My friends in Celtic, in the corresponding article a year ago I put our chances of losing the league as high as 30%. The rational behind this was:
- Newco were actually closer to us than the league table indicated and I expected them to improve,
- Teams have a shelf life and that (winning) Celtic squad looked to be nearing the end.
- It is by no means down to this alone, but I wrote, “If the virus gets into the Celtic squad, we will not win the league.” It did and we didn’t.
What I did not expect was the scale of the collapse. In my Celtic supporting experience, it is only eclipsed by season 1977-78, when a double winning Celtic team finished trophy-less, fifth in the league and out of Europe.
So where did it go wrong? I think we can go as far back as Brendan Rodgers not being released from his contract in August 2018 to allow him to go to China. The writing was on the wall then, so when he found a club that would both pay him a huge contract and meet the release terms on his Celtic deal, we should have been better prepared.
Let’s be clear: Neil Lennon did brilliantly taking over from Brendan. He kept the ship afloat, delivered the league and Scottish Cup, under the circumstances, that was an outstanding return. However, I doubt if even Neil himself believes he was wise to take the job permanently. This was a mistake by Neil, his advisors and most of all, by Celtic.
Objectively, what followed in season 2019-20 flies in the face of this assertion. Despite our customary Champions League qualification debacle, we finished ahead of Lazio and Rennes to top our Europa League group. The League Cup was won in memorable, if not convincing, style, nine-in-a-row was delivered, and when the Scottish Cup Final was eventually played, the quadruple treble.
It was as though the muscle memory at the club got us through that season but we all saw Newco boss us at Celtic Park. The portents were clear.
Should Neil have been relieved of his duties in October, when it was evident we were such a shambles on the field, despite winning all five trophies he competed for at that stage? Probably, but that question is all about who would come in to replace him. John Kennedy as an interim was not necessarily going to change direction. When Neil eventually left the building in February, our season was shot to pieces and he endured torrid months.
A clean break in February should have been a huge advantage, you get months to prep for the new season. Most of that time was wasted on a failed pursuit of Eddie Howe. Ange Postecoglou was sitting by his phone waiting on the call, had he been offer the position when Howe’s agent floated the first curve ball at Easter, we may still be in the Champions League. This was also a mistake.
So where are we now? If we go on to qualify for the Europa League group stage, last night’s defeat will have no more bearing on Celtic than the Lincoln Red Imps game in Gibraltar that started the Brendan Rodgers era. We were never going to reach the Champions League group stage this season through the League Route.
Our primary objective is to win the league; on the back of Wednesday night’s evidence, we look well short. There are, however, reasons to Park the Panic for a few weeks. We have spent over £12m on three players, only the cheapest of whom, 19-year-old Liel Abada, has played. Carl Starfelt (26) and Kyogo Furuhashi (also 26) are now available for selection, they will improve defence and attack.
We will sign a goalkeeper and a right back. Odsonne Edouard and Boli Bolingoli are almost certain to move on, both will be replaced and bring in enough cash to recruit for other areas of the team. I hope Ryan Christie extends his current deal, but if he goes, Ange has more scope to shuffle his pack.
This degree of player turnover should have happened a year ago. It didn’t because of that fabled record. I believe that without that looming milestone, Neil Lennon would also have gone last summer.
The decision to keep the squad together last year was thought less risky than undertaking significant change, especially with international travel restricted for most of the year and football curtailed, limiting, and in some circumstances eliminating, scouting opportunities. Faced with a choice between keep what you have or buy blind, Celtic chose the former (with a goalkeeping exception). Despite your hindsight, you would have made the same decision then.
We do not have a contemporary reference for the level of squad turnover that is currently underway. The only historical equivalent is 1997, when an equally chaotic summer thrust the club forward, coincidentally, when we broke the mould and looked for a manager with experience in Japan.
Despite the toll the pandemic placed on Celtic’s finances, the club is structurally strong. It has excellent long-term commercial deals that continue to perform, healthy ticket sales and a valuable squad that can be traded. We were always going to emerge from this crisis battered but not broken.
The same is not true at Ibrox. Newco need Champions League money this season, in losing the league, we opened a door for them to escape the consequence of Uefa Financial Fair Play. I bored you with the details on this before so will be brief here.
