You asked for it, many of you campaigned for it. All of you debated it, expressed a view on it and now your wish has been granted. The SPL voted 10-1 against parachuting Sevco into the league next season, with only Sevco itself voting for, and the Loyal Resisters abstaining.
Our fellow SPL clubs have spoken “unequivocally”, as have their fans. To be fair to fans of former club, Rangers, many of them wanted no part in this shoddy arrangement.
Having won the argument we must now win the future. As Celtic said in their statement yesterday:
“During Celtic’s long and illustrious 125-year history, there have been periods of difficulty. At these times, our supporters have always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Club. We need our supporters to be with us now, more than ever.
“We know our own supporters will be acutely aware of the significant challenges that lie ahead. We enter next season as Champions of Scotland and look ahead to retaining our title and to making an impact in a European context. We know how difficult this will be and we call on our supporters to join us in tackling these challenges, to take their place at Celtic Park, to invest in the Club and to continue to give us the kind of support for which they are renowned.”
The call has been made. Now, more than any time apart from when Fergus issued a similar call in 1994, you need to step forward and buy a season ticket for the champions and only club in Scotland who have played their entire history in top flight football.
The important debate isn’t about Newco anymore, it’s now about Celtic.
I’ve read the doom and scaremongering this morning, some of which is downright inappropriate. The grassroots fans who raised their voices and brought about this situation now have a responsibility to ensure our common future is successful.
There are many desperate for all or some of the 10 clubs who voted No yesterday to fail. We have to ensure all succeed. The forward plan for Celtic has to be a forward plan for Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell and the rest.
All of these teams need a solution which allows them play competitive football in front of packed stadiums and to retain the talent they develop well into maturity. Any plan which does not aim for this will fail.
If we achieve this, yesterday’s vote will be the day foundations were laid for a stunning sporting achievement.
More later.
I don’t need to tell any of you about Oscar Knox, the three-year-old who is currently going through chemotherapy. We have all been touched by his photographs and TV appearance, while his dad has kept us up to date on the blog.
If you think our football club is worth stepping forward for, I make no apologies for asking you to dig deep twice today and remember why the entire Celtic project started. Take a read at Oscar’s blog and get involved.
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stflannansbg on 5 July, 2012 at 12:47 said:
No mate,you are wrong there.
Rangers do still exist,and they still play in the SPL.According to the Daily Record that is.In fact…everything is brand new down Ibrox way
It is just remarkable,their insane,delusional refusal to accept reality.
Jabba eh? Jabba,Jabba,Jabba you just can’t accept they are no more.
They have also banned any comments on Sevco.
GIRFUT.
Night Night from Australia
Paul says:
There are many desperate for all or some of the 10 clubs who voted No yesterday to fail. We have to ensure all succeed. The forward plan for Celtic has to be a forward plan for Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell and the rest.
Couldn`t agree more.
I suggested more or less the same a few days back.
A bit of nastiness ensued.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon on 5 July, 2012 at 13:01 said:
Gordon, I think if Sevco end up in the SFL3 it will be the catalyst to reducing the number of leagues pronto so that they spend a minimum of 2 years out of the SPL rather than 3.
mrob1967 on 5 July, 2012 at 12:44 said:
I saw Viva Elvis last month in las Vegas, and “I just can’t help believing” how good it was. If anyone goes before August this year get tickets. An amazing show.
***
The Beatles show is also amazing even if – like me – you are not a huge fan.
Thanks for the reply RaRaRasputin
£16million will be lost to Scottish football. As my ole history teacher used to say “Show me your evidence”. God bless you Michael Murphy!!
Chris McLaughlin @BBCchrismclaug
The Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston tells me he believes the majority of SFL chairman want newco #Rangers in Div 3.
They shouldn’t be anywhere I believe until all investigations are completed, they should be suspended until the results are in from all different investigations, only then will we have some idea of what actually went on and how far reaching it was…
It’s like giving an addict the keys to your new house after he emptied your old house..
