Sustained football success is all about the money. Any team can do a St Johnstone, win three trophies in a decade to become Scotland’s second most decorated club in that era, but if you don’t have the income, you will revert to a lowly mean soon enough.
This season’s Champions League qualification ties, therefore, are vitally important in determining the structural advantage Celtic have over would-be rivals.
Newco opened strongly against Union Saint-Gilloise. The Belgians, playing in front of their home fans, clearly set out a stall to inhibit the visitors and play on the counter. This paid dividends 27 minutes in when calamitous defensive gaps allowed Union to score their first ever European goal (they lost both legs to Juventus 1-0 in their previous tie 58 years ago).
Union’s penalty clearly shocked Newco, not to mention their former players in the Premier Sports studio. That’s not the kind of decision that goes against this team in domestic football and they were not happy seeing “rules” catch them out, which an infuriated Kenny Miller bemoaned after the game.
Long before the second goal arrived, Newco were a diminished force. They have played only four games since last season, Union played twice as many. The contrasting fitness was clear as the game concluded with Union creating openings that could have put the tie to bed. This short Newco preseason looked like a potential mistake beforehand, four games is not enough to get a squad fully fit.
As it stands, Newco retain a fighting chance of qualifying for the play-off round. If they get there, they earn a €5m bonus, plus gate money. Failure against Union, and they go straight to the Europa League, no bonus payment and not even a play-off round to generate gate money. If Celtic are the only Scottish team to reach the CL Group Stage, they retain the entire Scottish TV pot, which would be worth an extra €3m to Celtic.
Make no mistake, we have a real and active interest in the Champions League qualifiers. These figures are huge factors in determining competitive outcomes in Scotland. There is a spreadsheet somewhere in Govan that no one will open today.
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Happy Wednesday!
Mon the saints!
Podium again?
Is it about Celtic today?
HH
Read your headline Pablo but not your article.
Agree the potential impact is gargantuan.
Respectfully though, the subject needs parked until 10pm next Tuesday ?
Well done Aipple.
Not long now fella.
Will hopefully catch up at ground and after.
Did you get your rail tickets booked?
Hope it all goes well
HH
AN TEARMANN
So close now AT. Tickets booked, yes.
Looking forward to putting a few faces to monikers.
There will be no need for a BoJo comeback — he will never go away.
Worth a watching — every trick in the book and few new ones to boot.
Thems have the luck o’ the devil…………………………..
I hope they get humbled.
HH
P67
Your article is only relevant if the board intend to spend that extra revenue or keep it in the piggy bank for increased dividends😕
PB
You beat me to it .
We should be miles ahead of them, in every way . But we’re not and that’s down to the Lawwell and the board.
Having extra money is one thing. Having the ambition to do anything with it is quite another.
I saw the handball earlier. The rules have been messed about with over the last few years but currently:
1. hand in unnatural position creating a risk of handball? – Yes
2. was the ball played from very close to the offender? – Yes
As such, i can see why there is a debate.
Looks like the VAR discounted the proximity as it was not a shot or cross that was blasted at Goldson; in was a Richard O’Shea and he should not have had his hand out
Harsh, but not a VAR mistake
Guten Tag from Hannover……many thanks from Miss Braw on all the messages of congratulations …she was very very smiley….
sad news about John Hughes …some man for one man…may he rest in peace and condolences to his family and many friends …
the sun is shining and a trip to the Irish Pub is awaiting …
smiley I will be opening that spreadsheet in my braw wee heid thing
Braw
Think it was CQN 10 Yogi attended, he didn’t miss his ex manager that night. Only the Celtic supporters could come up with a song to fit the nickname, ‘Feed the bear’ was an original hit in the Jungle, a bhoys hero, getting on the ball dribbling up the wing he was, to use a ‘Scotsport’ word a sensation.
Great players, great songs 🎶 Feed the bear Feed the bear, the bear, the bear he’s f@@kin everywhere Feed the bear Feed the bear 🎶. Modern game would have seen him more a midfielder than out wide, a unique talent, that put the borrowed Big Billy’s training shoes on the map in the 60’s.
No undersoil heating back then, sometimes they even used straw, how that was supposed to work I’ve no idea. Black and white pictures bleak winter in the 60’s unless you were lucky enough to be there in person to see Yogi’s picnic.
BSR
They were still using straw in the 70,’s. Remember they tried it at Clydebank, game never started second half. No rebate vouchers either😈
Paul67
What happened to the Morelos money?
Prestonpansbhoys
That game was in 77/78 season, so not even early 70s
I remember Leicester had an inflatable cover over their pitch to keep the frost out
I watched their game this morning not last night , my take on it neither side is particularly good, both seemed unsure of what to do, were they to try to attack or just pass it about, should Sevco score first at home then I think the atmosphere may overwhelm the Belgian side, however I hope I’m way off and they put Sevco out comfortably.
