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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Don’t mock; listen !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEcJMJK8_Us
Kev- away and throw $#!Te at the moon.
KEV on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 6:01 PM
Some of your points are certainly valid but the way you go about it is well out of order.
Shocking post from Kev.
I bet you would not call any of the 53000 Celtic fans spineless to our face.
You are a plastic, cowardly Internet Hardman.
I bet you think we brought it on ourselves ya fud.
You are a £49 snake, coward, hun like fecker.
Aff oot
Zzzzzzzzzz
D. :)
Fergusslayedtheblues great post, you are bang on
We are all Neil Lennon
Well nearly all Kev thinks he brought it on himself and Kev thinks he is Spineless
HH
D. :)
Not good Kev.
!!BADA BING!! on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 6:31 PM
Kev- away and throw $#!Te at the moon.
DAVID17 on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 6:32 PM
KEV on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 6:01 PM
Some of your points are certainly valid but the way you go about it is well out of order.
####
I’m afraid that shooting the messenger, will not solve the elephant in the room, and that is that 53,000 Celtic season ticket holders, have, year in, year out, financially voted back into office, a PLC board, who take a runner before diving into bed with the Scottish Mississippi of the 60’s establishment.
Kick me all yeez want, but the elephant remains in the room, being fed on a diet of £49 tickets.
I can sleep well, knowing that I don’t feed the elephant, or, the back of the bus PLC board.
HH
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Definitely not good.
DiarrhoeaCSC
” Steven Gerrard’s Rangers Announce £14m Loss – As They Were Playing A Match ”
@ forbes.com
2 comments before I go to bed
NEIL LENNON
Of course he brings it on himself.
1) he’s Irish
2) he’s Roman Catholic
3 he should have stayed in England and have peace and quiet
4) he played for and managed Glasgow Celtic.
5) he’s been successful despite the bigotry against him
Of course he brings it on himself
GOD BLESS NEIL LENNON
O
” we have lost 14 mill in the past year” DK “That’s ok they’ll be to busy shouting about poppies to notice”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmfCEcTLDes
HAIL HAIL
zzzzzzzzz
The perfect sign-off
I don’t understand why Neil Lennon has been singled out for so much abuse from joining Celtic. And that’s from early days with us. I can’t remember Martin O’Neil or Brendan Rodgers getting stick the way he does. Even Pat Bonner as a player. I think the Holy Goalie got more abuse.
Why Neil?
This one for you D66
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4-tauIw2w
BRING ON THE MINI’S
HAIL HAIL
There’s a big problem (in Scottish society).
“You all laugh about it and brush it aside, but it’s right there in front of you.
“You call it sectarianism. I CALL IT RACISIM.”
Perhaps this is one of the reasons the repertoire of Reb songs seems to grow each game. Maybe the young team aren’t as dumb as some on here would like to portray them as.
UFBCSC
Why Neil? Because he takes no shit from any of the Nazis that pollute our society and tells it like it is.
Neil Lennon is a hero.
BTW. If “Kev” had ever been in The Jungle and spouted the pish he does on here he’d have got his melt battered in.
Another point. I don’t doubt for a minute NL’s claim that it is sectarian and racist. But how does that explain the hatred towards Scott Brown and especially Leigh Griffiths. Neither came from a Celtic background. Neither are Irish or Catholic.
I reckon the charges against the morons with regards to NL are as stated. As for the abuse against SB & LG then they are still morons.
Celtic seems to be the common denominator.
JIMTHETIM53 on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 7:10 PM
One word…..unrepentant
He is. That’s why.
HH jg
JIMTHETIM53 on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 7:10 PM
They hate Broonie cos they presumed he’d signed for them.
And his own style of ‘unrepentance’ also riles huns and other fans all around Scotland.
Griffiths scores, then ties a flag to the post.
That’ll hit some buttons.
HH jg
Why Neil?
Refuses to lie down / stand at the back of the bus.
‘ A loud catholic, a troublesome Catholic’ (copyright Alan Bleasdale ‘No surrender’)
Neil Lennon is a very brave man…I only hope he stays safe…I don’t trust the bigots…
Neil Lennon is hated more than the Pope by the bigots…
Looking forward to the game tomorrow can’t go top (thanks to fixture schedule ) but we can sit poised behind thems without the bus fare with a game in hand so hope the bhoys get the job done .
COYBIG
Hail Hail
JIMTHETIM53, he is a northern irish catholic who signed for celtic, now that was a red rag to a bull to them feckin bigots, as soon as he signed for us his northern irish career was over, every time he played for northen Ireland the boo boys came out, what a feckin state of affairs, you cannot play for your country because your a catholic.well fuck the lot of them. god bless neil lennon.hh.
BP1
How you and the pack keeping?
As I recall, Niall McGinn also received bullets in the mail at the same time NFL did. And I dont think I have ever heard anything untoward said about him.
This tells me that this wasn’t because NFL ‘brings it on himself’.
Oglach at 7.15pm
I think you’re on to something there, for sure.
I think the evidence is clear
http://alturl.com/8fwxz
Hail hail
Matt
Happy Friday evening to one and all, and a special Friday night shout to all who have already made their picks for week 6 of LMS.
Just 5 ( yes, Five, or 5ive if you’re under 16 ) Standers yet to make a pick, so if you think you may have forgotten, check your e-mail inbox….you have been served notice ?
Just one more thing.
God Bless Neil Lennon.
????
Is anyone unduly surprised by the lack of condemnation concerning the continuing physical attacks on a member of a religious / racial minority. Had NFL been an African Muslim you could just about guarantee wee Nichola would be leading the stampede of outraged MSPs of every party voicing their moral indignation that this has happened on multiple occasions. But as NFL is a white, and more importantly Irish Catholic, feck all is really said apart form some vague platitudes about stamping out sectarianism.
One Scotland many Cultures – me f’ing arse.
NFL has had the bravery to tell it as it it is in Scotland.
Irish/ catholic/ Celtic supporter, you are not wanted here.
Politicians and press are of course blind to this.
May not be a popular post, but I’ll put it out there in good faith, and hope that any responses will be made in the same spirit
Kev’s posts obviously strike a nerve with some people… I get that. His style can be a bit ‘in your face’… and that coming from me! But, I do get his underlying point …
in my business, people dont usually just give you what you want because you say you want it … usually, you have to give them a reason to co-operate … or give something to get something …
We want changes in Scottish football … which means that certain groups give up control, which they are not going to do easily …
outwith the 4 Res. (and whoever is assisting them) what have we done to effect a change?
It is sometimes said that we can measure the worth of something by what we are prepared to sacrifice for it …
if we want changes in football/justice, what are we prepared to do/what are we prepared to sacrifice to get it?
Not a dig at anyone… just a question/dialogue.
Neil Lennon alluded to one of the reasons today, their superiority complex. He meets them head on, no fear whatsoever, and takes them down time and time again. The cannot handle that and their default position has always been to revert to intolerance and ultimately violence.
First Friday night choon for the LMS 5
https://youtu.be/opQQ2mbXuwI
?
Tonight Reporting Scotland on BBC1 headlined with NFL’s apparent tbreat to quit his job rather than the main point which was why he is consistently abused.
Complete deflection.
JIMTHETIM53, its kind of like my protestant pal getting called a fenians cause he wore a celtic top, celtic for many racists is a symbol of irishness and all that goes with it. hated by association.
Lots of celtic players like supporterd get abused by the racists thugs but nfl refuses to back down which makes him a bigger target.
HH