BBC 5Live got into a bit of bother yesterday for asking if Paris St Germain’s domestic domination is turning the French league into the SPFL. PSG (60) are 21 points ahead of second place Monaco (39) in Ligue Un and could win the title next month. Celtic, of course, are only 6 points clear in the Scottish Premiership and will not win the title until April.
The pertinent point that 5Live were a bit clumsy in making is that PSG, who will win four-in-a-row this year, and Celtic, won will win five-in-a-row, are competing in one horse races. Karl Heinz Rummenigge made a similar point about Bayern Munich earlier this month (an example 5Live could also have used). Bayern are 8 points clear and also on their way to four-in-a-row.
Then there’s Juventus, who, like Celtic, hope to win five-in-a-row this season. Juve had a horrible start to the season but 11 league wins on the bounce have seen them close to within 2 points of Napoli at the top of Serie A.
Basel are 10 clear and on their way to seven-in-a-row in Switzerland, while Red Bull’s money will collect a third consecutive Austrian title for Salzburg this year.
Ajax are not quite there, having only won four of the last five titles, but Dutch football has been shrinking in competitive terms for over 3 decades (Ajax and PSV between them have won all but 3 titles in 31 years). Anderlecht, who have won three in four in Belgium, are also a little short of complete domination.
England’s different, no one has retained the title since 2009 and it’s not going to happen this year. Spain have seen a change of winner in the last four years and, with the world’s two biggest clubs, are likely to remain competitive, while Benfica and Porto are still nip and tuck in Portugal. These three are the outliers of Western European football.
Reality is that three of the ‘big five’ European leagues, and many others, are no longer competitive. Successful clubs know how to stay ahead of their peers, there are several formulas to help them. Permanently breaking this domination has never been more difficult.
Scottish football is not an uncompetitive outlier, it’s the new norm. The same questions being asked about Celtic are also being asked about dominant teams across the Continent. What football does about it is another story. Keep your eye on Rummenigge. He’s ambitious and wants to change things.
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Neganon2 at 1501
You and I have corresponded in the past, and we continue to disagree on many things. I have, of late, come to appreciate more your point of view and acknowledge your sincerely held views. Nonetheless, I have to say that your post above is perhaps one of the most depressing things I have read recently on this whole sorry saga. If there is no hope, in your view, I wonder why you continue to participate in this blog. I am with DD and Greenpinata, and most of all Auldheid, that patience is the key. Should this all fall to to rats, then I will come back and say so quite clearly. In the meantime, I continue to believe.
KTF and HH
Non payment of tax on fancy timepiece stories are like busses.
HH
But it is now clear that the games you go to are in fact, to all intents and purposes, rigged.
============
NegAnon
We won.
We will continue to do so as long as we are playing in Scotland.
If the Celtic supporting generations before us had taken the same action as yourself and left the club to fend for themselves this discussion wouldn’t be possible.
HH
Good Afternoon.
Here is my latest: all about the SFA’s shambolic organisation of the East Kilbride v Celtic tie.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/2016-a-space-oddity/
A JUDGE has refused to extend an order blocking Rangers shareholders from voting to remove businessman Mike Ashley’s influence from the club.
The ‘Gers were forced to stop a resolution being put before fans at the club’s November 2015 AGM after a Court of Session decision from the same month.
The resolution called on supporters to vote for the removal of Mr Ashley’s company MASH Holdings on having a formal say about how the Glasgow club is run.
On Wednesday, lawyers for MASH Holdings returned to the Edinburgh based court to ask for the order to be extended to cover future shareholder meetings.
But judge Lord Tyre said it wouldn’t be legally correct to allow the request to be granted. The judge said the law meant that the November 2015 decision applied only to the AGM of the same month.
He had earlier heard that the club were legally obliged to notify MASH of any resolutions which concerned the company’s influence on the club.
He ruled that if MASH wanted to stop such resolutions being put before shareholders, the company would have to instigate fresh legal proceedings.
And the company would only be able to do that if they received notification from Rangers that fans were set to consider the issue at a shareholders meeting.
Lord Tyre added: “I’m not going to allow an adjustment.”
clogher celt on 27th January 2016 3:03 pm
Tontine Tim @ 2.34pm
Could you explain what you mean about our owners’ ancestors?
What relevance does the fact that Dermot Desmond is Irish have here?
Are you saying that because he is Irish he is more likely to ‘sit at the back of the bus?’
Or are you referring to the Desmond family specifically?
