King circles the wagons as clouds loom

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Newco have cut Celtic’s ticket allocation at Ibrox from 7,000 to 800 tickets per game next season.  I understand their thinking.  There have been four games between the clubs at Ibrox, Celtic winning each: the first, coming from behind, the second, free-wheeling by a couple of goals, the third – scoring five, and the fourth – twice coming from behind, then winning with 10 men.

It is a litany of humiliation, played out while 7,000 have a party in a stadium, the rest of which is near-empty well before full time.  Can you imagine having to sit through this, season after season?  Of course they want to reduce our headcount and garner whatever competitive advantage possible.

There are problems.  League rules state a “reasonable number of visiting supporters” must be admitted.  This number should be agreed in advance with the visiting club, or else the SPFL board will adjudicate.

Then there is the small matter of the Ibrox safety certificate, which Dave King previously said depended on Celtic fans being given the Broomloan Stand.  The police insist each set of fans have distinct and separate approaches to stadiums at high-risk games.

Celtic will be happy to reduce the number of Newco fans they have to accommodate – it should shelve talk of having to put prison-grade toilet facilities in areas they visit.  Each away team will suffer a competitive disadvantage, but making visits to Ibrox trickier will do our European preparations no harm.

Whatever the police and SPFL say, Dave King has more to worry about.

He still has to get £11m out of South Africa and into a UK bank account.
He needs to satisfy the Takeover Panel before he can start a share issue.
He needs to satisfy the Court of Session over his failure to comply with Takeover Panel instructions.
He needs to satisfy loans due by 1 July (Oh you thought they were all going to be converted to shares, did you? Wait for this one).
He needs to fund a trading shortfall for next season.
He needs to find enough cash to keep the management team on-side before the transfer window closes.
And he needs to convince Uefa they satisfy Financial Fair Play regulations.  Straightforward if you have lots of cash, don’t need to use it to buy-out other shareholders at 20p/share, repay loans or fund a football team.

There is simply too much to do.  Better to circle the wagons by throwing some crumbs to the easily-deluded.  You know how this story ends.

It’s the 25th May.  It is also the weekend.  You have permission to wallow in nostalgia for 24 hours.  Enjoy it.

You can also participate in Green Day: donate £5 (see below) to the Foundation.  You’ll enjoy this too.

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1,586 Comments

  1. Re Alan McManus.

     

     

    I dated his aunt (his Mum’s sister), sadly passed away at a very young age.

     

     

    I knew his Mum too, she worked in IT.

     

     

    Lovely lady too.

  2. fairhill bhoy on

    GFTB-yes mate Aldo was in my year at holy cross in Hamilton,he should have been in my history/geography class but was to busy playing the hustler down in leisure land 85/86

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    DELANEYSDUNKY

     

     

    The most famous person who shared my birthday was my Dad’s favourite player.

     

     

    11 July,Charlie Tully.

  4. fairhill bhoy on

    DD-we all called him mr Sinclair as well,can always remember his advice when hitting the white,squeeze the butt off the que like it was a tube of toothpaste .?

  5. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    !BADABING!

     

     

    Aye,but they got away with it. Most of the players don’t live in the UK,the club wrote off £150m+ and yet where are they,entered in the EL?

     

     

    Betcha HMRC gets the square root of sod all from the recipients.

     

     

    Disgraceful,the Scottish establishment closed ranks with their feet at 90 degrees.

  6. Gerryfaethebrig on

    BMCUWP 8.49pm

     

     

    Is that not a different club :-)

     

     

    Hector plays the long game (hopefully)

  7. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Guys Weet Weet Weet not great just now, he would enjoy your support on here HH

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    GERRYFAETHEBRIG

     

     

    Aye. But HMRC have given up on Oldco,and are going after the recipients. They won’t succeed in that either,and meantime,the huns are not £150m worse off.

     

     

    Can you imagine us getting away wi dumping £150m of debt?

