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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Well done with the new site Paul. You’ve come a long way. I like the look but must admit that the first article I read, the one about Legia, seemed a wee bit like MSM. Much ado about nothing. Hope you don’t plan to go that way.
Anthony Stokes scored some important goals and assists at his time with Celtic. He should go with our best wishes. But, he has peaked n Ronny terms. No improvement ahead. It’s a dynamic thing, players have to go, new ones come in.
Chairbhoy
You suggested someone at CP doing an Investment Appraisal to justify our spending.
I did one a couple of weeks back based on a suggestion from another poster that we spend £5m on buying a player. I added in the wages assuming such a player would cost £40k a week on a 3 year contact.
I cannot remember the summary word for word but concluded we would need two players to reduce risk of failure to qualify and that if we failed two out of free we were in the red and the more we bought to guarantee qualification the less the profit. Its at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B62m3ggkEX2RUVFkLS1zTnpRWkU/view?usp=sharing
It is very basic but gives an idea of the risk factors.
State of the club – pretty good – won the league, sfa income from tv where other clubs close to us get orders of magnitude more moolah, survived cheating, good crowds, good reputation and good footie,
I have got to agree with paul67 about facilities at CP – football’s no longer the game of the poor so the mocha frappucinos have got to come sometime and curry chips must go !
oh and we live within our means
WITS: Well done. I intended betting on Clondaw based on your advice but went for a siesta and forgot about it when I got up:-)
I like curry& chips
I see West Brom are preparing a £5m bid for our old friend and hero David Marshall.
Another LG….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMv7Lxr1zHI
My friends in Celtc,
>40,000 season ticket holders is amazing. We are more than just another football team.
Our priority must be to fill Parkhead as much as is practicable for every game. To do that may mean taking decisions that are unpalatable to some. I listened to a few posters expresing their displeasure that our game on Wednesday was not live on TV. How many last minute supporters would have watched the game in the pub or at home if it was live on TV. ?
At work on Wednesday many of us missed a live coverage, but in the big picture that decision helped fill the ground and subsequently helped the team.
In my opinion no game should be live at Parkhead until we have sold a minimum of 50,000 tickets. Every encouragement and prioritisation should be made to accommodate fans attnding the game and not on placating stay at home fans.
Yes I realise that many worthy fans cannot attend games due to health, financial or geographic reasons. but I maintain incentives for fans to attend games must be our priority.
HH to all.
What is the stars …. you are one he’ll of a tipster thank you very much
If David Marshall goes to West Brom he will join Shay Given , 2 ex Celts
“Where did it all go wrong George?”
“I used to go Missing a lot,
Miss Canada,
Miss UK,
Miss World”
I Bet it was fun at the Time.
Theo Walcott signs new 4 year deal at 140,000 per week.
By my count that makes GBP 7.28 million per year.
And GBP 29,12 million for the four years.
Sitting down now…..but stood up for a minute there..
It was asked earlier who actually paid for the celiac way.
I did some research and contrary to public opinion and as proved by follow follow it was
Glasgow City council
The Vatican bank
And
Sinn fein
Roberttressell
5 19 on July 31
Cheers mhate
RWE. Silly money when half the world is starving football is so far away now from the ordinary supporter.I wonder where it is all going to end. H.H.
God bless all here
I’d say the commonwealth games helped pay for the Celtic way.
As someone pointed out it’s tough for it to work 7days a week and make money but surely something can be down to help club bring in more money.
Is the kerrydale bar still going ? Does that make much money does anyone know…
In reality Saint Stivs it was ” Sinn Féin” who paid for it.
“Ourselves Alone” their battle cry, and Freedom sang to the Easter Sky.
T. Dan Smith the Newcastle businessman/councillor jailed for his part in the Poulson affair tells of how the Masonic handshake opened doors for him ….even prison doors!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quHxHaD0dvg&feature=youtu.be&a
10 minutes extract from a 3 hour programme.
Testing
…
Testing
…
Testing
…
HH!!
