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State of the Club Report, summer 2015

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Celtic are about to embark on their fourth season as the last remaining Superpower in Scottish football. The old wars were won, while current challenges on the domestic front are accomplished with ease, but many questions remain about the club’s place in the world, what it’s objectives should be and how best to deliver them.

My expectation is that Celtic’s annual accounts, which will be released next month, will show they club washed its face, largely aided by the sale of Fraser Forster, but turnover is likely to be around 35% below the peak figure from season 2012-13, where we progressed to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, selling tickets and merchandise by the ton.

Season ticket sales are down around 10,000 from their peak a decade ago, reflecting the lack of domestic competition, an overhang of the economic climate, and – I expect – a tail off from what was an unsustainable high during the years of regrowth after the long, dark, 90s. The good news is the distress rate appears to have bottomed out. New blood has replaced old in many parts of the stands, as many learn to appreciate The Game for its sporting merit, not simply a means to three points.

We had a terrible start to the Ronny Deila era. We huffed and puffed in Iceland, were torn apart in Poland, but the performance against Legia at Murrayfield was nothing short of a capitulation. From the opening minute of the game we were worse, much worse, than we were in Warsaw.

Results and performances remained disappointing for months as Aberdeen regularly led the league into the new year, but signs of recovery appeared in the Europa League, where we qualified for the knock out stages and put on two credible performances against Inter.

Last autumn Ronny was under pressure. In another era, this could have been overbearing pressure. The change in managers brought a change in tactics, training and personal objectives, which disoriented the club. It also meant that we didn’t have a recruitment strategy in place for the new requirements.

There are many long term strategic threats, but if Celtic ever lose a league again, it’s likely to be when they embark on such an overwhelming technical change. If we do this again, we need to anticipate the shock and compensate accordingly.

Sporting objectives remain clear: win the league every season “forever and ever” and qualify for the Champions League group stages. Having given this some thought, I cannot see the scenario when we will lose the Scottish league title.

A horizon exists in Scottish football, no one can see beyond 10-in-a-row. This season WILL be five-in-a-row, most bookies are offering 1/33, a 3% return on your money, on this outcome. After that the countdown to 10 will grow louder, but 10 is not a real horizon, it just exists because Jock Stein’s ways were eventually copied. He had no mystical touch, only good strategy.

Rangers should never had stopped at 9. The money they had gave them an enormous advantage. Wim Jansen arrived from nowhere (Japan) with half a team signed by Jock Brown. It defied logic how we won that title, but it’s also clear than many at Ibrox had put their tools away before the start of that season. There is a warning here for Celtic. The latter parts of the Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon eras were all characterised by less innovative signings. More scouting trips to Edinburgh, fewer to Cracow, and the like. When the players, manager or scouts get weary, teams fail.

Achieving Champions League group stage qualification is the most difficult challenge Celtic face. We are clearly a better team than Qarabag, and have considerably more resources, but much of Wednesday night was spent worrying if the goal would come, and about what we would face in Baku. Even if we’re successful, strong unseeded teams will await in our section of the next round draw.

We are more than good enough to win league after league, but we’re not more than good enough to qualify for Champions League after Champions League. This should be Celtic’s objective for the next year – arrive in next summers’ qualifiers with a much better team.

The success of this will depend on Ronny’s ability to turn potential into actual European class players. He can do this, but he’ll need a tail wind. In particular, we have to hope that an earlier, ‘recruit from Edinburgh’ strategy, has not been redeployed in the form of a ‘recruit from Dundee’ one.

There are objective measurements we can point to. We are sound financially, pay our bills when due, have seen off all domestic competitors, will report more than 40,000 season ticket holders, a buoyant retail business and strong commercial partnerships. The stadium looks incredible, whoever conceived of the Celtic Way deserves some credit – but please – finish the job.

Copy what we saw at Murrayfield, put turnstiles at the perimeter of the footprint, build fan zones, build a café outside the ground. 30 years from now people will not sit in stadiums like Celtic Park, they will have better facilities, start planning for them now.

As anyone will tell you, football is a results business, and results over the next four weeks will have an enormous bearing on what state we feel the club is in. Defeat will not mean we are on the wrong path any more than victories mean we are on the right path, but it’s the game we play, so ‘play on’.

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  1. stephbhoy on

    The Celtic triangle, with facilities could easily work out as a 7 day a week enterprise, we have a couple of very wealthy shareholders that like to attach their name to Celtic, but unlike the foreign owners down south, don’t want to invest anything into it, simple…

     

     

    couple of points Celtic currently have a piss poor superstore and use a portocabin as a ticket office they also use a significant part of the stadium as an admin office and gym..

     

     

    a custom built building that housed a ticket office, superstore, admin staff, alongside a museum with little museum store and cafe would barely stretch staffing and would pay for itself!!! It would also free up more room in the stadium for another kerrydale suite type setting…

     

     

    in a deal that helped killie ease debts they sold their profit making hotel, yip a profit making hotel in Kilmarnock, yet we are to believe that a hotel inside the Celtic triangle i.e. in the biggest city and biggest club would not make money. it would be an assist, would help to keep associated bar or restaurant occupied and busy and would increase human traffic at stadium

     

     

    some people go to the games and leave for home straight away, many more are at the ground for several hours before and after games, it is not a two hour window as proposed but actually about a 6 hour window and beyond the dreams of most restaurants and bars

     

     

    if you throw in:

     

    3 x stadium tours per day x 5 days per week

     

     

    fans collecting tickets throughout the week

     

     

    fans going to celtic store throughout the week

     

     

    150 on site workers getting discounted food and drink

     

     

    get the clubs/ restaurants in the triangle to show all domestic and european away games

     

    and add all the important holidays/ special days i.e. Christmas, new year, baptisms, birthdays, it goes on and on and on!!!!

