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:
[calameo code=0003901714cb03d5d5808 lang=en page=114 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,863 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 49
- »
Auldheid:
I’m sorry but I just don’t get the point of your last post taking into account the consequential ‘official’ Celtic screw up.
Are you supporting that screw up?
tonydonnelly67
14:07 on
4 March, 2014
If you can’t accept that people are free to comment on the actions of the board, real or rumoured, and express their opinions freely, then you’re at least as unwelcome on here as you perceive HamiltonTim to be.
I can’t recall ever having spoken up in support of another poster before, and I don’t even agree with HT that often but I won’t see free expression closed down on this site.
Celtic,as a club ,did nothing to promote the “Food Bank”organized by the GB.No mention on the week leading up to the collection,no mention on the matchday.
If anyone has proof to the contrary,please let us all know.
Hamiltontim
Could you give some context to your food drive accusation?
Who contacted the Green Brigade? What were the reasons given? Why did they change their minds and allow it?
Turkeybhoy
14:03 on
4 March, 2014
Auldheid
13:43 on
4 March, 2014
Nothing against you,you are only reporting,but I hope I am not alone in saying that the answers to the questions put ,just sound like a load of condescending,politician speak,claptrap.
==================
That may well be so but at least it is a response to draw conclusions from. It did at least provide information on what Celtic are doing.
What I would find disheartening were I John Paul would be going to the effort he has done to try and pull something together and address concerns and then communicate the results, the response is to find fault in them.
It also reinforces a belief that there is no point in communicating with a support who then use whatever is said to reinforce an already held immovable view.
Its like battering yer head off a brick wall.
I’m not arguing your point but I am saying it takes two to tango and if trust is to be built both parties need to be ready to dance, even if feet are trod on occasionally.
hun skelper:
regards your last post…
So that makes it all okay,” they jumped in”?
Without knowing the facts.
ernie lynch
14:07 on 4 March, 2014
tonydonnelly67
14:00 on 4 March, 2014
Not sure what your gripe is here.
Is it the suggestion that Celtic initially offered support for the GB food bank initiative or the suggestion that they subsequently reneged on that offer of support?_____
________________________
There’s a lot of things your not sure off here and I really don’t care what your not sure of, as it has nothing to do with you as you where not mentioned in my post, but if your declaring yourself as back up for the person I did mention, then scroll back and read it again, if your not? Then why you asking me this, tagging up, phfffftttt, gimmi a break.
tonydonnelly67
14:00 on
I have never in all my time reading this blog ever seen HT ever slag the team.
HT, you’re discription of TD was entirely appropriate and warranted.
HT
I’m beginning to come round to TD’s way of thinking…..going to sound you out at CQteN
will be standing behind you taking notes……………in between necessary visits to bar.
kitalba
14:15 on 4 March, 2014
Haha no mate am agreeing with you, they where out of order if they waited on the facts coming out it would have solved a lot of problems and the GB would still be where they belong in Celtic park in section 111 HH
Frank Ryan’s Whiskey – three of us from the same family in Leeds have season tickets sat together. We leave them in Glasgow as we cannot always make the games for various reasons.
In previous years various family members in Glasgow have used the tickets and filled the seats – no charge involved. Most games now the three seats are empty.
We literally cannot give them away.
hun skelper:
apologies my mind is elsewhere.
kitalba
14:13 on
4 March, 2014
Auldheid:
I’m sorry but I just don’t get the point of your last post taking into account the consequential ‘official’ Celtic screw up.
Are you supporting that screw up?
================
By screw up do you mean suspending innocents?
If so then no, it would have been best to establish just who was involved first.
hamiltontim is praying for oscar
14:01 on 4 March, 2014
—
Try and ignore just.
I know from your posts over the years that criticizing celtic in any way wont come easy for yourself.
I think the board are doing excellant job for us financially..
Its plain to see the SFA , focus and stewards have an agenda the past 2/3 seasons against ouf fans and are using every method they can to divide and conquer us.
The board are making a poor effort hence alot of angry posters/fans.
kitalba
14:20 on 4 March, 2014
Haha no problem mate HH
Auldheid:
I’ve just re-read this and apologies if I’m reading it wrong:
No idea but Celtic claim to have overwhelming evidence of folk occupying places they did not have tickets for.
