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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Well well well
Just woke up after an early morning return from Kos (lovely island ole Kos is). Thought I’d log in to my ole friend CQN and read back the night shift. A pleasant read it was too. Until I come across some absolute raving lunatic who wears a Bunnet dipped in batter. Who is that CAR-AZY man? Imagine calling ole MWD a shanker? Harumph.
I can only say thanks to Hypocrates that we have defenders of the Moonbeams in ole Petec.
Anyway. Good luck to the gowfurs and non gowfurs alike. Enjoy the rough, the scran and the pleasant company of the best supporters in the world.
Looking forward to tomorrow like no other flag day I can remember. It’s going to be the most refreshing flag day in our 125 year unbroken history.
C’mon you Bhoys n Green
Hail! Hail!
MWD
What are the odds on Celtic retaining the title this season???
HH
Did you all read Fleagle’s post?
that should get me a wee bit respect round here……you listening HT?
Dundee are now officially members of the Scottish Premier League – a day before their opening fixture of the season away to Kilmarnock.
The 12 members clubs unanimously approved the transfer of Rangers’ SPL share to the club which finished second in Division One last season.
Dundee were invited to take the Ibrox club’s place on 16 July after their new owners’ failure to avoid liquidation.
But the SPL had to wait until now to ratify the decision.
Charles Green’s controlling consortium had its new club voted into Division Three.
Rangers have already started their season with a 2-1 win over Brechin City in the Ramsdens Cup and host East Fife in the Scottish Communities League Cup on Tuesday.
They make their debut in Division Three away to Peterhead on 11 August.
No to NewCo is Malone19 on 3 August, 2012 at 11:08 said:
Expect to see more of McGeouch, Twarzyck, Watt and possibly Irvine this season. Rather see them given a chance than some journeyman brought in on loan from down south.
Mad Mitch @ 23:58
Interesting– and by the sound of it– angry retort to my own musings– which I would invite you to read again.
Did you get the part where I stressed that for me the jury is out on DD?
Did you read the part where I said that I was not privy to the timescales for development on either Lennoxtoun or the Celtic Triangle?
Can you point to the part of the post where I overly praise Peter Lawell?– I think I mention him once in the passing — and that is about it.
You ask if I think he is good at negotiating– the answer to that question is that I have absolutely no idea? I have never said that he is and I have never said that he isn’t? I don’t know.
What I did say is that both Lonnoxtoun and the Triangle give Celtic an opportunity– in fact a number of opportunities going forward and I openly state that that is exciting. I still believe that.
As for taking advantage to the full of the Commonwealth Games– by that I presume you mean have the triangle up and running so that the visitors centre and anything else can take advantage of the crowds going to the Games?
Sorry, but I would have to question that. The experience of the shops and attractions in London with the Olympics is that the visitors are not spending at all and that the resident Londoners have left the city. The resident businesses down there are dying over the last couple of weeks and into next week because of the Olympics– that is now being widely reported. As I advise businesses in LOndon I am only to well aware what a disasterous summer it has been— beyond all expectations!
Now I don’t know if the delay in the triangle is because Celtic are in a stand off with the council or not but a couple of points on the pragmatics of all of that.
If you get planning permission then there may well be conditions re the infrastructure– Roads, water etc etc. You are expected to pay for there things. In any development the first thing you are required to put in or upgrade is road and sewers— at your cost!
A roundabout costs about £1Million pounds– yes a rediculous sum but that is what it costs.
As I understand it– and I am open to correction— The Road infrastructure and improvements around Celtic Park are costing Celtic nothing and are being paid for by the Scottish Government in essence as a result of the games. Is this good business or bad business on the part of Celtic?
How would the Celtic support feel if the money that they were putting in as you so rightly point out– was in part being spent for the benefit of the Velodrome or other areas which have nothing to do with Celtic?
Is it smarter– to offer the existing Stadium for the opening ceremony in return for a real planning benefit, saving Millions of pounds of OUR money in return? Which money can then be spent on the actual Celtic Triangle rather than on the infrastructure that simply leads to that triangle?