When it comes to considering the financial implications of a no vote by SFL, consider this, following the ‘leadership’ of the ‘mighty Rangers’ is what caused this shambles.
Every club in the land who tried to keep up with their spending has only 1 thing to thank them for: total disaster.
You also have to consider who is advising you about the pros and cons about your decision? The very same people who were running the game which brought about this total shambles.
If your business has been run into the ground, facing total oblivion, would you really take advice from the people who put you there?
This is what happened last month to Darlington FC:
“Darlington FC were placed in administration by former chairman Raj Singh in January 2012, with DFC 1883 Ltd to save the club from liquidation and ensured it would complete the 2011-12 season.
However despite the group’s efforts to acquire a Company Voluntary Arrangement to allow the club to come out of administration the bid was unsuccessful.
That failure to acquire a CVA meant the Football Conference refused DFC 1883 entry into their divisions.
In addition DFC 1883 Ltd bought assets from the football club and set up a new holding company, putting the former club into liquidation.
The FA ruled that the club be demoted to step five of the pyramid, and as the former club no longer exists would need to change their name.” (BBC Website)
They are also barred from the FA Cup and FA Vase tournaments.
HH
TLK
Mea Culpa on 5 July, 2012 at 12:52 said:
When it comes to the choices for the SFL to ponder, don’t get conned into thinking it is should we admit Sevco to Div 1 or Div 3.
The choice is, which of the applicants who are applying to join the SFL should be given approval.
***
Have any other clubs applied? I hope so, although I am sure the normal closing date for that is well past (March 31st?)
Ghuys,
At the heart of Regans’ sackable comments in respect of ‘social unrest’ , appear to be the SKY jockeys and their threat to pull the plug in some shape or form the season after next , if Dignity are not in the 2nd tier of Scottish football.
As a commercial organisation, they are perfectly entitled to set out their requirements but that is all they are doing, they are not telling the SPL and SFA do to anything; the football authorities and the clubs must make a judgement call. It seems as though Doncaster and Regan have already decided to maintain the SKY £ , all bets are off, rules are for whimps and that they will re-organise the league and ‘place’ Dignity(RIP) into an SPL2.
Any alternative approach / version of events is to be swept aside and crushed.
It seems to me that in this internet age , what we need is some openness and honesty from the football authorities , however they are all now exposed as hopelessly compromised by either bending to the SKY £ or fearful / supporting Dignity(RIP) inability to keep the civil peace.
First, step is to flush the SKY position out in the open, and given the money they obtain from Scotland versus the pitiful amount on the SPL Contract then colectively we are in strong position. Alex Thomson shoudl have a go at this however, I expect he will be fobbed off with some PR spin about commercial confidentiality ……….. a campaign is required here to get on SKYs case.
Secondly, Regan must be challenged directly over his “unrest” comments, as with the build up to the SPL vote, someone other than the Celtic board needs to run with this…….. the first opportunty will be for the SFL clubs will almost to a man, vote NO to Dignity (RIP) playing in any league and laying the gaunlet down to Regan to ride rough shode over the leagues.
Secondly, there needs to be a clear re-focus on the mind-blowing cheating that has taken place over the last 12 + years by Dignity(RIP) and there needs to be pressure placed on the football authorities to do the following:
– A condition of APPLICATION to the league is that NEWCO accept nay punishments handed out to Dignity(RIP)
– NEWCO pay any football debts owed by Dignity(RIP)
– Transfer embargo affects NEWCO and lasts for 12 months or until the last o/s transfer is paid, whichever takes the longest
– No decision on NEWCO is possible until all investigations by the SPL, and SFA on Dignity(RIP) are completed and any appeals exhausted
– Specifically, the dual contract investigation is concluded
– Specifically, the FTT verdict is returned ,a s they may indicate new charges.
Regan needs to grow a pair and set out a timetable for an investigation of the past sins , as the investigations are likely to reveal cheating at an unprecedented level, which will in turn require expulsion from the league for Dignity(RIP) and therefore NEWCO, playing in BLUE at Ipox.
