We’ve talked about the big changes needed at the end of the season for a while now, specifically in terms of the manager’s position. I was never in favour of firing Ronny midseason. By that stage the die was cast for European football, and we were nip and tuck with Aberdeen in a fight for the league.
My guess was that Ronny could deliver the league, and I expected a cup or two as well. The cups have gone – and may have been won had we changed manager months ago, but we could also have appointed the wrong caretaker (a high probability) and reduced our title prospects. The decision then was what was the greater risk to the league title. All other things being equal, sitting tight was most probably going to deliver the league.
We’re now three wins from becoming champions. Ronny is one of only two Celtic managers never to have lost a league title, and whatever disappointments there have been, he’s applied himself honestly and openly. He’s also a title winning part of our history and we need to handle our history well, even as a project concludes. Lessons from ’78 still rankle with some.
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Celtic Evolution
19 April 2016
People close to Celtic Supremo, Peter Lawwell, have claimed Celtic are poised for a football evolution. Lawwell, having received a special bonus for the successful reintroduction of the Old firm rivalry, has been given the green light for his plans. Delia will be allowed to leave after successfully keeping the club on it’s downward spiral towards their eternal rivals, The Rangers.
John Park will take over as a manager and is set to introduce a stunning new football formula. Out go the outdated methods used by lesser clubs. Celtic has been in talks with Japanese robotics firm Bakageta Kangae who will provide Park’s backroom staff. Players will be expected to follow statistic based training schedules and forego the use of footballs in training. The Celtic insider stated “footballs are just seen to get in the way of good stats so we will do without them. This also has an added benefit of reducing costs. The board are very excited about the plans.”
The squad will be increased to 55 players. The insider went on, “The scatter gun approach to signing players has worked in the past but we have learnt that it’s better to widen the field in the hope of finding a player who knows how to pass to a team-mate.”
In a further development the club will be sponsored by EuroMillions, the lottery company. The insider said, ” There is about as much chance of us winning the euro millions as any regular gambler who buys a lottery ticket. So we see it as a perfect fit.” The stadium will be sponsored by top accountants Deloitte as they have recognised the value of Celtic’s international reputation in cost cutting, balance sheets and sums.
Not to be out done, Old Firm rivals The Rangers will name their stadium after Arthur Andersen, who will verify their accounts as well.
BRTH
6 WEEKS OR SO AGO
While the Celtic PLC Board originally viewed the resolution as unnecessary, once further consideration of the issues raised by the shareholders had been examined, the Celtic board changed their mind and agreed to adjourn the resolution with a view to working with the shareholders representatives by investigating the procedures complained of and making enquiries of the SFA.
In the intervening period of time, there have been numerous meetings and consistent correspondence between those shareholders and officials of Celtic PLC, all with a view to furthering the aims of Res 12, and there is no doubt that the Celtic board have played a full part in taking the resolution to where it now stands.
Whilst the investigation process was slow, both shareholders and the board were satisfied that there was merit in seeking answers from the SFA, as previous responses to earlier enquiries from Celtic PLC were not convincing or sufficiently detailed.
Working together, the board and the shareholders have seen to it that formal letters of enquiry have been sent to the SFA, together with various pieces of documentation and supporting evidence.
Through the shareholders’ lawyers, the SFA were asked to answer specific detailed questions in relation to their procedures, however the SFA responded by saying they would not answer any questions other than through the “member club” i.e. the board of Celtic PLC.
This raises an issue for all football supporters – especially those who are shareholders in a football club – and it begs the question whether or not supporters and shareholders should be able to hold a governing body to account in the event of maladministration.
I believe they should but that is a bigger issue for another day and it will be revisited in due course.
However, what is most important for everyone to know is that there can be no doubt that serious questions have been asked, were asked of the right people and were backed up by documentation prepared in conjunction with the board of Celtic PLC.
I have seen speculation yesterday that perhaps Celtic did not fully know of what was going on or that somehow there had not been full and forensic research completed into the matters concerned etc, or that Celtic PLC have done nothing to back the resolution. All of that is simply not true and at all times the Celtic PLC board have been party to, and have played their part in, the entire process.
The whole purpose of writing to the SFA in the first place was to afford the powers that be within Hampden the chance to avoid a potential enquiry by UEFA into the way that they handled UEFA licence applications in 2011.
The SFA did not take that chance and ducked answering the detailed legal questions put to them by the Shareholders’ solicitors and instead chose to respond saying they would only explain matters to Celtic PLC and their board.
