My friends in Celtic, pause for a few moments and peruse your domain. On the field of play your favourites matured into accomplished football players. 2011 ended with an acclaimed Joe Ledley header confirming what we already knew, Celtic were the best team in the land.
Despite ‘losing’ the previous three league titles Celtic held firm in the January transfer window; a difficult decision. We needed to win the league – at any credible cost – but without jeopardising the financial stability of the club. More than sporting form was under debate on these pages at the turn of the year, continents were shifting.
Since 2004 readers of Celtic Quick News have read the gospel of financial responsibility. Bills need to be paid, debt cannot be allowed to rise year after year without enormous consequences. Back then we asserted that Rangers would crash and burn. By 2008 we predicted they were on course to go out of business. This message was not always welcome among our own. It was mocked by some, who demanded ever-higher spending to match the Murray Millions, but on 1 January 2012 there was scarcely a Celtic fan alive who didn’t think Rangers were going out of business. It was only a question of when.
When the crash was confirmed, on St Valentine’s Day, Scottish football embarked on a remarkable period of soul-searching. Rangers last owner, Craig Whyte, had a plan, which we explained in some detail in 2011. Whyte subsequently revealed he met with SPL directors, Neil Doncaster and Ralph Topping in October 2011, told them the likelihood that Rangers would go into liquidation, and asked them to back a plan to catapult a Newco-Rangers into the SPL.
The plan was nonsense. Whyte should have been sent away with told to pay his bills but Doncaster was oceans out of his depth. A fait-accompli would be presented to the SPL clubs, vote to change the rules and elect a Newco into the top flight, or deal with “Armageddon”.
Football eventually did the right thing, as many, perhaps most, Rangers fans wanted all along, but hundreds of scribes attached themselves to Whyte’s Cunning Plan, which was presented as a bastion of responsibility, not the work of deception it was. The fight-back started on these pages. Soon it encompassed fans of every club in Scotland and the SPL clubs have no choice but to stick with the established rules.
Rangers creditors voted against a CVA and liquidators were appointed. Pop, and they were gone! Football fans of every colour, who has endured defeat to Rangers but still asserted that expenditure must be limited to income, enjoyed three seconds of glory as they turned to the bling-addicts beside them and said, “Told you”.
A man from Yorkshire with a group of partially-known investors nipped in ahead of various groups of Rangers fans to secure the assets of the club. Evidence suggests he believed the club would achieve a CVA (the assertion that “the history, the tradition, everything that’s great about this club is swept aside” if they were to be liquidated confirms this), but he bid more than any group of Rangers fans for the liquidated assets so ended up with an opportunity to issue himself with 5 million shares worth 70p each a few months later. Beautiful.
We’re on our own.
Celtic began as the solitary voice at SPL meetings speaking against Whyte’s plan. They were not responsible for the demise of Rangers, but let the record show, when the moment of reckoning arrived, the Celtic board liquidated the Old Firm.
On the field of play we were a well-oiled machine. Our first league title in four seasons arrived with consummate ease. Kilmarnock showed what a well-drilled team could do in the League Cup final, with a little help from a last minute blind-spot when Anthony Stokes had his legs whipped from him in the box, but let’s be generous, you know it, I know it, we would have missed the penalty anyway.
Last minute Hampden penalty decisions would crop up again in the Scottish Cup, when the whole Deliberate Handball rule was cast asunder, but refereeing is always been an emerging art in these parts.
The new season, our first ever as the only superpower in the Scottish game, held one major challenge – qualify for the Champions League. Four wins in four qualifying games was better than expected, so the team who were slapped by Sion, attacked by Atletico and usurped by Udinese a year earlier, were in the Champions League.
Be generous to those who dismissed our chances. One poor guy writing the ITVFootball tweets wrote “Bye bye Celtic” on the day we were drawn against Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Barcelona. Based on the evidence available, it was a fair call.
It is nothing short of fantastic, in the literal sense, that we qualified out of that group. Even now, halfway through the season, Barcelona have lost only one competitive game, when Victor Wanyama, Tony Watt and their pals ripped up the form book. It took Barca until the 93rd minute to secure a win over Celtic in the Camp Nou, or they would have three competitive draws on their record for this season, one to Real Madrid in the league, and a meaningless draw against Benfica being the only two.
I honestly thing we have overachieved in Europe this season. Neil Lennon and his players got everything right. The corner and free kicks from Charlie were immense. No one in Europe does better (some supporting evidence here). Forget the more fancied thoroughbreds, Charlie Mulgrew is our Moneyball player, a team full of them and we’ll win the Big Cup.
Victor’s leap and Tony’s finish will be replayed in our minds for years. Despite leaving ample hints, the DVD didn’t materialise at Christmas. Georgios has scored in all of our five European away games, a record.
