Can we purge all negative overtones today, make sure we start tomorrow with a clean sheet? Injuries and suspensions are part of the game, we accept them and plan how to win important games.
Celtic are at their best when they are up against it, when everyone knows that nothing short of a herculean effort is required. This is the case tomorrow. The requirement is straightforward enough: win your personal battle, inhibit one of the best teams we will play this season, take control of midfield and find spaces in the Ajax defence to exploit.
We have more than enough players bursting to set about this task.
Ajax had a taxing game on Saturday, scoring late to secure a draw away to top of the table Twente. Although fourth, they are one of six teams no more than two points off the pace in what is currently one of Europe’s tightest leagues, but there is a fragility about Ajax.
The game against Twente was their first away match after a run of four home games, three of which were won comfortably, while they were denied a win against Milan by a ridiculous penalty in added time. Their away form, however, has been less than impressive; they are still waiting for their first win away from the Amsterdam ArenA this season. As a result, they travel to Celtic Park with the same trepidation they travelled to Groningen, Heerenveen, Twente, AZ, Barca and PSV, a series of games which returned three draws and three defeats.
Dutch media have also been reminding them of a quirky record to maintain. While Celtic eliminated Ajax the last twice the teams met in European Cup/Champions League duty, the Dutch avoided defeat on both games at Celtic Park. For us, this is a meaningless fact, but it is an added burden of expectation on Ajax.
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AULDHEID
I don’t think anyone has seriously suggested that PL take a corresponding wage cut to fund The Living Wage,though the dichotomy of a man on £1m a year denying a mere £7.45 an hour to others less fortunate has been noted.
Equally,I disagree that the sum mentioned even has to be raised from anywhere except overall group turnover.
It is less than 0.2% of the total. Celtic could probably find it down the back of the posh seats.
Bobby Murdoch’s curled up winklepickers
I completely get the ‘value’ and benefit, and social responsibility of paying ‘living wage’ or well above it in many cases.
I am absolutely not against paying employees well and getting the benefits for customers and employees that this delivers.
My track record in any business that I have worked in fully supports this.
However I also believe that no two businesses are the same and I don’t feel Celtic with it’s many contracted out staff and very high part time workforce should be obliged to ‘sign up’ to an agreement which it does not feel is appropriate.
Nike with it’s product sourcing record as a business partner might be as much of a moral issue, if not more so, yet most folk at CP seem proud to wear their Logo !
Parkheadcumsalford
13:18 on 21 October, 2013
On your last point: e mail John Paul Taylor the Support Liaison Officer. He will take up your point.
jptaylor@celticfc.co.uk
ASonOfDan
Agreed. Stokes must do it on the big stage.
Commons is arguably a bigger loss than Brown in this match.
Massive game for the Hoops. Glad Forrest is back though. He could be the match winner.
LB
“Can we purge all negative overtones today, make sure we start tomorrow with a clean sheet?”
Nae luck, Paul….
If I was tendering catering at Celtic Park, I’d give serious consideration to a 3rd sector co-operative or a not for profit organisation – or contract with private sector on a a ‘community benefits ‘ basis – whereby they need to employ a proportion of staff from the local area.
Let’s face it the bar is not set so high at this point, I’d imagine they would provide a better service and would allow CFC to retain an important aspect of their history.
It would be really ineteresting to know if this approach could reap a better financial return for the club. It’s an approach fans would buy in to. So rather than a last option buying food from inside would be a preferred option, I’d imagine turnover and profit would both increase..
Instead we get what we’ve always got. In fairness not many Scottish clubs have mastered this problem – more focus on low volume high profit corporate provision but I think, a trick is being missed. Compare and contrast to American sports venues where the food is brought to you…you hardly need to leave your seat to get food?
BURGHBHOY 1322
I like yer style,and I like yer confidence!
Personally,I think the game is there for us. It’s the prospect of defeat which worries me.
