Very pleased Peter Lawwell has opened up a bit today (in The Sun, I know…) on the workings of the club, I hope this is the start of a trend in more regular communication. If there’s logical explanations for Celtic’s actions, inactions, views and general strategy, we should be giving them far more often than we have.
On the club’s financial strategy, his comments were not far removed from yesterday’s blog, “if we take the club into £20m worth of debt, and [Champions League qualification] doesn’t happen, where does that leave us?
“For a Scottish club to owe that kind of money leads to trouble. You don’t have to look very far [Govan] to see the consequences [administration and/or liquidation]of people trying things which ‘might’ happen.”
We’re only a few years from that touchstone but the point still needs to be made.
On one point, there’s probably a bit of work to do: “You’ve got social media and the bloggers, posters and trolls who think they know what’s going on at the club. They don’t.
“They don’t have all the information. The reality is different from their perception and I need to deal with reality every day.”
Social media will never have all the information, but football clubs need to find out ways to harness what is still a new and emerging phenomenon. At the very least, they need to find ways to head off wildly inaccurate and damaging fantasies.
Everyone believes they deal with reality, not perception. I laugh when I see new posters here saying “I’ve no axe to grind, but…….” None of us believe we have an axe to grind, we all believe we bring reality to the debate.
Self-awareness in this respect is not part of the human condition. If people experience, see and read certain realities, perceptions consistent with those realities are perceived as reality.
The only way around this for the club is to ensure Celtic fans have access to sufficient verifiable realities to offset perceived realities. Let’s keep the verifiable realities coming, soon if possible.
Really hope Leigh is playing tonight, and he gets his 40th goal. It would be a fitting achievement for a thorough professional – who never lets an opportunity to show Celtic fans how genuine his delight to be here is.
There’s a Football Forum at The Iron Horse pub, West Nile St, tomorrow [Thursday] from 18:30 until 21:00. Three authors will talk about football within Scottish society.
Our own Alex Gordon, author or Winds of Change, Caesar & the Assassin, A Bhoy called Bertie, Celtic the Awakening and more, “will provide stories of and insights into the integrity of the Scottish football press and media”. Alex is a former editor of the Sunday Mail, so this one should be interesting.
Sandy Jamieson, author of Celtic Submari: a new model for football relationships, among others, will also be speaking. The third panelist is Alan Ness, author of the football novel, A Man’s Game.
There’s a £5 (to Dogs Trust charity or discount off a book) charge at the door, no tickets in advance. Introduce yourself to Alex, if you’re there.
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Bring back J Titor, as his alternate reality is better than this alternate reality being peddled by this blog, what planet or reality produces PR puff pish like this, Keech Jackson, Leckie, Forsyth, Keevins, and yuo can add P67 to that list.
Utter tripe.
Nothing else needs said on the use of the S** as the medium for the guff spouted by Lawwell.
Despicable.
gebhoy
It shows how completely out of touch the club are with their own fanbase when our Chief Executive gives another condescending interview to one of the vilest newspapers in history.
Do we have a game tonight?
Should the “fringe” players get a run out?
Should we be bothered if we don’t go for a 15 point lead?
Will St. Johnstone form a guard of honour?
HH
I suspect the recent rumours re Resolution 12 and UEFA are an attempt to smoke out the opposition to show their hand early. Why else would such a non story interview be so hyped up?
Nothing has changed.
The season ticket debate has been polarised into a boycott or not decision. It’s nothing of the sort as a pay as you go strategy sends a huge message to the club and still allows you to continue supporting the team.
See how it goes. I’m sure half season books will be available at Christmas.
cv
GEORDIE MUNRO on 11TH MAY 2016 1:30 PM
It does beg the question, doesn’t it
Its a bit rude really, if it really is as bad as some make it out why spend so much of your time on it? It’s not like there aren’t other blogs and message boards out there to make your voice heard.
The part of the interview that sticks out for me was where PL says even if he left the strategy would remain the same. That’s a clear indication that DD is at the helm and the CEO is only following orders.
Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on 11th May 2016 1:03 pm
When anyone responds to any sign of dissent from the pro-Palestinian narrative with “Zionist,” they immediately lose all credibility on the subject with me. You sound like one of those people who think the Jews rule the world through their control of the world’s media and international banking system.
To the best of my knowledge, no one on the blog yesterday called you anti-Semitic. I think you must have imagined that. And no one said Palestinian civilians killed by Israel were terrorists. Try to engage with what has actually been said.
You conclude by claiming that “Zionists” always resort to violence when they lose an argument, which is (apparently) why they and jihadists support each other.
That’s just bizarre. No one used violence against you yesterday (and certainly no one lost an argument with you either) and the idea that “Zionists” and ihadists support each other is ludicrous.
As you well know, Hamas are jihadists and they’re never done attacking “Zionists.” In fact, jihadists are the main obstacle to peace in the region.
Paul, I live in Canada and like others, I witness daily the messaging put out by our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which uses the fully power of social media and is controlled by his administration, using their selected mainstream media outlets. I see no reason why Celtic cannot do the same, where at times like this they need more than at any other time to be getting the fans on side and attracting the renewal of season tickets. In this respect PL should be making at the very least a weekly media statement on the search for a new manager and the plans for next season. I would suggest a weekly briefing via Celtic TV would be the place to start. Facebook, twitter feeds (both of which the Club has incidentally) need to be utilized much more effectively, so that there’s no risk of misinterpretation – it’s there in words and pictures for all to see. This would usurp the SMSM. Make our own stories, but start with the fans, tell it to us straight.
P67
“The only way around this for the club is to ensure Celtic fans have access to sufficient verifiable realities to offset perceived realities. Let’s keep the verifiable realities coming, soon if possible.”
Couldn’t agree more that increased transparency for fans and shareholders is the way forward but doing so through the old style media (now so thoroughly and irreversibly rejected by most football fans, especially by fans of Celtic given the constant pro Rangers , anti Celtic stance they adopt) and in particular the medium of the Sun ( given their utterly shameful treatment of Hillsborough as recently as last week) is a huge faux pas and demonstrates a worrying lack of the reality of consumption of news by the Clubs target audience.
If , as seems to be the case , the club are rattled by the slow take up of ST renewals amid concerns about the clubs handling of Res 12 they seriously need to review how the message is delivered.
Does the club think there is so much as one single fan who got their information on Res 12 from the MSM?
I wouldn’t believe a single thing printed in the Sun even if it purported to be a direct quote. I would treat nothing they print as being a verifiable reality.
So , by all means, PL and Celtic open up and communicate with the fans but the medium for doing that IS the internet and social media , used properly.
Don’t complain that they don’t have the facts – within the limitations of commercial confidentiality give them the facts and then both the club and we will know that the information disseminated is accurate and not filtered through the agenda of one or more mainstream news sources we’ve all learned through years of bitter experience simply not to trust.
Right. Back to work. Might try a Celtic blog later.HH
An teach,
I’d give a couple of the young guns a run out. I know there’s not a lot to play for but a win would be nice.
I think we made a few changes last year or the year before up in Perth in and end of season game and it was quite sticky at times.
HH
The only time in the past when I have come close to criticising Peter Lawwell and the Baord was when it looked as though they could not see the failings in Ronny’s approach and we might have to put up with another season. Clearly, they did see that and as we know a change of management is in the air. Therefore I have always been, and remain, a fan of Peter Lawwell and how he operates as CEO.
That said I think today’s article, and more to the point the vehicle of choice, is a serious misjudgement of the mood of the support. As a fan of PL you would expect me to be surprised about that, and I am. It makes me wonder what’s really going on.
Having had some experience of dealing with the media, I do know that an interview of this scale is a long time in the planning. These types of arrangements don’t happen off the cuff. I am also fascinated, given the time that will have gone into it, just how banal the content is. It does make me wonder, and believe me I have no inside information, is PL in the process of exiting the club.
To say so much, but really say so little takes thought, and no little skill. I wonder if he is being deliberately vague on the knowledge that there are significant strategic and personnel changes at Executive level in the wind.
As I said I have no inside info, just my own perception of what might really be happening. Probably bollox, but we’ll see….
Eddie,
I read and thought the same.
