Inter were an incredible side. They were top of the Italian league and aiming for their fourth title win in five seasons. The one time they lost was after a play-off. The European Cup had become as much their domain as the Italian title. Having won it in 1964 and 1965, they lost the previous season’s semi-final in controversial manner to Real Madrid after some debatable refereeing. Reigning champions, Real, would suffer retribution, losing home and away to Inter in the ’67 quarter final. No team in European history had been so dominant. Real won five European Cups in a row but could not combine that with the kind of domestic domination this Inter team enjoyed.
On the morning on 25 May 1967 they were truly the most formidable team in history.
The game has to be seen to be believed. We won the European Cup, you know that, but HOW we won it is the most startling thing. I was a teenager when the first ‘video recorded’ arrived in the house. Soon thereafter a copy of The Celtic Story was purchased. I knew the legend but nothing prepared me for the onslaught, I’d never seen a football team destroy opponents in this way.
A CQN’er kindly prepared the stats for us:
Total shots – Celtic 45, Inter 3
Shots on target – Celtic 16, Inter 3
Shots off target – Celtic 29 (3 against the woodwork), Inter 0
Possession – Celtic 64%, Inter 36%
Crosses into opponents box – Celtic 40, Inter 4
Corners – Celtic 10, Inter 0
Successful passes – Celtic 310, Inter 224
Misplaced passes – Celtic 49, Inter 79
Passbacks to goalkeeper – Celtic 7, Inter 20
Fouls Committed – Celtic 19, Inter 21
Offsides – Celtic 5, Inter 1
No prizes for guessing the top two passers, Bobby Murdoch (60) and Bertie Auld (51) but it surprised me that John Clark and Jim Craig came joint third with 43 each, considerably higher than Tommy Gemmell (27), next on the list.
Someone suggested to me that the European Champions tournament had been devalued by a team winning by ‘parking the bus’ in front of their own goal. I disagree. This is football, spoiling has always been part of the game and the Champions Final is not always pretty, which makes the special times all the more special.
Someone lifts that cup every year, but few have done so with such devastating style as the Lisbon Lions.
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hooped dreams at 13.03
was it the cuervo gold?
hamiltontim on 25 May, 2012 at 11:33 said:
I know that on a day like today we shouldn’t make reference to the hun but on the way to work I heard that Hinge and Bracket have said that creditors will receive news of their CVA proposal either this afternoon or Monday at the latest.
Should we be concerned about this?
=======================================
Only if you are a creditor!!!
Hoops mccann
Look, I don’t think we should discuss this stuff on the blog, ok?
Tell you what, meet me at midnight at Mr Chow’s.
And make sure there’s gas in the car.
Is there gas in the car?
and now the Welsh choir boy …. up one place I hope he finds a woman to lover very soon
Last night, quietly, she walked through my mind
As I lay searching for sleep.
Her soft hand reached out, she whispered my name
As she brushed a tear from my cheek.
And then those funny familiar forgotten feelings
started walkin’ all over my mind.
It’s sad, so sad to watch love go bad,
but a true love would not have gone wrong.
I’m just thankful for the good times we’ve had
for without them I could not go on,
With all these funny familiar forgotten feelings
walkin’ all over my mind.
I must go on, be strong,
tho’ a million teardrops may fall,
Before these funny familiar forgotten feelings
stop walk’ all over my mind.
What always got me about tHe final, was the story of the two teams lining up in the tunnel and Just before they were to go out Bertie looked at these bronzed adonisis and just let rip with
Hail Hail the Celts are here….
The Italians didn’t have a clue what was going on. Just imagine singing our song , your heart would be pumping. It’s no wonder we humped them.
Duff and Phelps proposed court action to overturn the transfer embargo can be dismissed in three words, “the transfer window”. D&P’s argument is that the SFA have stopped their business from trading in key assets (players), trading being the core function of any business.