Again, I stress that I am not privvy to the negotiations and details of the plans, and if you are then I will bow to your greater knowledge gladly, but from what I see someone– and I have no idea if it is Lawell ( God forbid the man should get praise for anything right enough ) or the advisers to Celtic ( yep they do employ professional consultants who know a thing or two ) or whoever— has been relatively smart IF– and I stress the IF— they have overseen the improvements that have happened thus far without spending a penny.
On the question of a JV– Joint Venture– with someone. I have some questions on that.
Joint Venture with whom?
Just who else stands to gain out of the Celtic triangle because a Joint venture suggests that you will have a partner in the triangle?
The only one I can think of will be in relation to the suggested hotel– again I may be wrong. So that would mean Celtic going into bed with a Hotel chain who would presumably gain rights over the ground by way of a lease or whatever.
Except, that is not the way hotel franchises tend to work. The developer builds the unit and then negotiates with a franchise– like the one at the Hamilton Palace Grounds– or the units out at Glasgow Airport. The developer ( in this case Celtic ) then has gets the benefit of the rent and ends up with the capital asset.
Again I am not privvy to any discussions but I would be cautious about any JV in the last few years– I have clients who have entered into them only to see the JV partner go bust, or have their funding pulled leading to all sorts of problems and legal wrangles with the results that the venture just grinds to a halt altogether. In this climate that is all too common.
So I am not sure about that.
You say Lennoxtoun is a failure? Suitable for an Academy but not a training ground.
Is that based on personal opinion or based on the views of the coaching staff or the players or the club management?
All I hear is that it is an excellent facility. Did the club not give up some of the land at Barorowfield in return for a price paid by the developer of the old hospital site next door? Was that part of the overall negotiation with the NHS which allowed them to buy the old Lennox Castle Hospital as a whole?
Again I don’t know– but that is what I had understood the position to be.
Look all I am saying is that like it or not there are two very interesting and viable sites under the control of Celtic football Club which are exciting and which will hopefully generate income for the club. You do not get that kind of thing going on at many football clubs and certainly not many in Scotland or even elsewhere in the UK.
I am not praising DD or PL to the high heavens– as I have said now repeatedly– there are things that I would do differently to them given the chance– and I think you have to be cautious over DD’s position– I don’t even like the PLC structure where anyone has a share– but who am I to say what is right?
On the TV revenue stuff– did you read the part of the post where I said that it is a dreadful contract?
I have no idea if there are details in it that allow Celtic out under certain circumstances– but what I am convinced of is that there is a major revolution– or fast evolution in the way that the world watches any broadcast. I believe that because I am involved in a business that is part of that.
How many people in your house sit with the TV on but at the same time have a laptop or an Ipad running. Kids especially. BT, Google, Amazon and various others are all looking at digitising and personalising video content.
The idea of a mainstream TV channel schedule is dying– look at all the plus one channels, the Iplayers, STV players and so on– the future is personal- individual- viewing on demand via the internet.
Get in there Celtic!!!! Extend the idea of broadcast rights to content rights- digital content rights- to your supporters and yours alone. That is not something that the SFA or any other body can negotiate for you– those rights are yours!!
As for the comments about the support being a Keynsian stimulus for the rest of European football– with respect not only did I not say it but to be honest– to hell with the rest if European football in the sense that European Football– per the governing body or the UEFA set up has actually never done anything for us!
In my opinion they are worse than the SFA in many respects!!!
At a relatively recent meeting at Celtic Park with the CEO of the Charities Division I was told that Celtic estimate that 95% of Celtic Fans ( customers, viewers, interested parties– call them what you will ) have NEVER set foot inside Celtic park…….. not once!
I have no idea how they come to that figure– none at all— but there seems to be some way of measuring such things– whether it be through the web, or Nike or whatever.
Now– and here i suspect that you will agree with me– if that is the case then if we are not ( as a club, as a business ) doing everything possible– mainstream and out of the box– to garner that support, to service that support, to satisfy that support, to sell to that support, to extend and multiply that support— then the board, the advisers,and anyone else involved should not only be sacked but should physically be kicked ( quite literally ) up the backside to help them down the steps– because to ignore such statistics at a management level is just plain unbelievable and downright negligent!
All the evidence is there that does in fact support such statistics. How many season ticket holders did not go to Seville? I know loads who could not go and who didn’t go. I know loads who went to Seville who are not regular Celtic Park attendees for a variety of reasons.
