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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some guys just like issuing death threats
We have a chance to end the challenge of the Dons today and put us in a great position for next week. Don’t blow it Celtic.
MACJAY 1 FOR NEIL LENNON
God rest your friend Kevin
http://youtu.be/NwFiWCUkk4M
HH
Winning Captains
It was great to meet you and your not so wee son last night at the Tommy Gemmell CSC dance last night.
For Claire & me it was even more special as it was our first night out as a couple (with no weans) in 14 years!!! By the end of the night even she was singing some of the songs being blasted out!!
We both thought that the night had been really well organised & it was good to see & hear the 4 Celtic legends who turned up. I thought Tommy wasn’t looking so well, but the mind appeared to be as sharp as ever!
Hopefully see you at Motherwell today & I hope you’re right about “that news” in a few weeks!!
Cheers
Wee Andy
JMCCORMICK on 9TH APRIL 2016 8:20 AM
Loved watching my sprogs playing football.
Hope your lhad does the business today.
Oh. And Celtic.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 9TH APRIL 2016 8:40 AM
some guys just like issuing death threats
———–
Aaaaaargh, my eyes. I can’t unsee that!
Health warning next time please ;-).
MACJAY1
Thanks….
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for those in the CQN Naps Competition, please post your selection here:
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/newco-preaching-financial-risk-blind-to-celtic-benchmark/comment-page-13/#comments
All the best,
fleagle1888
BT
just read your invite to Tavern after game.
We have kids with us so head to one next to Aldi pre post match
as they let kids in.
However A Murderwell fan I know has offered to take them up the road
after the game so you never know
WWW(GBWO) on 9TH APRIL 2016 8:42 AM
That was beautiful, mate.
An absolute killer.
Country music and it`s Celtic connections.
Carnegie and his.
———–
From “200 Years Together” :
“You must understand. The leading Bolsheviks who took over Russia were not Russians. They hated Russians. They hated Christians. Driven by ethnic hatred they tortured slaughtered millions of Russians without a shred of human remorse.
The October Revolution was not what you call in America the ‘Russian Revolution.’ It was an invasion and conquest over the Russian people.
More of my countrymen suffered horrific crimes at their blood-stained hands….
Than any people or nation ever suffered in the entirety of human history.
It cannot be understated. Bolshevism was the greatest human slaughter of all time.
The fact that most of the world is ignorant of this reality is proof that
the global media itself is in the hands of the perpetrators.”
— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Russian Dissident And Gulag Victim
Nobel Prize for Literature.
——-
“See Me….Ah’m The ‘Fenian Taliban’…
Ah’m here tae take whit ah can…..
Mair than ah need…Cos Screw You,Jock Tamson’s Bairns…Ah’m ENTITLED !
Dontcha Know..Gweedore Lives Maitter!
Ye See…We’ll Trash You Institutions…
We’ll infiltrate yer Unions…Bring yer industry tae a staunstill..We’ll play wi’ yer minds..like SnakeOil Freud Intended..An’ Carl Jung prevented..
Ah’ll Staun oan street coaners..in ma wee beret an’ green blazer..Sellin’ The Socialist Woiker..Wi’ ma Leon Trotsky Specs ..All Steam-ed Up…An’ ma wee gold Lenin Badge pinned proudly tae ma Lapel..Cos Ah’m a Gweedore Street-Fightin-Man..So Dinnae You Cross Me…
Or You”ll Get Malkie Short & Sweet…
–
‘Cos Ah’m A BAM..So Ah Am..!
–
‘Cos Ah’m the Big Unwashed”I AM”….
So Ah’m UR..!
–
.An’ Dinnae Yous FORGET IT…!!
–
—-Sleakit’ SFTB fae Gweedore
Dissident fae Castlemilk..
‘Fermer’ Kelly kept me oan Detention..
TWICE…!
O-Level Woodwork,
Order Of Alexei Sayle,Fourth Class
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh…UP-THE-HOOPS !
2-0 to the Good Ghuys ..
(Thumbsup)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BETTING ALERT
Collum on the whistle today at Motherwell. Although he has been on his best behaviour since his brainstorm at ICT-Aberdeen game,
http://uk.soccerway.com/referees/william-collum/45012/
all the ducks are in a row for him to “have an impact” on this game. Live TV, Celtic, a significant game for both teams, a traditional hard place for Celtic, a rejigged Celtic DF, a return to the big time for Collum and Celtic’s next game being a SC SF.
