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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Sounds like Nir Biton has taken a sore one playing for Israel tonight. Suspected torn thigh muscle?
The Battered Bunnet
18:21 on 5 March, 2014
‘it’s offence at law dates back to S74 of the CJS Act 2003.’
####
I would question whether that section applies to the Orange Order.
On Ukraine
Faults on both sides no doubt
However the west has a bad track record of either backing the wrong type of people
or leading people on without backing them up when push comes to shove
The Crimea was not part of Ukraine until the 1950s when the old SU transferred administrative control to Kiev – although I’m sure that Our Man In Poland will correct me if I’m wrong! – so their claim there would be slim
Without doubt there are some seriously dodgy people on the Ukrainian nationalist side
Hopefully they will be sidelined by genuine democrats.
However the rights of Russian speaking peoples should be safeguarded along with the Ukrainians right to self determination
All in a complex problem and people like Kerry seem to be short on grasping the complexity
Let’s hope that a peaceful and truly democratic Ukraine can emerge without a lot of bloodshed
It strikes me that individuals on both sides would not think a second about killing their own supporters to promote their interests
Being sceptical of the MSM here makes me sceptical of reports from abroad too!
HH
Fourgreenfields.
My own preference is just sit in any seat as long as your at tables 37.38.47.You can never please everyone, and the seating couldn’t have been better, right in front of the Stage where you can heckle the hob knobs on the stage if your that way inclined.
oldtim67
That’s sounds a good idea mate , I’m sure that will work out fine.
Really looking forward to it .
In yet another example of how the recent Ukrainian “revolution” was nothing more than an Anglo-American destabilization of a foreign nation for geopolitical purposes, recent appointments to political posts inside Ukraine should serve as clear evidence of that fact.
In addition to the appointment of national positions to individuals belonging to the neo-Nazi Fascist Svoboda party, RT reports the installment of even more questionable characters, party affiliations aside.
These separate appointments do nothing but solidify any doubt regarding the nature of the “revolution” in Ukraine as the individuals being placed into public office are clearly of the Ukrainian national Oligarchical class.
For instance, the newly appointed Governor of Dnepropetrovsk, Igor Kolomoysky, is widely recognized as Ukraine’s third-wealthiest man, with an official fortune totaling over $2.4 billion. RT reports that Kolymoysky “co-owns the informal commercial group Privat, which includes Ukraine’s largest bank Privatbank, which Kolomoysky heads, as well as assets in the oil, ferroalloys and food industries, agriculture and transport.”
t is also reported that he is a major sponsor of the UDAR party, an organization that was one of the principle groups involved in the street campaign of the Euromaidan movement. Interestingly enough, Kolomoysky is a dual Ukrainian-Israeli citizen, although he manages his business operations out of Switzerland. He was also a former ally of Yulia Tymoshenko.
Kolomosky was accused of taking a hit out on a Ukrainian lawyer in the past, although those charges were dropped. However, after the dismissal of the charges, the lawyer was eventually found shot dead.
Sergey Taruta, the new Governor of the Donetsk region, is likewise a wealthy aristrocrat. Taruta himself is listed as one of the top ten wealthiest Ukrainians. His personal fortune is estimated to be around $2 billion. Taruta is the head of ISD, one of the largest mining and smelting companies on the planet, as well as the owner of the Metallurg Football Club.
Taruta was a backer of Vicktor Yuschenko after the latter was installed by the United States and related networks in the Orange Revolution of 2004.
The new Interior Minister, Arsen Avarkov, is listed as one of the 67th richest men in Ukraine. But what Avarkov lacks in wealth, he makes up for in criminal behavior. Avarkov was formerly wanted by Interpol for the theft of 55 hectares of state land.
Clearly, those Ukrainian people who joined the Euromaidan protests out of ignorance are clearly now feeling a very real sense of disappointment. Unfortunately, while most of the protests were simply engineered and funded by the West from the word go, those who took part hoping for real change have now found themselves in a much worse situation than they were in before.
Might Tim
I’m sad to hear about your lad as he seems a really decent ghuy. I cannot explain what happened, maybe some of the coppers on this site can, but this is not my experience of police in Scotland. I don’t think I’m naive as I’ve been going about for years,and in the days gone by used to sing songs which would now get me lifted, but I’ve never seen anyone get lifted for nothing.
If the police were determined to lift your Bhoy this has eff all to do with any act but is about them being evil.
I hope your lad has good legal representation and those coppers are exposed for what they are. My oldest daughter went to Strathclyde and I’m sure he will have great social and educational time there. All the best to your Bhoy and hopefully a not guilty verdict is the result
What’s the dress code for CQN10?