I know of one football money man who has been involved with Manchester United and Portsmouth amongst others who takes the view that you only make money in football out of bums on seats and merchandising club services. He points out that every English club tends to spend all or more of its TV money on players– they don’t actually– or didn’t historically– make any money from the TV deal as the money came in and went staright back out again– and then some.
When Rangers were available for sale his view was “what is the point?”– there is only one club worth buying in Scotland and that is Celtic for a variety of reasons. A big reason is the support– another is that if you are able to garner that support then you can relatively easily increase the size of celtic Park– but you have to bring the support in first, create the demand, up the interest.The plans for the extension of Celtic park– there are two schemes– have sat in a drawer sinc Fergus’ day for obvious reasons — but they are there!
Everyone in Europe knows we have that support– and that is why I said that in business terms many were hoping to draw Celtic after Seville as they saw the numbers. Eh what have UEFA done to in anyway encourage a repeat of such a footballing and economic phenomenon? The FFP initiative– that is about it really. No restructures, no think tanks, no alternative examination of anything other than TV money through conventional channels.
Well they are sleeping– the Techies have moved on and the industry will move on with them.
So– there you go— I know I am seen as a happy clapper– hey– been called worse things– but when it comes to business I just ask questions and look at the possibilities. I think Celtic is an exciting business– has great opportunities– and in some respects I agree with current board actions from what I know of them– and disagree with others– again from what I know of them. I would love to be areal pain in the arse in the Celtic Board room– and no I don’t want a job— but there are loads of things I would want to ask and suggest if given a platform. However I would eventually be thrown out I suspect.
I am not sure about the Commonwealth Games being the catalyst that you describe– I am cynical on that but am there to be convinced if you have the info.
However, one thing I have to point out very clearly— I have never patronised a Celtic fan in my life! and never will.
ibleedgreenandwhite1 on 3 August, 2012 at 11:25 said:
What are the odds on Celtic retaining the title this season???
Paddy Power says 50/1 on… Other investments may be more worthwhile.
Bada Bing@11:19
Correct
Nice work if you can get it eh? ;)
Kayal33 on 3 August, 2012 at 11:32 said:
I agree. Down with mediocre loanees! Up with promising youngsters!
ABZMike on 3 August, 2012 at 11:32 said:
ibleedgreenandwhite1 on 3 August, 2012 at 11:25 said:
What are the odds on Celtic retaining the title this season???
Paddy Power says 50/1 on… Other investments may be more worthwhile.
Think I saw on paddy power couple decent odds on us winning the league by11-20 points
Right now that that rant is over– I am away to put the lifs savings on Celtic to win the league and then head to Aberdour– where I will refuse steadfastly to swing a golf club but where I will talk shite for Europe!!!
I see Oul Arthur Lee passed away on this day a few years ago– he is sadly missed!
Also on this day in 1974 we beat the team with no name at Hampden on a penalty shoot out after extra time with wee Jimmy scoring the clincher!
Just sets the scene in my head……….
LOL!!!!!!!!
They are seriously ripping it out of rangers.
SPL Press Release ~ Share transfer approved
At eight minutes past ten this morning, the member clubs unanimously approved the transfer of Rangers’ SPL share to Dundee Football Club.
Dundee FC is now a member of the SPL.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
RANGERS were today finally liquidated – inside just eight minutes.
By DARRELL KING
The CVA proposal tabled to rescue the stricken football club has been formally rejected by creditors at a quickfire 10am meeting at Ibrox Stadium.
The Glasgow club will now be reformed as a ‘newco’ inside the next 24 hours and that will be called The Rangers Football Club.
Just 30 of the creditors owed money by the troubled Ibrox club attended in person or were represented by lawyers acting on their behalf, with others sending proxy votes
The result of the meeting was, of course, already a fait accompli given that major creditor, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, confirmed on Tuesday that it would reject the £8.5million Company Voluntary Agreement package tabled by Charles Green, the man who is attempting to take over the club which has been in administration since February 14, forcing liquidation of the existing plc.
HMRC, currently owed £21million out of a £55m debt pile – with the possibility of being owed up to a further £75m pending the outcome of a First Tier Tribunal appeal into the club’s use of Employment Benefit Trusts to pay players – refused to accept a payment that would have seen little more than £1.9m being returned to the taxman.
