I wasn’t engaged in Celtic politics 20 years ago, never attended the Celts for Change meetings and I wasn’t there to hear ‘The rebels have won!’ in person, but it was clear the Celtic Movement had achieved a remarkable revolution.
The old board’s biggest failing was its lack of strategy. 20 years on Fergus McCann rightly receives the plaudits for putting his money where his mouth was but until that very week he was merely one cog in the machine. Celts for Change were the advance party, others, such as McCann and John Keane were the generals, playing a critical role in the revolution, while the circa 30,000 fans who came forward to buy season tickets and shares were the foot soldiers who did the heavy lifting.
It cost £620 to participate in the subsequent share issue. People borrowed money in order to do their bit – in order to help Celtic, while others clubbed together to raise the target amount. This was an era when credit was even less pervasive as it has been in recent years. Thousands ‘did without’ to make this happen, and no one knew this more than Fergus.
The Revolution came 20 years after Jock Stein’s world record nine-in-a-row, but the intervening period brought obscurity in Europe, only once did we progress beyond Christmas and that was after overcoming Dundalk and Partizan Tirana. Six league titles were won.
The 20 years since have produced nine titles, with another in the oven, while former directors of former clubs are talking about the prospect of Celtic winning 10-in-a-row. We’ve had Seville, and lots of genuinely great achievements in the Champions League. It has been a fantastic two decades.
The one thing Fergus drove most thoroughly was his vision of the club’s social mission. Bhoys against Bigotry and Celtic Charity were launched and put squarely in the middle of who we are as a club. The renamed Celtic Foundation has grown and now engages thousands of fans each year in outstanding feats of generosity. If we are not ‘just another club’ this is the reason. If you’re not involved, get involved.
Over the years I’ve heard talk about a monument to Fergus, which would be entirely inappropriate, the man is a low-profile pragmatist, but we’re overlooking the biggest monument in sport. When he took over as managing director, Celtic Park was a magnificent football arena but fit only for our memories. We needed a safe, all-seater stadium. He raised £14m at a share issue, built the biggest football stadium in Britain apart from the decrepit Wembley, and left five years later with the club around £2.5m in debt.
It was an economic miracle which still beggars belief. I cannot explain how on earth this was achieved.
So Fergus, take a bow, you were years ahead of your time; ruthlessly uncompromising, just when we needed the same, but to those who only wanted to do their bit, without a wish for credit or glory, treat yourself this Pancake Tuesday, you deserve it. Every goal since is down to you.
Congratulations to Peter Lawwell on his appointment to the executive board of the European Club Association (ECA), alongside Bayern’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Milan’s Umberto Gandini, Ajax’ van der Sar and Ivan Gazidis of Arsenal; a heavy-hitting team. The appointment reflects not only on Peter Lawwell but on the fans and everyone who makes the club what it is.
Celtic are the club who more than any other in Europe have been disenfranchised by the drift of football success away from meritocracy to TV markets. Denied access to the TV markets neighbours enjoy, their status will inevitably decline further compared to those in other territories.
Do the ECA care? They will now. If football is to continue its 150 year tradition as a meritocratic sport, structural change must come. Celtic have been promoting this message consistently for years, so the ECA know who they have invited into the room. Let’s get on with it.
Seville, The Celtic Movement, launches this month.
“The long walk home from the game was memorable for the incredible reaction we got from the locals. They applauded each of us as we walked past their homes in recognition of what took place in their city throughout the day. Things like this don’t happen but that day was different. Seville, like Lisbon, will always remember Celtic.”
Order yours below:
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My final post for the moment.
IMO, anyone who is bored with the football on display at Celtic Park does not like football. Forster? Efe? Virgil? Emilio? Biton? Forrest? Griffiths? Boring??
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Auldheid
16:39 on 4 March, 2014
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
Only Artur Boruc the Pole Cat was missing there (well the wolverine too but I’m buggered if I can fit that in, unless we give Leigh Griffiths that accolade?)
A wolverine is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself
in Australia it’s called A KITALBA !!!!!!!!! pity we can’t set one free for a few mins in the BRAZEN HEAD.
Auldheid
I have loads of crazy ideas.