Newco have run a persistent operating loss since their formation in 2012, most recently reported at around £1m per month – and that was pre-pandemic. They are out of FFP road, only Champions League money will prevent a collapse. New investors cannot help here, for FFP, spend must be balanced by football generated income.
What happens in their qualification tie against Malmo and if they progress, in the subsequent play-off round, will go a long way to determine how competitive the league race is over the next decade. It is the sting in the tale of losing such a momentous title.
Right now our chances of winning the league are probably 30% – held back by so many unknowns, but despite the recent hit to finances, I expect the club to sanction a larger spend this summer than has ever happened at a Scottish football club. We can tip the balance in the weeks ahead.
The hurt of missing the 10 will last forever, or at least, until we get close enough to dream again. It is now part of our narrative. I hope we will look back on the experiences of season 2020-21 as a touchstone, the harsh lesson that propelled us forward.
Enjoy your Celtic and continue to take care.
Paul67.
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New No 8 🍀🇯🇵 Furuhashi formally signs with clearance 😊
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2021/july/Kyogo-Furuhashi-joins-Celtic/?fbclid=IwAR3SykX5ykcFxCNzP-8s8LF6GGz8LQZxwFg8j8CFmv1Xz-ikJknYdgmVvMA
Emerald Bee – correct on all of that.
I think we have been told by those who know ange that it can take a while for his processes to become embedded. Hopefully not too long
THE EXILED TIM on 30TH JULY 2021 4:10 PM
“Ach well, looks like Ange has been told to rein it in by the sounds of it.”
The follow up question should have been, “ Is that 2 or 3 additions after Eddie, Christie, Ntcham and others have left? Or 2 or 3 additions net?”
There is a reason that Bitton has never been a first team regular in 9 years. That’s right 9
I hope never to see that clown Bitton in a Celtic jersey again.
thats the spirit
Never mind BMX at the ‘Lympics…………….
still cannae take The Gowf seriously…………………
:0
I know The boul’ Bhoy Rory is there but is”Gramm Madoool” ? He’s always good for a laff!
:)))))))))))))
Is Rory playing for Ireland or GB
St Tams- he’s a cert to start tomorrow
I’d love to see Rory weildin’ a nine iron against wee Nasty and Co……….
Fore!!!!!
Paul67 writes a report consistent with what he was saying contemporaneously last season- he even provided the evidence in a blog from that date. No hindsight involved.
The people who felt he was a deluded over-optimistic happy clapper have attempted to resolve their cognitive dissonance at being reminded of his written views , as opposed ot the views atttributed to him so he can be seen as a Unionist lickspittle board-defender by doing one of the following:-
a) Welcoming his “change of heart” and expressing solidarity that he is seeing things their way (even though he has altered his position not one jot)
or b) No having that- it’s just not critical enough- you should have said more- and even so we would have called you long winded, insincere and a hypocrite. You were never a true member of teh Judean Peole’s Front- just not unreasonably angry enough.
It’s just the way of things on social media.
Knee jerk reactions.
Default positions.
Nit pick and point score.
Flash your credentials as the Upholder of the One True Way.
Celtic is not a biscuit tin club or a fur coat and nae knickers club. It tries to pay its way, though it overpays its Board members and senior enmployees, but it recognises that spending to the max on players alone is a fairly futile strategy becaue there will never be enough return when you play 95% of your football in a peripheral league with no remunerations. Of course we could be a bit better but the amount of expenditure required to take us to the level of smaller clubs in richer leagues with big TV money is more than we will ever generate, even if we did get by a CL last 16 ceiling.
Every year the built in disadvntages places us further and further away from the prospect of European relevance. When your best players are taken from you by Brentford, Southampton and Leverkusen, it is not because PL or DD or Celtic need the money; it is the result of the inevitable ambition and venality of any serious young football talent.
I have long since learned that this kind of realism will get dismissed as “making excuses for failure” but each year I ask those advocates of spend to accumulate to show me a club from a peripheral league that manages to do consistently what they demand Celtic should do. The false examples usually provided are Ajax and Benfica who are unlike us in that they had retained European Credibility throughout the 80’s and 90’s when we had not, had bigger populations, are more highly valued and respected in transfer selling, and get access to S. American and Brazilian markets that our goverment would not sanction, as can Shakthar Donetsk (without the 20th century credibility).
