Congratulations to who originally penned: “We shall not be move, not by the Hearts, the Hibs or The Rangers, erm, we’ll not be moved, OK?” Celtic stand alone, our historic rivals, those who half a century ago denied our grandparents, are gone. Do we have a perfect season ahead? Maybe not, but it will be a unique historical joy nonetheless.
Some of the chat yesterday was that the Premiership would be poorer without Hibernian next season, but anyone who watched Hamilton out-pass and out-play them on Sunday wouldn’t think so. Hibs have offered nothing of note to league football for years. Terry Butcher has got practically everything wrong since arriving at Easter Road but his post-match comment, that perhaps his team needed relegation to thoroughly clear the decks.
Whatever Hibs are they are not competition to Celtic. Our domestic competition next season will come from Aberdeen, Dundee United and Motherwell. United and Aberdeen both finished the season poorly after showing considerable promise early on. Expect Jackie McNamara and Derek McInnes to build on their work over the last year.
If you were an aspiring Championship club you will not have welcomed the Accies result on Sunday. Now clear of their administration travails Hearts have the strongest squad in next season’s Championship. They will also be solvent, able to build on their squad and are likely to sell more season tickets than anyone else in the league.
Hibs’ newly recruited chief exec, Leann Dempster, is potentially the clubs most important recruit in 10 years. She will surely attempt to fit her successful Motherwell template onto the Edinburgh club – and may even have more resources at her disposal.
Queens and Falkirk know they are up against it in their bid for promotion next season but they are two well-run clubs who will have an influence on who does go up. I’m not even prepared to consider anyone else for the promotion spots, some just don’t have the players, some don’t have the management, some don’t have the money to end the season. Some are afflicted by all three ailments.
With the potential of a rejuvenated Hibs making next season’s play-offs, Premiership clubs will spend the next 11 months anticipating the very real possibility that it’s odds on that two clubs will go down next season. Accies and Dundee look more than a match for St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Partick Thistle. While Celtic will win the league comfortably, we’re likely to see intense competition between Motherwell, Aberdeen and United for the ‘Best of the Rest’ badge, and between the other eight clubs to stay up.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Now that we are moving into the marching season, whit about a wee gift for the Orangeman in your life….
http://www.savvymummys.co.uk/deal/default/bowler-hat-light-cover?utm_source=OfferCreation&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Offer_377442
desertbhoy:’The main aim is get into CL group stage… Anything else is a bonus and the domestic scene will ta ke care of itself.’
———————————–
As with recent years that IS the first aim of the season.
I think this time CL may be a bonus, however. Expecting upheaval but I think Mackay may be best placed to come in and hit the ground running, giving us the best chance of qualification.
Otherwise, maybe a pop at the Europa will have to do.
HH
Thoughts from a daily lurker…
Scottish football, not Celtic, will prevent any manager with ambition from coming to ply his trade north of the border.
There is nothing here for a professional manager to entice him to come to the back water that is Scottish fitba.
The lure of European football will be offset by the small budget and financial restraint any new boss will face at CP, one of the biggest reasons Lenny left, imo of course.
I in no way blame Celtic for this, there can be no sense in throwing millions to chance the imposable dream of European success, the current custodians are not too far away with their current governance of our club, through in one or two players to excite the fans and I would have no issues.
I strongly believe that as the only club in Scotland with any sort of influence, we need to take the lead in a total re-build of the game up here.
The game is dying a slow death; I have never known the amount of bhoys that no longer wish to go to CP, even with the offer of FREE tickets.
My own thoughts on improvement, with the knowledge that this may have short term effects on Europe would be-
1. Summer football, we want to promote the game as a family day out, in this day and age no parent wishes to take there kids to sit in the freezing cold of winter.
2. A minimum of 4 home grown boys in the starting 11, the talent is there, no doubt, but the pressure on the manager to win stops this happening so take the decision out of his hands.
3. Although there has been recent price reductions, they are not enough, it should cost no more than £500 a year for a family of four to go to the game, bottom line is the entertainment on view is not worth anymore.
4. Catering facilities need to be drastically improved. I have been reading this site for about 5 years and catering is always up there as a source of complaint for fans, shocking really that the dross they serve at the price they charge has been allowed to go on for so long.
5. Last but most important. Get a proper plan together to get us the hell out of here, something well structured that can be backed by the fans. I don’t care if it’s the Premiership, Championship or some sort of Atlantic League, just get something done.