It would now appear that the SFA are prevaricating (again) in giving any meaningful response to Celtic PLC and so, after a period of silence, the obvious next stage in the process is to make formal enquiries and investigations through UEFA.
At the outset, both the board and the shareholders agreed that this would be the inevitable outcome if the SFA were not full, frank and forthright in providing any response.
Both the Celtic PLC board and the shareholders wish the matter to be referred to UEFA at this time, that is agreed, especially as there is a need to ensure that there is no prospect of any investigation being time barred by the UEFA rules which place a five year time limit for proceedings.
However, it is here that there is a divergence of opinion between the board and the shareholders. The shareholders believe that any reference to UEFA should come from the club, while the club would prefer the shareholders to refer the matter to UEFA in line with the previous enquiries made to the SFA.
However, I stress both parties have stated they want the matter placed before the appropriate UEFA committee.
As of yesterday, it was agreed that the Shareholders will formally write to UEFA via their solicitors, but they believe that ultimately this will be, and should be, a matter for the club as it is undoubtedly the case that any complaint to UEFA will have to make reference to the correspondence and answers already provided to Celtic PLC via the SFA.
There is also no doubt that whoever refers the matter to UEFA, that same body will end up having to make enquiries of Celtic PLC as it was to Celtic that the SFA said they would reply, and it was to Celtic PLC that the SFA gave previous replies by way of correspondence.
Accordingly the board will have to advise UEFA quite clearly what those replies entailed, comment on the matters raised in the shareholders letter, and whether or not they, as a board, are satisfied with the replies provided to the board by the SFA.
Accordingly, once the matter goes to UEFA there is no prospect of the Celtic Board not being further involved.
What is also quite clear is that once the shareholders have referred the matter to UEFA, there is very little else they can do as an independent body. They have taken this as far as they can, have worked with the PLC board, engaged independent solicitors and formally presented questions to the SFA together with supporting documentation and all with the help and support of the board of Celtic PLC.
If there is a clamour for greater representation and accountability for the ordinary football fan then they can lend their support to that – irrespective of what team the fan may support.
However, in relation to the particulars of Res 12, the shareholders have approached the board, worked with the board ( and acknowledge that the board have worked with them ) but ultimately it is for the PLC to take these matters to their final conclusion as the board of directors represent the whole PLC and speak with a far stronger corporate voice.
That was the whole purpose of the resolution in the first place.”
Shameless repost from last page:
Stating the obvious here, however over the last 5 years we have implemented a recruitment policy that had early success. Over that 5 year period there has been a shift in the supply curve meaning that there are less quality players available at our set budget level. Transfer fees have risen significantly in the last 5 years. Very poor players are bought and sold for amounts that their ability does not merit. At our current budget level, we inevitably end up with a fair few of those players.
My point is, whoever the new manager may be, he is going to need better players than what is on offer. Either realign the transfer budget or devise a new recruitment policy.
I don’t know where the extra money would come from, or what a new, innovative recruitment policy would look like. Peter Lawwell is paid incredibly well to come up with those answers. Will he?
Our history……………………………aye……
In all my time on CQN, that is without a doubt the best podium I have ever read.
Take a well deserved bow bhoys.
HH
Morning all,
Haven’t been on since Sunday’s defeat but there’s not much I can add to what’s already been said. The one thing that I will say is that people are getting a wee bit carried away with how good Sevco were. They were competent and they tried to do much of the right things but apart from the early goal (which was fortuitous) and the wonder strike just how many saves did Gordon have to make? We beat ourselves our Sunday, pure and simple, just like we did home and away to Molde and over the two legs against Malmo.
Looking forward it’s clear that Ronny will be gone almost immediately after May 15th (hopefully having delivered 5IAR). I find it hard to believe that Lawwell will go with him but he probably realises that this is his last chance to rectify the mistakes made over the last few years. Has he got it in him to reflect, be self-critical, and make the required changes? For example, will he appoint a manager who has complete autonomy over all footballing matters or will it be another ‘yes’ man? We shall wait and see.
For what it’s worth I would like to see Steve Clarke as manager. He has a wealth of experience with Chelsea and Liverpool (both domestic and European of course) as well as amassing a record points tally as manager of West Brom. I think he is a pragmatic manager who can gets results but I understand he’s also a very highly rated coach who can improve players.
