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!
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I think that pointing our ammunition towards the Celtic board is totally the wrong target here…
Very limited Internet access until I get home tomorrow, so I’d like to wish every genuine CQNer a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year.
For any lurking Sevconians, many many thanks for the sore ribs. Please keep up the fun during 2013!
You couldn’t make it up….! :-)
HH
TTTT
Tim Malone Will Tell,
the truth is is what is needed no matter how damaging it is for some, otherwise whats the point if we know its without integrity.
canamalar
Muchas gracious.
HH
Tim Malone…,
I think we should be brave enough to examine the skeletons in our own closet, of course we can’t lay all the blame at their door, but we must accept there has been some sort of complicity but as heaven67 says the sfa need to be brought to task as a whole.
Tet.
Green is a money chaser and a very dangerous one at that.
I listened to a sevconian clown rant about how they have been persecuted by us and the sfa,ffs!!!
They may not have backed the clown financialy with shares but they are
buying into his rants.
Van Gerwen wins first set v Taylor
sipsini
They have been persecuted by no one, punished by no one, and yet they still bleat, and hate.
CG is playing them like a fiddle, how apt.
As I said the other night, I reckon 2013 will be the year I and many thousands walk away from the game.
I can’t see any form of justice being meated out, they had their chance a failed to take it, it’s never going to happen now.
!!Bada Bing!! – excellnbt. Meant to back him at the quarter final stage but forgot!
THE EXILED TIM,
i agree completely and that is why i think its essential that our leaders must come out and tell us if they have been involved in these decisions whether for or a against, i would be shocked if they new nothing one way or the other, for if they did not it certainly makes them out to be used tokens for propaganda purposes of impatiality, surely that would be the last straw for the governers of our game wouldnt it be?
Van Gerwen 2-0
Paul 67,
…….Thanks for keeping this Dear Green Place the premier destination for all Supporters of Celtic.
Take a bow Sir…….
Thanks for the CQN annual, kwality read and a great memento.
…..A guid new year to ane an’ aw……………
…now that the roasties have been digested…………let’s deals with the ‘roastirs’ who’d do everything and anything to undermine Our Club, Our supprt and the people who have seen us prosper in this terrible economic climate.
Win, Lose or Draw……..
TET
Best wishes to you and those close to you.
That said you don’t live here and have to put up with what we do. Try living here and having to deal with it. Your criticisms of life back here are tiresome in the extreme.
Jobo-he was 4/5 fav against evens Taylor
Wtf is the obsession with the club that died … They are an irrelance …. How any self respecting celtic fan can post links to that former club baffles me … I am a celtic fan. Not an anti Huns fan.
TET/danso..,
I believe this is the last chance for Scottish football to sort itself out, like you if they don’t I will also be turning my back like I believe the majority.
A Happy New Year to you all from Free Doire.
Here’s hoping we get back on track against the Mullet Mob tomorrow and give our fans a good day.
TET,
Do you work abroad tax free ?
!!Bada Bing!! –
Mind you, I’m not sure that he looks like your typical Celtic fan ;-)
Just read Chucky’s new year “message”
Funniest bit was the last line…..”Rangers are a force for good in Scottish football”
Aye and Hitler was a very nice man. LOL.
danso_1888
Paul told us the other day that our suits had nothing to do with the 5 way agreement, I believe him.
But surely the suits of our and all the other clubs could have said no way, you can’t go breaking all your rules just to placate the nuns.
We will see.
…………………………………………………..
EDB
Best wishes to you as well.
I’m sorry you feel that way, I left the sectarian hell hole cos I saw no future there, maybes if more people critised the football authorites instead of bending over, maybes people like you wouldn’t have to listen to tiresome in the extreme moaners like me.
HH
Joe McHugh @videocelts
Celtic and Kilmarnock are in advanced talks about Rabui Ibrahim going on loan to Rugby Park.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire,
sadly i have the feeling that power men in all areas of the game do not believe that people will walk away, as they always
believe they know better and think that time will make people forget or lose the will to carry out their beliefs regarding integrity.
canamalar
I don’t earn enough to pay tax, I have a small pension and supliment it with making a few collars and belts
Oops..nuns=huns….sorreeee
2-1 van Gerwen
Danso…,
I don’t, I expect them to be recognise the damage being done and respond accordingly, they are not stupid people.
Tricoloured ribbon,
Happy new year mucker, when are we gonna see you back
in the ranch?, although I hate the place I will pop in and buy you a beer
Hi everyone!
Just dropped in to wish each and every one of you a very very happy new year!!
I dont get on here much these days unfortunately but I want you all to know how grateful we are for your amazing support & messages of goodwill. The contribution to Oscar’s appeal from the Celtic Family has been nothing short of phenomenal!
2012 was an absolute stinker of a year for Oscar and for us as a family but he’s still here with us and thats the main thing. He is thought to be in remission but he faces a whole new set of challenges now as a result of his treatment. His right heart is under considerable strain due to narrowing of the blood vessels in his lungs but the doctors are working on it to get him better. We just hope it is reversible.
I have a lot of really bad memories from 2012 but some absolutely fantastic ones too! The highlight (apart from learning that Oscar’s neuroblastome seems to be in remission of course) is probably the bucket collection at Celtic Park when we raised £32k before the Dundee game. It was humbling to witness such amazing love and generosity from the fans on the day for my wee bhoy!! Im so glad I went over to take part and I am prouder than ever to be a Celtic supporter. Special thanks go to the WeeOscar4Life team for pulling it all together, and to a certain Mrs Commons who jumped in feet first and pulled strings all over the place for us.
Health & Happiness to you all!!!
Knoxy
p.s. Paul i had a wee christmas card for you but it was in the ‘need addresses’ pile… which is still sitting here!! It was nice to meet you & your lovely other half at race night!
Jonniem.
People post about what is topical.
In this moment in time there is a dangerous fool inciting hurting huns.
The msm are like lapdogs at his feet.
I for one worry about my son going to a game with his Celtic top on.
THE EXILED TIM,
if as paul67 says they had nothing to do with it [and i dont doubt he is being sincere] what does that say about our men then? if i or you were against corruption and this deed was passed against the actual rules would you not think of resigning and telling everyone why?remember these decisions are carried out by the spl, sfa, of which our club is a member thus
making us complicit in the whole scandal, remember you say nothing you are you are? as i say i only want the truth no matter how sweet or sour it maybe.
2-2
Knoxy
All my best wishes for the whole family in 2013 mate.
burghbhoy
Thanks for that. Sorry for late reply, din dins was served. :)))
Weefra HH
Knoxy-Happy New Year to you and yours,and all the luck in the World.HH
Tim Malone Will Tell
Thanks for that. The aim is restoring sporting integrity and CO’s removal is a step in that direction. It is a question of wording the TSFM draft resolution to make sure whoever follows CO is bound by a statement of purpose to then follow it.
Knoxy – Happy New Year! Love to you all, hoping for better times ahead for your lovely family
Taylor hitting a bit of form now.