The only comparable clubs that I would accept have done better with similar but lesser difficulties than us would be Basel and the Sugar -Daddy funded RB Salzburg and they too, having hung on for longer than us, are now having their fingers prized away from the last 16 market in order to make more room for the 5th and 6th placed clubs in England, Italy, Spain and Germany to take their place.
IniquitousIV @ 2:36 pm
SAINTSTIVS
“in other news, i note that Roman Abramovich is a rubbish luxury yacht driver.”
———————————
Hi Saint. But at least he attends many games, and shows an emotional attachment, depending on whether Chelski are winning or losing. How often do we see Desmond do that? Abramovitch keeps a very close eye on things, and is very quick to pull the plug on a manager if he is not doing the business. In contrast, Desmond let Neil Lennon wallow in mediocrity for months, which did us and Neil no favours. I also suspect that Abramovitch backs his emotions with funding, although that may not be entirely kosher, or by UEFA Rules.
——————————————
Damn right he attends more home games and is hugely invested. For him it’s a matter of life and death. Buying Chelsea was his way of staying alive. As one of the Oligarchs taking money from Russia after the commies fell, he needed to be high profile and therefore “harder to kill without consequence” or Putin would have spread the novichok on his prawn sandwiches by now. He is still having to pay tribute money to Moscow but Putin has let him keep a significant enough portion to keep Chelseas relevant- that is testimony to how much they managed to steal for themselves in the 90’s. Other Rusian exiles are not so lucky. If they don’t own high profile institutions they tend to end up dead. Abranovich has good reason to have his mug seen at Stamford Brige regularly. he has helped bring Boris into Putin’s circle too.
There is absolutely no relation between how hands on the owner is and the success of the club. Dave King was just as absent from Ibrox as Desmond was from CP- same problem but vastly different league outcomes.
Our failures, such as they are, lie with our day to day running.
Getting rid of Desmond (and the plc structure) is probably a good idea but I have seen few practical ways to acheve it. Certainly the SB boycott might generate a few short term PR gestures but it does not change our situation- How do we compete with the vast number of clubs that are now TV subsidised way beyond our level.
Abramovic hasn’t been in the country for 3 years never mind been to a game
With 18 hours to go before you lose out on the chance to predict a win for Livingstone at Ibrox, we have 44 members in our CQN Sentinels Superbru SPFL competition. I am hoping a last minute push can get us above 50 – We might even go for 55.
Lots more of you have avoided the competition but have donated generously anyway to Seans trust to the tune of £700+ so far- Some of that will be used for prize money but there will be a healthy donaton to Linda for Sean’s Trust when all money comes in after the league has been running a few weeks.
I will provide regular updates on the winners and losers throughout the season but the importan info for latecomers is:-
It costs £20 to enter. Players can choose to pay the £20 up front or £10 now and £10 before the first January game. Players can also chose to take part in the game without donating or being eligible for prize money, if they so wish.
The details for payment are:-
o Account name: Walk With Shay
o Account number: 15326765
o Sort code: 80-22-60
o Bank: Bank of Scotland
I have registered a closed pool on the Superbru site, which is a Score Predictor game for the SPFL fixtures in 2021/22.
The site is http://www.superbru.comand the code for joining is roomuser
Please use your CQN or Sentinel log in name for identification.
First fixture is 31st July and your predictions have to be in before kick off on the day.
If you fail to make a pick you get the default pick, so you get to play even if you forget.
Join CQN Sentinels, my Scottish Premiership league on Superbru!
You can find my pool here:
https://www.superbru.com/scottishpremiership/pool.php?p=12367961or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with code:roomuser
Of course cheating and all forms of ‘ducking & diving’ were the methods employed during the Murray era
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sounds like a harmless likeable rogue from an episode of ‘Only Fools and Horses’. After all, Del Boy was a real charmer. Yet, the truth cannot be cased in such generous words:
(1)
Rangers’ administrators estimate that the club’s total debts could top £134m.
The figure is revealed in anadministrators’ report to creditors published on the club’s website.
A total of more than £93m is being claimed by HM Revenue and Customs, relating to the so-called big and small tax cases, and unpaid VAT and PAYE.
The report also reveals Rangers owe cash to other football clubs including Celtic, Hearts, Dundee United, Manchester City and Arsenal.
