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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Foxy – thanks. I’ll give this a go
1. Under what circumstances WOULD it have been classed as a new club?
2. Why did you so vehemently ‘Show the red card to liquidation’?
3. If the old club was incorporated into the company in 1899 and the old company liquidated in 2012, under what criteria is the club allowed to separate from the company and continue?
4. Why do Companies House show your date of incorporation as being 29/05/2012?
and for a bonus point
5. If its the same club why did they have to transfer the licence?
HH
First shots in the battle for Sevco in SPL next season
Scottish Premier League chief executive Neil Doncaster says the new broadcasting deal agreed today with Sky and ESPN will result in a seven-figure loss for SPL clubs.
Doncaster would not be drawn on how much the deal is worth although said he would release the figures at a later date.
crc
I had problems last night and recently too – ok just now. When I clicked on the comments bit, I was taken to the homepage of the advertiser. I am no tech, but I am assuming it’s something to do with the ads. A mite frustrating for sure.
Monaghan1900
We might as well through the EBT case out now…
6. If Trigger the roadsweeper says he has the same brush for 25 years but its had 15 new heads and 16 new handles, is it really the same brush?
(that was posted y/day, well worth a repost!)
HH
At eight minutes past ten this morning (Friday 3rd August 2012), the member clubs of the SPL unanimously approved the transfer of Rangers’ SPL share to Dundee Football Club. That action made Dundee FC a member of the SPL and the first fan-owned club in the top tier of any league in the UK.
Dundee FC Supporters’ Society director and Club director Fraser MacDonald said “There is a growing trend towards community ownership under a variety of models. We have seen St Mirren and Motherwell take strides in this direction, and another example this week with fan-owned Panathinaikos competing in the Champions League at Fir Park. Down south, supporters of Premiership side Swansea have a 20% share of their club, and across the UK there are now 29 clubs owned by their supporters and more than 50 with fan representation on the board.”
“It is impossible to overstate the contribution Dundee FC supporters have made over the last decade, helping save the club from administration not once but twice, giving tremendous backing to the club both on and off the park through seven seasons in the first division. Thousands will travel to Kilmarnock to witness our return to the SPL tomorrow, and I am sure everyone with dark blue running through their veins will take great pride in seeing Dundee FC restored to Scotland’s top flight, knowing the role they played in getting us there.”
Olympic Trampolining is not all it’s jumped up to be.
Glagowghirl – ask him why the new owner Mr Green stated that the club would lose it entire history if the CVA was not voted through. You would think the owner of the club would know.
BadaBing
Good one. Can we offer this as a theme?
Olympic tennis isn’t all it’s served up to be.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
I wouldnt be surprised at all to learn Keevins has been banned from CP.
He’s been slandering Peter Lawwell and Celtic all this week on Clyde.
Bloke109
Im chappin for one for Olympic Dominoes…
celticrollercoaster supporting wee Oscar on 3 August, 2012 at 15:41 said:
Afternoon Bhoys
Anybody else having problems with accessing the last page on the blog or is it just me :-)
HH
CRC
Seems fine here CRC
Huns wer I work are still in denial,I keep a box of straws handy listen to their ranting they read on ff n rm then put them right give them a straw and they vanish.h.h.
Federer. v Del Potro 12 games all final set Sky 451
Interesting that some people on here saying they would rather give young guys a chance than bring in middle of road loanees from down south
I agree with that but my feeling is that if we take someone on loan he has to be better than what we have ie Foster last year v Zaluska
But then we have people on here pleading for us to give McCourt more game time Why!
He has been here under 3 different managers started about 4/5 games a season is 27 is not gonna get any better or more productive Get rid and let Twards and Mcgeoch get 20/25 mins and grow into first team players
McCourt Murphy etc epitomise our reluctance or inability to offload non valuable or productive players at the expense of younger hungrier players Oh and are taking monies that could be used to strengthen our first team
Need a bit of help here bhoys and ghirls. My wee brother is in Berlin and is looking for somewhere to watch the home opener tomorrow, any advice would be appreciated
HH
gsu
BRTH
On standing in the rain. I never got wet. :)
I’ve driven past CP a few times in the last couple of weeks on the new road from Dalmarnock Rd over to Parkhead Forge. You can see things beginning to take shape and if they could close down London Rd beween the two stadiums you have a square in and around which proper catering facilities could be built.
