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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If Union SG don’t get through next week against der hun ,I’ll eat my new trousers
Watched the highlights last night and they ran them ragged.
HH
Phil
I think Rangers are about to find out what £4-5 mil buys you in this market.
Hearts game now officially moved to Sun 21st at 3pm
CONEYBHOY on 4TH AUGUST 2022 11:25 AM
Hearts game now officially moved to Sun 21st at 3pm
That’s shockingly late CB.
@spfl knew the Europa qualifiers as published in the Edin eve news in early June!
Suprised the incompetents didn’t wait til Saturday mornin to tell us.!
HH
3rd May europa dates published CB
HH
B2B @ 10:28am
Perhaps an apology due to Joe there, even a simpleton like me could glean the sarcasm suggested by his use of the term ‘experts’….
Hamiltons.
Great to see you posting sir. HH
Hamiltontim
AT
Aye, most people flying would have booked the whole weekend in case the game moved due to EL but I never thought about it – dived right in. A lesson learned and beer/taxi money saved!
Philcool – SG have two very good midfielders. Teuma and Amani. They are a good side.
They looked nervy and not particularly good for 10 minutes or so but once they found their feet they really stifled the orcs and opened them up at the back a number of times.
One interesting feature were some of the forward passes that SG played. Reminiscent of our style and the orc defence was very susceptible to them.
Ron Bacardi, The very best of luck to you.
HT
Good to see you on.
I hope you are doing ok.
HH
Leftie/GGH
Doing ok thank you for asking. Been a long, long time since I even lurked but thought I’d pop in to see what the chat was at this early stage in the season.
I hope you’re both keeping well lads.
HT
Good thanks.
Apart from a continued inability /unwillingness to accept that the 63 year old body can’t do things it used to. :)
R.tressel
Exactly,highlights don’t lie,unless they’re Smsm highlights, lol
Phil.
HAIRLIKESPAGHETTI @11:47 AM
B2B
Perhaps an apology due to Joe there, even a simpleton like me could glean the sarcasm suggested by his use of the term ‘experts’….
——
HLS – cheers.
Why even write an article about them?
So a certain constituency of Celtic fans can feel offended to the tune of 1000 clicks?
Those people being written about lack intelligence, integrity, and insight.
They add zero value.
They are also employed by an organisation with the same old editorial model.
Big up Sevco – it appeals to their superiority (all of them).
Do Celtic down – they’ll all resent it or roll their eyes but … a sufficient proportion will engage for the privilege!
Add the two groups together? And you get the biggest coverage you can muster.
I’ve said it before and I’ll bite this blog with yet another repeat.
If Celtic fans change their behaviours sufficiently no longer consuming or paying for the unacceptable (1st, 2nd, 3rd, nth iterations)
… This editorial position across the SMSM will change right quick.
Spell check typo “bite” = “bore”
Celtic B Team playing at the Excelsior Stadium Airdrie,what’s happened to the upgrade at Barrowfield for the B Team to play there home games ,between having Parks Buses and The Excelsior Celtic are hell bent on helping out Hun owned Companies?
Just seen that Hamiltontim has been posting. Made my day. Hope you’re well, young mhan.
Celtic FC B
@CelticFCB
·
22m
We can now confirm that Ben Wylie has joined Airdrieonians FC on loan until the end of the season.
Good luck, Ben! 🍀
TB10 @ 12.33
Heard similar arguments all to often — the bit that you miss / forget is what would happen to the CFC supporters that are employed by said bus group?
Or are we heading towards a country with an overtly sectarian business sector / overtly sectarian employment practices / overtly sectarian economic decision making?
I thought that after a slow start things were getting better — I was hoping that we have left the 50’s behind us
However I fear that identity politics is starting turn the clock back — and after the newly found Nat luv of many in the support that this would be the next step for the hard of thinking.
No income tax, just EBT’s and the road chosen by David Murray was ended.
