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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Oldtim
Getting the train from Motherwell, should be in around 3 ish. Left you a voicemail.
Ritchie
Look forward to it..c u tomorrow
Kikinthenakas
Should be a blast. Cannae wait!
My friends in Celtic,
A very well deserved harmonious blog yesterday in recognition of a wonderful milestone.
I have absolutely no intention of disrupting this, but I have a couple of observations :-
Firstly :- I do not go along with the view that posts should achieve some form of grading or rating. Every post made with the correct intention should welcomed and digested equally. From the most eloquent to the most basic they are of equal value.
Many posters stated the fact that they were infrequent or plain lurkers, we need to encourage them to post more often and any form of scoring should be discouraged as it may be detrimental to this aim.
Secondly :- A couple of posters have commented that they log in less due to the repetitiveness of some of the football posts. The close season is partially responsible for this, but in the greater picture this is precisely why diversity within the acceptable parameters of the blog should be welcomed. Especially humour.
I have gleamed much from this diversity as there seems to be an unending knowledge
Richie.
10:54 on
21 July, 2014
OT
We spoke about it Friday. Health permitting I would get the train through Falkirk and you would rendezvous?
If that wasn’t the case, then not drinking is screwing up my memory!.
Thanks for jogging my memory, I remember now, So my memory loss was drink related.
DESERTBHOY
If you are ok with me sending your mail addy to KIK,RICHIE and OLDTIM,I will do so.
Obviously I don’t have a number for you in the UK.
I’ll forward to JAMESGANG too. Unless requested otherwise.
Rebelyell.com
Guys,
Sorry to end the last post abruptly, but I’m sure you get the drift.
HH.
Paul67, you are probably getting tired of reading this but in common with the hundreds of messages of thanks I would like to record my gratitude for the many hours of dedication you put in to provide this exceptional forum for the Celtic support. It is part of my daily routine to login and check the temperature, be it hot or cold, on an almost bewildering array of topics.
Here’s to the next 10 years…
Repost for fholk travelling to Embra tomorrow …
Good info re Murrayfield game logistics …
http://www.scottishrugby.org/tournaments-events/celtic-faqs
Richie.
If we are meeting up with kikinthenakas at three, then the 2.00 pm train from Queens Street would be the train for you to get, we would arrive around 2.50 pm at Haymarket.if your getting the 2.00 pm train,get the carriage next to the front engine,save me looking through all the train looking for you, and when we get of the train less distance to walk to the stairs.
Radio2 is doing a wee compy for the 100 best guitar riffs.
This is included.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jlbunmCbTBA
Dunno why,I canny even decide which is the best riff in this track!
Just thought I’d share that since it’s on my iPod at the moment.
And will be again shortly when I play it again.
RICHIE
Thanks for the tip,mate.
But since I managed post 666 earlier,I’ll pass!
Glad yer on the mend,btw. Nasty stuff,colitis.
This is a wonderful blog. Thanks Paul. My wife hates you though…;-)
Morning all,
Just to confirm we could not do the Edinburgh Lodge event due to costs which the owner would have to cover as a result of regulations imposed by the licensing laws — Stewards, Portaloos, Marquee and all that stuff.
I will no doubt be somehwere close by with a gaggle of weans in tow.
In other news, all change at Celtic Nation and Willie McStay and Davie Farrell have left the club.
http://www.celticnation.com/#!club-statement/c13y
CQN – belated tenth birthday wishes from Bonnybridge!
I previously posted that I had the honour of taking my eldest grandson to his first Celtic game last March, v St.Mirren.
I am doubly delighted to hear that his mum is taking him to his second tomorrow.
As they live only a Rory Mc.Ilroy drive from ?Murrayfield, it is too good a chance to miss.
He has never seen Celtic lose!
I contracted CQN during it’s first few months and have been infected since.
The first “meet” I had was in a pub near Hampden, before the ’07 Cup Final.
I had pre arranged to meet someone called Noel90. Strange chap he was!!
I also was introduced to SFTB and another poster, whose name escapes me, plus a strange being, called a Lurker.
Terry O’Neill stopped by the table as he was leaving.
After that, I formed friendships with Noel and SFTB, both of whom are regular attenders of the Donegal CQN AGM.
Add Ard Macha to the list, a fine lad, who had the sense to acquire a holiday home near me.
Two lads that I haven’t physically met, but who I converse with by mail, are BSR and TET.
Looking forward to meeting some of them next week
I don’t have an extensive list of CQN buddies, but, those I do have are la creme de la menthe.
Roll on the next ten years, ONO.
Celtic fans will be travelling through to Edinburgh all day tomorrow. How many trains run after the game ends?
Get your skates on at FT.
CREME DE MENTHE?
Is that not what the Pope drinks?
Very Belated , Congratulations Paul67, Top Man and a Top Site. I come here ritually everyday without fail, I love reading the comments in the middle of the night when people have had too much to drink, All the posts from all around the world, the banter, The old gaurd tellling us younger posters about the real greats they saw and we only can wrtch dvds of, Kojo ramblings,mncelts updates and ek’s weather forcasts. All Awesome. Hope for another 10 years hopefully with not as much infighting as there has been in past year.
We are all Celts, Hail Hail!
KLV
BRTH
Re:Celtic Nation
That is interesting reading that cofounder Stephen Skinner who left just over a month ago and is now back in charge.