Unbelievably, Paddy Power are 11/10 Celtic over 10 points. The bet wins with 2 Celtic yellow or a Celtic red card.
The anticipated circumstances of the game, ie Celtic to huff and puff against inform opposition, their longstanding absence of a ‘plan B’ and the anticipated bizarre display by Collum, all suggest that the routine 6+ Celtic corners should arrive.
4/6 Skybet (away over corners market).
Both prices are wrong and have been backed accordingly.
Modest profits will hopefully assist in Grand National expenses.
Be lucky, Bhoys.
Lets put this to bed today
C’mon Ronny Deila.
Fruition.
The mission.
The LYT ready to rock n roll.
Just wait until the 2000 crew.
What a glorious day for the fitba’
Got my ticket in my hand and just canny wait. Here we go, ten in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
C’mon the Hooooooooppps
HH
WHAT IS THE STARS on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:09 AM
Lets put this to bed today
———————————————-
Have I missed the horse tips for today? :-)
THE DONALD on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:06 AM
Fermer’ Kelly kept me oan Detention..
========================================
Rings a distant bell.
St.Mungo`s ?
Mac jay: I was at that game you mentioned and couldn’t believe we even tried to win never mind win. I assume Bob Kelly would have fined them if they had lost!
What’s the difference between Leninism and Trotskyism?
Don’t ask TSD,he clearly hasn’t a scooby.
https://bampotsutd.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/motherwell-vs-celtic-preview-team-news-and-predicted-xi/
Hail, hail from downtown Paris where the skies are blue.
Just a shame forecast is rain later.
Sadly, too, be able to catch the game.
COYBIG
Or, as they say in these parts: Allez les Verts …
Sunny and dry in south Lanarkshire today…..will mcghee try to win ( aye right) or play for the point they need to guarantee top 6 .
Will Stephen mcmanus give us a Stephen mcmanus error on the back of niall mcginns misses last night
Does a red card in today’s match count in the cup …. I think not
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:16 AM
What’s the difference between Leninism and Trotskyism?
Don’t ask TSD,he clearly hasn’t a scooby.
===================================================
Trotskyism didn`t rely on the icepick approach.
COSY CORNER BHOY on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:15 AM
The Hearts game…………..Willie Bauld up front ?
I thought I would have been the only living witness.
:-)
I never really understood the significance at the time.
I do now.
The old man walks on spindly and unsteady legs. He is clearly frail and far from being in the best of health. However, no matter how fragile the body might be, he is about to reveal that the spirit inside that body is fit, is alive, well and as sharp as a Stanley Knife.
“Which was your favourite game for Celtic?” I ask.
A room full of fans sit in silence but I am certain they all know the answer…….. or at least think they know the answer.
A seated Tommy Gemmell takes the microphone and surprises everyone with his answer.
“My favourite game? That would be my first game wearing the hoops — a 4-0 win against Rangers reserves at Ibrox!”
The surprised crowd cheers the answer.
“Did you score Tommy?” I ask into the mic
The frail oul fella leans forward into the microphone to deliver his answer:
“Yea! ……….. Later on that night after the match!”
The assembled crowd erupt into peels of laughter as the old man’s eyes glint with bedevilment.
Sitting next to him to his right, a much stronger John Hughes buries his head in his hands at the answer, and when the head comes out of those hands, he simply looks at his former team mate and shakes his head.
Soon enough it will be the turn of a forthright and blunt Yogi to have his say:
“What do I think of this current Celtic team and Celtic’s policy of selling their best players?” he repeats into the microphone ” Their rubbish. The worst Celtic team I have ever seen. Whose going to pay top dollar for any of that lot?” he asks ” Baillieston Juniors?”
Again the crowd fall about.
Further on from Yogi sits a spritlely Charlie Gallagher. As I am asking questions first of Tommy, then of Yogi and finally of Charlie, there are a couple of occasions when Charlie simply says ” The boys have already answered that” before continuing to add just a little more.
On this occasion the question is about the forthcoming Scottish Cup Semi final against the team from Ibrox.
“I agree with Tommy and Yogi” says Charlie ” They are a horrible arrogant football club. The worst imaginable. I don’t care if they are the new Rangers, the old Rangers or any other kind of Rangers I want any Celtic team to beat them off the park. Give them a drubbing – a real doing.”
Charlie describes how he considers himself an Irishman and how he was proud to be the first Scots born player to be capped for the Republic of Ireland and how he was booed by the Ibrox fans first for being a Celtic player and even more so for being an international representative of the Republic.
