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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Breaking News
4 men arrested today for sectarian chanting/singing at the Brechin game last Sunday.
ASonOfDan
Don’t we always have home games live? Was it four a season previously?
Foxy
They’ve changed the name of the old club to RFC2012, as far as I was aware the liquidator has the final say on the how similiar the name of any newco can be. Not sure of the protocol when the newco springs up before the liquidator gets to work. Bizarre, and feeding the notion that they are the same club, no doubt much to the bemusement of the creditors as you say.
HH
TenMen
Will DD only step in for an Irishman a la Keano or Keano? Get onto Shane Long’s caddy- maybe he knows DD’s man.
Celtic have, in recent years, made ‘budgetary adjustments’ for the right players. To be fair I don’t think we are going to sign someone at 50k/week but with the right one off signing fee and golf club membership from the moustachioed one, a pretty high standard of player is possible, particularly at centre back.
Alternatively, it’s back to Eastern Europe.
However, at least the signing of players would freshen up and challenge the current squad. There really is the danger of Hooper/Samaras/CM becoming passengers where the challenge of other players isn’t breathing down their necks.
Whatever our views of the club’s strategy or on certain transfer targets, the problem areas have been identified for a long time. This is just like the LB saga under Strachan and Mowbray.
What are Celtic’s scouts doing??
HH
philvis
While I respect your sticking to your Micawber principles on the economy, surely you must see that Osborne is a man constantly struck with the horrifying thought that his Hooverite policies haven’t worked. Assailed with self-doubt, he leaks bits of Keynesianism as he fights fiscal fires of his own making (he can always blame it on the LibDems when these half-baked Plan Bs go awry).
You can’t run governments the way you run a business, and just because you don’t think politicians will rein in spending during a boom does not mean that Keynesian solutions to our current problems aren’t the right ones. The alternative would be to continue cutting spending and watch the debt spiral out of control as unemployment rises.
nothing changes …same old same old!
FF
Today, 14:08
The_Gub
FF Legend Join Date: 29-07-2006
Posts: 20,372
There is always good news
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Silian Petrov has been given a clean bill of health after catching the flu or something.
Apparently there is no truth in the scurrilous roumours he dived in front of the GP, before getting signed out of hospital.
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Last edited by The_Gub; Today at 14:13.
Blackburn in for Rhodes for £6mil says English press
Brown and Forrest doubts, Bangura out.
!!Bada Bing!! on 3 August, 2012 at 14:12 said:
Blackburn in for Rhodes for £6mil says English press
He’d be better staying at Huddersfield than go to them. At those prices he’s well out of our price range now. Johnny Russell it’ll need to be then.
Paul,
not sure I feel quite the same way you do about generations. Golden or otherwise…..
I don’t feel as if we have ‘won’. Certainly, those titles that we did win can be shown as being quite special, given the illegal activities that we had to contend with.
However, our game has failed. That is what we need to face up to. The big question that needs addressed is this:
What needs to happen for Scottish football fans to be able to believe in, and trust, the governance of our football?
For the record, I don’t want titles to be retroactively assigned to us. At a minimum, I want the records adjusted with an asterisk against one teams name, indicating that that team cheated in that particular season.
But how do we get comfort that such events could not happen again? That is the question that Celtic MUST pursue…..!
UPOVERGOAL 1410
Dinnae be too hard on our hero,he’s still annoyed at HT getting the gold.
Totally ruined his weekend.
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
Lawwell has banned Keevins from Celtic Park? Now that’s the kind of populist move we want to see in order to get folk to buy season tickets.
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PHILVISRETURNS 1256
I see you referred to the impossibility of governments cutting spending during a boom-in order,of course,to hoard the money for the eventual bad times.
I think Australia did just that.
BTW,it proves your point about spending patterns….
Poor little hun might just have scored a Terry Butcher-esque own goal….
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Dear President Platini,
I am writing to you to ask if you are fully aware of the witch hunt that is ongoing, against my club, Glasgow Rangers at this moment in time in Scotland. I am asking you as the governing body to help my club through these sad times as no football association in Scotland are willing to help us, quite the reverse; they are trying to bury Rangers Football Club with an amount of sanctions that are unheard of in Europe against the one football club.
My club went into administration on February 14th. 2012. On entering administration several sanctions have been meted out to my club. We were docked 10 points effectively ending our hopes of winning the 2011-2012 league title. We were also fined approximately £160,000 for bringing the game into disrepute. We then went into liquidation, since then we have reformed as the same club under a new company, we have been demoted to SFL division three, also the SFA imposed a transfer embargo which Rangers lawyers fought in court and had the decision thrown out. Since that decision, Rangers have accepted the transfer embargo as one of the conditions of getting a playing licence from the SFA. The man who put my club into administration was the then Chairman of Rangers Football Club, Craig Whyte. Mr. Whyte did not pay income tax or PAYE on £6,000,000. Nobody at the club was aware he had done this yet we have had to accept all these sanctions given to us because of one man. Mr. Whyte is no longer the chairman at Rangers Football Club and is the subject of a police investigation into fraud I believe. Although nobody was aware of this fraud Rangers eventually took all their punishments in good faith.
