My friends in Celtic, for the first time in four years we start a league campaign as champions. We carry a slender-but-hopeful lead into the second leg of our Champions League third qualifying round tie, and we are hotter favourites to win the league this season, than North Korea’s Supreme Leader’s favourite Pyongyang team would be, if he was to playing as striker.
Quite simply, the return on money placed on Celtic to win the league this season more accurately reflects a tax-free savings plan than a gamble. The bookies will hold your money until March or April then return it with some interest. Your rate of return will directly reflect the interest they can earn elsewhere.
This is the ninth eve-of-the-season we have reported on the state of the club. During this time we have gone toe-to-toe with a competitor who tried so hard to get the better of us, they ran up unsustainable debts, which could reach £134m, and which will never be paid or forgiven.
Celtic ran a better operation, were commercially sharper, had by far the best scouting system in the country, but paid their bills and ‘lost’ five leagues in this time.
Living with this was hard. In fact, it tore the Celtic support apart. The question was simple, “If they can, why can’t we?”
They couldn’t, and now the ideological debate is over. Mantras we have heard for decades have proven to be false. ‘Speculate to accumulate’ and ‘For every fiver Celtic spend….’ were suitable for an inflating market, where player values, TV contracts and match day revenues rose consistently, but this strategy was fatally flawed.
Whatever was accumulated in Scottish football it was never financial reserves, so when revenues dipped, or the vagaries of sporting fortune denied the wealthy their anticipated earnings, Armageddon happened – for one club!
Students of economic history will be able to tell you that even the most obvious economic lessons are eventually forgotten. New people arrive, achieve some early successes which reaffirm their ideological beliefs (in this instance ‘We deserve more money to be spent on footballers’), make no provisions for the inevitable change in circumstances, before disappearing into the obscurity from which they came, leaving others to live with the consequences.
Here is the true State of your Club. Celtic will continue its trajectory without changing what has been orthodoxy since the last century. Over any business period we will spend whatever money comes into the club. In normal times debt levels will trend downwards, providing space for the afflictions of fortune to be accommodated. We will most likely promote more players from our precocious youth system and buy fewer squad fillers than in the past.
The blink-junkies, who still believe in the values of Sir David Murray, will be reminded on these pages of their consequences *.
When this period of our history ends, we will reflect back on what, by then, will be the most successful period of any club, in any country. Ever. Those of you who lived through Lisbon are now enjoying the second Golden Generation of our club, but this time, nine years will not contain it. This Generation will stretch from 2000 as far as your mind’s eye can see, if only someone would coin a catchy phrase to encapsulate this successful period!
The Battle of the Ages is over, Celtic have prevailed, as did every Scottish football fan who wanted the madness to end. We won!
Thanks to everyone who bought a raffle ticket to help with our summer charity causes. Enjoy the season. I will.
*At the moment I’m reading End this Depression Now by Nobel Economics Laureate Paul Krugman, an excellent insight into how even the most eminent allow what they want to believe to obscure some of the lessons every economics under-grad is taught. It’s also a fine retort to the political classes who believe there’s nothing we can do for the economy but strangle it a little tighter.
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the best thing about the brainwashed caller on snyde ,he more or less quoted word for word the MSM mantra and sally/jardine’s crap and the panel were lining up to ridicule him ,in fact Andy Walker was speechless at his stupidity .
Yet it seemed to be lost on the panel that they and their fellow hacks were responsible for his mindset
utterly bizarre
Has his suspension been confirmed by the club ?
Some good suggestions on twitter about songs for the chancers formerly known as Rankers. Someone suggested lyrics based on the Smokie song Livin Next Door to Alice. I suggested this, which tickled me, if no-one else:
We all no why they’re leavin & where they’ve had 2 go
They say they’re still the rangers but we just don’t wanna know
Cos for far too long we’ve been livin next door to Rangers, Rangers, who the f*ck ar Rangers?
HH
PV
Charles Mulgrew should go and re-register himself as Chico Muldidni, present three years of bank statements and get on with it
NewChicoCo, defensive Legend and suspension free tomorrow.
test
If big charlie is suspended then look no further than John Fleming SFA head referee
There is nothing on the SFA’s website under the Disciplinary section. Other players names appear but not Charlie’s
If he is suspended then Celtic would have been informed most probably about a week ago.
Rogne + Lustig will cope just fine
Sandman on 3 August, 2012 at 20:15 said:
Andy Murray showing just why he’s Scotland’s greatest sportsman with three magnificent points there. Stunning power.
surely Chris Hoy would be number 1
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
All fans across Scotland are being asked to observe a minute’s applause at the 72nd min of their game tomorrow to remember the death of rfc
RIP Huns!!!
HH
CRC
Sandman 20:15
great britain’s andy murray Scotlands greatest sportsman?
What about Chico Muldini? Paddy McCourt and the rest?
Greatest sporting figure Id say is Jock Stein, sportsman: Kenny Dalglish or Chico Muldini.
EN
‘Mon Andy!!! One more game!
HH
PV
Hearing Matt McGlone has tweeted keevins has been told he’s no longer welcome at Celtic park.