Bang on 10am, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, joint administrator of Duff & Phelps, emerged to take their seats at the top table alongside a stern-faced Green.
Ally McCoist sat at the back of the room and he wore the look of a broken man as he realised his days at the helm of the Ibrox side were numbered.
Clark opened proceedings by stating: “HMRC have now formally voted against the CVA proposal.
“Given that HMRC have more than 25% of the debt, they have the ability to vote it down. That has happened.
“The purpose of voting today is now academic – unfortunately, this is a failed CVA.
“HMRC believes it will be of a greater benefit to the taxpayer, and the creditors generally, for liquidators to have a full investigation into the running of the company.”
Ticketus, the other major creditor which is owed just under £27m, and which was in favour of the CVA, and was represented in the room.
Clark went on: “We have a total of £30m worth of debt in this room, above the HMRC vote that has been made.”
He asked for a show of hands on the CVA. There were three rejections, one of which was believed to be Austrian football club Rapid Vienna which is owed around £1m after selling striker Nikica Jelavic to Rangers back in August 2010.
Green will now pay £5.5m to the old Rangers Plc for the company’s assets – Ibrox Stadium, Murray Park and the Albion car park – and they will be transferred into the newco.
Clark went on: “We expect that sale to be concluded later today, or at worst tomorrow.
“All financial dealings of the new company will now be undertaken by Mr Green.
“We will remain as administrators for possibly a further six to 10 weeks. Only then, after that is concluded, will the liquidators that have been appointed, BDO, come on board.
“We will, of course, co-operate fully with BDO and try to help them get a better understanding of what has happened over our tenure at the club.”
Once they arrive at the end of the administration period, BDO will carry out the process of winding up the old company.
That will include a full investigation into why Rangers have ended up in this state, and there could be legal action against former owners and directors, such as Sir David Murray and Craig Whyte.
They will also continue the £25m litigation claim against Collyer Bristow, the legal firm that advised Whyte throughout his takeover just over a year ago, that has already been started by the administrators
Green has already moved to put in place a new board for the newco. Fund manager Malcolm Murray, a lifelong supporter, will be made chairman, Green will assume the chief executive role.
Imran Ahmad, who has been advising Green on financial matters, will be corporate finance director. It is believed Ahmad and Green met through Nova Resources, a Singapore mining investment firm where Green had a spell as chairman, and Ahmad was an advisor.
Brian Stockbridge, a businessman, will also be brought on board as a finance director.
He was invited to comment this morning by Clark, and would only say: “I can confirm that the company we have been using will change it’s name from Sevoc to The Rangers Football Club.
“From my consortium’s point of view we have seen a lot of differences that have existed in the last few weeks.
“This is a time for unity; it’s a time for everyone to get behind Rangers irrespective of who is running it.”
And that was it. At 10.08am the meeting was over
Posted just before Paul67’s new article :¬(
Vmhan on 3 August, 2012 at 10:22 said:
proudbhoy on 3 August, 2012 at 08:27 said:
Vmhan on 3 August, 2012 at 07:56 said:
Petec, I might gorge on Guinness :¬)
HH to ye!
Not sure if u saw my reply, I’m also in Perth .. Nice city.
Just miss the rebel sessions back in Derry . Need Gary og or someone to immigrate and all will be fine.
************************
Proudbhoy, yes I knew you were in Perth, you’ll have to forgive me as I tend to look in and out of the blog lots as I’m working, I do probably miss some comments so apologies.
My youngest son Jonny (he’s 26) has been out in Perth Aus for about 15 months, works for a company in Perth but also goes out to work in the mines for them when needed.
He’s Celtic mad and was a ST holder since he left school, he also knows Doire very well….. friends with the Derry no1 CSC, he goes to Rosie o’Gradys to watch the games and he trains (or did) with the Perth Celts.
HH
Arthur Lee? Sorely missed – I had the immense pleasure of seeing him twice at Cambridge Corn Exchange, one time being the ‘Forever Changes’ tour. Mrs J67 is not a fan but even she was entranced and confessed that Arthur was the coolest guy she had seen front a band! Can’t wait for the season opener tomorrow, envy you guys that can get along and cheer on the bhoys! COME ON THE HOOPS!