However I think it is what is happening in the wide circle outside that centre that is important. I walked past some nice new flats in London Rd beyond Springfield Rd and it is the development of desirable housing to make it all a desireable area that will drive the commercialisation around CP itself.
In short BRTH we need a lot more bums living in the area to keep the square busy on non match days and that process of regeneration still has some way to go.
ASonOfDan on 3 August, 2012 at 15:44 said:
Monaghan1900
We might as well through the EBT case out now…
————–
If I’m ever in any bother, I know who I’ll go to. So often it’s the simple answer that no-one sees.
1000 East Fife fans will follow their team to Ayebrokes on Tuesday night.
TheY have armed themselves with tin foiled replicas of the Scottish and Scottish league,cups.
A banner will read
1 Scottish cup,3 League cups.
We welcome the chase.
A67
Another well written piece again Paul, although I´m a bit confused. You oscillate between the “everything in the garden is lovely” scenario today and the “scottish football is the pits” scenario from recent articles. I hope your retort at the political classes is directed at ex Celtic chairman Dr John Reid. But I suspect you are directing it at Alex Salmond and the SNP again. I always found it a complete contradiction, a leading Labourite running a business. I understand Mr Reid or that is Lord Reid, my how he collects titles, is also a director of failing, but hoping for a contract for the commomwealth games, security firm g4s.
My only suggestion for better business at Celtic park is to try to get more women and girls to come to the stadium. There are many already and the only way for celtic to move on is to leave behind the macho scottish football fan image and breeze into the 21st Century.
I like the Queens Park style new Celtic top for starters
Football belongs to Greater Glasgow.
Andrew67
Brilliant. The more of that thems encoutner the better.
traditionalist88 on 3 August, 2012 at 15:25
You could be right. A clear distinction might hold some sway with Company House.
Judging from spokespersons words it’s seems to be clear cut though. They cant have a name to similar to old one.
Time will tell when Sevco apply for name change with Company House.
I still reckon it’s all a rouse to sell stupid huns season tickets and their plan seems to be working.
Got a hunch on Bangura.
Think he might end up suprise of the season. Players need time to adjust to a new country. Take Petrov, Stubbs for example.
A67- brilliant,watch out for” robust “stewarding at Poundland this season, cos this will catch on.
Auldheid
Close off London Rd, are you nuts? :-) How would I get to work in the morning. As i said before, London Rd between the new road and Springfield Rd should be renamed Jock Stein Way, the tenement on the corner should be bought and demolished, and so should the house and the pub. Tarmac the waste ground (aka the car park) behind the Sevco end to make it a proper car park and a bus park
Do up the school into a visitor centre, cafe, pub, toilets, showers for fans traveling from afar. Along Jock Stein Way and up Kerrydale St erect Flag Poles to fly every league flag, with plenty to spare for future use.
I previously suggested a Celtic Walk of Fame, it seems that the club are trying to bring this in, but with fans with plaques instead of players.
WGS
Admire your confidence but I can’t see it. I don’t even think he’ll see September with us.
Results in the SPL over the weekend?
Celtic, hearts, Dundee Utd, Killie, Murderwell and ICT
Longest tennis match in Olympic history – 3h 58m. Still a bit to go.
rimtimtim
Obviously you are at it with that nonsense of a post.
Monaghan1900
Throw! predicitive text can be a bassa. lol!
greenjedi
Hope you dont mean the Springy Vaults…? :>
River Plate return to the top flight of Argentine football at the weekend after the indignity playing in the second division and will immediately face the team who sent them down a little more than one year ago.
In a quirk football seems to have a habit of producing, the fixture list has paired River with Belgrano on the opening day of the season, the same team who beat them over two legs in a promotion/relegation play-off.
River’s relegation sent shockwaves through the country as it was thought the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had engineered a system which made it impossible for any of the big clubs to go down.
Relegation is decided on a points-per-game average over three years, the logic being that while a big club may have one bad season, they are unlikely to have three in row.