I don’t know about you guy’s but the apathy for the game with guy’s I work and drink with I have never known, even during the 90’s. Down the pub for a few pints has never been more appealing to a lot of fholks than travelling the short distance to CP.
HailHail
marspapa @ 13.06
if we hire a rookie e.g. Henrik, Jackie, paul Hartley then expectations are league only, if we hire an experienced manager e.g. Hiddink, Moyes, Steve Clarke then expectations go up to CL qualification, a cup and the league.
Desertbhoy
I think everthing is against in the CL q’s manager ? ttansfers in and out ? Murrayfield all these factors i feel will hinder us in qualifying :)
P.s thanks for replying bud …..
The Minister for Silly Walks
Cowiebhoy 12.06 last thread.
I think Celtic were right no to keep Sammy on the terms of his previous contract.
Neil Lennon obviously disagreed .
TT
marspapa
13:06 on 27 May, 2014
Afternoon Paul67
Will you be dissapointed if we only win the league again next year ? Any other CQN’rs views on next seasons aims ?
…………………………………………..
Nothing less than world domination is acceptable as far as I’m concerned
Marspapa
How you doing bud?
The treble of League, Scottish cup and Europa cup, would do for me. Play the U20s in the League cup.
sipsini
Hope yer well buddy, and haven’t been locked out the house since the last time!
:-)
That’s a bit like BMCUW missing the last train to wherever he was trying to get to!
How’s Cesar the cat doing?
Still fighting the magpies?!
HH!!
Mars…. CL q is a must… Otherwise the rest is meaningless and will deteriorate seaso after season.
KevJungle
“Tsk…awe the CQN-clique have goat
dodgy mails.
Who’da funk it? Eh?”
Cannae be true. I never got one and I keep being told I’m in a clique.
Maybe Ive been drummed oot in a secret meeting. You know what these cliques are like.
Paul67
Have u no one you would like o see get the celtic job.. A realistic target that you think would do a good job ?
Steve clarke
Mackay
Are my realistic ones
I’ll only be happy if we win the domestic treble Europa league AND Champions league this season.
If we don’t, ahm tellin ma Mammy!
rock tree bhoy
Good points made , i hopw i’m surprised and get a manager we fans deserve !! He’ll get my support from the off whoever it is and see how it goes from there ;)
Cheers nud
The Cartoon intake of cash shows me , we are all in need of cheering up for one reason or another , as kevj says , “aff oot ‘ ;))
celtictom
I think what will save the game here is the fans – we have seen the potential of the Aberdeens, Dundee Utds etc. That can be built on.
Youngsters will be played out of neccessity because unrealistic sums will no longer be paid to average foreigners.
We should NOT move to a summer league unless every other league is too because you do NOT want a League of Ireland scenario where your league is going on during a World Cup/European Championship and no one bats an eyelid.
HH
Bud not nud
Now that made me laugh , jeez ….aff oot
marspapa
Relegated to the most competitive league in Scotland :0)
delaneys dunky
Caught your cameo appearance on SSN.
Superb performance!
A handsome articulate Tim.
Would not have expected anything less!
Pleasure to have met you, and yer bhoy, at the hootenanny.
HH!!
http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Criminals-cash-changing-lives-with-Street-Soccer-Scotland-cdc.aspx
Not matter if you like wee Eck or not, this hopefully will allow some kids at the foodbank end of the spectrum to play football
marspapa
The League is our number one priority.
CL group stages and third place to enable us to play in Europa League after Christmas.
Scottish Cup win to give fans a big day out at the end of the season.
The League Cup does not matter. Play youth team and guys who don’t get regular syart in all games.
Delaneys Dunky
Play the U20s in the League cup.
Agree with this. And we should request entry at 2nd round instead of 3rd round to give our youngsters more experience of competitive football
clique noun \ˈklēk, ˈklik\
: a small group of people who spend time together and who are not friendly to other people
Robert Ruane · Top Commenter · SUNY Oswego
I looked this up because a group I belong to online is cliquish–I feel that I have a great deal to contribute to the group (about popular music), but most of the other members feel otherwise. It is their loss.
Reply · · May 21 at 7:14pm
Tallybhoy
Thank you kind sir.
Must be my Polish/Irish genes.
Pleasure to meet your good self.
You Italian stallion you! :))
Marspapa
The League is a must.