Expectations will rise as a result of these achievements but we got so many things absolutely right in this Champions League campaign the odds against doing so again next season are high. Celtic will need to start preparing for next season’s Champions League now if they are to have any chance of remaining in the tournament next Hogmanay. If we were operating at 90% capacity we would have finished bottom with one or two points. As for Juventus, bring them on.
These end-of-year reports are often a lot less encouraging. 2010 was far from easy reading, the distance we have travelled since 2010’s is incredible. Celtic end 2012 as one of the most admired clubs in the European game. We develop great players, compete against the best better than anyone else, and have a sense of purpose which will never be extinguished.
Take care and may 2013 bring you all that you hope for.
Have you ordered your CQN Annual yet? Get it here!
1,546 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- ...
- 41
- »
Sevco? Akin to Nazis in Space. They’ll claim galactic football by promising football on The Moon.
Clangers gone wrong.
God rot them.
And He probably will.
Plans taking shape for 12th Feb
Tickets bought by my son through Thomas Crook as a Christmas present
Staying at Holiday Inn Express on Clyde St
Rail tickets booked from Crewe – bargain at £38 return each
Stadium Tour booked
Will probably go to Merchant City then Bairds before the game
averyexcitedgeneCSC
gordon_j backing neil lennon
12:32 on 1 January, 2013
My only reason for watching it this year was to confirm the level of denial in respect of the biggest scandal to hit Scottish Football….. My suspicions were confirmed, as was my assumption that anti-Celtic nonsence would be predominent…….. Same old
Later’s fellow CQNers, happy and peaceful posting and enjoy your day
Catch you all later on this hyperlink until then ktf everyone enjoy
God Bless you all.
From AKBW1888 :-) :-)
hamiltontim
12:53 on 1 January, 2013
….and to you,sir ….. We shall all continue to KTF
Gene’s a boys name
I love it when a plan comes together.
Ateamcsc
normanstreet49
12:52 on
1 January, 2013
AKBW1888
12:45 on
1 January, 2013
Well Said!!…………..:)))))
Thanks NormanStreet49
I hope you have a pleasant day
All the best
AKBW1888
italiabhoy
08:43 on1 January, 2013
Nail on head.
Good Morning Bhoys, From a Dullish Airdrie and the weathers rotten as well. I trust there are many ,many sore heads on the board just now. RE: only an excuse. I think we’ve had plenty of laughs this year and plenty of cop outs, the show had plenty of the later but not many of the former. Best way for people on here to get past the oldco is to stop talking about them and watching their games, Leave them to rot, i hate to say it but we DO have an obsession with them, Sometimes my wife just says wht do you care about what they do. And you know what she’s right!
Happy New Year Bhoys, Skelp the Mothers and increase the lead, Hopeing for 3 pts today, Neil will make sure the net gets burst today.
Hail Hail.
KLV
Off out to lunch at Vale Park – top of the league but tough game today against Fleetwood
that’s fourth tier football for you
till later – enjoy your afternoon
Speaking to a someone at a party last night who knows a few football agents.
He told me pretty much what we all know that few of our players will be sold in the summer after we’re out of the CL. He said it might have been different if we were only in the Europa League.
Anyway his main point was that he can’t understand how the Newhuns will attract any type of player of the Wanyama, Hooper type as they can’t improve as players against lower league teams.
The Newhuns will have to pay over the odds on wages for players to sign as they are saying goodbye to international and European football.
He said their is one world record the Huns can rightfully claim. They probably have the highest wage bill of any team in any bottom senior league.
kevinlasvegas
13:06 on 1 January, 2013
We need to keep an eye on the barstewards ……. If it hadn’t been for the internet bampots, they would not have been liquidated, and would still be polluting the SPL ……. and you can ‘take that to the bank’ …..LOL
kevinlasvegas
I hope you are not on the way to the match today as its, err…..tomorrow.
Happy New Year!
Mass brawl at Dens Park under inquiry
Published on Tuesday 1 January 2013 02:02
POLICE investigating disorder among Celtic fans at the club’s clash with Dundee on Boxing Day are looking for those who threw coins, set off fireworks and took part in a mass brawl.
Violence erupted in the concourse under the Bob Shankly stand at Dens Park, which housed 3,000 away fans.
Five people have already been reported to the Procurator Fiscal over alleged offences committed at the match.
Superintendent Jim Leslie, of Tayside Police, said: “We are aware of fighting in the concourse but when officers arrived it had split up and we didn’t receive complaints from the people involved so we couldn’t make any arrests. We are carrying out further inquiries to see if we can identify the people fighting. We are also investigating coin throwing and fireworks.”
It is amazing that no one was seriously hurt in this mass brawl, no one reported to any of the emergency services for treatment? no complaints made for assault or GBH either
Mass brawls not what they used to be
Good afternoon CHAMPIONS
Happy New Year to the worldwide Celtic Family and thank you Paul67 for the best Celtic site on the planet. All the best to all of you in 2013 .
Weefra HH
timgreen
11:57 on
1 January, 2013
We bit late catching up item on Wonga.
