One year ago, we dared hope for an invincible treble but it seemed impossible, even the greats never achieved it. The Lions lost home and away to Dundee United in season 1966-67, while we achieved the treble on only two other occasions. When Tom Rogic dinked a 90th minute winner in the Scottish Cup final you and I knew the level of achievement.
At that point, 2017 went down in our history as a year bettered only by 1967. 2003 came close, but season 2002-03 is remembered fondly for its endearing frailties. Celtic were simply peerless as they secured the club’s fourth treble.
With half of season 2017-18 complete, the first leg of what would be an unprecedented second successive treble is complete, but signs are clear that this team peaked some months ago, despite qualification for the Europa League knockout rounds.
Aware of the exceptional (from a Scottish perspective) demands on his players of completing in every round of cup competitions, a dozen European games and international football, Brendan Rodgers has rotated his squad this season more than any previous Celtic manager. While this was doubtlessly the correct action, performances inevitably took a hit when our two exceptional and experience strikers were watching from the side-lines. In football, you often need to take a backwards step to make long-term gains.
This didn’t really bothered me. I liked watching Odsonne Edouard, Anthony Ralston and Calvin Miller. Being able to win the league while developing talent in this manner is one of the few benefits of being stuck in a small league.
Ultimately, even our top performers struggled to raise their game. Defeat eventually arrived, a timely signpost for the club as they plan ahead.
You and I have studied the structure of the club for many years. We have never known it to be as stable. Income last season topped £90m, the first time it reached this level, and with a fair wind, it could reach nine figures this season.
These riches come with fresh risks. Wage levels have rocketed in line with performances. We can afford our current operating levels – and can even afford an occasional reversal in the Champions League qualifiers, but there is a misalignment at the heart of what we are doing.
In his opening transfer window, Brendan added Moussa Dembele (who was already on the Ronny Deila target list) and Scott Sinclair. Both made a phenomenal contribution to the success which followed. This season, with Scott struggling to recapture his earlier form and Moussa hampered by injury, the big contributions have come from players who were at the club under the Ronny regime. Indeed, of the Celtic team which ended the year, only Olivier Ntcham was a Brendan Rodgers signing.
What we have added since the summer of 2016 is management expertise. Brendan took Ronny’s squad to levels none of us thought possible, but only two of his signings are automatic first-choice.
This is not necessarily against plan. When you sign French youth internationals like Ntcham and Edouard you do not expect them to immediately displace more experienced players. Players do not mature at the same rate – Kieran Tierney got their earlier than Kenny Dalglish, so if the plan is to recruit the best French and Scottish youth talent, patience will be required.
Notwithstanding this, Brendan will want to have more of his own signings grabbing starting slots in the big games. The players who were there under Ronny have made Herculean progress, but that invincible treble was their high point.
On that front, Lee Congerton joined in March as chief scout, a few months after the phenomenally successful John Park era ended. Scouting is as much about relationships as judgement and the environment is not conducive to friendship-making. Park’s job became increasingly difficult, despite his encyclopaedic knowledge of players sound judgement. Over his tenure, the Celtic proposition became comparatively less attractive.
The mere fact that Brendan Rodgers is manager changed this. Moussa didn’t sign for Ronny in January 2016 but put pen to paper for Brendan six months later. It is the job of Lee Congerton to make the most of the Celtic proposition, Brendan Rodgers and Champions League football to deliver players that can push us further in the Champions League.
Nothing of significance has changed in our chances of escaping our playing environment. We will remain in Scotland until at least the bubble inflating football incomes elsewhere bursts, most significantly of all in England. Within months the next England and Wales Premier League TV rights auction will conclude.
Premier League audiences have dwindled since the last rights were issued but Sky TV’s entire existence is predicated on winning a significant portion of these rights. The Premier League is trying to attract bids from Amazon and Facebook, so it is possible rights values could increase despite falling audience figures. But we can hope.
Until then, our role in the world is to dominate the life out of our domestic rivals, qualify for the Champions League and continue to add to the unique story of Celtic.
