The new second force, 3 school kitchens paid for, CQteN Dream Team

I had some difficulty explaining to my boys why I wanted Aberdeen to win the League Cup yesterday, the desirability of having an even-stronger Aberdeen was lost on them after last month’s chastening experiences.

There are those who will tell you Scottish football, and Celtic in particular, need a strong Sevco.  That argument is incorrect and ultimately futile, there isn’t going to be a strong Sevco, not in this decade, anyway.  What Celtic would benefit most from is if those 40,000 Aberdeen fans fortify their club, which subsequently transforms into an increased football budget.  They will hopefully land their own version of the treble this season, two cups and the Best of the Rest title.

If that helps them to shift 20,000 season tickets this summer, their status as the second force in the land will be cemented.

Kilmarnock fans will, almost to a man, be delighted to hear Michael Johnston is stepping down as chairman, although he will remain on the board.  The corresponding clearing of their £9.4m debt in a deal with new investor, Billy Bowie, means there is one less financial basket case in Scotland.

Still buzzing after CQteN.  I’ll announced the confirmed figure raised for Mary’s Meals Malawi appeal later in the week but I can confirm that on top of the school kitchen at the Kholoni Primary School (pictured below), we have money in to build a kitchen at St Joseph’s Boys School, Kasungu, and Chiphaso Boys School, also in Kasungu.

Yet again your generosity went above and beyond the call.  Thank you.  If you were not involved earlier you can change that here.

Thanks to Paddybhoy1888, who did a fantastic job with the beanies, more on this soon.  The Academy Award goes BJmac, for his outstanding video of the CQteN Dream Team.  The video featured every player to represent Celtic in the 10 years of the blog, which the 11 members of the Dream Team, with manager and subs, selected by you.  You’ll enjoy it:

We still have some raffle prizes to announce and distribute, so check the blog for the rest of the week as winners will be notified.

Seville, the Celtic Movement, was launched on Friday, to some pretty decent reviews.

“I watched Sean dance animatedly with sheer delight on his face. At that moment any regrets I still had about not actually getting to Seville vanished. I would not have wanted to have missed the chance to celebrate with my own, as well as, the Celtic family.”

Order yours here: