St Johnstone have bigger fish to fry between now and the end of the season than the Scottish Cup, but their date at Hampden against Celtic next month is their chance at glory.
Celtic apart, Saints are the only side to have won the Cup more than once in the last 16 years. Final wins over Dundee United in 2014 and Hibs in 2021 demonstrate a recent history of success we should guard against. It’s maybe better to face the team with a recent success run out of the way before the final.
Celtic won their first Scottish Cup in 1892, but it was 2019 before the club won that trophy three seasons in a row, on their way to a quadruple treble. Just six seasons later we are back in the semifinals aiming to achieve three in a row Scottish Cup wins again.
We should know better than to be complacent. After winning the cup in 2004 and 2005, Clyde eliminated Roy Keane et al in 2006. Winners in 1988 and 89, we lost the 1990 final to Aberdeen after 20 penalty kicks.
That was Aberdeen’s fifth Scottish Cup win in nine seasons. Celtic have won the Cup six times in the previous nine seasons, but Aberdeen’s triumph in 1990 was an era ending; they have not won again in the 35 years since. When successful runs end, it is seldom obvious at the time.
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FANADPATRIOT on 11TH MARCH 2025 10:06 PM
Match day traffic controls and better public transport would seem a more reasonable solution to traffic congestion than building a new stadium.
Is it the council ?
Is it the police force?
Is it those putting on the events ?
Is it actually a wider Scottish / local government issue ?
The absolute certainty seems to be that there is zero accountability and zero sense of public service from those elected or paid to look after those people attending events. Consumers at these things drive what little economy we have left.
Aside from a farcical industry around a complete waste of space of a parliament (media and administrative) we now have a totally unaccountable national Scottish police force and no clarity over who is in charge of roads / roadworks etc.
My own sense, having asked a few questions, is that the club have almost given up which is also not really a good position.
As an economy we don’t have much. The Holyrood circus is one thing, cutting each others hair and selling each other cappuccinos are the only other things which seem to drive our economic engine these days but events and event tourism big business too. As a country we seem to do this badly (aside from Edinburgh Festival) and Celtic on a match day is a great example.
Rant over.
Ref Seeding for next Season CL play off
Kyiv dropped points yesterday in a 2-2 draw at home but 2 hours later Shakhtar did the same with a 0-0 draw. Olekasandriya won comfortably and stay in second.
Shakhtar stay 3rd 10 points behind Kyiv with a game in hand. 9 games left.
How many times have our train Services been cancelled coming back from Parkhead.
Loads of times. Its practically normal.
Our train Service depends on drivers etc to do overtime or work rest days.
Now imagine you are on about £42 k per year. Why on earth would you get up on a cold wet morning or work late on a cold wet evening when as soon as you hit £43,663 you get taxed at the higher rate. Ie 42 %.
Ok, I get it . This has nothing to do with Celtic, but lack of trains is a problem for us.
Unfortunately on this issue i cannot envisage a solution.
Not interested in party politics, though the west of Scotland (especially glasgow) has suffered massively since devolution.
By contrast, the east (esp edinburgh) has fared much better
House price inflation
Population change – recent census showed something like 8% reduction in Inverclyde and 16% increase in west Lothian
Business closures
Transport (4 of the 5 busest rail stations are in the west, yet EH has the trams)
Compare and contrast traveling from Edinburgh airport to the nearest city centre with Glasgow Airport
Compare and contrast travelling from the national rugby stadium with the national football one
Ach well, Glasgow has a safe drugs consumption room and increased wildlife in the rats
Suppose these things balance themselves out
Moving from Celtic Park is for the birds,will never happen,I think some getting carried away with our cash in the bank.
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Rangers FC
Rangers fans told strict Celtic Park rules as Ibrox club acknowledge ‘inconvenient arrival time’
Gers supporters will be housed in the south east corner of the Lisbon Lions stand
Sport
Ryan McDonald Sports Trends Editor
08:17, 12 Mar 2025
Around 2,500 Rangers fans will be at Parkhead
Around 2,500 Rangers fans will be at Parkhead
Rangers supporters have been warned they risk missing kick-off at Celtic Park unless they arrive no later than two hours before the game.
Around 2,400 Gers diehards will roar on their team from the south east corner of the Lisbon Lions Stand on Sunday after both clubs reached an agreement to end the two-year away fan lockout. However, with extra security measures in place for the powderkeg fixture, punters have been told they must meet at the east side of the Emirates Arena to be escorted across to the stadium at 10:30am – two hours before the showdown gets underway
GLENOWEN,
I think the contrasts you flag up between Edinburgh and Glasgow could probably be equally made between Glasgow’s West and East Ends. Parkhead is adjacent to the poorest Parlimentary Constituency in Britain and why GCC don’t encourage Celtic to build such things as an hotel is simply crass, imo.
