Let’s clear something up right away. Every summer Celtic know they may not reach the Champions League group stage. No matter how well they plan and recruit, they can come up against a better, or luckier, opponent. Champions League football might not happen in any given season, or the following season.
Celtic failed to reach the group stage of the Champions League five times in the last nine seasons. We might be getting better at qualification, but no one is making that assumption.
On 30 June last year, we had £24.5m in the bank. That figure should be higher on the same reporting date this year. We might not reach the Champions League group stage next season, but your football club has never been better prepared for a sporting reversal.
In a newspaper interview yesterday, Dave King compared Celtic’s current position with that of now-liquidated Rangers at the time Martin O’Neill came to Celtic. In O’Neill’s first season at Celtic, Rangers competed in the Champions League group stage before dropping to the Uefa Cup. But, on their 30 June 2001 reporting date, they had a bank balance of only £17,000. Not enough to buy a family hatchback.
Rangers were gambling every penny they could get their hands on without thought for the consequences of a reversal. It was a brutal period to be a Celtic fan, because although we were also losing money during at that time, the club was under siege from all sides for not ‘showing the ambition’ of the likes of David Murray and Dave King at Rangers.
Celtic know the perils of an over-dependence on Champions League revenues. We do not budget on having to qualify for the group stage each season, far from it. Our commercial sponsorship deals, retail and hotel plans, as well as player recruitment and development strategy, are all designed to mitigate an over-reliance on one source of income. A £24.5m bank balance is evidence of a club planning on long-term stability.
We know what we will do in any season they don’t qualify for the Champions League in order to give us the best chance to do so the following season. We know what to do to respond to any credible threat from another Scottish club for the domestic title.
We have experienced professionals in the boardroom and throughout all executive roles, and an actual billionaire who has put more money into Celtic than anyone has put into any Scottish football club – apart from the money the taxpayer wrote off due to the liquidation of Rangers while Dave King was paid to monitor and direct the club.
Celtic run scenarios on how things can go wrong. They know the limits of what King and Newco can achieve and believe the biggest threat to Celtic’s dominance is for the executive to make strategically bad moves. Rangers era of dominance was undone by financial recklessness, but in management terms, the problem was that the mechanisms did not exist to call the board to account on their gambling.
To combat this, Celtic have made sure that everyone at the club is challenged on their plans and performance, especially the chief executive. If there is a strategically bad move made at Celtic, which could threaten their dominance in Scotland, it will have to get through multiple layers of scrutiny and opposition. No one wants to be the next David Murray or Dave King.
Your football club might not be gamblers on the scale of Murray and King, but they are fiercely competitive and never want to lose another Scottish title. That is what we plan for, and that is the reality that Dave King cannot come to terms with.
£6m from a share issue – and he didn’t even commit to that amount, even if the Takeover Panel are quickly satisfied on the overdue share offer! And all that patter yesterday about delays in opening a bank account; why now transfer the money into your solicitor’s client account, like the rest of the world?
Why so many people put faith in this man “beggars belief”, to borrow a phrase. From his “glib and shameless liar” title to the years of evidence laid out in plain sight. You know how this story ends.
Ben Nevis Huddle is back!
After a three year gap, the Celtic fans will be back on Ben Nevis on mass on 30 June, to raise funds for your Foundation. This is a great chance to climb Britain’s highest in the company of dozens of other Celtic fans.
Participants are asked to raise (only) £130 for the Foundation. It is a great opportunity, see here for more details and to sign up.
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Refereeing in Scotland holds the country back.
The cheating is sometimes obvious, but the tolerance of “agricultural” football isn’t tolerated in European football.
As TET says, sort the Refs……………
Either the tactical genius that is Jimmy Nicholl has turned the game or the sheep have stopped playing.
The hem is rising gently again – McInness braves are gonna let another one in
Aberdeen have no idea how to build the game by passing the ball. They hit long balls, hit and hope. Problem is second half Cosgrove has been non existent, unable to work with the long balls and isolated, hence whole game plan falls apart. McInnes is a dud.
A draw is what Lenny wants, he wins his last two games Hibs get second.
Jeeso maybe not – these are two seriously crap outfits – Aberdeen have actually stopped as in ‘had a stroke’ stopped – what did Dexyvsay at half time?