I wonder if Frank Lynch has also decided to stop bank rolling the club as he was backing Willie McStay for a successful campaign this year.
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/celtic-nation/celtic-nation-supremo-backs-mcstay-as-chairman-quits-1.1140732#
HH
CRC
BMCUP.
There was a story circulating in Glasgow, involving two local comedians.
One, Tommy Morgan, resided at the Empire Theatre. The other, Lex Mc.Lean, at the Kings.
Tommy was a Celtic man and based his humour on that. Lex, the opposite.
Both men were good pals.
Anyway, the story goes, that they would meet up after an Us v Them game and the loser would buy the drinks, Creme De Menthe for Morgan, Blue Bols for Mc.Lean.
Also the round would reflect the score,I.e. 2-1 for Celtic would mean to Creme and one Bols.
Back then, Morgan would more often be on the Bell.
However, one fateful day in October ‘ 57, poor ol’ Lexie had to line up seven of the green stuff to one solitary little Blue Bol.
Don’t know how Tommy got home.
Paul67
Belated congratulations.
It’s been a very quick decade, but made much more enjoyable by the presence of CQN.
Thanks so much for the best Celtic forum ever. Long may you have the energy to continue it.
glasgowdave
My friends in Celtic.
Ref Celtic Nation : Has this any relevance to us apart from the familiar personnel ?
This is the real story or is it just speculation ?
HH.
Greenpinata
Don’t think we will find the answer to that any-time soon. It is a strange one though, they are being bankrolled through England’s pyramid system. The system in theory allows the humblest of clubs to rise to the Premiership.
But if Glasgow Celtic are involved, why start so low down ?
Last season’s failure to win promotion was a blow.
Just want to add my congratulations as well to Paul67, I’ve read the blog from the start but have only started posting in the last couple of weeks and then only occasionally. It’s my first port of call when I go online each day.
Thinking back, it’s the first place I can remember reading about football finances in laymen s terms and allowed me to sound knowledgeable to my mates when we were discussing why Celtic weren’t spending as much as others. My mantra of they will crash and burn came true eventually, even though I don’t think I believed it myself at the time.
Anyway, great site and long may it continue to educate, entertain and frustrate all at the same time…
Hola
Un hombre no puede luchar en chanclas y bermudas
Saludo Saludo
Great Posts and messages over the last 24 hours.
To celebrate the 10 years and reflect the topic of the first post,Seville- The Celtic Movement is on offer at £10 as opposed to the RRP of £18:99.
It is full of stories from posters on here many of which are really funny and very touching,
Someone wrote to me recently to say that they both laughed and cried in the course of reading the book and when they had finished they went straight back to the start and read it again.
If you are interested in a copy at the reduced price then e-mail your details — name address etc to david@cqnmagazine.com and we will get a copy posted out to you.
P&P included for UK & Ireland
Sydney Tim is an anagrom of Season Ticket
BCW,
That is my opinion also.
If we are involved in some way, then why start so low.
That really is long, long term strategy.
We debated the other day about “silence and keeping our powder dry”. IMO that time has now passed and the club should now outline our future strategy options ( assuming there are options )
HH.
thomthethim for Oscar OK.
I may have been that other poster, “I also was introduced to SFTB and another poster, whose name escapes me, plus a strange being, called a Lurker. I think I met you with SFTBS in Babbity Bowsters, mind you that was a while back, memory not to good, but I did meet you and SFTBs but it was a fleeting moment in time.
Paul67, I wasn’t on the blog yesterday but having now read every post on this article, I hope you have an appropriate sense of pride for what you have created and achieved, thank you.
Celticrollercoaster
Dunno — the statement is very brief.
I am apparently on Pulse FM on Wednesday night discussing EBT’s and their use ….. well….. elsewhere!
Greenpinata
Think it’s also worth noting Celtic Nation have been on the rise for quite sometime before the story came to light.
Congrats on the big 1 0 :)
If Celtic Nation was a long term plan B and it has been shelved does that mean plan A is coming to fruition?!
HH
traditionalist88
12:28 on 21 July, 2014
—
What makes u think it has been shelved ?
Is their other news apart from mcstay leaving ?
Maybe Lennon has been waiting for that job to come up :-)
Paul67,
Congrats on the anniversary. Been reading the blog every day since it started appearing on News Now (around 2007 I reckon). Is there a medical term for this disease yet?? CQNitis?
Anyway your efforts are much appreciated!!
Have we signed a new striker yet:-P
Can’t make my mind up at all about the Celtic Nation story. If we were going down that route, then why start so low. The article does mention Gifford Park (Nation’s previous name) had virtually no support. But opposition from a group of fans has been a stumbling block overcome recently in the Wimbledon/MK Dons situation.
Oldtim,
Yes,I did meet you in BB’s.
I was over for a game,midweek v Hibs and met up with SFTB in BB’s.
Also met DBBIA, Subterranean, Dick Byrne, I think and whoever else was at their table. It is very difficult to take all the names in at once.
I was very touched that you and Blantyre Tim left Sharkey’s, where I think you were with Estadio, just to come over to say ” hello”.
You didn’t even have time for a drink.
SFTB gave me a CQN badge in the taxi going to the fame, which still adorns my jacket.
Keep well, sir.
proudbhoy
If they were being bankrolled to reach the top as many speculated I just don’t think they’d have come a cropper at the 24th tier of English football;)
Lennys next move will be interesting though I think he thought he’d have made it by now…
HH