Hahahahaha
LB
Thats what I was reacting to. Now who knows this may have been some years ago but yet again, your naievete in being unable to grasp that there may be occasions where the club could do things better is incredibly short sighted
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Well that’s kinda my point, let it gooooooooooo, I’m in the here and now, although, some in here would want to debate that.
mickbhoy1888:’How much of a crowd do you think that they could muster at racecourses around the country if on the majority their business days they were running one horse races with no competition whatsoever’
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Do the majority of match going Celtic supporters only go in the hope of winning a few bob or do we go for the love of the club and the game? P1sh analogy. Maybe some supporters have some serious soul searching to do.
tonydonnelly67
17:01 on
4 March, 2014
Thats what I was reacting to. Now who knows this may have been some years ago but yet again, your naievete in being unable to grasp that there may be occasions where the club could do things better is incredibly short sighted
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Well that’s kinda my point, let it gooooooooooo, I’m in the here and now, although, some in here would want to debate that.
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It is here and now that we are facing dwindling attendances.
Will be in the Dolphin from 19:30 this evening if anyone’s up for a pint.
It is here and now that we are facing dwindling attendances.
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Strange that this subject is way up there on Hun media, and the SMSM sites and blogs, jist saying like.
Thank you Fergus
Paul you are correct when you call the old board out for their lack of strategy they did not have a plan for anything other than self preservation,as noted in the NTV extract they made the error of thinking they were Celtic and all we had to do was pay them,my contempt for the Michael Kelly, Chris White and other board members still holds to this day for the perilous and near fatal position they put our club in with their share lockdown agreements and self preservation.
I am glad we rebelled and mobilised ourselves,and questioned,and questioned again,its what we Celts do and continue to do to this day.To question and offer dissenting opinion is in our DNA.That energy and all those strands of dissent were ably utilised and cogently put together by Fergus.
I thank him for restating our ambition as a football club.For someone whose first memory of Celtic was going to see the european cup coming back, those 2 years prior to Fergus taking over were harsh,we were rudderless at board level and our MSM knew this and thought it easy to pick off Celtic in contrast to the leverage addict over on the southside.
They went on a steep learning curve about Celtic.(one they still do not understand).I do not believe it was a miracle Paul.We worked together as one for the betterment of Celtic guided by a Fergus and we got a return.
It struck me coming out of dalmarnock station the other week heading to ticket office.I just stood back and said wow!
What a venue,what a fantastic symbol we have as an identity.my how we have come a long way since our formation.
Always in Celtic
An T
Canamalar – wish I was in The Smiddy tonight. Probably in on Sat.
This would never catch on with the SFA.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26433231
Premier League rules re: players’ remuneration
T.12. Full details of a player’s remuneration including all benefits to which he is entitled whether in cash or in kind shall be set out in his contract.
T.13. The terms of a contract between a club and a player shall be strictly adhered to.
An T-thank the Lord for a good post.HH
tonydonnelly67
There are a whole host of issues between supporters, the club and the authorities at the moment which are certainly a factor affecting attendance levels at matches.
Compromise between all parties could bring about a resolution but you seem happy to join in the mudslinging of the Celtic support rather than admit that there may, just may, be fault on ALL sides.
Thats whats strange.
An tearmann, very good post, well done.
paddybhoy1888 not sure if you seen my post love the hat thank you! Good luck to your bhoy tonight
Drambowiecelt
16:20 on 4 March, 2014
Thank you brother
Ron Bacardi
16:18 on
4 March, 2014
Sorry I took so long to come back – got caught up with work.
To cut a massively convoluted tale short, where there was high demand for away or cup tickets at neutral grounds supporters clubs were supposed to get only a % of those applied for so that there would be a more even distribution among all fans.
When there wasn’t time to do the balloting properly some clubs would get 100% of the tickets applied for – it meant less time was spent checking individual supporter records to see who would go into the ballots.
To do it properly in the timescales might have meant not all tickets getting out the office in time.
Nothing completely scandalous, but at the same time the kind of thing that would have left some fans aggrieved.
Who else is at table 12 at CQ10? Hail Hail Hebcelt
weeminger
17:18 on 4 March, 2014
“Sorry I took so long to come back – got caught up with work.”
Not good enough. You need to get your priorities right ;-)
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
17:05
Will be in the Dolphin from 19:30 this evening if anyone’s up for a pint.
Strange that, i’ll be in the Boulevard in Burgas at exactly the same time canamalar.-)))
favourite uncle
yer wolverine might just make it into the brazen….no guarantee its getting back out…
Can’t get my head round a supporter no going to a game when there’s nothing stopping him, totally against the supporters ethos I would think ?
