Yesterday, “rangers ” were handed a licence to compete in European football,if there is any, next season.
This despite several concerns about their adherence to the rules. One “ongoing concern “, to be precise.
If they are allowed to participate, then the game is a bogey.
As you can see from this article, by Phil MacGhiollabhan, there are questions to be asked, and at least he’s asking them.
It’s all over the papers….headlines such as ” Another scandal in Scottish football ” , “Cheats can prosper ” , “They’re at it again ” and so on…
Oh, hang on, they’re not, are they ?
First of all, what did “rangers ” have to do to get a licence ?
Article 13, UEFA rules on club licencing…
1 The licence applicant must provide the licensor with:
a) all necessary information and/or relevant documents to fully demonstrate that
the licensing obligations are fulfilled; and
b) any other document relevant for decision-making by the licensor.
2 This includes information on the reporting entity/entities in respect of which
sporting, infrastructure, personnel and administrative, legal and financial
information is required to be provided.
3 Any event occurring after the submission of the licensing documentation to the
licensor representing a significant change to the information previously submitted
must be promptly notified to the licensor (including a change of the licence
applicant’s legal form, legal group structure or identity).
The licensor is the SFA.
Clubs which qualify for the UEFA club competitions on sporting merit must obtain
a licence issued by their licensor according to the national licensing regulations,
except where Article 15 applies.
15
2 A licence expires without prior notice at the end of the season for which it was
issued.
3 A licence cannot be transferred.
4 A licence may be withdrawn by the licensor’s decision-making bodies if:
a) any of the conditions for the issuing of a licence are no longer satisfied; or
b) the licensee violates any of its obligations under the national club licensing
regulations.
5 As soon as a licence withdrawal is envisaged, the UEFA member association must
inform the UEFA administration accordingly.
There then follows a list of conditions, most of which are basic contractual stuff…oh, and this one, which explains the Anyone Everyone nonsense of recent weeks…
Article 23
The licence applicant must establish and apply a policy to tackle racism and
discrimination in football in line with UEFA’s 10-point plan on racism as defined in the
UEFA Safety and Security Regulations.
then there’s the financial stuff…
Annual financial statements in respect of the statutory closing date prior to the deadline for submission of the application to the licensor and prior to the deadline for submission of the list of licensing decisions to UEFA must be prepared and submitted.
2 Annual financial statements must be audited by an independent auditor as defined in Annex V.
3 The annual financial statements must consist of:
a) a balance sheet;
b) a profit and loss account;
c) a cash flow statement;
d) notes, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other
explanatory notes; and
e) a financial review by management.
4 The annual financial statements must meet the minimum disclosure requirements as set out in Annex VI and the accounting principles as set out in Annex VII.
Comparative figures in respect of the prior statutory closing date must be provided.
5 If the minimum requirements for the content and accounting as set out in paragraph 4 above are not met in the annual financial statements, then the licence applicant must prepare supplementary information in order to meet the minimum
29
information requirements that must be assessed by an independent auditor as defined in Annex V.
Article 47bis – Publication of financial information
The licence applicant must publish on its website or on the website of its licensor by the date (which cannot be later than the date of the submission of the list of licensing decision to the UEFA administration) and in the form communicated by the licensor:
a) the total amount paid in the latest reporting period to or for the benefit of agents/intermediaries; and
b) the last audited annual financial information assessed by the licensor.
Financial statements for the interim period
1 If the statutory closing date of the licence applicant is more than six months before the deadline for submission of the list of licensing decisions to UEFA, then additional financial statements covering the interim period must be prepared and submitted.
2 The interim period starts the day immediately after the statutory closing date and ends on a date within the six months preceding the deadline for submission of the list of licensing decisions to UEFA.
3 Interim financial statements must be reviewed or audited by an independent auditor as defined in Annex V.
4 The interim financial statements must consist of:
a) a balance sheet as of the end of the interim period and a comparative balance
sheet as of the end of the immediately preceding full financial year;
b) a profit and loss account for the interim period, with comparative profit and loss accounts for the comparable interim period of the immediately preceding financial year;
c) a cash flow statement for the interim period, with a comparative statement for the comparable interim period of the immediately preceding financial year;
d) specific explanatory notes.
5 If the licence applicant did not have to prepare interim financial statements for the comparable interim period of the immediately preceding financial year, comparative figures may refer to the figures from the financial statements of the immediately preceding full financial year.
