SENTINELCELTS

Happy Friday folks.
The news our Captain shall move onto pastures new and more than likely play against us next season broke after the bones of the main article had been laid out, and being of such stature it’s only right he receives an article dedicated to him when he does hit the road.
As such I will only touch briefly upon the not so unsurprising announcement.
 
I’m glad for a few different reasons. Perhaps the biggest was fear of falling back onto the old guard next year due to lack of bodies coming in. Fielding a middle of Broony, Bitton, and Rogic next campaign would give me a heart attack, at least one of those is out of the picture now.
 
Next, a succession is best without the previous incumbent on the scene I believe.
If Broony is walking around that dressing room gee-ing everybody up as usual, how is new guy supposed to state clearly and with conviction I’m Captain here to the group. Out with the old and in with the new as the saying goes. Transition periods happen in business but the outgoer merely shows the ropes then departs, Broony is a strong character and it’s that void needs filled and is part of the next guy’s role.
 
I’m delighted for him, and The Dons have done well for this may help cement them as the nations third biggest club. If it does it was an easy price to pay.
I’m happy he will experience a different environment also, for just staying in house will limit the knowledge, or at least does for most. He’s more than welcome to go gain the necessary experience elsewhere then return another time if he can bring something to the table.
Watching Celtic run out without you will be strange.
 
The main article though was my thoughts on Dermots thoughts. As the learned MIT points out he only speaks when he has something to say, and I believe this was in response to a previous director claiming the ownership and state of the club was not something Fergus envisioned, he should put the shares into fans hands.
Couple days later Dermot hits back in his own way.
 
Given it seems reactionary the words may not have been chosen with utmost care, but there were several important underlying issues addressed, enough to take note.
 
First the delivery. Club channel is a positive, much rather that than the rags, and exclusive content helps drives subscriptions. But a false interview setting with pre-scripted questions was not the wished for truthful sermon with answers.
Instead it became an ego rub, a mini rant which can be summed up as ‘It’s mine, it’s fine, go about your business.’
 
It’s often true that typing, therefore the medium of the internet, cannot express the sentiment of the sentence correctly.
The tone of real life and typing are different for most, just a weird quirk.
Yet repeatedly Dermot has been described post interview as aloof and out of touch with the rank and files feelings on the club.
‘I know best’ seems a repeated boast, yet most of us would claim otherwise.
 
Assembling more cash than the average man is a great achievement and all, but Dermot seems to have mistaken the ability to amass funds with the ability to charter a course worthy of a world famous football club, being good at one doesn’t mean you will succeed in the other.
A bigger bank account doesn’t give the right to lecture either, humility and the ability to listen being traits most Celtic fans wish for in their leaders.
To scorn the Tims, is to lose them.
 
‘No bigger Celtic fan’ is quite the boast, smacks of hubris and any ‘mere’ poster would get laughed off the blog for stating such but there you have it.
Most of us would probably know a supporter they consider an Uber Celt,
I doubt many just thought of Dermot.
 
Of course the big takeaway was the fact his shares are going nowhere, he is going nowhere, he’s in charge and that’s that.
I actually felt the entire charade was a nod to the Old Firm, now our club has publicly acknowledged this particular title as the 55th and so the Old Firm is alive and the back and forward tussles for titles shall commence truly forthwith just like days of yore. Dermot popped up upon their resurrection to say that’s still them, great competitor etc, and here he is at the end of that liquidation cycle tipping his hat on behalf of not only the club but all of us.
After this, there can be zero doubt he is very pro Old Firm, and has hitched us as a club firmly to them, at least in his mind.
 
At the core of Dermots defense is his absolute insistence that the club has been successful under his watch, he reiterates that belief.
Yet I posit that is a lazy weak mentality.
We have won the majority of trophies available but at the risk of repeating myself the biggest business/company/club/organization in the land should beat the competitors, it’s that simple in business, but we are being told to believe bloopers happen. Aye, but losing a league after managed decline isn’t a blooper.
 
