I followed Celtic’s accounts since Fergus took over and started posting them out to us. Around the same time I began following those of David Murray’s MIH and Rangers, the fortunes of each, and ultimately of the rest of Scottish football, were intertwined.
Fergus ran a stable ship, but things kicked off when Dermot Desmond replaced him as Celtic’s largest shareholder. In Dermot’s first season in charge, excesses were lavished with England and Liverpool legendary player, John Barnes, in charge. That didn’t work out but the next season, with Martin O’Neill in charge, spending took off in a fashion never before seen at Celtic. A treble arrived, but the financial losses were eye-watering.
The trouble was, we had all gotten used to this new level of spending. Dermot was applauded (by some) for matching the “ambition” of David Murray, so much so, that finding a route back to sanity was always going to be a challenge.
Then came the Seville season. Celtic Park was packed out for European fixtures until April, while domestic games were also a sell-out. The commercial team did a deal with shirt sponsor NTL to have the new season’s strip launched early. It looked like every able bodied person in Scotland had purchased the new Celtic strip.
That summer I waited for the accounts to drop. This document would reveal our true potential. The first sign of trouble was an email, “Alert for Celtic PLC Final Results”, on the afternoon of a Champions League qualifier. I anticipated good news story, but good news would surely be stage managed better than to slip out on the afternoon of a game?
The document revealed we lost £7m, despite Stuttgart, Celta, Liverpool, Boavista, Blackburn and Siduva. Despite all those shirt sales. We beat MTK comfortably, lots of people were happy, but I knew why these accounts were released on a match day; Celtic were living beyond their means and that could not go on forever.
OK, so we released accounts on a game day, giving the news cycle four hours to digest and report before Henrik and Co. moved the story on. On Wednesday, Newco didn’t press the publish button until they were a goal up against Kilmarnock! This could be the work of Charles Foster Kane.
Within a minute, karma struck. Kilmarnock equalised, Xanadu lost.
You will know the detail by now. On a turnover of £32.6m, Newco lost £14.3m, this, coming years after comments such as: “just about breakeven” soothed the masses.
The accounts themselves are horrible, but, of course, now historic. Income for this season will rise with Europa League qualification, while costs associated with the recruitment necessary to propel the club to fourth in the league will also rise significantly.
The question is, if you act like Citizen Kane, do you follow the same trajectory?
Really looking forward to Hearts tomorrow. After the week they have had, a bit of karma must be coming their way.
Celtic Supporters’ Association
Annual Memorial Mass
for all Celtic Supporters & Their Families
Tomorrow at 12.30 the annual memorial Mass for ALL Celtic supporters and families is held at St Michael’s, 1350 Gallowgate, a short walk from the stadium. A time for us to remember those who passed on the club over the last 130 years. There will be tea and coffee in the hall for you before you head to the game.
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BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 11:39 AM
If you’re at the game today and get hit by a missile remember you’ll have brought it on yourself
NoisyTaigs CSC
——-
Does that include the hail (hail) of Paradise Windfall tickets that’ll fly past my ears about 3.52pm?
Someone’sEyeOotCSC
Just 3 hours to go. Sausage time!
Just picked up Mrs JG’s first ever season ticket.
Upgraded the (disinterested wee mhan’s Ticket)
Timtastic. HH jg
Hello again all you young rebels.
A wee bit sore after my surf board show off to wee Grace at the
beach today, but i think she was quite impressed, but when she said
” Papa can we go a bit deeper it’s only up to my knees ”
O.K darling wait till i get more sunscreen 8-))
DBHOY
Interesting that the ragers had a flyover in Perth Oz , wondered where
the feck they all went.
Maybe working in the mines digging for gold, King will be proud of them
and maybe regale them with a new tangerine top but only if they stick
their dosh into his kitty.
H.H Mick
St Stivs I think Pope St John Paul connected with big Packy because he himself was a goalkeeper in his young days. Not sure if he dropped the ball a lot though.
The difference between Lenny,and say MON,Packy Bonnar,Brendan,is that Lenny is in their faces.The kind of “Uppity Tim”that should not be allowed.He is a target for them,and meets them head on.As my Auld man used to say,”If it was not for the Celtic fans,they would walk over the top of us”.Lenny epitomises that.God bless him.
Happy birthday to Charlie Gallagher 78 today
Hail Hail Charlie
☘️☘️☘️☘️
Oh and BRTH
***LMS11 week 6 supertreble and the picks***
Good afternoon folks
All 34 picks are in and this weeks LMS super-treble based on the remaining Standers choices is Chelsea, Celtic and Man City
If you are a steady Eddie and just want a (guaranteed?) return, then for a £10 accumulator, this will return you £17.50
If you feel like a wee gamble. then giving the away teams a goal start each, will double your return to £35 and if your feeling lucky and want to give each away team a 2 goal start, then your return increases to £130.
