“Sell Out Saturday, show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”. Discuss.

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“Sell Out Saturday, show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”. Discuss.

You have to admire the Aberdeen fans, and fans of every other club in the league, even Kilmarnock fans, who are clearly infuriated by the actions of their chairman.  For perhaps the first time in history they have stood up to their clubs and football administrators and effected real and genuine change in our game.

Aberdeen fans produced this Sell-out Saturday graphic, urging people to “show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”.  By ‘Old Firm’ I am sure they don’t mean the cash-cow rivalry Celtic had with Rangers, they mean without Rangers, and without Celtic too.

For every other club in the SPL, Celtic are now their most precious visiting brand.  For fans of every other club in the SPL, Celtic are a competitive irrelevance.  This season our income is likely to be greater than that of every other club in the league.  We pay superstar wages while, for the most part, they pay real world footballers real world compensation.

In short, the SPL doesn’t need the SPL to thrive.  The clubs may (or may not) believe they need Celtic to pay bills, but recent events have demonstrated that might not be the case.

There is another problem to consider.  If the SPL keeps Celtic, in a decade or so they will have Newco-Rangers, and the whole dysfunctional business will start all over again.  Kick Celtic out now and Newco-Rangers will never materialise in the manner it would if Celtic remained.

SPL fan power has one more club to sort out.

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  1. tommytwiststommyturns on

    Thankfully didn’t see the game, the rags will love it on top of the development team losing at Firhill. Stuff them, the real stuff is still to happen.

     

    In saying that, I’m pig sick of the same lack of vision every summer from the club. Woo Hoo to a big pay day in the States against Real, but insufficient investment to ensure qualification for the CL group stages which would guarantee a minimum £15M.

     

     

    Brian Quinn, the “debt nutter” decried by some idiots on here, steered us away from a financial abyss, but there’s no real vision driving the club forward.

     

    Where’s the next 5-year plan?!

     

     

    T4

  2. hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 21:23 said:

     

    Ok Paddy, Prestonpans and Starry thanks so I take it we may have to wait til next year to win the Champion’s League?!

     

    ________________

     

     

    Don’t be silly – if one of my; 66/1, 50/1 and 45/1 shots come storming back from 10th or 33rd equal to win the Open………… we’re in with a shout! :-)

  3. tommytwiststommyturns on

    Praecepta – got a tenner on Tiger to win at 9’s, but my 60/1 ew on Bubba is looking v unlikely. After Augusta, I can forgive the man just about anything though!

     

     

    HH

     

    TTTT

  4. Big Nan on 21 July, 2012 at 20:41 said:

     

     

    Time will tell but i believe if one of theirs manages to get ipox then they’ll have a platform on which to build.

     

     

    HH

  5. praecepta on 21 July, 2012 at 21:33said:

     

     

     

    Thatta bhoy, I like a bit of positivity!!

     

     

    Were we really all that bad?

  6. So we have lost 2 pre season games, drawn another but only won 1. Well smack me silly with a kipper sack Neil Lennon I say. How dare that absolute amateur manage Celtic to the dissatisfaction of the experts on this site.

     

     

    We lost a preseason friendly and the “oh woe is me” brigade are out in force. I also noticed that some of our most voiciferous board critics have reappeared, noticeably absent during the run in to the title that the useless manager of Celtic won, more by fluke than skill obviously.

     

     

    The Celtic Board are so beyond the pale of acceptable conduct I find it astonishing that we are still in business. Do these guys not understand that you have to speculate to accumulate, that an acceptable level of debt is perfectly reasonable. Look at Rangers they are not afraid to spend when they need to, does not seem to do them any harm…… oh wait scrub that.

     

     

    Guys catch a grip to yourselves this is preseason, nothing was won or lost today or last week other than a challenge match between teams preparing for their respective seasons. Will todays result have any bearing on our performance in CL, EL or SPL? I seriosly doubt it. Did today change our seeding/coefficient or league standing? No.

     

     

    Celtic will lose games this season that we should win, we will win games that we have no right to, throughout the season I cannot for the life of me see where not losing to Ajax will effect this.

