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.
967 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- »
Have to mention the women’s 10,000m last night,what an awesome event that is,the Ethiopian lassie that won looked superhuman in her last lap,fair enjoyed it.
Right im off to Paradise
HAVE A GREAT DAY IN THE CHAMPIONS COMPANY OF FRIENDS & STRANGERS.
May all you days be blessed
MON THE HOOPS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Gordon Strachan thinks that SFL clubs who don’t have large home crowds should not have a say on which tier in the SFL a new club should be allowed entry.
The last thing we want today on flag day is another Strachan rammy but I’m sorry. If an ex Rangers manager had come out with this nonsense then we’d all be berating their arrogance for adopting such an attitude.
The smaller SFL clubs (and their fans) are to be commended for their courage in doing the right thing in the face of disgusting intimidation. To suggest that clubs should not have a say in a matter concerning THEIR OWN LEAGUE BODY because Gordon Strachan does not deem their attendance sufficient is absurd.
Added to Smith’s comments the Ladbrokes piece is an absolute embarrassment.
Hope the Scottish football fans fraternalism beats down all this negativity and pandering to cheats.
…Within a year of his debut he had helped the team win the Scottish Cup, beating Motherwell, 1-0. Fallon said later: “As I walked off Hampden Park I felt I had got everything out of life I had ever wanted. I had become a member of the famous Celtic F.C. and holder of a Scottish Cup badge all in one year.”
Sean Fallon –The Iron Man
Mulgrew suspended due to Ajax red card!
Was at the game and at the time wasn’t happy with the stuck up ref for a red card in a friendly, ruining the last half hour, meaning a relatively competitive game turned to a training game for Ajax, defeating the purpose of the game in our CL build up.
Now I like him even less!
Ridiculous
Morning all from a bright and SUNNY Glesca!!!
Just surfaced after a night out on the toon with her family at a place called SHANGHAI SHUFFLE on bath street
A word of advice if ever you are asked to a do at this place …..RUN
It was like and episode of shameless and benidorm mixed together with a Chinese buffet
However have just munched a roll ‘n square and drinking a large black coffee before meeting a mate who is sorting my ticket out
So a hoppy flag day to yez all have good day and be safe remember the sevco mob will be hanging about the town so stick to the fallow gate or safety in numbers if you venture into the city centre
Hail hail
Good morning fellow Celts on this fine sunny flag day.
Really looking forward to the game and mini Saltires has her first ever season ticket
I don’t know who is more excited :)
C’mon the hoops
HH
Once again a huge thanks to Taggsybhoy Johnnybhoy (who sang his heart out on the way home!!!) Blantyrekev all the golf committee and all the bhoys who made the fairways a sea of green and white at Aberdour yesterday.
To Paul 67 ,big yogi for great speeches and to Tom Boyd who sat amongst us and regaled us with some great sporting stories…(aw right tam you chipped in at the eighteenth but we didnae have to hear about aw night!!!:)…)
To all the bhoys who attended thanks especially the dunblane gc bhoys in the gold ( not orange ) troosers..great outfits !
Right of now to the game..to see what’s left of old tim and Malorbhoy!
HH
Fallow gate= gallowgate
Day 2 at Olympics athletics for me, looking for gold from wee Jess.
Happy flag day to all in Celtic family. 3 points will do nicely.
I’ve always got time for Strachan for what he did at Celtic as manager, but he continually shows himself to be an arrogant elitist who feels the fans have no place commenting on football. Remember his easy dismissal of fans opinion with his “kestrel and devil dug” quote.
At any rate if the vote was held in the manner he suggests, with the bigger clubs having a vote proportionate to their size, the outcome would have been exactly the same as the rangers fans clearly wanted div 3. Even if it was left to the clubs (not fans) to vote, again it would be the same, Celtic and rangers votes would cancel each other out, then the rest vote with Celtic.
So Walter Nosurname wants proof?
If you youtube Mark Daly’s documentary The men who sold the jerseys, if you had ever read RTC blog or spoken to Alex Thomson I think you’d see the evidence.
Number of credible court cases after the Beeb documentary against RTC or Alex Thomson and Channel 4?
Nuff said.
The Live updates article will be up at 12:15, could someone leave a note here?
Thanks.
Re Strachan & tail wagging the dog
I don’t get it. Whatever the fans and smaller clubs might have thought, rules being rules there should have been no place for them in Div 1. The only way that could have happened would have been had they gone out of business mid-season and been relegated.
The ‘smaller’ clubs did them a favour. They voted them into Div3 where they could quite easily have said no, there are other clubs with accounts and more claim on the vacancy.
Green and White everywhere in the town
Not a Monkey strip in sight
It’s effin brilliant being Glasgows only Premier league team
Ps Guiness still only £2.70 a pint in the Vale and it’s especially cold today
Are we expecting a Neil McCann choreographied tax evasion confession from SKY today ?
Were any Rangers players ever tested for performance enhancement drug usage domestically and if not why not ?
I think we should be told.
