My friends in Celtic, a year ago I wrote, “Right now our chances of winning the league are probably 30% – held back by so many unknowns.” The club had gone through a traumatic year in which we lost the league for the first time in a decade. A new manager and chief executive were in place, our captain retired, while several of our most important players were angling for a move.
Under any normal circumstances, 30% would seem ambitious, circumstances were not normal, however, well not normal for the football industry, anyway. Despite their year of trauma, Celtic were and are still run on a sustainable model, uniquely so, among clubs competing for the Scottish Premiership title.
A year ago I also wrote, “We can tip the balance in the weeks ahead”, a period which saw Carter-Vickers, Hart and Jota arrive, signings that would prove pivotal in the season’s outcome. Celtic won the league because they had the sustainable structure enabling it to rebuild quickly. It is that sustainability that brought Postecoglou, Kyogo and the other transformational figures to Glasgow.
No football club has a God given right to win. They will certainly not win everything if they are competing against a club perpetually gambling with their own viability. We lost our way in season 2020-21 and despite everything that went right last season, the title race was close, too close for comfort.
Newco looked dead on their feet (or hunkers, in one case), after they lost 3-0 at Celtic Park in February. That night we reached the top of the table for the first time in the season and appeared unstoppable. None of us saw the resilience Newco had to not only hang in there in the league, but cobble together an impressive run to the Europa League Final, and a sobering extra-time win over Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Despite the title going to Celtic, Newco are entitled to believe they finished the season the stronger; for many reasons, they will be confident for the season ahead.
It has been so long since we reached the Champions League group stage without the difficulties of the qualifying rounds, our biometric systems are probably missing a summer of anxiety. While everything was going well domestically last season, Europe was a blot on the copybook. We exited CL qualification cheaply (and before recruitment was effective), suffered a sobering home defeat to German opposition (cough), while finishing third in the Europa League group, before truly humbling home and away losses to Bodo/Glimt.
If you are confident that we are ready for a crack at the Champions League group stage, you are made of sterner stuff than me. Still, the golden goose resides on the Celtic Way. Income will be determined by several factors yet to be confirmed, including performance and if another club from Scotland reaches the group stage, but, including gate receipts, I estimate we will earn £40m from the Champions League this season.
The club’s commercial department continue to ‘knock it out the park’ with each new round of deals. Add in the Ange Homecoming Tour, and we know this season will produce Celtic’s highest ever income. Income determines long term success in football, it is the climate, whereas results are the weather.
In the same State of the Club article last year, I also wrote, “What happens in [Newco’s} 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.”
You will probably not remember, so it is worth me going over the details of how that tie transpired. Malmo won the first leg 2-1. At halftime in the return at Ibrox, they were 1-0 down and had a man sent off. Despite this, Newco managed to grab defeat from the winner’s podium; they missed out on the Champions League and the income it assured.
Despite this, a new manager and a new approach, allowed them to flourish in the Europa League. As a consequence, the perceived value of their players increased exponentially. They sold their best player for £6m and their best prospect for £20m, money that will enable them to recruit better and be stronger next season.
That transfer income and the considerable money earned from Europe last season will make Newco less dependent on shareholder loans. It will allow the club to submit profitable accounts for the first time ever. Such is their structural cost overhang, though, it provides only temporary relief.
They also have another crack at Champions League qualification. If they get there, it is game on. They are a club that previously always gambled beyond the edge of profitability, I expect them to throw everything at this season, irrespective of the consequences, in the hope of winning the title and through this, reaching the Champions League group stage in 2023.
Celtic will not follow them off the cliff. We will continue to work on our own plans and in a sustainable manner. But as you and I know, when you compete against a gambler, anything can happen.
As things stand, I am confident for the season ahead. We retained all our important players, including those only loan, brought in a left back and a strong and experienced central mid. I hear very encouraging things about Moritz Jenz, who it is hoped will become a big player for the club.
Crucially, the absence of European qualifiers enabled the squad to undertake more strength and endurance training than they would be able to do if they had competitive games to play. Think back to all those tired players we watched last season. A plan to address this has been executed.
So far, I think we have improve more than Newco. Expectations of winning the title sit at 60%, which still leaves a black 40% waiting ominously.
