The changes over the last decade have been so profound, and are now so established, it’s difficult to recall how different the balance of power was back then. In 2004, a small handful of people had complete control over the Celtic media narrative.
Was Martin O’Neill going to Leeds United? He was, you were told he was, live on the country’s most listened to radio programme. By a former Celtic player, too. Objectivity and the opportunity to challenge was controlled by the very people who were writing the headlines.
For years, this was the way it was, and it was poisoning Celtic. The ‘old board’ were worthy of little better, but Fergus McCann was brutally attacked. He was the man who would bring equality and respect to our club and fans, but he was demonised by lazy hacks who cared little for truth. So much so, he was booed by the very people who celebrated the league title his vision brought. It was a bitter experience for many.
Martin O’Neill, in some respects, like The Man 35 years before him, brought a force of personality so strong, the gaggle of critics could only stand back in awe, but the system had a flaw. Stein brought unimaginable success with little more than unimaginable brilliance. O’Neill used money, lots of it. More than Celtic were earning. His whirlwind high-spending start at Celtic ended with the £6m signing of John Hartson in 2001, little over a year after he took the job.
Martin would spend another four years working within a budget; not one that brought expenditure into line with income, we continued to lose millions each year, but one which limited signings to a fraction of what was spent on Hartson, Lennon and Sutton.
While those four years were among the most exciting in our history, it was an unhappy era.
Put yourself back in time for a moment. Celtic are champions and have beaten Ajax to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. We were imperious, had beaten Rangers 6-2 and took to a field in Turin to final take part in a tournament which for so long appeared out of our reach.
Juventus went 2-0 up but back came Celtic. I worked with a Rangers fan who was at a lower league game that night. When we equalised, his friend text “I don’t think I can take this anymore”. We had come from nowhere, an irrelevance in Scottish football, but here we were, champions of Scotland and level against Juventus.
At that moment, anything was possible. For the first time in decades, we thought, maybe just…
We soon learned that it takes more than honest endeavour to win in Italy, and visits to Portugal and Norway provided a rude awakening. This was not ’67 all over again, there was a lot of work to do, we just needed to keep the pedal to the metal.
Two years after that defeat in Turin we came close to winning our second European trophy in Seville, with a team which had, pretty much, been in place for three years. We were getting the hang of European football, but the team was aging.
For reasons that defy logic, history records the Seville season as the highlight of that team, but the achievements of season 2003-04, with 25 consecutive league wins, and eliminating Barcelona from Europe, were vastly greater.
Then the party was over. The Great Swede left, we’d lost £35m in a few short years, and reality was acknowledged; all clubs need to live within their means, or face liquidation. The climb-down was necessary, but I’m not going to tell you it wasn’t hard.
Back then few people read football clubs accounts, even though Celtic posted copies to over 20,000 shareholders, but all the clues were there, Celtic had to stem the flow. We lost £7m in the Seville season alone; wages to players and coaches were unsustainable.
Despite this, Celtic were regarded as cautious. We lost £35m over five years; Ranger lost £35m in a single season. If they could pump debt up to £80m and survive, why wouldn’t Celtic? We would learn the answer to this question in 2012, but think back to 2004, thoughts that one of Scotland’s major clubs could be liquidated were ridiculed – often, on CQN.
So how did the media deal with our club in 2004? I was driving to work one morning and had heard “What the Celtic fans want to know, is where is all the Seville money?” once too often. “Where is all the Seville money?” was a toxic question. There was no Seville money, only higher debts.
When I arrived at work I ranted about such lazy reporting. This was calculated reporting of the most pernicious type. A Rangers supporting friend suggested, “Why don’t you start a blog and challenge what they’re saying?” I’d never heard of a blog, but he sat me down and got me going.
The first CQN article, written 10 years ago today, was a modest call to “Ignore the Press”, but just before I pressed publish, I had to select, ‘Allow comments: Yes or No’. I’d no views either way but ‘Yes’ was default, so I left it.