Sheep v Sevco shocking stuff.
Wee Tom obviously must refer to RFC’s ‘glorious’ history at least 6 times each game bizzare.. Scott Symon born 107 years ago today apparently whit?!
On comes Conan the Librarian!
Watching this , I think we have enough Ryan Christie’s at the club . If we have a midfield slot free ,BR Should be filling it with a hard as nails enforcer to help broonie, he has been singled out alright , and it’s only a matter of time before he collects a bad one . Make no mistake ,the scouser ,will have one on order.
Even allowing for this dross I would expect to see quality rising above it, not impressed by Ryan Christie tonight or any other game he has played for the sheep against the hun
Richie
Great to see you on.
I moved to Knightswood fae Partick when I was 7. Am I a Partick Bhoy or a Knightswood Bhoy?
HH
Deary me…
No but wunner the Sheep’s grun is empty…
David66
I don’t remember watching Murphy fae Langy playing fitba wi my son. I remember John Fleck fae Langy. He was the pick of the bunch. A fantastic youth player. Glad he is doing well at Sheffield. A great kid.
McInnes puts Rooney on right on the 90 minute mark. Embarrassing.
DAVID17
Plan B:)))
Plan A was to get beat!
1-1 final score.
Dons didn’t appear second half after dominating in first.
Huns were dreadful. Gerrard is going to need an awful lot more than £6m
That would get football banned. 90 minutes of my life I will never get back.
McInnes only needed to beat them once all season to knock them off second spot for sure. Come on Lenny’s Hibs……
Cracking result for Hibs
Deek that was some team talk,your players are definitely on side!!!!!!Ya fud playing to the camera is the last thing you should try?
Hibs beat diet huns tomorrow they are in with a very good chance of finishing 2nd
Aberdeen /PISH …must have a very warm night off East coast Morelos sweating like a peeg!
that’s put hibs well back in it
Morelas hardly got a sniff tonight…but I’m sure he’ll make up for it later.
TET
I know a man in Glesca. He is rich from buying things from abroad and selling in Glesvegas. Pena and Morelos in Bearsden are his best ever customers. Open secret in West End Glesca circles. Cocaine Orgies would be the honest SMSM Headline.
it’s good to hear sir alex is up and talking – hope he comes round fully
I can’t see Ryan Christie having a future at Celtic, the few times I’ve seen him this season haven’t shown me anything to make me think he’s anywhere near the level of Tom Rogic, Calum McG or Stretch.
I wonder if BR sent him off to toughen him up, doesn’t seem to be working.((
Aberdeen clueless all over the park I would be happy if at any point Deeko pitches up at Poundland, a very limited manager of the Jim Jeffries school of fitbaw abuse:))
If Hibs get a point from Hearts and beat Sevco , I would actually want Aberdeen to get a point from us.
Goodnight all.
JJ
Bateen Bhoy, £6m doesn’t even cover the deficit next season, never mind spending on new players!
Funny how 2nd place doesn’t matter to Der Hun now..
A few weeks ago there was a title challenge..
Then Murthinio better get 2nd place..
Now the orcs are saying does nae matter about 2nd..
Oh and after the shite that the Glib and Shameless liar has spouted in the last couple of days, they still believe he has Sevco at heart….
Honestly, not only are they the ugliest son of a bitches, but they truelly are the feckin thickest, gullabille fans anywhere on planet earth..
I hope Neil Francis Lennon gets 2nd spot
Onto Killie tomorrow night for the hoops COYBIG
D. :)
JJ, never for me. A league on merit.
I will suppress my disappointment if we do drop a point, or three.
Just checked the Table…..O, no I wouldn`t ( want Aberdeen to get a point ) !!
JJ
STARRY PLOUGH-agree regarding Ryan unfortunately
Delaneys
You can spot the puffed faces a mile off, I knew loads of folks back in Ireland who had the same look, every single one of them partook, imagine if the sfa decided to do a drug test, what am I saying, never happen, tho it would if the rumours were about our players right enough..
HH
That was shite, pure shite. Neither of those teams deserve second place.
C’mon the Hibs.
I think Lewis Morgan will be one of our best ever signings. Don’t know what is his strongest foot. Ambidextrous like Lubo. We are in for a treat next season wi this Bhoy.