GREENPINATA on 12TH MARCH 2025 8:40 AM
Our personal tax system is grossly unfair and actively dissuades people from working more. If you’re on the cusp of the higher tax threshold, the child benefit cut off or 100K tax trap, you simply won’t do more work.
Has the CEO read the last fan survey yet?
Thanks for the responses to the question about the stadium.
I don’t think we could finance a new stadium unless we can get it’s usage up from just home football matches.
As I mentioned, I know fans of Arsenal, Spurs and Southampton who have different views on moving. Saints fans feel they always had an advantage in the Dell with the crowd being so close to the park, but most fans seem to get used to a new stadium quickly.
Cambuslang Celtic
Stadivarius CSC
Nothing is sacred in football.
If we moved, fans older than 20 would always resent it and bemoan the move.
Mortality would do its thing and younger fans who knew nothing else would cherish the new stadium they grew up in.
Thoughts of Celtic building a new stadium elsewhere within the next 30 years are a waste of brain power .
We are unlikely to increase the capacity by much ,anytime soon either.
The current board seem to have assessed that it is not financially viable ,whilst our bread and butter to income comes from the SPFL.
I don’t doubt their research .
TT
Keep ranting Burnley 😉
Others – keep posts on this theme coming.
All very interesting.
I think Glenowen nails it.
Money being chucked at Edinburgh and it’s corridors.
Scottish Parliament has turned Edinburgh into London (north branch)
With politically driven self importance driving influence and sucking in money.
GCC needs to be accountable too.
Lack of coherent multi-generational vision (and competence) have badly injured our great city.
Where Birmingham is, Glasgow is heading.
Good morning all from Govanhill.
Day 2 of Cheltenham, hope it’s better than Day 1.😁
An Dun,
Agreed.
Still wouldn’t want us to move though 😀
Hoople 12 Mar 2025: 3/6
🏆❌❌❌❌
🏆⚽❌❌⚽
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
https://www.celticnewsnow.com/hoople/
#hoople #celtic #celticfc
BRRB,
Im aff it today.
I was off yesterday so could watch some races, but I’m working today.
Now I don’t mind so much losing money when i at least get the thrill of watching it go down the drain, but otherwise…
Mixed feelings bout Celtic Park.
Would never want to move away
Why increase capacity when we can not fill it for the majority of matches.Hibs game at weekend was only announced as sell out on Sat.
HH
YORKBHOY on 12TH MARCH 2025 9:29 AM
For a few seasons I went to every Arsenal game at Highbury when I wasnt at Parkhead using my season ticket. I stopped going regularly when they moved to the Emirates because it got so much more expensive and getting tickets got more difficult because they expanded their membership schemes and season ticket numbers. I was offered a season ticket around 2000 for £225, I wish I had taken it up then, its pretty much dead mens shoes now, although my kids arent arsenal fans so Id be going on my own. Theyre over two grand.
Highbury was a very atmospheric ground, I loved the feel in the old stands but the atmosphere the crowd created was never great – the Highbury library nickname was deserved. Even though David Dein who is a very smart guy who bleeds red and white was opposed to the move to a new site it was completely necessary. It wasnt like Celtic Park is now, the move wasnt before time. As far as the atmosphere goes things didnt improve in the new ground, nor did performances of the team. Probably partly because Wenger had lost his touch with his management and his signings but also due to the restrictions on spending that came with financing the new stadium. To be fair Arsenal made it clear that there would be an impact on the football department’s finances for a while, while still asking for top price for tickets. The financing costs were very big, the development of the area that was necessary for planning added a huge amount to the bill.
The first five years after moving they prioritised paying off the debt over the playing squad, since then the owner paid off a lot of the debt on the stadium but they will still owe money on it for another 6 years.
It was only really since Arteta has taken over as manager that the connection between the fans and the club/team has returned. 15 odd years but the atmosphere is better than it was at Highbury, the fans are noisier, they have more money to spend own players. It been a long haul and they arent back at the top yet, and probably will never be the top team regularly again, but the move has, eventually been a “good thing”
My son is a Spurs fan and my in-laws are season ticket holders, Ive been to the new ground quite a few times. Its an impressive place to go and watch football, great atmosphere in the ground, toilets bars, access are all great, everywhere you sit you get a great view of the game. If they were winning it would be one of the best stadiums in Europe but theyre also struggling with the finances. Levy is another very smart guy who is a big fan of the club he runs but the fans all want him out. Part of the problem no doubt is the poor decision he’s made but really, the big problem is whats been the issue for a long time – Levy wont pay big wages. It was the same at the old ground but the new ground has, for now at least, put an even bigger squeeze on the wage bill. Theres no end to that in sight, Levy (and Ange) is committed to a model of spending big on transfers for young players, a relatively low wage bill. The cost of the new stadium has hamstrung them at bit but if the fans thought that the new stadium was going to lead to a change in their model they were either mislead or didnt understand. Pretty much all you hear from Spurs fans is that they feel like theyre an entertainment business, the football club is a part of it and not necessarily the most important part.
