On many fronts I’m delighted Fergus McCann feels confident enough to get back involved with Celtic, some 15 years after departing the scene. It wasn’t always this way. We reached our first European final in 33 years largely as a result of the groundwork he put in place, but he didn’t feel comfortable making the trip to Seville.
He was first tempted back at the unveiling of the Br. Walfrid statue, using the occasion to put the club’s charitable heritage to the fore. He has since been back to speak at Celtic Charity, now called Celtic FC Foundation, events.
His intervention today, saying “It is important for people to stand up and show their support by buying season tickets. That is my simple message” echoes a letter he sent to season ticket holders in 1995. Celtic had endured a difficult season at Hampden, if memory serves, we finished below Hibernian in the league, sentiment was low and as season 94-95 drew to a close I remember thinking the rebuilding project was in jeopardy.
Only 31,025 souls turned up to watch an end of season victory against Rangers with many unsold tickets in the Celtic areas of Hampden. Fergus was also unpopular among a sizable portion of the support, with prominent Celtic supporters only too happy to undermine his reputation.
The season ticket renewal packs arrived with a letter from Fergus which invoked memories of his trip to Kilmarnock in 1963 to see Celtic ship six goals during Jimmy Johnstone’s debut. Fergus knew what the years ahead would hold for Celtic but he needed faith from you and me or the project would have been in real jeopardy.
To everyone’s pleasant surprise Celtic fans rallied in great numbers as the new stadium opened. So much so I was scrambling around trying to get a season ticket as the ‘sold out’ sign went up before I got myself sorted. It took another couple of years before we recorded one of the most momentous league wins in our history but the strategy was sound. It was always going to get there while others played casino football.
This week, Fergus wrote, “The league is important going forward. Filling the seats makes a huge difference to the club’s chances of getting the players it wants, paying the salaries and getting into Europe.
“The rebuilt Celtic Park has 60,000 seats for a purpose. It was built on my belief that 60,000 at every home game would give the club a key advantage. And it has.
“Season ticket cash is essential for Celtic to buy players while TV income is a small fraction of that of the bottom club in the English Premier League. But not all-important. Personal attendance at every game – through and through – is a key part of our culture. It shows how important Celtic is in our lives.
“We both know that you don’t stop being a committed supporter of Celtic because the league doesn’t include Rangers, or because you feel you could pick the few big games you want to attend. For years I went to ‘unimportant games’. In fact, I was at every Celtic game, home and away, in the year before I emigrated to Canada.”
Ticket sales is one of those things which bends more with sentiment than we often consider, but we are at a new beginning this summer, one which many feel hopeful for. I reckon there is a good chance we’ll see an up-click as the Ronny Deila Days start.
Tune in on Friday. After the CQN Lions night at the Greenock Celtic Supporters’ Club on Friday, we will have Bertie Auld on the blog this Friday, 13th. More details later in the week.
And just in case you’ve been living on the moon this past week, watch BBC Alba at 21:00 tonight for the Jock Stein film.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Daily Record
By Craig Swan
THE Norwegian champions’ director of football claims the Hoops played hardball and landed highly-talented young coach for a tenth of his true value.
STROMSGODSET chief Jostein Flo last night accused Celtic of nicking Ronny Deila on the cheap.
The Norwegian champions’ director of football says the Hoops hierarchy pinched a bargain during hardball negotiations over the capture of their new boss.
Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell flew by private jet to Oslo’s Gardemoen Airport last midweek to personally push through the Deila deal.
Gutted at the prospect of losing their hero, sources in Norway told Record Sport the Stromsgodset hierarchy wanted £1million in compensation for the loss of their leader, who had two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.
Lawwell, however, refused to back down as he battled for the best deal for Celtic.
And it is understood he was able to thrash out a deal worth just £300,000 to the Norwegians, plus two possible further instalments of £100,000 each.
Not wishing to deny Deila a dream move, Stromsgodset reluctantly agreed to the reduced figure.
