If you’ve been here for 12 years you’ll know that Celtic Quick News started because there was a great untold financial story going on in Scottish football. Celtic were castigated by many, including a large portion of their own support, as “prudent”, while Rangers, then under the majority ownership of Sir David Murray, were lauded for their willingness to ambitiously push the boat out.
But there was a problem. Celtic were losing millions every year. Rangers were losing a lot more, £35m in one season alone. David Murray’s company, Murray International Holdings (MIH), were ½ a billion in debt to Bank of Scotland, and rising.
By this stage MIH’s steel business was dwarfed in significance by its property portfolio. They borrowed from the bank and, perhaps with an eye on the fantasy Ibrox Super Casino, gambled that the market would rise inextricably.
For a few years the debt kept rising. “What’s the problem?” many said, if the Bank are prepared to lend MIH and Rangers, their strategy must be sound. These were difficult times to be preaching financial responsibility in Scottish football, but the reality was written in mile-high font for many of us. “They’re going to crash and burn”, seemed inevitable.
Today we read the news that MIH are, like Rangers before them, finally liquidated. Ignore the reported £200m that Lloyds Banking Group (now owners of Bank of Scotland) lost, that’s just the loose change. The Bank had swapped debt for shares in MIH as clouds gathered. The true financial cost to Lloyds (significantly owned by UK taxpayers) is vastly higher.
Much of the story of David Murray will never be told, not while he’s alive, anyway, as it took place well away from verifiable sources. This might change after he’s dead. The one redeeming positive he brought to football was to end the sectarian signing policy at Rangers in 1989. For that he should be lauded, many before him had the chance to do the same but chose not to.
That aside, the influence of Murray and MIH was poisonous to his club. He sold out for £1 to a liquidation expert in May 2011, against the wishes of his own board’s advisory committee, as his club claimed its last ever league title. The rest, is poetic history.
As luck would have it, tonight I’ll be with some Celtic supporter friends. We’ll raise a glass to Sir David and his legacy. Thanks for all you achieved, David, it could never have happened without you.
Erik Sviatchenko is a lesson in the difference good players make to a team. He’s started 11 games since joining in January, we’ve lost four goals over that period. In our previous 11 games we lost 12 goals. His impact on team performance has been phenomenal.
We’ll miss him tomorrow – so should make tactical changes to accommodate the perceived risk.
Motherwell are on fire. Less than two months ago they were in the play-off spot. Now they need just one point to guarantee a top six finish. They will battle every second for that point. If we are going to win tomorrow’s game, we will need to put in our of our best shifts of the season.
Time to get it together, Celtic.
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Get this party started
http://youtu.be/vqNcyFNMfLM
Efe Ambrose.CsC
Efe/DB……
Jim McGuinness and Ronny D – Building.
And it’s a goodnight from me.
7 hours till the alarm sounds and I have the privilege of watching the
CHAMPIONS
DJ Tim
Bignan.CSC
The crew coming through are the Real Deal, IMO.
One Love Howevavvvvvvah.
The Emissions will be remarkably clean as well.
Celtic FC
ThumbsUp
And a Coo gets a red card for farting?
At least the Red Hiefer isnae in sight yeti.
Boom2shanka
Nimrod is the EU.
Classic track
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/153f93ee2d6ae40c?projector=1
Nimrod…..
If only I could.
http://youtu.be/covaubC88S0
Blue bayou
Paul and Kappa Larson
HH
If we win today, we would not need to win another League game to almost certainly take the title. Unless Aberdeen win each of their games by eight goals.
JJ
J.J.
More stats.
More reassurance.
Keep them coming.
G`G` says:
We have 6 games to acquire 10 points to match their maximum.
C.O.Y.B.I.G.
Macjay1
Win today, eight points ahead. Five games left. Five draws means 81 points. One of those draws would be against the Dons so, four wins and that draw gives Aberdeen 81 points as well.
Unless, of course, I am missing something but I don`t think the scenario I have described is very likely. I considered it with a smile on my face 0:-)
JJ
Just watched the Highlights. Had McGinn been accurate, we would be a lot more nervous today. I can imagine what the Sevconians ( and maybe even some oDons` fans) are saying about his ` deliberate` misses !
Golf beckons,
Cheerio for now,
JJ
J.J.
Goal diff would still take us over the line.
No?
Let`s cut to the chase J.J.
Win today,Celtic.
Just f……f…..f…..flaming well win.
JUNGLE JIM HOT SMOKED on 9TH APRIL 2016 6:46 AM
Wee Mc Ginn ? Had precisely the same thought :-)
Slightly more level playing field ,then.
If you can`t beat them……….
Having said that,I doubt it.
Enjoy yer gowf.
Take a tranny.
‘In case it gets missed…….
………………………………
GG on 9TH APRIL 2016 4:29 AM
PJ
For me the wins are even sweeter when I know that the Huns are crippled.