I’d be happy enough with Brendan Rogers as well but can’t see it happening.
If we couldn’t get Clarke or Rogers I’d be happy to see Paul Lambert get the chance.
Dark horses – Jim McIntyre, Robbie Neilson, Sean Dyche (doing a remarkable job with Burnley in a gruelling league).
Moyes – I’m unsure how I’d feel were he appointed (think he’s overrated).
Lenny, O’Neill (Michael or Martin), Keane etc – no thanks.
Coolmore Mafia
From last article.
Fan ownership : what is noticeable in the English list is the formally fan ownership clubs.
That and the increased corruption in German football does not advocate a very strong argument.
HH. And thanks for the list.
The ole GB get ready to seize the day
JUNGLE JIM HOT SMOKED:
My travels are pretty boring mate, if I was to relate them to you it would take about all of five minutes to bore the proverbials off you. Trust me mate there are only two good parts about my travels, catching the flight home to my family and trying to help unfortunate families, as best I can, whilst I am away.
Getting on the plane to go is a Monday morning hangover from hell’s heart. It never gets any easier but I am sure there are countless guys on here who can easily empathise with me, because they do it too and they don’t bitch about it.
So I just get on with it. Trust me mate, I am not blowing my own trumpet but I have put smiles on distraught faces in some truly godforsaken places. I burst with pride when I do that and I do take the time to thank my God above for giving me the parents that I had and the friends who moulded me.
We mutually moulded each other. We were almost all to a man (and women, never ever forget the women for without them we’d just be a bunch of useless bragging drunks).
Mate there really isn’t too much to tell that you have not lived yourself. You’re a Celtic Supporter, mate you’ve lived. YOU HAVE LIVED.
I could tell you about how I witnessed Charlie Devlin give away his total appearance fee to a beggar outside the Mexican in Baku whilst Peter Lawwell and Ian Bankier were holding court inside.
I could tell you countless acts of kindness that I have witnessed by Celtic Supporters in far flung places. But I would not be telling you anything you have not witnessed for yourself on countless occasions. The geography changes but the generosity, the heart, the family, the colours, the craic, the tears, the smiles, the pain, the parting, the memories, the nightmares, the night tears, they are the same no matter what border you choose to cross nor what region or village you care to visit.
I watched a funeral of a young kid who was killed in the Karabach two weeks ago. Nobody could hold it together. He was the cousin of a good friend of mine. That good friend of mine and her friends are all Celtic Supporters at heart. They were in the Celtic end at the Karabach game. They wore Celtic tops then and they were them today.
It really does not matter where you go, what you say, what you see… it is always… always… what you do.
To the attention of others. Never once have I called for Peter Lawwell to be sacked. Nobody gets paid the money he does for screwing up his remit. It is who is paying him for perfecting his remit that I would like to see change ways or part ways.
Be fair, be honest, be aware. Make the distinction.
So Celtic are going to do nothing and repeat the mistake ie not replace Deila, that has seen us beaten in the two cups.
The policy is sit on our hands and hope.
Truly shameful.
‘ Lessons from ’78 still rankle with some.’
-1878 presumably.
Dr Ramesh-
Very funny post :)
The Green Man from last blog thread-
How dare those uppity working class types go to uni? They should instead work zero hours contracts at McDonald’s, spending all their money on Celtic merchandise to build up the plc turnover and justify “big peter’s” annual bonus
Time for a ritual book burning led by the castlemilk cell of the Kim Jong Lawwell appreciation society (with the sydney branch of UKIP dialling in by videoconference)
We were all Celtic Supporters
Ronny is a good honest man and deserves our respect. I don’t have a problem with him seeing out the season, unless we lose on Sunday versus Ross county.
Paul67
Complete agreement.
Common sense prevailed at Celtic because Ronny was a long term plan, you can’t now produce
an axe because he lost a penalty shoot out on the eve of winning the league.
Ask the players who let him down?
Only the board know this summers shortlist.
Still very sore (quite litterally, besides metaphorically). Still haven’t watched or listened to or read anything about Sunday.
I take it that our manager, good mhan that he so obviously is, is for the off. Who will replace him? The only person that I would want, whom we could attract, is WGS. Whether he would want to come after how he was treated by the support is open to question……………………….
Please don’t let us have the likes of McGhee or Mackay.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 19TH APRIL 2016 10:18 AM
So Celtic are going to do nothing and repeat the mistake ie not replace Deila, that has seen us beaten in the two cups.
