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
- ...
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- ...
- 41
- »
AKBW1888
My house is starting to fill up….. me still in PJ’s as been cooking all morning…..
Hope you and all my fellow friends in Celtic have a great day……
HH
Happy new year to all CQN’ ers
A Happy New Year to all Celltic Supporters here and all over the World,My wish for 2013 is that we severe all ties with the LIQUIDATORS,sponsorship etc ,etc,also i would like to see big changes in the Boardroom.ie True Celtic Men standing up for our club.tell the media enough is enough,in fact Celtic know the enemies that tell lies about our club. start now by sending letters to them to tell them they are no longer welcome here at Celtic Football Club.ps I Hope lenny signs Johnny Russel in this transfer window. 4-0 for the hoops to-morrow against Murderwell.
Happy New Year to one and all in the CelticFamily.May it be as good as last year and who knows even better.To all Hun lurkers may your troubles continue you deserve it.
hoopy new year to all in celtic, especially to you Paul , for giving us this site and allowing the most civilised of discussion .
hail hail
sanna
Apropos of nuthin’ really, except what a different world it is to the one I grew up in.
‘They’ say you are born into a world you don’t recognise, and you leave a world you don’t recognise. I seem to have got there ahead of time!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/commodities-fear-as-mighty-mississippi-runs-dry-in-drought-8434451.html
Good morning CQN,
Just gazing over snow covered Southern Ohio enjoying my coffee and realized that today it has been 365 days or 1 year since I last had a cigarette. For me this is a massive feat considering I shared the company of some CQN professional drinkers on 3 occasions this year. MWD, HT, CRC, BT, etc. not pointing fingers…… Only 37 years to go to reverse the damage caused. Onward and upward. Happy New Year all.
Happy New Year CQN may all your dreams come true in 2013!
For all those struggling at this time of year, my thoughts are with you, I really hope this year finds you the peace you are looking for.
Reading back through the posts from last night CQN really is a very special place!
God Bless each and every one of you!
The Battered Bunnet@11:15
“Now that our friends in Kiribati and Samoa have joined us in 2013…”
They were the first people to experience 2013.
The last group to see 2013 were the people from American Samoa, Niue (Alofi),Midways Islands, Jarvis Islands, Kingman Reef and the Palmyra Attol (which is somewhere near Carmyle, I think)
Apparently 20% of the fans arrested at Dundee were, err, A Dundee fan.
Sounds like a summit cummim up.
just scanned through oae-utterly offensive-a mountain of comedy gold material and we get irish and catholic trashin and bashin-whos going to complain
Philboy,
What have vests got to do with it? Ouch!
Hail Hail!
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! 14:23 on 1 January, 2013
“Apparently 20% of the fans arrested at Dundee were, err, A Dundee fan.”
We have to assume he was fighting with himself as he would have been in a different section…
sftb
Palmyra Attol is actually Mount Vernon in English.
Happy new Year to you and yours!
Only an Excuse has delivered fewer laughs as each year passes.
The characters fall into 3 categories: the hackneyed, the poorly executed and the mildly amusing.
Of the three types, the smallest is the ‘mildly amusing’.
Now that I have made my first moan of 2013 ……. Happy New Year to Paul67 and to all lurkers and contributors.
SRS
His must’ve been a mini brawl.
A 10 million pound warchest that could rise to 30 million?………..HAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW……..oh, stop it……naw….too late I’ve p*shed masel……..
timgreen
11:57 on
1 January, 2013
Happy New Year Paul67 and congrats on all you have achieved through CQN. Been with you since kick-off and I respect the moral code you have insisted on throughout. I know of no other football site which is more family-accessible.
So I was so sad to see a Wonga ad the other day on CQN. Couldn’t believe it! A company which is thriving on the poverty of others. APR of over 4,000%!! Immoral, but legal, sharks who surely have no place here. Surely they directly contradict what we stand for?
I know IT is your specialism and you may, rightly, be impressed by the firm’s innovative use of IT to radically shake up a sector of the financial industry but what they do is manky and destructive and wouldn’t be allowed in a more genuinely civilised country. Other countries impose interest caps.
I hope the ad was an error.
____
It’s good to see that so many of you are also shocked to see Wonga ads on here. I’m sure it is an oversight due to some advertising agency bundling content. I expect CQN to show them to door asap.
Sftb
There is nothing near Carmyle. Let’s keep it that way.
Emdy feelin’ a bit liverish?
Or is it just me?
I reckon I have put on a pound in weight per day since the Saturday before Christmas.
I’ve nae idea what will fit me for work on Thursday.
I might have to wear the “leisure wear pants” Santa brought me as they have an elasticated waist.
Who’ll notice?
Philbhoy
Beware!
Elasticated waist pants are just one step away from incontinence pants!
timgreen –
see this earlier post
_________________________________________
winning captains
13:43 on
1 January, 2013
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.
Philbhoy
God will know.
Kenny McLean
TimsinOhio
14:15 on
1 January, 2013
Happy new year to you.
My intention is to give up the dreaded weed this year too.
Think I’ll wait until Lent though ;-)
Minx1888
Happy new year to you pal. I hope it brings you everything you wish for.
timbhoy2
14:00 on
1 January, 2013
Fud
ht
I gave up in April, 1982, after 21 years addiction.
I was going to say I have’nt looked back, but that gets more difficult each year as my neck gets thicker. (Weight gain)
Afternoon,all.
18-hr sessions aren’t a good idea at my age-particularly when I have to nip home at 9pm for more cash!
Still,I enjoyed it……..
Just had a quick flick through my e-mails,looked at the football scores so far,and-
PETEC IS A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!
And a very generous one,to boot.
Well done,that man.
HT
Try the Microllite electronic fags. Been a heavy smoker for over 50 yrs and I find it works for me. Am sitting watching the footie smoking an apple flavoured fag.
Weefra HH
lionroars67
13:17 on 1 January, 2013
I wasn’t at Dens but Celtic fans who were did complain about other Celtic fans. It’s the type of incident the MSM vave been waiting for since Seville.
That said, the Tayside approach to crowd control seems a tad eccentric. One of their directors claims that he consulted with police and stewards and came up with a plan. This plan was not to refuse entry to drunk and aggressive people but to get them into the ground as quickly as possible. The more, the merrier?
Unfortunately this brand of blue skies thinking didn’t come up with the expected result – this time. Better luck next time, Team Tayside.
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning!
14:37 on
1 January, 2013
I stopped for a couple of years quite some time ago but haven’t given it a real effort since then.
2013 is the year though!!!
Can anyone tell me when the BBC, or STV 2012 review of Scottish Football is on, or have they decided it was a quiet season, not worth reviewing ..?
BMCUW
Happy new year M!!!
Coupon up I take it?
Weefra
Fruit and fags???? Yeuch ;-)
HT
You can get tobacco flavour btw :))
Weefra HH
Happy New Year to all on CQN,
Wishing everyone and your families the very best for 2013.
Hoping for a good performance and victory tomorrow!
Enjoy your New Years day where ever you are and what ever you do?
sTICks
HAMILTON TIM
And to you too,buddy.
No,not mine-you seen my position on the NAPS table?
Holding everyone else up on these strong shoulders….
Fulham won the match 2-1. Good game, Berbatov is awesome.
Weefra HH
Hamiltontim
I read
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633#_
on the build up to my stop date.
It helped me three and a half years off them but at that time I really really wanted to stop.