Must be a mistake shoorly. Keano is coming to sort Pl out ;)
HH
DAMO LENNON on 11TH MAY 2016 1:50 PM
if i was you i’d go easy on him today……………………………after all you ripped him not one but two holes yesterday -)))
Can an arrogant, condescending asshole with a penchant for sharp suits, heated driveways and big, big bonuses still be a Celtic supporter? Of course he can…we are all inclusive, remember?
Sigh!!! Take me back to the sixties, when it was all about the team on the park…and the Wrigley’s Spearmint.
I would love to be talking about the football and the new manager, but the amount of pro board, apologist drivel on here is hard to take. I’ve been on here from 2007. The difference between that CQN and the present site is vast. I’ve seen Starships on fire in the black hole of Ibrox, millions of money swirl round the same place,SFA and SPFL abetting crime from the same dead entity, and PL in the thick of it.
Res12? From what I can decipher, it’s dead in the water.
I bet PLs got metrics that demonstrably prove more Celtic fans read the Scottish Sun than any other paper. Getting his message to the widest audience possible.
However, I personally disapprove of his choice.
Eddie Kirkmichael
When Lawwell leaves who knows what the strategy will be?
Certainly not him as he’ll just be a clueless supporter like the rest of us … According to his earlier remarks
Burgas Hoops on 11th May 2016 1:57 pm
Had a wee chuckle at that there!
Johnbhoy…. are you a hun, eh?
(I’ll translate that for those of you who dont speak our native language; that’s Canadian for ‘are you a hun?’)
There is no’strategy’
There is no’ big picture’; it’s like there’s someone on the roof at CP fiddlin’ with the ole aerial while the rest of us shout up ‘black and white!’ ‘snowy!’ ‘black and white!’
The past 4 years have been squandered, on and off the park.
“a clueless supporter like the rest of us … According to his earlier remarks”
Cultsbhoy,
Are you gonna be OK luv?
Pistols clearly hit a nerve with you. :)
HH
DBBIA @ 2.13….that ‘someone’ is Topol…
I’m only an occasional poster here, although I have been reading and contributing since the beginning (formerly Firsby Hoop) and there does seem to have been a sea-change in the prevailing mood since those days back in the 2004-05 season.
Most contributors back then seemed to be supportive of Paul’s general theme, which has not changed re spending within means. Back then we were in an unsustainable arms race with dead Rangers and hadn’t really spent significantly since the signing of Hartson in August 2001. Lots of talk of front-loaded spending for MON in his first season, and the brakes had been applied ever since.
We were quite heavily in debt back then and I think the board’s decision to reduce it has been proven to be the right one, even though we lost three titles in a row as the Huns spent themselves into oblivion.
We’re now in a situation where we have won our 5th title in a row and many of us are complaining about the club being badly run.
In my opinion, Celtic spend plenty of money every season, but we spend it badly. Despite that, we spend it wisely enough (just) to ensure we win the title every season. I believe with the right manager in place next season, the current squad before spending any money in the transfer market, will be more than good enough to win the title next season as well.
The question I would ask is, why do we want to spend more money? Obviously the answer is to do better in Europe, hopefully the Champions League, but that would be to chase an increasingly unlikely dream.
Let’s say we spent £6m on a striker. We don’t need to spend £6m on a striker to win the SPFL, and £6m for a striker gets you nowhere in Champions League terms. You’d need to find double that to by Ross McCormack and I don’t think many of us would be happy if we did.
In my opinion, the club’s present strategy is the right one. The thing we have to improve is in how well we spend the money we do spend. Maribor and Malmo it seems to me have got far better value for money than we have in recent seasons.
As for Peter Lawwell, a massive blunder by giving an interview to the Sun. I can’t believe he did that.
Honestly….peter lawell, you are a fecking clown.
Only days on from supporting the 96, you then give an interview to the sordid rag that disparaged those poor people.
Have you totally lost the plot you idiot?
As for paul67 going along with this insult….what is wrong with you?
Are you not giving a feck now?
As I said earlier, I disregard all newspapers as they really aren’t for me are they. If Celtic want to communicate with supporters they should use digital media and they should do so regularly.
