Laying commercial roots in Australia

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This morning, Celtic announced an Academy link with a Sydney-based organisation to deliver a youth tournament ahead of the club’s visit there in November. Since the Ange Coming Home Tour deal was signed, the club have been looking at ways to broaden our footprint in Australia. Where you see ‘youth football tournament’, I am inclined to read, ‘laying down commercial roots’.

Our domestic market is fixed and, if anything, is likely to be butchered with young eyeballs migrating to the English Premier League. The great waves of Scottish migration to Australia and North America have been little more than trickle for decades. There is just not the same number of ex-pats there to sustain valuable streams.

Ignore these demographic trends and Celtic will shrink. It is difficult to swim against the EPL tide, but whatever we can do to irrigate new territories is worth trying. The more obvious question is what to do about Japan? I don’t see encouraging signs of building a Celtic oasis there. Pity.

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701 Comments

  1. May have posted this before…here goes.

     

    Q)This player won a Premier league winners medal with Celtic and a first division winners medal in the same season.Who he?

  2. Jimbo67

     

    I thought it was ancient history for me, but this now second time around.

     

     

    Right, I must exit – but regarding King Billy’s nickname:

     

     

    The Nickname ‘Cesar’

     

     

    Everyone seems to know that Billy McNeill’s nickname is Cesar, and then have images of the rampaging Roman leader Julius Caesar rising above all others at the Coliseum. When you see the pictures of Billy McNeill holding aloft the European Cup in 1967 on being presented the trophy after the victory over Inter Milan, it is easy to see how the comparisons come about. Cries and headlines of ‘Hail Cesar‘ are not uncommon either when his name is mentioned.

     

     

    Alas, it is an easy mistake for anyone to make. Firstly note, it’s ‘Cesar‘ not ‘Caesar‘, and the nickname is not actually in reference to the old Roman leader.

     

     

    His nickname actually derives from being one of the only Celtic team players to own a vehicle at the time, and was inspired by a role in the movie Ocean’s Eleven (the original version) played by the actor Cesar Romero who acted as the crime gang’s getaway driver in the film. Cesar Romero was, at the time, one of the original Hollywood bratpack of Sinatra, Romero, Sammy Davies Jnr, Dean Martin etc, a million miles away from Billy McNeill’s real persona.

     

     

    Still, the mistake is carried on by many, and even Billy McNeill himself played along with it, with an autobiography of his having been titled ‘Hail Cesar‘, carrying over the spelling difference.

     

     

    However, there are still plenty of those who still claim otherwise. Lisbon Lion, Bertie Auld says that the nickname ‘Caesar‘ was used long after the original nickname of ‘Cesar‘, and many still stick to that story, although Billy McNeill himself dismissed this.

     

     

    The original with ‘Cesar‘ as was used by Billy McNeill in his autobiography seems more likely to sit right.

     

     

    ‘If ever a man was made for a specific club, it was Billy McNeill and Glasgow Celtic…. His heart was always at Parkhead.’

     

    Peter Swales (Chairman of Man City 1989)

     

    https://www.thecelticwiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Billy-McNeill-Pics-008-1.jpg

     

     

    https://www.thecelticwiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Billy-McNeill-Pics-003-1.jpg

     

     

    https://www.thecelticwiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Billy-McNeill-Pics-002-1.jpg

     

     

    https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/GXEnaFmcMo0i2c-4VGz-5A61331

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  4. We won two trebles in the two seasons after McG didn’t sign.

     

     

    It doesn’t really go down as one of the bigger blunders in our history

  5. garygillespieshamstring on

    Scullybhoy

     

     

    Hope everything goes well tomorrow .

     

     

    Missed today’s photos unfortunately .

     

     

     

    HH

  6. Joe I think I got the answer, but I cheated, so I won’t ruin it for others. Great question.

     

     

    😇 V 😈

     

     

    Right MUST go.

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  8. Was in the company of my grandson today,he was at the game last night.