HH
I think Mulgrew’s suspension today really gives Lenny a headache.
Wanyama looked ill at ease and out of position the other night so that would leave Rogne as the only recognized regular CB.
Don’t know if Wilson is fit or even in Glasgow at the moment.
Hopefully Lenny has a backup plan.
HH
/Bishop B
Off out to see the champs.
Remember …. Be careful out there.
HillstreetgreensCSC
1.2.3.4 Heaven loves ya The clouds part for ya Nothing stands in your way When you’re a bhoy
Clothes always fit ya Life is a pop of the cherry When you’re a bhoy
When you’re a bhoy You can wear a uniform When you’re a bhoy Other bhoys check you out You get a girl To say your favorite things When you’re a bhoy
Bhoys Bhoys Bhoys keep winning Bhoys always work it out
Uncage the colours Unfurl the flag Luck just kissed you hello When you’re a bhoy
They’ll never clone ya You’re always first on the line When you’re a bhoy
When you’re a bhoy You can buy a home of your own When you’re a bhoy Learn to drive and everything You’ll get your share When you’re a bhoy
Bhoys Bhoys Bhoys keep winning Boys always work it out
HH
Unfortunate interview with Neil McCann (what tax was recorded on your P45, Neil?). I can’t help feeling that all parties concerned would be better served by keeping their mouths shut, and only answering questions when there’s a judge in front of them.
Foxy_1888, 10:09
Joe Filippis Haircut, 09:51
Walter’s been very quiet on EBTs, but while he’s out and about maybe he could explain exactly why he had one EBT while Everton manager and then another EBT while Scotland manager?
What were you being paid for Walter?
SonsOFErin
You have every right to be offended by WGS’s stement on Sevco and 3rd Division clubs.
You were wrong, however, to lump it in with the “kestrel & devil dugs” statement which was not a statement about fans being unentitled to an opinion. If you look at the whole statement, he was careful to state, and he always has had this view, that the fans pay the wages and are a crucial part of the club, and their views must be taken into account but not always acceded to.
In the “kestrel & devil dugs” quote he was criticising a small section of our support who use the phone ins and the tabloids, to criticise Celtic. He was criticising a small number of Celts. Most of us were, in no way insulted by the statement, and many of us agreed with the sentiments.
He’s still wrong in his latest statement, mind you. But he’s no elitist. Maybe a bit of a professionalist in that he considers having been in the game gives you more insight. Billy Dodds latest statements probably undermines this “Professionalist” theory quite well.
I wonder if Doddsy drinks Kestrel?
I dont consider myself as an Internet bampot as the network administrator for one of only two european gateways that carried all transatlantic traffic for the EARPAnet, BITnet and SPAN networks from 1987 until 1992. I consider myself an Internet bampot pioneer AND I have been instructed by my MUM to tell all of you that
Hail Hail
Well done the British rowers. Great win.
Awe Naw
Many of us consider that you still hold a high place in the Premier League of Internet Bampotery.
I think you might be qualifying for the CL this year if you draw Bonty Bhoy in the next qualifier.
Awe Naw
Does that mean you’re the Bampots Bampot??
Any early team news ghuys???
HH
Heading into the Black-Sea town of Burgas today, new sports bar opened midweek, advertised the Sellik game yesterday.
Kamenitza 2 Lev a bottle -)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
“And players who had EBTs at the time did not stop to think twice about it. I can see that there was maybe a small advantage for the club but as players and coaches you don’t think about it.”
Billy Dodds
Double what i pay in my local Magazina, but what the heck -))
SFTB
As long as I get my deserved seeding. LOL
To tell you how the world has changed;
The load that that particular network traffic generated was ALWAYS without discussion relegated to run on our smallest computer. As it was a free service provided by our organisation mainly for universities.
HH
Starry
My MUM thinks so.
If you disagree take it up with her.
Make sure your last will and testament is sorted. ;-)
HH
The biggest question is: Why is he paying tax on an EBT payment?
Watching Sean Fallon today Big Jocks right hand man unfurl the flag is truly appropriate today.
And if you know…..
HH
Off to Sharkey’s soon, to meet Ard Macha and, perhaps other CQNers, if they are in town.
The bar was heaving last Wednesday, so hopefully a big crowd will be in today.
Although, some of the tourists may be saving teir cents until tomorrow, when Barcagal see off Kerry.
SFTB,
Do you still think you may get over?
At work
My mate sent me this re Leuven and catching the game
Stapletons are not open until 15.30 – so no go there.
Alternativew would be Old Oak in Brussels – That’s where the CSC is now address in Rue Franklinstraat (Schumann area)
If this helps please thank Stephen and John not me.
U
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 4 August, 2012 at 11:50 said:
I know what side my toast is buttered on, never argue wi’ a Scottish Maw!
No way Jose..
C’mon the Hoops..
Team news
Forster; Matthews, Wanyama, Rogne, Izaguirre; Commons, Kayal, Ledley, Samaras; Hooper, Stokes