I loved every minute of being a Celtic supporter in 2017. It was thrilling, captivating and inspiring. Whatever it brings, your club will be an exciting place over the next 12 months. Enjoy it.
Take care and thank you for all your support. I hope you each have a Happy New Year and healthy 2018.
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW! CHRISTMAS JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS
Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Celtic authors, Stephen Sullivan and Stevie Murray for a special festive episode – Christmas Jumpers for Goal-Posts.
Stephen Sullivan is a former Celtic View reporter who wrote the much-lauded Sean Fallon biography, ‘Iron Man’. He is now the editor of FIFA.com.
Stevie Murray has now written two books on Celtic – ‘Ten Men Won The League’ and ‘Kenny of the Celtic’ – and he is a respected and authoritative voice on the club.
Treat yourself to a signed copy of Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and you will receive a copy of That Season on Paradise signed by Bertie Auld, just order the Jim Craig book at CQNbookstore.co.uk and we’ll do the rest…
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COSYCORNERBHOY
He’s a good lad,as you know. But that is spooky!
Call you about lunchtime.
BMCUW,
I agree licensing laws could prove problematic, however we could start with an alcohol free pop up bar then progress from there. Make it civilized, child friendly with quality food served.
The exclusive internal restaurants and bars could easily be made more inclusive and accommodate the ordinary punter. A club c/w facilities open to all, should mean just that.
Deep pockets should not come into the equation. In fact the status quo could be deemed as quite insulting to the ordinary supporter.
We must think outside the box and actively encourage fans to attend games.
Entertainment must be paramount.
Consideration should be given to Car parking, traffic management, sharing resources with the Emirates etc etc.
With so much alternative entertainment available at the click of a button we must act accordingly and put attending supporters first.
And cut out silly posturing letters to ST holders that alienate fans.
All suggestions welcome, and who knows, maybe Someone from Celtic may even consider them.
HH.
GREENPINATA
Someone told me that the posturing letter you refer to was sent after an edict from the SFA. I asked him if any other club had sent similar to their supporters.
He didn’t know-why would he? But the question remains why it was sent.
If indeed it was at the behest of the SFA,were any other clubs so instructed?
If it was a police directive,the same question arises.
If it was the club,had someone hit the New Year stash a bit premature?
Hebcelt
I just saw your post about advice for Croatia.
Please email me at hrvatskijim@gmail.com and I will correspond that way. Most important is to tell me whereabouts you will be.
Morning, HABCELT , look up valamar president hotel Croatia would recommend it cheers
HRVATSKIJIM
WEEBAWBABBITY
I’ll forward those posts to HEBCELT so he doesn’t miss them.
HH
BMCUW, stayed there couple times, just getting over that flu so reading back at the moment, you posted some good stuff just before after the bells the other night
GREENPINATA
Most times I’m watching Celtic,it is in a bar. You can’t hear the commentary as a rule.
But your point is valid. We definitely need to invest more in our support
——————————————————————
Every July, I return to my seat in the main stand, with the forlorn hope that some upgrades/repairs/improvements have been carried out to the food areas and toilet facilities. But each year, it is evident that not a penny has been spent on improving facilities in one of the most expensive areas of the ground to sit and that the fabric of the surroundings continues to deteriorate.
Halfway through the second half on Saturday, my nerves gave out and I could watch no more, retreating downstairs where I found a few more nervous souls like me, pacing up and down. It was a shock to see up close how filthy the main concourse was, how pathetically shabby the eating areas are and see the tiles falling off the walls in the ladies’ toilets.
This is nothing but an insult by the people who run our club. What an outrageous way to treat their paying customers. Do they think so little of us that they provide such a poor and dirty environment?
Not a penny has been spent on the main stand facilities for years and it is now beyond a joke.
They’re happy to take our money and shove us in like cattle to a rundown and almost derelict stand.
Celtic, treat your paying customers with some respect in 2018
First day back in the office (a blooming disgrace they don’t give Scots working in England the 2nd January off) and my first port of call is to check emails, swear under my breath then check CQN.