As for the malaise that has been wafting around the place, open a window, clear the air, confirm Sevco are a tribute act with no honours to crow about officially, call out the sfa, the stench will evaporate like a hun asked to pay tax.
Hail Hail.
Geordie Munro
Not hurt – just put in my place .. Like the rest of the numpties
I suspect this may be PL Ratner moment…
HH
CB
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART on 11TH MAY 2016 12:45 PM
No worries & thanks!
When faceless individuals can hold such imbalanced & entrenched views on a subject that exists thousands of miles from home & more than likely has no material effect on themselves. Then it gives you an insight into how difficult it must be for the important players in the region to have their heads knocked together.
Peace is all any layperson should be encouraging from afar, as goodness knows, the world has had more than its fill of the blame game.
HH!
Wee Bobby- mazel tov!
‘In Israel, “mazal tov” is used for all sorts of happy occasions, whether they be a new driver’s license, a birthday, or getting a podium on CQN’.
This £20Million figure is beginning to bug me a wee bit.
Why is it such an unsurmountable amount for Celtic…
We have lost more than that in the last two Seasons by failing to get into the UCL.
We had a team that beat Barca at Celtic Park, three of that team were sold for way in advance of £20Million.
By failing to reinvest at the requisite level we have lost over £20Million paid out on transfers for players unable to get a run in the first team.
Just Spend the £20Million, spend it wisely by investing in Footballers with ability, character and ambition and watch the return…
Another bug bear, we play is why do we harp on about disadvantages of playing Football in Scotland.
It could be an argument for Aberdeen and Hearts. But instead these Clubs are getting on building their teams and new facilities.
It’s NOT an argument for Celtic though, because unlike those Clubs we have a HUGE advantage when it comes to getting into the richest most prestigious tournement on Planet Football.
It we were in England it would be much more difficult to get into the UCL. Scotland gives us a great opportunity – TAKE IT CELTIC…
Hail Hail
‘Very pleased Peter Lawwell has opened up a bit today (in The Sun, I know…)’
##
Was this an interview given exclusively to the Sun?
Some posters have suggested it was an open interview and only the Sun chose to print it.
Was that suggestion just spin?
Raymac
Good to hear from you bud. Great post content as always.
Sadly I concur re res 12. It’s dead or certainly dying. I’m convinced. Yep, there’ll be more ‘ jam tomorrow ‘ utterings over the next few days / weeks , but it’s heading only one way.
‘ we tried, but didn’t succeed’
That’s certainly no fault of the current campaigners, but it’s going to come to nothing.
Peter Lawwell comes across as a condescending buffoon and Paul 67 has become increasingly of the same ilk. They must think we are gullible in the extreme.
Lawwell has turned CFC into a business which puts personal greed above football success. “Lots of money” offered elsewhere ?
Crass in the extreme. Insensitive and I suspect untrue.
Fight your way through the barrage of crap adverts just to post on here tells you this site has gone the same way.
Money first.
Quality second.
For that strategy to succeed you need a gullible audience. That audience though, slowly but surely, will diminish unless a change of direction is forthcoming.
Damp Lennon
Good post.
I don’t think the support are as concerned with progress in Europe as they are with the absolute disconnect between Board and Support.
I Don’t harbour any ambitions in Europe beyond group stages every 2 or 3 years. That said zero wins in 2nd tier European competition is unacceptable.
What I’d settle for would be clear green water in SPFL and an engaged support. I expect Ctic to have better attendance than Sevco- not sure that will be met this season.
I expect to PUMP Sevco when they are in Championship and we have had 4 years on one horse SPFL
I also expect business success to support player acquisition not players bought( project) to bail out business failure..
I expect an element of managed risk
However all of these things do not lead me or most supporters to nurture delusion of CL success beyond the last 32.
Damo Lennon – apologies autocorrect !
DBBIA…a dank :-)
ELLBOY on 11TH MAY 2016 2:21 PM
‘imbalanced & entrenched views’
##
Mercifully you and your chums are free of such frailty.
CHAIRBHOY on 11TH MAY 2016 2:27 PM
If we spent £20M would it guarantee CL income to pay back the overspend?