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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MIT,
He could make exactly the same point without flinging insults at Celtic fans. He may have a valid message to deliver, but if my postman insulted me every time he delivered a message I’d have bought a big feckin’ dog by now and trained it to eat posties.
Hope your keeping well, and the wee fella has forgiven you ??
MIKE IN TORONTO, the pack is fine hope you and seamus are well ,mike we need to give lenny our full backing or them barstewards will think they have won.hh.
Kev has certainly done his homework tonight.
https://www.math-only-math.com/worksheet-on-number-49.html
Hmmm…the SFA and the SPFL both appear to be having trouble reacting or responding to Neil Lennon’s comments of this afternoon.
Perhaps their websites are having technical difficulties.
Bateen
Fair enough. In my business, sometimes you win more with a big stick than a kind word… but sometimes you have to sugar coat things a bit … I get that …
But, while you are on, and since you have raised the issue ….
any advice on how I get Seamus to stop chewing my shoes?
:)
Great line in this song “his hearts a prune when it once was a plum”
Nick Lowe – “Man That I’ve Become”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QlzfsFZrQw&list=RD_QlzfsFZrQw&start_radio=1
MIT,
Kev is obsessed with slagging Celtic almost on a personal basis. Would just ignore him.
Am I right in stating that the only Celtic FC official to publicly raise the question of an anti Irish Catholic agenda in Scottish society, prior to NFL doing so today, was MO’N discussing the level of abuse that NL and AMcG received at Scottish grounds.
I recall MO’N putting his arm around NL’s shoulder and raising his fist at Ibrox to show solidarity with his player after Neil was subjected to 90 minutes of non stop racial abuse.
I am Neil Lennon.
I am not Kev J
One I have nothing but respect for, the other I wouldn’t pish on if he was on fire. Ach, I,d make an exception for him.
Met ClogherCelt earlier this evening. He’s doing fine and sends his best wishes to all.
RB
The problem is that his underlying point – that is up to Celtic fans to change things – is probably true. Might not be fair.. but it is probably true.
What has happened so far – letting the 4 Res. 12 guys fight the battle – isn’t working (not a reflection on the 4 Horsemen) … We all have to think of what we can do to help them.
you know what id like, probably never happen and no offence to Hibernian, but a dream team of Brendan and neil as two joint managers.hunskelpers.com.hh.
Unbelievably brave and honest from Neil Lennon.
Main story on Sky.
Let’s see how Scottish football responds.
Papers tomorrow will be interesting.
No hiding place now. Pick a side
anyone know when the earliest time is for dropping off a bag for the GB food bank donation is tomorrow
hail hail
Hearts goalkeeper brought it all on himself.
keV
Your view’s are poison. I will scroll past anything you say.
Anyone else hear keevins on SSB saying that the heid (caldwell) told him he got struck with a coin a couple of weeks ago at a thistle match .
Did he bring THAT on himself ,makes his comments on NL all the more deplorable
Hail Hail
Kev is spot on with what he says re the changes in the game, it’s the only way, starve the corrupt scum of money.
Like many others have said, I disagree with how he says it.
FIELDOFDRAMS on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 7:50 PM
Hmmm…the SFA and the SPFL both appear to be having trouble reacting or responding to Neil Lennon’s comments of this afternoon.
Perhaps their websites are having technical difficulties.
Or perhaps they are doon the ludge , discussing with like minded people about how he brings it on himself.
RAY WINSTONE’S BIG DISEMBODIED HEID on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 7:19 PM
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.
#####
The Jungle wouldn’t have voted in a PLC board who are looking the other way, from mountains of Supreme Court backed evidence of SFA / Rangers FC collusion, designed to cheat, innocent, well meaning, faithful Celtic supporters. What part of that, don’t you get ?
Also, what about Mr Chocolate Rodgers and his “I don’t get any problems, I just get on with it.” throw away comment earlier re: the Neil Lennon situation ?
That’s right Brendan, you don’t get any problems. Brendan, if you weren’t owned by the PLC, you would’ve walked after being ‘done’ in last winters transfer window, were you wanted a CH, and your owners gave you Commper. In the next transfer window in the summer, you wanted a player from Hibs and, get this, after you put 2 two years CL money £60/70 million, as well as, £7 million for SA, £8 million for VVD, etc, etc, six successive trophies on the PLC board’s table, despite all of that, the PLC board had your number from the previous window, and they denied you a player from Hibs, then in the last breath of the last window, the PLC raided your playing squad and sold Moussa after a (imho) constructed dispute with the player, and the £20 million for Moussa will disappear up the same lumb as all the monies mentioned above. All of that happens, under your watch Brendan, because your like a rebellious Val Doonican.