Hopefully we will have the confidence to bring through some of the youngsters this year. I see little or none of the youth teams at celtic these days, so, can anyone give us an idea of who’s waiting in the wings? Position, strength and who they might replace if they establish themselves?
I’m full of questions today, does anyone know of or go on a supporters bus from cumbernauld to the home games that might be suitable for me and my lads (6 and 8 years old)?
Arthur Lee. For some reason, which is inexplicable with hindsight, I decided not to go and see him on the Forever Changes tour. One of the most idiotic decisions I have ever made (and I have made a few…).
I see that Hassan Kachloul’s case is being pled in mitigation by thems. Livi registered him as an amateur, paid him a wage and were fined for failing to register him properly. No points deduction, they scream!
Difference is, they paid him a wage which they otherwise would have rgeistered as part of his contract of service; they made a mistake in thinking that, because he was an amateur in England, he couldn’t be registered as a pro up here. They paid him a wage as a “commercial executive” that they could have otherwise afforded, and gained no competitive advantage from it. They were fined £15,000.
I’ve thought about this for a while, and the SPL rules only state that a club who plays an improperly registered player (either through the club failing to disclose all football payments as part of a contract of service or otherwise) will be in breach of the rules (Rules D1.10 onwards). They do not stipulate what that breach fo the rules will engender. In other words, the only connection between the improper registration of players and the envisaged 3-0 defeat for near on every game they’ve ever played in the SPL is the mention of the FIFA Regulations in A7.1.1. I cannot even see the mecahnism for convening an independent commission, nor of how rule breaches translate into punishments; is this at the discretion of the board and if so, where is this spelt out?
The Livingston case demonstrates that a points deduction was not considered as Livi hadn’t “gained a competitive advantage”. I can’t see any assessment of the deliberate shadowing of payments to players which would not be interprted as providing a competitive advantage through wilful disregard of the registration rules.
Therefore, yes Livingston’s case seems precedent for how the SPL has acted in cases where the rules have been breached, but have not resulted in a competitive advantage. It is not precedent for how the league should react to “rule breaches” for deliberate hiding of payments from the SPL to dodge tax. However, the more important thing for the SPL is to ensure that this inquiry is done by the book, and its procedures are transparent. Any failure on these fronts will be seized upon by thems, and we need the cast iron assurance that any title stripping is within the rules.
My mate and his wife went too and she was about to nip out just before ‘You Set the Scene’ and we said to her, you gotta wait until after this!!! A very special tour!!!
Pantaloon Duck
Don’t want to rub it in but boy did you miss something!!!!!
They ( He ) was just fantastic– miles better than I had thought possible– i was totally taken by surprise!
When is the big announcement about Sevco having fulfilled all the criteria that is necessary for the SFA/SPL/SFL made today ?
Or have I missed it ?
HAil Hail
Brilliant Paul67
I bought my first season book with my first wage. It was near the begining of Rangers Nine-in-a-row. I went to every game home & away that I could get tickets to and afford to go to. I remember celebrating at McDermaid park on the last day of the season as Tommy Coyne scored the first penalty of the season to take us into Europe ( I think we finished fourth). An old geezer beside us was disgusted that we were celebrating getting into Europe.
This is payback time !
I wouldn’t miss it for the world !!
Proudbhoy, yes I knew you were in Perth, you’ll have to forgive me as I tend to look in and out of the blog lots as I’m working, I do probably miss some comments so apologies.
My youngest son Jonny (he’s 26) has been out in Perth Aus for about 15 months, works for a company in Perth but also goes out to work in the mines for them when needed.
He’s Celtic mad and was a ST holder since he left school, he also knows Doire very well….. friends with the Derry no1 CSC, he goes to Rosie o’Gradys to watch the games and he trains (or did) with the Perth Celts.
I’m in Rosie’s csc aswel, always good crowd in for the match. Son seems to be doing well out here then. He gettin sponsership ? Was in mines aswel for a while . Back in city now living.
