After winning their four League Cup group games, Partick Thistle were battered on the opening day of the Championship at St Johnstone. A draw followed against Morton, but since then they won their three games against Ayr United, Ross County and Raith Rovers. St Johnstone look to be in a league of their own this season, but if Thistle win their game in hand, they will move three points clear of the pack in second place.
That means they are in form and will relish the chance of a home cup tie against League Cup holders and Scottish champions, Celtic. The wild weather due in Glasgow over the weekend will also give encouragement to the home side.
On paper, Thistle should not offer much resistance to Celtic. They don’t have the kind of money that even the likes of Kairat possess; I looked back a decade in Transfermarkt but there was not a single paid incomer in that period. You will recognise one of the frees they brought this summer – Tony Watt. 13 years after that goal, Tony signed for Thistle, the 14th senior club he has appeared for, which is quite a stat for a player who is still only 31.
Whatever ails Tony, he is a player who has talent which is greater than his messy CV suggests. He is good on the ball, can roll a defender and knows how to make the most of a big stage.
You and me might go on about 1967, but when Thistle fans indulge in history, it’s a League Cup game against Celtic they talk about. Celtic were red hot favourites that day but went down to a record final defeat. Learn from history and book a place in the semis, Celtic.
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Do you think PL 20 + years MN 4yrs and Neds many of whom have been directors for 10+ years need more time to put things right that are wrong?
If I respond I get deleted
Res12/FSR/Punch&Judy = more boring guff that nobody will apply to the huns.
Chairbhoy, you do realise this was an RNS announcement and not a simple press release on the Celtic website?
To accuse a chairman of any PLC of using “random” figures in his/her statement to the stock exchange is pretty serious.
To accuse him of using “random” figures I can only assume you can prove what the actual figure is?
no rules apply to the huns
Auldheid @ 9:35 pm,
From the published figures.
The Group’s revenue comprised £,000:
Football and Stadium Operations 61,202
Merchandising 30,061
Multimedia and Other Commercial Activities 52,334
The total of the revenue £143.6 mn, is mainly from football related activities.
If the total operating expenses is £117.1 mn it is some 80% of football revenue, then no way could we be breaching the FSR, not even close.
Of course, if you want to get the figures for FSR – what you need to do is extract the spending on player and coach wages and agent fees.
Add to that the amortised player transfer fees for 2024-25.
Then you would have your FSR figure.
Of course the annual results don’t go into that sort of detail, nor do they have a section on FSR compliance.
Yet, if you look at the cost control rule, which restricts spending on player and coach wages, transfers, and agent fees to 80% of club revenues.
It is hard to see that Celtic’s figure for last year would be over 50% of Club revenues while 80% was allowed.
Hail Hail
Must say, Brendan’s presser today was amongst the best I’ve ever seen.
An absolute FU to the press etc who are looking for a chink/chasm in our armoury.
See the people that come on here and skag P67 every day….are you the type of people who sit in a pub every day snd slag the landlord?….I think you are and that’s not a great look fotlr you.
I’ve never met P67 bit he leylts me spout my nonsense on his site regularly.
Listen guys…..P67 believes every word he says….he’s obviously a successful dude and believes what he thinks/says/types.
It’s moronic in the extreme to say he does anyone’s bidding/messaging.
Skag=slag sorry
glendalystonsils on 19th September 2025 8:03 pm
If Peter Lawwell is staying then it’s bye bye Brendan
*his contract is up at the seasons end
Thats why dodgy Rodgers throws the huns some bones.
CalMac leftback at ibrox to give Gerrard a victory throwing dim Tims under the bus.
Russell Martin 2 weeks ago SCF/KIARAK pish all over again.
Rodgers is the leak – prove me wrong.
Serious question….what would be considered NON FOOTBALL RELATED INCOME, apart from an investment or donation?…
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM @ 9:46 pm,
You do know what random means don’t you?
So stop talking nonsense.
I didn’t say the figures were inaccurate.
Hail Hail
Not a lot on telly tonight, decided to watch the last 1/2 hour of the Killie game.
Spent more time seeing if I can notice someone in the crowd that I knew than rather watch the game 🙃
Adjusting for inflation, our top 3 years for revenue (& profit) in the Club’s history, have been : 2025, 2018 & 2024.
Brendan Rodgers delivers trophies and record financial results.
Let’s do everything to keep him beyond this season.
ontine Tim on 19th September 2025 9:52 pm
glendalystonsils on 19th September 2025 8:03 pm
If Peter Lawwell is staying then it’s bye bye Brendan
*his contract is up at the seasons end
…….