At least Neil Lennon had the balls to prevent being owned.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
FERGUSSLAYEDTHEBLUES on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 8:15 PM
Anyone else hear keevins on SSB saying that the heid (caldwell) told him he got struck with a coin a couple of weeks ago at a thistle match .
—————–
it was thrown at neil lennon at the hibs game but got caught in the orbit of heids heid
Martin Luther King brought it all on himself.
Mike,
time machine. Go back a week in time and dinnae go to the vet with yer dug.
Either that or put your shoes somwhere he can’t reach them.
DogwhispererCSC
?
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters – Fixin To Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7-dUWKWyo&list=RDye7-dUWKWyo&start_radio=1
Fergusslayedtheblues, there should be people at the three collection points from midday tomorrow.
A huge day for our support tomorrow , being as generous as ever and backing our team to the hilt against Hearts.
Neil Lennon has baws of steel
God bless and protect him.
YNWA
william gary caldwells hoose growing up.
heid move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-OCjvbV2Z4
Call of Jaurez- radio Scotland played all the interview, but you know Level 5 will have an anti Celtic/Catholic story in their placement vehicles tomorrow mate.
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 8:20 PM
Martin Luther King brought it all on himself.
and rosa parks, its only a seat on a bus
Kev. No matter how much you protest you are NEVER a Jungle Jim. I stand by what I said.
Indeed I consider you a hun.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yawn.
MIKE IN TORONTO on 2ND NOVEMBER 2018 7:39 PM
If the supporters withdrew their ticket money tomorrow in protest at Resolution 12, you can bet your bottom dollar the Board would swiftly act. That is the rub. Therefore if we use that as a starting point and work it back that way, what can we do?
I personally support Scottish football by buying my season ticket, away tickets and cup tickets. At the moment we have a thriving team on the pitch, a team that makes history with regularity. Therefore if I was to withdraw my support, it would be pointless as someone else would take my place. As an individual therefore I am powerless to enforce change. All I can do as an individual is let the Club know how I feel about these issues, which I have done on numerous occasions, and hope enough others do likewise to provoke some kind of action. In reality this isn’t going to happen.
The next option is that the supporters groups come together and look to use whatever leverage they have. For the record I do not believe the various supporters groups have done anywhere near enough to support the requisitioners. I do not have any info on this in particular, but a I find it disappointing.
If you take the view that the Board see the support as customers, then they have their customers flowing through the doors at present. On this basis therefore, they have no incentive to act as their inaction is not going to impact on the flow of ‘customers’ taking their seats in the stadium.
On a personal level I continue to support Celtic safe in the knowledge I have done everything I can to affect change. It is for everyone else to decide where their moral line is. Whatever decision anyone takes, whether they walk away in protest or stay and do nothing, they are not at fault and should be respected. Because ultimately it should not require supporters to act in one way or another to affect change. The Board should do that anyway, and as others have pointed out they have professional and legal responsibilities to do so.
Saint Stivs
Nelson Mandela was asking for a jail sentence. Heard that in my youth fae a hun.
Same as it Ever Was
Once in a Lifetime
David Byrne Dumbarton Harp CSC
I guess that Kick it out, Show racism the red card, SPFL and SAD, will sit tight and ignore Neil Lennon.
Oglach.
Yes, Martin did call it out and was cute enough to do it at a Champions League press conference thus ensuring maximum publicity (possibly Barca).
I thought Gary Caldwell’s comments the other night were ignorant and I’ll judged, now I’m reading that he refused to take a call from Neil Lennon, leaving Neil to talk to Patrick Thistle ” officials “. If that’s true and there was no valid reason for not taken the call then Gary should be ashamed.
Hail Hail
All Will Be Well by Michael Marra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqgG5_T2eA&start_radio=1&list=RDdqqgG5_T2eA
record breakers ?
time for brendans bhoys to score more than 6,
JIMMYNOTPAUL, how are you pal, as you said if true mr Caldwell can really be ashamed.hh.
There is absoloutley no excuse for calling 53000 Celtic fans spineless.
He has constantly berated Celtic fans, to me that is a disgrace.
Anyone who try’s to defend him think on.
He has been told on numerous occasions and been warned by the Mods about it, but still constantly insults and berates honest Celtic fans/fellow Tims .
An utter disgrace, never a Tim, hun in disguise with a Hunnish cowardly nature.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz- a sad sad Hun
Ooooot
D. :)
HI Bhoys
Tonight’s music titles have a tenuous link to NFL so enjoy especially Lenny if your looking in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3t6YDnGXAc