6 The interim financial statements must meet the minimum disclosure requirements as set out in Annex VI.
Additional line items or notes must be included if their omission would make the interim financial statements misleading.
7 The interim financial statements must follow the same accounting policies as those followed for the preparation of the annual financial statements, except for 30 accounting policy changes made after the date of the most recent full annual financial statements that are to be reflected in the next annual financial statements – in which case details must be disclosed in the interim financial statements.
8 If the minimum requirements for the content and accounting as set out in paragraphs 6 and 7 above are not met in the interim financial statements, then the licence applicant must prepare supplementary information in order to meet the minimum information requirements that must be assessed by an independent auditor as defined in Annex V.
In addition, there can be no overdue payables to other clubs, their own employees, and of course, the taxman.
But the key is here, in Article 52.
This is the bit that should have the media asking questions, because based on what follows, I cannot see how they how they could have possibly qualified…, given that on their last set of proper accounts a going concern was notied, and they made reference to £10m being needed just to see out the season.
The licence applicant must prepare and submit future financial information in order to demonstrate to the licensor its ability to continue as a going concern until the end of the licence season if it has breached any of the indicators defined in paragraph 2 below.
2 If a licence applicant exhibits any of the conditions described by indicator 1 or 2, it is considered in breach of the indicator:
a) Indicator 1: Going concern
The auditor’s report in respect of the annual or interim financial statements submitted in accordance with Articles 47 and 48 includes, regarding the going concern, either a key audit matter or a qualified opinion/conclusion.
b) Indicator 2: Negative equity
The annual financial statements (including, where required, the supplementary information) submitted in accordance with Article 47 disclose a net liabilities position (negative equity) that has deteriorated relative to the comparative figure contained in the previous year’s annual financial statements, or the interim financial statements submitted in accordance with Article 48 (including, where required, the supplementary information) disclose a net liabilities position (negative equity) that has deteriorated relative to the comparative
figure at the preceding statutory closing date.
3 Future financial information must cover the period commencing immediately after the later of the statutory closing date of the annual financial statements or, if applicable, the balance sheet date of the interim financial statements, and it must cover at least the entire licence season.
4 Future financial information consists of:
a) a budgeted profit and loss account, with comparative figures for the immediately preceding financial year and interim period (if applicable);
b) a budgeted cash flow, with comparative figures for the immediately preceding financial year and interim period (if applicable);
c) explanatory notes, including a brief description of each of the significant assumptions (with reference to the relevant aspects of historic financial and other information) that have been used to prepare the budgeted profit and loss account and cash flow statement, as well as of the key risks that may affect the future financial results.
5 Future financial information must be prepared, as a minimum, on a quarterly basis.
6 Future financial information must be prepared on a consistent basis with the audited annual financial statements and follow the same accounting policies as those applied for the preparation of the annual financial statements, except for 35 accounting policy changes made after the date of the most recent annual financial statements that are to be reflected in the next annual financial statements – in which case details must be disclosed.
7 Future financial information must meet the minimum disclosure requirements as set out in Annex VI and the accounting principles as set out in Annex VII.
Additional line items or notes must be included if they provide clarification or if their omission would make the future financial information misleading.
8 Future financial information with the assumptions upon which they are based must be approved by management and this must be evidenced by way of a brief statement and signature on behalf of the executive body of the reporting entity.
All of that, and more, most of which makes the decision even more, er, strange, is in here..
The SFA have ignored this, just like they ignored a crystallised tax payable back in the days of the old club.
If Celtic…and the other clubs who make up the SPFL do not act, and the new club compete in europe next season, then we have learned nothing from the previous episode.
We will be allowing one entity to breach the rules and destroy any integrity that was left in the game, and when that happens, fans , sponsors , advertisers and investors simply put their money somewhere else.
If I’m wrong, and when the Ibrox pitch was dug up they found the roots of a magic money tree, then I apologisw unreservedly for blackening the name of the SFa and the others in their little fiefdom.
I would be mightily surprised if I am, though.
And even more surprised if those at the SPFL, those in the media and those at Ibrox could show me how.
I think we know why they can’t, and if they think that those who actually pay for Scottish football are going to put up with it again, they too, will be mightily surprised.
It’s time now to make our voices heard.
