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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sftb
I agree, we are playing with the cream, as long as we give a good account of ourselfs, that will only hold us in good stead.
When we played Barca last season, they brought on 30 mill worth of subs, any decent performance is a positive.
HH
Maestro-number 8
There have been. More please!
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
VP ,
and MWD as master of ‘not funny’ jokes knows what he’s talkin’ about .
MWD , long time no speak – take care bud.
Sanna
Zombie’s accounts explained in detail
Paul67 @ 13;00,
Thanks for the clarification.
Hail Hail
VP , sorry we didn’t get to blether on Saturday – i’m quite shy around strangers and they don’t come stranger than some of our lot . next time.
Sanna
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
………..
My interp is that you’re making buttons for erchie holes… In lieu of a zipper, I’ll purchase some!!
Oh and in addition to what I posted, in between June and August, aul Charlie Boy was up with the suitcase and filled it up AGAIN.!
Morning Celts….. and a wonderful morning it is.I wish Neil and his team nothing but support,from start to finish,win lose or draw.I hope all attending this page in our history show the world what it means to back Celtic.I am also looking forward to the display beforehand.
Good luck to Celtic
Today is about Celtic not the accounting exercise
hail hail to each and every one of you
setting free the bears:
“Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.”
Douglas MacArthur
Or in other words, see tomorrow, one should be magnanimous in victory and not rip the lash outa Barcelona or any local, unfortunately born not of the Celtic persuasion.
I would speculate that part of tonight’s tifo in the North Standwill carry the legend: This is Parkhead.
I watched BBC Breakfastthis morning and a shot of the stadium seemed to indicate this.
Looking forward to tonight.
I don’t buy into this Barcelona love-in and I’m delighted that Messi is out. They are also vlunerable at the back and I hope we can use our height to punish them at set pieces.
I hope we don’t come out all guns blazing from the start and then be sucker punched after 20 minutes though. Lots of patience required this evening.
I think by the end of the night we might have a new appreciation for the job Miku did last year against Barca, He was absolutely class that night and I don’t know if we have anyone who can do the same. As much as I like Stokes I don’t think he is right for tonight. Lennon has been hinting about Samaras up front himself but we really miss those galloping runs on the left. Maybe Pukki can hold the line himself.
Great just to be involved in this competetion. Give it our very best shot and see where it takes us. I think we can get a draw.
Hail Hail!
South Of Tunis:
Cheers for that mate, to my way of understanding you are indebted to the contract, is that fair to say?
Bearing in mind if Rangers don’t keep up with the payments then Close Leasing can walk into Ibrox and rip out the kitchens and there’ll be no hot pies or bovrils for the hungry bears and Ally.
MWD
If you weren’t so big I’d lamp ye.
Sanna ,aye give me a shout mate.Were you the ghuy giving lifts?
I had to take a taxi …have receipt ,will give it to you next time.
kitalba
13:16 on 1 October, 2013
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy:
Don’t forget Celtic_Lover
……………………………………………………..
I’m sure there are others as well. Too many good people gone before their time.
Hail! Hail!
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy – heard it was This is Paradise.
jimbo67……..Jimmy Delaney was Matt Busbys first signing at Man United. And he apparently rated him as his best ever signing.
Anyway more names:
George Connelly, Willie & Jimmy McStay, Dan Doyle, Alec McNair.
And 2 more simply because I liked them as a young lad, George McCluskey and Davie Provan ( I know some folk don’t like him these days )
Hail Hail
Al Jazeera …. usually coverage starts just b4 ko but tonite it’s 45 mins b4…. Maybe they have knowledge of something.
COYBIG
HH
Hi gmb. Thanks for your efforts.
Big Sammi wide left, pppllleeeeeeaaaaasssee!!!
Just pick any other 10!
We’ll be fine!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kitalba
Typically , yes ..
You get royally screwed for being allowed to use an asset that belongs to someone else .
TOSB
This is Paradise, would be more appropriate.
Getting really excited now!
VP KO’d by fearless Oscar Knox
Congratulations on the new job, no comment about making buttons :)).
All they corners last week against Morton were merely practice for landing the ball just in the right areas for Efe & Virgil to bullet header the ball into the Barca net :)).