I seldom look at the CQN reader numbers but at the end of the year I looked back and saw this enormous peak on 10 August, the highest number of 2021. Curious, I typed “Celtic 10 August 2021” into my search engine. Nothing. I varied the search for a few minutes before it dawned. That was the date Malmo won at Ibrox.
Some people will mock us for this, but you and I know better. Football in Glasgow is a zero-sum game. That Malmo win was hugely important in determining the outcome of the Scottish Premiership, season 2021-22. If you don’t realise this, you have not been paying attention.
If Newco had Champions League income while Celtic were limited to Europa League money, all the parameters change. This season’s qualification tournament will not be as critical, for Celtic, anyway, but it remains a key determinant in comparative competitiveness.
You are entitled to be proud at the way your club responded to the loss of our first title in a decade. We have players, a manager, and a commercial operation that we have confidence in. They cannot win everything and will make mistakes, but what an exciting time to be a Celtic supporter.
Take care and enjoy the season.
Paul67.
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Sorry for post t 10;25 = too much wine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=16ba1xEgc48
BRRB: I posted a belated response to TLT. Always happy to help a Tim. I’ll be back in Dublin from the 20th Aug so happy to meet up after that.
HH TCAH
MA:
That’s
Hail Hail The Celts Are Here
YAW
Same song different take 😜
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qRGMg0TsTB4&noapp=1
Thanks JRS – that’s my itinerary sorted
Thanks for the balanced responses to my earlier post. It’s not that I think Mikey has a right to play, far from it,. He needs to earn that and his injuries have prevented him so far. My concerns are more the level of abuse received. Some of it is disgusting. Wether or not he makes it at Celtic time will tell however the one thing he has over me is that whilst I could only dream of pulling on the hoops he has done it for real HH
Sonofaderryman 11.05pm
The majority of Celtic fans will appreciate Mikey and any other young bhoys who manage to actually make the break through … sometimes it’s just the unhappy punters who want to vent … and usually Scottish youngsters who have worked their socks off to don the hoops are usually … easy targets
Cheers for your posts from 10.34am today .. you can let Mikey Bhoy know there are many Celtic fans that want the very best for him
Almore. 👍🇮🇪
SS- VG earlier 😁
GFTB on 29TH JULY 2022 11:22 PM
Sonofaderryman 11.05pm
The majority of Celtic fans will appreciate Mikey and any other young bhoys who manage to actually make the break through … sometimes it’s just the unhappy punters who want to vent … and usually Scottish youngsters who have worked their socks off to don the hoops are usually … easy targets
Cheers for your posts from 10.34am today .. you can let Mikey Bhoy know there are many Celtic fans that want the very best for him
I certainly will as well as the othe comments from a few fellow posters
SONOFADERRYMAN on 29TH JULY 2022 11:05 PM
He wore the hoops.
HH
Sonofaderryman 12.13am
I also think Brendan hung young Mikey out to dry at Ibrox putting him up front against 2 Huns on his ownsome knowing that they would be allowed to kick him any time he moved … not sure if Brendan was trying to prove a point or thought young Mikey could handle two thugs … a strange decision from a manager who was pretty meticulous in his team selections
Anyhow … I hope to see Mikey playing football with many good things in front of him …
As you posted .. he’s already lived the dream we all had (& still dream) :-)
RIP Bigyinmilan.
I was in his company along with some eloquent CQNR’S.
The same week as we signed Marc Antionne Fortune.
We were in the boardroom .
Guests of Paul67 and Peter Lawell.
BYM was based at Lyon university at the time.He mixed with some board members at Olympique Lyonaisse.
PL asked BYM what their opinion was about Celtic signing MAF .
He replied “ They can’t believe that we have signed him.”
No sycophancy.
Just honesty.
I took my wife and daughter to one of his lectures on the spread of cancer .
It was at the Edinburgh college of surgeons .
I knew that my 14 year old daughter and wife would rather have their teeth pulled than sit through it .
So I asked them to accompany me as a gift for my 50th birthday .
I wanted my Bairn to understand the deathly consequences of smoking .
Much to my dismay ,she is a sometimes smoker ,when in her friends company.
You can take the horse to water .
R.I.P. BYM
AN TEARMANN on 29TH JULY 2022 8:43 PM
The Original Sadies bhoy.
You set?
You musta seen mer flags than a twelfth walk! :-)
And yours are green b white
Enjoy Sunday
HH
……………
I can’t wait until Sunday. I’m absolutely buzzing and ready to go.
