For as long as you or I can remember, Celtic’s youth teams have had a fearsome reputation, winning countless titles, even with Kenny McDowall as head coach, but something inevitably goes wrong. Clubs like Dundee United, Hibs, Hearts and even Hamilton Accies have a better record of graduating prospects, despite having a poorer youth team to pick from.
The other fearsome reputation we had, was that Celtic was one of the places young talent came to wither on the vine, before shuffling off to a minor club at around 21-years-old. Where would you send your boy, Celtic or Dundee United………?
The argument goes that clubs like United have more opportunity to blood young talent than Celtic, who for long periods of the last 20 years were locked in an all-or-nothing battle for supremacy, or the need to reach the Champions League group stage, or the next level of the Champions League. This theory doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, though, as clubs with higher still demands are able to mature young talent through first team exposure.
The truth is it’s never been a first team priority, as we have been caught in a ‘buy success’ mentality for close to 30 years.
Still only 18, Liam Henderson has as much chance as anyone who have come through the ranks in the last couple of decades of making it as a top player at Celtic, but he needs to be stretched by playing competitive senior football over the next three years, cameo appearances here and there will not provide the platform he needs. A few months at Rosenborg, who kick off a new league season on Monday, will give him opportunities he’s not going to see at Celtic between now and the end of the season.
Did you see what newco director, Paul Murray, did with his stock market announcement yesterday?
He wrote, “I have been informed by Deloitte, the existing auditor, that they informed the previous Board of their intention to resign following the June 2014 audit. The previous Board chose not to announce this nor did they find a replacement for Deloitte. With limited time to have these results reviewed the Board asked Jeffreys Henry to perform the exercise as Independent Reporting Accountants, not auditors.”
On reading this many were inclined to conclude the reason Deloitte did not act as Independent Reporting Accountants for their interims was because they had left the building. Not so. Murray later confirmed to a Daily Record financial reporter (not the football guys) that Deloittes are still newco’s auditors. I am sure there is a perfectly good reason they didn’t sign off the interims. Maybe they were busy that day.
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greenpinata
15:00 on 1 April, 2015
praecepta @13.57hrs.
Excellent post, but no doubt the glass half empty brigade will still quibble.
Its very easy to criticise, and yes we have got some things wrong, and yes we should have done some things differently but when you list what we have actually done right it makes our achievements hard to repudiate.
HH.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
SO CORRECT …… HH TO BOTH….!!!!
GM-More modern ticket processes required,you can get tickets for various events straight to a smartfone now.But watching folk queue up twice to get into the park is unnecessary ,in this day and age.HH
ger57
14:32 on
1 April, 2015
Quonno 14.10
I know it’s 1st April and all that, but have you been sniffing the same glue as Speirs?
Still no one has answered the question. In 1965, was Celtic winning the European Cup within two years any more likely than THEM winning the Scottish League in eighteen months.? I pose the question as someone who witnessed the dire seven lean years.
Tom – it seems you are a fully paid up member of the flat earth society!
Captain Beefheart – it is clear that the capitalists who run celtic believe that the better bet to make money in the longer term is for the huns to be back and for celtic fans to be the victims.
Turkeybhoy – see if it was just about a football team or a football rivalry you would be right. But this is about much more than that. This is about institutional racism and its continuation. Isnt that more important than money?
“In 1965, was Celtic winning the European Cup within two years any more likely than THEM winning the Scottish League in eighteen months.? ”
Quonno,
Yes.
HH
ger57
14:34 on
1 April, 2015
Quonno
Or do you equate the current sevco squad, and management with what we had in March 1965?
It would be hard to find a more inept management than we had then. Secong biggest income in Scotland and couldn’t produce a side capable of winning a trophy in seven and a half years.
Greenpinata
Agree – not saying for one moment that we have got everything right nor that I wouldn’t air my views on areas that could be vastly improved.
I was one that advocated having a SLO in place and a Small Shareholders Trust some 20 years ago – the ‘Bunnet’ though otherwise. :-(
Over the years I’ve expressed my views on; supporter engagement, pre-match facilities, concessions and catering – much still to be done in those fields. :-)
rwe,
An excellent post, to join the many other excellent posts appearing today.
Spring must be in the air!