Unconfirmed
U
Because I don’t know twitter
timbhoy2
Just for you….I’m going to hire a big fat bulldozer and knock down that old school just to get you watchin Ra Cellic instead of worrying yer Heid
aff aboot a derelict building
Brilliant performance Andy Murray!!
Well done Murray!
Miki67:
You seen Pilger’s The War You Don’t See in 2010? I’m sure you have, but its absolutely brilliant- really drives home the dangers of ’embedded’ journalism and its shattering of objectivity- as well as strikingly pointing out how every industrial war since WWI has led to greater increases in civilian casualties on a truly colossal scale. Although there is still conflict over numbers most commentators seem to think 80% of people who have died in the ‘war’ in Iraq were civilians…will we reach a day when we have civilians making up 100% of all War casualties?
uly
That was also tweeted by C.U. today but they’re not sure that it’s true.
Keevins would love that. All of his ilk would. Doubt it’s true.
Thanks all to everyone who has given help to others re Celtic tv on iPad to other people, it’s helped me!
Unfortunately I brought only my iPad on holiday this week to watch the Helsinki game on Celtic tv (I live abroad anyway) only to find it didn’t work! Spent the rest of the night searching for a hotel computer, ended up watching the last half hour for €10!!!
Bloke109
Harry Hood – brilliant! ;)
celticrollercoaster supporting wee Oscar on 3 August, 2012 at 20:25 said:
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
All fans across Scotland are being asked to observe a minute’s applause at the 72nd min of their game tomorrow to remember the death of rfc
RIP Huns!!!
HH
CRC
=========================================================
Leave them alone they have been punished more than Max Mosley in a London dungeon
Superb Andy Bhoy.
Humbling himself in front of so many a few weeks ago showed to me we have a True Giant of Sport in our midst.
Roger was right, Andy will win at least 2 Slams.
Delighted for that man.
Sad to hear great britain’s andy murry won, he should save his performance for Scotland in the next Olympics.
matt mcglone @MattMcGlone9
I hear Celtic have been very unhappy with some of Keevin’s articles of late & considered banning him.Outcome was told he’s not welcome at CP
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matt mcglone @MattMcGlone9
Celtic had a chat about Keevin’s articles this week. They decided against banning him, but made it clear he’s not welcome at Celtic Park.
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fergus slayed the blues on 3 August, 2012 at 20:33 said:
That’s no punishment, that’s pleasure if you’re a masochist ;) , or mibbes :( if you’re that way inclined…
HH
PV
Carrigan on 3 August, 2012 at 20:23
said: If big charlie is suspended then look no further than John Fleming SFA head referee
—————————–
It is the prerogative of the referee whether he ‘officially’ notes the sending off or not in his match report in a friendly game.
In this case, if the jobsworth b*****d has officially noted it, then it has to be dealt with by the home association, in this case the SFA.
So, don’t blaim the SFA this time. Although they are obviously tainted to their very core in Hun loving criminality in general.
Ban all the f***ing hacks! You have to be egalitarian in this day and age: hate them all equally!
Repost from previous article.
Could any of our East Kilbride CQN’s who find it worring that South Lanarkshire council feel that it is appropiate to hire out Alison Lea community hall to an Orange flute band to practice on a thursday at 6:30pm please get in contact with them.
Anyone got a link to Billy Dodds interview, other than kerrydale st, which I can’t access?
HH
PV
Andy Murray a silver medal waiting to happen
Chico Muldini goal from the North Stand
Via @RonnieJ1967 follow him for good Celtic content.
wonkyradar
I wouldn’t ban any of them.I’d bring them in every week and offer them hospitality,succulent lamb every time.
Estadio Nacional on 3 August, 2012 at 19:58
I’m lovin it.
I wish I could get the mixes from Colin Faver/Colin Dale from KissFM that blew my mind back in the day.
Hopefully they will surface one day.
Colin Dale – Outer Limits is one of The Best Albums ever, assembled in a different style to his usual mixes back then. A lot softer and definitely for winding down.
Here have a sample.
Mystic force – Clearlight
Friday nite footie quiz 10 mins warning
HH
CRC
Magnificentseven on 3 August, 2012 at 20:25 said:
Sandman on 3 August, 2012 at 20:15 said:
Andy Murray showing just why he’s Scotland’s greatest sportsman with three magnificent points there. Stunning power.
surely Chris Hoy would be number 1
==========================
Not for me. Murray’s incredible fitness levels, intensity, and sheer force of will to reach the top in sport almost alien to this nation is testament to a talent and character greater than any individual the country has produced.
Behind Jinky, if you’re bringing in footie. By ‘sportsman’ I was citing individual sporting achievements.
Chris Hoy has done well but ably assisted by technology.
Andy Murray, as seen by his stunning performance tonight, is a man alone and triumphing against the odds. Outstanding.
Vmhan song for tomorrow, this works on a couple of levels…….
F you sevco you urny in our league, you urny in our league, you urny in our league.
repeat for yonks
HH
Sandman
Are you Andy Murray?
Percy Vere
billy dodds