Hail! Hail! The Celts Are Here!
An Tearman
When I started watching The Bhoys in 1959 we had 20 League Titles. Now we have 52! Yes I’ve seen a few and I hope I’m still around to see more. :-))
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 30TH JULY 2022 12:48 AM
An Tearman
“When I started watching The Bhoys in 1959 we had 20 League Titles. Now we have 52! Yes I’ve seen a few and I hope I’m still around to see more. :-))”
I started 1961, Scottish Cup Final, first game and replay, so seen the same amount of title wins. I reckon most guys on here have seen near enough the 32 titles in that time, por cierto.
Past Performance Doesn’t Guarantee Future Results.
(Standard Disclaimer for financial and emotional investments)
The phony war is over and the Huns have won the close season trophy. Again.
Last year’s pre season was an easy win for Sevco. We were in a state of complete confusion.
An unknown manager, seemingly plucked out of thin air, had just been put in place. Established first team members were looking south to greener, more lucrative pastures.
From the outside, rebuilding looked non existent or at best, haphazard. The familiar scenario of last minute loan deals brought the spectre of the Willo Flood Window to mind.
We gave ourselves a 6 point handicap, before the side started to reflect the wisdom of the manager’s football philosophy, which had an uncanny resemblance to the Celtic Way of the Stein era.
With recruitment completed in the January window, we turned it around and won the league much more readily than the 4 points advantage sounds.
This time around, pre season has been a bit closer, despite the predictions of the football cognoscenti in the usual media outlets. No one has departed we couldn’t spare. So far.
Surprisingly we have recruited early for a change, and bolstered the team in positions we all thought needed strengthened. The manager has been backed by the board, and the scouting and recruitment departments have delivered with new signings and new contracts for players we wanted to retain.
So despite the usual gripes and scepticism from the fan base, it seems that we are beginning this season even stronger than we finished last.
Prediction for 2022/23
We will win the league by double digits.
One in a row. Just nine to go.
Weefratim
Condolences to you and yours on your recent loss of your beloved other half.
RIP BigYinInMilan. I remember conversing many times.
Your achievements in this life were absolutely remarkable.
HH.
As they say round these parts……some man for one man!
HH.
https://cancerletter.com/obituary/20220729_4/
Good morning from a bright but overcast North Staffs
Bankiebhoy
What a man – a sad loss indeed
Hello again all you young rebels.
From a lovely sunny Melbourne, only 14 % but still a month of winter
to go.
I’d like to keep the feel good factor of the blog from last nights posts,
which were filled with respect and comments only CQN can achieve,
when at its best, with a wee memory and tribute to a brilliant man
and passionate Celtic supporter.
Professor Peter Boyle aka BIGYINMILAN
Peter had contacted me through the blog, told me he was coming
to Melbourne and would be interested to meet up for a beer or three.
As I’ve done with many others on here including PARK ROAD 67 and
his lovely wife, and ALMORES great lad and countless others.
Who could resist a session with a fellow Celtic fan ?
Said to the princess “ Honey pie, I’m going into the city on Friday, I’m
meeting up with a guy from Glesga, he’s a doctor or something on a
visit “
Little did I know the man was a brilliant professor of medicine an icon
to the profession here in the state of Victoria.
“ O.K then make sure you take something to eat on the train, you know
what you’re like on that Guinness 😋
“ Yes darling “
Arrived at Federation square Melbourne, munching the last of two huge
bread rolls with 1 inch thick corned beef and baked beans, ha, you can
take the gal oot a Glesga, but you can’t take Glesga oot the gal lol.
There he is! sitting at the window of my fav city pub Young and Jackson
with a lovely emerald green polo top he said he would wear, he’s early,
great sign, let’s go in the lounge Mick I’ve ordered some lunch, wtf, I’m
full of beans and corned beef.
“ Don’t know if I could eat anything Peter “ thinking this place is pricey.
“ That’s o.k just pick at it “
The seafood platter arrived, lobster, prawns, mussels, calamari, oysters
followed by a mountain of French fries.
Think I might manage a wee bit 🤪
After talking about all things Celtic and the Glesga gangs back in the day
the Cumbie, Calton Tongs, Norman Conks,
“ What was your gang Peter ?
