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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Congratulations on a great anniversary Paul 67,
I can’t believe in all that time I’ve only been banned twice, just goes to show the patience of a saint and a forgiving one at that.
A thought for all our departed brothers who no longer share these pages with us in this dimension.
Hail Hail
fourgreenfields,
Great to talk to you as always.
fourgreenfields
15:35 on 20 July, 2014
Dublin 3-20
Meath 1-10
train times posted on here anaw, more than just a blog Paul…..:))
Cqn = Decade of Delight !
Paul 67 I thank you.
Congrats Donegal Ulster champions
Donegal 0-15 Monaghan 1-09
Ps pains me to say but the Jacks look as if they will dominate the All Ireland for the next FIVE years !
Some team so they are !!
Up the Rebels ;)
Bada,
Yer on the ball today..;-)
Another cause for celebration today, our very own St. John Doyle’s Daughter, Sophie celebrates her 12th Birthday today…Hoopy Birthday Sophie.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
tricoloured ribbon
Always good to talk to you mate , a top mhan.
HH
TCR no mucker, lost its appeal to me long ago,haven’t been in it for a long time so decided to give it a miss,too many people I wouldn’t want to see
four green fields
Tricoloured ribbon
Enjoy the win today guys.
Pleasure chatting
Aff lot take drown me sorrows….lol
HH
CQN …10
Carlos Santana…..67
http://youtu.be/9YxwANaLnVA?list=AL94UKMTqg-9CnfFkmGiOuIgGqb0Jko6aj
Brilliant Paul. Keep up the magnificent work.
!!bada bing!!
Very good mate , did Bobby miss these trains too ? :-)
toffeetim,
Who’s gonnae score the goals for Everton?
Would love to see another loan deal for Lukaku,cannae see it though.
If Mourinho let’s him go for a straightforward transfer fee the Toffees are out of the picture.
call me gerry
A pleasure chatting mate , game over now – enjoy your drink .
Paul67
‘Tanti auguri’ to you and CQN from sunny Ayrshire!
Ten years, eh?
Where does the time go?
HH!!
Paul67, happy anniversary. Discovered this wonderful site about 7 yrs ago and immediately realised a connection with TTTT – scary. At times the site has entertained , inspired , infuriated and humbled me . It’s my first and last port of call each day and has allowed me to meet many many many (insp lassard) new friends and the occasional hero .
Today I took part in the QBR as a representative of The Kano Foundation but I could just as easily have been doing it as a foot-soldier for CQN.
You have given us a blog and a community where the enjoyment of Celtic sits alongside an ethos to do what you can for your fellow man (gender, race, creed and colour -blind) .
I’m proud to be part of this , I proclaim my membership and enjoyment of it and I’ll keep posting and lurking regardless of attempts to derail or undermine it.
I’ll raise a pint to you, yours and the rest of the collective when I get back to Devon tonight.
Yours in Celtic
Hail Hail
Sannabhoy
call me gerry,
Enjoy yer beer pal
Sanna..,
Broke the blog, ten years and now look what you’ve done :o)
Congrats paul67 on 10 years of fine blogging.
neil canamalar
Just thinking the same thing :-))
Sannabhoy and 2000 kids say Hail Hail to Pablo’s family
17:54 on
20 July, 2014
Paul67, happy anniversary. Discovered this wonderful site about 7 yrs ago and immediately realised a connection with TTTT – scary. At times the site has entertained , inspired , infuriated and humbled me . It’s my first and last port of call each day and has allowed me to meet many many many (insp lassard) new friends and the occasional hero .
Today I took part in the QBR as a representative of The Kano Foundation but I could just as easily have been doing it as a foot-soldier for CQN.
You have given us a blog and a community where the enjoyment of Celtic sits alongside an ethos to do what you can for your fellow man (gender, race, creed and colour -blind) .
I’m proud to be part of this , I proclaim my membership and enjoyment of it and I’ll keep posting and lurking regardless of attempts to derail or undermine it.
I’ll raise a pint to you, yours and the rest of the collective when I get back to Devon tonight.
Yours in Celtic
Hail Hail
Sannabhoy
well done jp and well said see you at paradise
HH
And on changing the way many Celts think and talk about football. No mean feat.
