There are probably a dozen important metrics to measure Celtic’s health: total revenue, commercial revenue, merchandising sales, trophies, European progress, but the most important long term indicator of the club’s health is the is demand for season tickets, which not only sold out this week, but did so in record time.
Three years ago, the upper tier of the Lisbon Lions stand was covered in advertising tarpaulin. Brendan Rodgers’ arrival changed that, but his departure changed nothing. Now, the task for Celtic, is to keep the kettle boiling without the perma-tanned one.
My suspicion is, there is going to be an intensity about the next two seasons as Nine and Ten come into focus. These will be leagues for the ages, we all want to be there.
But the football business is never simple, even if the next two seasons go to plan. Football does not stop at Ten, but getting there changes everything.
Alexander the Great wept when there were no more worlds to conquer. 11, 12 or whatever-in-a-row would all be just another season for Celtic fans, what number do we chase with any conviction then? This is very much a First World problem, can you imagine how losing the next two leagues to Celtic will affect our supposed rivals?
Celtic the Great will weep at having no more records to chase, but, goodness, the bitter realisation of historic and perhaps permanent failure – knowing the best you can hope for is second to Celtic – that will threaten the viability of some.
I’m enjoying these times. Every minute of them. You have a good weekend.
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paddymacoz on 9th June 2019 3:00 am
Tony Rome .was lurking and engrossed with our raconteur Melbourne Mick.You asked if he knew ROCK. I happen to be a friend of John Rock.He now lives over in Perth West Australia.I don’t know if its the same person.Please let me know. As for Mick I’ll be catching up with him next week at one our Sunday sessions.Looking forward to his patter and got a doctor on standby when he has to buy a round. HAIL HAIL.
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Hi Paddy
That’s him John we are cousins our mothers were sisters god rest them. Not seen John for years now he will be 59 in august if it’s the same guy.
Tell him his cousin Tony says hello he ‘ll know who I am.
KEEP THE FAITH
Good mid-morning, friends, from a dray but grey looking East KIlbride.
The Scotland Ladies play their first ever world cup finals match at 5pm. A really tough opening gams for them against England but I have hope in my heart!
Good morning one and all
From what I hear deals for Turnbull and Harper are likely to be completed.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Cheers Lennybhoy. Hope so. Of course MSM pitching the old….we’re trying to pinch players…
HH
Cheers Lenny bhoy
Forgive my laziness and ignorance as I’ve not looked back but who is Harper, a young Joe Harper would do
It is far too simple to say the reason we sold out St’s 3 years ago was the arrival of BR.
The new Rangers ,return was probably the largest reason .
The rivalry still remains.
The quest for 10 and keeping the new Rangers in their place is why ST sales did not slump after BR’s departure.
Far too much credit given to BR , and not enough admission that many are attracted by their need to smash the Huns.
TT
Rakeem Harper is at WBA, remember Lenny went to see them in the play offs.
19 years old, so fits the PL model of buy young and cheap.
If we got Harper and Turnbull, and retain Christie, Henderson and MacGregor, then it is surely time up for Ntcham and Biton.
Young Guns Having Some Fun . . .
Lennybhoy 9.23am
Great news about Turnbull, some might say we should already have the best players at Lennoxtown, my view is we should hoover up all the best players and experience playing first team football is invaluable
Jobo 8.53am
Scotland winning with both teams scoring at 4/1 last night was “easy money” the Scotland ghirls are around 16/1 today, worth a shilling or two
GambleResponsiblyCSC
(a fool and his money are easy parted)
I hope we get Turnbull in the same I was happy we got Christie and Armstrong and GMS.
Two out of three ain’t bad and GMS is still playing in a competitive rival.
I base my view on a few instances where he showed football intelligence and skill along with energy.
Ntcham sale would cover the cost.
Lennybhoy
I am intrigued.
I respect that you are connected / in the know.
However, maybe 6 weeks ago, you popped in to CQN fairly adamant that we were looking beyond your namesake.
Credibility is everything in this modern world
David Turnbull (19) 18/19 season:
Height – 1.85M
Born – Carluke
Apps – 34
Starts – 31
Mins – 2,804 (31.1 games)
Full 90s – 23
Goals – 16
Assists – 8
G+A – 24
Mins/goal – 175.25 (1.9 games)
Mins/assist – 350.5 (3.8 games)
Mins/G+A – 116.8 (1.2 games)
I posted a while back about David Turnbull… Stephen Craigan has obviously saw the boy a lot more than any of us, he said as a kid he strolled through development games, could he step up ? He then said he strolls through Motherwell games, could he step up ? It was mentioned to Craigan could Turnbull start for a team like Celtic, this was well before he won young player of the tear, he more or less said Turnbull is that good he thinks he needs pushed more and Celtic could give him that test … I know Stephen Craigan isn’t the be all and end all but I thought he spoke very well of Turnbull and was genuine in his assessment of the player
More good scouting if we pull off the signing of Rakeem Harper, ahead of English rivals who would have to pay much more than us.