*no what I’m saying is that his ancestors refused to sit at the back of the bus so why are we as a club content to do that.
100 years ago those brave men, and women, but few faced up to the might of the british empire, they lost but won in the end. A terrible beauty indeed was born.
Incidentally his ancestors are mine and probably a huge percentage of Celtic supporters,
Chairbhoy
this morning excellent starter and great responses reading back
Re the transfer of membership,
Is that the same transfer of membership that occurred under The SFA own laws under subheading
‘The prohibition on transfer of membership’?
i am sure i read this at the time,anyone?
just laughin at the squint, Is it in SFAland that when there is a law prohibiting an occurrence ends up being used to authenticate the occurence(deemed originally as prohibited).
———————-
and as the SFA lean on nimmo smith he too,appears clear :-)
“The SPL disputes that Rangers FC ceased to be a club on 14 June 2012 and argues that that the relevant date is 3 August 2012”
————————————–
Emusanorphan/JnP/Bellarmine
Hugh Henry,me old Economics teacher,as you say went onto politics with Labour,I bumped into him a few times in the main stand,awrite Sur :-)
There was a Bellarmine dance in the Hilton( wits rang wi the poaluk inn:-) a few years back.i laughed at the venue.
i never had Mr Roccichollie,but his wife took us for R.E,she also had a sister Mrs Wilson who taught languages.Great school for football and pals.
JNP
cheers for the sp on LD :-) keep me in touch i would dearly love him to make it as Mark and family are lovely people.
:-)
hail hail
Celtic Mac 2:51
Interesting story.
Always seems to be a lot of good will shown towards ex-players – assumption is they have the best interests of the game at heart.
Not so long ago it was Platini, then Beckenbauer. Both implicated in allegations about the Qatar WC.
Wouldn’t trust any of them!
It is difficult to respect anybody, who knows the truth but refuses to speak out.
Is it worth sacrificing your principles for money?
Contempt is deserved imo.
If they cannot tell the truth, they should be chased.
No users…no good to anybody but themselves.
Its all about the bonuses.
Shame.
Silence is not the answer.
HH
Tontine,
My mistake. Enjoying the blog today.
Away to pick up my from the front of the school bus.
Delaney’s, Did you see what I posted this morning re a pint on Good Friday in Dublin?
Till later
Who mentioned bonus?
☘☘☘⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
NegAnon
If the competition was still rigged we would not be the unstoppable force we are on the domestic front.
If you like most of us on here attended during the EBT years then you have earned the right as much as anyone to enjoy our current dominance as we look to the future and the bigger picture as Celtic and not in some off field alliance or on field arms race with a newly formed imitation of Rangers.
HH
TRADITIONALIST88 on 27TH JANUARY 2016 3:53 PM
Surely it only takes three officials at Hampden to stop us ?
or is your memory going ? :-)
HH
Those coming on here saying they are chucking it,just because of sevco,well we dont need you,i doubt if you were geniune supporters ,so go riddance,me im soldering on huns or no huns,im 73 this yr and the only thing that stop me supporting celtic,will be either ill health or finances.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
There is a fine line between woeful incompetence and cheating. We are the dominant force, no doubt much to the dismay of some within the game…some may still try to stop us. They won’t win either.
So we’ve established that you still watch Scottish Cup matches anyway…interesting.
HH
It was actually five officials.
Or six even :)
Wooft…better agree then.
Cant argue with the best Celtic supporters in the world.
They will be there….rigged league or not.
Well….good for you.
Forgive me if i refuse to pay to be cheated.
Of course… its all honest mistakes, and im paranoid.
Wonder where ive heard that before:)
HH
It’s easy to stop Celtic winning a treble, last year proved that.
I am not coming on here saying I am chucking it.
I chucked it the day of the 5 way agreement. Chucking as in not giving the thieving BAS*AS a penny
I am also on here to curry favour.
To influence Celtic supporters to stop giving their money to our Old Firm board.
I think I am doing a pretty good job all things considering.
Anyone who does not like it. Install stylish
HH
Another bin for the people of South Lanarkshire,that makes 4,we’re gonna need a bigger back garden…
Who turned the CQN clock back?
Much more interesting and constructive exchanges today.
See, it can be done.
!!Bada Bing”
We’ve got 5 bins.
Green -Non, recyclables,
Blue – Recylables
Brown- Garden refuse
Black – Glass, batteries, kettles, irons
Grey – Food waste.