However a de facto “transfer embargo” is imposed on all clubs in the UK during Nov-Dec and Feb-May, periods during which all football businesses are excluded from trading in players, or as D&P term them “key business assets”.
Miki67
I think “wherever they wash up” is perhaps an inappropriate phrase to use when describing the great unwashed >).
yes, there’s gas in the car :-)
Thommo’s latest blog is a good ‘un. It’ll never happen, sadly…
Thommo’s blog
A pence in the pound deal they have come with after knocking back Ng who was offering 20p in the pound.
rangers are expected to submit a proposal to their creditors next week which could see the Ibrox club move out of administration.
Administrators Duff & Phelps are reported to be have finalised an offer which will be presented to creditors and the Court of Session of Monday.
The club’s debtors will have two weeks to accept or decline the offer which would see them receive a proportion of money owed to them.
The approval of 75% of the creditors is required for a CVA to proceed.
Rangers have been in administration since 14 February.
A consortium fronted by former Sheffield United chief executive Charles Green have had a bid for the Ibrox club accepted by the administrators, Duff & Phelps.
The proposal will be an initial pence in the pound offer made up from purchase funds from Green’s consortium and other funds raised by the administrators.
frame is out of Glasgow
hoops mccann
Last one for now.
If you’re not sure where to go, just drive west on Sunset to the sea.
And try to shake off the showbusiness kids – they don’t give a…… about anybody else.
RIchie
How is the total biosphere these days?
Vmhan
Your ain fault,you did ask for non sensible replies.
up three places Arthur Conley with the song Sweet Soul Music and who is this James Brown
Do you like good music
That sweet soul music
Just as long as it’s swingin’
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Out here on the floor now
We’re going to a go go
Ah dancin to the music
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Spotlight on Lou Rawls y’all
Ah don’t he look tall y’all
Singin’ loves a hurtin’ thing now
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Spotlight on Sam and Dave now
Ah don’t they look boss y’all
Singin’ hold on I’m comin’
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Spotlight on Wilson Pickett
That wicked picket Pickett
Singin Mustang Sally
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Spotlight on Otis Redding now
Singing fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Spotlight on James Brown now
He’s the king of them all, yeah
He’s the king of them all, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DYIqxDfg2bQ
Richie, didn’t realise there would be so many SD/DF fans around.
Off to enjoy the sun now.
HH to all
The Pantaloon Duck on 25 May, 2012 at 13:11 said:
”Thommo’s latest blog is a good ‘un. It’ll never happen, sadly…”
He seems unduly concerned with what the hun hordes want.
Why should they have any say?
In the final analysis they are the ones who benefited from the cheating.
They enjoyed lording over us like it was part of their birthright, part of the natural order.
Now it’s time for them to pay the price.
Hoops
Best band ever…apart from The Blue Nile
Ronnie Simpson (Goalkeeper)
Jim Craig (Right back)
Tommy Gemmell (Left back)
Bobby Murdoch (Right half)
Billy McNeill (Captain, Centre half)
John Clark (Left half)
Jimmy Johnstone (Outside right)
Willie Wallace (Inside right)
Stevie Chalmers (Centre forward)
Bertie Auld (Inside left)
Bobby Lennox (Outside left)
What an Achievement
and dropping three places to number 10 probably never to be heard of again its Jim Hendricks
After all the jacks are in their boxes,
and the clowns have all gone to bed,
you can hear happiness staggering on down the street,
footprints dressed in red.
And the wind whispers Mary.
A broom is drearily sweeping
up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life.
Somewhere a Queen is weeping,
somewhere a King has no wife.
And the wind it cries Mary.
The traffic lights they turn blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed,
The tiny island sags downstream
‘Cos the life that they lived is dead.
And the wind screams Mary.
Will the wind ever remember
The names it has blown in the past,
And with this crutch, its old age and its wisdom
It whispers, “No, this will be the last.”