How can the SFL vote Dignity in when the SFA may suspend them?
or…. wait a minute Regan has already broken cover on that! Time to update his CV
backtoworkcfc
Celtic Football Club: The long road to Damascus
Sounds like Cowdenbeath Sevoc would be the perfect marriage. Found this on the Tayside Courier website regarding trouble at a recent Arbroath match:
“Cowden fans to blame 100% well in fact they weren’t fans, not one of them had a cowden scarf or top on. They were spoiling for trouble. I seen them assault an old man when he asked them to move and when another man stepped in they attacked him 5 on 1 in front of children and elderly. Cowardly scum.”
Followed in the comments by a very hun response of ‘poor stewarding’.
CELTIC Football Club is delighted to announce that it is to play Inter Milan in a high-profile glamour match at Celtic Park, kicking-off Celtic´s 125th anniversary celebrations in style.
The match will take place on Saturday, July 28, with a 1:30pm kick-off.
Italian Serie-A giants Inter will bring their star-studded international line up to Celtic Park and the fixture will also re-kindle memories of Celtic´s greatest achievement, when we became the first British club to lift the European Cup, the biggest prize in club football.
There will be a number of other activities around the match for supporters and members of the Lisbon Lions team will be present to join in the celebrations.
Celtic Manager Neil Lennon said: “History is something to respect and to cherish and we are delighted therefore to be celebrating 125 years of Celtic in such a manner.
“The match will be a magnificent event where we welcome some top players to Glasgow and, of course, honour those who have played such an important role in Celtic´s past.
“It is magnificent that Celtic is able to bring such a big name to Scottish football and I am sure this will be an occasion which our supporters, across many generations, will wish to experience.
“From my perspective, as well as being a very poignant fixture, this will also be a real test for my team and one they are looking forward to immensely.
“The next few weeks are very important to us as we prepare for the new season and, of course, European football – the match against Inter will be an important element in our preparation.”
Celtic Legend and Ambassador Billy McNeill added: “This will be a tremendous occasion and one which all the Lions are looking forward to immensely.
“Myself and the other members of the Lisbon Lions team are fortunate enough to have a place in Celtic´s history and we are very proud to have played our part in the last 125 years.
“Celtic in our minds will always be one of the world´s greatest clubs in terms of its origins, its proud history of success, its spirit and of course its supporters.
“It will be all these things which we will celebrate on July 28 and what better way to do it, than against one of the other great names in European football”.
Ticket Prices for the match are as follows:
Season Book Holders: £15 adults and £5 concessions
Non-season book holders: £20 and £10 concessions
These will be available firstly to season book holders and can be purchased from 9:30am tomorrow (Friday) at the Celtic Park ticket office, on http://www.celticfc.net or by calling 0871 226 1888*
Tickets are on general sale to non-season book holders from Friday, July 13.
Is the 28th July also not the start of the Ramsdens Cup? :)
macjay: ‘I suggested more or less the same a few days back’
Macjay, unless there were other posts I missed, your suggestion was that Celtic supporters be ‘openhearted with our fellow Scottish fans’. Its a nice thought but as I suggested at the time not entirely realistic as those of use who experience hostility at the majority of away venues will testify.
Paul67 is hinting that the clubs themselves have a forward plan to boost the league and football generally in Scotland. I don’t think any of us have a problem with that.
To think though we are suddenly about to have a love in with fans of other clubs is fanciful, maybe if you meet any on Bondi Beach you can have a laugh about the huns but for fans of other clubs it will be business as usual when Celtic are in town.
Celtic first, Celtic last, and Celtic Overall.
HH
Am I right in saying that Brown’s first bid was going to be funded by a Celtic supporting property developer?
His second bid will be funded by the supporters of a defunct football team when no share issue has been proposed never mind subscribed to?
And they wonder why Green said naw.
It is worth re-stating that a battle has been won but not the war.
sevco should fail the test of SFA membership and should therefore not be playing anywhere next season.