Good luck and 3 points for the Hoops and a barrowload of goals for Chelsea, Celtic and Man City!!? ????
The picks this week are:
Chelsea 16
Celtic 7
Manchester City 4
The Rangers 3
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Motherwell 2
HH
CRC
TurkeyBhoy @12.18
Well said, could not agree more.
Let’s get into this Enbra disease today and put them back in their box.
4-0 the good guys
KINGLuBO
BLANTYRETIM
Seems like yesterday i stood and watched Charlie and your big da
from the front of the Celtic end of Parkheid.
Those days were simpler i suppose but nonetheless important
in our training to be a member of the Celtic family.
Without being a peehee or needing to be appreciated i think
Charlie and your da would have benefited from todays modern
game.
H.H Mick
Happy birthday Charlie, what a player.
H.H Mick
CRC,
Will you about the usual spots around 2.15?
Financially at least Mick ??
Cheers mate
GREENPINATA on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 11:48 AM
SSAINT STIVS on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 11:25 AM
I remember a 06.05 ko at Paradise against St Johnstone with a > 60 k crowd. A record crowd if I remember correctly.
HH.
————
well remembered bud, thats impressive recall
after the Hearts 60.027, a new record was set against Aberdeen only a month later on 24th October against Aberdeen with 60,081, Donnelly scoring both in a 2-0 win, Lubo was signed the day before.
next up as you say,
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1999-01-31: Celtic 5-0 St Johnstone, Premier LeagueThis is a featured page
Match Pictures | Matches: 1998 – 1999 | 1998-1999 Pictures
_
Trivia
Darren Jackson (who was still on loan to Coventry) was linked to a £500k transfer to Chinese side Dalian Wanda
Harald Brattbakk was linked to a move to AEK Athens at the end of the January transfer window. When Celtic asked for £1.8 million the transfer died.
Celtic revealed that they had paid Croatia Zagreb £900k, the remainder of the £3.00million after paying Viduka £1.5million and his prior club Melbourne Knights (who were due a share of any future transfer fee from Croatia Zagreb) £600k. The club insisted that this was the correct and proper way to go about making the payments in light of the complicated transfer deal. Croatia Zagreb insisted that they were due the full £3.00million and appealed to FIFA, considering the £900k payment an insult.
The injured players were starting to get back to fitness. Jackie McNamara and Craig Burley were close to returns. Wieghorst and Tommy Johnson were both back training as was Stewart Kerr. Annoni was out with a calf injury and Rieper would require make or break toe surgery. Mjallby in the mean time was playing through a thigh muscle injury but refused to take time off.
Review
A superb win where everything went right and the team went so far as to give Brattbakk chances to improve his confidence, despite being linked to moves away.
Teams
Celtic: Gould, Boyd , Mahe (Hannah 73), Stubbs , Larsson, Brattbakk, O’Donnell (Blinker 79), Lambert, Moravcik, Riseth (Donnelly 84), Mjallby.
Subs Not Used: Burchill, Corr.
Goals: Brattbakk 6, Moravcik 19, Larsson 31, Brattbakk 76, 78.
St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Kernaghan, Scott, O’Neil, Kane (Griffin 82), McMahon (Connolly 68), Bollan, O’Halloran, Dods, Simao.
Subs Not Used: Grant, Robertson, McAnespie.
Bookings: Mjallby, Moravcik, Lambert (Celtic) O’Neil, Kernaghan (St Johnstone)
Ref: J Rowbotham (Kirkcaldy).
Att: 60,092
reading the articles on this, it was a superb performance, Dr Jo’s team was full of talent.
For sure the dark arts and downright hun financial cheating stopped this fine man winning things with celtic.
Folks , getting desperate .
Any bars in Porto likely to show today’s game ?
I just watched Football focus and they discussed the lennon story . Dion Dublin waded in to support Neil Lennon, he cut off the presenters attaempt to say he brings it on himself and told them its irrelevant that its out of Order.
Good guy Dion he was quite emotional and there was no attempt to accept Whitaboutery. It is out of Order.
Hail Hail Dion
Big Bhoy
Dion tweeted the other day that he’d been racially abused by a random woman.
The scum of all types are rising.
HH jg
Big boy
Always like Dion. A good honest pro, and seemed like a decent guy. Like him even more now.
Watching the St Mirren game at the moment and what’s abundantly clear is that today is a day for keeping the high balls low.
Jobo
I’m watching Bournemouth v Man U
Matic poppy must have fallen off his jersey
Will it make the news like James Maclean?
Dion,
cap doffed, there is a man not afriad to say the right thing, good watch.