And The Wind Cries Mary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lOrpuw1J9Og
Jeezo….I’m trying to get on with doing ‘stuff’ to keep the wheels of my caravan rolling…but I find myself well riled up by Jabba’s despicable drivel.
He totally slags Sammy P…now if one of us lot had his gaff done up with every conceivable bit of kit from the catalogue,covered himself in tatoos,and wore a set of colours to get covered in oil under a car,I’d feel warmth towards the guy for his mad as the mist and snow obsession with the club he loves.
But Jabba? Aw naw,he has to lump him off like only a eugenics lovin’ fascist could. The fat troll needs to take a look in the mirror. The animal is trippin’.
If it was 1942, The Resistance would be on his case. Deservedly so.
The cretin is a disgrace to Scotland. Just like his beloved Thug F.C.
Good Morning.
Last Saturday afternoon, hours before the Champions League final in Munich I found myself wandering around the wonderful place that the locals call Camp Nou.
I had hoped to find myself in a city that was celebrating the winning of another Big Cup later in the evening. Alas as we all know it was not to be.
As I walked around the interactive exhibition, I got a real sense of the history of this club, recalling the great names who have played there– Kempes, Ronaldo, Cruyff, Neeskins, Figo, Kubala,Stoichkov, Guardiola, Ronaldhinio….. I could go on forever… and of course our own Henrik.
I wandered past the screens showing great games of the past and the numerous trophies. I watched people getting their photo taken with one of the big cups that they have. I wandered out pitchside and looked up at where I was sitting when WE put them – and all their big names– OUT of Europe.
I love Barcelona as a city, I admire the Catalan spirit and their football team play sublime football—- however I have a BUT… and it is a pretty big but at that.
When Celtic were playing sublime football in Lisbon, Barcelona were an also ran as a football team in Europe. In their Museum, you will find a piece that says that in the 50′s and 60′s they, like the rest of Spain, were heavily under Franco’s Boot.
I am no admirer of Franco but recognise that his football team– Madrid— gathered a team in the 60′s that was a wonder– a team to set European football on a roll. Until 1967, European football had all been about 3 teams– Mardid, Bela Guttman’s magnificent Benfica, and Helenio Herrera’s custom built and fantastically expensive Inetrnatzionale side– on whom fortunes were spent with the sole aim of replacing Madrid as the king of the footballing castle.
Again, wandering around the Camp Nou, I came to the list of great managers they have had. Cruyff, Robson, Venables, Van Gaal, Reikaard…… and there again was the name Herrera. He was manager there– in the ’50′s, 60′s, 70′s. and even 80′s— he even returned to Inter in ’73-’74. Yes, even after Stein had polished his footballing clock with a team of locals– Hererra was sufficiently regarded to be appointed manager of Barcelona– a team that we associate with lovely passing flowing attacking football- a man we associate with defensive negativity, psychological warfare and whose coaching was to get your nose in front and then just plain kill the game– as a spectacle, as a contest, as a sport and as an entertainment.
Why did Barcelona employ him? Because they wanted to win! Being FC Barcelona was not enough– they wanted trophies, they wanted to oust Madrid as well– they wanted THE BIG CUP and Herrera had already won it with Inter.
And there lies the source of my big BUT if you pardon the expression. Behind the scenes at Barca no one can say that things are alright. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, so while we complain about Rangers debts- little if anything is said about the Barca debt of 578 Million Euros. Madrid top that with debt of 589 Million and the rest of Spanish football– while enjoying 5 semi finalists in the European competitions— is also crippled with massive debt.
These debts include unpaid taxes by the Million, and Spain as a whole cannot allow such debts to remain unpaid.
Barca’s Income for the year is 450 Million Euros and Madrid’s is 479Million, but even so, neither is able to make a dent in their debts… and maintain their status at the top of the footballing tree.