Now to put a lottery ticket on for tonight…
WEEBAWBABBITY
Thanks for that,mate. And A Happy New Year.
Unusual for me to post good stuff at the best of times-but before the bells?
That’s a first. My drunken rambles usually gie me a riddy reading back!!!
DAVIDOPOULOS.
You and Cap’n FLOATIN’ rescued me and my pal from a wreck of a day. My eternal gratitude to you both,and I hope to see you both again soon.
HH fine fella.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
A pleasure, sir! Likewise – although hopefully not too soon because Saturday inspired me to give up the booze for January…
;)
Hrvatski Jim and others thanks for the response, I will be in touch later today,with more details. H H Hebcelt
Hebcelt –
Thank you once again for your most kind gift pre-match on Saturday. As things turned out it proved to be the highlight of the day! And a little bit left for a mid-afternoon snack later today.
Thanks again.
StornowayBlackPuddingCSC
Weebawbabitty the Valmar looks very impressive will Ms Hebcelt. H H
DAVIDOPOULOS
It inspired me to never trust TFL again!
Just walked into the pub-which has been open for over 2 hours
Guinness and a John Smiths please.
Oh,the Smiths is a bit lively,dunno what’s wrong with it
Took a mouthful of my Guinness and suggested they switch the coolers on.
Yep. Both systems switched off. Unbelievable.
Jobo no prob sir, at least you had one highlight for the weekend!!! The German bhoys while very grateful for the briefs and great hospitality they received where completely underwhelmed by the football. H H Hebcelt
Like No Other,
Agree 100%. It’s 2018, fans expect facilities to reflect this.
If the club cannot get the basics right in terms of amenities and controversially hygiene , then that in itself speaks volumes.
HH.
Reading back on here,and at the headlines everywhere else,the pundits slaughtering our players,I must have been pissed and missed the shocking defeat to the Huns on Saturday.How could we have been ahead in all the stats,and lose that game.A mystery.What is not a mystery,is how fickle our fans can be.The lack of gratitude towards the players for the year and a half they just gave us is frightening.Not content with that,the anger is now being turned onto the Board.With 2 days of the Transfer Window open,they are already being pilloried for penny pinching.Its not surprising the SMSM can print the crap they do with all the encouragement they can get from reading blogs like this.Playing 13 games more than our nearest rivals is totally forgotten,as is the horrendous injuries we have had since day one to key players.Never mind the Internationals,or the miniscule break in the Summer the players had,they had a draw against the Huns,and lost one game out of 73,they are not as attractive to watch as last season.
FFS,give it a rest.Is it too difficult to wait and see how the Transfer Window pans out?.Is it beyond the whingers to see if we can do ,the never before done feat of ,back to back trebles?
Some of you do not deserve this team.TGFITW,yes,some are.Far too many act like Huns with Green scarves.
Said for years celtic should be looking after fans and entice, with attractions, some to come earlier and leave later. Better facilities for all.
The awful truth is that football clubs dont treat supporters like ordinary customers cause they can get away with it. If supporters acted like customers clubs would be far more proactive.
The most annoying thing is that this policy is country productive in the short and longer term
HH
Turkeybhoy
Agree -forget about the last season and a half – looks like we’re only as good as our last game
2nd Jan and blocked shower drain to unblock – great start to the new year
Turkeybhoy @10:52
Could not have put it better myself, absolutely brilliant post
Perspective CSC
BMCUW & Davidopolous
Thanks for your great company on Saturday at the Wimbledon Irish Club, hope we can do it again soon, and also Davidopolous thx for seeing me safely back to the Station, might never have found it after all that Guinness.
And….
My New Year wish to all….
In the new year you can recognise what’s really important in your life and in the lives of your friends and family, and that you find the strength and determination to prioritise and enhance it.
Floatin
LIKENOOTHER: I was given a tkt for main stand for a early cup game two seasons ago and totally agree with your comments,and that was two years ago! I expected much better but it looked as though it hadn’t been touched since I was last there in the late 50s!!! 106 is a palace cf the main stand.