But as the 38-year-old returned to Drammen to say his emotional goodbyes to his old club at yesterday’s home game against Haugesund, Flo was adamant the Scottish champions didn’t pay fully what their new signing is really worth.
Flo said: “He’s worth 10 times more than Celtic paid. But there is no transfer market for managers unfortunately.
“When he wants to go, he has to go. That’s the same for all clubs.
“There is no reason to keep a manager when he wants to go.
“For this club it’s very important to build up players who then go out into the world.
“We’ve produced most of the players in Norway. Now we feel like we’re doing the same with our manager.
“That’s important for us, although we were not trying to move him on.
“Are Celtic tough negotiators? I was not focused on that.
“It was important for us that Ronny had a chance at Celtic so we let him go.
“If not Celtic, another club of the same level would have come for him. A lot of big clubs were watching him.”
Pressed on whether Lawwell had snared a bargain, Flo added: “I’m not talking about figures, I’m talking about people.”
Flo though insists he has absolutely no resentment towards Deila and says Celtic have pulled off a masterstroke by landing such a coaching gem.
The 53-times-capped Norway striker said: “The players will understand very quickly that he is a special coach. And everyone around Celtic will know that very quickly.
”Ronny is good enough for nearly anything. He needs a good team around him but he will build a good team around him.
“He knows it’s important to immerse himself in the Scottish game, that his coaches understand the Scottish mentality.
“I cannot see how he can fail because he’s such a strong character.
“If it wasn’t Celtic, it was going to be another club in Europe.
“He was always going to be wanted by the biggest and best.
”We always knew. Within one or two months you could see this guy was going to be great.
He will be one of the best managers in Europe. He has all the qualities to be that.”
Good morning friends from a damp underfoot, grey overhead with fast moving clouds yet not windy (eh?) East Kilbride. MIld.
Up till now I have never had a season ticket. I must confess I’ve been one of the glory fans who would just pay over odds for European nights for my son and myself or corporately entertained by others over the years. I went to Saville but probably didn’t deserve to be there, but escorted a brother who was off the booze at the time and needed to stay that way. All my brothers (4) where season ticket holders, but I was never home or in country long enough to justify it. One my brothers had a season ticket till he died in 2006, even when he stayed in Brazil or USA, he renewed and would fly back to Glasgow for games against the club that John Brown played for.
Yesterday I spoke with a lovely girl at the ticket office, got two season tickets for section 444, my youngest will be at uni soon and he will then get the student rebate. I will make around 6 games a season if I am lucky and fortunate enough to afford the pleasure. My seats will not be empty when we can’t make it, family and friends will use them.
I just had a work colleague from Glasgow ask me if I was ever sent to the barbers as a kid with fag coupons to pay for the hair cut, he is older and I don’t think I paid for a haircut with fag coupons but I do remember finding my mother’s stash and the ice cream van took them………….any fag coupon stories.
Hail Hail.
Morning Celts
Sunny and fairly calm around the Blackpool coast, lots of talk on the radio of Rod Stewart coming to Blackpool in a few weeks, need to look out my best top for that.
V
Static dampness all over dunblane. Low hanging cloud. A bit like a jungle. But 12•C.
Cowiebhoy, like you I checked and found out I’d gone bed a Tim and awoken as a Tim so that’s always a good start to the day.
HH jamesgang
CRC
I sent in my WC predictor last night, let me know if it’s ok and I’ll transfer payment via online bank.
Cheers
Ps good to meet you and yir dad again last Friday.
V
bmcuwp
sorry!
Put my head down again to try to get some kip.
Loads of driving today and i always start dosing off behind the wheel and its not really the place to grab 40 winks!
Personally i think they would have been fired right in there.
Maybe superdooper will lead them to cup glory this year eh?
Can you do me a favour…..if you have petec’s email, could you pass mine onto him?
Are you going to make it up for the pool next month?
Would be great to see you again.
Better go now….late!