(2)
FIRMS handling the financial collapse of Rangers who have pocketed £20 million in fees have come under fire as it emerged thousands of out-of-pocket fans who put money into the club are due to lose millions through a legal loophole.
Liquidators BDO have confirmed that the fans, who bought bonds to help support and fund the upgrading of Ibrox, are set to lose out because their claims will be legally time-barred.
Details of the payouts over seven years – described as “staggering” by one costs expert – come as it emerged that so far only £1.4m has still been received by those owed money.
(3)
AK Ray, Ross Hall Hospital, Glasgow, £150
ADI UK, Preston, £7620
AS St Etienne, France, £252,212.39
ASL, East Sussex £2514
Acies Group, Edinburgh, £2340
Adrian Coll, Balloch, £1600
Alan Duncan, Glasgow, £1400
Alexander West Property, Glasgow, £2807
Alison Walker TV, Bearsden, £600
Alliance Video, Surrey, £204
Aon Limited, London, £14,151
Arena Imaging, Derby, £336
Argyll and Bute Council £406.80
Arsenal Football Club £136,560
Astra Hygiene Supplies, Dumbarton, £61.27
Audi Stirling £396.05
Azure Support Services, Macclesfield, £523,949.71
Azzurri Scotland, Burnley, £34.63
BTWShiells, Belfast, £2917.39
Barr Environmental Limited, Cumnock, £264
Base Soccer Agency, London, £52,560
Bauer Radio Ltd (Radio Clyde) £702
Beyard Services, Beith, £5559.60
Bhutta’s Newsagents, Glasgow, £567.45
Big Think Agency, Glasgow, £14,265.60
Blooms UK Limited, Glasgow, £70
Brabners, Manchester, £12,999
Brentwood Estates, Manchester, £42,963.06
Brian Proudfoot, Glasgow, £2802
British Gas £1562.42
BT £1292.13
Business Cost Consultants, Glasgow, £6240.60
Business Stream, Edinburgh, £9727.22
CNP Professional, Cheshire, £719.96
CRE8, Gloucester, £68,406.70
Cairn Financial, London, £4127.60
Cairns & Scott Caterhire, Glasgow, £762
Cameron Presentations, Glasgow, £8795.99
Campbell Medical Supplies, Paisley, £3386.73
Camtec, Hertfordshire, £552
Canniesburn Taxis, Bearsden, £269.69
Capital Solutions, Edinburgh, £11,423.40
Capito Ltd, Livingston, £1049.69
Carberry’s Coaches, Portadown, Co Armagh, £1200
Carnival Chaos Production, Edinburgh, £672
Carol Govan, Glasgow, £600
Cask Productions, Glasgow, £1980
Cask Sports, Glasgow, £2919.60
Catercare Scotland, Stewarton, £420
Charlton Chauffeur Drive, Glasgow, £792
Chelsea FC £238,345.43
Childcare Vouchers, London, £1143.74
Chilli It, Chester, £416.52
Chris Clarke, Kilmarnock, £150
Christine Siebelt, Milngavie, £1100
Citrus Office Solutions, Lancashire, £4304.24
City Electrical Factors, Glasgow, £215.40
Clyde Productions, Glasgow, £180
Coca Cola £10,133.91
Colin Suggett, Sunderland, £741.80
Collstream Limited, Derby, £5779.37
Collyer Bristow, London, £40,691.22
Colours Agency, Glasgow, £1980
Computer Links, Livingston, £2146.32
Computershare Investor Service, Bristol, £23,855.03
Craig Services & Access, East Sussex, £900
Culture & Sport Glasgow £10,338.96
Daily Record & Sunday Mail £312
DealBureau Commercial Finance, Southend, £10,000
Decco Limited, Glasgow, £174.72
Dell Computer Corporation, Berkshire, £272.85
Direct Medical Imaging, Lancashire, £230
Disclosure Scotland £372
Dominique S Byrne, Nuffield Hospital, Glasgow, £160
Dr David A S Marshall, Bridge of Weir, £160
Dundas & Wilson, Edinburgh, £24,027.84
E.ON £8827.14
Eagle Consulting, Inverness, £40
Eagle Couriers, Bathgate, £96.60
Eden Springs, Blantyre, £644.64
Edinburgh Audi £5197.08
Electrical Waste Recycling, County
Durham, £18
Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Stirling, £9000
Events Audio Visual, Clydebank, £300
Exchequer Corporate Finance , Surrey, £4000
Executive Hire, Harlow, £1060
FES FM, Stirling, £80,874.93
FL Memo, London, £116.86
FX Signs, Glasgow, £15,546.56
G Media Mangement, Cheltenham, £995
G4S, Surrey, £295,036.24
GTG Training, Glasgow, £396
Gareth Neil Design, Glasgow, £3200
Gerry McGeoch, Glasgow, £150
Glasgow Audi £1041.62
Glasgow City Council £5000
Glasgow City Council (Council Tax) £2008.21
Glasgow Leading Attractions (The Willow Tea Rooms) £1525
Glasgow Taxis £TBC
Glencairn Crystal Studio, East Kilbide £354
Gordon McKay, Blackridge, £150
HOBS Reprographics, Glasgow, £270.15
HSS Hire Service £67.10
Hamilton Brothers, Bishopton, £115.56
Hay McKerron Associates, Milngavie, £3600
Hepscott Water Systems, Morpeth, £1190.28
Hrvoje Bojanic Beethoveova, Zagreb, Croatia, £2898.42
Hutchesons Eductational Trust, Glasgow £550
ILC Media, Preston, £2040
IMG Media, Chiswick £180
Impact Signs, Cumbernauld, £9482.79
Integrated Cleaning Management, Hampshire, £3329.19
Iris Chorus Application Software, Devon, £5973.60
Iris Ticketing, Devon, £37,210.42
Iron Mountain, Livingston, £1271.16
JCM Business Consulting, Paisley, £2745
JJB Sports £19,390.59
James Gordon (Engineers), Galston, £1437.68
Jewson, Glasgow, £930.60
Joe Lennon Picture Framing, Bearsden, £840
John Deere, Gloucester, £41,191.59
K7X, Ayr, £240
Kalamazoo Secure Solutions, Birmingham, £4017
Keith Hawley, Glasgow, £2600
Kevin Cameron Radio Service, Paisley, £600
Kube Networks, Glasgow, £7672.08
L & S Litho, Glasgow, £17,035.04
Lothian Power Clean, Larkhall, £194.34
LSK Supplies, Glasgow, £178.58
Lawrie Furnishings, Paisley, £607.20
Limelight Networks, Arizona, £2333.49
Link Seating Limited, Worcestershire, £606.98
Loomis UK, Nottingham, £2248.08
Louis Grace Electrical, Glasgow, £1087.84
Lyco Direct Limited , Milton Keynes, £2381.27
MSM Solicitors, Paisley, £420
MacGregor Industrial Supplies, Inverness, £106.76
Mackinnon Partners, Gourock, £200
Manchester City FC £328,248.71
Manea Florin Bucharest £37,500
Mar Hall, Bishopton, £5511.90
Marsh Ltd UK, Norwich, £779.10
Martin Dawes, Warrington, £654.74
Media House, Glasgow, £19,200
MediaCom, Edinburgh, £11,544.42
Menzies Hotels, Derbyshire, £257.40
Michael Douglas, Glasgow, £100
Milngavie Mini Market £413.29
Modular Property Holdings, Glasgow, £20,930.22
Motif Promotional Clothing, Glasgow, £27.29
Murray Group Holdings, Edinburgh, £278,964.30
Nairn Brown (Glasgow) £1492.50
National Car Rental, Leicester, £162.52
Navyblue Design Group, Edinburgh, £6960
Newline Products, Glasgow, £7001
Newsquest (Herald & Times) £1500
Nexo S.A., France, £1799.37
Nicola Young, Glasgow, £3500
Noble Grossart, Edinburgh, £18,612
Nordic Scouting, Oslo, £20,000
North Glasgow College, £11,041.80
OHSS, Edinburgh, £234
OfficeFurnitureOnline.co.uk, Dumfries, £338.40
Ooyala, California, £733.92
Opal Telecom £169.72
Orebro SK £150,000
Oxford Hotels & Inns (Carnoustie) £3709.96
PR Newswire Europe £300
PTS – Plumbing Trade Supplies, Leicester, £30.42
Paramed, Howwood, £1050
Parklands Country Club, Glasgow, £500
Parks of Hamilton £7256
Paton Plant, York, £1450.16
Perform Group, Middlesex, £346,097.43
Pineapple Aroundshot, Co Durham, £2316.96
Pineapple Photographic, Co Durham, £5875
Ping Network Solutions, Glasgow, £4020.25
Plum Films, Edinburgh, £3000
Posh Deli, Glasgow, £260
Postage by Phone, Essex, £510.80
Premier Cash Registers, Glasgow, £12,600