No one at the Supporters Forum challenged the point that reputations were damaged and certainly based on exchanges on CQN no one supported the seat breaking, whilst still supporting the GB.
But people now are challenging Celtic PLC’s damage to the Green Brigades reputation,
do you think in hindsight Celtic PLC’s actions were appropriate?
Not that hindsight would be a prerequisite to a reasonable person.
tomtheleedstim
14:20 on
If you are having difficulty giving them away at any other games this season let me know, my daughter has spent a fortune so far taking the kids to games and buying tickets on the day. A donation to a charity of your choice would be made.
Weeminger
He made serious accusations against my club and it’s board, without any proof or back up, when I’m in here and people start that rubbish, I’m all over them like a rash, it’s Hunnish behaviour, unbecoming of ANY Celtic supporter, opinions are fine, but that was slander against my club, and as in all my years I’ve never saw anything like it, saying that the clubs board credentials are questionable? Gimmi a break, lurking Huns and there like, GIRUY.
And one more time Auldheid
Do you think ‘official’ Celtic have ever lied to us?
Their names are Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, 19, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya, 17. They were once soccer players in the West Bank. Now they are never going to play sports again. Jawhar and Adam were on their way home from a training session in the Faisal al-Husseini Stadium on January 31 when Israeli forces fired upon them as they approached a checkpoint. After being shot repeatedly, they were mauled by checkpoint dogs and then beaten. Ten bullets were put into Jawhar’s feet. Adam took one bullet in each foot. After being transferred from a hospital in Ramallah to King Hussein Medical Center in Amman, they received the news that soccer would no longer be a part of their futures. (Israel’s border patrol maintains that the two young men were about to throw a bomb.)
This is only the latest instance of the targeting of Palestinian soccer players by the Israeli army and security forces. Death, injury or imprisonment has been a reality for several members of the Palestinian national team over the last five years. Just imagine if members of Spain’s top-flight World Cup team had been jailed, shot or killed by another country and imagine the international media outrage that would ensue. Imagine if prospective youth players for Brazil were shot in the feet by the military of another nation. But, tragically, these events along the checkpoints have received little attention on the sports page or beyond.
Much has been written about the psychological effect this kind of targeting has on the occupied territories. Sports represent escape, joy and community, and the Palestinian national soccer team, for a people without a recognized nation, is a source of tremendous pride. To attack the players is to attack the hope that the national team will ever truly have a home.
The Palestinian national football team, which formed in 1998, is currently ranked 144th in the world by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). They have never been higher than 115th. As Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association Jibril al-Rajoub commented bluntly, the problems are rooted in “the occupation’s insistence on destroying Palestinian sport.”
Over the last year, in response to this systematic targeting of Palestinian soccer, al-Rajoub has attempted to assemble forces to give Israel the ultimate sanction and, as he said, “demand the expulsion of Israel from FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.” Al-Rajoub claims the support of Jordan, Qatar, Iran, Oman, Algiers and Tunisia in favor of this move, and promises more countries, with an opportunity at a regional March 14 meeting of Arab states, to organize more support. He has also pledged to make the resolution formal when all the member nations of FIFA meet in Brazil.
Qatar’s place in this, as host of the 2022 World Cup, deserves particular scrutiny. As the first Arab state to host the tournament, they are under fire for the hundreds of construction deaths of Nepalese workers occurring on their watch. As the volume on these concerns rises, Qatar needs all the support in FIFA that they can assemble. Whether they eventually see the path to that support as one that involves confronting or accommodating Israel, will be fascinating to see.
As for Sepp Blatter, he clearly recognizes that there is a problem in the treatment of Palestinian athletes by the Israeli state. Over the last year, he has sought to mediate this issue by convening a committee of Israeli and Palestinian authorities to see if they can come to some kind of agreement about easing the checkpoints and restrictions that keep Palestinian athletes from leaving (and trainers, consultants and coaches from entering) the West Bank and Gaza. Yet al-Rajoub sees no progress. As he said, “This is the way the Israelis are behaving and I see no sign that they have recharged their mental batteries. There is no change on the ground. We are a full FIFA member and have the same rights as all other members.”