The whole thing, the millions of comments, the hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for those in need, the friendships made, the golfers, the slimmers, those helped in bereavement, the thousands of kids attending our school kitchens each day in Malawi and the countless hours of enjoyment we’ve had, are all down to a default position on Blogger. And a Rangers fan telling me to start the fight back online. Who’d have thought it?
Now, people stop me in the street to talk about Celtic. Can there be a greater joy in life? Thanks for all the help and support.
Celtic yesterday, today, forever.
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hamiltontim
19:31 on 20 July, 2014
What’s this, going on holiday, you’ve been off long enough, time you got a real job…:)
PS: where you going?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
News now Celtic has a report saying the wee Mexican winger is joining Celtic for the season,We will see. H.H.
Ten years didn’t realise it wis that long.
CQN wis the first forum ah joined an although ah don’t post that often ah still check out wits been said on a regular basis.
Ah wis that new that ah used ma own name instead of a nomme de guerre it wasnt being bolshie ah didnt know any better.
But still that naivety gave me wan ae ma best thrills,ah went tae Pauls 40 th wae many other cqn’ ers that ah met for the first time ah wis taken aback by the number of people who actually came up to me an acknowledged me because of ma calls tae Clyde.
It was slightly embarrassing but a great buzz .
So for that night an all the subsequent pleasure derived doon the years from engaging wae fellow tims ah say thanks very much Paul.
You are a credit to your family and the Celtic support.
God bless yae.
Lennybhoy
There’s a difference between being on holiday and having a break :-)
Off to Portugal on Tuesday mate. I’ll miss the game but really looking forward to getting away.
Hope you’re well sir and no doubt we’ll catch up at one of the early away games!
paul 67,kojo is right there is a place in heaven for you,thanks so much for cqn this place is blessed my celtic brother,god bless all of you,weefra,braw sorry for ur loss lads
Paul67:
Today has been special, timing is everything as I had a text from a great friend who is a long time lurker and who I have spoken to you about and introduced you to. In his text from his holiday location in Spain he asked if CQN was going belly-up though he did not put it so politely.
I replied that no way it would happen, that it was the usual malcontents that were trying to undermine the blog. Your reassurance today has been perfect timing. CQN yesterday, today and forever.
Told Linda about your wishes to Sophie and the Family, just replied and said that was lovely and thank you and everybody.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
The value in this blog is obvious and in some ways not so obvious.
Contributors come and go , so have been there more or less from the start and many are new , however the obvious benefit is that the blog provides a platform for Celtic supporters where the mission of the blog is unashamedly Pro Celtic.
You can be critical on occasion, and still be Pro Celtic, just as there are occasions where congratulations for a Celtic initiative or achievement is entirely appropriate. This platform provides such an obvious benefit because it enables instant response and communication , it also engages a much wider audience than was possible before.
The other obvious benefit is that it educates , it brings crowd wisdom to a discussion. Opinions may vary , strongly sometimes, but on many of the critical issues the collective efforts to understand difficult subjects have made that understanding much more broad based and widespread.
The less obvious benefit, at least it was less obvious until Paul highlighted the manipulation of the emotions of the Celtic support by the media on MON / Leeds, is that as a community we now generally are highly sceptical . We don’t automatically accept what we are fed by a media who’s overwhelming motivation is to generate a profit , by selling more papers or increasing listeners.
The media themselves have had to change in recognition of what is not a more enlightened readership . Of course there are still ludicrous examples of slovenly reporting or barely disguised PR. The “apology for Murray” campaign is a classic example, however many journalists openly ridiculed that notion and found it laughable.
10 years ago that would not have been the reaction. 10 years is a long time, and a lot of people have learned a lot about individuals and topics that would otherwise have remained hidden . The SFA have been forced to change , and whilst that change has not yet gone far enough , 10 years ago those in control would have torpedoed any proposition for change.
