On 25 May 2019 the script went like this: Neil Lennon left Hibernian, by far the better run of the Edinburgh clubs, under a cloud, with various versions of events going round, none of them particularly supportive of our manager. He was mutually consented out of Bolton Wanderers and the halcyon days of Champions League glory against Barcelona were a seven-year-old memory.
Celtic were transformed under Brendan Rodgers, who left without dropping a trophy after bringing a level of professionalism the Scottish game had never experienced. By contrast, Newco had a stable ownership structure, management team and a squad which performed better than expected in their first season of European group stage competition. With a season under his belt, Steven Gerrard knew he had money to spend; this was the time to push the boat out.
It is unfair to say this of a treble winning team, but it is also true that season 2018-19 ended with Celtic looking a bit one-paced. For all his glory, Rodgers missed more often than he hit the target in the transfer market; the squad looked in need of an overhaul. For these reasons, at the start of the season I wrote our chances of winning the league were 50/50.
What transpired was one of the most fascinating seasons in recent memory and we’ve had a few of those. Credit to Gerrard. Again he outperformed expectations in Europe but this time he outperformed the expectations of many Celtic supporters domestically. He picked his team off the canvas after Odsonne Eduard and Jonny Hayes teed up Celtic’s season with a win at Ibrox in August, competed twice a week through the autumn before two games against Celtic in December that will long be subject of debate.
Newco wiped the floor with us in the League Cup Final at Hampden. Tactically, they controlled the game and were it not for a sublime finish by Christopher Jullien and the most impressive goalkeeper performance we have seen in 15 years; their eight-year wait for a trophy would have ended. Instead, a substitution led to a free kick and a goal. Celtic then faced an onslaught which both looked impossible to withstand and bizarre in its wastefulness.
What happened at Hampden informed Celtic’s decision-making when the teams met on league duty at Celtic Park three weeks later. Odsonne Edouard was able to start up front, instead of Lewis Morgan, with the expectation that normal service would resume. It didn’t. Newco again bossed the game, this time winning. Newco had a difficult December but were set for an easier set of fixtures after the winter break. You, me, Neil Lennon and the players went off on the winter break knowing it could be March before the teams were due to meet at Ibrox and we would have a chance to make regain the initiative. But going to Ibrox after being handed our arse on a plate at Celtic Park was a daunting task.
This exact scenario was what Newco’s confidence when they Tweeted anticipation for this season minutes after Neil Lennon’s permanent appointment was all about. The script was written, Neil would buckle under the pressure, Gerrard had responded from the Hampden despair by tactically schooling the Celtic manager and had the means to win the title.
Let the history books show that if Newco were able to hold onto late leads against Hearts, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, and beat Hamilton and Aberdeen at home, Celtic’s run of successive league titles would have stopped short of the record nine-in-a-row.
For 22 years I have looked back on the shambles that was Celtic early in season 1997-98 and I still cannot figure out how we won the league to ‘stop the 10’. If anything, this season is a greater mystery. They did not know it at the time, but all Newco needed to do to win the league was win a handful of games against opposition vastly inferior to Celtic or those they comfortably despatched in Europe.
The pandemic should have been the gift that allowed the title to go to Ibrox without the need to face Celtic a further twice. But the script was not followed, Neil Lennon coped rather well with the pressure. Whatever ailed him at Hibs put fuel in his tank. Celtic were imperious, anyone who wanted their title would have to reach new heights.
At this point Steven Gerrard began looking like the man under pressure. He questioned his team’s bottle as each reversal brought a new wave of indignity. Instead of the pandemic gifting him the best chance he will ever have of winning the league, it probably saved his job, as performances could not continue on the path they were for another two months.
Getting things right at a football club is more difficult than it seems, even when you apparently win everything with ease. Celtic knew they had a battle on their hands at the start of this season, there was no complacency, but there is also a lot of corporate learning built into the Celtic Park ecosystem. I spoke to Peter Lawwell during the winter break, he was calmer than most of us, “We have the best manager, the best squad and we are going to win the league.” No panic, just a clear assurance that we stick to plan.
God knows what lies ahead of us next season. It will be very different in every respect, but no one will underestimate Neil Lennon, or Celtic’s incessant winning strategy. Congratulations to the manager, players, backroom staff, commercial team, administrators, board and every Celtic supporter who did their bit. Our second nine-in-a-row was one of the sweetest yet!