Graham Spiers Scotland’s answer to Liberace…
Geordie Munro
15:25 on
1 April, 2015
“In 1965, was Celtic winning the European Cup within two years any more likely than THEM winning the Scottish League in eighteen months.? ”
Quonno,
Yes.
HH
I surrender. In March 1965 Celtic fans were stampeding to buy European Cup Final tickets two years in advance.
“I surrender. In March 1965 Celtic fans were stampeding to buy European Cup Final tickets two years in advance.”
Quonno,
Erm yes cos that is exactly the same.
Geordie Munro
15:31 on
1 April, 2015
“I surrender. In March 1965 Celtic fans were stampeding to buy European Cup Final tickets two years in advance.”
Quonno,
Erm yes cos that is exactly the same.
Sorry. don’t follow your drift.
Quonno,
If you are looking for a suitable comparison, I’d say it’s as likely that we will win the champions league in the next 18 months as the Sevco winning the premier league.
Geordie Munro
15:34 on
1 April, 2015
Quonno,
If you are looking for a suitable comparison, I’d say it’s as likely that we will win the champions league in the next 18 months as the Sevco winning the premier league.
As Mr Asquith is attributed with saying. Let’s wait and see.
BSR
“Bear with me”
How very dare you.
A lot of work in that – admiration to you, after a headache pill for me.
I think that we could call the whole period of time from 1996 to 2022 as the Vanity Years.
Having said that…is there anything quite so laughable (especially when it uses imaginary money or other people’s money) as a vanity project that fails.
Murray the Elder – Vanity Project
Murray the Younger – Vanity Project
Craig Whyte – Vanity Project
Charles Green – Vanity Project
Dave King – Vanity Project
The lesser lights in these years
Wattie the Cardie – Vanity and Bullying
McMoist – Vanity and Sleekit
Brown – Vanity and Bombast
Got to love those narcissistic personality types, they’re all borderline imho :o)
HH
In 1965, football finances were not as inequitable as they have become in recent years.
Certainly not in the domestic leagues.
Celtic’s poor record pre Stein was almost totally down to poor, amateurish management, plus the always present mibbery.
Financially, we were more or less equal to RFC , but they were a better managed club than were were.
Once Jock took over the reins, he improved the team so much that he took mibbery out of the equation.
Mibbery still exists, but we are so far ahead as a club, financially and football wise, that it negates your comparison.
We would have to implode for them to take the title with the 18 month time frame…and beyond.
An April Fools Message to All Zombies..
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled” – Mark Twain
Thomthetim,
Correct.
I’m not so sure they can win the championship in the next 18 months :p
Celtic had played in 2 European semis prior to 1967.
Der hun have struggled to make 2 challenge cup semis.
HH
Geordie Munro
Geordie Munro
15:34 on 1 April, 2015
Quonno,
If you are looking for a suitable comparison, I’d say it’s as likely that we will win the champions league in the next 18 months as the Sevco winning the premier league.
****
As I said above, I would be happiest if Sevco were liquidated fully and finally, and we never heard their name again. However, if they have to continue, I would be happy to see them mired in lower tier football. However, I just dont see the SFA/SFPL allowing that to happen … or sadly, I dont see Celtic allowing that to happen.
In any event, I’m not sure your comparison is valid as:
(i) in order to win the CL, we would have to beat many, many good teams, or hoope all of those teams have an ‘off day’, while Sevco would really only have to beat one good team, or have one team have a bad spell … the latter is much more likely; and
(ii) Celtic dont have UEFA playing sillybuggers trying to ensure that Celtic win the CL …
two pretty big differences….
Paul Murray waiting for the Nomad to return his call
RWE
I think that BSR was reposting The Battered Bunnet’s analysis from earlier this morning.
“while Sevco would really only have to beat one good team, or have one team have a bad spell … ”
Mike,
St Johnston have beaten a good team this season and will not win the premier.
It takes a wee bit more than you suggest to win the league.
HH
quonno
You’re hitting some nerves with your original statement.
Here’s one for you “Those really were the best years of our lives.”
In comparing Sevco (with all that they have done AND are till doing to the Scottish game), with us on any level, at any time, is going to set teeth on edge.
You are correct in that none of us who lived through those dark days thought that we would win the “greatest prize” within 18 months.