However, we still face another ongoing investigation by the SPL into dual contracts and EBT funds. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have still to rule on the EBT’s. Rangers EBT’s were listed in their accounts and signed off. The SPL are threatening to strip titles and cups from Rangers, despite there being no verdict from HMRC. The game in Scotland is in complete disarray. I and many Rangers supporters believe the SFA have gone out of their way to punish Rangers while the Football Association in England does everything in its power to help stricken clubs. I understand you have no governance over the SPL but with clubs going into financial meltdown (brought about by their own fans voting Rangers out of the top tier), is it not time UEFA stepped in and gave proper and just guidance to one of its member associations.
The game in Scotland is in crisis, Rangers and Scottish football need your help and objective advice.
For my club and the punishments we have had to endure, enough is enough.
Best Regards Ian
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I will be VERY pleased if keevins has been banned from Celtic Park …. He is a verbal hooligan….. The definition of an eejit ……. Well done, Celtic, if true
Kayal33
If Rhodes goes to Blackburn or Fulham for that matter, he is going for the simple reason the deal will set him up for life
The prospect of having loads of medals to show your grandchildren is no longer the ambition of the modern day footballer
In their eyes, it is much better to have a Bentley and a wardrobe full of Tom Ford
suits
KDC – I haven’t read all the comments so not sure if anyone else has replied – The Cumbernauld No1 leaves from Abronhill Town Centre and then Cumbernauld Town Centre. There was another bus which I think left from The Red Comyn – The Gerry Connor memorial but i’m not sure if it is still going. There is also the Eastfield bus which I believe leaves from The Smiddy pub. As another poster mentioned there is also a bus that leaves from the Masonic Arms in Condorrat. I would also expect that there will be a bus leaving from the Holy City of Croy. If you check the Cumbernauld News there are sometimes annoucements of bus times in the sports section. I’m now in Sydney so not totally up to date.
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
Ah ha looks like the Keevin’s story originates from a blotto blog. Must be p***
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BRT+H
Yeah I completely get what your meaning about the facilities in and around the ground.
I’ve often thought the same thing myself.
Why couldnt we put a Celtic lounge in the City Centre though?
I cant think of any reason not to.
There are more commercial opportunities everywhere.
Enhancing the match-day experience would get more bums on seats.
Value for money my friends.
Any live updates from the golf??
Foxy
:))))) & :))))))
As ma auld da used to say to me “HELL SCUD IT INTAE THEM”
SEVCO = DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN
CG trying to put Cheap Bells & Baubles on his Newly acquired “PIG IN A POKE” to try and make it attractive to the STUPID STUPID ORCS.
DOOMED I TELL YE. :)))))
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Sorry for keeping on about
http://scottishfootballmonitor.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/about-the-the-scottish-football-monitor/comment-page-6/#comments
traditionalist88 on 3 August, 2012 at 14:06
Trad
It would probably take someone with some know how of these matters to clear this up but it does seem clear cut from what Company House spokesperson has said on BBC website.
From what spokesperson says their doesnt appear to be much room for manoeuvre on this matter or am I reading it wrong?
Why would the MSM completely ignore this?
They have thus far presented the name change as a fait accompli. Season ticket sales for Sevco have dramatically increased since the name change announcement was made.
Just how many ways are there to fleece a stupid stupid stupid Hun?
Someone should try to tell them before it’s too late. Can you imagine how they’ll react when they realise they’ve been conned again?
I know I know….but the Christian thing to do would be at least try to warn them that they’re getting bent over again.
TenMenWonThe League:
Yeah your spot on.
The motivation right now for these players is that their career could end any weekend.
If they get a big deal they no longer have to worry about half the things the guys in the stands contend with everyday.
But Surely we can still offer them wages enough to attract them? Lets face it, 20k a week is about a mill a year. 4yr contract and ur set.
These days in professional football you play well and stay fit; the money will take care of itself.
bobbycfc on 3 August, 2012 at 10:44 said:
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Easy way to get around this.
I have a mate who has the full sky package including espn, I have virgin and refuse to pay extra for more tv. So my mate has sky broadband and I set up an email account using his sky service provider.
This means that as long as he gets the full package, I can log onto the sky website and watch the games for hee haw.
Worthwhile buying an hdmi cable and plug your laptop into your telly.
Hope this helps.
Hail Hail.
hamiltontim
Cheers m8 will make arrangements with Bundoran Bhoy
For the next home game
Hail Hail
ClareIsland67 on 3 August, 2012 at 14:24 said:
KDC – I haven’t read all the comments so not sure if anyone else has replied – The Cumbernauld No1 leaves from Abronhill Town Centre and then Cumbernauld Town Centre. There was another bus which I think left from The Red Comyn – The Gerry Connor memorial but i’m not sure if it is still going. There is also the Eastfield bus which I believe leaves from The Smiddy pub. As another poster mentioned there is also a bus that leaves from the Masonic Arms in Condorrat. I would also expect that there will be a bus leaving from the Holy City of Croy. If you check the Cumbernauld News there are sometimes annoucements of bus times in the sports section. I’m now in Sydney so not totally up to date.