Jackie Dziekanowski Celtic top auction
The Walk With Shay Legacy Fund are delighted to bring you a very special auction tonight. We have in our possession a signed and framed Jackie Dziekanowski Celtic top which can be seen here.
This was one of two signed Jackie tops donated by our Polish CQNer, Zbysek in 2009, during the Bringing Martin Home campaign. Zbysek had arranged to meet up with Jackie to get these tops signed. One of these tops was won in the raffle at the grand finale fundraising night for Bringing Martin Home at the Kerrydale Suite in the same year, by another CQNer, Murdoch, Auld & Hay. Stephen sadly passed away last year, and his brother Jim, kindly donated the top to us to raise funds for a future good cause.
We are therefore delighted to announce that all of the net proceeds raised in this auction, will be donated to Strathcarron Hospice, in memory of our good friend Helen Dunese Stewart (Minx 1888), who sadly passed away recently.
To bid, please send an email to walkwithshay@yahoo.com, with your bid (and indeed with a maximum bid if you wish as well). For instance your bid may be £50, but you can also say this will be up to the maximum of £100. So, if a rival bid comes in at £60, your bid will automatically be increased (in £10 tranches) to £70.
The bidding closes next Friday 22nd May at 8:30pm and the winner will be notified shortly afterwards and arrangements will be made for the winner to collect the framed top. We can also arrange for the top to be couriered to the winner, but delivery costs would need to be added.
We will of course, keep everyone informed of the highest bid as we progress during the auction.
Please note, that If you wish your bid to remain anonymous please state this when your bid.
Happy Bidding and thank you.
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It’s very hard to see where we stand on the European stage.
The Champions League is a competition for the privileged few. That competition isn’t much of a competition anymore.
We are much better suited to the Europa League. Our ambition should be to reach the latter stages of that competition.
We’ve had great results against the likes of Lazio and Leipzig. Not to be sniffed at. We need to get better at knockout football though.
Zenit St Petersburg and FC Copenhagen were there for the taking. We had the quality to better those teams. We weren’t mentally strong enough or tactically efficient.
Cheap goals flew in. We need to play smarter.
Anybody else feeling conflicted by the contribution of Kris Commons in the Nine but can’t stand the sight of him anymore?
Terrific leader Pablo. Cheers.
Loved this sentence ….
“no complacency, but there is also a lot of corporate learning built into the Celtic Park ecosystem”.
The value of that corporate learning should not be underestimated.
Essentially the “Anfield boot room” concept of shared intelligence and continuity … but operating across the whole club.
It has given our club a foundation for
– unprecedented domestic success
– a sustainable financial model
– extending our influence, SPFL, SFA, ECA
– seeing to it that malcontents are, one-by-one, either marginalised or booted out of Scottish football.
An Tearmann
Haven’t read the Herald letter just yet but will do in a mo.
I think I’m right that the owners of the home in Skye also own another one in Uddingston which has also seen multiple deaths and infections. A scandal of the highest order North and South of the border.
Thing is Nicola seemed to be more concerned that the great writer Neil Gaiman (who is a MacKinnon btw) travelled all the way back to Skye. (though it was from New Zealand to be fair)
In fine fettle after yesterday, we, all of us, have been really lucky with the weather during the lockdown, not a cure of course but no shortage of vitamin D that is for sure. As BSP pointed out yesterday, it poured down the day of our last match, but it won’t rain on our Parade.
Hail Hail Big Fellah
TIMALOY29
Spot on. When we can get past teams like Copenhagen , we will have shown real improvement.
Oh Dear
FtSFA have decided Res12 has nowhere to go
NORRIEM
Is this a trade off for them being refused a licence next season ?
I can’t believe how money faced posters are today. Focusing on the negative less that 24 hours after Celtic being confirmed Champions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52728938
Bang on cue, Res12 buried under 9 in a row. You can never be cynical enough.
Res 12 dead? That takes a lot of the shine off the 9 In A Row celebrations for me.
https://news.stv.tv/sport/football/scottish-fa-drops-charges-against-rangers-over-euro-licence?top
Bada Bing
What a strange coincidence in timing.