Morning Celts
Weet but mild in the Laich of Moray.
The little gentleman in the black velvet waiscoat
Great post.
Like you, for whatever reason, don’t get to many games. Still bought ma book though.
Seems like Pistol Pete earned some of his money then if the reports on Ronny are right
HH
Good morning from a reasonably bright North Ayrshire.
Report in DR today…Civil War continues at Hunco
Revealed: Lawyers and accountants rake in £2m in one year as bill for winding up oldco Rangers continues to soar
09 June 2014 12:26 PM By Keith Jackson
THE staggering figures are revealed in the latest six month report from insolvency experts BDO – which shows more than £1m has been spent on legal fees and outlays
Getty Images
The figures were detailed in the latest six month report from insolvency experts BDO
ACCOUNTANTS and lawyers have raked in a staggering £2m in 12 months as the bill for winding up oldco Rangers continues to soar.
The mind blowing figures have been detailed in the latest six month report from insolvency experts BDO who were appointed as liquidators of the Rangers Football Club PLC after it failed to emerge from administration following Craig Whyte’s ruinous 10 month reign.
And the unfathomable strategy adopted by Whyte is further highlighted by the fact that almost half of this latest £2m bill has been covered by the final instalment of the £4.5m deal which saw Nikica Jelavic sold off to Everton just two weeks before the club was plunged into financial chaos in February 2012.
The BDO report, which was completed at the end of last month, reveals that a cheque for £975k is expected to arrive from the Goodison Park club ‘shortly after 31 May 2014’.
But that windfall won’t come close to covering th.e spiraling costs of the on-going liquidation process – as BDO gear up for a potential multi-million pound courtroom battle with Collyer Bristow, the law firm who advised Whyte during his takeover in 2011.
In total, more than £1m has been spent on legal fees and outlays with more than £650,000 of it going to solicitors Stephenson Harwood, who are preparing the case against Collyer Bristow. The report says that a trial date is ‘currently set for the beginning of 2015’ but it is anticipated that a deal could be negotiated and an out of court settlement agreed.
BDO are also carrying out a probe into the conduct of administrators Duff and Phelps, who sold the club’s assets to Charles Green for a knock-down £5.5m.
But the report stresses: “Due to the highly sensitive nature of certain aspects of these investigations, we consider that it is not appropriate to provide full details in respect of our investigations to date,”.
BDO reveal that the creditors pot has been boosted by a payment of £75k ‘in relation to the transfer of Charlie Adam’.
But, while they are attempting to claw together as much cash as possible for those who suffered from the Rangers collapse, their own running total for remuneration stands at more than £1m which, the report says, has already been drawn down.
BDO expect more money to trickle into the account through from a sell-on clause triggered by Jelavic’s January move from Everton to Hull City, possibly as much £187,500 so long as the Croat helps keep his new club in the Premiership next season.
But one creditor who has received this latest update from BDO told Record Sport last night: “The fact that Everton still owe almost £1m from the initial Jalvic deal defies belief. It’s good new for the creditors but it makes you wonder what on earth Whyte was thinking about when he did that deal, just a fortnight before placing the club in administration.
“He sold the club’s best player for a snip and yet he didn’t even demand that the money was paid up front. It’s incredible as, for that matter, are the sums of money involved in this on-going process. The collapse of Rangers has made an awful lot of money for an awful lot of people.”
But another source said: “BDO are doing a highly professional job in going after as much money as possible for the creditors. The fact they are ploughing so much into the legal cases is an indication of where this thing is headed.
“There should be a lot of very worried people out there because BDO are going after them like a dog at a bone.”
BDO admit, two years into the process, there is no sign of it coming to a conclusion any time soon.
Not only is the court action against Collyer Bristow still to be settled but an ongoing dispute with HMRC over the club’s use of the controversial EBT scheme also continues to rumble on.
The report says: “If HMRC are successful in the appeal their potential claim in the liquidation could be significant and have a material impact upon any dividend that may ultimately be payable to unsecured creditors,”.