62 years ago last month I saw my first game, and I have experienced the institutionalised cheating and bias from Park Gardens, Paisley Road West and Hampden.
It just made the victories sweeter.
I think I told the story of traveling to Glasgow Airport last year when we saw Ibrox through the early morning darkness.
When my son pointed it out, all three of us looked and spontaneously burst out laughing.
They are a busted flush and will remain a visible canker sore on the embarassed face of Scottish football.
An eternal reminder of their cheating, self aggrandizement and fall from power.
No class. No cash.
Heavy, heavy snow in Corcaigh this mornin’……………park run will be “fun”.
WhatClimateChange? CSC
BANKIEBHOY1 on 9TH APRIL 2016 7:26 AM
WhatClimateChange? CSC
=======================================
That`s why they changed from their previous alarmist misnomer ” Global warming.”
Mac…………correct.
Fairmers around me going more bonkers by the year.
Grass growing later, cooos kept in for longer – fodder problems becoming more acute.
‘Moan The Fairmers!
Off for a LONG walk now in the countryside, to reduce the stress levels …… BIG DAY, TODAY HH
Macjay
Thoughts and prayers for Kevin Gaffney and his family and friends, not read the blog much since we got a point at Dens, sometimes it’s quite good for my own sanity……
Hope Ronny & the bhoys can get two more points than the other night, by the way Aberdeen will drop even more points after the split if some use that to say we only won it because we are not as bad as the others that usually means you are the best
Enjoy (if possible) the game today fellow hoops
BANKIEBHOY1 on 9TH APRIL 2016 7:39 AM
What would fairmers know ?
They climate scientists ( weather forecasters ) huv goat it covered.
The fact that it`s a nice little earner and everybody takes them seriously now is merely coincidental.
Heard it all before.
There was climate change in Scotland in the early`60s.
That was caused by ” thae sputniks.”
You can`t argue with the steamie.
Mac………..
‘Moan They Sputniks!
;)
…………must run
HH
Good morning from a bright and sunny Nordrhein Westfalen. I’m looking forward to the game today, a good performance is needed in view of next week’s game against the undead pretenders. We need to give them a week of keeching their breeks.
Hail! Hail!
PMTYH
GERRYFAETHEBRIG on 9TH APRIL 2016 7:45 AM
Macjay
Thoughts and prayers for Kevin Gaffney and his family and friends, not read the blog much since we got a point at Dens, sometimes it’s quite good for my own sanity……
==================================================================
Thank you so much ,Gerry.
I intend to make a note of our comments and pass them on to Kevin`s family.
What would we do if we didn`t have our local ?
:-)
Celts to win today, by the approved 5-0
That’ll keep the supporters happy, and the customers apoplectic.
What’s not to like?
Macjay
Sometimes even the local can be hard work
Enjoy cheering on the hoops the day
Scrappy 1-0 win does moi.
Remember the good ole days when they were viewed as grinding out a result.
Last 10 games……
W 7 D 3 F 16 A 3
Suggests we aint pretty but maybe we are a wee bit tougher to play against than we give ourselves credit for?
Those 10 games suggest we should notch up the required points to notch up a 5th title in a row.
Morning all.
MACJAY
Belated thougths on the passing of your friend Kevin.
HH!!
Guy driech ,as they wouldn’t say, down here in West London. Had a good night with the lhad last night, not a late one as he has a league to win today down Wimbledon way. One point and they are champions, then promoted to the premier league of Kingston and Surrey league down here. Vewwy Pwoud, even if the team have R@ngers in their name.
Just saw the Aberdeen result….nice.
Now is the time to lay down a marker and set the tone for the Manky Mob game next weekend. I will be trying to catch up on line as the lhads game is a 2pm kick off so we will miss the match but be ready to party later, then off to Heathrow for a 9pm flight home.
Going to be a long day but a good one…
‘Mon the Hoops!
My friends in Celtic,
What was Ronny’s principal remit when he took over the reins.?
It looks like he has fulfilled that.
As for missing punters at Parkhead. I would wager that the persons who have passed through the Parkhead gates this season would be viewed approvingly compared to our 9 in a row jungle days.
HH to all, and especially to those who will make the effort today. Ronny Roar? Hopefully.
PS : pesky work means I have no time to check attendance stats.
GERRYFAETHEBRIG on 9TH APRIL 2016 8:07 AM
Macjay
Sometimes even the local can be hard work
Enjoy cheering on the hoops the day.
=====================================================
Hard work but well worth it.
Can`t wait for the game.
TALLYBHOY on 9TH APRIL 2016 8:15 AM
Mate.
Thanks.
Kevin really was OUR friend.
Promoted Celtic at every opportunity.
Macjay
Been busy at work and not been on the blog much in the last few days.
Sad to read that you have lost Kevin.
Good friends are precious.
Ones who have a shared love for our mental fitba team even more so.
As u posted to me recently, remember the good times.
HH