Sevco can’t do it, so they’ve frantically copied Celtic again, in their efforts to be a relevant football club, buy cheap, sell high nothing that’s not nailed down is for sale. They are already of the verge of a meltdown if they don’t get the proper money of the CL, instead of the Europa. This was money they were guaranteed and awarded contracts on the basis that they’d retain their closed door title.
They understimated Celtic and along came AP and change, which quickly re established Celtic’s slipped crown, and on the verge of this new season they have adopted their siege mentality by closing down any aspect of their club which is threatened. More than 90% of ‘pundits’ are tipping Rainjurz for the SPL despite being up to their knees in toilet duck, why and based on what?
The BBC who still employ their EBT’eers by the bushel are on a final warning, and the tabloid type add ons, get bigger and bigger depending on which next ‘star’ they can get off the wage bill, and fill with a cheapo. ‘Add ons’ haven’t started at Everton where the old boy wonder hasn’t laid a glove on the first team, and Ajax’s questionable involvement with the kings of crime looks more bizarre, after just one game.
You’d be forgiven for thinking Celtic were on the verge of continuing greatness.
BW — loan to Airdrie — interesting move @ 20.
LL games going to younger players?
Seems to be stagnating as he goes through the NT age groups.
Hopefully he makes the most of his 12 months away.
Needs to come back a squad player.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 4TH AUGUST 2022 12:24 PM
HT
Good thanks.
Apart from a continued inability /unwillingness to accept that the 63 year old body can’t do things it used to. :)
——-
A feeling I’m increasingly able to understand!!!
Parkheadcumsalford
I’m doing ok sir, how’s things with you?
When I began to type in your moniker when it got to the letter h, predictive text came up with Parkheadcumsalford so it can’t have been too long :-)
What’s sectarianism got to do with it!!
Who is missing having a european qualifier tonight ?
Not buying stuff from a competitors business is sectarian how ?
eejit
HAMILTONTIM
Great to see you on!
Don’t be a stranger and take care!
What has the Excelsior Stadium got to do with the Huns?
By Celtic Football Club
Share
Season tickets for the 2022/23 season are on sale now for both the Celtic FC Women and Celtic FC B teams, with individual and combined packages available.
Celtic FC Women enjoyed a history-making season last year by lifting two trophies, whilst the young Hoops broke new ground in their debut Lowland League campaign.
Throughout all these memorable moments, the fans’ support was vital, sharing their passion for Celtic from the stands.
Supporters once again have the chance to back the teams at the Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie with a 2022/23 Season Ticket.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to help inspire a new generation at Celtic Football Club as the trailblazing Ghirls continue their positive impact on the women’s game and the B team Bhoys look to progress on their pathway to first-team football.
With attractive pricing, free entry for kids and special discounted rates available, it’s never been easier to support the teams and be part of the Celtic family.
£120 for the combines season ticket for B team and Womens team.
Timbhoy are you getting one ?
RON BACARDI
All the best.
30 games for £120 …or as some poster(s) would put it £ 98 for two hun games ,£22 for the rest 😁😜
Yes I would buy one if the B Team and the Ghirls team played there home games at Barrowfield ,more convenient for me also my cash would be going direct to Celtic Football Club rather than The Penny Car Stadium in Airdrie,again I’ll ask if someone can give me any updates on Barrowfield being Upgraded or not,
BognorBhoy, someone is going to come on and say “see that Celtic PLC, charging more money for B and Womans games, these should be on the current season book as a perk, bloody PL hands all over it he never went away, sack the board and John Kennedy is shite”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62408307
Everton’s squad management and transfer strategies in full?
“Sign guys !”
I’d genuinely welcome someone more intelligent than I explaining how this club is not (formally) in the Financial Fair Play equivalent of the Mariana Trench.
https://store.celticfc.com/media/catalog/product/cache/3fb00f82c32b1579a4481bbcdfadd338/P/9/P9229-50-0-001.jpg