And it ends: “Due to the significant issues to be resolved in the liquidation, the joint liquidators do not expect to be in a position to bring this case to a conclusion for some considerable time. Further reports will be circulated to creditors within six weeks of each six month anniversary of the date of liquidation.”
Good morning from a damp and dreich Edinburgh.
Landed in Glasgow Saturday night and had a couple of largish duty-free drams to send me off into a deep sleep after such a long flight.
Just about over the jetlag now and getting myself organised with bank account, new GP etc.
Good to be home.
Hail Hail
tom mclaughlin
07:34 on 10 June, 2014
Never mind the bank account, GP etc. you got your ST yet…:)
Welcome home.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
twists and turns
I love the sound of hurting Huns in the morning
A non story if ever there was one. Celtic senior management drive a hard bargain in best interest of the club.
How sore are they hurting and the perma ragers must be close to spontaneous combustion.
Lennybhoy –
Thanks mate.
Still not received my 3 season tickets yet, but my son assures me they will be sent out early July.
tom mclaughlin
07:40 on 10 June, 2014
Great stuff…sounds about right, I moved my Seat, only by two along from where I was and I was told my new card should be sent out at the end of June. I am in 105, pop along and say Hail Hail if you are near.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Welcome home Tom
From Twitter
Pesky Aussies stealing one of our lines ;)
@sportsbetcomau: Hurry up and get to the sport news, will ya #keepthefaith #7arvo http://t.co/spstx9dg2S
HH
Lennybhoy –
I’m in the front of main (south) stand to the left of the Celtic bench.
Looking forward to CL games at Murrayfield.
Thank you BT.
Would you mind posting JC’s details on to me at tom22641@gmail.com ?
Or if you prefer, give him my email address.
Thanks
Welcome home East Coast Tom!
HH jamesgang
Welcome home Tom.
HH
KTF
Welcome home Tom.
See you in Kirkcaldy!
Email sent Tom.
Welcome home Tom.
A balmy 22 degrees in the valley bonny be a scorcher..
Does any one know how I can see the Jock Stein film over here??
Mighty Tim are you on the road?
HH
Morning all.
Dull day down here so far. Last night’s documentary about Mr Stein was far from dull. Odd that it had to be Alba that produced and showed it. It must have stuck in the throat of BBC Scotland’s sports department. Long overdue tribute to the greatest Scottish manager.
Welcome home, Tom, even if it is only Edinburgh!
Blog in a happy mood this morning.
Feel good factor after Margot Mc. Cuig’s brilliant docu on Jock.
Off to Belfast International Airport to collect London based daughter.
Be good.
Welcome hame auld reekie
JQB
Reporting live from Durham passport office
Oops – to auld reekie
Mind u, as typos go…. ;)
JIMMYQUINNSBITS
Aye,you got off lightly there.
I’ve made some belters!
THUNDER ROAD.
Done,bud.
Bmcuw
Think I got away with it…
BMCUW…
Do you know if overseas ticket provides any access to purchasing CL tickets??
Macjay
I replied to Thomthethim’s post and hopefully addressed the points which he raised. I politely suggest that you try reading it for some balance..
At a recent meeting I attended a member of the Celtic Trust stated quite clearly that they have absolutely no desire to have a seat on the board as that would bring it’s own set of problems.
I think that refutes something you’ve long claimed.
its
Tom, welcome home, hope to see you at CQN corner come the new season.
VMhan, I downloaded you predictions last night, all seems in order, CRC dealing with the banking, so I’ll let him answer any questions on that.
Doc
Did you get mine?
DESERTBHOY
You may get first refusal after full season ticket holders,but best to contact the ticket office.
http://www.celticfc.net/tickets
0141 551 4210 though that may have been discontinued.
Bestaluck,bud!
HT, yes mhate, entered.
Doc
Merci. Save it, it’s a winner :-)