     

     

    Or anyone,come to that?

     

     

    And then the owner dumping another billion of debt,and ending up minted(!) wi some of the best property and development opportunities in Edinburgh?

     

     

    Aye,I can just see it,Gerry. Like I said,establishment at 90 degrees,on the square.

  9. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    !BADABING!

     

     

    And we know why,bud. I’ll mail and text him,but you know…

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    BMCUW

     

     

    My daughter Paula’s favourite player and pin up is Kieran Tierney. Born the same day as her da. That nailed KT to Paula. Nice that you have your dad’s fave Charlie Tully born on your birthday. This feels symmetrical through 3 generations. Nice one

     

    HH

  11. With any luck we will be able to move on DDV, jozo, gamboa, Boyata, Hayes, Bitton, Amstrong, Allan and Cifchi. dembele will likely go as well.

     

     

    So squad of Gordon, Bain, Lustig, ralston, KT, Millar, Hendry, Ajar, Comppar, Brown, Mcgregor, Ncham, Kiasia, Rogic, Christie, Forrest, Sinclair, Morgan, Johnston, Leigh and Atchison.

     

     

    Use some of the transfer money brought in and the wage saved from outgoings to sign up in order eduard, a quality centreback, rightback, gk the creative mid/ forward

     

     

    End up with a very good 26 man squad of a much higher quality all of who can contribute when needed.

     

     

    HH

  12. Delaneys Dunky on

    BMCUW

     

     

    Also my favourite ever fitba player is Daniel Fergus McGrain. Think you love Danny too? ????????

  13. Gerryfaethebrig on

    BMCUWP 9.01pm

     

     

    I hear you, don’t be so sure they won’t get anywhere, I remember people saying the 10th tier tribunal would rule in favour of the Huns :-)

  14. Delaneys Dunky on

    BB

     

     

    I remember asking Weet Weet Weet if he was fae Dalmuir West and was he Marti Pellow?

     

    Hope he is good.

  15. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    DELANEYSDUNKY

     

     

    Danny,oh aye. I’ve seen some great players at our club,but only Danny was recognised as world-class and spent his career with us.

     

     

    That’s not to say that certain others weren’t World-Class,but everyone recognised Danny as the best in his position.

     

     

    Except of course,the Scotland managers who played him out of position,denying Erich Schaedler of the caps he deserved.

  16. Jimmynotpaul on

    Weet Weet Weet.

     

    So sorry to hear that you are not great just now.

     

    I always enjoy reading your posts and hopefully will see a few more in the future.

     

    Hail Hail

  17. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Weet Weet Weet

     

     

    You are one of the good ghuys, you take care and give me a bell anytime

  18. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Bhoys- a mutual pal phoned me from Tenerife, re WWW he is home tomorrow and i will update any info i can HH

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    BMCUW

     

     

    Wore my Danny McGrain 2 World Class tee shirt on Friday in Kerrydale. You will see it in Belfast in 10 days or so. It’s a belter fae Boca10

     

    HH

  20. Dallas

     

    Thought was fastest booking….as you said would be a red all day long now. Given what has transpired he couldn’t have clocked a better person.

  21. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    DELANEYSDUNKY

     

     

    I’ll try to remember my Fidel McGrain top from Boca. It’s a belter.

     

     

    HH

  22. Delaneys Dunky on

    BMCUW

     

     

    Love that Fidel McGrain tap.

     

    My new one is an adidas white training shoe with McGrain 02 on the trainer. Under it says.

     

    DANNY McGRAIN

     

    WORLD CLASS

  23. Weet Weet Weet: thoughts with you at this time.

     

     

    Walking Tour participants noted.

     

     

    Forgot to mention some fan experience improvements around the stadium when I visited at the weekend.

     

     

    The Magnificent 7 picture frame hoarding is brilliant but my favourite is the double treble display above the main stand.

     

     

    A fans’ café would be a nice addition.