     

     

    RD has talked about having an indoor pitch for during the winter, very good idea and i do think it is needed

     

     

    but should we build it up a hill in the middle of nowhere or at celtic park? on earth would we not build it at Celtic park?

     

     

    get ut built at celtic park and get a wee 500 capacity stand and associated facilities in it, simple things like toilets, drink and food machines, a few sitting areas etc…

     

     

    it would be great for supporters to be able to see the first team at stadium and would assist in getting people along to the stadium

     

     

    first team could train there during winter months and occasionally in the summer, weekdays

     

     

    under 21s could play low key games here 500 or less, open to joe bloggs, weekdays

     

     

    Celtic have age groups ranging from what under – 8 to first team so before first team there are 11 age groups with 165 kids and very likely the same amount of parents on training evening x 2 nites per week, possibly about 300 parents on game days oh and don’t forget about the girls team same applies, but is that not a summer league, so more scope again

     

     

    Jesus the indoor pitch itself could, along with associated facilities, be busy from 9am to 10pm, 7 days a week while serving multiple purposes

     

     

    the increasing housing stock and sporting venues close by can only aid the facilities and services further

     

     

    i would dispute that the celtic triangle could not be a 7 day a week money making and cost saving exercise for the club, but like every other business celtic need an injection of cash and some belief and business plan to push forward

  2. Art of War on

    Canamalar- wee/big Jamesie is good.

     

     

    He never changes, always find him the same happy go lucky/sardonic/mullett lookalike.

     

     

    Actually passed him driving some big cooncil vehicle on the way to the game on Wed. with some poor wee folk in the back. He used to do the gardening with that big waster Stuart so he musta moved on.

     

     

    One final point – he was coached in life by DD. :-)

  9. Thunder Road on

    jude

     

     

    Good stuff.

     

    Keep at it as there can be some little things(albeit timeconsuming)that might make a difference.

     

    Sometimes its just a wee bit of maintenance that’s needed to keep it ticking along…..just like you would do for the motor.

     

    Post again sometime to say what you have done to make it better and perhaps some of the bhoys might pinpoint other things to try.

  13. clogher celt on

    Roy Croppie,

     

     

    That sounds great. Your efforts on a Friday night are great.

     

     

    I have had quite a few e mails asking for you to be the DeeJay.

     

     

    It is up to you though.

     

     

    No hassle if it doesn’t suit.

     

     

    Clogher

  15. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Might be staying in fun city after the game tomorrow, emday up furra swally?

  18. Delaneys Dunky on

    AlW

     

     

    He is Godfather to my poor daughter. Taught him all his tricks? Naw.

     

    McCall lookalike. Defo.

     

    He thinks I am a spit of Gary McAllister. Naw

  19. Cosy Corner Bhoy on

    Not read back so apologies if I missed anything personal. Not long back from Turnberry duties. Today was the worst golf weather I have ever been involved in. Gales ,heavy rain , and miserable all round. Even though some rounds took 6 hours(yes six) the Ladies deserve a medal. The good news is that the ‘Hole Controller’ has organised the Celtic Crew (all 4 ) to be off duty from 1230 till 1500! Athletic Tavern Girvan here we come!! Thanks to PF AYR for the heads up!

     

    ,

  20. bournesouprecipe on

    Wee James Forrest is 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) tall ………..and 1.70 m (5ft 6 in) when he runs.

  29. mighty tim supporting wee Oscar on

    Clogher celt how big is this GAA club how many does it hold. I have 7 coming over and going by the amount of bhoys and ghirls on here who are also coming over will it be big enough.

     

    Keep up the good work mate.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    KTF

     

     

    Utlr

  32. Canamalar on

    Just watching the latest from CTV and they’ve got the cheek to tell the viewer they show every live game they have, it’s the wee things that get on my mamories.

     

    Oldtim67, good stuff, religions no for everyone, the most ardent are full of it, keep the fire lit :)

     

    DD as I said they never lied to me but if he’s a mason he’s no right on our board and that is a sweeping generalisation I’m happy to stand by, keep the Masonic satanists away from Celtic, feign charitable good deeds off our back while doing dirty deeds, no thank you.

     

    AoW, Jimmy of the Arse was mostly influenced by the same guy that influenced all the of the arses, their Da, a quality mhan 100% and I only met him twice but could see every one of their BHOYS in him.

  33. clogher celt on

    Cosy Corner Bhoy,

     

     

    I watched the golf today. Fair play to you for sticking with it.

     

     

    The weather forecast isn’t great tomorrow.

     

     

    Clogher

  35. Thunder Road on

    acgr

     

     

    When you say swally…..do you mean those wee tiny dribbles of whisky that get called a hawf or are you talkin man stuff like beer?

  40. dena29 on

    A CEILER GONOF RUST on 31ST JULY 2015 11:25 PM

     

    Might be staying in fun city after the game tomorrow, emday up furra swally?

     

     

    I wish I could but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of takers

     

     

    HH

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