In fact, a complete break is exactly what is required. This would put to bed the idea that there is any continuity between RFC 1872 and sevco 2012.
The question has now been framed Div1 or Div 3? as if this is the actual choice.
In fact, either of the above has NO PLACE at the INTEGRITY TABLE as BOTH options are fudge compromises to allow sevco to use the previous assets of RFC 1872 in order to by-pass the actual rules of football in Scotland.
Both Goram and Brown have now stated that they understand (know?) that the Div 1 deal has already been voted on and agreed. That must have come from soemwhere (whether it is accurate or not). I don’t believe they are ‘selling’ this but genuinely believe it has been done.
RFC in Div 1 would be a disatster and a kick in the haw maws for all those fans who have tried to put integrity first.
Div 3 appears to be an ‘acceptable’ compromise, but this is NOT INTEGRITY, it is BYPASS still.
IF Regan and Doncaster can continue to act in this way they MUST have support from member clubs and STAFF to whom they are accountable. If this wasn’t the case then they would be getting pulled in and told to deliver the line as required.
Either both are being given enough rope to hang themselves over this or there is complicity underneath. I’d be happier with re-assurance that Riley, Lawell etc who form part of the governing boards intend to hold these chancers to account.
So far, there is littler evidence that either man is under any internal pressure to hold an INTEGRITY line as articulated by the CLUBS. They have continually operated AGAINST the expressed wishes of their members and sought to provide and maintain a diametrically opposed position to that.
I want to hear noises that seek a BREAK, not a choice between 2 SFL levels, for Continuity Rangers.
I want EVERYONE, including them, to understand and ACCEPT that and future sevco club is an entirely new entity and NOT a continuation.
The only way to achieve that is to get sponsored by Kit Kat. Take a BREAK. Come back in a year and we’ll think about it when the hysteria has died down.
HH
The Prince of Goalkeepers,
Probably true – but a smaller number of leagues doesn’t necessarily mean less clubs
Celtic to play Inter Milan on Saturday 28th July at 1.30pm.
Ticket Prices for the match are as follows:
Season Book Holders: £15 adults and £5 concessions
Non-season book holders: £20 and £10 concessions
A bit much IMO to charge ST holders for what will be a training session v possibly second string Inter team.A plea for our support to back the club has gone out,we have responded in great numbers.I hope the Reamonn Gormley/Thai Tims or similar benefit from this game now.I know Norwich and CL qualifier are included in ST, but given what has recently taken place, a bit much to charge the punters again.Tim Hat on.
Ten Men Won The League,
I think someone said that they would be away to Brechin if they are in the SFL by then.
Celtic v Inter Milan, Brechin v Sevco. What a lovely contrast.
Picked up the following on an Aberdeen fans forum. Thought it interesting
Posted 04 Jul 2012 16:10
Support For Turnbull Hutton
Folks, yesterday I suggested that it would be a good, if token, gesture to offer some financial assiatance to Raith Rovers as a show of appreciation for the integrity and willingness to stand up to the bullying of Newco/Doncaster/etc by Turnbull Hutton in the form of sponsoring one of their players.For £200, we sponsor one of their players home or away shirts and in return we receive a name check in their match programme every edition for the season, a signed shirt from the player and a meet and greet to pick up
Myself and two friends offline have pledged to get involved and a few other mentioned their interest yesterday.
What I propose is that we split the cost between how ever many of us sign up, we provide a name for the programme along the lines of “Aberdeen Against Cheating Huns” and then gift the shirt and meet and greet session back to Raith to gift to a local charity as a raffle prize.
Anyone keen to contribute, email me at jwhimster@gmail.com
ComplainQuoteReply
thestoogeUser is Offline Posts: 17,176Liked: 5 times in 5 postsJoined: December 2006Hall of Fame5 year member 20
Posted 04 Jul 2012 21:17
re: Support For Turnbull Hutton
No problem mainly, just drop me an email tomorrow.
That’s 17 in now I think.