As has been said,it makes it a long slog to May.
bournesouprecipe
13:24 on 21 October, 2013
“Due to renovation work at Celtic Park, the return leg, played on this day in 1971, was re-scheduled at Hampden Park, where a crowd of 83,684 turned up on a fine evening. ”
Who released that statement though? Desmond White probably. In which case, could the crowd have a tad higher than that?
I bet Desmond White would hate the fact that games are all ticket now. No room for creative acounting
Burnley 78, perhaps the people behind this resolution think it would be good for Celtic to get its own house in order first and the Nike resolution is for next year’s AGM.
Worrying news about wages Celtic pay to their employees. Again that bad Celtic Board can’t satisfy supporters.
One of the solutions is fire half of the staff or even more than a half and rise the wages for those who stay.
Oh wait… if they fire one worker there will be talk about PL bonus again.
Sky Sports news reporting that Celtic hope for Adam Matthews to be fit for tomorrow night. Some journalist has not been doing his job properly
BSR/Cadizzy- thanks for the info.
I think if Fergus had been in charge then he’d have given the contractors the ole hurry up.
ASonOfDan
I sincerely hope I am proven wrong but the step up to CL is a step too far for Stokes imo. I’d more happily go with Amido Balde – he has the attributes required at that level namely pace. Asking Stokes to do it tomorrow is asking more than he has to give IMO
Commons and Sami are the other CL standard forward players so disappointing we have no Kris tomorrow.
I’m a day out because I’ve been traveling; of course I meant tomorrow night…
A (possibly futile) spare ticket hunt.
Please email me…
mickredsun@gmail.com
DBBIA
Are you trying to say my ole man was taking his time just so he could get tickets for big games for his wee boy?
Cadizzy- no, not at all. He was just making sure everything at the ole Dalmarnock end was tic- tickety boo.
Are you flyin’ up tonight or tomorrow?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS forza Oscar and Mackenzie
13:31 on 21 October, 2013
I was responding to the reference to PL’s bonus repeated in the post I responded to and I was making a point of principle..
On a pragmatic level I agree with you, but that £120k diverted will be at a cost of what it is diverted from and my view is that the impact of that diversion should be put to the support to then decide if they are prepared to accept the consequences of the diversion.
However, and it gets me back on my old hobby horse of communication, this would require a totally different approach as to how the club communicate with the support on which I could now write a book not only on where it causes problems but how communications could be improved.
A couple of weeks ago the main focus of shareholder items on the agenda concerned the license given to Rangers under suspicious circumstances by the SFA.
Now it would appear to be the “living wage”.
I am all for a realistic “minimum wage”, if that was the same as the living wage then that is what employers would have to pay, its not so they don’t.
Poundstretchers and others even went further and took on work experience people without pay, who would be denied bru money if they refused to attend. this in itself denied people work at Poundstreatchers as they got the job done for nothing.
Does anyone know how many people currently working on a minimum wage and in receipt of other social benefits would have these benefits cut if they were paid the living wage instead?
Auldheid
im not the best when it comes to words, although there are many magnificent posters, including your good self, on this fine blog….I tend to react to things quickly. however,
I don’t think PL deserves that bonus, and id rather see that money spent towards paying a living wage to ordinary working people employed by Celtic.
Im sad at the way money has become the goal of the board, id prefer to see a bit more social justice in their dealings with their own employees….but, hey…what do I know :)
HH
Dontbrattbakkinanger
My family are fro dalmarnock – although I was moved when I was 6, I still hung about Dunclutha Street till I was in my early teens…I went back recently and it had all gone. Was quite an emotional visit.
BURNLEY78
In that case,as you agree with the concept of suitably rewarding staff for a job well done,why are you so opposed to it at Celtic Park?
That’s not a dig,btw,it’s a genuine query. That the company does not feel it “appropriate” surely raises even more questions.
I also agree with you on the NIKE point. I know that KITALBA amongst others is concerned about us displaying alcohol products across our chests,but for me,the morality of conglomerate outsourcing is a bigger issue.