“Made no difference to me” he says ” I was proud to play for the Republic and I couldn’t care less what they think. I have no time for those people. Never had – Never will.”
Between them, these three elderly men pulled on the hooped jersey well over a thousand times during a period when Celtic were at their zenith. All three provided exactly the same answer when asked what was the greatest disappointment in their Footballing career.
” Leaving Celtic” – those exact two words fell from each of their lips and each one then proceeded to “give it staright” to their former manager.
” Why did I leave?” asks Tommy with mock indignation ” I can sum that up in one word: Stein!”
There was no references to Big Jock or Mr Stein or the boss. Throughout the night the legendary Celtic manager is referred to repeatedly as “Stein” with Yogi adding ” I hated the C**t!”
” Stein sacked me” says Charlie ” I wasn’t consulted by him or anyone else about a transfer I was just told. I was once “sent” and I mean “sent” with my wife down to England on a train – I wan’t even told which club I was meant to be going to and just told what station to get off at and that I would be met by someone in a car. I was taken to the ground and sat in an office for two hours then I left again. When I walked back into Celtic park Stein asked me ” Did you sign?” — I said to him “You never told me to sign — anyway I don’t want to go to England so, no, I didn’t sign!” — I am not too sure he ever spoke to me again and I went to Dumbarton and that was that. I was 29 years old. Hardly too old to be playing football!”
Tommy Gemmel was 28 years old when he was sold to Nottingham Forrest, exactly the same age as Hughes was when he was shipped out to Crystal Palace. Both are quite clear that they never wanted to leave Celtic Park and that they both had a lot left to give the club.
” Stein wanted to break up the team” says Gemmell ” He sold all of us quite deliberately and after that Celtic were not just quite the force we were. Jimmy went to Sheffield United way too early. Bobby Murdoch to Middlesborough. Bertie to Hibs. Cairney to Motherwell. Willie and Yogi to Crystal Palace. Had we stayed on and played longer with the younger players — could we have equalled the feats of Ajax and Bayern Munich and won more European Cups? Who knows? All we will ever know is that we didn’t …….. and Stein didn’t want to give us the chance after Feyenoord.”
All three are unanimous that Wee Jimmy was the best player they played with – George Best gets the shout as the most skillful they played against.
All three make it plain they loved playing for Celtic — really loved it and were proud to do it. All three hated leaving, the way they left and , to be honest, the man who made them leave for reasons that none of them agreed with and in a manner which they find disgraceful and offensive.
They are blunt and brutal in assessing the current squad, but bristle at the very notion of discussing any idea of a replacement of the current manager, though they hardly hide their contempt for the style of football on offer under his stewardship.
” I was a fan of the forward pass” says Charlie ” Ronny wouldn’t have played me and that is a fact” — a powerful running Yogi and a right footed left back who had a tendency to come in from the side of the pitch and shoot ( he scored 12 goals from 54 European appearances ) are not certain to feature in the current system either.
These men are not full of their own importance and what comes over is their belief in football and a love of the club they once played for, though they are scathing in terms of certain aspects of that club’s management both then and now.
Their own footballing abilities and reputations, who they played with and against, when they played and who they played under entitles them to give free reign to their footballing opinions, and they are opinions which will not necessarily suit everyone at Celtic park.
The three played with and against the best in the game at the time. They themselves were amongst the best that Europe had to offer at the time and were part of a group of players who changed football completely. They are funny, very funny at times, and completely confident in where each of them stand in the pantheon of Celtic players and of their place in Celtic’s history.
The atmosphere in the room is full of fun as they, along with Tosh McKinlay sitting at the side, crack their funnies and tell their stories. Tosh says he wanted to become a footballer, and achieved his dream, because of the three men seated near the stage. He describes how his father talked in awe about the left peg of Charlie Gallagher, the running of Yogi and the cannonball shot of the one and only “Big Shot”.
Tosh is very funny when it comes to talking about the money he could have earned had he gone to England:
” I made enough money in football to last me a lifetime………. provided I die next Tuesday” and warns the audience “For so long as you guys keep paying for Sky, English Football will pay ridiculous wages and Celtic will struggle in comparison.”
He too just wanted to play for Celtic. That was the height of his career, the summit of his dreams.
As I drive home at one in the morning I think of the answers and comments provided by the three Lisbon Lions. They are old men now. Their youth is gone, but all three showed a sharpness of mind which showed that within the ageing bodies there lies a fierce pride in what they achieved and an equally fierce disappointment in what they were denied achieving.