Dion is lined up to do “Big Hoose Under the Hammer”.
an edwardian toilet block in a derelict state of disrepair dampness ugliness and with terrible smells, its over run with vermin and roaches,
auction starts at a pound
MELBOURNE MICK on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 12:05 PM
Not many Sevvies around Perth mate. Ones I’ve spoken to had fully bought into the Gerradiola revolution but I think that optimism may be wavering now :))
I enjoy reading about your exploits from your rebel peninsula. Beautiful place
HH
DBHOY on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 11:38 AM
David Low worked with Fergus McCann in putting together a consortium and has now issued a stark warning to the Ibrox side.
*I met David out here with Matt McGlone on a share selling mission, the latter was flavour of the month at the time due to his involvement with Celts For Change, however I found David to be very informed and enthusiastic about the plans the Bunnet had for the club.
Neil Lennon is not targeted because he is an Catholic but it doesn’t alter the fact that we’re up to our knees in fenian blood surrender or you’ll die.
Neil Lennon is not targeted because he is a Catholic, but why doesn’t he just go home.
Neil Lennon is not targeted because he is a Catholic, but FTP anyway.
On Iron Horse heading to Paradise.
Hail Hail.
Hun game.Huns no shots at goal first half.Mc Gregor,2 great saves.
McGinn misses a great chance to score for St Mirren on half time. 0-0
Steven Gerrards Rankers rank rotten so far
HH
Is it coincidence Tom Petty singing Free Fallin’ at St Mirren during half time?
Disc Jockey with a sense of humour…
Now playing Sweet Caroline…
Loud and clear on Radio Scotland.
Doors to automatic….
FRED COLON on3RD NOVEMBER 2018 12:46 PM
Folks , getting desperate .
Any bars in Porto likely to show today’s game ?
FRED apologies i’m a technophobe , but
RYANS IRISH PUB , BONAPARTE and PERESbar are a few i dont know how to cooy and paste adresses , i will try .soz .
Switched off now.
Superstition ….they seemed to have to be doing better without me.
St Mirren that is!
Had been planming Inverness to support the County … but a not-feeling-good wife has made me reign in and bolster my resolve to have a quiet weekend.
SAINT STIVS on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 12:42 PM
reading the articles on this, it was a superb performance, Dr Jo’s team was full of talent. For sure the dark arts and downright hun financial cheating stopped this fine man winning things with Celtic.
*I recall that season well I also knew who the Dr was when he joined us and recall Villa appointing him lamenting the fact that we couldnae get such an intelligent and professional manger. He was back stabbed by the pub and chip shop players in the dressing room who widnae change their habits.
That season after a bit of an initial hiccup we were flying and yet there was talk of him getting the sugar lump before the Lubo 5-1 game. Ghod in particular was a goal scoring machine by now and this was all down tae the magnificent Dr turning him from a useful midfielder who had scored in a 3rd place WC game against a Bulgaria side that contained the legendary Stoitchkov, tae the striker that we, Barca and manure all loved.
We scored a lot of goals, and not just against the minnows either, over on the hun sites there were comments about every time they listened tae the scores it seemed tae be “Celtic 5” getting read out, and then the bookings started tae occur coupled with injuries.
One game that sticks out for me that season apart fae the demolition derby was at Fir Park where the home side dropped the flying pig due tae his involvement with black north terrorist groups. The young lad that would replace him would in later years become our goalie coach. My late brother was very friendly with his da, also RIP, who was also pally with big Evan and Stevie Murray.
Anyway that winter afternoon we thumped the FCM 7-1 with our wee talisman scoring 4, that win was marred at the time although we didnae know it by an injury tae our Slovakian genius who would miss most of the rest of the season only returning for the last league game and SC final, this possibly cost us retention of the title and a SC victory.
Many happy returns of the day to the one and only Charlie Gallagher, one of the finest FOOTBALL players I have had the privilege to watch in a Celtic jersey.
FRED COLON
BONAPARTE , Avinda do Brazil
CASA AGRICOLA ,Rua do bom
RYANS IRISH BAR , Rua infante dom Henrique.
Dont know if these are any use to you , hooefully you find somewhere to watch the Famous Glasgow Celtic pump the Horrible Hearts .
COYBIG ??⚽️??
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 3RD NOVEMBER 2018 1:50 PM
I’ll second that.
Same team of Dundee skelpers to skelp hearts today.
Thank Ghod Neil Lennon spoke out as he did. The mainstream BBC are talking about it today. Britain and the World should be made aware of Scotland’s not so secret shame. The Establishment here left to themselves will never address it; in fact, they don’t just ignore or tolerate it. they pander to it or don’t even recognise it, as it’s part of who they are.
Quite pleased with Off The Ball response to Neil Lennon’s assault. They have been fulsome in their support. Stuart in particular agrees there is an undercurrent of anti-Catholic & Irish racism in Scottish Society. Having absolutely no time for anything approaching ‘He brings it on himself’.
It will be interesting to hear the opinions on Sportsound at 2pm. Think it might be a bit more muted.