How many clubs did we fight off during the summer to hold on to Rodgers?
And premier sports has crashed 😳
Tontine Tim
Tontine Tim
It will be interesting to see what happens at season’s end . I think there’s as much chance that both PL and BR will stay as there is of one or both going .
There will be changes , but it’s more than personnel changes required if we are to have learned anything from our mistakes .
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11781/13434259/celtic-chief-executive-michael-nicholson-says-the-clubs-board-take-the-responsibility-for-failing-to-reach-the-champions-league
“ It’s a kinda random* figure that the Chairman is using to counter the current supporters disquiet with the money being invested in the squad”.
What is the simple definition of random: adjective. proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern. the random selection of numbers. Synonyms: fortuitous, chance, haphazard.
If the Chairman’s figure is “random”, you must know the actual figure to make that accusation?
Just reading back, I think it far more likely that were Peter Lawwell to stand down – the announcement will be made at the AGM, not in the year end financial statements.
Serious question….what would be considered NON FOOTBALL RELATED INCOME, apart from an investment or donation?…
Asked that question earlier…
I’ll try it another way….
What part of Celtics turnover is considered non football related?…
An Dún on 19th September 2025 10:03 pm
Just reading back, I think it far more likely that were Peter Lawwell to stand down – the announcement will be made at the AGM, not in the year end financial statements.
………
Maybe Lawwell wouldn’t have played tippy-tappy brain drain with the resources that he gave Rodgers last season if he was manager and we might have shown that we know more than one way to play which wouldn’t have been so easily sussed and low blocked.
celtic40me on 19th September 2025 8:53 pm
AULDHEID on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2025 8:32 PM
My comment was more about how much we’ve spent on players who’ve had so little impact.
I remember talking to you about it a while ago but I’ve forgotten the finer detail of the regs and how it relates to our figures. I had always thought that a sensible player trading model would guarantee enough income to make sure that we were never in danger of being in breach. Perhaps a year or two of the sort of irresponsible thinking that we’re seeing now could be mitigated by the sensible heads guaranteeing we’re still sticking to the model enough to stay safe, coupled with the increase in European revenue the new format brings, but if what you’re saying is that we’re in a bit of trouble I will try and make more sense of it all.
If you aren’t I apologise but I’ll still try and get my head around it.
Of course getting to a really accurate ratio will be difficult seeing as we’ve got limited access to all the figures
=================
Another 150% correct. The accounts do not give a clear picture of squad costs which is question shareholders should ask at the AGM. Rangers separate players wages from other non footballing staff.
However and this surprises me but its AI generated based on previous years and increase since
Squad cost (Player+ head coach/coaches wages + Amortisation of player registrations +Agent/intermediary fees )exvcnon football staff youth, womens team infrastructure etc) if £65.6M in 23/24 rose by 7-10% first team wages probably around £70m.
Amortisation was £11.5m in 23/24 and with a higher spend could be around £13m to £14M Agent fees £3m to £4m . That provides an ESTIMATED squad cost of £86 to£88 million leaving a headroom of £27m to be accounted for.
If income drops to £100m (but may be higher depending on player sales) and providing £70m to spend and squad cost stay the same (but they wont because players sold will be replaced by players on smaller transfer fees and wages to both boost earnings and reduce squad costs ) then Celtic would be in breach by £86 to £88m.
When folk say FSR is boring and of no relevance to recruiting yet demand why is the money not spent, I can understand this information, all my own work btw as I’ve posted about FSR ever since it came in in 2022 as some will recognise), being as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit and so dismissed dismissed but its the sustainable reality Celtic operate in ever since 2004 long before FSR. It also explains the failure over the years of not signing players in the days of qualification, now back , because of risk of not qualifying.
Take the above as an estimate not a prediction of doom Celtuc40me, that once confirmed and absorbed will show the total reliance between the Board and the support on each other to keep Celtic relevant.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM @ 10:01 pm,
The Chairman mentioned total player investment over the last three years in his statement.
”Over the past three years to 30 June 2025, total investment in player registrations including committed agent fees has totalled £77.5m”.
Where is the equivalent figure in previous years?
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2024/september/16/celtic-plc-annual-results-for-year-ended-june-30–2024/
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2023/september/18/celtic-plc-annual-results-for-year-ended-june-30–2023/
Go do your scaremongering on someone else, you’ll get no truck from me.
Hail Hail
If DD speaks to the fans and Keevins is correct….the end of the DD ers could be around the corner hmmmm.
https://readceltic.com/2025/09/19/hugh-keevins-seems-to-think-dermot-desmond-will-speak-to-celtic-fans/
If DD leaves then what?