Prime Commercial Properties
Management, London, £10,805.53
Professional Pre-Season Tours (Libero), Glasgow, £60,000
Quick Shift Tyre Service, Glasgow, £48
R.F.Brown, Hamilton, £1681.44
RBS WorldPay, Cambridge, £180.66
RS Components Limited, Northants, £204.95
Rangers Lotteries Ltd, Glasgow, £105.80
Reed Business Information, Surrey, £2764.80
Renfrewshire Council HQ £108
Restore Scotland, Paisley, £579.74
Rigby Taylor Limited, Bolton, £10,762.16
Rodgers Sercurity Systems, Glasgow, £342.50
Ross Hall Hospital, Glasgow, £770.50
Ross Promotional, Glasgow, £1022.88
Royal Mail £3262.54
SDL Group, Glasgow, £1350
SG World, Cheshire, £577.56
SIR Teknologi, West Sussex, £TBC
SK Rapid, Austria, £1,011,763.44
STRI, West Yorkshire, £17.28
Saffery Champness, Glasgow, £31,028.01
Scot-West Business Forms, Glasgow, £749.60
Scotprint, Haddington, £7514
Scotrae Productions, Greenock, £17,058.94
Scottish Ambulance Service £8438.40
Scottish Hydro Electric £62,527.30
Scottish Power £302.44
Search Promotional Merchandise, Buckinghamshire, £6240
Shanks Waste Management, Southampton, £122.58
Sharon Agnew, Glasgow, £460
Shawfield Timber, Glasgow, £786.24
Shell UK £7637.94
Shields Land Rover, Glasgow, £246.75
Shred-it Glasgow £444
Sign Plus, Dunfermline, £2473.22
Signature Industries, London, £1507.90
Simplewaste Solutions, Clydebank, £17,626.26
Sinclair Pharmacy, Glasgow, £1909.79
Slater Menswear , Glasgow, £688.31
Solutions.tv, Glasgow, £2652
Sound Acoustic Productions, Glasgow, £12,000
Souters Irrigation Services, Cumbernauld, £456
Spike Multiedia, Giffnock, £5312.50
Sporting iD, Tyne and Wear, £144.70
Sportopps.com, Belfast, £150
Sports Alliance, Bury, £2006.65
Sports Revolution, London, £5034.52
Stellar Football, London, £72,000
Stirling Fire Protection £1149.30
Stockline Plastics, Glasgow, £258
Strathclyde Police £51,882
Striking Imagery, Cumbernauld, £113.51
Stuart MacMorran, Clydebank, £422.50
Summit Asset Management, Surrey, £70,555.88
Susan Thomson Your Sonsie Face,
Glasgow, £40
TNT £1255.39
Tabs FM, London, £1980
Tellcomm Limited, West Midlands, £6435.89
The Arco Group, Hull, £443.43
The Brite Bulb, Bishopbriggs, £3209.64
The Burnbrae, Bearsden £1403.88
The Business & Property Bureau,
Bearsden, £7376
The Business Incentives Group, Glasgow, £1893.60
The City of Edinburgh Council £90
The Fees Company, Edinburgh, £118.16
The Financial Times £3480
The Scottish Football League £3859.92
The Premier Property Group, Edinburgh, £103,210.96
Thistle International Freight, Paisley, £128.42
Thistle Storage Equipment, Cumbernauld, £140.40
Thomas Cook Sport, Manchester, £129,216.56
Ticket Team, Netherlands, £873.36
Ticketline Network, Manchester, £11,668.67
Trade UK (Screwfix) £77.01
Trident Trust Company, Jersey, £40,689.90
UK Fast, Manchester, £689.78
US Citta di Palermo, Italy, £205,513.04
Umbro £1756.05
University of the West of Scotland £135
Vodafone £204
Voicescape, Manchester, £786.84
William Henderson, Glasgow £275
Yuill & Kyle Solicitors, Glasgow £1,486.80
Celtic FC £40,337
Dundee United FC £65,981.49
Dunfermline Athletic FC £83,370.13
Heart of Midlothian FC £800,000
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC £39,805
SPL £22,500
SFA £11,089.04
HM Revenue & Customs £14,372,042
Ticketus, London, £26,700,000
Debenture Holders (various) £7,736,000
Season Ticket Holders (various) £TBC
Employees Various £TBC
I hesitated on posting on Wednesday night and even yesterday as I wanted time tae wrap my heid round the game.
