Kyogo, icon who made Scotland a better place

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This impact Kyogo made on Celtic is difficult to overestimate.  He cost three times more than any of our other recent players from Japan and established his credentials a week after touching down in Scotland.  In August 2021, Celtic were trophyless and at their lowest point this century.

Kyogo was the spark that ignited the club.  His perpetual motion, enthusiasm, selflessness and his goals, mostly his goals, gave us cause to hope for the future.  He also gave us 8 out of 10 trophies contested during his time in Glasgow.

His first virtuoso performance delivered a hattrick against Dundee.  We thought we were onto something special, but dare not dream of the levels he delivered.  Kyogo enjoys a big game and took special delight in scoring against Newco.  Including an incredible seven goals in 2023.  He terrorised them at Celtic Park, Hampden and Ibrox.

With him on the field, you could be playing badly, but knew something special could happen at any moment.  His hattrick of disallowed goals against Young Boys on Wednesday apparently bookends his time as an active Celtic icon.  His inactive icon status will last decades, though.

Without doubt, he is the best since Henrik Larsson – the only appropriate reference point.  We waited 20 years between the departure of Kenny Dalglish and Larsson’s arrival.  The 17 years between Henrik and Kyogo were filled with some great Celtic strikers, but none possessed the sheer magic of Kyogo.

It wasn’t just his play.  The man picked up litter, comforted injured opponents and wherever he went, made Scotland a better place.  I cannot see someone throw litter away without contrasting them to our hero.  He was an example of how to work hard and live your life.  And there was that smile.

I have been preaching Asset Management here for decades.  ‘Manage your assets or fail to manage your assets’.  Fans like you and I have sporting heroes, but Michael Nicholson’s job (as well as being a fan) is to manage our assets.  A reported fee of £10m for a player who turned 30 this month and had a significantly less effective 2024 than 2023 is Tier One asset management.

I only hope we do not backfill with one of Brendan’s agent pals’ players, or someone he watched a while back but is now out of favour in the English Championship.

Best of luck to Kyogo in France.  Despite his horrendous performance last night Jack Butland will be a happy man today.

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629 Comments

  1. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    Needing glasses to read that big sign hmmmm..hope he still has an eye for a goal.

     

    Jota tshirt ironed and ready to be packed for Lanzarote.

  2. Because I am really boring, I went and tried to put a business case and feasability study for Celtic plc buying the emirates.

     

     

    I came to the conclusion, it would indeed be a financial white elephant, simply because how do you use it often enough to make a profit ?

     

     

    I am near certain as well that the current arrangement of sell and lease back by the council will include clauses that the venue must be used for sporting purposes, promoting the health of glasgow citizens as a core belief, and i couldnt find anything about hospitality or alcohol sales being allowed.

     

     

    Ask yourself, what would celtic do with the following facilities –

     

     

    Capacity 8,200 (tennis)

     

    6,500 (basketball)

     

    5,000 (arena)

     

    2,000 (velodrome)

     

    1,650 (sports hall)

     

     

    by the way, we already use the bus park on match days, and i know several car-user glaswegians who are members of the glasgow club and therefor use the car park.

     

     

    so it doesnt fly for me.

  3. BB –

     

     

    THE BUILDING COST £113M to construct already 13 years ago.

     

     

    To convert it to , lets call it a multi purpose hospitality venue, maybe even with hotel rooms, would in my opinion cost as much again.

     

     

    Barrowfield is costing £12m for a big shed and 3 standard flat roofed box builds.

     

     

    I do wonder about renting the facility for big matches, especialy europe, but i really wonder would the council approve alcohol sales ?

     

     

    we cant even get a fanzone, but the rangers bizarelly can.

     

     

    It would just be another Tedmcminn house boondoggle of a facility.

     

     

    I ask the same question to celtic fans all the time, how often do you visit celtic park in a calendar year ?

     

     

    25ish times for home games, and the odd trip to the ticket office or the shop, thats it.

     

     

    invest in our own builds, and the stadium footprint is what i keep coming back to.

  4. lets all do the huddle on

    there must have been some amount of the irish brigade still stayed over in glasgow even though the game got scrapped.

     

     

    Molly’s was mobbed all afternoon, then emptied about 4, they must have all been heading for the same plane or boat.

     

     

    fair play to them.

  5. bigrailroadblues on

    Good evening all from the Victoria Bar. You can never have enough good times. I’m enjoying the Celtic winning, I’ll always celebrate every win.👍

  6. Thanks everyone. We are now back home 🙏

     

    Burnley78 – thank you for your kind words and sharing your own story. Delighted to hear such positivity. Like your own good lady, Maria is a fighter and very much focused on getting better.

