All by myself, dont wanna be, all by myself
I find we as a group spend an excessive amount of time explaining how exactly the PLC pulled the wool over our eyes on several issues, like Res12 and the death of Rangers, but we rarely seem to touch upon the big question of why they reached the decisions the did at the time.
All that follows is mere speculation of course, but understanding the rationale behind these choices will help us possibly forgive some of them and maybe anticipate future decisions based on this past behavior.
The last decade has shown one thing very clearly, we are the green half of a partnership, not a rivalry.
You see a rival would have no hesitation in helping the competitions demise with the aim of stealing their customers, a bigger piece of the market share. Some rivals would even help foster the opportunity to grab a bigger slice of the pie at their rivals expense. Rivals are there to be crushed, before they crush you.
They certainly aren’t your friend.
A partnership though is much different. There may well be a dominant partner but either party never enacts harm on the other, quite the opposite. They help each other out and if one should need assistance the other has their back.
Glasgow Celtic were faced with numerous opportunities to kill off their world famous ‘rivalry’ known as the Old Firm and as one half of the duet had more than enough reason to speak up when it was in trouble, dire straits, then dead.
Our club of choice ignored their death, pretended it never happened while dropping hints it never (49 quid and dropping ‘The’ infront of their name etc) then downsized to help them to a title, whilst never objecting to the use of 55 which totally affects us.
We held out the hand and helped them out of that pit they had dug for themselves.
That’s evident.
Being far from a legal mind certain questions spring to mind regarding what a PLC may or may not do.
For instance, announcing the Old Firm was over to the world would clearly have affected the share price negatively, yet as we now know the option to continue/revive the partnership existed.
When faced with these two options, both legal, one much more profitable than the other (presumably), were the board legally obliged to follow the money of the Old Firm?
Where their hands were tied, required to ignore sporting integrity for the bottom line?
I get the feeling if that was true they would have announced it and hidden behind it.
Forgetting legal requirements for a while, the board clearly took a the view this partnership was in the companies best interest but is this necessarily true?
Could we have went alone, could we thrive out with the dreaded Old Firm?
We may never find out, the famous ‘its just cost us ten million a year’ statement from Peter post liquidation showing their mindset, profit first always.
I suspect many would hark back to the Ronny D years and the drop in sales, the sold out 49 pieces of silver cup game that sold out, and say aye we need them, sorry fact or not.
Looking at the football landscape there’s very few one horse races out there, Cluj being the first that springs to mind,,a club that has cracked onto a successful European qualifying strategy, but also has a much larger native player pool to draw from. Processions to title after title aren’t that interesting sometimes even for the winning teams support.
Our certain two horse race is so successful it’s world renowned, and does keep interest and sales high enough.
Was that a strong enough reason for this PLC to keep the show on the road?
They clearly thought so.
In private I suspect Peter would probably admit to fearing season ticket sales of thirty thousand to be the most important mitigating factor for ignoring their demise, but then this board have never been visionary, would probably see going it alone is a crying shame and lost income opportunity.
I personally would have embarked on a youth first policy supplemented by the finest local experience we could buy, always playing in the traditional Glasgow Celtic way.
A lower entry point for season ticket sales especially for young ones, alongside local groups using the Park as a community hub, and a partnership with a decent food outlet to revamp the day out experience off the top of my head.
But overall an emphasis on becoming a club of the people again, with mostly/only locals aiming to conquer Europe with dazzling football for the second time.
Eventually a new rival would emerge to replace that which was lost, the Dons or Jambo’s more than likely.
We weren’t born the green half of the Old Firm and some at least would opt not to be if given the choice,,yes there would be some drift but an exciting path could retain a lot of those I believe.
To help cement the new vision and get the fans fully involved in the project, the support should have been given the honest facts from day one and probably would have sympathized with the club for the huge dilemma, maybe going the extra mile to show their solidarity.
Peter could have done a roadshow series explaining we are not only ten million down but a one horse race won’t work after a two horse one, plead clemency due to being between a rock and a hard place, and maybe just maybe came away with a large degree of sympathy.
A consensus could have been agreed, such as okay we all accept them back into the top flight under certain conditions such as no claiming previous titles and operating a solid business plan with public accounts that must be signed off.
If the will was there to accommodate them again, something could have been cobbled together, but it would have needed consensus plus strong leadership.
We got neither and were left to our own excitement talking jelly and ice cream only to find out Peter rushed down to London to sign a four Old Firm games per year contract, the perfect shield to hide behind he probably thought.
The board shat the bed and said we need them, gotta have them, and by helping the resuscitation stuck an engagement ring on that clubs finger.
Alone was just never an option for them, sporting integrity and trust be damned.
If the majority of the fanbase honestly believe and accept that Glasgow Celtic needs its rival and world famous rivalry, then our board have been proven correct in their assumptions and some of us need to accept that facts of why exactly events took place like they did, why we never said they died out loud.
If the board really were just delivering what the people wanted, at the known price of sporting integrity, maybe some of the wrath they receive is unwarranted?