4 years ago this month I stood in the Doghouse in Balloch watching a Luxembourg side dump sevco out of the Europa.
Couple of days later I came out of the Saturday vigil and got talking tae a massive Tim who rarely if ever missed a game.
He told me then this was the best period of his life supporting the bhoys.
As Mary Hopkins said “Those were the days my friend we thought they’d never end”, unfortunately they did and we came crashing down. Why? someone someday will write a dissertation on that.
I actually got a lot out of Wednesday’s game, ok the tie was lost when barking mad literally threw the free kick, that never was, intae the net at Parkheid, but IMHO our young guns were magnificent against a cheating thuggish side.
As Jimmy Ruffin once said “I’ve passed this way before” and I have many many years ago when a lot of young Celtic lhads were lost tae the game, fortunately the Big Mhan came in and saved the day.
The same Big Mhan, Scottish Cup notwithstanding, had a horrible start as he tinkered with the side, winning 3, losing 5 and drawing 1 of his 9 League games with a goals for of 20 and against 21.
We didnae jump up and down throwing our toys out of the pram we were Celtic supporters not fair weather fans.
Jock then started tae leave out fan favourites like Jim Kennedy and Johnny Divers, nae sentiment here; he also ditched the Combined Reserve side as he felt we had too many players for him tae work with. And as the say the rest is history.
Anyway back tae the postings, there has been a lot of hysteria IMHO encouraged by the resident hunterlopers(s), noticed buffalo bill is back again, it’s easy tae fall intae their web of lies when you are hurting which again is why I hesitated and gave it a bit of time tae rationalise where I think we went wrong.
First of all we are at best a Europa side and should forget the CL and the mythical 40m, not going tae happen for sevco either, as we are all aware only a couple of countries will be there when the baubles are handed out.
As Burnley said last night we got carried away with the 10 which proved an albatross round our neck and rather than bring in another Ronny, who the fraud has admitted had paved the way for him which he had only tae fine tune, tae help us rebuild our club from top to bottom we went with what was seen as a safe bet with Lenny.
We now have the right mhan in place now, a new Big Mhan who is a lot tougher than Ronny and will not be pushed around especially by prima donna players, he has already let the scabby smsm know he’s nobody’s mug.
There are comments that he’s only worked in mickey mouse leagues wtf, and the spl isnae ffs.
Over at auchenowie they have a couple of youth team coaches with slippy on the verge of being hunted fae melwood tae become a nipper on match day along with mcallister before clarence brought him up.
IMHO this was the last throw of the dice for them and he actually thought he was going retro 1986 and bringing a latter day beast back up, as has been shown the latter was a cheque book manager and is now unhireable.
As for eddie howe opening the hood and not seeing what he liked, absolute horse manure, he was interviewed by the Kaiser and immediately went tae the top of the list.
I firmly believe he was using us tae get an EPL position just as the fraud did but without actually taking the job. However rather than walk away he used George Square and Thorntonhall as a viable excuse that his staff widnae come, that’s the same staff like him that’s now signing the broo as new manager Scott Parker gave them the sugar lump prior tae bringing his own staff fae Fulham in.
Where I believe we are short right now and I believe this has already been mentioned is we have no spine in the side.
Jock faced the same problem, shuffled the pack a bit, made Big Billy who was playing the game the same way as James Kelly a renowned attacking centre half back in the day, by toughing him up a bit and giving him an edge.
He also brought in Joe McGoals, yes we had the Bear and Stevie in that position but they were deployed elsewhere and Stevie only returned tae the centre forward position after Joe had a season ending injury.
Angie has already purchased the Swede, hope he’s no a tumshie, for the centre half role and Kyogo Furuhashi to play up front, more will come.
Another problem we have is due tae the pressing game he plays our players were cream crackered around the 70 minute mark, we had practically nobody worth talking about on the bench tae replenish them.