Football is our game, not theirs.
This just shows the utter contempt the SFA has for football fans in Scotland. Where is Aberdeen? Why are they not asking questions here? They stand to get this spot. Maybe they don’t want it as it probably loses them money, in the early rounds, por cierto
Let’s all bombard the SFA with tx and keep reminding them sevco must, like all other clubs, submit accounts, which they seem to think does not include them, or are they just following Dominic Cummings, one rule for them, and another for us.? Things do not change much then!!
Scottish Professional Football:
Subject to one’s whims because of palm-greasing.
The flagitious SFA Rite of ums & ahs.
The only thing standing between us, the fans, and justice is us, the fans. Until such time as we really put the board’s (and SFA’s) feet to the fire, financially, then sevco (and SFA) will continue to drag Scottish football deeper into the abyss. I realise It’s difficult for supporters to even consider hurting Celtic, in any way. But it is definitely a case of ‘short term pain for long term gain’. To continue financing a loaded game makes it hypocritical to continually accuse the Huns of being ‘Gullible’.
The rules stated above require a club to post its financial returns for the interim period on its website, or on the website of the licensor (SFA) in order for a license to be granted. Has this EVER happened. I don’t recall seeing any clubs financial returns being posted like this. Has anyone seen the Sevco financial returns??
Mike,
I remember your lead on Larsson. Was just debating with myself whether or not his return as a coach would be equitable to Duff who, by all accounts, did a good job.
Seems it won’t happen now anyway but we need a good signing in there.
Personally i’d give the European licence to Dundee!
Are they team or clause 12?
They are popular 🙂
Steve talking to yourself is a no-no, but that aside you are perfectly correct, there are a few good men out there, Celtic minded men, who could do a good job supporting Lenny.
Alan Thompson`s just joined twitter.
Would/could Neil?
The licensing process is confidential between a member club and the SFA.
It is a tick box exercise not worth the paper its re lied upon.
It has to be much more transparent and subject to more UEFA audit.
Not sure from memory if any was ever done on an application by a club as opposed to the process itself. Not on a Scottish club that can be identified by UEFA’s audit department report but I’ll check.
Remember Andrew Dickson is viewed as an expert in football administration and knows the rules back to front and prepared to find interpretations like loans arent wages when testifying to the FTT.
But he is in with the in crowd, a golden boy and just another bender of the truth when a rule or law has to be swerved. They run the country.
To restore any semblance of trust in Scottish football the licensing system needs to become transparent.
To restore any trust in Celtic they should be demanding it, supported by all other clubs put at a financial disadvantage because one club doesnt under stand what “fair” means in Financial Fair Play.
How can Celtic and other clubs ask you to support them financially if they don”t? How can they assure you what happened in 2011 and more importantly, since, with respect to the SFA that the game is fair?
Andrew faire inciter Dickson.
One of only 2 paid directors of the New club’s operating company.
C/O Video Celts.
Andrew Dickson submitted Mr Whyte’s application to be a football club director to the SFA in May 2011 just as the £2.8m core tax bill arising from the wee tax case dropped through the Ibrox letter box.
In his role as an experienced administrator regarding club licencing he would have advised RFC Finance Director Ken Olverman how to report the status of that bill to UEFA.
For reasons unknown, despite his horrendous track record, having withheld the side letters detailing EBT payment to players, managers and directors from the SFA and SPL it seems that the Hampden welcome mat is always in place for the Mr Fix-it of Ibrox.
Titon dossier…
he is the rot.
Auldheid,I always called Dickson,
‘The Chauffer.’
Andrew Dickson was paid a £33,000 EBT.
UEFA,riddled with corruption.SFA,riddled with corruption.r******* ,totally corrupt.Lamestreamedia in Scotland mostly favour the latter.So,forget about hard hitting pieces about this debacle from them.If the SPFL clubs won’t have an “investigation ” regarding this matter,then,Celtic either shut up shop or shut up and keep Winning Everything For Ever and Ever……that would annoy them slightly more than “losing” a licence during a time when Euro football isn’t even guaranteed to take place,especially if a second wave hits continental Europe…..more Prozac and Guinness please,does Dom do deliveries?
And what will happen?
Yet another in a long line of pointless articles.
Sorry to say
All pointless articles on all the blogs nowadays, Con, all the authors are interested in is keeping Theo parochial idiot talking shops going.