At £20 a head for the majority (the option for less is obviously open too), already gives us more than enough for a Raith package. Indeed we can already afford a Clyde package too.
As it stands, my preference would be to get the Raith shirt, do the same for Clyde, if we’ve got enough then keep going through the sides who have openly spoken out against the corruption until funds are low and then donate the remainder to an anti-bullying charity.
Ill email everyone tomorrow who has indicated they want to contribute.
Did anyone see Goram on SNN and if so what did he say
HAIL HAIL
Bada Bing
Inter will be charging a hefty appearance fee to come over for this game. As part of the contract they will be required to bring the majority of their first team squad
£15 is a decent price imo
Leftclicktic
He asked if Gazza had brought enough chicken and cans of Special Brew for two!
James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on 5 July, 2012 at 11:27 said:
Thanks for your kind words yesterday, I was too busy to respond. I look forward to future rivalry between clubs without the poison and being able to console myself if beaten, that it was because we were poor, or the opposition better, and not feel inside I was being mocked by an inferior club using malpractice, fear and favour for their own ends.
On UEFA paying for integrity I’ve tweeted out the notion in the form of an invoice and hope it might take off but the thinking behind that that takes me to another point re the business model that failed.
In my opinion there were two factors at play, the hunnish hubris that made it difficult for them to accept being second but, possibly more than that. was the distance that the title winning club puts between itself and the rest if it goes on a winning run which, if the rewards are reinvested in players, could be perpetual, creating the conditions that have contributed to the ruination of Rangers and the fear of an uncompetitive league as a result.
It was obvious from comparing figures from 2000 to 2011 that in 2009, had Rangers not spent £29M in 2007 and 2008 to build the team that won three in trot (in spite of having the £24M tax bill through the letter box in 2008) that they would have gone into administration in 2009.
The way CL money was all taken by the title winner was in fact a major contributing factor to the failure of the Scottish football model because it did two things
a) it created a gap between first and second that was self perpetuating after a while.
b) it made the trailing club reckless in pursuit of breaking the cycle and created the conditions were Rangers embarked on a series of foolish decisions, first on tax/ebt in 2000 and then avoiding the consequences to fund players in 2007/08.
Simply put the distribution of CL money was a major factor in the failure of the current model.
A couple of things have changed since 2000.
a) The realisation that Celtic will not generate enough cash to compete with debt rich (now there’s a contradiction in terms) and TV rich clubs in the later stages of the CL.
b) getting to the CL after winning a title is no longer guaranteed.
The former makes spending all CL income on players in a vain pursuit questionable (one more Daimler on the player’s driveway) and the latter means not the same competitive changing sums that from the CL contributed to if not caused the old model to fail.
Not getting CL money is therefore not necessarily a bad thing in domestic competitive terms but if we are to reach CL standard (and I hope we will, there is nothing like a CL night at CP) we must be aware of the domestic competitive damage that being in the CL on a regular basis is causing the game in Scotland. The rewards for CL qualifying group entry or more accurately the distribution of them are themselves damaging Scottish football.
It is because UEFA have contributed to the conditions that have ruined our game that I think it legitimate to ask them to make reparation particularly as it upholds a key UEFA value, but regardless of the “now” some thought needs to be put towards any future sharing not only by UEFA/SFA/Celtic etc but by the Celtic support because it would be insanity to build into any future model the same seeds that destroyed the last one.
There have been many serendipity events over the past couple of years, the realisation that good does exist in other clubs and they are not all mini hvns but devoted fans like ourselves but also I believe, as a result of blogs, a much more enlightened fan base who understand football as a business and what holds it together and what pulls it apart. I therefore think the conditions for agreeing a better share out of CL qualifying group money now exist and it would be folly not to explore the best share and then introduce it.
You will remember this from an earlier CQN mag.