Sir Willie Haughey?
David Low is a bad omen.
Will wee Barry be back to send Rodgers packing?
https://celtsarehere.com/focus-on-celtic-barry-ferguson-slams-brendan-rodgers-criticism/
Maybe there will be a leak.
What a club, haggle over a few hundered thousand on players whislt giving 12 millions to the taxman. The celtic way. Anyone think this is celtic’s way of saying thank you for ao much fun these past 12 years lol.
Still due balance of 8 million (owed vs owe). So real time balance at that point was more likely 85 million to June 30th.
For the umpteen time the board know they need to look at the transfer strategy, timing etc. At what point do they think they should be held do account for the yearly failure in the transfer market? Thats about 10 years and counting.
Brass neck is what they have.
St mirren win 5 3 on pens.
31003 on 19th September 2025 10:10 pm
Serious question….what would be considered NON FOOTBALL RELATED INCOME, apart from an investment or donation?…
Asked that question earlier…I’ll try it another way….What part of Celtics turnover is considered non football related?…
*I’ve seen it happen in commercial industry but it is a bit hard to define here, for me it has to be revenue derived from sales of goods and advertising etc
Auldheid
Can I direct this question to you?
Serious question….what would be considered NON FOOTBALL RELATED INCOME, apart from an investment or donation?…
Asked that question earlier…
I’ll try it another way….
What part of Celtics turnover is considered non football related?…
AULDHEID on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2025 10:13 PM
“The accounts do not give a clear picture of squad costs which is question shareholders should ask at the AGM.”
I dont think we’ll ever get that. Brendan Rodgers wont want people to know how much he gets paid, same with Calmac and anyone else, which is how it should be, far too commercially sensitive. I’ve always been taught to not bother at all if you dont have all the figures as estimates shouldn’t be used as the basis for anything, but it sounds like it might be worth it in this case. But only if its based on published accounts, not football websites or hearsay.
“Rangers separate players wages from other non footballing staff.”
I would call bullshit on anything they say except for whats in the audited accounts. I dont think you’ll see that from the Americans, although old habits die hard with The Huns.
“When folk say FSR is boring and of no relevance to recruiting yet demand why is the money not spent, I can understand this information, all my own work btw as I’ve posted about FSR ever since it came in in 2022 as some will recognise), being as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit and so dismissed dismissed but its the sustainable reality Celtic operate in ever since 2004 long before FSR. It also explains the failure over the years of not signing players in the days of qualification, now back , because of risk of not qualifying.”
I am aware of your efforts, and it’s not boring or irrelevant at all. Its very much needed, now more than ever. I’m tired and fluey and cant take anything in anymore but when I get a chance I will revisit what you’ve posted and try and come back with my thoughts on it and hopefully add something of my own.
Tontine Tim
Thanks for answering…I was typing at the same time your answer came through…
It’s the bit I don’t understand…
A 50p gross profit on a pie sold on the premises is still football related income to me….its bought by a supporter of the club…..wouldn’t be bought unless he was there to buy it while watching the game….
Next years account will still show profit, just not 34 million.
No significant spent on plan ainfustructure, not next year. No champions league player bonuses. Lower profit = significantly less tax = a modest profit.
We have already started the ball rolling with 18 million in profit for sales. This appears to be the Celtic boards model.
Other than a cash investment or donation I imagine every bit of turnover is “football related”
AGM`s a Celtic have been staged since Brian Dempsey cut himself loose from insincere Fergus`s 49 faced sinking ship disaster movie.
31003 @ 10:31 pm,
Auldheid posted this yesterday evening….
Auldheid on 18th September 2025 6:45 pm,
“Chairbhoy
B2B
Wrong or I should retire.
The calculation Swiss Ramble did when asked on X was to take the top line entry in the accounts as his start point.
As most of the income comes from
ST sales.
Matchday earnings
Merchandising
Broadcasting
Player sales
I think what is not earned from those sources are earnings from football so using the top line is a reasonable start point.
That is then reduced by the relevant %cap to arrive at what can be spent but remain sustainable. The balance of income pays for the running of Celtic.
That however begs the question why did Celtic not spend to that limit which I have set out in my thoughts in reply to wee Ron
This then leaves Dessybhoy’s question to be answered. How is rest disposed of.
I would ask
Having understood forward planning as part of the reason for not spending to the cap ceiling and
knowing that the money outside the cap is spent on operating expenses,
what is the balance that Celtic couldn’t or failed to spend and why
and how was it disposed of and accounted for in the accounts?
Hail Hail
If you get into bed with Adidas….tic toc!