“ The Butney Bhoys “
“ Never heard of them, apparently there was an area of Maryhill near the
canal where they shipped people down to Dumbarton on barges and then
a ship to Botany Bay, hence the Butney.
Think he was at the wind up lol.
“ What about your gang Mick ?
“ We’ll, we were the K P Rebels, only about six of us but we held our own in
a hostile environment.
“ So when can I come down to rebel town Mick, I’m dying to meet the bhoys
and sing the songs ?
“ We have a dinner dance in the golf club this Sunday come along if you’re
not busy and bring a friend “
“ We’ll I’m holding a conference on Sunday night but I’ll delay it and come along
Join you all. “
couldn’t believe what I was hearing, this ghuy was hosting a conference with
multiple other eminent professors from all round the world, and he’d just tell
them to come later, wow !
Come the Sunday, there’s Peter, early as usual with his entourage of medical
people, mostly Aussies but some European but all of them very high up in their
particular profession, none of them had been to a Celtic or soccer event in their
lives before, so apprehension hung heavy in the air 🧐
Didn’t take long for them all to settle down after PADDYMACOZ had filled them
with whisky and stories from his first days in Oz, then the songs begun.
Got talking to a Sir something or other, the head of Melbourne surgery, and his
wife another expert in some field of physics, both clapping and singing to the
Celtic song.
“ Are you Celtic supporters ?
“ Nope never been to a soccer game “
“ How do you know the Celtic song then ?
“ Every time Peter comes here he sings that song and even if he’s mentoring me
doing a procedure I can here him humming it away at my back “
Hope all that gave you an insight to what the Celtic family means to us all.
God bless you Peter RIP.
H.H. Mick
Good morning all from a rather damp and grey skied Garngad.
Tinytim – Lovely words for Big Yin in Milan and may he RIP. I never had the pleasure of meeting him but by your accounts he was a top bloke.
Team for manana:
Big Joe
Fireball Fridge Welshy Taylor
Hatate Cal Mc
Oriley
Kyogo Jota
Giàka
I know the Patron will not go with Giaka and Kyogo together but I would give it a chance as I think we would blitz the sheep.
Whatever team 4 – 1 to the Bhoys
D :)
MELBOURNE MICK
Lovely story.
Thanks for posting!
MM – Hope you and yours are well. Also the young loons.
A great story which says what our club and supporters are all about. Superb.
By the way what about the Shamrock tut tut Mick.
Hail Hail
D :)
MM: what a great story.
DAVID66
Yes the Shammy got a mention Dave, and many others including the
Bilious Bigots, obviously much drink consumed.
Great to see WEEFRA back but sad reading of his loss and Weeron
also, just maybe the blog can get back to its early days of respect and
tolerance.
H.H. Mick
Good morning all from Govanhill. Rather overcast in my Lordship, must go and check for poachers as the salmon are leaping.
Melboirne Mick
Fantastic account of your meeting with a great man and a great Celt.
Thanks for sharing.
TINYTIM
You big name dropper you 😉
Off to see Spartans v Celtic B this afternoon with my son and two grandsons.
Should be a nice precursor for the big game tomorrow.
MELBOURNEMICK at 7:53
Now that’s a story! Thanks for sharing.
Mick
For those who never met Peter you conveyed the character of the man – lovely story.
G’day Mick hope all is well with you and family down under , great post about the BIGYIN 👍💚☘
Mick
awfy braw
Braw
MELBOURNEMICK at 7:53
👍
Off to Hannover today….Miss Braw got a 1,1 in her Masters Degree….am I as excited as the day she was born…the Bees have a big big brain looking out for them now…the Leibniz have hired her so she is happy as…
smiley will be watching the Tic with my wee lass the morra woohoo thing
Braw
MM,
I never had the opportunity to meet BYIM but I always enjoyed his many contributions on CQN. Thank you for that story.
May your hope that current contributors revert to conducting themselves as was our wont here before be realised. Let’s at least tolerate other opinions, while supporting Celtic, our shared love.
Melbourne Mick
A great insight to a fellow poster who some of us only knew what he posted on these pages
By the way your doing great Celtic work down under and that’s some shift meeting other Cqn’ers from around the world … is there any other internet site (apart from dodgy dating sites) that brings so many different punters together
Keep at it and enjoy flag day against the dandy dons
Hail Hail