There have been major issues which have become major issues because fan based blogs ensured they would not be kept as a dirty little secret , hidden from proper public scrutiny.
Take a moment just to think of the impact this blog and others have had on matters of importance to Scottish Football.
Hugh Dallas would still be in control of Scottish referees were it nor for the work of CQN.
Dougie McDonald’s position was made untenable because CQN and other blogs refused to let the matter disappear.
Rangers use of illegal tax evasion schemes was brought to mainstream public attention by RTC and amplified by work on here and other blogs.
The outrage felt by fans of all clubs that Sevco Scotland would be engineered into the SPL , became a new media sensation . Fans of all clubs were energised by online campaigns that this was two fingers to any semblance of ethical behaviour. This particular campaign was successful in the face of outright hostility from many in the mainstream. Will anyone ever forget the high pitched hissy fits of Chic Young , Jim Traynor and Hugh Keevins as they ridiculed the notion Scottish Football in general and Celtic in particular could survive without Rangers in the SPL. The vested interests of that group were defeated and Scottish Football regained some self respect , much to the chagrin of the “Armageddon predicting ” SFA .
Sale and Leaseback , now seemingly acknowledged as a probability by an ex RIFC Chairman, was brought to public attention by this blog. Confirmation that the story was indeed correct was verified by one National paper, who were rather sadly cowed into silence by a false denial from Rangers and threats from a heavy handed PR .
David Murray has been exposed on blogs , as not only a very incompetent businessman but an entirely reckless one. The Business press were years behind the curve on this, and the Sports press have still in the main never developed the backbone required to say it as it really is on Murray. There are of course honorable exceptions like English , Spiers and Glenn Gibbons.
The above and many more show what kind of environment we would have were it not for CQN and others.
I have absolutely no doubts whatsoever that if wasn’t for CQN and other reputable blogs , the old ways would still apply.
The other side of CQN is the humanitarian activities of CQN’rs . This is absolutely in the best traditions of Celtic and the Celtic Way. What recent years have shown is that there is much that we can relate to with supporters of other clubs.
We are not the only club who strive to better their community, but I don’t think any other club has the desire to help those who cannot help themselves , so deeply engrained in their thinking.
Here’s to the next 10, you can be sure there will be more work to be done and more mountains to climb.
P67 a great piece and a happy CQN anniversary.
Giving the latest turmoil on the blog, Bishop John Keenan’s homily today was how the best way to battle evil is with kindness.
LetstryitCSC
Paul67
It doesn’t seem enough to say thanks for all your efforts, truth to tell I cannot thank you enough for setting this blog up ten years to the day. And what a ten years to have been part of the Celtic Story.
A greater philosopher than me, actually it may have been Axel Rose, once asked;
“Where do we go from here………?
hamiltontim
20:31 on 20 July, 2014
Enjoy mate and make sure that minx1888 looks after you or should that be the other around I hear her shouting…:)
Enjoy and yes will know doubt bump in to each other along the way.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Thank you Paul for a wonderful forum
You I know love you!!!!!!
johann murdoch
Ah don’t know about lirking but ah’ll no stop lurking :>).
Just had a worrying thought: if we win on Tuesday, when do we play the next round and is the first leg at home?
Have signed the Mexican winger from Villareal?
Lennybhoy
Look forward to it mate. Hail Hail
Sadly I am always wary when we sign South Americans due to our poor record assimilating them into our game. Our last Mexican was perhaps treated unfairly. May I be wrong.
A Portuguese (Benfica man) workmate told me that Porto fans are starting to ask questions about where certain transfer funds have gone. Where is the Hulk money? PQN may be about to begin. Brennanachio.
parkheadcumsalford
Next tie is 29/30th July and I believe the away leg is first.
hamiltontim
I need those extra grammar lessons again, know = no…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Paul67
Congratulations and many thanks for this wonderful blog.