The policy is sit on our hands and hope.
Truly shameful.
Maybe it will all turn out well. If I recall correctly, a ship for Australia eventually turned up for Mr Micawber.
TGBS
Definite Nobel Prize for DD and PL for re-constructing the mechanisms of Capitalism with their revolutionary insight which led to the discovery of that new economic principle, which has become known as……Its no ma fault.
As for those working-class malcontents who have the cheek to complain….let them eat stale pizza:)
The new Celtic strip, will have a crest that says….Pay up or Shut up.
HH
Celts turn up at Lennoxtown
TWIST N TURNS
no I never saw that post and thank you for posting it, my in formation is a little farther on than six weeks ago, and I’ll leave it at that, what posted was to inform a poster who posted that the Celtic fans where pushing res12, I was just letting him know that the club are still heavily involved, and it was not just the support as I and others had been left to believe.
CFC back res12
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 19TH APRIL 2016 10:30 AM
You can bet your holiday pay that whoever it is, he will be freely available, cheap and above all biddable.
No mere strong personalities like Martin O’Neill who would command a decent transfer budget. Maybe even a warchest.
As long as bums fill seats nothing will change.
Over the next couple of weeks the big names will be leaked from CP.
All will mysteriously decline.
YNOT67
You have never had a good word to say about Res 12….you were dead against it.
You done nothing but cause friction with the guys who got Res 12 together.
And now all of a sudden….you are in charge, you know this, you know that….blah, blah blah.
Fecking cheek you have got
@ huntlybhoy86
Steve Clarke or Strachan for me
Kitalba
Thank you very much for that reply written in your own inimitable , bursting with honesty style. Boring? Never in a million posts. I sometimes think you care so much for others that you forget to care for yourself. It takes its toll . Relaxing is possibly very difficult for you but somehow you must find a way.
All the very best,
JJ
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 19TH APRIL 2016 10:18 AM
So Celtic are going to do nothing and repeat the mistake ie not replace Deila, that has seen us beaten in the two cups.
The policy is sit on our hands and hope.
Truly shameful.
Funny how we all read things differently. I took Paul67’s to mean that Ronny will be replaced after the league is concluded, but as is fitting, he will be treated with the respect that any manager winning the top league twice in a row should be.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
If only they had turned up at Hampden
O.G.
Indeed, ……..Sunday was the ultimate indignity for this Celtic fan.
RD is a memory, much more concerned about how the club restores the faithful and helps
the new manager get rid of some of players well below our standard.
THE GREEN MAN
I Was dead against res12 since when? Do you read my posts? You obviously don’t, the only thing I was against in res12 was, Candymalars an Morrisey, not good enough in my opinion, other than that from day one I backed it, and long before Candymalars got as he sais HIS idea, you honestly think CFC where not all over this? Gimmi a break.
CFC support res12
YNOT67
You are full of it.
You have been trying to de-rail or damage Res 12 since the start.
Willing to cause it with your fellow supporters who actually tried to do something about the cheating.
imo…you are nothing but a mouthpiece for the board.
Your credibility is busted….you are doing your master’s bidding.
TWISTNTURNS@10:07 – Excellent post – clear concise and free from endless qualifying clauses.
So it seems that the only divergence between Celtic plc and the shareholders seems to be in the form of approach to UEFA.
Could the rules regarding solving matters with a club’s own association be behind Celtic’s reluctance/refusal to engage directly with UEFA?
Celtic have absolutely no motive to be misleading anyone over this issue – what proof do some people have to the contrary?
Y NOT 67 at 10.34
You rreplied to my post of 2.37pm yesterday;
“Hebcelt,
The newclub only have to haave been members of their football association – in this case the Scottish fraudball association.
Other than that, I would imagine they would have to satisfy the same conditions as those under which we the fans are questioning under Res. 12. for their spiritual predecessors iro 2012/13 season.”
It was a passing comment and not hte point of my post.
However, it was fans who are also shareholders who raised Res. 12 and initially had a struggle, literally, to even get it through the front doors at Celtic Park,
BRTH’s text, reproduced above, as well as the posts from Auldheid and Canamalar, telll me all I need to know, as a non-shareholder.
I prefer to hear the updates from those directly involved.
Strachan, Director of Football
Clarke, Head Coach
Paul67,
When is the Big picture article coming?
Any views on Lawwell’s role in what has transpired over the last 4 years?