Carry on Cheating csc
Pardon me – sorry, apologies for the language.
MODERATOR – please forward my comments on to the SFA
cmon guys,
picking a worst eleven at this moment in time, leave them bhoys alone.
several contributed a goal or an assist , played in a winning game, bringing points home.
they didnt sign themselves. some went on to play at other levels and success,.
give them a break, they all got more game time than i ever did.
9 in a row,
enjoy the glow
FTSFA are crooks, they don’t believe a lengthy and costly investigation is worth the effort.
So the Huns get away scot free with a decade of cheating.
I said in January if we lost the league the board would be under immense pressure to give us answers on Res12 from a raging fanbase
As a few have said, announcing this decision after the 9 was won is as calculated as it comes
It amazes me how often a decision can be taken within football without feeling the need to give an explanation? I have listed below the STV outlining of the decision. Basically, it states that it would be too lengthy and expensive because the 5 Way Agreement provided some defensive structures to suit Rangers/Sevco. No explanation is given as to what these agreements were, why tehey exit or whether they are challengable? It’s like 2012 is a Matrix- we did something daft back then and we forfeited all rights to deal with that club. :-
“The Scottish FA has dropped charges against Rangers over alleged irregularities in paperwork which allowed them to compete in the 2011/12 Champions League.
It had been considering legal action in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, but has now effectively killed off any prospect of disciplinary action over the long-running issue.
The saga began when “contradictions” were found between information in Rangers’ application for a licence to play in UEFA’s premier club tournament and testimony given during the fraud trial of former owner Craig Whyte.
Rangers claimed in the application they had no tax debts – which must be declared to qualify for a licence – but former directors said in court that the club knew they had an overdue bill.
The Scottish FA brought charges against the club, but due to the ‘five-way agreement’, which allowed Rangers to play in the Scottish Football League after liquidation in 2012, any dispute between the parties has to be heard by the specialist sports court.
An SFA-convened independent panel upheld that jurisdiction agreement 18 months ago, with the governing body sent away to consider its next steps.
After a lengthy internal review and receiving legal advice, the Hampden board has now decided to drop the charges rather than fight a lengthy and expensive legal battle.
The club were originally charged under the 2011/12 rulebook, which only allowed for a standard fine of £5,000 for breaking the rules, or a top end fine of £10,000 in extreme circumstances.
The Scottish FA hierarchy felt the costs of pursuing the case in Lausanne, which could run to six figures, were prohibitive to a charge that would merit only a maximum £10,000 fine. The board were also advised that the prospects of victory at CAS were not high.
A brief statement on the Scottish FA website read: “A Judicial Panel convened to consider a Notice of Complaint raised against Rangers FC in 2018 – in relation to alleged new evidence regarding representations received prior to the awarding of a European licence for season 2011/12 – determined at a preliminary hearing that it did not have jurisdiction to determine the matter.
“Instead, it concluded that jurisdiction lay with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“Following consideration of the implications of such a referral, including legal opinion, it was the board’s unanimous position that this matter should not be referred to CAS.
“The Scottish FA now considers the matter to be closed.”
European football’s governing body UEFA is unable to investigate issues more than five years old, meaning the decision has effectively brought the issue to an end.
Whyte was cleared of taking over the Ibrox club by fraud following a seven-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow in 2017. “
Our 9 in a Row and Res 12 are two separate issues with two distinct organisations. 9 in a row was an issue for the SPFL whereas Res 12 involves the SFA. Why should we have to compromise on Res 12 with the SFA because we won another organisation’s tournament? The SFA were conspicuous by their silence during the recent fracas between Sevco and SPFL. They seemed happy to let the SPFL cope with all the shit that came their way. Am I missing something?
SFA pick their moment to bury an unwanted governance issue.
Tax cheating, player registration rule breaking, lies to attain European license, convict chairman…move along, nothing to see here…
Impeccable timing indeed Celtic……jesus h
My brother told me yesterday…and he is an authority on these matters….that the most pressed keyboard character in Ibrox and empathetic areas was the Asterisk….*…..
So I thought I would do a wee tribute extolling the literary, evolutionary, inventive and mystical properties of that character…the asterisk…not my brother…although he’s alright as younger brothers go.