Did the board in reality save Celtic from mediocrity and/or the slow ugly demise of a one horse league by reviving them?
Now years have passed and fans in the main have accepted the rivalry again, do the PLCs actions at the time make more sense?
Blog Poll – a simple yes or no please.
Could Glasgow Celtic thrive without Rangers?
Mahe = Yes.
SOLKITTS
You can develop a wee fondness for a decent Bourbon if you try hard enough-ยฃ14 a bottle of Jim Beam,for instance-but it ain’t nothing like the real thing.
See ya next month and we can compare malts as usual before wondering why we bothered,as we casually savour them all the way to the bottom of the bottles.
CCE / JIM, a true story, talking about the 70s went to a disco dance at coatbridge town hall maybe 69/70, the group was called tear gas ,near the end of the night, the guitarist starts smashing his guitar on the stage, then the drummer pushes over his drums, just then a bottle whizzed past my ear and hits the drummer on his arm, well all hell broke loose, the band members were running after the guy who threw the bottle, I said to my mate cunny lets get out of here pronto,.that group went on to become famous as the sensational alex harvey band, now that is definitely a true story.๐
BMCUWP
The bourbon is keeping me away from the Auchroisk. Well, it is 27 years old, so keeping it sealed for another few weeks is no hardship.
SOL dont forget the skwerr sausage you promised me๐
CELTICCHAMPSELECT
Slow Train Coming was a very underappreciated album. Especially by me. Utter garbage. His other two albums of his “born again” episode had some highlights. That one was bloody awful.
This,though,from Shot of Love,is right up there was his best.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=every+grain+of+sand+bob+dylan&view=detail&mid=FF7EE2F8A58480A2EB9CFF7EE2F8A58480A2EB9C&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3devery%2bgrain%2bof%2bsand%2bbob%2bdylan%26cvid%3d02b1bc86392442aa96b66b80450755cd%26aqs%3dedge.3.0j69i57j0l5.6527j0j1%26pglt%3d299%26FORM%3dANNTA1%26PC%3dHCTS
BP
Two tunes that you must know was this band not from the brig
BTW. THE WAS FROM THE JOHN YOGI HUGHES SUPPORTERS CLUB AT TGE FIUNTAUN IN THE BRIG TGAT HIS DAD MANAGED :-))
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-XxrSKNTd8A
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xTeI65yrhGw
SOLKITTS
Aye,there’s neither of us a cheap date!
Big Packy
Iโm going to open a fast food restaurant, calling it McSquerr. Also on the menu will be McDeepfriedpizza, McBridies, and McStovies. Interested?
Trueish story.๐
CCE yes loved the marmalade, used to drink in yogis bar till they found out I was only 16๐๐
BMCUWP
Thatโs why BP always makes me pay ๐ฐ
SOL im up for that, think jimthetim53 will want a stake as well๐
BM
GREAT SONG NOT HEARD THAT BEFORE
UP THE REPUBLIC :-))
lets get dancing,,https://youtu.be/EQfidTOTsLo
Re Bob Dylan,a number of his songs could have been the basis for a decent film. This time,someone decided to put clips of old westerns to “Lily,Rosemary,and the Jack of Hearts”,one of his best narrative songs.
It works!
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=every+grain+of+sand+bob+dylan&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3devery%2bgrain%2bof%2bsand%2bbob%2bdylan%26cvid%3d02b1bc86392442aa96b66b80450755cd%26aqs%3dedge.3.0j69i57j0l5.6527j0j1%26pglt%3d299%26FORM%3dANNTA1%26PC%3dHCTS&view=detail&mid=F0215580F1C9D4AB9EF5F0215580F1C9D4AB9EF5&&FORM=VDRVRV
Tuuunnnnerr BM:/)
Exclusive footage of Wee Nippy celebrating her re-election ๐๐
Shocking result for Leicester tonight,as they look to wreck Rodger’s CL bonus again.
Marmalade wouldn’t get away with that ‘Golli’ on their drum kit nowadays! ๐ I can see the connection with Robertson’s Marmalade. It seemed innocent at the time.
JIM, had not noticed that before,,yes changed days now๐
This was a song all the girls used to sing to me back I. The day :-)))
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J5QcRuLEI4U
Bobby
The email from the club today had this at the bottom…
“Celtic F.C. Limited is a subsidiary of Celtic plc”
This is the big problem, as the fans of the big 6 in England have just found out to their dismay. Their football clubs are just businesses. I’ll never forget DD praising WGS with the phrase “Gordon has done very well both on and off the Balance Sheet.” That sent a shiver through me.
It was a sign of things to come as we started “traded” our better players for cheaper substitutes.
Legend has it that during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, a shipwrecked monkey was hanged by the people of Hartlepool, believing him to be a French spy! To this day, people from Hartlepool are affectionately known as โmonkey hangersโ.
A French ship was spotted floundering and sinking off the Hartlepool coast. Suspicious of enemy ships and nervous of possible invasion, the good folk of Hartlepool rushed down to the beach, where amongst the wreckage of the ship they found the only survivor, the shipโs monkey which was apparently dressed in a miniature military-style uniform.