A Scottish Cup would be nice.
Not too fussed by the LC or The Treble
Would like to qualify for CL and aim for 3rd at least. Failing that would prefer to get into the Europa League and have European competition post Xmas. At the moment the easiest route to getting Europa League is to aim to lose your final CL qualifier as finishing even 3rd in CL groups is a tough task.
I would never want my club to aim for failure. I am just saying I would not be horribly depressed by use of the safety net of Europa while we are not in a strong position to dent the glass ceiling that is the CL last 8.
Dunky…. Most people would go for Levi’s or wranglers
traditionalist88
Summer league I know is a personal preference. Our European games start in July; it would make sense to me to have the league start prior to this with a shutdown over December, Jan and Feb.
Condense the season with more midweek games at the start of the season when schools are still on holiday to free up time to work round the World cup and European championships.
I agree to a point with the fans saving the game, this season has shown there is an interest if teams like the ones you mention show a little improvement but I fear this will be short lived. Aberdeen and Dundee utd do not have and never will have the budget to challenge us, in the same way we lack in European terms.
We are in a one horse league that does not fill the Celtic fans with excitement. So whilst these teams may improve their gate by a few thousand Celtic will continue to loose a few from ours.
There are no easy answers but the way things are going for Celtic is not good, we are on a downward spiral that no one seems able to sort.
HailHail
Hi Ghuys and Ghirls,
My email account was hacked this morning and I have been inundated with texts and phone calls to warn me.
Password changed, thank you to all on here who were willing to help if it was genuine. knocked out by your concern. Would you believe a friend in Edinburgh was on his way to a western union establishment to transfer money to Portugal. I was able to stop him in time
after chastising him for being duped I realised that he supports Sevco and has really not got a grip on reality and he obviously remembers a certain DM being duped for a £1
HH all CQN,ers
Celtic Tom
a good post with a few good points, keep it up!
if anyone at Celtic thinks that the days of 60,000 naw 50,000 naw 40,000 will just turn up regardless are still here, then they need a serious rethink
its a turbulent time, and a time for creative thinking, im not sure how much of that exists at the highest level, but something will need to be done to stop the downward spiral of attendances at CP.
I would like to add that live TV coverage needs to stop because its just too easy to watch the game in the comfort of the hoose or in the pub at a fraction of the price
If you want to see celtic then you should need to go to see them, How much do we get in TV cash every year? maybe 2 million a season? We are selling ourselves short IMO anyway.
celtictom
see what your’e saying but this is a downward spiral I’d have taken 5 years ago
HH
SPL will be interesting next season.
Dons / M-well / DU / StJ all have either form or resources behind them.
Tayside now has a three team mini league.
Hamilton has some local competition across the M74.
The two weakest teams look to be Killie and StM.
Stagnating at all levels with little sign of life.
As always the club / PL need to find a growth agenda.
The mainstream food offering at CP is a total disaster.
Two birds / One stone = Pay the living wage to attract interested people.
Get the useless shirt and tie officer class to put some effort in.
CL Group is the priority,but due to lack of investment ,and willingness to try for last 16,i would prioritise the Treble as opposed to a possible hiding if we did progress to last 16.
P67
all very well…but …given that Lenny has moved on ..will winning the league be enough for the next CFC manager to win MOTY ?
Bada Bing
nevermind the last 16 ..we got a hiding in the group stages last season …
No group stages and PL has to go.
It is the foundation of the club at the moment.
The 53K rock that was the season ticket numbers of 10 years ago has been wasted.
Lots of hard work required next season to stabilise the crowds.
A rather obvious question:
Given that the 2nd tier of Scottish football has now been designated “The Most Competitive League” in Scotland, exactly what prize are all these quality teams competing for?
To gain access to the Top Flight of Scottish football.
If the Top Flight is so lowly valued, why are all these ‘quality teams’ trying to get there?
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/ibrox-fans-put-their-shirts-on-change-164189n.24269432
More than 500 have been snapped up in the first few days of sales, with around £8 of the £32 pricetag given to the Rangers Supporters Trust, which already has 557,000 shares in the League One champions, to increase their stake.
Seems even the union of fans can’t help but get the beaks wet at the expense of them. Surely it’s not costing them £24 a time to make these jerseys, which makes you think someone is making some money out of this!
Mea,
You’ve got a good point.
But theres a huge difference between ‘competitive’ and ‘best’ imo.