Thanks for that, I’ll get a nauld news today!
Ten Men Won The League
His Dad was a journeyman footballer all his life,made a decent living,but with respect,I doubt he made a helluva lot of money rom the game.
There will be many on here who are acquaintances or better of former Celts,who will know that the ideal of a career was a pub or a newsagent.
If you were lucky.
I will never criticise a young fella from a background of little money for,erm,chasing the money.
Money which can reward his parents,and look after his siblings and family.
I think the choice he is having to make is based on that-he is still a young lad and has a few contracts in him if it turns out ok.
I hope it does.
What would a monument to Succulent Lamb look like? A job for Damein Hirst on his Indian Hay & Junkie Catnip me thinks: with Traynor in a foetel position, the bagpipe belly and the death growl, as he is preserved in blue dyed formaldehyde for horrifying posterity- an object of Terror for tomorrows children.
A vast salty Tower of Babel made out of bitter kebab meat, and the Devil himself sitting atop on his Lucifer latrine throne- with pins fixed onto the teetering steeple and holding the skewered debris of various relics from Scottish churnalism…Spiers savannah mauve sports jacket…the flabiol faced and jabbering flumpet mouthed face of Sisyphean Chico doomed to utter like a kitsch Golem “Ooooohhhhhh Walter!” for eternity…the Gin soaked tequila coloured and vomit stained colonial style Leggat coat…with his starfish mouth poking out of the kebab as he recites his bigoted monologues and zombie scribblings in Aztec…Hateley moose knuckled monobrow and wearing the spiky smock of a goatskin hood to cover his bulbous effrontery of his massive bald cranium…a menagerie of smashed up fragmented symbols of the extinct hacks: Orange accordions, melted pens, mud covered laptops, hundreds of spinning Gordon Smith toupee’s, black flutes and innumerable brown thrashing tongues looking for another balloon knot to rim…Roger Hannah, Mark Guidi, Keevins and various other mountebanks have all morphed into a deranged goulash of indistinguishable limbs and freakish body parts as the grotesque obelisk of weird flesh wriggles and buzzes with the noise of the evil evangelists of Succulent bam churnalism and if you listen closely enough you can hear the hum say: “Where art thou master Murray? Where art thou…” over and over.
Foxy
Yeah it seemed clear cut to me- when it became clear liquidation was on the cards and an attempt at forming a new club would be progressed, my money would have been on them being called Rangers 2012.
And maybe they will, once BDO get to work… If they last that long;)
HH
Keevins banned from CP?
Would rather it was Jabba and Young
Bloke109
Sky have always pushed for more and lunch time kick offs.
Is there more tv money with this ESPN deal or was it included in figures already announced (sky package)?
All this talk of “domination”- you would think CQN was a sado-masochism club!
BRTH
I had always thought the argument against a food/coffee outlet was that it would only be used 20 times in a year. I think times have moved on now, and I agree with your point about say, a Costa. These are I believe franchises though, but it makes sense now that you have the velodrome/arena opposite, an athletes village/housing five minutes away. I pick up tickets regularly and frankly get out quickly – and I’m only a 40 minute walk-away. I like the idea of enhancing the matchday experience, but I also like the idea of enhancing the experience of any other visit you make to CP. Has to be in our thinking.
As for the matchday experience. Well it’s pretty dreadful, all things considered. How many people arrive at CP JIT? How many arriver early but hang about at the statues? How many people give their hard-earned to Merchant City or Gallowgate hostelries? All very well and no problem, but where’s Celtic is taking a piece of the pie? I’m not going even going to mention the food outlets, but now that I have, they are a disgrace. And as for the ‘dj’ and the half-time rubbish. And playing ‘Home’ by Simple Minds at the end of every damn game. Unless you’re in hospitality, you’re out pdq. Should there not be more to afterwards too?
Not ranting here, just typing out loud :-)
Good luck to LC Final hunskelper Darren O’Dea who has signed for Toronto FC.Right on cue Happy Gilmore ITV 2 @9PM,for the golfers.
Good news:
Fritz A. Grandold @fritzagrandold
Real Madrid vs Celtic will be shown ITV4 next Saturday night. Commentary from Sam Matterface and Jim Beglin, kickoff is 6:55pm Parkhead time
Fritz A. Grandold @fritzagrandold
Real Madrid vs Celtic will be shown ITV4 next Saturday night. Commentary from Sam Matterface and Jim Beglin, kickoff is 6:55pm Parkhead time
After reading post on SFM
Can it really be so hard to understand or am I just not getting it :)))
DEADHUN Club registration number at companies house SC004267
SEVCO NEWCO registration number at companies house SC425159
JUST TEXT AN ORC to explain how these numbers are the same :)))
IS IT JUST ME
traditionalist88
The stupid hun has left out the part about not paying Arsenal, Man City, Rapid, Chelsea etc etc the money they are owed.