U ever venture out here or holiday ? Perth nice and laid back, i hear east coast a lot different.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Kano 1000 on 3 August, 2012 at 11:52 said:
Yeah, I know. I bought the DVD a while back and it gave me a flavour of what I missed :-(
The SPL rules are much more expansive than the SFA ones. Specifically says they can strip titles – whether the titles stripped can be awarded to us may be a different matter. Marseille were stripped of the French title in 1993 but the second place team did not inherit – so who knows
Brogan or Mad Mitch i know one thing for sure what is the point of celtic owning the school at london rd and kerrydale street.only to see it decline,whats the point ,celtic do something ,refurbish it get the finger out ,resturants ,cafes etc .because on a match day you will see hundreds of supporters in groups standing outside the school having a blether , so do whats right get them in there to spend some cash and have a blether,but as i have said manys a time on ,this mob that run celtic dont have much ambition .other things ok ,but on the commercial things sorry ,they just dont have a clue,
Hi all, an absolute pleasure to meet Sannabhoy on wed, good luck at the golf:)
BRT & H,
wonderfully absorbing read again, thanks.
Loved the clarity which you used in places.
These are two exciting sites, shrewdly acquired, and show potential and how many football clubs can say that?
Wasn’t it the Coventry or Bradford chairman in early EPL days who described the TV money as a diuretic, it enabled clubs to borrow against it and spend even more than received, all going straight to players and agents.
And this place is empty, devoid. LOCOG and TFL have scaremongered lots of Londoners away. Tales of local shops near Olympic Park being ‘asked’ to add tills and staff and stock from February onwards, and just now about as busy as the ole Carlsberg customer complaints ad.
Anyone got a dodgy stream from Aberdour?
TartanTrewsCSC
anche gli angeli:
where does it say this? I honestly can’t find it. Rules and regulations? Powers of Board section in Articles of Association don’t go into it in great details.
There is much in Paul’s article I agree with. That the battle of ages is over and we won is undeniable. However there are some points I would take issue with.
1) It is, I am afraid, lazy journalism to paint a picture whereby those of us who called for more ambition from the club as being akin to the madness which engulfed Rangers. As I have repeatedly said asking for reasonable ambition and spend is nothing like calling for the triumphilist madness that we saw with the evil ones. Celtic have mad massive mistakes and taken huge gambles by showing a startling lack of ambition at times. League trophies were lost directly as a result of this and letting down your customers like this isnt ever wise.
2) Speculating to accumulate is what you must do if you want to improve and progress. In this case the approach is easily understood – for example buy a reasonable striker ahead of your champions league qualifiers and your chances of progressing improve substantially. I’m not suggesting a Tore Andre Flo type thing – rather a sensible spend. But we wont do that and therefore we show no ambition and hope to progress by luck rather than design.
Describing those of us who believe in a better way as believing in the values of David Murray is somewhat crass Paul – and the attempt to discredit dissenting voices to ensure they cannot be heard smacks of the sort of sinister tactics we have seen employed by so many in Scotland. For the hard of hearing – those voices will not go away.
Finally I turn my intention to some of the complacency contained in Paul’s words. A golden generation which will go on for as long as the eye can see. There are two things which spring to mind. First is what I say above – our Board do not have ambition. It should be clear that the financial impact of losing the huns is important but to then not buy any players once again betrays the true values of the board. This lack of ambition will curtail this never ending golden generation. Second is the support. An ever decreasing circle wont be sustained by the support. I dont know how many season books we have this year (I am glad to rejoin the ranks) – but some of the behaviour around child season books etc is alienating people. I fear that the contempt that the board hold the support in is beginning to be seen – the mask is slipping somewhat .
Celtic are sitting on a great opportunity here – have they gor the courage to grasp it?
Timbhoy 2
Totally agree– that school should have been open years and years and years ago. It has the potential to be totally brilliant in all sorts of ways.
That is one of the things that I just don’t understand– why has that glaringly obvious development taken so long?
timbhoy2
That lack of ambition is why we have have teamed up with one of the biggest clubs in Mexico, Sponsor football competitions in India and will be playing Real Madrid in the USA next Saturday. I could be wrong but is the school not a listed building and we are limited in what can actually be done with it?
On the train from Euston this morning and been reading back and enjoying the Brogan Rogan/ Mad Mitch discussion.
Can I just add my own wee bit of anecdotal evidence of the quietness of London compared to the anticipated deluge of people and spending.
I arrived back from a business trip yesterday at Kings X around 5.30 pm and the station was almost completely deserted. Quite unimaginable on a normal day. I then boarded a virtually empty tube to Baker Street and grabbed a quick pint at a normally packed pub on Marylebone Road. It was a warm early evening but again very quiet.