It took me a wee bit longer than I intended and now need to get some sleep and dream….of commas, semi-colon, full stops…..and take a wee break from Asterisks.
However I hope you’ll find that all of those wanting that wee but powerful character to sit alongside our 9th (for the second time of course) title, are living in a state of delusion.
The Asterisk….Asterisk the Celt in particular….is a hero!
I have been proud over the last 28 hours or so to have shared the five bottles of bucky with him/her.
So anyway here it is….in praise of the asterisk! (It’s about seven minutes long so don’t put the toast on….although a hard boiled egg would be ideal)!
https://enematic.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/in-praise-of-the-asterisk/
Hail Hail
Matt
Resolution 12 could very well be played out again this summer.
Far more transparency is needed when it comes to licensing as the SFA have shown themselves unable to implement the rules and unable to punish rule breakers.
BSR- Very convenient timing indeed…
Or have the SFA dumped Res12 since they know the Huns are circling down the tubes😱 and not worth the hassle. They will be watched and challenged this time
The SFA have obviously timed the announcement very carefully. In fact I’m surprised it wasn’t yesterday.
The SFA cannot discipline that club , it is contained in the 5 way agreement, the rest of the clubs play by a different set of rules and disciplinary processes, Ive got that correct , yes?
If so you have got to be kidding and all clubs need to tell the SFA that, any club up on charges from the SFA should take them all the way you cannot have two sets of rules for clubs, the SFA will need to be disbanded for this to fall.
I’m sure Auldheid will be on later and he can correct me if I am wrong but originally Resolution12 was about governance of the SFA and the events around the huns’ Euro licence for 2011/12. It then began to grow legs the more the resolutioners dug including the recognition that our Club was involved in the 5 Way Agreement.
The SFA were never going to agree to an investigation into themselves. It is now time for Celtic, Peter Lawwell et al to stand up and be counted or be called out for misleading the fans and shareholders.
What’s the craic ?
Sevco advised they had no reports of a break in now they’ve got plod on the case to catch the Flag waving Timposter.
I hope there’s no false insurance claim of missing silver or anything of value like auld rags and brasso past their sell buy date.
Yon petrol tank cup was a fine looking trophy right enough oooofffttttt 😜😜
HWG 10IAR. HWG 10 IAR. 🍀🍀🍀
Matt Stewart you’re as mad as a box of frogs, brilliant. 👍🏻😉
The Petrofac Cup or Scottish Challenge Cup is presently in safe hands at Ross County until the 2020 final can be played. So the cupboard is bare apart from some fine ceramics.
https://twitter.com/32red/status/1126467376793436160?s=21
Sad sad day for governance and transparency in scottish football.
The timing actually adds to the perception that there was something dirty here.
The conscious decision to bury this now simply stinks.
Did they use the coronation bike for their getaway ?
Good ole Brendan :O+
Brendan Rodgers: I’m delighted for Neil after 9-in-a-row success
By: Paul Cuddihy on 19 May, 2020 17:01
WHEN the news of Celtic’s confirmation as Scottish champions for the ninth consecutive season came through, Brendan Rodgers was on the training pitch at Leicester City working within the current English Premier League regulations regarding players’ training sessions.
The Irishman was delighted by the announcement and the ongoing success of the club, having part his part in this incredible run of league success the club is enjoying. And he paid tribute to his fellow countryman and successor as Celtic manager for delivering the latest title success to Paradise.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Neil,” said Brendan Rodgers in an interview with the official Celtic website. “He’s done absolutely first-class since he’s gone back in. He knew what he was coming in to but has still be able to add his own bit to it.
“Then, when the pressure was on this season after the Christmas period, the team have really put their foot to the floor, changed the structure of the team and you can just see the confidence they were playing with right up until the break.
“The consistency of the team has been absolutely brilliant and Neil Lennon has stayed calm and focused, even after the defeat to Rangers over the Christmas period.
“They went away and did the work in Dubai, came back and hit an incredible run of form and just continued with the consistency, so I’m delighted for Neil, the staff and, of course, the players.
“Celtic have been terrific, especially since the turn of the year. They’ve been the best team, consistently, and all the players, staff and people at the club have got their reward.”
picture
Brendan Rodgers took over as Celtic manager in May 2016, with the club having already chalked up five league titles in a row. The subsequent spell in charge saw a sustained period of absolute domestic dominance for the Hoops, with the Invincible Treble followed by the Double Treble, while the team was on course for a Treble Treble when he left for Leicester City in February last year.