Its an unfortunate but unavoidable compromise, and its one we’ll face as well. To finance a new stand we’ll need to find creative uses for it, and while we pay it back, especially initially, there will be a hit to the amount of money available to the football department. There are risks, that much is obvious.
Theres a report that the Huns are borrowing money against future cashflow from transfers for two players. Struggling with your cashflow is the biggest problem you’ll face as a football club, the club will be thinking hard about putting us in very substantial debt and what material benefits it would bring to the football teams performances over the next twenty or thirty years
Son was at Cheltenham yesterday – had a brilliant day and came out even
He’s got a horse running at Uttoxeter on Saturday- Equinos
This is not a tip
A new ground makes no sense at all financially to me. Our football operations dont make enough to pay for it, we would need to become a completely different business.
We’re run very well as a football club by people with expertise in running a football club. That would need to change
Celtic40me
Thanks for that.. that was a good read
!!BADA BING!! on 12TH MARCH 2025 8:52 AM
———————————-
Diehards 🤦♂️
As I walk along the Cathcart Road with an independent air, you can hear the girls declare “He must be a millionaire”.
You can hear them sigh and wish to die, you can see them wink the hopeful eye at the Tim who broke the bank of Monte Carlo.
Have a day in Edinburgh city centre, then spend a day in Glasgow City centre.
What a contrast.
Our city centre is a disgrace . Our “leaders” have slept at the wheel and are overseeing the demise of a once great city.
What a change from when Michael Kelly was leader. Glasgow was indeed ” Miles Better ”
HH.
Greenpinata
A day oot in Embra would bankrupt the bank of Monte Carlo.
CELTIC40ME on 12TH MARCH 2025 10:49 AM
YORKBHOY on 12TH MARCH 2025 9:29 AM
For a few seasons I went to every Arsenal game at Highbury when I wasnt at Parkhead using my season ticket. I stopped going regularly when they moved to the Emirates because it got so much more expensive and getting tickets got more difficult because they expanded their membership schemes and season ticket numbers. I was offered a season ticket around 2000 for £225, I wish I had taken it up then, its pretty much dead mens shoes now, although my kids arent arsenal fans so Id be going on my own. Theyre over two grand.
Highbury was a very atmospheric ground, I loved the feel in the old stands but the atmosphere the crowd created was never great – the Highbury library nickname was deserved. Even though David Dein who is a very smart guy who bleeds red and white was opposed to the move to a new site it was completely necessary. It wasnt like Celtic Park is now, the move wasnt before time. As far as the atmosphere goes things didnt improve in the new ground, nor did performances of the team. Probably partly because Wenger had lost his touch with his management and his signings but also due to the restrictions on spending that came with financing the new stadium. To be fair Arsenal made it clear that there would be an impact on the football department’s finances for a while, while still asking for top price for tickets. The financing costs were very big, the development of the area that was necessary for planning added a huge amount to the bill.
The first five years after moving they prioritised paying off the debt over the playing squad, since then the owner paid off a lot of the debt on the stadium but they will still owe money on it for another 6 years.
It was only really since Arteta has taken over as manager that the connection between the fans and the club/team has returned. 15 odd years but the atmosphere is better than it was at Highbury, the fans are noisier, they have more money to spend own players. It been a long haul and they arent back at the top yet, and probably will never be the top team regularly again, but the move has, eventually been a “good thing”
My son is a Spurs fan and my in-laws are season ticket holders, Ive been to the new ground quite a few times. Its an impressive place to go and watch football, great atmosphere in the ground, toilets bars, access are all great, everywhere you sit you get a great view of the game. If they were winning it would be one of the best stadiums in Europe but theyre also struggling with the finances. Levy is another very smart guy who is a big fan of the club he runs but the fans all want him out. Part of the problem no doubt is the poor decision he’s made but really, the big problem is whats been the issue for a long time – Levy wont pay big wages. It was the same at the old ground but the new ground has, for now at least, put an even bigger squeeze on the wage bill. Theres no end to that in sight, Levy (and Ange) is committed to a model of spending big on transfers for young players, a relatively low wage bill. The cost of the new stadium has hamstrung them at bit but if the fans thought that the new stadium was going to lead to a change in their model they were either mislead or didnt understand. Pretty much all you hear from Spurs fans is that they feel like theyre an entertainment business, the football club is a part of it and not necessarily the most important part.
Its an unfortunate but unavoidable compromise, and its one we’ll face as well. To finance a new stand we’ll need to find creative uses for it, and while we pay it back, especially initially, there will be a hit to the amount of money available to the football department. There are risks, that much is obvious.
Theres a report that the Huns are borrowing money against future cashflow from transfers for two players. Struggling with your cashflow is the biggest problem you’ll face as a football club, the club will be thinking hard about putting us in very substantial debt and what material benefits it would bring to the football teams performances over the next twenty or thirty years
………………….
David Low has tweeted that Rangers have taken out a loan and used future transfer fees as security.
new article posted.