A Dermot Desmond interview! Remember him? It’s been a while since we’ve seen or heard from our major shareholder, so I am pleased STV got hold of him. His absence for so many years is not in itself an offence, but there has been no evidence he remains engaged with the club, and that’s not healthy.
His comments on Ronny Deila I agree with. Ronny is here because we think he can improve players and therefore improve the team. The evidence cited by Dermot Desmond (Nir Bitton, Tom Rogic), suggests he’s able to do this. There have been downsides of course. Ronny’s twice fallen in the Champions League to lesser-resourced (although decent) teams.
If we’re going to build a team we need to be patient enough to let the guy get on with the job.
The comments about a British league within 10 years are worth examining at a later date, but for brevity: this is no more than blue-sky thinking.
I agree in principle that technological changes are underway which will undermine the BSkyB business model. This model relies on the pull of English Premier League football to deliver high-value subscription rates from a huge portion of the UK population.
We talked in the summer about the switch to what the Americans call ‘cutting the cord’; moving away from expensive subscription TV to watching feeds streamed from foreign broadcasters, effectively free of charge. This is happening and its impact will only increase.
I know lots of CQNers are already consuming their English football in this manner, it works and it’s practically undetectable (i.e. it really is undetectable). But it’s not easy yet. You need to know what you are doing, and you need decent broadband. Products are improving all the time, as is broadband provision. Soon paying £100 per month for TV, as many do, will be a goodwill option.
Should there be even a modest shift in BSkyB’s ability to generate huge revenue from EPL football, the fallout in the English football bubble (it is a bubble) will be swift and structurally damaging.
Getting to the point. English football has a business model with risks which could bring it down. Technological changes are underway which undermine this model. Lots will happen in the next 10 years.
Let me share one of my favourite graphs………..
Kodak had a great marketing slogan, they called a great image a ‘Kodak moment’, when people would turn to their cameras to capture the memory on Kodak paper. The phrase was turned on its head in recent years when the realisation that Kodak’s entire business model was about to be destroyed by digital cameras.
The moment of realisation became the ultimate ‘Kodak moment’, it now meant a moment when you realise technology is about to wipe you out. Those who were saying this about Kodak 20 years ago were mocked. Some of us already think we’ve seen English football’s Kodak moment.
This is Kodak’s market capitalisation between 1989 and 2012, where was your Kodak moment?
Magners have kindly offered some CQNers access to the Fanzone at their Wellpark Brewery, just a few minutes walk from the stadium, on Thursday afternoon, from 4pm until 7pm.
Here’s the deal, email me at celticquicknews@gmail.com and you’ll go in the draw for a ticket. Give a £1 (or more) to one of the Great Scottish Runners below, in aid of your Foundation, and you will feel a lot better about enjoying the pleasures of Magners’ Fanzone. Put Magners in the subject line, to make sure your entry gets to the right place.
There will be not be many entries, so if you can make it, get busy…
Click here for my linked donation page.
Here for Kenny O’Neill’s.
Thanks to all who’ve contributed already, you’re absolutely brilliant!
696 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- ...
- 19
- »
This all comes from the board refusing to challenge their cheating.
Now we have that halfwit DD spinning lies to back the cheats and bigots up.
He has no shame.
It is not acceptable for DD to misrepresent Celtic.
He should be disowned.
HH
Thanks for the guidance on the SBs folks, looks like I don’t need to go chasing paper tickets and can just look forward to the game. I watched Galatasary earlier, they didn’t look that great and took a second half pummeling in Azerbajan or somewhere with a similar spelling.
Tgm,
We get it.
Yer gonna blow a valve, or at the very least a keyboard mate.
HH
Bada
Jobs for the jobbies
FFS
I wonder if dermot ever supped at the loving cup inside iron and misses the bilionaires camraderie.
He has seriously piste me off tonight.
I hope the green brigade are active on a banner.
Dermot Desmond has absolutely no interest in what the average Celtic fan says or thinks. Unlike most of us, his relationship with Celtic is not centred on the team on the park, precisely because he is not an average fan .
Perhaps he will start attending CP more often next season when he gets his wish regarding Newco returning to their rightful place.
Business plans is business plans, after all.
Neganon
I’m no board lover!!!!!
I do back the jersey, whoever gets to wear it.