     

     

    By all means critique performance of players or team tactics but hysterical calls for the managers head or that the board should spend other peoples money on expensive “cure all” signings is crazy.

     

     

    Enjoy your night fellow Tims.

  7. cheat fc must be punnished

     

     

    this is the

     

     

    BIGGEST SCANDAL TO HIT SPORT

     

     

    take your medicine hun

     

     

     

    WE MUST FIGHT THIS

     

     

     

    THIS IS THE BEGINNING

     

     

     

     

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18941515

     

     

     

    Rangers’ SFA membership hopes hanging in the balance

     

     

     

    By Chris McLaughlin

     

    Senior Football Reporter, BBC Scotland

     

    A stand-off over media rights and a possible stripping of titles threatens to scupper Rangers’ hopes of Scottish Football Association membership.

     

    The SFA said on Friday that the new Rangers agreed to a transfer embargo in return for a license to play.

     

    BBC Scotland understands two obstacles remain before a deal can be agreed.

     

    Rangers want the Scottish Premier League to drop their investigation into dual contracts and the SPL want the SFL to hand over Rangers’ media rights.

     

    There must be a five-way agreement between the SFA, SPL, Scottish Football League, old Rangers and new Rangers before any deal is ratified.

     

    Rangers crisis explained

     

    Rangers went into administration owing up to £134m to unsecured creditors and will eventually be liquidated

     

    As a result its registrations with the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League were terminated

     

    Charles Green led a consortium which bought Rangers’ assets for £5.5m

     

    The former Sheffield United chief executive is reforming Rangers as a new company

     

    But the ‘newco’ did not get the required votes for re-admittance to the SPL

     

    Instead, the new Rangers are due to start life in Division Three

     

    The SPL want an independent commission to rule on whether Rangers broke the rules during previous campaigns by paying players with so called side contracts.

     

    They are due to hand over their findings to that commission on 10 August.

     

    But Rangers fear an independent commission could strip them of titles and believe they have already been sufficiently punished.

     

    The Rangers manager Ally McCoist has already said that he will never accept the stripping of titles.

     

    It is understood the club will not sign up to the agreement with that threat hanging over them.

     

    However, the SPL are digging their heels in over media rights.

     

    It is believed broadcasters are not keen to sign up to an SPL deal without having the rights for Rangers in the Third Division.

     

    For that reason, the SPL want the SFL to hand over the rights for a price.

     

    They say that without the broadcasting deal in place, they cannot pay the SFL their annual £2m settlement fee that was agreed back in 1999 when the top clubs split from the league to form the SPL.

     

    But Rangers and the SFL want to hold onto the rights and all parties are currently at a stand-off.

     

    Talks will continue next week to try to find a solution but several parties involved believe a deal is a long way off.

     

    Rangers are due to play their first match against Brechin in the Ramsdens Cup next weekend but that match cannot go ahead without SFA membership.

  8. tommytwiststommyturns on 21 July, 2012 at 21:38 said:

     

     

    I went with the PP 1/4 odds ew 1st 7 places; Sheep (who missed more putts than Ajax scored goals), Kuch and the Ooze – was looking OK days 1&2!

  9. After a run of results like these I expect Nikica Jelavic will come out in the press and say Div 3 is in the bag…

     

     

    … Or are we no playing there now?

     

     

    I can’t wait for the Sunday papers, so as I can find out what I think about things…

     

     

    Keevy Weevy make everything all right again…

     

     

    U

  10. the long wait is over on

    “Rangers want the Scottish Premier League to drop their investigation into dual contracts”

     

     

    and they’re in a position to make demands because..?

  11. I am not going to manically over react like some on here but I do hope Lenny forgets about his three at the back experiment.

     

     

    It doesn’t work in the modern game – we know this from MON.

     

     

    The only team it works for is Barca and that’s because their front seven keep the ball!

  12. Clashcitybhoy on

    hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 21:23 said:

     

    Ok Paddy, Prestonpans and Starry thanks so I take it we may have to wait til next year to win the Champion’s League?!

