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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Just to make things clear, I will be renewing my ST although I will probably not make all the home games. I have had this ticket for, don’t know how many years, but my bugbear is the early kick offs at home. Especially when they change them at short notice. Having a disabled person at home, and requiring assistance to ensure that person is attended to, plus the work that has to be done in the AM, these early KOs at home are a real pisser. IMHO. If this continues next season, I will probably renege on renewing. Depending, of course, if I’m still with you all. We all have our lifespan don’t ye know. Take care all and have a peaceful night. Night night all. :-)))
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
brogan rogan trevino and hogan supports oscar knox, mackenzie furniss and anyone else who fights neuroblastoma
23:40 on 5 March, 2014
Great answer. I just get the impression we’ve given up trying to buy players from Scottish clubs. I often wondered if it is because we will be accused of trying to weaken our opposition, and we are sensitive to what’s said or written about us.
Brogan,
Shouldn’t you have a definite article in front of ‘Wee Dick’? How I enjoyed Martin O’Neill’s conquering of the little genital and the crooked army.
Neganon
Please yourself.
I can only go by what I am told —– not from Celtic park by the way — although some of what I have just said fits with certain comments from there.
By the way, make no mistake, I think that the Celtic PLC Board can do many things far better than they have done in the past and they are slow ( in the extreme ) to react to the mood of some of the fanbase with the result that they damage their business potential.
But, I don’t buy into the notion of them fostering a return of the Ibrox team — not today anyway — I am not certain they didn’t have an initial position that saw the demise of Rangers as an adverse event.
However, I am pretty certain that one of the fringe benefits of the Rangers debacle is that the PLC board have developed the balls and the confidence to go with a solitary go alone financial strategy rather than a so called joint manoevre with you know who.
But hey– only an opinion.
Right– bed for me as there is work to do in the wee small hours and I need some sleep.
BRTH. Are you trying to suggest that they might have gained something?
Big Packy
I was curious. If I have been insensitive, I will apologise to Weefra personally.
I was referring to Hearts post. :-)
To all you guys who have responded to my posts, there are too many as I have to get into my cot, thank you all sincerely for you interest, and especially to anyone who has been in our position. They can appreciate the wonder of nature. It can be exiting and rewarding, also it can be devastating. Thankfully, nature is wonderful and, being involved in the reproduction of our food chain, we feel very proud. Right, bed now. Night all.
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
delaneys dunky thanks for that goodnight and god bless.
arspapa
22:23 on
5 March, 2014
Scotland!!
i’ m probably in the minority but i feel physically sick that any Celtic player pulls on a Scotland strip ,
——–
Pathetic
Big Packy
GNGB Peaceful Lent.
BRTH
Very interesting . In legal terms there appears fraud and data protection issues at the BoS?
Andy Webster situation not dissimilar .
It still brings me round to my main point Ogilvie had starring roles at both RFC and HErtz , and had involvement in Dunfermline s insolvency through his role as SFA president . It is beyond belief he is still in post.
Weefra
Good night. Funny to think about your (general) location. I always had you further north in my imagination. No reason for it apart from perhaps some of your posts sitting alongside chat about Stornaway black pudding?!?!
HH jamesgang
I speculated often that the OBB was some kind of horse trading going on at a higher level and Celtic were the architects of it with McBrides involvement. That John Reid mistakenly thought they could together and with the right legislation remove the BJK and famine chants culminating in his bullish skirmishes through the media granted. No longer back of the bus etc. While he lords it up were sitting at the back of the bus. I don’t think it has gone unnoticed by many as the debate on this ebbed and flowed. Only recently has it taken on a noticably more reticent element who rather than countenance that argument become prickly. I don’t think its to do with the continued issuing of obvious sound bite and spin statements when necessary rather than desired. Just before Season Ticket renewal. Nothing new so nothing learned I feel. We are still being appeased rather than incorporated. A change is needed. In direction and forgiving and forgetting at first needs a confession otherwise trust will not be restored.
HH
David Robertson went from Aberdeen to the huns ,not Hearts.
Marspapa 23:34
No problem sir.
I just feel that being a Celtic supporter and wishing our players well when they represent their countries should be a natural reaction.
All evening I have scrolled the net to find out how our, Celtic, players were faring for their national squads. I reckon they, Celtic players, want to represent their country as best they can. I always wish them well.
HH
EC67
Morning Timland from a cold hun free mountain valley.
Fair enjoyed watching Spain tonight, they still have it.
And even better news when I got back, I see Broonie got the winner for scotland, delighted for WGS and the rest of the bhoys involved, and I stuck a tenner on them @ haf time, 11/2, that will pay the diesel for a few weeks >}
Free vino and tapas tonight, fair pulled the punters in, I left the bar about half an hour ago, there would have been about a dozen family’s still in there.
WFT has big Fraser got to do to get a game, maybes he should do a Joe and make a few blunders, some just can’t see the woods for the trees, and yet they are charged with managing countrys and clubs, a feckin joke.
Speaking to a Barca man tonight, he is convinced they will buy the big man in the summer, he is a journo down here, not a footy bloke, one of them investigative types, he reckoned they have been talking, the clubs that is, he told me he got it from a footy journo friend of his, we will just have to see how it pans out >}
HH
E=mc2
i’ve tried to explain as best i can , the bigger picture , the SFA hate us
In years gone bye late registrations , the treatment of our manager the referee shambles , Dallas even the anti – catholic views they hold discrimination against our fans the fraudulent ( alledgedly) acts going unquestioned about a certain club all helped by a government turnong a blind eye , it just makes me sick Alec Salmond , CO and the like wee smiley faces scotland done well, they couldnt give a shit about us , if thats pathetic i apologise to all i have offended but thats how i feel .
TET
Sounds like your evening was rather more interesting than most of the rest of us here.
I for one would never begrudge FF a move to a club like Barca. Fair play to the big guy and a pretty penny for us. Just be sure to tell them ‘hands aff’ if they want VVD to replace Puyol!
Glad to hear about your free diesel courtesy of Broonie!
HH jamesgang
TET
Nice spot, Broonie at 8s. Happy and safe free driving. :)
The Exiled Tim
Pal..
As Ah intimated last Night..
Forster, will be gone In the Summer.
Celtic, fans must get used tae the idea.. that
It is awe aboot the Money, Honey!…
n Don’ ye evah furgeet it..
Kojo
Still. Laughin’
Ah wid pit Broonie up fur sale..
Y’now..
Strike when the Fibba Player is Hoat!
But, Ah am kiddin’
Naebuddy,wid pey a Brass Farthin fur HIm..
Sure,they wid tak him oan a Bozoman.. but..
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
EC67
I hate the thought that those who wish us no good profit from us in any way shape or form , you can tell the whole scenario of the SFA and the Government in this has left a bad taste for me , btw thank you for responding ..defo off this time ..ps i’ve no doubt we’ll agree more than disagree on matters to do with Celtic ..toodles:)
Kojo
Why do you want Fraser away? Money?
We have the best fitba spine of any British team if we stick wi Fraser, Virgil, Nir and Leigh, for a few years.
The Great Wall Must Stay in Paradise!
Celticrollercoaster supports the Dambhoys
Sorry for delay I had typed a long reply to you and it got lost somewhere in cyberspace.
Short version
My point was that the management were trying to use my attendance at a meeting as cover for an arbitrary decision to leave our office short of staff so that a flagship project looked good. They came up with “surplus” not by recruiting extra bodies but by the simple exercise of reducing our complement of staff to do an increasing amount of work by changing the ratio of staff to claimants. Also the staff being moved were at the lowest level of the pay scale, people with childcare arrangements etc predicated on working in that office who then had less than a days notice they were being moved.
jamesgang-DD-Kojo
Aye, had a good night, the free vino helped, the game was on coonsil tele, so the bars have to get the punters in, and they did, fair play to them, they coined it in with all the soft drinks the weans were drinking.
I watched the first half of the scotland game and in all honesty couldn’t see us getting beat, and we were always in with a chance, and it was worth a tenner I thot, pity that Bosnia let me down tho, had they won, I would have been looking at a new feckin motor rather than a few weeks free diesel, hey ho, you gambles and takes yer chances >}
I would rather the big man was for staying, but money will dictate, and he is good enough to play top level, he will not go to a mid table team, no matter how much the club want to sell him, he will go to a top team, or he will stay and enhance his profile.
I have met yer man before, and he has never seemed like a bullshitter, an honest bloke who is into his football, he has contacts, and I have no reason to doubt him, in saying that, the language barrier can be a problem at times, but my mate was with me, and he is reasonably fluent and he confirmed what he was saying.
I hope he stays btw.
HH
Sleep beckons, take care and god bless.
HH
KTF
Bedtime for me…No more lurking…waiting for a podium….huh !!
;-)
night night
An interesting podcast with John Paul Taylor
Support Liaison Officer for Celtic
https://soundcloud.com/harrybradycu-2
Good news for anyone interested in THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL.
As I’m not JOBO BALDIE,I’m gonna give you all a weather forecast.
Dry. From now till the end of next week.
Nice wee high-pressure zone quietly building which will take some shifting. So despite the months of rain,we will probably get good/good to soft going. With drying ground.
Ideal for racing,but it’s gonna make reading the last few months from a tad difficult.
Offski,back out at 11am.
http://etims.net/?p=4672
i dont know if this link thingy works or not but if it doesnt get your ass over to ETIMS and read this comic history of the whole rangers thing
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST! DO IT NOW
Morning fae Glasgow Airport,off to the Big Apple,HH
Morning Bhoys.
Delighted for Broonie, concerned about Nir.
International time is a nightmare.
Scotland don’t really float my boat but hope they do well as WGS in charge.
A gentleman and a scholar and a great Celtic mhan!
Bada
I take it didnae get a Ruggie taxi to the airport :-)
Have a great time big fella!
Bada
Have a good trip buddy
HT-Burghbhoy-thanks,bumped inti an ex gaffer ,who resigned over very dubious internet content…..
HT-Couldnae afford him…:))
Good morning friends from a damp, drizzly and grey East Kilbride. 8 more sleeps…