I find DD comments old hat, his ‘actual’ off the radar wealth, is a mask and a hindrance to Celtic Football Club. He thinks Scotland is a great wee country for golf, a dram, and a quick breeze through the Gazebo against Malmo.
It’s sickening when I hear his or Peter Lawell’s remoteness,, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, the first thing that springs to my mind is Mark Scott.
I feel sorry for Celtic fans that will again have to face massive overwhelming bigotry in the establishment, and even on the streets.
If Dermot Desmond knows the real history he hides it well. behind his wealth.
He may have a passing notion for the Hoops but he’s not a Celtic Supporter, and that will remain the problem.
Paddy..,
But it’s no your club anymore, it’s DD’s and he’s making that clear
Saint stivs
Maybe if the supporters association, affiliation and the clubs from Ireland made their views known to the club about DD’s comments and consequences if he continues with this praising of the post liquidation entity then the club might head it, I honestly think he couldn’t care less and I dont think Paul 67 would have access to him to ask, a desperate horrible situation to be in and not the vision I had when I backed Fergus in the takeover from the Whyte/Kellys, are we any better off in terms of influence at the club?
Dessybhoy.
Spot on.
Not what I signed up for when I bought the Fergus shares . We saved the club.
Geordie Munro
As it happens, I’m very calm:)
Just sickened by the stupidity of DD
HH
Not supporting Desmond but in the interest of a balanced debate print report of Desmond interview of a couple of years back. Make of it as you want.
The Irish tycoon – and Celtic’s majority shareholder – spoke on the eve of the 20th anniversary of McCann’s takeover and acknowledged he was won over by the masterplan that was being put in place way back in 1994 after the then board was ousted.
“It was all about saving Celtic – Fergus was saving Celtic,” recalled Desmond.
“I wasn’t really aware of all the intricacies going on between the various families and factions, but Fergus went in there, I would say, as a neutral, cold and hard, and wanted to do his best for Celtic and its fans.
“I saw that and I believed in that, and it was easy for me then to look at it on that basis and to support him.
“But I never looked upon it purely as a normal investment because, as I’ve said many times before, Celtic is an emotional investment, although at the same time you don’t want to be throwing money at emotional investments as you could go broke pretty quickly doing that.
“So I looked upon it as creating a solid financial platform for Celtic in conjunction with Fergus and the other board members.
“But the emotional side of it sways you. If it had been another club on the same basis, I wouldn’t have been interested in investing.
“But, from when I was a young boy, I had a fondness and a love for Celtic so it was easy for me to look at it closely and I started off wanting to invest rather than from a basis of refusing it.”
It was all about saving Celtic – Fergus was saving Celtic
Dermot Desmond
Desmond, talking to The Celtic View, also revealed how he got together with McCann as Celtic teetered on the brink of going bust.
“It was 1994 when I’d been introduced to the opportunity of investing in Celtic by a friend of mine called Brian Phelan, who connected me with Fergus.
“I looked over the plans he had and he told me they were looking for £4million, but I felt they would need to raise £8m.
“So I said I would invest £4m and underwrite another £4m, so that was really my first financial encounter with Celtic.”
Since then, Desmond has kept a low public profile as far as the Hoops are concerned but remains hugely interested in everything that happens at Parkhead. And no major decisions are taken without his say-so.
He is also close to manager Neil Lennon.
But now, as then, he appreciates exactly what the support means to Celtic, and added: “The football club is about the fans.
“It’s a merger between all the players, the coaches, the executives and the fans – and we are all unified in our love of Celtic.
“I think a football club without fans is not a football club.”
Gonna say something bad.
As rubbish as the Kelly whyte old board was.
They were at least celiac supporters.
Even Chris on the days not rowing.
Is “the fray” a golf corse somewhere.
CORKCELT
No offence…but that article was posted last week as well.
It is what you call PR.
Personally, I don’t believe a word of it.
HH
BSR – that about covers it.
sadly.
STAIRHEEDRAMMY – “…Azerbajan or somewhere with a similar spelling”.
Loved that and can see myself adopting that approach in quite a number of situations in future ;-)
Does DD know about res 12 ?
Desmond should buy Bolton.
Please
Stivs @2058
It’s slang for Belfry :)
Celtic Football Club is nothing more than a keyring, for Desmond to flash to impress his American/Irish friends.