Hebcelt: I was in Cavtat in the Hotel Croatia in June last year.Beautiful wee place and handy for Dubrovnik.The hotel was first class with 5 star facilities though I was disappointed in the main course standard,but their ice cream was fantastic.Hotel expensive but town almost half the prices.
Worth a google.
Turkeybhoy: I’m with you my man!!!!
I don’t know how accurate this is but I was told we had applied to the Council for a Fanzone to be set up round Celtic Park on matchday but the polis put the kybosh on it on the old health and safety grounds and rumour has it the council objected to it also for the same reason.
Video celts saying we might include midfielder , Mark Hill , in any deal for Lewis Morgan. I have saw Mark play for our youth team/developement squad , four times , and has been very impressive in each game ,
He was played out of position at right back against Lyon , pre season but did not play as well as he had when I had previously seen him.
I would like to wish all a joyful and cracking 2018 .
Good luck to Regan Hendry on his loan move to Raith Rovers.
Today is the 46th anniversary of the 66 killed at Ibrox. May their souls rest in peace.
Fans’ facilities?
Guess what I’m looking for?
Agreed with TurkeyBhoy.
Some of the players were not great for much of the second half.
However, they were not as bad as some of the fans. (I was mince too !)
Tavernier has already stated that their confidence grew when the fans got onto the players back.
For any a-holes who think they have a right to boo – have a rethink.
Turkeybhoy,
How did you react here after the away win against Anderlecht?
HH
TURKEYBHOY
I’m going to respectfully disagree,even though I’m delighted with and grateful for what our players,management and board have achieved over the last 18 months or so.
The criticism re Saturday was richly deserved,IMO.
We have players in our squad who have been woefully underperforming for far too long. We have an entire defence which exemplifies that. An entire midfield with the exception of our Captain Marvel doing the same.
A forward line which is largely below par.
SANDMAN could do this much better than me,and I’m not posting this from a sense of entitlement,nor because I’m reverting to type as a mineshafter. Is criticism allowed if it’s intended to be constructive? Is dissent tolerated? Do we toe the party line and become like the huns where wur just magic,right?
Naw.
From Saturday alone. And I expect a barrage for this.
Lustig was exceptionally poor-even in the first half when we were not bad. Caveat-only saw 15 mins of it,but saw highlights on Sunday. Certainly below the standards we have been used to seeing.
Ajer-probably the best defender we had.
Boyata-thought we had a reborn lad last season,his recent performances have been sub-standard.
Tierney -jaded,I feel. Give the young fella a rest. But much of his dip in form might well be down to the lack of support on the left.
*
Broonie is just peerless at the moment.
Ntcham-Brendan needs to figure out his best position and tell him he will play that role. I thought he played well. Not on long enough though.
McGregor-I’m not in the camp that doesn’t rate him,but the last three months or so have not been good for him.
Armstrong-ffs,son. Yer better than that. And Saturday was a reflection of your season.
Forrest-POTY contender wi Broonie. He’s had better days than Saturday. He could have been sat wi me on the tube for a couple of hours for all the impact he made.
Sinclair-love him. Great player-as are they all! He will not be happy with his form.
Dembele-a shadow of the world-beater we had a year ago. Injuries are hindering his development.
Griffiths-don’t know where to start. His heart and desire are there,sometimes it doesn’t come off. Love him to bits though
I said the other day that none of our team have improved from last year. It was suggested that James Forrest has. I accept that to be the case.
It is unacceptable,IMO,that the rest have shaded,and in some cases severely.
As I said,this isn’t meant to be mineshafting or trolling,it’s not even meant as a boot at the team and club we love. Nor at individuals.
It’s my honest opinion that we have gone backwards,but that we still have it in us to kick on again.
I expect us to do so after the break. I sure hope so.
Turkeybhoy – been saying similar consistently since I started on here.
Many just seem to need a way to vent their petty wee demands – like spoiled wee brats. Wouldn’t know what supporting Celtic was if it came up and bit them on their arses.