On 6th May 1978 Joesph Lluis Nunez was elected President of Barcelona and promised a renewal of the club and its finances. He tenure of office lasted 22 years and of course included Cruyff’s dream team which was so successful in the early 1990′s. However, this was not enough and by 2000 there was considerable opposition to Nunez especially from Elefant Blau- a supporters organisation headed by a young lawyer called Joan Laporta.
Nunez resigned but was succeeded by Joan Gaspart who had been his deputy. However further elections were forced in 2003, with the result that Laporta became top dog.
Now there is no doubting that Nunez, Gaspart and Laporta have all done great things for Barcelona. They have between them built a huge “Brand”– a brand that touches the heart, the nature of Catalan survival and highlights the region’s differences with the rest of Spain. Barcelona is marketed as a fashionable commodity. Their shops are cool, The T shirts fashionable and of good quality, their merchandise, adverts, and whole ethos– is top drawer stuff.
But they are hopelessly in debt today. So much debt that it makes the eyes water. There is no way out of that debt other than to trade out, and that is difficult when you are a club that pays top dollar to be top dog.
Platini’s regulations will bight the Barca’s, The Madrid’s and the others in the arse– big chunky bites at that– and the consequences– for them at least will be painful.
I love Barcelona and its Mes Que un Club attitude— but I resent that to get where it has gotten to it has effectively “bought” that success. Whilst I condemn the business failure– in a club of the people– as opposed to a club run for the Ego of one man— I can understand it. Even sympathise with it a little.
However, my point is this. Earlier on in this board someone said that we- Celtic- would not win the big cup again for another 45 years.
Well– I am not too sure about that. You see we don’t have the endless trophy cabinet that Barca has– nor do we have the debt. What we do have is a support– a support that is second to none when it comes to supporting Celtic in any continent on the planet. As yet we do not have the global brand that Barca enjoy– but then again we have not spent the money on it.
We have a brand that is pretty close though in some areas. Winning the league puts us in Europe- in the top flight, and no matter how the team actually performs this gives us a chance to do something that others can’t. As can be scene from the Norwich game the other night, the reaction to thousands of Celtic fans being the ambassadors for the club– for the sport– results in Celtic merchandise flying out the door and the expansion of brand Celtic.
If Neil lennon can put an exciting young team on the park– and remember that the Europa league winners were the only wons to defeat us home and away at a dodgy part of the season– we the Celtic fans can enhance and advance Celtic in a unique way– in a way that does not involve the debts of Nunez, Laporta and Co.
Football is levelling in financial terms. It will take years yet to get to an even playing field– if it ever does. But brand Celtic– the spirit of Celtic, the charitable origins of Celtic, the legend of Lisbon and the football that was played 45 years ago today– is a commodity and half. If wages become anywhere near par, and Celtic can garner something close to a European reputation again, then players will want to play for this club and supporters will want to support. And whilst that is the stuff of dreams– it is also a sound business plan.
And remember while Madrid have continued to buy success, until Mourinho arrived at the San Siro we had won the big cup more recently than Inter or Benfica!
My trip to Barcelona also took in a Bruce Springsteen concert. I like Springsteen. He is the son of a Dutch Irishman, has his feet on the ground and is a protest singer from the Jersey shores. Bruce has always called it like it is.
He is a very private man for a public figure. A guy with a message and a soul– and a real sense of decency about him… and I like that.
BUT
A year ago or so he lost his long time friend and band member Clarence Clemons. If you follow music you will know that Clarence was the sax player in the E Street band. he was a huge Black man– Springsteen describes him on stage as the biggest man in the world—- weighing well over 300 pounds, Clarence was a huge man in every way. He had the intention of being a Pro Footballer but a car crash wrecked his knees and so he took to blowing his horne instead.
In his latest album cover, Springsteen talks about the “unusual” friendship between the big black man and the skinny white boy in the late ’60′s and early ’70′s. It was something that not everyone was comfortable with in those dark times. However. Springsteen says this of Clarence:
He was a big man. He made me feel big… and made me DREAM big. Too big to die? Clarence doesn’t leave the E-street band when he dies– he leaves it when WE die.