Cunningplancsc
Till later all
Let the people sing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&feature=related&v=zhkdy0AOpaM
The Glasgow Herald today…………..
Rangers International Football Club plc announced revenue of £19.1million and staff costs of £17.9million.
Companies House today…………….
RANGERS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC
IBROX STADIUM
150 EDMISTON DRIVE
GLASGOW
UNITED KINGDOM
G51 2XD
Company No. SC437060
Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 16/11/2012
So……..they’re a NEWCO after all :)
How can a supposedly reputable firm of property valuation experts evaluate a property at a fraction of what they previously valued them at for a previous owner?
Oh, silly me the previous owner was Sir David Murray, that famous beneficiary of handshake banking from Gavin Masterton.
Talking about freemasonry the Scottish Parliament petition is standing just 27 short of 1400 so how about signing/sharing?
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/judgesmasonregister
You know it makes sense!
I’m hoping that we’re using the secret weapon that is Frankiebhoy tonight. I would have him man-marking wee Shakira just to make sure that Piquet’s eye is a little off the ball.
I would also request that he smiles whenever high balls go inton the Barca box, as the glare may distract the keeper…
Hail hail fellow Hoopsters. Long time lurker but now wanting to post to get more music oriented hoopery.
Been on to John Paul in the fan relations department trying to get him to get the CP DJ to play Elbow before tonight’s game:
……I’d love to get them to play One Day Like This by Elbow. The long fade at the end of the song will allow us to sing “Glasgow’s green and white, one day like this a year will see me right” instead of “throw those
curtains wide, one day like this a year will see me right”……
Hopefully he’s on the case and we just need everyone on here to know the lyrics.
Gutted that my mates never took me up on shouting “Wanyama” at the end of the Champions League theme last year. Now Big Vic has gone it has lost its lustre.
Celtic 1 – 1 Barca.
And afore yez aw stert, ahm no a hun.
Looking forward to tonight’s game.
I suspect the defence will take care of itself with Izzy told to stay back , and as he will not be subject to an aerial bombardment then there are no worries.
Central midfield is the worry with who partners Scott to chase and provide cover. Joseph is missing which leaves Chas whose touch is not really up to it and if selected he will be hounded by Barca’s midfield.
Given our options , I suspect Neil will go with the following assuming Adam has recovered.
Fraser
Mikal Effe Virgil izzy
Adam Scott Chas George
Kris
Anthony
Teemu to come on for Anthony after 65 minutes , fingers crossed , defence never to stray beyond the 2nd big cut of grass beyond the 18 yard line = 30 yards out!
With regard to who will lay up front tonight, I’m happy to leave that to Neil. However, it won’t stop me adding my tuppenceworth on proceedings. Like many on here I would prefer Sammi playing down the left. Alvie’s likes to bomb forward but would have to think twice if up against Sammi. Barca’s central defenders and Busquets will have to be very careful not to give away free kicks near their box due to the threat of Charlie, Kris, Stokesie and possibly Virgil. We might not get into that area of the pitch too often so we have to make chances to win free kicks count.
Initially, I would go with Pukki up front. He looks robust and will be difficult to move off the ball. I feel that if he goes down he will not be too obvious and thus has more chances of getting a free kick or two from the ref. Stoksie can be a bit obvious at times and doesn’t always get these type of decisions from the ref. I do think that it is important, however, that. He features at some stage tonight and is given decent time to make an impact.
Delaneys Dunky @ 13:40
I think that is what it is going to say. Shhh!
Welcome Andy Bhoy Lytham
I’ll need to check that song out, never heard of it.
HH
andy bhoy lytham
13:45 on 1 October, 2013
………… And afore yez aw stert, ahm no a hun.
……………………………………………………………………….
We’ve only got your word for that.
Calm before the storm. The thunder is coming.
kitalba.
Finance lease .
The Mafia like it . They will give you a business . Charge you rent for the business , charge you interest . They will take a % of any profit. They will use the business for money laundering . If the business goes bust you owe them big time /forever.
A light insanity
No problem take it you are already sorted, didn’t get the chance to look back
HH GMB
Morrissey
Oops, sorry for the ‘loose lips’.
EKbhoy
Yer jokin’!
Ekbhoy
Please ignore last post.
My apologies!