In a civilised country they and leeches of their ilk would have been shut down or shot years ago.
Sadly, it would appear that it is remnants of the supposedly Labour Tony Blair’s Super Casino legislation that allows them to rip off the poor.
These companies justify their outrageous interest rates on the grounds that they are dealing in the high risk end of the borrowing market.
High risk. Absolutely desperate more likely.
I enquired about making a fictitious loan in one of these establishments.
They were asking for proof of identity, bank account details and crucially proof of regular deposits being made into account.
Having fulfilled the above requirements, I could have had the pleasure of borrowing £100 and repaying £125 in a single payment within thirty days.
Bring back the tumbrils and Madame de Farge for the lot of them.
No injuries and no complaints? Funny type of brawl.
67, its now in the bank, But i’m not going to bother with them anymore as a team. Angers me when they get everything thats going and still need the refs for help! But your right in terms of as a business we need to keep an eye on Chuck, very dangerous wee man.
KLV
Wonga….in some countries, Japan being the most notable, jail is what they’d get for their ‘business practices’.
Usurers and loansharks.
Scumbags.
I am in something of a state of shock at the number of posters actually sharing one of my views.
MASS brawls are a worry.
They don’t have our BENEDICTION, but they appear to be HOLY HOUR responsibility.
Right, off to the shops to buy something for brunch. Anyone need anything?
See what yez all mean….watched 90 secs. of ‘Only an Excuse’ and binned it.
Garbagio.
Art of War –
more soft tissues please and some paracetemol. Cheers.
Modern mass brawls are rubbish !
It seems that the former rankers director, Hugh Adams, has died aged 87.
The ‘Battle of Dens’ is being reported as if it’s our Manchester moment. Must have missed the attempt murders, looting, mobbing and rioting and downright UGLY behaviour.
5 arrests? there should probably be a government summit for this shame game…
Remember one night in early sixties being in City Centre Bar in Dundee when someone turned of the lights and pint measures were being bounced of ceiling.
Sadly a young Celtic fan died in custody later that night.
Happy New year everyone. Just reading back and saw some of the comments re the Wonga ad on the site. The way it works is that CQN supply a list of ads we don’t want to appear on the site. This was done quite some time ago and we put some considerable thought into the exclusions. At the time we’d never heard of Wonga so they wouldn’t have been on the list of ads we don’t want. We can simply add them to the list as soon as offices are open etc – I am sure Paul will agree.
Interesting to se that the police seem to be willing to pursue this “mass brawl” which seems to have taken place out of sight of everyone. Were there no police on duty there?
We all know that every time the old head Huns played at CP they smashed up the toilets etc – often with members of the constabulary present!- in one way or another!
Kilbowie Kelt
there were no mass brawls when I was growing up, the pass-keepers were too handy!
Buon anno tutti ——–Auguri .
Early morning Concord NH —–Sunny –sub zero .
A great night ——personal highlight was the sight of Mrs S of T and my 2 daughters dancing [ in high heels ] on a frozen lawn to The Marvelettes —-When You’re Young and in Love .
Big up 2013.
Jobo- just back. Sorry they only had that paperthin stuff that scratches yer erchie. Most shops closed in Pertick.
Modern New Years are rubbish!
Richie
13:40 on 1 January, 2013
sad news my dad did business with him and held him in high regard
corkcelt
12:29 on 1 January, 2013
Gene, My understanding is that Celtic are appealing Kelvin’s ban and that appeal will be held Thursday. If we lose appeal he will miss either the first 2 or 3 games after the break. Efe will also be missing for these games. I’m off to a 1pm Funeral Mass for one of our Supporter Clubs Members. Last night he was laid out in his Celtic jersey with Celtic scarves & tri-colours etc. If they sing YNWA in the Church I’ll just know I’ll break down.
________________________________________________________________
M8ty, Seeing My Dad cry after the Mass at my Gran’s funeral is a moment that will always live for me forever, more than any Celtic game. He walked away from everyone as we were leaving St Pats, I was probably the least person he wanted to see at that precise moment but I was probably the most appreciated person at that exact moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IazuHlt6QYU
More arrests were made at last years take that concert at Hamden than at last weeks “mass brawl”
Sounds more like a mass tickling session than a mass brawl. Only a matter of time before this fable becomes a riot…
Just back from playing an overnight gig in west Clare.
Solpadine for breakfast.
Last year saw the unexpected passing of a great friend and Celtic supporter.
He is very badly missed.
We had his name engraved on one of the paving stones at Celtic park.
Last year also saw the birth of our first grandchild. This has brought a happiness and love that I never thought possible.
Celtic have been making strong, steady progress both on and off the field.
The European adventure has been magic. The away win against Spartak and the fantastic win against the greatest football team in the world, will never be forgotten
Can’t wait for the Juventus match.
Áth bhliain faoi mhaise do gach daoine í clann Celtic, í gach tír sa domhain.