I started lurking over eight years ago and only made my first post a year ago, only ever met philbhoy but feel like I know everyone.
Confession time, ten years ago I was one of the , where is the Seville money, embarrassing to admit.
Paul67
Thanks for the welcome, ah’ll try and be a good old cqn’r
Mr Paul67 (oor Paul)
Well done my friend,CQN
made me laugh oot loud and had me in tears oot loud as well,God bless.
————————
BTW that was me shouting on you from the Central station rank when you were with
the bhoys…only wanted your autograph :O)
Paul
Just getting round to reading the blog after a long day. Of course, I am a one day worker as you know.
Congratulations on this wonderful achievement. Because of the blog I no longer purchase papers as I get all the news I want on here. At times things can get rough, but when the chips are down and someone on here is suffering then one becomes aware of what it is to be a Celt. It is then that I feel the true supporter is living out the dreams of the men at the table in St Mary’s. To live the Celtic dream is to more than someone who just stands on the slopes of Celtic Park. As long as we have men like you to remind us to that, then Bro Walfrid’s vision will never die. For that and for so many other things we are most grateful to you.
Thanks also for the kindness and help you have shown to me personally. Hope to see again sometime soon.
Just caught “from Scotland with love” on BBC 4 which is lost of cine film clips from around Scotland over the last 100 years or so. The soundtrack is from King Creosote and it is just wonderful. Lots of old shipyard footage. Will be on i player.
Paul,
There is nothing more that I can say thats not already been said, I love this blog and log in every day, heres to the next 10 years.
Lost lots
No joke by the way about Porto. Strange going ons.
Good night all
Last post tonight for those no longer with us in body.
Till we meet again HH
Can I have Rasberry. Have a look at News now Celtic and make up your own mind. H.H.
Celtic 17s won the Denis Law Soccer Tournament for the 2nd year running today.They beat Sheffield Utd 6-3 in the final.
Bhoys went in down 3-2 at half after a meaty fist half where the English boys had a player sent off for trying to give one the Celtic Bhoys a Glasgow kiss.
The Bhoys must have got a right earful at h/t as the score went to 4-3 inside the first ten minutes of the 2nd half.
It was soon game over as the Bhoys made it 6-3.inside the next 20 mins.
I must say the Bhoys were a credit to Celtic as some the tackles from the English players could have been more than just yellow. Our Bhoys just got on with the game
So well done again Bhoys
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
well done to Josh & co :)))))
Seen it on official site and twitter earlier and someone posted the link :))))
Happy 10th Anniversary. Saved me a fortune in buying lying rags. Cheers.
lct
Ta.
barcabhoy – great post.
I’m out of here but read some good stuff tonight.
Barcabhoy
20:34 on
20 July, 2014
Great summary. Thanks.
HH
HAMILTONTIM,
Many thanks for that. I will be able to see the second leg, hopefully.
Just had a scroll back through todays, great posts.
A good day on ole CN.
So the Mexican winger, signing or not?
Stokes, rumours rife he is for the off.
Paul
Congratulations and thanks from me too, who lurked long before posting!
There’s been a couple of mentions of Black Sunday, and the blog’s role in helping people deal with that day.
However, since it became clear that the team perhaps tired late on that day due to having had to compete all season with a financially doped-up shower of cheats, I’ve taken the view that that game was meaningless, as, even if deidco had only been penalized 3 points for their improperly registered players that season, we would have already have clinched the title at Tynecastle the week before with Beattie’s late winner, giving us an insurmountable 5 point lead with Fir Park to visit.
And I was there, burnt to a crisp from having a seat bathed in Edinburgh sunshine for 2 hours!
So the helicopter turned around for nothing! (in my wee Celtic world anyway).
Hail Hail.
Really enjoyed CQN today , some good posts and a real appreciation of what Paul has given us .
Paul has given us something very special , its up to all of us to make sure it lasts .
Hail Hail to Paul and all on CQN .