There were many boos around me and Wee BGFC at the end of the last game of a historic 2017 – just because we had a below-par performance and – shock and horror – only managed a draw.
I just can’t get my head round why a supposed Celtic supporter would boo at Celtic – that is the behaviour of an opposition fan.
“…Faithful through and through…” – that’s the words. An increasing number of so-called supporters need to be introduced to the concept.
Hail Hail
BGFC
Happy New Year to all in 2018
Celtic Park emeneties.
When the North Stand was being completed I was fortunate to meet briefly with Fergus McCann. Along with a few friends we stood in the old South Stand in silence watching the huge girders swing into place across the freshly laid pitch.
I commented that I was delighted the planners had managed to keep the dimensions of the old playing surface despite all the changes in shape of the new stands. Fergus said that was never going to be sacrificed. We were all happy.
Then i added my thoughts on what facilities and ameneties would be added to improve the overall matchday edperience, it was clear from Fergus’ reaction that he felt there was going to be adequate provision. It was not a long conversation, but I pressed on relating the standing jokes about cold pie stalls and the swimming bogs under the jungle. Spoke about some ideas etc. Fergus asked me to send him my thoughts and I subsequently wrote to him with some basic ideas about the variation options for future matchday catering for the majority of ordinary fans. Also, what would be needed in terms of toilet facilities, with specific reference to increased numbers of WC/cubicles for male and the increasing numbers of female fans.
Fergus replied to me, indicating that my comments had been passed onto the relevant
” departments”. I still have the letter.
One of the guys with us that day was then writing for the Celtic View, and his ‘view’ was that he didnt need cubicles because he went before he left the house and didn’t eat anything at games anyway. He felt the game was about arriving just before and leaving soon after and all the other stuff was not about he football experience. The guy lived 2 miles from Celtic Park.
It suprised me that he was unable to consider or relate to the needs of fans travelling from farther afield, or who wished to make their visit to Celtic Park more of a ‘day out’ experience. The guy really considers himself to be a spokesman for Celtic fans.
It was clear to me then that Fergus, much as I admire him for achieving so much in the development of Celtic, shared the same ‘View’ as his appointee on the ‘View’ when it came to matters of fan comfort and the overall matchday experience.
In that regard they were both way behind the curve on needs and expectations of future generations of fans. I daresay there are many who still agree with them then and still do over 20 years later.
The current board incumbents don’t seem to be any more enlightened.
My daughter ( born a few years later -after 1994) , who suffers from colitis, finally gave up her season ticket 3 .years ago -she never said why. I knew why! ( and it wasn’t Ronnie Delia afore ye start …:-)
Just another SaturdayCSC
Ameneties even
Facilities – last season got the use of a ticket to the Main stand and was surprised at the state of the toilet and catering facilities. When you look at the facade from the Celtic Way it’s definitely a case of fur coat and no Knickers.
Me and my dad get to the game and as usual I get a ‘lift o’er’.He gets me settled down the front and as usual he takes his place about ten steps back.At half time he comes and checks on me -as usual -with a macaroon bar.Ten minutes to go and my dad comes and gets me-as usual.We make our way up to the back of the terracing with Celtic attacking.’ Just a minute to go,William’,he says.Then wee Jimmy scores!Absolute mayhem!We reach the top of the staircase and start heading down to street level.Halfway down another huge roar goes up.Full time, I hope.’Want to go back,dad’.We kept going down the staircase till we reached Edmiston Drive.
2 january 1971. 66 fans went to the football and did’nt go home. Rest in Peace.
MORTON v ST MIRREN Today on BBC ALBA K/O 3PM.
A wee chance to have a look at Lewis Morgan ?
BMCUWP…Cheers about hendersons horse “SANTINI”….I check all the runners every day anyway…and I try not to overlook certain horses by mistook ?
HH
Off to Cappielow today for the Renfrewshire derby. Looking forward to third viewing of Lewis Morgan in last couple of weeks, has looked a bit special in flashes on both other occasions.