Back at the Camp Nou I thought of another Big Man who is too Big to die. I thought of Helenio Herrera and his fabulous Inter Team who got well and truly stuffed by the BIG MAN’s “wee” team from Scotland, and this Barcelona team with all its stars and all its debt. I thought about sitting up there just 8 years ago when WE put THEM out of Europe when they had Ronaldhinio and Saviola and all those guys. We had guys play out their socks that night. Davie Marshall, John Kennedy but two.
Celtic eh?
Makes you feel Big….. makes you dream big… and if you dream often enough and big enough sometimes those dreams come true.
You can’t start a fire without a spark!!
———————————————————————————————————–
As we approach the midnight hour, I thought I would post a wee tale from a year ago tomorrow– and 45 years ago in time.
Good Afternoon,
On 12th April 1967, My Father and mother took the unusual step of deciding to remortgage their house. The reason for this decision was not that a new kitchen was needed, or an extension needed to be built or anything else like that. No the decision was made when the final whistle went at Celtic park with the result that Celtic had beaten Ducla Prague by 3 goals to 1. The oul fella had argued that if Celtic won by two clear goals then the trip to the bank was on. What he had in mind was a gamble but Stein’s team did not lose two goal advantages– and he had seen enough of Ducla that night to believe that Celtic would go to Lisbon.
By the following week, he had collected the money raised and he had spent most of it!
It was nearly all gone by the time Celtic kicked off in the afternoon match in Prague. As there was no football coverage on TV he had to call back by phone from London to my mother to find out the score from Prague. I would guess that he was slightly nervous, and his nerves were made all the worse when he could not get a word out of the mother on the phone– all she did was cry!!
Presuming that the unimaginable had happened, he began to try and calm her down over the phone, telling her that though they had lost a few quid, everything would be ok and that it was not the end of the world and that he would make the money back again. Somehow, the mother managed to blurt out four words: ” We won– we’re through!”– and that changed the tone of the conversation totally.
Putting the phone down the father scurried off about his business.
Not long after, a man politely knocked on the door of his boss. The Boss man was a small bespectacled man in a dapper suit.
” Sorry, sir, but there is a man in reception asking to see you and who says that it is urgent. When I asked him what he wanted, he said that he wanted to hire every one of your planes for three days in May. He is clearly deranged and I have called for the police and an Ambulance– but in case there is a commotion I suggest you stay in here for the time being”.
“What did he want the planes for?” said the boss
” Some rubbish about a football match and a team from Glasgow— He says that Celtic are in the European Cup Final in Lisbon.”
” And are they?”
“I don’t know– I just thought he was mad!”
The Boss man then picked up the phone and called the Daily Express and asked where the European Cup final was to be played and who was in it. Lisbon was the correct answer and as for the participants– well that would be Glasgow Celtic and either Internazionale or CSKA Red Flag who were to play that night.
The Boss man came out to the reception to meet with another small bespectacled man who had the remainder of the remortgage money in his bag.
” Hello” said the boss man ” I’m Freddie Laker.”
For those too young to remember Freddie Laker, he started Laker airlines in 1966 and tried to establish the company as a charter company flying people and mail all over. He later went on to be knighted and to challenge British Airways on their transatlantic routes. His was the first real budget scheduled airline, but in 1967 no one had ever heard of him and no one had tried to book all of his planes at once!
Ultimetely the oul fella flew 17 planes to Lisbon. He knew and saw that not only were the team capable of remarkebale things but that the Celtic support would travel in vast numbers to the Portuguese capitol. Some drove, some trained, but the majority flew and this was the first mass airlift of football fans in Europe. That is often forgotten. In those days the final was played somewhere and the majority of spectators were local to the chosen stadium. The travelling football army was a Celtic first and each time it has had the chance to invade foreign soil for a final it grows from the time before—- Lisbon, Milan, Seville.