It’s like the steamie used to be for women, a place to let aff steam about their husbands.
In these idiotic ‘Celtic blogs’ case, their ‘husband’ is Sevco/the SFA and Celtic are their battered wife who refuses to call the cops on the c@nt because they’re all in it together in extracting the cash from football supporters.
If Ralphie/Ritchie really wanted change he’d have these fool readers of his standing outside Hampden every day.
Instead he just writes, or, in this case, Copy & Pastes, a load of meaningless shit ‘rules’ that we all know the SFA will never apply to any club playing out of Ibrox.
The real reason Celtic don’t speak up or defend their fans ON ANY ISSUE is the fact that they’re all in the same club as the Sevco crowd & the SFA.
Their deal is to keep schtum, let the trophies roll in (for now) and let Sevco/SFA away with everything.
Celtic aren’t only not the solution, they’re the biggest part of the problem.
Who wants to mess with a 90 mil a year turnover, the largest percentage of which goes into Dermot Desmond’s back pocket so he can invest in ‘potential criminal recognition’ technology ‘enterprises’ in Zionist Israeli companies who then use that technology to unlawfully arrest, imprison & torture innocent Palestinians without trial.
This is where your money’s going when you pay to see Celtic.
So flying the Palestine flag when our own chief shit holder is complicit in the deaths of Palestinians should be of far more concern than Sevco getting a Euro licence from their pet Masonic organisers at the Jim’ll Fix It SFA.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/dermot-desmond-s-daon-will-know-all-about-us-yet-we-know-nothing-of-it-1.3270030
I see my links to this have been removed.
Here’s why
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dermot-desmond-obtains-discovery-order-against-the-irish-times-5kdsw2x7b
The rules are being broken yet again for Scotland’s shame. What infuriates me is if uefa make these stringent rules why do they not ask each country’s federations to pass on said information, or it makes a complete mockery of setting rules in the first place! These officials are highly paid muppets and leave the door wide open for certain clubs (club) to lie and cheat the real qualifiers out of much needed money source. HAIL HAIL.
They remind me of a sick animal, sick being the operative word, taking succour from everyone and anyone.
Their teats in the Scottish press, TV. Sky et al. But what makes me sick, is that my own club also gives them succour, when all they had to do was give them the “coup de gras”. The SFA. is their suckler cow, bending and making up the rules to make them better, letting them suck as much as they can on their many teats, led by the bull shaped donkey the SFA. president, Mr. Heavily Conflicted Petrie. Time to bring in the Vet and stop the cheating, because cheats get into the habit of cheating, only stopping when they have been caught out- oh wait.
Its gone again skipped to the loo my darling.
I
ve just explained to the wee Mhan(3yo),dont argue with your Mum and Nan because itll all end up in the adjacent matrix from the original subject.ll have you in their belief of thought!They
New Scottish FA chief executive,Ann Budge?
Rearranger of Scottish Professional Football.
aint that the truth port hope you and yours are well mate tell wee spenser tae agree then if they disagree ..agree wae that anaw its usually fur the best heh heh
Same to you and yours charlie.
thus 9IAR, wee Spencer and myself need listerine from singing out the back.
The next Grand Bambino
ll(due on the 25th) be here with us out the back, operatic for the XIAR.Aint huns cross.
congrats port wan mer and yool have a barbershop quartet heh heh
Two points:
(1) the requirement that interim financial statements be published on the clubs’ website is has clearly not been met. That is a black and white issue which could (and should) be the basis of any appeal to the UEFA control body.
(2) UEFA’s regulations restrict those who can appeal to only those clubs who are being disenfranchised by the improper granting of a license. In this instance, Motherwell have standing as a successful appeal would result in them entering the EL in the 2nd qualifying round instead of the 1st round; and Livingston would also be eligible to appeal as they stand to gain entry into Europa if any appeal is successful. This assumes the Scottish Cup has not been completed before the qualifying draws for next seasons European competitions.
Domestically, any club can of course raise the issue with the SFA (and the SPFL, though the SPFL has no oversight on this issue), but UEFA will not entertain appeals from any other domestic club. The question is whether Motherwell or Livi have any interest in pursuing this at a time when they, particularly Livingston, would presumably have to bear the cost of additional matches with no matchday income. I have my doubts. BUT… as long as these transgressions continue, it will provide any club, including Celtic, the ammunition to challenge a license granted to Rangers should they have standing to do so. How ironic it will be that the day Rangers finally win the league, they will be denied a European license.