Dropped off my bags and headed down to Selfridges to get some coffee ( Gordon- if you are reading then you know who this is for ). The store had virtually no one in it. Normally there is a lengthy queue at the coffee counter but I was the only customer.
All very anecdotal as I say but the evidence is piling up that people have stayed away and the ones who are here are not spending as predicted.
Really looking forward to tomorrow. I am going to the game with my son and particularly pleased that Sean is being given the honour of unfurling the flag. I have been going to Parkhead for over 60 years and Sean was a favourite of mine – not for his silky skills but because he gave everything for the club and in life is a genuine Celt. I was fortunate to attend the 7-1 League Cup Final on 19th October 1957 and Sean excelled that day.
Hail! Hail!
Things are ok at Celtic just now but you hope theres a vision for not just getting bye but developing and growning, Im not sure there is enough, could do with more world wide scouting and marketing and business ideas at home.
Zheng zhi playing for China in the Olympics there, is she not cup tied after playing against Clyde in the Asian games?
kdc
Theres 2 buses that leave from the masonic pub in Condorrat.
HH
VP
Have you decided about tomorrow yet?
MWD
Hope you had a great time….eating salad :-)
You coming out after the game?
A son of dan
yes the building is listed I believe but that does not mean that it is or was undevelopable.
It has represented a great opportunity for years– when it was still a school my dad used to park his car there by arrangement with the janitor for games.
Hopefully we will see it developed in the near future. Maybe it wasn’t developed before on cost grounds or on risk grounds– but I genuinely believe that it should have been done before now.
HT
Believe we are heading your way after the game,is it safe?
From Hello Hello Magazine:
The The Rangers fans will be glad to know that Craig Whyte is reported to be fully occupied in the primo Yuppy lifestyle of the worst Epicurean excesses, but not as expected, in Monaco, but Venezuela- it is understood that he purchased a one way ticket for a luxury Joss House in Caracas- leaving in an Arthur Daly camel coat stuffed with bullion and with the inside lined with thousand dollar notes. He has been spotted sun blissing himself in a pool kissed white washed Villa atop an Andean hilltop in a plush part of the Venezuelan capital.
There are photographs of him eating pancakes and syrup by his sumptuous pool with his rubber ducks for company and riding riotously on his emerald green flumes. He was spotted riding the silk wave, chasing the crazy rush train, as he went Rasta by puffing on a giant spliff of Panama Gold, gifted to him by President Chavez “for services to humanity”- he was also seen sniffing high octane nose powder called “Instant Zen” from a Peruvian lady in a sherbet dipped bikini; she was a world class mouth worker who went pianoing on his negligible pink winky. The filthy libertine has been spending much of his time vigorously competing in naked ping pong with a nubile Panamanian nymphet, watching monkey wrestling in a tiny purpose built ring, as well as suffering from friction burns on the back of his legs after spending too many hours sliding down a chute into the pool.
One neighbor said: “The place is an unbridled riot of sordid animal noises…nothing more than vice ridden zoo. If you ask me Mr Whyte has went wild with some sort of untamed joy…he splurges on all sorts of Veblon goods: from Nebuchadnezzars of Buckfast, vast Magnums of Champagne, silk lady’s underwear, gourmandizing on smorgasbords of lobster and cavaire and Cuban cigars straight from Castro’s office…then at night there are nocturnal festivals and the gratifying of voluptuous appetites in rowdy orgies…with evening disco and pool parties with sword swallowers, midgets on bouncy castles, tattooed people, breakdancers and Sky diving bearded ladies…its all in very bad taste.”
Just as this article was in the process of printing the convicted fraudster Whyte was seen wearing his Armani shades and counting his cabbages as he contemplated what to add to the spree list of his next Sybaritic spending binge: it was reported he bought AL Capones final Cigar in a frame, Elvis’ used sock and Hitlers filing cabinet so that he could show them off to his next party guest high up on his Venezuelan hilltop Villa…but any Rangers fans contemplating revenge should think better as Whyte is guarded at all time by a Russian button man called Segei who he plays chessboard patio with, a cross dressing Albanian bagman by the name of the Tirana Thug and a large vicious Doberman wearing an explosive spiked collar.