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.
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BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS 12:03 on 2 January, 2013
I think I’m heading down at the end of January. Not sure we are playing that weekend though, but I hope to be down that last weekend.
Asonofdan
Correct..but why has the balance shifted so far re the showing of our games
SRS
St Mirren semi final, live on BBC 27/01/2013
Afternoon Celts.
Think the 3pm kick-off today is a wee bit weird. There must be a lot of supporters at work today ?
Anyway, I’m going soon and hopefully the holiday will encourage some of the absentees to get along and support the Celtic.
Regards a signing said the other day, had heard we were trying to get Jeffren Suarez in on loan from Sporting.
PF
spare going for Lounge next to old tim..
you interested..
BT
Thanks , going anyway with Junior ..you going ?
….pfayr
Because we play in different divisions and they will always show that mob ahead of us.
yes, also taking mini…
just heading to club to meet bhoys from creetown and fraserburgh and district..
off out so text if anytging pops up..
HH
Parkheadcumsalford
The herald has become a sevcovian promotion rag since February .. Frightening stuff.. They contradict themselves daily.. The Wilson article on Sunday , and the Grant end of yr summary where he failed to mention Minty once-2 of the more recent delusional articles..
Off to paradise now!! Cannae wait..
HH
BT
I am known to a few of the Creetown bhoys :-))
….PFayr 12:19 on 2 January, 2013
“No one therefore he was a failure …or do you consider him a success if so why?”
My point is Celtic, like every club on the planet, takes a gamble when they sign any player. Some work out and some don’t.
Of late, we have unearthed far more successes than failures – I think we should focus on the positives of the system we have in place. Our club gets enough shit from outsiders without Celtic supporters hammering them every time something doesn’t work out.
Ibrahim was unable to get into the team because the players in his position have been playing so well that they were never going to be dropped – as you appear to agree.
That doesn’t make anyone a failure. Fraser Forster can’t get a game for England because Joe Hart is unlikely to be dropped – that doesn’t make him a failure either.
I am sure you are sir, I know wee Eddie…
Asonofdan
Makes sense ..
up_over_goal
12:01 on 2 January, 2013
I guess we’ll never agree re Paddy. I would be delighted, for him more than anyone, if he played today, scored, set up others and was MOTM. I just don’t see it happening and think its better for everyone that he moves on.
Kayal, IMO, has improved recently, granted he’s improved from rank rotten to average but he’s at least going in the right direction. Like Izzy, we need him back to the player he was in his first season.
blantyretim 12:24 on 2 January, 2013
Cheers. Forgot about the ole League Cup.
Paul 67….
Happy new year to you and yours and thanx a million for the most honest media outlet in the Country (by a mile)…..
To all Celtic men (and women) have a happy new year and enjoy 2013…
1500th is the new podium
Steinreignedsupreme
The ” trialist ” system just doesn’t seem to work for us
Whereas out transfer policy has been superb
Ibrahim has been a failure for us …hopefully, for him , he’ll do well elsewhere
Off to the match
Enjoy your day bhoys
HH
Re. the lack of red cards being rescinded for players sent off against Sevco: to appeal a red card teams have to put up £1000 to the SFA which is returned if the appeal is successful. Lower division teams simply cannot afford to risk the deposit and therefore accept the card and ban. Sevco on the other hand don’t have the same (any?) risk associated with their £1000.
MJM
Surprised that Ryan McGowan is going to China, thought he would have got a game down south in the championship.
Kayal33
I’m sure he would have but maybe he just didn’t fancy playing in England. It’s not the be all and end all for all professional footballers.
Lot of money in China, he might be getting a very good wage.
Mort
starry plough
09:05 on
2 January, 2013
Bring on the Lanarkshire lollygaggers…
—————————–
Off to game
Hope we give the “Lanarkshire lollygaggers…”(makes me smile everytime I see or think about it)a real drubbing. :))
Have a greay day all thanks for that starry plough.
Mort
12:41 on 2 January, 2013
I would imagine money would be good. I was more thinking profile of league to enhance his chances of international selection.
PF:
Enjoy the game.
Would love to see McGeouch start.
Lets beat them playing football.
None of your utilitarian percentages…
Mort
….were you no 1501?
The last post on page 30 was 1500, was it no?
Surprised my brain is workin’ after the party last night!
Vital game today, with ICT game postponed a win today will send us 9 clear, anything else will make this blog unbearable for the next 2 weeks. Very surprised to see Ibrahim being punted, obviously Lenny didn’t like what he was seeing in training and in bounce games. Disappointing but we have to trust our Manager’s judgement. It is taking a wage out of the equation though and making room for someone to come in.
Celtic warn suitors that Rogne is going nowhere; McGowan out of derby as fee agreed with Chinese club; Killie keeper Cammy Bell set to snub Rangers plus the rest of the day’s Scottish football news and gossip.
Thomas Rogne is going nowhere, says Neil Lennon
Celtic manager Neil Lennon has issued a ‘hands-off’ warning to clubs tracking the club’s Norwegian defender Thomas Rogne, ahead of Israeli international Rami Gershon’s move to the Parkhead side.
Rogne is reportedly on the radar of Swedish side AIK Stockholm, having signed for Celtic from Norwegian club Stabaek in January of 2010, but could extend his stay in Glasgow as Neil Lennon sees him as part of his future plans.
“We would like to get this tied down because Thomas has done well for me,” Lennon explained, adding that the 22-year-old would have played a lot more games if he hadn’t suffered from injury setbacks.
Rogne’s contract is up in summer of this year but is free to talk to other clubs this month, whilst Neil Lennon has played down the chances of Celtic making a big signing during the window.
leftclicktic
I was just talking to a good Mate of mine who is a supporter of the lollygaggers and he’s heard they are signing Barry Fergiehun, that made me really smile!!
Hooper 2 Muderwell 0
Philbhoy
Aye, but don’t tell anyone that I cannae count!!!
Mort
Kayal33
Possibly. isn’t he Australian? Perhaps the Australian FA don’t mind what league their players play in and may consider the Chinese league to be a better league than the English second division.
Mort
Every time I see McCoist he looks more and more like Dobberman from Sgt. Bilko
MacGowan is shi*e
up over goal
Spot on over Paddy(and Kayal). Miracles are expected of him when he comes on rather than seeing he contributes a lot of good football. Best footballer on park in his short time v hibs. Kids praying he actually gets a start today and they are entertained. With no Forrest or Commons we really need flair.
islescelt
Happy New Year to you, my friend!
Back to work tomorrow?
Like me.
happy new year ghuys and ghals.
off to the game .
give us four nil and we can have a nice wee break.
H.H.
Baku/Black Isle Celt @12:38 “to appeal a red card teams have to put up £1000 to the SFA which is returned if the appeal is successful.”
The situation you describe is what Celtic and all clubs ought to challenge.
The notion that one has to pay up front for arbitration is of dubious legality. Particularly so when this is the only redress available. Ditto the game of Russian roulette a club is forced to play. Additionally the football authorities are already paid for by the clubs.
Compare the £1,000 to the c.£70 fee that has to be paid to launch an action in the small claims court. In front of a qualified judge.