Napoleon at Boulogne 1805 CC
Hartlepool is a long way from France and most of the populace had never met, or even seen, a Frenchman. Some satirical cartoons of the time pictured the French as monkey-like creatures with tails and claws, so perhaps the locals could be forgiven for deciding that the monkey, in its uniform, must be a Frenchman, and a French spy at that. There was a trial to ascertain whether the monkey was guilty of spying or not; however, not unsurprisingly, the monkey was unable to answer any of the courtโs questions and was found guilty. The townsfolk then dragged him into the town square and hanged him.
Plus ca change ๐
Gordon, is this an explanation for the Hartlepool election result? Voting in a Tory? ๐
Pour yourself a wee drink and tune into BBC Scotland @ 10.30 Scottish Cup Classics (Sunshine on Leith) ๐
JTT Once a shower of racist monkey hanging arseholes ….. ! HH ๐
Gents and Ladies
I give you the exceptional Mr Johnny Mathis
What a tune this is
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bql0xUM0E-s
CCE
Who are you trying to winch on here?
(only reason to put on Johnny Mathis record …. although, admittedly, very good for that purpose)
๐
You can tell the pubs are back open, VP dedicating a Bryan Ferry song,to G64……
Lounge lizards the 3 of them…๐ต
Celtic supporter’s
Bada We were more gazebo geckos than lounge lizards mate ๐บ HH ๐
BADABING
We didn’t christen you lot The Rutherglen Massive at the first hoot for nothing,you know!
As for modelling themselves on Brian Ferry-who better? That fella was fighting them off with a shitty stick before shitty sticks had even been invented.
BILLYBHOY
FC a subsidiary of Plc says it all,but it wasn’t designed that way. And that is what we are now,part of a Plc.
G64- be seeing you Bhoys in a couple of weeks ๐
BMCUW- cheers, good to see a wee bit of normality starting to happen. HH
MIT
To happily married to chase any ladies now
I had not heard much of that song until I posted the 4 hour mix a few weeks back tgat everyone blanked me o. Here about it
I actually thought you might have played that 4 hour mix and come back to me and congratulated me on the songs on it :-)))
Bada God willing mhate HH ๐บ ๐
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EbR0ckb40 Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together For VP and all Celtic fans ๐๐
CELTICCHAMPSELECT
A four hour mix on a Friday night? We used to sit beside the jukebox in The Lauriston in Ardrossan back in the day to give it a none too gentle nudge.
That used to go down a treat,IIRC-about a quarter of the pub would thank us gratefully,another quarter would be pissed off,the other half would dive for cover.
Moderators before the term had even been thought of!
BADABING
Provisionally 28 August,mate. Get it marked in the oul’ diary.
MIT
Do you know a Michael OโDonnell from Toronto he was a photographer for Sports Illustrated magazine back in 1989. I met him at his fatherโs condominium in Pompano Beach Florida. In fact I was dating an American Chiquita and we were friends with a German girl who I introduced to Michael that he ended up marrying . We spent a few days together at Gulfstream Park taking photos of the gee gees. I am sure the horse was called Easy Goer the favourite in the last race that got beat and I had done my tank on it :-)) canโt remember the horse that BM eat it. My claim to fame was I met Wally Swinburn at the meeting
BM did you frequent the Metro in Saltcoats
CCE,
I opened that mix on a new tab, have it here, and may push play doing some chores here.
I like your music.
Hail Hail
FAN-A-TIC
Santana could really hit the spot when it worked,and it did for most of this album. Sometimes though,you’re saying fuxake,one side of a C90 would have done!
Still,keep smiling,as the man says…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oKFkc19T3Dk Rodriguez – Cause ๐
Loving these tunes this week
https://youtu.be/gmfcYli6vV4
https://youtu.be/Wo5G-CAs918
Mahe
CCE,
I opened that mix on a new tab, have it here, and may push play doing some chores here.
I like your music.
Hail Hail
MAHE YOU WILL LOVE THAT MIX THERE ARE SIME ANAZING TUNES IN IT I HAD NEVER HEARD BEOTE
CELTICCHAMPSELECT
Oh,there’s a tale to tell…
The 21yo blonde niece of the over-protective owners,three bouncers,and me meeting the owners again about eight years later-I’d been in London-in a quiet golf club when they were with Andy Goram.
Aye,been in the place. I lived in Saltcoats at the time it first opened.
Gordon I love that song and album
Many thanks to MAHE for introducing me to Rodriguez
Looking for the sugar man is one of the best documentaries I have seen
I see itโs now on Sky amazing documentary
Celtic supporters don’t belong to a PLC or Ltd Co and Celtic doesn’t belong to any PLC or shareholder it belongs to us all HH ๐
BM did you ever frequent the hippodrome in Kilmarnock
I am sure we can share a few stories at the hootenanny:-)((
My favourite Rodriguez song
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGESrgMDm5k&list=RDEMd5KPRq97nwQOk1SVK7pqIw&index=1