I still have unused tickets for that day in May 1967. I also have treasured photographs of my dad and my grandfather with his chosen guest who he took to Lisbon to see Celtic lift the cup. He , like many others, had no doubt that Stein’s team would win. The Guest was one of my Dad’s favourite players and someone he would have put into his team in response to Serge’s post. The Player and guest was Charles Patrick Tully.
Much has been written about that day in Lisbon, but what sticks with me is that how different things are now compared to then, how the world and the game has moved on.
In 1967 loads of people in England and elsewhere did not follow European football at all. Other than Real Madrid coming to play the final in Glasgow,the event was not much covered in the British Isles. There had been a general feeling within the English FA that Europe was not for English teams. Further it was a latin dominated event.
However among those who did follow European Football there was a feeling that the free flowing football of Real Madrid was a thing of the past. The Inter team played an unbeatable form of football, cynical football, professionally efficient football– get in front and kill the game.
Barry Davis had a great series on radio 5 a number of years ago called the great European teams and in it, he concluded that the Celtic team of 1967-72 was undoubtedly the best team in Europe going by consistent results. But the key was that everyone of a neutral hue wanted them to win. Inter’s dearest player cost £250,000 in 1967– which was a fortune then. It was a team designed to stop Madrid and later Benfica and to dominate football with it’s all efficient system.
For the press, Lisbon ‘67 was good against bad, light against dark, football against the anti footballing ideology of Herrera. The idea that Stein could produce this local team which played such magnificent football was like a fairytale– the stuff of Hollywood. And win they did. A friend of mine, who is a Rangers fan, described it as the day Celtic THRASHED Inter Milan by two goals to one. It was a footballing lesson– a beating to beat all beatings. A masterclass in entertaining attacking football.
But it brought about so much more than just a win. It was the precursor to total football in Holland. It deeply influenced how the Brazil team of 1970 would play against many of the same players in an Italy shirt in the world cup final. The pictures also advertised this idea of the vast travelling football support and of course the Freddie Lakers of this world realised there was money in football charters.
Postscript
There is a great apochryphal tale told about the 1970 World Cup. Everyone is familiar with the magnificent goal that was scored that day by Carlos Alberto the Brazilian Captain. In my minds eye, I can see Pele gently nudge the ball to the right, and the flashing Carlos Alberto running onto it to hit a screamer into the net. I also recall Albertos behind the goal celebrations– almost but not quite matching the mentalness of a Rivelino celebration.
Brazil destroyed Italy that day. This was a good Italian team too– with many that he played with Inter under Helenio Herrera. Remember too, that Herrera was no slouch– he managed Barcelona three times in three different decades.
Anyway, the story goes that at the press conference afterwards, the press were lauding the fourth Brazilian goal, and praising the fact that the move started all the way back in their own half with Tostao.
Someone asked Mario Zagallo, the Brazilian manager, if the move was from the training ground, and whether he had his team practised moves that were started at the back by forwards and finished by fullbacks running up the park?
Zagallo was a shrewd old fox. Apparently he sighed, looked at the press and said ” Yes– that move came from the training ground. The training ground at 95 Kerrydale Street Glasgow. That is where we were shown how to beat an Italian team, how to get down the flanks, push your fullbacks up the park and play beautiful football. That is where the move started!”
ernie lynch on 25 May, 2012 at 13:24 said:
Point taken, but the following passage describes a scenario which I would not find objectionable
——————————————————————————–
Under the DVA a number of key things are achieved for Rangers:
– The club that’s come to epitomise sleaze in the modern game regains the moral high ground.
– It sends a resounding message not just through Scottish football but through world football, world sport.
– It gets the SFA, SPL and UEFA off all kinds of hooks.
