a defeat to the likes of Barca, if that happens, and, unless a player has got himself stupidly and justifiably sent off, I will find little to rant about on defeat.
To finish on a more upbeat note.
Playing Barca is where we wanted to be. Now that we are there, we cannot be scared or cowed. The magic of our place and the hearts of our fans will ensure that players rise to the magic of this setting. Where else would you rather be?
I’m fed up having to explain my patter on ere…..new joab was erse making buttons.
Thanks anyway :O)
With the west end wideoes outlay of one million a month, and those figures today are only up to June this year, well that would be ten months at a Mil. A month before the season ends, it’s not rocket science is it? A long run in the Scottish Cup is predicted, be ready for honest mistakes, and home venues for thems when the cup draws are made, it’s a stick on.
STFB @ 12:18,
Apologies about the misquote, a c&p error.
The reason I used the term old firm was to put the thinking in historic terms.
Now we are in agreement here, the last sixteen of the UCL was seen as a milestone, no doubt, MON’s failure to get there has always been seen as a shadow on his Tenure, true.
To my way of thinking it was wrong minded, coming from the Rangers ’67, 9iar complex, our achievement had to be bettered.
The first Scottish Club to make the last sixteen while certainly showing progress was hardly a historical feat, although once again I accept it was viewed as a huge accomplishment.
Winning the UEFA cup would be an historic achievement, especially for Celtic who could join the elite band of Clubs that had won two of Europe’s major trophies.
It’s just the way you view it, I would certainly not want to swap beating Man U at Celtic Park.
Hail Hail
C’mon you Greenock (my hometown), the Port and Gourock Tims, get round to Cappielow and cheer on the young Hoops this afternoon!
HH!!
Minx 1888
Congratulations on your engagement to HT. Hope you both have a long and happy future together.
I’d like to add Lurgan 53 to your list of departed CQN posters who are now in a better place.
3-1 the hoops.
3-1 the hoops
COYBIG!!!
MWD H!H!
jimbo67….
Indeed I did. Apologies. His name was in my head as well when I was typing away. There are just that many Celtic legends!
Hail Hail
67heaven … i am neil lennon, supporting wee oscar..!!.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
Now that would make a wonderful Christmas.
My calculations are they have enough as do them till May so will see out the season, barring the stadium falling apart, so you do never know!
In May they will need season ticket money in pronto, but even with an increase in cost there is no way they will have enough cash to last till the end of 2014. Unless someone offers daft money for all the first team.
Or they sell ibrox.
I’ve been buzzing all day about these accounts coming out the day of another derby clash with Barca.
Can’t find my bloody ticket for tonight though. Mrs has tidied up.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy:
Don’t forget Celtic_Lover
VP
we goat it! It just wisny funny. :-)
MWD
kitalba @ 12 57 .
Finance lease .
Where the skint and desperate get a finance company to buy something they want and then pay rent [ plus interest ] for the item .. The item always belongs to the finance company [ who might sell it to you once you’ve paid for the item and given them lots of interest ].