Sadly,my house,like everyone else’s,I suspect,is full of such products. Ever since M&S stopped stocking only UK made goods…..
I salve my conscience by complaining bitterly to such companies when their worst excesses are made public. I think they are slowly getting the message,but jeez,it’s slow.
BTW,I read today that the fella who owns Grangemouth Refinery moved his company HQ to Switzerland to save £100m in tax.
Seems tax is only for the little people,right enough.
tigertim
Good points. I employee people who cannot earn over a certain threshold or they lose tax credits. Another would have housing benefit cut.
There is a lot of debate on here without knowing all the facts about the subcontracts etc.
Have to be in Aberdeen tomorrow but will be cheering the bhoys on in Malones if anyone is up here.
mon the Hoops!
AULDHEID 1346
Fair enough,bud. My point is that it doesn’t need to be diverted from anywhere except the profits.
We make plenty of them.
cadizzy
Whatever happened to the Ajax money?
or the Rapid Vienna *at Old Trafford money FGS*
The Evening Times I’d swear had ‘a rubber stamp’ for Celtic home games;
CROWD; 18,000
BackInTheDay CSC
DBBIA , flying up tomorrow afternoon getting into Abbotsinch at 15.40.
I’ll maybe go straight to BB’s or feed the bhoy first since he will have not eaten for 2 hours by then and will claim that he’s wasting away. Not sure he’d take to haggis etc
(SSN still saying Celtic hopeful Adam Matthews will be fit)
Celtic catering charge £2.20 for a Bovril.
The profit margins made on a cube of beef extract and hot water( nearly said boiling there!!!)must surely be enough on that alone to pay a living wage.
What’s the ‘fishal ‘hampden’ on Commons……..
Fingers Crossed CSC
Cadizzy- having to go to game straight from work so will miss pre-match festivities.
I expect ole Subterranean will be there [at least].
BSR
Do you remember that for Scottish Cup games, the newspapers not only published the crowd but also the amount of money. For example
crowd 18,000
receipts (erm, naw as much as ye’d think)
Tigertim and Richie #Team Oscar
Good points raised. In this situation, do you know whether a wage increase results in a like for like reduction in benefits? A genuine question, as I don’t know.
Would the increase in wages and consequent reduction in benefits paid also, potentially, free up money to be distributed elsewhere?
bankie
“If it’s a pull – it’s two weeks, if it’s torn it’s 6-8”
NFL
p.s. you’ll notice he didn’t say – he might be playing tomorrow ;-)
HAPPY 71st BIRTHDAY TO MICKTT
Ayrshire’s Green and White in his honour.
I was at the old CP after a game in an official capacity for a previous employer.The turnstile ,at the push of a button would turn anti-clockwise,and the counter would also run backwards.Allegedly.
Dharma Bam
When you go over certain limits on tax credits, you lose pro-rata, but with housing benefits you lose the lot!
One’s called Ronald, one’s called Frank
one missed a penalty, the other says he’s very confident of beating Celtic.
The Green Man
13:50 on 21 October, 2013
Auldheid
im not the best when it comes to words, although there are many magnificent posters, including your good self, on this fine blog….I tend to react to things quickly. however,
I don’t think PL deserves that bonus, and id rather see that money spent towards paying a living wage to ordinary working people employed by Celtic.
Im sad at the way money has become the goal of the board, id prefer to see a bit more social justice in their dealings with their own employees….but, hey…what do I know :)
===================
PL’s pay and how deserved it is certainly a subject for debate but I think it should not brought into living wage debate.
Everytime we went to a game during the Desmond White era we would guess the crowd but not count the main stand.
Think thats how he did it :-)
ernie lynch
11:37 on
21 October, 2013
If the SFA had acted correctly we would have had Champions League money that could have been used to pay a living wage for decades to come.
Bang on Ernie!
All else discussed here on CQN is drivel.