– It let’s Sky news know that football runs football, not Murdoch-influenced TV.
– It reduces Strathclyde’s policing bill on taxpayers and saves scores of women from serious domestic violence.
– It shuts up Celtic fans (to a degree maybe).
– It creates a sustainable strategy for long-term successful football at Ibrox in the SPL and no doubt Europe.
How?
By just doing what so many Rangers fans want.
By acting like all successful major businesses do in this century: nurturing long-term sustainability above short-term success-at-any-cost (the Murray/Whyte formula of destruction).
How?
The DVA works like this. Rangers petition SPL/SFA/SFL to leave the top flight and begin again in Division 3. A line is drawn and an astonishing message of sporting integrity is sent which fans all over are crying out for.
quick question… anybody know what price a lower north stand ST is next year. used to be in 104, but gave it up a few years back. would like to be somewhere similar again. upper tier would also be an option if anybody knows that.
cheers in advance :-)
The Pantaloon Duck on 25 May, 2012 at 13:33 said:
————————————————————-
But how much do the creditors get? Hee Haw it looks to me.
I am worried that Alex Thompson is starting to lose interest. Of course he has (other) major things going on that may take priority. I think we need him highly motivated and still digging. OG?
The Pantaloon Duck
I assume a hun wrote that as I have no idea what a DVA is or why Sky News needs to get involved.
Richie on 25 May, 2012 at 13:36 said:
I think you may have spotted the fatal flaw in the proposal. I also fear that the sum you mention is precisely what the creditors are going to get regardless of how things eventually turn out.
Richie
Agree 100%…….best band in the world and to support the best team in the world.
I really do count myself lucky to have seen the Celts lift the big cup, and not only that, but to have seen them be the first, in Scotland, to do 9-in-a-row. Over the last, almost 50, years that I’ve been supporting the Hoops, our history has been pretty amazing.
Football creditors rule declared lawful in High Court meaning players can still pick up bumper pay packets.
Millionaire footballers will carry on being paid their salaries in full while local businesses must receive a fraction of what they are owed in football-club bankruptcies after the controversial football creditors’ rule was declared lawful in the High Court on Friday.
Mr Justice David Richards stressed he had chosen to reject the challenge from HM Revenue & Customs against the insolvency provisions in Football League and Premier League rules on the basis “purely of law”.
“These proceedings are not concerned with whether giving priority to football creditors is socially or morally justified,” said Richards in his judgement.
There has been much popular criticism for a system that permits players, club staff and rival clubs to receive every penny they are owed from historical contracts even when those contracts have contributed to the financial collapse of the club.
“The effects of the provisions enabling priority to be given to football creditors in these insolvencies have been striking,” said Richards. “Two examples illustrate this. Crystal Palace went into administration on 26 Jan 2010, HMRC having presented a winding-up petition on 2 Dec 2009.
“Total unsecured liabilities were approximately £27m of which debts to football creditors amounted to about £1.925m. A total of £2,415,552m was paid to unsecured creditors. The football creditors were paid in full and the other creditors received a dividend of less than 2p in the pound.
“Plymouth Argyle went into administration in March 2011. The football creditors were paid in full while the other unsecured creditors received a divided of 0.77p in the pound.”
Indeed, Richards rejected many of the justifications for the football creditors’ rule that were advanced by the Football League. But he could not accept HMRC’s argument that the rule was unlawful because “what matters is whether the dominant purpose or deliberate intention of the arrangement is to evade the insolvency laws.”
There was no evidence that this is the purpose or intention of the Leagues’ rules. However Richards did add as his final conclusion:
“The Football League should not regard the result of this case as an endorsement of its approach to football creditors. It is a decision on a challenge brought on a particular legal basis.”
Richards invited an appeal from HMRC, which must be lodged before 29 June, and the Kent MP Damian Collins has separately mounted a challenge to the rule through parliament in his Football (Financial Transparency) Bill.