     

    ———

     

    Statistically , we have not a bad chance with next year’s ARR Craib Cup , as technically we are in the 3rd/4th place play off-:)

     

     

    We learned a harsh lesson about changing tactics tonight to a 3 4 1 2.

     

    When we play in SPL we could probably play a 1 1 1 7 and get away with it.

     

    Trying this out at somewhere like the Amsterdam Arena is naive ( and that’s me being kind)

     

    Stick to 442!

  13. the long wait is over on 21 July, 2012 at 21:49 said:

     

     

    They were the peepul.

     

    :)))

     

     

    HH

  14. hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 21:39 said:

     

    praecepta on 21 July, 2012 at 21:33said:

     

     

    Thatta bhoy, I like a bit of positivity!!

     

     

    Were we really all that bad?

     

    ___________

     

     

    Fortunately I only got to see Kirkintilloch Emerald’s clips of the goals! :-)

     

     

    I know it’s pre-season – but if we take these ‘high-profile’ friendly games on it does our credibility and reputation no favours if we fail to compete.

  15. Out all day and started reading back on the blog,

     

    sorry for the language but there are quite a few pricks posting

     

    after todays result

  16. My interest in pre-season friendlies was lost thanks to Chris Sutton. I can’t remember the opposition, but I remember watching him pivot for 70 minutes or so at Celtic Park and make clear that, as a player, the friendly meant very little to him. At that point I wondered why I bothered forking out cash to watch a game that would be better played out behind closed doors.

     

     

    I also don’t need anyone to tell me that these games mean little other than to serve the purpose of allowing match fitness to be gained and experiments tried out. No-one expects a player to launch themselves into a full blooded challenge in a friendly, nor over extend their hamstring in chasing down a possible lost cause. The game is played at a reduced level and, for that, the result matters little.

     

     

    My issue however is that we eagerly take the cash that glamour money-spinning friendlies provide and with that we need to recognise comes responsibility. As the song goes, “..we only know that there’s going to be a show and the Glasgow Celtic will be there”. In recent years, more often than not we fail to fulfill our side of the bargain.

     

     

    There are certain standards that should never be dropped in any game we play – pride, professionalism and a will to win. We toss these out the window far too regularly on our pre-season jaunts. Friendlies or not, that is unacceptable.

  17. T4 @ 21.32

     

     

    BQ was involved in the post Seville shambles that led to the bank calling him in for a little chat due to the debt level and an emergency rights issue that had the Irish Raj crying into his Guinness.

     

     

    We have been here before, a lack of strategic direction and poor management from PL. We are looking at CL qualification over the next 5 weeks with a coaching staff still in holiday mode and a squad looking over their shoulders at the exit as they know 2 players will be sold to balance the books if we are heading to the EuL.

     

     

    Last season was a shambles at the start with contract issues causing friction, this season is déjà vu all over again. Poor tactics, lack of motivation and known issues regarding the player roster and yet all we get are articles aiming cheap shots at the 10.

     

     

    Too many people from the dugout to the boardroom see transfixed by the TFOD issue, we have games to win but all they seem to worry about is the latest news from Govan.

     

     

    We don’t make the CL the NL should join PL on the transfer list out.

  18. Sitting in the small Chinese district of A-dam having a cold beer.

     

    Whilst these matches bring no prizes they do give us an indication of just how far the standard of our team had dropped since MON brought his great side here , over a decade ago.

     

    We are a bit of a laughing stock as far as the big ambitious European clubs are concerned.

     

    I also am becoming tired of being seen as a travelling circus with a big support , we are getting more like the Tartan Army every year.

     

    We really don’t expect to beat even Half decent European sides now.

     

    It would be interesting to compare our turnover to Ajax’s.

     

    They were on a different planet to us, and let’s be honest,Ajax will be nowhere near the presentations when the medals are being handed out.

     

    We are a club in decline at least we have the Zombies to laugh at .

     

     

    My ambitions for Celtic seem to be out of kilter with many of my fellow Tims and our board.

     

    We must get into a position where our TV income matches that of the top European leagues.

     

     

    My trip has been spoilt by the humiliation that we received tonight.

     

     

    Will I go to Helsinki?