The shooting into the feet of Jawhar and Adam has taken a delicate situation and made it an impossible one. Sporting institutions like FIFA and the IOC are always wary about drawing lines in the sand when it comes to the conduct of member nations. But the deliberate targeting of players is seen, even in the corridors of power, as impossible to ignore. As long as Israel subjects Palestinian athletes to detention and violence, their seat at the table of international sports will be never be short of precarious.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/178642/after-latest-incident-israels-future-fifa-uncertain#
HT – hahahahahahah just read back at your reply to TD. PMSL.
timaloy29
14:14 on 4 March, 2014
Hamiltontim
Could you give some context to your food drive accusation?
Who contacted the Green Brigade? What were the reasons given? Why did they change their minds and allow it?
——–
There was contact between the GB and Celtic up until the banner display v AC Milan.
After the media frenzy this dialogue ceased but prior to it the club had stated in emails that they would highlight the food drive. It’s worth pointing out that the initiative was planned well before the events of that night and not as a consequence of it.
Celtic, despite numerous attempts by the GB through email and Twitter made no efforts to do as they had promised.
Tony D
My opinion of you hasn’t changed but it was wrong of me to use that language on CQN. For that I’m sorry.
tonydonnelly67
14:16 on 4 March, 2014
For someone of such advanced years you’re very immature.
That should have read…
Do you think ‘official’ Celtic have ever lied to us?
Is Tony D big Pedro ?
turkeybhoy
14:13 on 4 March, 2014
Celtic,as a club ,did nothing to promote the “Food Bank”organized by the GB.No mention on the week leading up to the collection,no mention on the matchday.
If anyone has proof to the contrary,please let us all know.
________________
No no no no, please no twists on the story, show me proof Celtic hindered it, get it, that means got in the way of it.
hamiltontim is praying for oscar
14:01 on 4 March, 2014
Right, this is happening too frequently and nobody is to blame but me.
I apologise sincerely, once again, for my poor choice of language but I believe those who have read anything I’ve posted in my time on CQN will understand why I responded to Tony D’a post in the manner I did.
Time for a break me thinks.
…………….
I would hope you do not feel the need to leave this blog due to the haranguing of one member.
Your contribution is always welcome.
I may or may not agree all the time but that is what this blog is all about.
It is certainly not about personal insults being thrown at those whose opinion differs from their own.
If Sevco are to be condemned, at best, to existence as a mediocre team, who should the bigots follow, follow? Surely they should simply attach themselves to a stronger establishment team (as happened when Queens Park fell into decline and the Rankers became the official opposition to Celtic), so looks like it is Hearts, oh hold on a second…….need to rethink that one!
BTW Well done to LG, NL and PL!!!!!!!!!!
kitalba
14:23 on
4 March, 2014
After Motherwell, the GB released a statement making it clear that it wasn’t their members but accepting some responsibility for failing to police those that choose to attach themselves [I paraphrase].
The club take their action.
Unless I’ve missed it (despite repeated requests if there was one), there was no official response from the GB decrying the punishment as heavy handed.
I find that interesting, especially in light of the other week when it became clear that they are neither disbanded nor ‘defeated’.
I was going before during and after 9 in a row. The crowds were generally much lower and particularly during the 70s not much excitement as there was nothing to play for because we knew we would win.
I too borrowed £1240 from the coop bank to buy shares. We knew then that this was our chance to rebuild Celtic just like our ancestors had done. The resulting stadium and huge crowds seemed to make it all worthwhile but it’s it’s as disappointing as it’s inevitable that the next generation take it all for granted and can’t imagine us as a club struggling to succeed even in Scotland.
eddieinkirkmichael – get my email address from Paul67 and we can see if it’s possible. I’d have to consult the other two but I don’t think it will be a problem.
HamiltonTim
Can I bring you in here on Kitalba’s point below because we were at the Open Meeting when the GB were asked why they put up the banner that produced the £42K UEFA fine.
If I remember right I thought the GB justified why they did so, but saw it was a mistake in retrospect, but you had a different perception and I do not want to put words in your mouth, but do you remember if the GB apologised to the supporters at that meeting for their action that cost their fellow supporters money (indirectly)
—————-
kitalba
14:04 on
4 March, 2014
Can I repeat that for the hard of hearing…
“Given that no charges were brought against anyone within this group, the suspensions were lifted at the earliest opportunity.”