Hiding behind the previous titles garnered does nothing for those seeking a root and branch clear out of the old board buddies, nothing for those who have seen the game descend to the worst league in Europe.
All involved are asking you to turn a blind eye to the malarkey when handing over your hard earned, pointing at silverware then tugging at heartstrings with cliches and colours, while the media ignoring the refs worst calls becoming the pulse of the nation and controlling the talking points.
Meanwhile the streets become increasingly tense, communities on edge, public amenities trashed.
Arranged marriages rarely work says Google, and Glasgow.
Though not Dermot,the PLC, and all the rest of the games hangers on from pundits to whistlers, and Hampden who would hardly rock their own boat.
 
Well he’s went and done it.
Brought us to a fork in the road.
The overwhelming majority of Tims are good people who fell in love with Celtic at some stage or other but first and foremost were football fans.
Football, you know, two teams of eleven with a rules based referee blowing for any fouls, 90 minutes of blood sweat and glory,may the best team win.
The beautiful game grabbed us, whether game first or team first makes little difference for you can’t have one without the other.
 
There’s nothing beautiful about the Scottish setup as it stands. It’s the opposite of beautiful, football based scenes that have good honest folk contemplating their futures in the nation never mind their season ticket.
Hitched to a wayward twin with no say in the matter and scorn if you’re not jumping aboard?
 
Well Dermots done something alright, he’s shown us exactly where we are as a club, were we are going as a club.
Jock once said if they knew the half of it they would burn down the park, well now after having exposed the half of it he cracks the verbal whip, all’s ok pay up.
And this after some of the nations worst scenes in years.
People fearing due to a ‘game’ and some elements of the national sport, yet we get a condescending broadcast?
 
It’s clear where ‘his’ side and club would go if given the choice.
Dermots choice is the Old Firm highway, full prices in but the team is never strengthened too much, lots of EPL castoffs and loaners, some big Euro games but bent refs and a doped up rival whose fans may become dangerous again.
The big bad bent Old Firm in all it’s dirty glory.
Mediocrity awaits, those who see through the act walk away whilst those there for the atmosphere and tradition dwindle.
Dermots path and it doesn’t really matter who the manager is they will work under his preset parameters, we as a fanbase never get to see how high our club can leap or can we hatch a plan to crack Europe.
We sit in limbo, waiting on a European reshuffle to call us both, which looks further away than ever.

 
The other fork leads,,,,,
Well you tell me. I can recount endless tales where being brave was the right call at the time, myself summed up and most expats would say the same.
On the field whether granting Jock full control, or signing the mercurial Shoonski Nakamura or Lubo, unlikely lads who turned into top bhoys, our club of choice has always been adventurous, Mohammed Salim would agree. That star is testament to it.
 
The current Champions have done very well in Europe, Seville have completely cracked it, we ignore it for the most part.
Europe excites the support in a way the derby games dont, we want the experience of new lands and stadiums, colours and chants.
Likewise we wish to host the continents best names but not only as an also ran.
We want European action, the more the merrier, it brings out our best, yet our board has never fully tried to establish us a proper foothold.
Vision mixed with action and intent could remedy that, but it means the end of staying one step ahead, the traditional Old Firm safeguard.
A playing style with a DOF who has a remit to be ready for those qualifiers come rain or snow would be the correct path to sustained entry into Europe, not grabbing the latest available Irishman.
 
Dermot and a freshly installed Peter once placed a top bracket manager in the slow lane, they are doing the equivalent to the entire club now, while insisting on top dollar. From you of course not them.
Everything isn’t alright, we want fundamental change, plans put in place instead of reactions, not a scolding.
Patronizing those who must turn a blind eye to death, FFP and bent refs just to stay involved is hardly the greatest business strategy in the world but incredibly it looks like one our majority shareholder has chosen.
 
My name’s Stevie and I’m a football fan. My team of choice is Glasgow Celtic like those on here, but first and foremost I’m a football fan. Two teams of eleven and a ref going by the rulebook, that’s the basic premise that lured me and millions, nay billions into either watching or trying the beautiful game in some form or other.
But unlike almost every other league in the world, in ‘ours’ competition is manufactured. It must be, the Old Firm business model would not sustain us sprinting away into the distance, spoils must be shared, it’s an unwritten rule and just another one of our clubs dirty secrets.
 
Increasingly Glasgow Celtic fails to offer me what football fundamentally should offer me, yet Dermot ignores this, either blinded by money or very out of touch.
Now he tells me this is the way it is, he’s going nowhere.
We have arrived at the fork in the road.
 
By Mahe