Cross border compensation fees are a punt like all young players, but a successful strategy we can hopefully maintain.
Moussa Dembele CSC
RUGGYGMAN on 9TH JUNE 2019 11:09 AM
Credibility is everything, I would not say I am in the know per say, I just pass on what I hear.
On the post you refer to me posting that we were looking beyond my namesake. We were, what happened in the end but whatever happened, it was to be. One which I think took a lot of us by surprise, especially how it happened.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
BSR 11.30am
Successful strategy ???
Enough of that … keep up with the narrative our board don’t know what they are doing
Moussa Dembelle was a fluke :-)
Actually who signed Moussa ? Was it Ronny or Peter ? Pretty sure Brendan was around 5 months after Moussa signed his pre-contract
DENIABHOY on 9TH JUNE 2019 10:20 AM
Ntcham and maybe listen to offers for Rogic. Lenny I hear is looking to inject more pace in the midfield.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Tonyrome,
Johnrock originaly from linwood?
Lennybhoy 11.42am
I think you are correct and our board (Dermot & Peter) were looking beyond Neil …. but, the important part I’m all of this is Neil said after the cup final “they were true to their word” to me that meant if Neil delivered league & cup the job was his … if he didn’t it wasn’t … does any one person think Neil didn’t want any security when he took over from Brendan facing Easter Road (where BR never tasted victory) & tynecastle … there is no mystery our board were looking elsewhere in case Neil didn’t deliver
Thankfully he did … the rest is history
lafan on 9th June 2019 11:48 am
Tonyrome,
Johnrock originaly from linwood?
—————————————————————————————-
The very one.
KEEP THE FAITH
Hopefully big changes ahead in the MF area.
If we are serious regarding taking the next step and improving on our poor recent performances then we need to put a lot of effort in on the training ground and in the transfer market.
SB is a very awkward situation — the big transition / replacement of a captain.
Similar situation to PL in 2004 and SB is not as good a player as PL — and he was shown the door at 34 — so we need to make plans to sort out this situation with a bit of class. Plenty of precedents around the world of football to fall back on but if he is a regular starter then we will not be firing on all cylinders. The issue needs to be addressed and it is better that it is done soon.
CMcG needs to be given more responsibility. I am not a great fan in that he is not the complete payer we need — defensively poor / tackling needs work — but he is still developing as a player so there is hope he could grow into a better MF.
ON is a talent and a half and if he can’t find a role for us then we are the ones who need to do some thinking about why this has happened and what needs to change. I hope he stays and puts in a shift to shake the rust / lethargy out of his game but is he goes we will regret it at our leisure for a long time.
TR is a case of now or never — poor 18 months including a waste of a WC and a season to forget. Huge talent but he needs support and MF around him that offers support, energy and a desire to make the most of his talent. SB on his last legs and a disappearing CMcG is not the MF to make the most of his talents.
RC = huge season ahead. He has shown incredible talent and made huge strides forward but he is still as raw as sushi at times and he needs a lot of support to help him fill in the gaps. He has energy and vision but he needs more experience and help with his decision making. The hop, skip and a jump after a poor pass needs to go.
EK = Can we play ZSP every week?
Was thrown under a few buses by BR so he is due a bit of help and support.
NB = Still our only full on DM but needs more time on the pitch.
Enigma in that he makes it all look very easy and then makes an erse of it.
I think his best position would be sweeper — not sure if that would be for us.
Regarding the youth / reserves — nobody is good enough to take a spot in a 26 / 28 man squad.
However there are three who should be given a year to get ready for 2020.
If we have depth in the squad then they might be loaned out.
Regarding bringing in new talent — we need help and new energy.
DT = Worth £3mill — not so sure but he has something that we do not have.
Goals from MF and a full season in the SPL doing good things in a “poor” team.
He has become a serious player in 12 months — only KT and KA have done this for us recently.
ECH punts = We should cast our net wide.
Even if they are only half as good as MD then we will have done well.
MM
agree with most of that though sushi is vinegared rice
TR will leave
CELTIC WILL WEEP.???
Don’t think thats an appropriate heading for a Celtic blog, do you?
C’mon Paul 67 get your act together, and three days of it, scunnered i am.
Great day down at our soccer fields today, the weemhan who goes to
Vietnam next week with his school was ordered, hattrick today or just
stay there and join the vietcong whatever.