However, beset by financial and organisational problems, River did exactly that and their woes ended with a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Cordoba-based Belgrano in the 2010-11 playoff.
Coached by Matias Almeyda and boosted by the signing of former France international David Trezeguet, who was raised in Buenos Aires, they won promotion at the first attempt last season.
Their presence means the return of the River-Boca derbies, one of the football world’s great fixtures.
Boca themselves will be coming to terms with the departure of talismanic playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who quit the club after they lost the Libertadores Cup final to Corinthians.
ONE WINNER
For the first time since 1990-91, the season will have only one single champion.
The last 21 seasons have been divided into two championships, known as the Apertura (Opening) and Clausura (Closing) with the 20 teams meeting once in each.
This time, the winners of each championship, which will be renamed ‘Inicial’ and ‘Final’, will meet in an end-of-season decider.
It is still not the same as a European league system as the team which has the most points over the whole season may not necessarily win the title. The controversial relegations system remains in place.
Despite the new format, Argentine football remains mired in problems with crowd violence, clubs in financial difficulties and the loss of promising young players to foreign clubs.
This, combined with the short championships, has led to a dramatic leveling out with smaller clubs such as Banfield, Lanus and Arsenal, the defending champions, all winning the title in the last five years.
In an attempt to clamp down on violence, the Argentine government and the AFA announced earlier this week that fans would be electronically finger-printed as they entered stadiums for some games.
The government said it would provide a database of finger prints to help identify troublemakers and keep them out of stadiums.
!!Bada Bing!!
I think he means one that sits itself just along from the old school building. I am always up at Parkhead Cross now if having a drink at the game. Years ago was the pub in question called ‘turnstiles’ or something? Only opened on home games.
A COULD HAVE BEEN A GOLFER :)))
Ps Met two men will golf bags and trollies this morn
Politely asked if they were of to Aberdour :))they looked at me strangely
obviouslynotcqnerscsc
“I’m delighted to be here,” said 27-year-old Scot Black. “The move has been a long time in coming. I was really excited to hear the manager was interested in me.
“Now I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to come and play here. I had a good few other clubs wanting me to sign for them but coming to a club like this is great.
The words of Ian Black after signing for SevCo
The “other clubs” was Birmingham City, who were prepared to give Black £10k a week basic until they learned of the company he keeps at weekends. Cue him crawling back to SevCo to make a deal
And what a deal for a Div3 club
£6,500 a week basic with £1,500 appearance money
Sure hope those SBs are selling fast Charlie
hmmm… Didnae quite work out the way they planned.
Authorities are keen to avoid a repeat of last year’s scenes when pockets of violence broke out in central Dundee caused by Slask Wroclaw supporters who were in the city to watch their side in the same competition.
Although the vast majority of the 2,000 travelling Polish fans were well behaved, there were hotspots of unrest reported throughout the day. Missiles were hurled at shops and pubs, prompting many businesses to close early.
Federation of Dundee United Supporters’ Clubs chairman Scott Innes is not overly concerned by the Russian away support this time round and believes high travel costs will deter troublemakers from making the long journey.
”I am aware of Russian hooligans and have looked on the internet to work out what the situation is with Dinamo Moscow but I haven’t really found anything,” Mr Innes said.
”It seems that it is the other Moscow clubs who have a bigger problem with football hooliganism. To be honest I don’t think there will be a lot of fans travelling over. United fans have looked into the costs involved in going over there for a couple of days and it’s very expensive.
”The game last year was different because there were so many Poles already in the UK who could travel to the game. I am sure there will be some Russians who live here coming to Dundee but not on the same scale.”
Tayside Police say they are expecting far fewer fans at Tannadice than what was witnessed at the Polish game last year.
In a bid to minimise the risk of trouble the force has begun its intelligence gathering.
A spokesman for the police said: ”We are already liaison with the clubs and the Russian authorities. We anticipate around 300 supporters will travel from Moscow with the team.
”In addition we are working with the National Football Focus Group to gauge interest to estimate how many supporters will travel locally.”
Where is the golf leader board??
What sort of site is this.
Turning on SSN to see if Jim White has an update.