According to Companies House Next Statement is due 29th May. Published 12th June.
The kinds of law hasn’t caught up with the Next Statement.
sevco lower than the top FC.
It is a farce, but this farce is supported by the other clubs in Scotland plus the fans that attend Scottish Cup games and National games. I stopped doing this in 2017 and believe that the Green pound has muscle. PREMIER sports is also not an option. A bit like The buses why are the club so subservient
Oh fuck off with that ‘ fans who attend Scottish cup games ‘ pish.
We go to see Celtic win & hopefully put on a show….not to fucking support the SFA!
So to get rid of the SFA you give them your money, Monti?
Please explain.
For the surest way to rid the game of these parasites all we need do is withhold our money and watch how quickly their house of Masonic cards collapses.
Money is their life blood.
Stop the supply then watch them die.
Couldn’t be simpler.
The explanation is above in the reply to sergeant bilko.
We go to support the team & back them to the hilt.
” They are there they are always there ” – Tommy Burns
See why Celtic are so subservient in my reply above, CV.
It’s because they’re sub servants to Sevco/SFA in the Masonic hierarchy.
Here we go again ” it’s the masons “?
Did the masons stop Celtic doing the first 9 in a row?
Did the masons stop Celtic winning the european cup in 1967?
Did the masons stop original rangers going into administration?
Did the masons stop them being liquidated?
Well?
No, Monti, Freemasonry allowed all of that because Freemasonry wholly owns & runs the game and has done since the very start.
The only reason Andrew Kerins’ plans even came to fruition was through the tacit agreement of these Freemasons who saw the benefits of having a team for Rangers to piss all over while keeping S Roland divided at the same time.
Indeed the first formal meeting held to discuss the formation of Celtic was NOT at St Mary’s in the Calton as recorded but was in fact in the Bethany Hall on Tullis St in Bridgeton just up from what was then the fastest growing Orange Hall in Britain.
Kerins met with the preeminent Masons of the area, who only gave the priest the time of day because they could see what a whirlwind they could create between the native Scots & immigrant Irish, the perfect Divide & Conquer scenario that is the Masonic motto for total control.
And also because the ‘builder from Donegal’ John Glass was also a Mason & a businessman, as you can read in Jimmybee’s Celtic history on this very page.
‘The real men behind this move however proved to be the businessmen, a builder from Donegal named John Glass and Pat Welsh, a tailor who had left Ireland under furtive circumstances 20 years previously. These men had seen the earning potential of a professional football club, and their subsequent methods of achieving their aims was to prove catastrophic for Hibernian Football Club.’
Pat Welsh, being a tailor, was also a Freemason but Welsh was the big shot as he was a builder and what are Masons but builders, the self styled ‘Architects of Society’.
Now you read Jimmybee’s Celtic history and pay close attention as to what these guys did to Hibernian, a team that done nothing but help in the formation of Celtic only for the Masons at Celtic to then steal 7 of their players,
Also ask around the East End exactly how many kids were actually fed from the profits from Celtic games, how many hungry bellies were filled at the poor tables, and you’ll soon find out that John Glass & Pat Welsh had no intention of feeding anyone but themselves much to the dismay & horror of Andrew Kerins but that’s just how Masons roll.
And I tell you this because my own family were those immigrant Irish expecting great things from Celtic but who soon realised that the whole thing was yet another rich man’s trick and that the game was rigged as usual and I tell you this as it was my own Irish grandmother who told me this things because she knew Andrew Kerins personally as her parish priest.
So the only things the Masons couldn’t do was stop Celtic winning the European Cup but, as you can see, successive generations of so called Celtic/Masonic boards have done everything in their power to stop that happening since, as we’ve all witnessed the stunting of our club & team in this arena season after season.
That’s why your pal Peter always harps back to Martin O’Neill‘s spending when the fact is Celtic we’re rolling in money before & since.
Martin didn’t put the club into any kind of debt, Fergus McCann walked away with 60 million after 5 years.
That’s just Peter & Dermot’s way of complaining that they personally got less money from the UEFA Cup run and such spending will never be seen again at Celtic Park while they’re in charge.