We’ll be getting another one for our bodies soon!!
TRADITIONALIST88 on 27TH JANUARY 2016 4:03 PM
No I never watched it.
I predicted what would happen precisely two weeks before it happened. That´s another reason I wouldn´t give the thieves my money.
Guess what …. I was spot on correct. :amazing totally predictable eh ?
That´s another reason not to give them my money.
Mind you I wrote to Celtic thanking them for blaming me for daring to ask for an explanation why we are now playing basketball .. and shouldn´t basketball games be cheaper ?
HH
!!Bada Bing!!
Thats right….we better not tell the truth…in case the huns get upset.
You could not make it up.
Run Away, Run Away…Its Sevco.
And they are angry that we told the truth…Help:)
HH
glasstwothirdsfull/geordie monroe
It doesn’t help any sport if the governing bodies themselves are a major source of corruption. IOC, IAAF, FIFA, et al.
“Quis custodiet ipsos custados?”
Or its’modern version; “Who will watch the watchmen?”
Awe_Naw
I think you have a point, decisions will have to made next season when the hun invades the top flight.
Ive no idea what i’m going to do regards CTV/Oversea’s SB. If i dont renew i’ll feel like ive let the club down in some way, and if i renew am i playing into the SFA/huns hands?
I wish they would just fhook off now so i dont have to make any decisions.
Heh philbhoy,
cheers for wee Archie updates,hope all continues to progress.
HH
Philbhoy-they are running out of colours:),we have combined 2 of them from your list,SLC must have money to burn HH
Apologies for going off topic, but still Celtic elated.
I have just finished reading Until Victory Always.
It is the autobiography of Jim Mc.Guinness and chronicles his life, both personal and professional.
As biographies go, it must be one of the most honest personal accounts out there.
It tells the story of how he took the Donegal County GAA team from being a national joke to a team that every other county came to fear and made them rethink their total approach to the game.
The loyalty and trust he gained from his squad was astounding.
I could go on, but I will leave it there, except to say that we are very fortunate to have him guiding or young players and if they can absorb half as much of his philosophy as did the Donegal players did, then we are going to have some group of boys coming through.
I understand that he is doing his Soccer coaching badges. I believe that he has the ability and intelligence to become a top flight manager.
As sports biographies go, I would rate this book alongside Zlatan and Ronnie Simpson’s books, as the most honest and informative books in their class.
Highly recommended to all GAA fans and all Celtic fans,
Awe_Naw
You don’t live in the UK I believe? I suspect thats a reason you don’t give them your money;)
Seriously though – and this applies to anyone – if the aim was to hit the SFA and withold your cash then at least by not attending a Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden this would make sense in theory.
Witholding your cash from Celtic by withdrawing FULL financial support makes little sense in the scheme of what has transpired in recent years and is done on a whim that the board are supporting an Old Firm mentality when it has been confirmed to major fans groups, who have raised the same concerns, that this will never happen!
HH
I chucked attending after LNS, although I still have my shares.
The reason I come on here is because I want the club I have supported all my life to take action against proven cheating.
Is that too much to ask?
Without any action to the cheating the game is a farce, I will not be taken as a mug.
I’m desperate to return but my pigheadedness and pride will not allow me.
thomthethim for Oscar OK
Until Victory Always
Great read, thoroughly recommend it.
SID
Good post.
Principles are more important.
If the Celtic board seriously dont want to address the cheating…I despair.
And they can shove their old firm where the sun dont shine.
HH
We’ve got 5 bins.
Green -gold silver cups and trophies.
Blue – Dead bodies, companies and clubs. Sectarian song lists.
Brown- Garden refuse
Black – Glass, batteries, kettles, irons
Grey – Food waste.
I’m a wee bit confused..
Are we actually saying that the love of a football club which professes ethics as a virtue and boasts an ethos based on compassion and charity without borders whilst profiteering, is a purer love, a superior love, a more meaningful love, than the simple love of honest ethics agendaless of personal profit, and the unadulterated love of charity as a simple good deed to offset humanities needs without fanfare of trumpets?
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO on 27TH JANUARY 2016 3:55 PM
TRADITIONALIST88 on 27TH JANUARY 2016 3:53 PM
Surely it only takes three officials at Hampden to stop us ?
or is your memory going ? :-)
HH
It was the team’s reaction to the officials attempt to stop us ,as much as their cheating, which undid us at Hampden.
We let it get to us when the game was still there to be won (or at least taken to a replay)