If the last 2 chances were taken the block by McLaughlin and the clearance by the penalty taker then it could have been really all over, it isn’t, I hope the Belgian’s are aware of what they are coming to face. Sevco have a home league match against Kilmarnock, McInnes is well able to organise his team to give them a hard game if he wishes.
The VAR decision was for a hand in an un natural position he was close to another player but thems the breaks, Caldwell was penalised in a CL match for Celtic pre VAR for the ball striking a post then hitting his arm as he lay on the turf, tough titty Sevco, hope you go out.
There’s us having the extra money and using it or not. There’s also them not having, at least, the extra £millions gained from the group stage.
I only saw the first half and wasn’t overly impressed by USG (especially in the first 15 mins). Still, it could have been 3-0. The tie isn’t over but I’m optimistic.
I couldn’t understand why the losers would go right into the Europa groups, but the €5m euro bonus explains it.
Some good teams, experienced teams, have melted in the Ibrox cauldron these past 2-3 years. Gut feeling is the Belgians will too. Huns will probably win 3-1.
Main hope is that their new players are just as nervous and the crowd gets on their back. Without Aribo, Kent and Morelos they are toothless at the moment.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
on 3RD AUGUST 2022 12:28 PM
The boring science bit…
I think the dispersed straw allowed the air in between the strands to insulate the ground from the colder air above.
BTW…was the Yogi song not “…feed the bear, the bear, he’s everyf@@kinwhere, feed the bear…” 🤔
Wee toe tapper from Blondie
https://youtu.be/Hvqgb1D6Opw
:-)
HH
I’m hoping that in five weeks time all the talk is about a famous Celtic win over Real Madrid/Liverpool/PSG/Bayern Munich. And not about spreadsheets and £££££££. We could do with a result that the whole world notices. Just one. It has been way too long.
For those interested in Derby.
https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1554782717295923202?s=19
HH
AN TEARMANN on 3RD AUGUST 2022 12:03 PM
Cracking image of your and a guild
https://twitter.com/Goodguybarry/status/1554413196156469252?t=2ifveXYyYKkwyfCAVfEzhw&s=19
HH
—————————
Good Guy Barry
@Goodguybarry
Replying to
@CelticFC
RIP Yogi. Here is a photo of the great man in 1963 with my Dad & the all conquering Motherwell St Bernadette’s Boys Guild football team
Paddy Grew, Peter Doyle, Brian Hargadon, Andy Cadden, front row from left Raymond McKee, Denis McCormack, John Yogi Hughes, Gerry Andrew, Pat Carr
Union clearly have the players and ability to beat sevco next week, it’ll come down to how their players manage the atmosphere in a ragin’ 50k stadium away from home. The biggest stadiums they played in last year were Standard, Brugge and Anderlecht who are all 20-25k. They never lost at any of those grounds.
Indeed, through the whole of last season over 40 league games they only lost by more than one goal three times, and never lost by more than two. Most of their league losses came at home, by the by.
Following promotion two seasons ago, 2nd place last season, and now an impressive (almost) debut in Europe, this is a team who have risen to every new challenge placed before them. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Gary
Yeah I know what year it was, I was stupid enough to pay again for the rematch.
More money than sense in those days😱
AIPPLE on 3RD AUGUST 2022 12:11 PM
AN TEARMANN
So close now AT. Tickets booked, yes.
Looking forward to putting a few faces to monikers.
………………
IF your planning on having a Bevvy in GLASGOW, give me shout Bhoys ?
AN TEARMANN has got my Phone Number.
HH Bhoys
18 YARD MAN
You’re correct on both counts.
I sang it into myself a good few times the memory is a strange thing and was swearing too much, so gave up.
There was also cleaned up versions like “ he’s roaming everywhere “ – but they never sounded as good 👍
UStG — team without stars?
Two of the CB’s came from the lower reaches of English football.
The GK looked as if he could give it a go as a CM / spreader.
They looked very ordinary and then they sprung into life.
Played the FB running into the MF channel very well.
Took them some time to get it going.
After that it looked a different game.
TFOD2.1 looked very undercooked.
5 at the back was a big fail.
No vision in the MF.
They wanted to play a team that didn’t turn up.
Beat to the counter punch by a better counter punching team.
UStG — have enough dig to survive a trip to Govan.
They won’t go down without a fight.
is anyone fluent in Hunnish or able to Translate
Boydy.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1554574441501167616
Another world record for Sevco on the ole ‘ragin stadium’ barometer
Union,
Union,
Union City Blues
https://twitter.com/i/status/1554576673621700608
Scotland TV pool money — how does that work?
Anybody got any numbers on how it is and how it compares to England?
Plus how is it split up?
60/40 — I understand.
But is that after money is given to the SPFL / SFA?
Sevco haven’t overturned a two goal deficit, no idea if Rainjurz ever did.
BRS @1.28👍😂
BSR,
I kind of feel that the Kids who support 2nd Rangers today , will grow up and reminisce about the halycon days of 21 and 22 when their club won the Covid league and a Scottish Cup and got to a Europa final.
They peaked, all downhill from now on.