     

    Mibbees aye, Mibbees no.

     

    TT

  19. I would like to ask everyone on here a ?

     

     

    I will play devils advocate here, what would you say if the SFA give Sevco a membership and drop the player registration investigation ?

  20. praecepta on 21 July, 2012 at 21:54

     

     

    I know what you’re saying but in the long run will it not do this young team real benefits getting the opportunity to play against this class of player?

  21. funny thing happened in the Everton Airdrie match today at Firhill

     

     

    talented wee Everton left winger found himself back in his own box in a tangle for the ball with his big goalie

     

    ball was cleared eventually but his big goalie then grabbed the wee lad by the scruff of the neck, gave him a total roasting and then proceeded to head-butt him

     

     

    must have been the Glasgow air

     

     

    anyway, was only a soft headbutt nothin ferocious

     

     

    sensible referee took the big goalie aside and told him that if it was a proper match, he’d be off, no question

     

    goalie saw sense in the end and profusely apologized all round

     

     

    wee winger was fine about it

     

     

    otherwise, an Everton stroll in the park with Ross Barkley bossing the game from centre mid

  22. hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 21:54 said:

     

    Clashcitybhoy

     

    We started three at the back, it was an experiment, it was also the correct time to it, in a friendly.

     

    HT Mulgrew on the left, Rogne central and Wanyama on the right of the three. It wasn’t working, Lenny changed it after twenty odd minutes, two down by then mind, but it was th time for experiments.

     

    The formation started 3-5-2, with Forrest central and advanced in midfield, Hoopr and Stokes up front.

  23. Paul67 et al

     

     

    Never been convinced by this type of preparation for the season. I am old school, train, train, train, and not just for fitness, before you take on the likes of the Dutch champions But that is just me, Would like to think that Ajax will make an impact on the Champions League but we’ll need to wait and see on that one. Need to stop using Wanyama as a utility player, he was bought as a midfielder, we all know that, but Neil Lennon has been persuaded otherwise. Sell players by all means, we’ve got enough of them, but one or two new faces wouldn’t go amiss. This team needs to improve, and with the right choices it can improve. No need to break the bank, Brendan Rodgers didn’t.

  24. At one point in the game tonight, Ajax brought on six (6) subs. The fourth (4th) official did not hold up his board and say which numbers were coming on or off. I reckon we could appeal and get a 0 – 3 result out of this. We’ve got nothing to lose, I’m sure wee Ally would never accept this for his new club.

  25. the long wait is over on

    madmitch

     

     

    are you saying that if we don’t make the CL then NL should join PL on the TL?

     

     

    :-)

  26. Doc

     

     

    If today was to give the management team an idea of how to play away from home in Europe then I’d be concerned that they even considered 3-5-2 even if it was for only 20 minutes.

     

     

    The lessons learned from last year’s successes indicate that we should be starting every game in a 4-5-1.

  27. theglasgowcelticway on

    I’m not one who really bothers about pre season friendly results or performances,except Man U in 2001 when we were brilliant.But I was a wee bit concerned about our defence tonight.Yes it was an experiment and was the right time to do it but we still have problems in that department.

  28. twists n turns on

    Tiny Tim

     

    you were entitled to expect more. I still honestly believe with our turnover, we are not making good use of what money we spend on bringing players in. I see no vision, no 1-2-3 -5 year plan. Stumble along hoping for a win in Europe rather than plan effectively.

  29. theglasgowcelticway on

    Ht

     

    Agree with you on playing three at the back in Europe.Quick teams,and they’re all quick teams,will destroy that formation.

  30. hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 22:09 said:

     

    I agree 100%. But if ever you want to see if something will work, a pre season friendly is the time to do it.

     

    4-5-1 is the way football is going today, it’s flexible and until someone figures out how to beat it, it is the way to play away European games, most games in fact.

     

    Home SPL games may be different, but as a formation it works.

  31. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    celt55 on 21 July, 2012 at 22:04 said:

     

     

    LOL ……

     

     

    I still can’t believe the SFA even met with them to discus the embargo imposed by an ‘independent’ tribunal ….what the hell is going on….

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