Congratulations Paul and thank you for giving us CQN. I salute your indefatigability!
fourgreenfields- VG mate HH
Benedetti. @SiendoUnCrack
CONFIRMADO: Javier Aquino es nuevo futbolista del Celtic de Glasgow llega procedente del Villarreal a préstamo. pic.twitter.com/rdbaQZqUSJ
Translated from Spanish by Bing
CONFIRMED: Javier Aquino’s new Glasgow Celtic player arrives from Villarreal on loan.
10th anniversary present Paul ???
Paul67,
IMO you prophesied the demise of the hun long long before ANYONE else got in on the act,
care to make a prediction on the SFA ?
Well done Donegal.
They always had that wee bit extra in a tight, towsy game.
Looks like we will have to wait a wee bit longer for Mc.Guinness to take up the promotion to first team sports psychologist.
I must be the oldest person on here. Don’t know wether to sad or proud.
Always proud to be a Tim.
Congratulations and thanks in equal measure on reaching 10 years of Celtic Quick News Paul.
I found the blog in 2006 or 2007 whilst exiled in South Wales and it was an invaluable source of information about the Club and connection with Celtic fans who were in short supply in Swansea. But I seriously wish I’d given more imaginative thought to my blog name!! I didn’t think I’d stay so I didn’t think it mattered.
When I reflect on CQN and the community that has gathered around it I obviously think of the laughs, arguments and debates I’ve witnessed and participated in over the years that I’ve been part of it. But what really strikes me is there are thousands kids in Malawi who get a meal every day because of this blog. Think about that. There’s a Celtic fan in Australia at home with his family who otherwise probably wouldn’t be. Hundreds, thousands of kids who’ve been to Celtic Park in his name.
All that and a million other kindnesses that have happened because of what you started and worked hard to maintain.
Well done Paul, a top Celtic man.
SwanseaBhoy
Paul67,
Congratulations on 10 years of hosting informative and amusing Celtic chat and opinions. While your blog has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years the Scottish mainstream press circulation figures have continued heading down the pan. Long may that continue.
I wonder whatever happened to the poster Rancho Franco? I used to love reading his posts, they were always hilarious and on the money!
Paul 67
Thank you for CQN.
Hoops at the gowf…!
HH
dixiedeans
18:09 on 20 July, 2014
I must be the oldest person on here. Don’t know wether to sad or proud.
Always proud to be a Tim.
………………
Ye scored 6 goals against the Thistle in a 7-0 hammering..
Surely that makes ye proud..;-)
embramike
18:07 on
20 July, 2014
Benedetti. @SiendoUnCrack
CONFIRMADO: Javier Aquino es nuevo futbolista del Celtic de Glasgow llega procedente del Villarreal a préstamo. pic.twitter.com/rdbaQZqUSJ
Translated from Spanish by Bing
CONFIRMED: Javier Aquino’s new Glasgow Celtic player arrives from Villarreal on loan.
10th anniversary present Paul ???
brilliant birthday present , here we go ten in a row .
HH
Happy Birthday CQN!
10 yrs who would have believed it! And what a life changing 10 yrs it has been.
Tonight I will raise a glass to all those absent friends those who blogged and those who lurked!
I more than most have everything to thank CQN for! And trust me I do thank God for CQN everyday! Without it I would never have met the friends I have, I wouldn’t have shared so many tears of joy, laughter and indeed sadness! I would never have met HT and my world would not be anywhere near as wonderful as it is today!
Thank you Paul67 and all of you that make CQN what it is!
Paul thanks so much for giving us the opportunity to come on here and put into words the feelings we have for our team and all it’s ups and downs ,if there was another hour put into the day we’d spent it thinking about our hoops like we do the other 24 so until that happens this blog fills the gap just nicely !Hail hail and congrats on your first ten in a row
Paul my congrats on the anniversary. I still disagree with much of what you say but that’s life.
What’s not is dispute is how valuable CQN is!!
Best wishes.
Tricoloured Ribbon
Spot on !! Think Lukaku wants a shot at Shellsee but 16 million he ain’t worth that !!
Martinez will have money to spend and he knows not one but two strikers required !!
Like the Hoops it has to be the right guys for the right price !!
Hail Hail NSNO ;)
To think, it wasn’t that long ago p67 was thinking of chucking it all in, I’m glad that was a short lived consideration.