Problem is you’re not even comparing apples and oranges here. Hence the pushback from some.
We never saw it coming back then even when Jock took over. We knew we would be better under Jock and hoped for the league title, but we just wanted to be better than we had been. We had hunger, ambition, talent, focus and leadership.
On a purely footballing level, anything is possible, but we were a sleeping giant in 1965 with a huge, untapped and largely dormant support. We had all of the Lisbon Lions bar two on our books, and had just recruited the best manager in Scotland who had a deep passion for Celtic.
They are a giant in name only. They are broke and facing the prospect of a second administration in 4 years. They have a poor selection of wannabbes, hasbins and loanees in the their playing staff; they have a Sevco man at the helm who was effectively unemployed (ignore his wee Scotland job) at the time he took over – and who has had no real success since his early turn at Murderwell. They have no credit facilities, no Nomad, no income from or control over their merchandising, they are losing money every week and struggle to pay their monthly wage bill. They are tied into onerous commercial contracts set up by a previous regime of asset strippers. They have two managers on gardening leave, two directors on gardening leave and four loanees who are apprentice gardeners. They are a train wreck and will struggle to get out of the second tier league this season.
Other than that I agree with you.
:o)
Anything is possible CSC
beatbhoy
Thanks and TBB – I doff my bunnet.
That’s what I get for trying to scan read/scroll through just to catch up.
Still need a headache pill though.
Paul Larkin get onto this please.
A follow up to the Asterisk Years should be the Vanity Years.
HH
Geez, rwe, you’re on fire today!,
RWE
Any administration event at Sevco would be their first.
Other than that I agree with you.
Not everything is possible. . . You can’t be liquidated twice.
Geordie Munro
Correct! And we should have won both. Managerial ineptitude cost us the 1st and a MIB the other.
GM
Admittedly, my wording could have been better ….
I didnt say they only have to win one game … what I was trying to say was that most teams in the SPL (with the exception of one – Celtic) will have squads that will be weaker than theirs.
Even now, with what everyone here says is a joke of a squad, what is their record vs. SPL teams? 3- 1, I think (although I could be mistaken on this)….
The bit about 2 managers,2 directors and the four loanees all working at Dobbies Garden Centre was courtesy of OG Rafferty.
Scuse me mister, have you any fertilizer?
HH
RWE
No problem.
I knew BSR would happily take any glory going, so thought I’d better stop him in his tracks!
So a team that can’t win the second division will somehow rise up from the dead, find the money to buy decent players and win the top division…okaaaay I guess the International break is dragging on a bit:))
Hands up if you still need a Bogeyman??
Perhaps if we stopped buying average players from other scottish clubs,then real talent like Henderson would get plenty of game time,as he did under our previous manager, but not under the poor manager we have in charge now
Mike,
Yup they have a good record v average spfl teams this season. But their playing budget is grater than all 3 sides together.
It’s gonna have to be a ‘wait and see’ moment to see how this pans out but I’m predicting no shocks :)
HH
one of the seventy- beat it you are fooling no-one.
statement from Celtic re ticketing for Semi final.
http://www.celticfc.net/news/7948
“then real talent like Henderson would get plenty of game time,as he did under our previous manager, but not under the poor manager we have in charge now”
Did Liam henderson get much game time whilst Celtic were going for records and 2 trophies last season?
beatbhoy
Very true. I was in the zone and going for it :o)
As “rapeepul” and hingers on, they would endure their second Administration in 4 years though. Can’t happen to more deserving peepul.
Liquidate does exactly what it says on the tin.
Termination. Finito. Kaput.
Dalek CSC
GM
I hope you are right, but, increasingly, I am getting a bad feeling that there is a sense amongst our fans that they are done, and we are now home and dry….
everyone knows that these things go in cycles …. one day you’re up and the next day you are down …..
to take up the mantle left by WITS, until I can go into the alley behind the Tesco that stands where Ibrox used to be, and pee on their grave …. I will not be 100% comfortable
I think we need to guard against complacancy.
ozymandiusCSC
thomthethim for Oscar OK 16:05 on 1 April, 2015
It’s the pollen season here, so I have to stay indoors and daytime tv is all very Gerry Springer. :o)
Oscar Knox CSC