Similarly, there is an unhidden disappointment in the quality of football currently on offer and in the current state of football in general and Celtic Football Club in particular.
For whatever reason, as I sit in the car the words of Dylan Thomas come to mind:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
There is no chance of those three going gentle into that good night.
Once I am in bed I turn my radio on to Radio 5 Live.
Dutton Adebayo is discussing European Football with Tim Vickery and some others and the topic of discussion is Alfredo Di Stefano.
Inevitably with Vickery the chat switches to Celtic and Lisbon 67 and this prompts a call from Frank who is a Celtic supporter of many years and who takes the time to call in at 3:00am to stress how great the Lisbon Lions were and how they changed football for the better, how they brought back the beautiful game full of attacking football, how the Celtic fans invaded Lisbon with a smile, how Celtic are a club of the people and for the people – full of love and charity and things that are worthwhile in life as well a on the football pitch.
Frank ends with the story of when Barcelona FC paraded the Champions League trophy through the streets of ther native City after defeating Juventus 3-1 in the 2015 final, their open topped bus had to drive by a huge banner which read:
“Barcelona FC 2015 – we are now the true successors to the Lisbon Lions of Glasgow Celtic: Lisbon 1967”
In the 2015 final Barcelona successfully completed 505 passes of the football out of 570 attempted, enjoyed 61% possession and had 18 attempts on goal.
In Lisbon, Celtic completed 310 passes out of 365 attempts, had 45 shots on goal (Inter had 3), made 40 crosses into the Inter box, had 64% of possession (mostly in the Inter half) and had 10 corners to Inter’s zero.
I lie in the dark and hear Charlie Gallagher, who didn’t make the team in Lisbon, but whose cross for big Billy to head home against Vojvodina meant that Lisbon was possible.
“I was a fan of the forward pass”
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage……….Rage………….against the dying of the light.
BRTH
You’ve excelled again,bud. Reading that was just terrific.
Those three gentlemen have given us great memories,they will always be legends.
Natknow
Lucky you if you did ( miss the horse tips)
Shutthefrontdoor in the National for me
I have 2 tips for the first race ( 1.45) Mydor and Longhouse Hall both around 10/1 and both said to be fancied by connections,that said this is the type of race meeting where all horses are fancied and trying but I will back both of them each way
MACJAY
That was Stalin.
Anyway,I’ll leave you and my Dad to discuss games from your youth. I’m offski to misspend mine(!)
BRTH
Great post about how our heros never grow old and as you will be aware sometimes never grow up. :-))☘⚽️
BROGAN ROGAN TREVINO AND HOGAN SUPPORTS OSCAR KNOX, MACKENZIE FURNISS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO FIGHTS NEUROBLASTOMA
Lovely words …
H.H.
BRTH –
That was a great read – many thanks for taking the time and making the effort.
BRTH
Excellent piece to start a beautiful sunny Saturday with.
EC67
Just put my money on a horse in the national…
With my luck.. it will run away with it..
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:37 AM
MACJAY
That was Stalin.
=============================
Lenin begat Stalin .
Whether he liked it or not.
And he didn`t.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:36 AM
Natknow
Lucky you if you did ( miss the horse tips)
Shutthefrontdoor in the National for me
I have 2 tips for the first race ( 1.45) Mydor and Longhouse Hall both around 10/1 and both said to be fancied by connections,that said this is the type of race meeting where all horses are fancied and trying but I will back both of them each way
———————————————————
Think I’m going for SILVINIACO CONTI as my main bet over the big hedge in the National. May use your other 2 as a wee hedge. Geddit??? :-)
BRT&H
Great story, surprised at some of the statements the ex players made, except for Hugh’s I hated him, I don’t how many times I saw that big idiot refusing young kids autographs, and one day at Celtic park I told him that, he just walked right into the stadium, ignorant big #%+=€$¥.
JUNGLE VIP on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:23 AM
Hail, hail from downtown Paris where the skies are blue.
Just a shame forecast is rain later.
Sadly, too, be able to catch the game.
COYBIG
Or, as they say in these parts: Allez les Verts …
—–
Will be just up the road from you in Lille – visiting the Canadian WW1 memorial in Vimy this morning (if I can get Miss BGFC to move her bum).
Then back to Tir Na Nog in Lille for the game.
Hail, Hail
Les Hoops
BROGAN ROGAN TREVINO AND HOGAN SUPPORTS OSCAR KNOX, MACKENZIE FURNISS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO FIGHTS NEUROBLASTOMA on 9TH APRIL 2016 9:28 AM
Tour de force.
Well done.