One Irishman replaced another as Neil Lennon took over and duly steered the team to that success, and has continued this season with another League Cup triumph and now the Premiership title.
And for Brendan Rodgers, being part of the momentous nine-in-a-row success – the second time in Celtic’s history that this has been achieved – is something that he continues to appreciate.
“It’s just a privilege,” he said. “Of course, circumstances changed for me during my time there, but I was involved in some unforgettable experiences and memories at Celtic, and to be part of this experience now, I’m very proud and privileged to have done so.
“I look back to the time when I came in. Ronny had just left, there was a bit concern about Rangers coming back into the league, and they had beaten Celtic in the Scottish Cup. But I felt from the moment we came together as a club, we were then able to then really push forward and lift a standard of mentality and play that saw us go on and succeed, and hopefully that can continue.
“So to be a part of that process of the nine is obviously a huge honour for me, and I’m pretty sure that Neil will go on and finish the job that he started back then.
“It’s what Celtic is about – it’s about winning, but it’s also about winning in a certain style. The players have got real momentum now and they’re not going to let it go easy now.
“There’s a core group of players there who’ve been through it and they’re serial winners – guys like Scott and Callum and James. They have all been through it and now the real core of that are winners, they now what it takes, they deal with the pressure and let’s hope it can continue for many more years.”
Both Scott Brown and James Forrest have played their part in every one of the nine-in-a-row triumphs, and having worked with both players, Brendan Rodgers is well aware of the qualities they bring to the squad.
“Scott’s consistency and the level of his game has just been absolutely first-class over these last number of years,” he said. “As a captain, he is just selfless. He is what you would want from a captain – he’s up for every single game he plays.
“What I love about Scott is that he plays every game like it’s the first time anyone’s watching him. It doesn’t matter if it’s away at the Nou Camp or up at Ross County, he’s up for every single game.
“So he’s a phenomenal player and also a huge part of the glue that pulls everything together within the players. He’s selfless. He looks after them and he looks after the club.”
“Then you get Jamesy. When I first went in there, he was thinking of leaving but very quickly we worked together over the course of the pre-season, and we just needed to add goals to his game and get his fitness levels up.
“In my time there, and from then on, with his consistency, his goals, his assists, and his experience, he’s been absolutely brilliant, and he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever come across.”
I’ve got faith in Auldheids indefatigability.
This has Campbell Ogilvie and his brithers prints all over it.
Fraud of £20m and nobody’s interested, aye right.
Res12 was a charge made against the SFA not Rankers.
A few gems from the bear’s den :-
If this virus did for all humanity in the next few years, whatever Sentient being replaces us in the future will archeologically discover whilst excavating our society that they finished behind us.
Look back at all the lies that have been spouted/printed over the last 6 or 7 weeks and all have been proved to be lies/innuendo.
Until folk start using their brain to see through the lies, we, I’m sorry to say, are a penny short of a shilling.
( To the younger folk, that’s the equivalent of1p short of a pound.)
I used to only see them as a football enemy growing up as a kid.
Now i absolutely despise every one of them. At work and even some in the outer friends circle. Maybe I’ve become more bitter cos of how we have been treated and starved of success. But i wouldn’t batter an eye lid if every one of them was removed.
We’re fighting with both arms tied behind our back and a leg missing.
But we still have one leg and a head.
The games not over imo
Over a month ago .They set out to high Jack the title .They have done an incredible job using every means at their disposal .It would have been the guaranteed bet on the coupon when this virus arrived
Until folk start using their brain to see through the lies, we, I’m sorry to say, are a penny short of a shilling.
( To the younger folk, that’s the equivalent of1p short of a pound.)
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You would think he would know what a pound was!!! That’s how much his club cost.😉
News Flash:
Scientists have now discovered that COVID-19 is a man made virus. They have traced the source back to Peter Lawwell’s private genetics lab which is secreted in a cave half way up a mountain in the Cairngorms.
A spokesman for FF was quoted as saying “We knew that those Taigs would stop at nothing to get 9 in a row!”