So did Celtic publically apologise to the Green Brigade?
proudbhoy
14:22 on 4 March, 2014
I really agree with you!!
I’m not anti board, for years I argued against posters who I thought were deliberately critical if the club without foundation.
PL has done a magnificent job in terms of balancing the books.
However, in my honest opinion he is failing Celtic, the club and supporters in many other ways.
Hamiltontim
So for clarity, the club promised to promote the Green Brigade food drive but didn’t do it after the events of the Milan game.
That doesn’t quite explain how they tried to block it.
It looks more like the club trying to distance itself from a group of supporters with a strong political view (as they should in my opinion)
I am adverse to doing this, and you’ve sort of answered without answering and discarded a lot of what I asked, but just for the sake of clarity this is what I asked you earlier:
Auldheid:
Do you honestly believe that ‘official’ Celtic have never lied to the Support, either a downright lie, lies of omission, and/or agenda driven lies of distortion or obfuscation?
Do you believe the Celtic Support in general are educated and lawful enough to handle the truth? Any truth?
Do you think it is right that a select few, who may or may not have been raised with Celtic in their marrow, should dictate bleaching policies to a support without consultation and transparency?
Knowledge, may, or may not, contribute in a Supporter’s decision to sacrifice to purchase a season book. Do you believe it is right for information to be with-held from a committed supporter who struggles like hell to raise the funds to purchase a season book only to discover that his heart and soul have been deceived and his roots dissolved by people who may or may not have been brought up making a fraction of the sacrifices in time, and money, and emotion, and relationships, that the common working class Celtic Supporter has to endure, sometimes in tears too.
Do you think the board at present, to a man, have found occasion to shed tears over the club; from a result perhaps, or maybe from a futility without voice that is heard, as experienced by lifelong Supporter whose tears spring from a foreboding fountain fed from a real, or perceived, systematic disenfranchisement.
Reading McCann’s statement above, is it only Shareholders and season-ticket holders and the affluent and the famous who are now allowed to be accepted as bona-fide Celtic Supporters.
Walk a mile in a poor and humble Celtic Supporter’s shoes Mr Board members. Live for just one day what they sacrifice to keep you your status. And then tell them they are not worthy of the truth.
I have known many Celtic Supporters, most likely everybody has, who have been faced with the choice of a season ticket or a family holiday. Others have been faced with the decision of Christmas presents of substance for the kids or their continued support of Celtic. I have, on more than one occasion watched lifelong Celtic Supporters agonise and cry into their beer over new trainers for the kids or tickets for CL matches.
I have known Celtic Supporters to hawk their valuables just so they can afford to watch the Celtic. I have seen bitter family feuds over how the funds were spent to enrich the club and its employees at the expense of modest needs of the family. I have seen Celtic Supporters in despair, not at their perceived poverty, but at their impotence to further enrich the club, ultimately to their misery and that of their families.
I have also seen, and still do, often on here too, Celtic Supporters of comfortable income mock Celtic Supporters of modest means ability to support in person. And further, endure their heart-embarrassed explanations being subject to disdain and accusations of lie.
Where is that written into our charter or ethos? When did we start to become this materialistic monster? Where is it written that all those who have suffered and endured to better our club should be denied acceptance and confidence just because they don’t match up to somebody, who may, or may not, have Celtic in their marrow, and their snobbish benchmark on some putrid social scale?
And those snobbish twat, who may, or may not, have Celtic in their marrow, is lauded whilst our own poor are ignored at best and milked to despair at worst?
Some Celtic! Without the poor Celtic Supporter you don’t have a club worthy of the name. The poor supporters should get every credence grabbed with big hands by the affluent; or does money buy you privilege in the Celtic Culture today too.
Auldheid
No the GB felt that the situation regarding the criminalisation of the Celtic support had got so bad that they were merited in displaying the banner v AC Milan.
They were aware that it may incur the wrath of EUFA but felt justified in their actions.
I certainly didn’t hear anyone say that it was a mistake mate.
I don’t subscribe to the putrid social scale.