Supporters support the team !!!!
I do like the wide range of topics on here, yesterday it was the financial mismanagement of a Scottish third tier team, today it’s the European club executive, poles apart from each other, the irony was really brought to me last night when in mixed company the view was what right has lawell got to sit in such esteemed company, the silence was deafening when I retorted “I wonder if and when someone from any other Scottish club will be invited?” oh how my daddy laughed ( god rest him)
Compromise between all parties could bring about a resolution but you seem happy to join in the mudslinging of the Celtic support rather than admit that there may, just may, be fault on ALL sides.
Thats whats strange.
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No no no no, my god, Angel of death take me now, I don’t speak for anyone, I speak for me Tony Donnelly, BUT! All I do in here is stick up for my club, my team, my board, my manager, and PL now that’s it no more of this silly stuff making up who you think I am or what I am, I’m happy with everything Celtic right now, sorry if some feel diff. But that’s up to them, and if they come in here ripping up there knitting, slagging anything Celtic I don’t agree with am inti them, get it, can’t make it any plainer.
Tom…,
If you were in the smiddy I’d still be in the dolphin :o)
Burgas..,
Looks like we’ll be going to different pub together
Carlos Puyol leaving Barca at the end of the season.
A decent backup for big Virgil or Efe I think.
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=5529
Celtic Football Club statement http://t.co/y7m94UlXaa (NM)
Surprise statement
CELTIC have called for a review of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Grounds Act to be brought forward and have labelled it ´unhelpful and counter-productive´.
The Scottish Government introduced the legislation in 2012 and promised a review after two full football seasons of operation. However, Celtic believe that there is already sufficient evidence of the Act´s ´unhelpfulness and negative impacts´ to justify an immediate review with action to follow.
Celtic have all along opposed this legislation which has been used to create a general presumption that different laws should apply to football supporters as distinct from society as a whole.
This has inevitably led to a sense of discrimination across Scottish football and has brought the law into disrepute when tested in the criminal courts. It has also acted as a barrier to our own efforts to encourage supporters to behave in a way which is consistent with the club´s proud history and reputation.
We believe the Scottish Government should review, as a matter of urgency, the way in which this unhelpful and counter-productive Act is operating.
Celtic have always valued a positive relationship with the police and we are concerned that they too have now been put in the position of enforcing legislation which is provocative and does not command widespread respect.
The Scottish Government has conceded the need to review the workings of the legislation but we see no need for delay since there is plenty of evidence available, not least from the comments of Sheriffs who have had to deal with cases arising from it.
It would be helpful if the new season could kick off in August with these issues resolved so that everyone could concentrate on promoting the best possible environment for Scottish football and marginalising unwelcome influences which attach themselves to it.
Canamalar – hehehe!
Celtic have released a statement re the OBA asking for an immediate review! Not before time!
Auldheid
16:07 on
4 March, 2014
Now on FFP, there are 76 clubs who fail the rules this season. I see from TBB that some clubs with £50M debt are still allowed in and that is where FFP fails but the amount of debt allowable drops each year to £30M + £5M in 2018/19 and if offending clubs that are not meeting that year on year reduction are excluded then wages that are debt fueled will drop.
Hi there
Has Uefa’s report on FFP been fully published.do you have a link? Thanks in advance
HH
masty is neil lennon and both of us are supporting wee Oscar
you ref. WEE COMMY by any chance.
!!Bada Bing!!
17:30 on
4 March, 2014
Celtic Football Club statement http://t.co/y7m94UlXaa (NM)
Surprise statement
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Indeed,I’m surprised but very pleased,no divisions between Club and support should be the objective.
wee john’s ,ma mucker
Celtic have released a statement re the OBA asking for an immediate review! Not before time!
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As predicted, lol, big Peter pulls a stroke, waits to we are in the third month of a referendum vote, and BOOM! Playing a binder big man, well done Celtic. But some like minx1888 just can’t wait to make it a negative move, as I keep saying, soooo predictable.
Excellent statement from Celtic regards the OB act. Better late than never,eh?
Surely in this new spirit we can expect a comprehensive statement on the cheating Hun and SFA corruption , eh?
Na me either
Tony d………Minx is correct ,not before time, Celtic should have done this earlier,do you not agree ?