Stokes…. The latest CFC player to improve thro absence
As the Exiled Tim has said on many a previous occasion, there are midfield bargains to be had in Spain. I would add France to that. Bobo Balde wasn’t playing for PSG or anyone like that. Scout some Spanish/French mids and give them a chance. I’ll bet they would bust a gut.
Tallybhoy
Few of us watching Wednesday game in The Market if you fancy it
420 tomorrow at Goodwood, Richard Hughes rides Hairdryer ( owned by Sir Alex) this is strongly rumoured to be his farewell winner. 5 / 1 with powers now
BT
I thought Shay went to Stoke
The Battered Bunnet 4:52
Interesting analysis. Looks like we could maybe be doing a bit better with Commercial? Broadcasting is obviously the one we are miles behind in, but outwith our control.
The talk of Nadir being the player we need, well in my humble opinion e’s similar to Big Sammi, but not as good!
Have we signed Leroy Sane yet??
KINGLuBO
PF
Aye , it’s Mark Hughes, he has managed that many tea I forgot who he was currently managing
8))
On iPhone earlier took me 20mins to tell Tesco I don’t want their Friday £500 “offer” had to give up as it was probably my lack of IT knowledge than the new Cqn, got young Miss GFTB & Mrs GFTB walking me through this post…… Seemingly the new format will be “better for my eyes”
WITS – let me know if I am allowed to jinx Fergies horse the morra
Paul67 et al
First and foremost congratulations to John Clark and the raising of the flag tomorrow. His contribution to our great club is second to none, he helped make it great. Great footballer, great reader of the game, and as tough as nails. Good to be playing a league game too before heading off to Azerbaijan, can only help all the players involved.
Celtic v St Mirren stories.
My old man always told a lovely story about a game between the teams.
.
Turns out he was in the main stand at Celtic park one day when the teams where playing each other, and just prior to the game his DOC had told him to watch his old ticker and not to get over excited.
Well if you knew my dad you would know that watching Celtic and being over excited went hand in hand.
So my dad convinced my mum that if he went to the main stand instead of his usual spot in the jungle that he would be Ok.
Although not convinced mum let him go with her blessing.
So the Auld yin went to see our team play against St Mirren and for the first time in his life bought a ticket for the main stand.
Now just to let you know this was back in the day that our fabulous club allowed priests and clergy in for nothing. (Younger readers can Google this for confirmation ).
So anyway Sunny (my da ) was sitting like a toff watching the hoops and thinking to himself well at least the seat next to me is empty.
Well low and behold after 10 mins did a priest not come along and sit beside old Sunny.
Now my Dad seeing the collar and well aware of his condition said to the priest. Alright father sit down am glad it’s yourself at least you will keep my blood pressure down.
To which the priest said. Well mate hold on to your hat because I’m a saints man.
The auld yin always said that the priest he met that day was the most Anti Celtic guy he ever met.
So he never went back to the main stand again, he reckoned his BP rocketed during that game.
Anyway Dad it’s 1 day short of your Anniversary. And I thank you for every day im a Celtic fan.
BIG NAN on 31ST JULY 2015 7:56 PM
T. Dan Smith the Newcastle businessman/councillor jailed for his part in the Poulson affair tells of how the Masonic handshake opened doors for him ….even prison doors!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quHxHaD0dvg&feature=youtu.be&a
10 minutes extract from a 3 hour programme.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/state-of-the-club-report-summer-2015/comment-page-7/#comments
T Dan Smith. Now there’s a blast from a very shady past.
50 shades
We thank our parents and grandparents for giving us Celtic
A great privilege and honour to be a tim
The eejit that roy croppie posting on ole blog
ROY CROPPIE on 31ST JULY 2015 8:09 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLQ9wljWoAAzM0D.jpg
PFayr
Sounds like a good scheme.
Keep you posted.
HH!!
It was on this day in 1922, Celtic legend Sean Fallon was born.
Celtic’s Iron Man made over 250 appearances for the Bhoys scoring 13 goals, and was part of the famous Celtic team which won the League Cup 7-1.
He was Jock Stein’s assistant manager when Celtic won #9inarow and the European Cup.