Ibleed
Just because he is a billionaire, it’s still possible the he is ignorant of the entire liquidation story, LNS, EBT, Sevco, the ‘transferred assets’ and ‘new licence’
He possibly doesn’t care, because his motivation is business, money and personal family wealth.
His comments about Rangers from an ordinary ‘Celtic supporters’ stance are indefensible.
The Green Man, well you have to accept that Desmond invested in 1994 when investment was needed and has held the investment for 21 years.
Corkcelt,
What balance do you need to bring, DD has told us he thinks rangers still the same club and it’s support is as good as the Celtic support their new club is compatible with Celtic football club what’s so hard to understand, he insulted us and our intelligence, the articles you refer to, what else would you expect him to say, that he’s only I. It for the money ffs sober up and face reality
Who is Bank of New York Nominees Ltd ? 2nd biggest shareholding of our club
Now their shares along with Christopher Trainer & James Keane, plus ordinary shareholders could out vote Dermot
I also noticed we have a poster who TRIES ( Fails) to entice another poster into Homo erotic Talk…You know who you are…
If DD thinks that the EPL are in the least bit interested in Celtic or the huns joining their party, he should have a read at this article. They don’t need or want us, they are looking much further afield than the UK. US market is wakening up to soccer and all the riches that can bring to the English game…
http://www.sportspromedia.com/notes_and_insights/european_soccers_broadcast_league
Adi_Dasler,
That’s the sickner for me he knows all about it.
CORKCELT
I don’t know the financial dealings that went on at the time.
But…I do know, that no Celtic supporter that I’ve ever met, would hold the same views as DD regarding the cheats and bigots at ipox.
I think he is so far removed from Celtic fans, that he doesn’t understand us.
Obviously so.
HH
*** LAST MAN STANDING 5 ***
If any of you fancy channeling your anger into a worthwhile cause there’s still time to enter our soon-to-start competition, fundraising for Wee Shay.
Just drop a short “Can I play please” email to cqnlastmanstanding@gmail.com and we’ll send you full details of the rules, payment details and the fixtures to pick from. Great fun and a very worthwhile cause. £10 to enter with half going to Wee Shay and half to the prize pot.
And if you act quick you could get that all important 67th entrant slot as we career relentlessly towards our admittedly ambitious target of 88 entries.
Gowan, gowan, gowan, gowan…..
Jobo and CRC
MrsDoyleCSC
Joanna lumley again, ffs paul at least get me someone younger popping up. :(
Jobo, I love your ambition and the hard work you put into this.
HH and thank you
CRC
what chance DD joining the Dublin 16 gathering ?
its a home gig after all.
Kodak moment?
Ah think a lot of us had it when we read what Desmond’s current “thinking” is with respect to our football club.
“Lots will happen in the next 10 years” says Paul in his article (on an unrelated subject, I hasten to add).
However, his words may be prescient as far as our Desmond is concerned.
Canamalar
Cheers
Well well well
When we have all the guys on here HT ET AL fightin this its bad stuff
For my part & ive said before I will not attend another game (or watch it) against them & I have a decent S ticket but ….will not be giving thatto anyone else
Defeats the purpose
Anyways waitin on my single bet tonite
Malmo v R Mad. both to score No – even money
Can watch it for obvious reasons
Then at Paradise tmorro
HH
I know worse things happen to folk……but FFS lost a 40-1 shot on a line today.:O(
Was depending on that money to pay off the three witches at the hootenany
next week.
Canamalar, The guy is worth 2 Billion, even if he was only earning an average Dividend of 2% on his wealth that alone would equate to 40 million a year, the guy doesn’t need Celtic. He did come in when investment was needed and 21 years later he is still there.
I have no time whatever for him and his ilk and his comments today have annoyed me as much as anyone else but at the same time lets keep the debate real.
Apart from Desmond there is a large chunk of the Celtic Support that do want a form of Rangers back, CQN is almost universally opposed to it but I have little doubt that there are more then a few posters on here that do yearn for the battles against “them” but knowing the prevailing mood of the blog are keeping their heads down. The proof of the pudding will be the average attendances if Sevco are playing in the SPFL next year.
I just wonder if the epl’s ‘kodak moment ‘ might turn out to be DD’S ‘ kodak moment ‘.