But the League had a stark warning about what effect success in other of those channels my have.
“Had this principle been ruled unlawful, the most likely consequence would be insolvent clubs being expelled from the League altogether as clubs would be unwilling to compete against teams that have defaulted on debts to their fellow clubs,” it said in a statement.
“This would have devastating consequences for the clubs concerned, their supporters and people living in their local community. In an ideal world the League would never have to apply its insolvency policy at all. Therefore our focus will remain on creating a sustainable business environment for all our member clubs.”
A spokesman for HMRC said it was still undecided whether to launch an appeal against the judgement but added: “We are naturally disappointed with today’s judgment. Our view remains that the Football Creditor Rule is unfair to all other unsecured creditors who are forced to make do with much smaller returns – if anything – on monies owed to them by Football Clubs which enter administration.”
One of this weeks highest climbers up a large 7 spots to number 12. It´s from across the Atlantic be warned it is very racy and its the Beach Boys with and then I kissed her
Well I walked up to her and I asked her if she wanted to dance
She looked awful nice and so I hoped she might take a chance
When we danced I held her tight
Then I walked her home that night
And all the stars were shining bright
And then I kissed her
Each time I saw her I couldn’t wait to see her again
I wanted to let her know that I was more than a friend
I didn’t know just what to do
And so I whispered I love you
And she said that she loved me too
And then I kissed her
I kissed her in a way that I’d never kissed a girl before
I kissed her in a way that I hope she liked for evermore
I knew that she was mine so I gave her all the love that I had
Then one day she’ll take me home to meet her mom and her dad
Then I asked her to be my bride
And always be right by my side
I felt so happy that I almost cried
And then I kissed her
And then I kissed her
And then I kissed her
Remember that night as if it was yesterday! Watched the match ina mate’s house with a few others all from St Patricks High School Coatbridge. Not a bit nervous even after the penalty, after all we had Jinky!!! Traipsed up to all the pubs in Coatbridge without moneyto get a beer without money but loads of swagger and panache, never realising the impact this was about to have on the FAMOUS GLASGOW CELTIC. Winning it again would be fantastic but would never never equal that night. It is right up there with “where were you the day so and so…….”
Hail Hail to all TIMS
One of the happiest daze of my life after the births of my daughter and my 2 sons 4 grandsons and my bossy wee granddaughter. Oh and of course my wedding day!!
I can remember every minute of it up to abt 20 past 10.
HaiL HaiL
Just watched a documentary on the Munich Air Disaster. One of the survivors said (after the 2nd aborted take-off) that if just one person on that plane had said they weren’t happy with another attempt then he reckons everyone would have walked off the plane.
Makes you wonder. Very sad.
Hoops, you can find them with the working girls
In the county jail.
William and Mary won’t do!
Tobago
BRTH:
That was some post.
I agree with gist of it.
The thing is: who six or seven years ago, during the boom, would have that Capitalism would go bust?
Who- during the 90s- would have thought Rangers would be reduced to ashes by the sweet hammer of karma?
Nobody knows what the future will bring.
Anything is possible: predictions of the future only limit the future.
I wasn’t born back in 67, but as a Celtic supporter of any age, you end up feeling as if you were there in Lisbon, given the esteem in which they are held – and rightly so! – and the stories that are told.
The achievements of that team were unsurpassed back then…..and although other teams have went onto to greater success (eg the Ajax/Bayern/Liverpool/Milan/Barca teams) i would argue that our success is still the greatest of them all!
The Lisbon Lions – Phenomenal.
Gold Bless each and every one of them!
As for Big Jock, there are many others on here who can/could/probably will do eulogise far better than I about the greatest manager our Club has ever had, but Shankly summed it up perfectly for me:
“John, you’re immortal”!
Incidentally, the author of a new novel on the Lisbon Lions (Martin Greig I believe) is about to be interviewed on TalkSport.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Martin now on Talksport