  7. BHOYJOEBELFAST on 26TH JANUARY 2025 3:26 PM

     

    BURNLEY 78 @ 3:09

     

     

    Bobby Brown and John White

     

     

    *the former hun goalie who in his biography claimed that in a cup game to queen of the south when the home side were losing in the dying minutes they were given their usual penalty from which they equalised and then won the replay, the mitb at the time when later on in the bowling club circuit would often boast that they NEVER lost a game which he reffed.

     

     

    As for the legendary original “ghost of white heart lane” John White was one of the finest inside forwards to play for the national side, unfortunately he was regularly booed by the denizens of the mount florida end as they preferred ralphie brand to him, aye ralphie effin brand another hun who, just like baxter, flopped after moving south of the border

  8. !!Bada Bing!! on 26th January 2025 4:32 pm

     

    SS – Is it not a licenced premises already?

     

     

    mibbies.

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    Room Information

     

     

    There are ​10 areas available for hire at the Emirates Arena:

     

     

    Function Room full area (max 250)

     

    Function Room arena view (max 170)

     

    Function Room velodrome view (max 50)

     

    Room 2 (max 6)

     

    Room 3 (max 6)

     

    Room 4 (max 20)

     

    Room 5 (max 12)

     

    Media Suite Room A and B (max 50)

     

    Media Suite Room A (max 30)

     

    Media Suite Room B (max 25)

     

     

    The venue is suitable for:

     

     

    Awards Ceremonies

     

    Community Events

     

    Conferences

     

    Standing Receptions

     

    Banquets

     

    Meetings

     

     

    https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/sport/venues/emirates-arena/emirates-arena-facilities/hospitality

  9. SS- Thanks for the additional information, I think the space has huge potential if renovated,but agree would need to be functional on non match days

  10. The Bold Levein………………learned the lesson….. of speaking oot aboot hunned-up scoddish fitba’………

     

    “promoted” to national Bawss…….

     

    …….put him firmly inside the tent.

     

     

    While No-One Gets Fired For Hiring IBM, naebdy gets on to Shortie who’s no’ partial to the Teddies.

     

     

    Aye

  11. St Stivs

     

     

    I realise there may not be the ambition in the club to ‘step change’ to being a ‘sports club’ brand and more than just a football team …. It’s a model other multi sports franchises across Europe seem to have but would utilising that facility not enable that’s type of approach whilst also allowing greater game day use of the facilities and further superior training and development facilities for our football department.

     

     

    Not done any numbers but this kind of Celtic Sports village concept seems more exciting to me than just a Hotel etc as previously touted. Of course a hotel would be needed also.

  12. Mings goes off injured. Feel very sorry for the lad. Hope it’s not too serious but maybe also that it keeps him out for Wednesday.

  13. The Battered Bunnet on

    Never met the guy but I like Levein on Shortbread. In contrast to his persona as a manager, he’s got a decent sense of humour and – moreover – provides insightful punditry. It’s never crossed my mind that he’s anything else but fair minded.

     

     

    On the other hand, Packie Bonnar is a waste of airtime. I’ve been listening to this guy on Shortie for donks’ and have yet to her him say something interesting let alone useful. The sense is that he turns up unprepared, opens his gub to belch when asked and leaves with his cheque. Great keeper, crap pundit. And as the regular Token Tim on the show, a longstanding squandered jersey.

     

     

    Hey ho. Different strokes etc.

  14. BADA BING!! on 26TH JANUARY 2025 4:07 PM

     

    Taylor new improved contract offer

     

    —————/

     

    If that’s the case I for one will be delighted – hope he will accept🫰HH

  15. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    TBB – not sure about Levein, but your assessment of Bonner is spot on.

     

     

    As Bankiebhoy says often, he’s a nugget.

  16. Woohooo!!! Leccy back on after 3 days.

     

    Looking for some advice from the lhads across the sea. For a Xmas present, my daughter has bought me and my grandson tickets for The Wolfe Tones last ever concert in Limerick in July. (I know, I know, the last one was last year but, but,but,).

     

    Anyway, I’m looking for the best way to get there. Thinking of flying to Cork, then hiring a car up the way….or flying to Dublin and hiring a car across the way. Direct Flights to Shannon are a lot more infrequent. Ferry may be an option but time is short (or too long, if you know what I mean ). Any suggestions???

  17. Bada Bing

     

     

    It may be a bit ambitious but I would think if it was the right plan there is enough capability to deliver it.

     

     

    Chris T as our 2nd largest shareholder for instance did a great job with the site where the Hydro is now. He obviously owns Radisson Red and the Rotunda development but that whole site was under ‘Forrest’ which is his business back at the start. If anyone can then I would think Chris has the expertise and capability to develop a site like that empathetically with what currently exists.