Can I wear my Spider-Man jammies?
Broony gets stamped on,then the guy tries to nut him,and both get yellow…wtf?
FGF
Gary Og playing in that hidden gem on the Saturday if you fancy making a weekend of it?
Good game on BT 2 ger v chile. 1-0
HH
hamiltontim
No , please Nooooooooooooooooo :-)
rrc:
19:53 on 5 March, 2014
Graham Spiers??
So funny, and so true
hamiltontim
That was in response to the spiderman jammies NOT the hidden gem offer :-)
Zimmerman
To be fair, they went head to head, Broonie overreacted to say the least. Could have had his leg snapped in the original tackle however! Polish lad should have walked.
Fourgreenfields.
There’s only on problem that could arise,That would depend on where John Fallon & Charlie Gallagher plank themselves down, if they choose table 37, a lot will want to sit at that table also.
hamiltontim
I’ll need to see what nick I’m in after drinking with you lot on the Friday :-))
Paul67
re: McCann
Totally agree, re: not building a monument, or naming a stand, to a man with little or no ego, then labelling the Lennoxtown facility “McCann Park” for example, would be, okay, it might be an in-joke amongst some Celtic fans, the media etc, as a potshot at SDM, but it would quickly be a very inappropriate joke as the life of Celtic will hopefully last much longer than Fergus or SDM.
McCann wanted to put Celtic on a sustainable footing, and did so, the best thing the current board of directors can do is to try and keep it that way.
It’s great that Fergus is now seen in the light that he ought to have been seen in by all Celtic fans from the moment the team played their first fixture in front of the North Stand but that’s long since by and by.
It could also be said that just as there is a media love-in now, are the fans being influenced to love Fergus because of the old media, or was the change in perception going to happen anyway and the media are doing what they always say they’re doing, but is actually very, very rarely the case, which is to accurately reflect public opinion.
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar.
Smart Casual, I’m wearing a salmon pink jacket & black trousers.
Bada bing
An informative blog on the Hated Bill.
Thank you
HT
Yessss please yessssss :-))
Billyboy05:
You didn’t answer my question earlier what video are you referring to ?
“I did as BCW suggested and looked at the video but maybe I’m thick I didn’t see anymore anti Celts than anti Rangers, in fact some fholk think we came out of it better.”
“I’ve never seen anyone get lifted for nothing.” Seriously………
CQteN,
For those coming to table I have booked we have tables 6, 7, 15 and 16.
I will be in touch tomorrow to get your postal addresses and allocate seats!
CeltFish, they have arrived.
OT
What tables do you have
Also any idea of last orders ?
oldtim67
It will work out fine , we can’t all sit at the one table .
I’m sure the company will be great at each of the tables.
Much vaunted Daily Record coverage of Scotland game utter crap. Freezes more times than a huge big freezy thing. No way to get a grip on the game.
Feel sorry for the advertisers (demand your money back!!!) who fell for this and DR ……. Aye right!
Maybe Keith Jackson forgot to plug in his adaptor.
oldtim67
20:33 on 5 March, 2014
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar.
Smart Casual, I’m wearing a salmon pink jacket & black trousers.
———
You going to the Polo Lounge after CQN10? :-)
Dunno if it’s just me but what are the rest of CQN’ers experience of our police. Have you seen (or been) lifted for nothing ?
Russian forces invade Ukraine.
It`s all Ukraine`s fault.
FGF
We could always just stay out that way there’s nae hangover :-)
Pfayr
Ok just for you sweet cheeks x
Billy- if you want to see guys being lifted for nothing check out the Gallowgate Kettling videos on you tube- tims lifted for being tims
chasbhoy
Spot on!!
chasbhoy
i’m watching the game on WH Website….good stream there btw.
Billy bhoy
That was before Focus was set up
Focus now seek out offence …often manufacture it …a disgrace …waste of tax payers money and playing games with people’s lives ….all to justify their own existence and keep up the KPI figures
Chasbhoy,
I gave up too. Games are gash on the pc but that took the bisquit.
Bcw,
Nope. Never in my puff have I seen anyone lifted for nothing.
Doc
…. we have tables 6, 7, 15 and 16.
Thanks goodness. I heard that I was in WS1 row Y – closer to Embra and too far from the bar even for me …..
youllhavehadyourtea CSC
PFayr supports WeeOscar.
37.38.47..Even the Doc can’t beat those seats right in the centre. front of the stage.
01.00am is closing time
macjay
We invaded the Falklands – Iraq & NI to name but a few!!