     

    A bigot behind him called out ,Get into the tattie munchies ,three times ,my grandson called him and his cronies out ,they all shut up ,cowards and bigots scum bags

  9. Joe

     

     

    I actually got it totally wrong, but this is an interesting little story –

     

     

    Olivier Tebily arrived at Birmingham in March 2002 and helped the Midlanders into the Premiership, having a Nationwide First Division playoff winner’s medal draped over his not inconsiderable frame in the process. And imagine his glee when a shiny Scottish Premier League winners medallion turned up postmarked Glasgow. He had, of course, left Celtic in the spring.

  10. Joe

     

     

    Hibs were in the first division at the time Bertie Auld signed Sneddon and they went on to win the league and gain promotion. Sneddon had played enough games in the first half of the season for Celtic – who also won the league – but the old board never came through with the medal for their former player. Maybe this is a wrong that Celtic could now put right? That old Celtic board incidentally were instrumental in wrecking that emerging Celtic side under Cesar’s guidance and in doing so allowed Aberdeen and to a lesser extent, Dundee Utd to emerge as real contenders for the next few years.

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  13. JOE

     

     

    I was just checking my arrangements for Tuesday, and my lunch break is 1:00 – 1:45 so would actually suit if it works for you.

  14. Never really bought into the Oceans Eleven theory for Big Billy.

     

    The Character played by Cesar Romero in the movie was called Duke Santos.

     

    Folks named after movie characters rarely get called after the actor. Rambo, not Sylvester for example

     

    Surely Billy would have been called Duke?

     

    Or would that have confused things with John Wayne, who wasn’t in the movie?

     

    The plot thickens….

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  16. Petec,

     

     

    On a pay per game,we are one of the highest paid leagues in Europe.We will get no better TV deal.

     

    Don’t be fooled by the chatter from across the City.They have an agenda.

  17. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Always assumed Billy was nicknamed Cesar due to a general likeness with Mr Romero.

     

     

    Personally I can’t see this likeness.

     

     

    Likewise with Jim Craig and John Cairney.

     

     

    Back in the 80s I though Graeme Souness looked like John Oates.

     

     

    Suggestions that the John’s career took off when he teamed up with Daryl Hall while the slow rot set in for Graeme when he got closer to Masonic Hall …

     

     

    … are, of course, unfounded.

  18. SCULLYBHOY@ 9.44

     

    Was watching Simon Reeve’s South America BBC2…Tuesday will let you know tomorrow..Will that be possible?I could leave the books in Culturlann and inform staff.

     

    ●The Bhoy and his cousin● Go ahead Scully!

  19. Jimbo67

     

     

    Great Celtic Post earlier re your path,I just lost a reply as reception is poor where I am.

     

     

    HH

  20. CELTIC40ME on 25TH SEPTEMBER 2022 8:11 PM

     

     

    We won two trebles in the two seasons after McG didn’t sign.

     

     

    It doesn’t really go down as one of the bigger blunders in our history

     

     

    =====================

     

     

    And it doesn’t impact Ange team for Motherwell on Saturday.? Nup

     

     

    Get all in int breaks bhoys back and get back to a win

     

    1 point from 9 last 3 games.:-) Ange will be looking to get a victory.lots to look forward to

     

    Haksabanovic and Abilgaard to fuse in?

     

    Squad rotation in run up to WC

     

    Injury to deal with And adapt to

     

     

    HH

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  22. Bhoyjoebelfast on 25th September 2022 10:16 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY@ 9.44

     

     

    Was watching Simon Reeve’s South America BBC2…Tuesday will let you know tomorrow..Will that be possible?I could leave the books in Culturlann and inform staff.

     

    ●The Bhoy and his cousin● Go ahead Scully!

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    As I said before, it would be nice to meet, and I have a wee Celtic gift for you.

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    The Bhoy is Eoghan O’Connell and his cousin is Paul O’Connell the former Irish Rugby captain.

  23. Regarding King Billy, I think I read that story about the nickname in his autobiography – I might be wrong, though.

  24. Jimbo67 thanks for that post it reminds you that following Celtic is not always easy but in the end it is always worthwhile

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