HH
CB
Hindsight 20/20 and all that. Perhaps Steve Clarke should have been offered a place on coaching team when he became available.
There are no excuses.
Try by all means…but Celtic supporters know whats going on.
Change is inevitable…embrace it, because without it, we are lost.
I want my club back…I want a real Celtic team.
Celtic fans will decide.
Simple as that
Offski….Hail Hail KevJ
From last blog:
MACJAY
I think it goes without saying that if we had a more successful team on the field then there would be less whingeing about the Board. You have been one of Ronny’s biggest critics in recent months (rightly) but who was responsible for his appointment? The Board’s appointed CEO, Mr. Lawell. Fans are angry with the Board for other reasons: their obfuscation over Resolution 12, their lack of any meaningful response to the shenanigans at the SFA and SFA over many, many matters relating to Sevco (title stripping, the conferring of fit and proper status etc) and our Chairman’s arrogant and patronising attitude towards our fans at an AGM.
More importantly, the Board have allowed a situation to develop since 2012 when we found ourselves the Top Dogs in Scottish football (only in a fiscal sense) and capable of winning trophies by the bucket load but have managed to squander that advantage and allow us to deteriorate to a position whereby we were soundly beaten (in terms of performance) by a Championship team on Sunday. Such performances in big games have occurred too frequently in recent seasons. The Board have the responsibility of trying to ensure that catastrophe does not occur when you are in a position of strength.
As far as Ronny is concerned, there is a genuine concern that we might not be able to limp over the line to the League title. I posted on here after the 0-0 draw at Celtic Park that Ronny should have been sacked overnight. We were so lucky to get a point that night. At that time a new manager would have had 10 League games left to secure the title and assess his squad for next season and, in particular, the Champions League qualifiers. He would have also had six weeks to prepare for Sunday’s Cup semi final against Sevco. Now we are hearing that Ronny has been told that he will be leaving at the end of the season.bwhat incentive is there for the man to try to motivate his players to win our remaining games if he knows he’s getting the sack, win or lose?
A strong Board would have demanded that the CEO take decisive action earlier and brought a new manager in. Much has been made of Dave King and Paul Murray being allowed to hold positions of responsibility at Sevco when they presided over the demise of Rangers 1872. What were they doing when David Murray was up to his tricks and then when Craig Whyte failed to pay tax and NI for employees of that club? It was their duty to act, we have been told. What about the duty of the Celtic Board of Directors? Why are they there? What do they actually do? They sit in the Directors’ Box and watch the games that we watch.vare they intoxicated and can’t see what we can see on the pitch? What are they going to do about it? Do the powers that be only react to unrest among the fans only when it leads to boycotts?
If there is unabated sniping at the Celtic Board, for the reasons I have listed above, I think it is well merited.
TINYTIM on 19TH APRIL 2016 10:56 AM
Weeminger 9.25 FROM LAST THREAD.
I posted it on here just after we signed him.
Some made the same point that you were making,and it was and is a valid one.
It was mostly instinct.
VVD was risked by Celtic to play in the CL qualifiers.
We gambled that he wouldn’t be injured and that th circa £12m deal with Southampton would not be jeopardised.
We hope that it would help us gain £15m CL income .
Simunovic’s transfer fee was much less that Simunovic’cs club would gain from CL entry.
Therefore the risk of playing him was much less.
He barely featured.
This meant one of 3 things to me.
His club were risk averse.
He wasn’t good enough .
Or he had injury problems that were serious enough to keep him out for a few weeks.
It could have been a mixture of all 3,or any conortation.
It didn’t add up for me.
My rational may have been flawed and different from how many think,but it proved to be correct.
TT
BOB LOBLAW, I read it the same as you and as long as it happens that way, I totally agree with Paul’s leader.
However if there is any backsliding by the Board, I would be fully supportive of those who opt not to renew Season Books until change occurs.
I have no beef with or dislike of Ronny, he tried his best and his best was not good enough, you would have to see it as a collective failure of Management, so presumably Collins & Kennedy will go as well. If so I hope that Kennedy gets some suitable job within Celtic as I can never forget the way a most brilliant career was ended by a thug who did not even receive a caution when he deserved jail.
Winning the League is now huge, with everything that is happening it can’t yet be taken as guaranteed, We all need to put our anger & disappointment to one side and stay united until the Title is won.
Hopefully then we will be witnessing the start of a new chapter & we can look forward with renewed hope & confidence to the future.