And guess what? injured in the first ten minutes and carried off.
But our bhoys rose to the challenge and smashed a mid table team 8-1.
Me? well a bit like Glesgy, nae referee for our under 16 ghirls game, so
yours truly done the business.
Don’t know if i was as good as the son of Dallas lol but i heard a wee comment
at the end of the game from the opposing team ” that aul ref is as crabbit as ”
Now that sounds to me like something i would hear back home at the Glesga
green, so maybe our Scotia influence is permeating the local population lol.
H.H Mick
Tonyrome,
Went. To school with john,
Wasn’t a bad footballer,along with his brother Eddie.
And a real gentleman.
TONYROME
Just reading back now, and answering your post the other day about
cowbhoy Mc Cormack, what a character and as usual a scaffolder, which
was probably their preferred skill when they made the leap from sport
to just earning a living.
Strange how many ex boxers made that adjustment and ended up beside
this aul tim.
But the most Celtic minded bhoys were the McMillan brothers from
Ayrshire or originally Gods Garden up from the Calton, nobody
messed with them lol.
H.H Mick
LENNYBHOY.
Are you heading for the Aberdour Drink fest on the 21st June, I hope you can make it.
Melbourne Mick
Weep = to cry
In my wee tiny mind
We are crying tears of joy :-)
Cheers for the mention on your list last Sunday … I was trying not to post or read but I have the backbone of a newt :-)
So sorry ghuys and ghals, missed my usual introduction.
Hello again all you young rebels.
Thats just for the pedants lol.
H.H Mick.
Nir Bitton, deserves a run in the first team,as for Nitcham,I have never took to him,but I guess we are all entitled to our opinions.
GFTB
How could our list be complete without a Coatbrig bhoy?
I knew you’d be back on and everybody needs a wee break
now and again.
Just waiting on MACJAY, DELANEYS, and a couple of others
surfacing again, which they will, knowing we want them to.
And don’t be surprised by an aul pal fae Sentinal Celts
making a cameo appearance.
C,mon BMCUW you know you want to.
H.H Mick
OLDTIM67 on 9TH JUNE 2019 1:36 PM
I most certainly am and look forward to catching up with you and BLANTYRETIM. Our usual tour of the local Hostelries.
Have you heard from BLANTYRETIM confirming he is going?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Melbourne Mick 1.45pm
A wee break is good for the well being, but the ole CQN is a bit of an addiction, far too many good Celtic people on here to ignore it … funnily enough BMCUWP, Macjay & Delaney’s I have been lucky enough to share a wee shandy or two with all of them, hopefully one of these days might buy you a wee Guinness or 9 (@ row)
Thanks Deniabhoy ???
And for the avoidance of doubt see all the nonsense that Neil was offered the job in the shower ???
Neil was actually doing his press duties when Peter announced that Neil was offered the job permanently, unless all the journos were in the shower with him :-)
Just noticed that Scotland Ladies are even money just to score a goal. I suppose that makes the size of their task sink in a bit. BUt with Scotland it always has to be heart over head so 11/2 to score twice may well attract my shillings! After all, in the game that’s just finished tournament favourits Australia have just lost due to an Italian injury time snatch, 2-1.
lafan on 9th June 2019 1:16 pm
Tonyrome,
Went. To school with john,
Wasn’t a bad footballer,along with his brother Eddie.
And a real gentleman.
—————————————————————————————————————
Was it St Cuthberts? Were you in the same year? Were are you now if it’s not a daft question?
KEEP THE FAITH
LENNYBHOY.
Yes,Stephen is going, we haven’t decided how we will get to Aberdour yet, Could be by train,Glasgow to Edinburgh train suits both of us,I can get on at Falkirk High,the problem at the moment is deciding what time to set out, We usually get a lift from the TOHG, But he has a tournement in Ireland at the same time and had already made arrangements for to take in the Ireland tournement, I will definatly miss our blether through to Aberdour,but these things happen.
GFTB
Don’t do many wee Guinnesses, as the princess says ” don’t
know where you put them”
But as you and many others have said ” i’ve never met a CQN’r
i did not like, and i’ve met many over here, the other side of
the world.
And you know what? only Celtic can do that, others can think they
are huge clubs in world football but ask them to fill a pub when it’s
the close season and no glory hunting CL finals where they can wear
their preferred shirt, Man City? Man Utd, Chelsea?… feck it who’s in
the final this year? i’ll wear that.
And thats what most of them do, well thats my observation here in Oz
Maybe you ghuys see it differently back home, but despite our bickering
and arguementative behaviour on various blogs, when the vultures
circle, the Celtic family unite.
And my god thats a force to behold.
H.H Mick