That will end with suitably first place arrivals and the young guns we have now can come off the bench late in the game tae maintain or improve on our lead.
As much as I’m a critic of the fraud he did use his subs well, that’s because Ronny and the much maligned John Collins had the players in good shape, no sitting around the pool drinking pints of Stella with the bhoys.
I fully anticipate 3 points the morra and by September 1 lots of ins and outs and then watch us go.
Oh finally brilliant leader today Paul, but the multi posters will try and denigrate it.
Bada @ 6.32
One more sleep 😂
SFTB-can I just pay into the WALK WITH SHAY bank details I already have ?
E-Tims Retweeted
Kyogo Furuhashi 古橋 亨梧
@Kyogo_Furuhashi
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2h
A dream come true. Can’t wait to be in Paradise 🍀
https://twitter.com/Kyogo_Furuhashi/status/1421132944652046336/photo/1
INIQUITOUSIV on 30TH JULY 2021 6:20 PM
I think you know the answer, we are downsizing at an alarming rate, anyone who can say otherwise have their head in the sand.
HH
SFTB,wee donation made👍
We’re Not Half Of Anything…………………….
Paul67
I trust you’re safe and well pal.
It’s all about opinions and I could disagree with so much of what you’ve said.
However, the most indicative point, in my opinion, is that in a state of the club article, obviously about Celtic, you talk about the state of the Huns.
The PLC board are and have been well passed their best for many, many years. We’re where we are because of them.
In Peter Lawwell’s own words in a meeting I attended, “Brendan took the club to a level it had never seen before”.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
i wonder how many of the 24,500 tickets available for the Dundee game were actually available for the ‘normal’ season ticket ballot
my guess is it would have been something like 10,000 for about 40 odd thousand season ticket holders
so if you think you had nearly a 50-50 chance of getting picked in the ballot then you havent been paying attention to the celtic ticketing system over the years
corrupt to the core
celtic could of course give us the approximate numbers
but they never do, it keeps the corruption going
they just say ‘contractual obligations’ which is just a phrase used to hide a multitude of sins
Ange Postecoglou says Kyogo Furuhashi has been training in London and is due to arrive at Celtic “in good condition”. If he doesn’t make tomorrow he should be available for midweek.
— Alison Conroy (@AlisonGConroy) July 30, 2021
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Let’s hope so.
Tontine Tim on 30th July 2021 7:13 pm
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Excellent post.
Tommy Cummings
@TommyCummings67
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11h
Check this out from a good mate – Morning Tommy. Last night on the way back from Belfast .. Edinburgh airport.
Hello ange ? Hi mate ! Ok for a wee pic ? No probs.. we are all absolutely 100% behind you Ange .. thank you mate that means everything Green heart. Conversation over lol
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https://twitter.com/TommyCummings67/status/1420998412409913346/photo/1
https://twitter.com/theceltictrust/status/1421161213371854852?s=21
Fairhill Bhoy
As far as I am aware the details I gave for Walk with Shay account are the original ones. I got them direct from crc
SFTB- 👍
I’m pretty sure I’m not a hun or multi moniker.
So there are a few ghuys who think we have a few that are.
See just for clarity,name them please.
Or shut fukn up
Go on
Tontine………………
Good story.
HH
Don’t drink and post kids….🤣😊
Still no names then.
I’m definitely not a happy clapper,bed wetter,or howler.
So please show a bit and name names .
It’s no that hard to be fair 🤷🏽♂️
HAMILTONTIM-💚
24,500 in for the Dundee, what % are corporate I wonder…….
MARTIM1980-it would be boring if we didn’t
Let’s not kid ourselves on, FFP is a joke and Rangers are more likely to get a slap on the wrist at best and a transfer ban at worst. Should they recruit well enough and have a settled squad before that ban it shouldn’t effect them much, if at all.
The chances of them being banned from European competition as a first point of call are highly unlikely unless I’m massively mistaken?
That means if they win the league we’ve handed them a level playing field for the next decade.
Keeping the squad together in hopes for the 10 might have been something many would have opted for but we knew Eduoard would be leaving this year. We knew Ajer would be going. We knew Christie’s contract was almost up. We let Lustig go due to the surprising dawn of Frimpong then sold him without a plan and are still scrambling with no answer.
Lack. Of. Strategy.