Modern football is like a description of a scene from hell where a visitor looks into one room and sees an emaciated group around a table on which is set a large pot full of stew. They cannot eat because their arms have been set straight at the elbow and elongated so that they cannot get a spoon in their mouths. It is a miserable place. Then the visitor goes upstairs and enters a similar room with occupants similarly handicapped, but where everyone is well fed and contented. “How can this be?” he asks his guide. “Well downstairs all their energies are spent in the nigh impossible task of feeding their insatiable hunger, whilst up here they simply feed each other.”
lct
He said HaiL HaiL????
great times and well done to all who spoke out against the cheats
if they do go into division 3 would that mean celtic will be happy to stay in scotland or if they go into division 1 will it give celtic stronger case to get out ?
while seeing sevco punished for all they have done i would prefer us out of the
league as the main priority.
with the call to celtic fans to back the club financially i have always said i would like
celtic to have a seperate members club or something similar where fans can donate a certain amount each month.. the money could be built up over couple years and split across important things that celtic need, percentage to wages, percentage to youth, percentage to charity. stadium upkeep or anther statue outside the ground or basically just money there for when we need it.
this is just a quick idea that would need alot of work done to it but as someone who has never lived in scotland i like im sure many others wouldnt mind contributing each month as we cannot physically make parkhead on a regular basis.
to kick the member club off maybe each supprters club could be asked to hold a function to raise money, with the amount of clubs throughout the world if each club raised around 500quid each that would be a great foundation to start on.
if something like this really took off and the club,charities and fans benifited from it then we would be a force to be reckoned with.
proud of my country
proud of my people
proud of my club
HT
:)))))
Its just there’s a post on deadclub media saying Bummer told him its div1 with no sanctions(Iknow I know)
He is just repeating bummers twisted comments on clyde last night about what Regan said and twisting it to suit the lunatic element.
Gazza only brought 1 house coat and 2 fishing rods.
stflannansbg,
Your timeline and experiences mirror my own.
St. Agnes, Lambhill.
From your list of deviant refs, you omitted Jack Mowat.
He was the arch villain of our youth, who was rewarded for his services by getting the Real v Eintracht 1960. Final.
He went on the become the ref supervisor. The Hugh Dallas of his day.
Leftclicktic
He also said that Brown would be putting in another bid next week which would meet Green’s demands and that he wouldn’t be able to renage on this (I can’t see why not, nothing has been signed).
He also claimed that there was a vote of no confidence in Green at last night’s meeting.
Gordon_J@13:21
Indeed
And while we unfurl the league flag at home to Aberdeen, they will possibly( if they are in a league) be away to Peterhead
Towards the end of last season,with the league already won.
We were defeated at Tannadice.
I watched Hooper,Commons and Stokes ,stroll through the match.
The need to compete was gone.
For those predicting a 30 point league win.
My view is that we will win it,but that it won’t be by the huge margin that some people are predicting.
We will give some young guys a run out.
We will rest players before Euro ties.
Some players will have the dge taken off their game ,by their personal view that it’s all too easy.
Nice innit. (;-)
TT
Following the recent SPL synod and the consequential KB , Rangers (Deceased) are officially no longer an SPL team, you’d think newsnow would remove them from their SPL page.
Leftclicktic
Don’t know about the ‘no sanctions’ part but he did claim that as far as he’s aware it’s going to be 1st division.
hamiltontim@13:35
I’m sure i read in the tweets from that RFFF meeting, that Green was applauded from the room. Brown was twice told to sit down as he was making an archie of himself
Now surely Bomber isn’t telling Two Andys a pack of lies to make himself look good? :)
Have newco thot abt a new name yet? Surely they cant go thru “life” being called newco? newco 1 Forfar 3…. Annan 4 newco 0… Albion Rovers 7 newco 1.. Like that one me does!!
May I suggest Glasgow Dodgers? Note how ive let them keep half their name.
Dodgers. Theyve dodged paying tax, dodged paying transfer fees..dodged.paying for tickets, dodged paying N I contributions, dodged paying hundreds of creditors, Im sure you Bhoys can come up a few more.
Yes its Glasgow Dodgers for me!!