We should be one of the great powerhouses of Europe sitting steadily alongside Barca et al but history proves we’ve been nobbled from the inside out with every board taking their big wedge from the fans and sticking it into their own pockets and, of course, a large ‘donation’ to their local ludge.
But of course you don’t know any of this or you wouldn’t be funding the Masonic SFA.
Celtic FC could survive a boycott no sweat.
Celtic PLC would crumble within a month.
The choice is yours, Monti.
Feed the parasite or get it off your back forever & for good.
C/O Rangers(IL) Tax Case.
It is interesting to see Mr. Dickson try to duck questions around player registration and the requirement to declare of all payments related to playing football. In defiance of logic, Mr. Dickson just sticks doggedly to his (presumably coached) lines of “we didn’t think we had to”. Had he endlessly answered “because We Are The People?” for a whole day under oath it would have made as much sense.
It is quite a long read but worth the effort for anyone who wants to understand how the ailing mammoth that was Rangers ended up dying in a tar-pit of its own creation. It seems incredible to me that anyone aware of the facts would deem Mr. Dickson fit and proper for any current role in Scottish football let alone allow him to sit on SFA and SPFL committees
Impossible , they do not fulfil important criteria . How is this possible?
Handshakes.
Sometimes an expression can capture a meaning in its full entirety, like-“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”. Sir Walter Scott’s expression describes the Sevco licence application and conduct fully. When you tell lies or act dishonestly you have to expand on the lies to cover up the original lie.
*Rangers told lies to receive a licence to enter the 2011-12 C.L. We know this because of the Resolutioners inquiries. When you tell lies or act dishonestly and are backed in this dishonest behaviour by others, the (SFA) and the MSSM and others, then it encourages you to continue acting dishonestly. The fly in that ointment is the “Honest Men” who know the truth and are prepared to expose those lies and dishonesty. The SFA. have history of giving succour to the Huns, that is a bitter pill to swallow, but when your own club, a club founded for good causes becomes implicated in this dishonesty then the game is a bogey.
The game is a bogey.
It has been since the 80s.
Good to see you all finally catching up.
Good health and well-being to you Walter Smith.
To Pistol Pete,
We are amazed but not amused
By all the things you say that you’ll do
Though much concerned but not involved
With decisions that are made by you
But we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Tellin’ how you are gonna change right from wrong
‘Cause if you really want to hear our views
You haven’t done nothin’
Ow
It’s not too cool to be ridiculed
But you brought this upon yourself
The world is tired of pacifier
We want the truth and nothing else
And we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Tellin’ how you are gonna change right from wrong
‘Cause if you really want to hear our views
You haven’t done nothin’
😉
Steve,
If you, like me have a few issues with PL, don’t listen to the recent Etims podcast…
I was fucking spewin.
Could Christopher or Kristoffer defend against Odsonne?
Invincibles.
Celt it into place.
sevco FC novated lease an Automobili Lamborghini to Ianis.
Penis Tadgie
No repeat of 2011/12 Lawwell! Bombard both the SFA and our ‘club like no other’ regarding the Rangers* licence. The SFA may not give a shit, but withholding funds from Celtic might, might get Lawwell off his highly paid arse. When was FFP ditched? If we as supporters accept this without some sort of outcry, we deserve the Board and the SFA we have. Demand your refund now! Do not pay season ticket money! They can stick merchandise up their arses. Until something meaningful is done give them fuck all!
Let’s start a petition
Fuck off Zombie
Petitions change nothing.
Don’t buy anything off them but go to the the ground every day en masse and tell them why you’re withholding your cash til this shit changes.
Bear in mind, however, that this kind of direct action only works when you do not give them one more penny.
Then watch the c@nts squirm like no other.
Save Celtic Sack The Board
Well said.
’fans , sponsors , advertisers and investors simply put their money somewhere else.’ I disagree. None of the above have any vested interest in changing the status quo, rocking the boat, except the fans. If the fans start demanding change then change happens or all of those dominoes start to fall.
’It’s time now to make our voices heard.
Football is our game, not theirs.’ I agree.
‘Football is nothing without the fans.’
It’s even less without their money.
“If I’m wrong……then I apologise unreservedly for blackening the name of the SFa and the others in their little fiefdom”.
Ralph, I think you meant “thiefdom”…has a better ring to it!!
When you think about it, “Its Utterly Butterly. For we were in Heaven for Seven 😉 <7
Feeling fantasticly great at Eight 😉 <8
Really played sublime for Nine 😉 <9
As we enter the lions den for ten 😉 <10
Good luck Celtic our history makers.
On this day May 28th 1888.
Celtic 5 Rangers 2 and so it began at Celtic Park.
The Scottish Catholic Observer 16th June 1888:
“The first time they [Celtic] had the Rangers, a first class team, all will admit, and who had to lower their colours on leaving the field, as the Celtic beat them by five goals to two, not a bad start.”
Review
“It would appear as if the newly-formed Glasgow club, the Celtic F.C., has a bright future before it.”
The Scottish Umpire (1888)
Little did they know how bright
HH
Weered sorry for the late response thoroughly enjoyed the Belfast Celtic podcast the other night. Great presentation. Must have been some pitch to play on for the great Stanley Matthews to comment on. HH.
First we had Onion Bhagi,
Now we have Hunion Hagi,
Bringing tears to the eyes of the Celtic support.
I’ve always had a wee soft spot for the Hibs. Maybe reading our history and how we basically hijacked their best players is something to do with it.
Of course Hibs backed the sfa to take down the tricolour in the 50s maybe they were still angry at us, but the chairman at that time also took down the Harp and Shamrock from their stand.So maybe he was got at by the SFA,I believe he was the first non catholic chairman of Hibs.
So as today we celebrate our first ever game and victory over rangers* I think it’s important to acknowledge the role of Hibs and indeed Cannon Hannon in helping both financially and with players during our formation. Hibs were so pivotal in the formation and financial help to Celtic and indeed Brother Walfraid.
Hooe you enjoy
1888: THE BIRTH OF CELTIC
Brother Walfrid is inspired by Hibernians and believes Glasgow should have their very own version. Glasgow Celtic is born.
Brother Walfrid was doing a great deal of good work in Glasgow’s East End, through his Poor Children’s Dinner Table charity.
He had called upon the good grace of his friends in Edinburgh many times, and did so again in 1887, asking Canon Hannan if Hibernians might play in a charity match against Renton in Glasgow. Canon Hannan of course immediately agreed, and the game took place on Clyde’s Barrowland ground. An astonishing 12,000 people turned out to watch the Scottish Cup holders draw 1-1. The money raised from this one game was beyond the dreams of anything Brother Walfrid had managed to raise in the past, and it is believed that this was the moment when he made up his mind that Glasgow should have their very own version of Hibernian Football Club.
The Irish Catholic community in Glasgow at this time numbered around 250,000, and Brother Walfrid knew that if Canon Hannan could raise so much from the Little Ireland community of Edinburgh that was a mere tenth of that number, then surely a similar side in Glasgow could do much more.
It should not be thought that he in any way wished to harm Hibernians, far from it. He appreciated very much the help that he had received from Canon Hannan and the St Patrick’s Catholic Young Men’s Society. His reasoning was that he could not continue to expect Hibernians to help his community when they had so much work to do in their own. He endeavoured then to copy the lead of Canon Hannan, knowing that the Edinburgh priest would do all he could to aid him in his task.
Over the coming months several meetings were arranged in Glasgow to drum up support for the idea of a new ‘Hibernians’ in Glasgow. Some Irish Catholic leaders however could see some of the danger signs, as it was becoming apparent in these meetings that some of the men coming to the fore where business-minded with hints that personal gain rather than charitable aims were uppermost in their thoughts. Brother Walfrid however appeared oblivious to this as he pressed forward with his plans, taking everyone at face value.
By November 1887 Brother Walfrid was ready along with his supporters from St Mary’s Parish, and they revealed that a new football club would be formed. While most wanted the new club to be named Glasgow Hibernian, Brother Walfrid opposed this on the grounds that it would cause confusion. He got his way, and Glasgow Celtic was born. The real men behind this move however proved to be the businessmen, a builder from Donegal named John Glass and Pat Welsh, a tailor who had left Ireland under furtive circumstances 20 years previously. These men had seen the earning potential of a professional football club, and their subsequent methods of achieving their aims was to prove catastrophic for Hibernian Football Club.
Cannon Hannon was delighted as were all the Hibernians in Edinburgh that a brotherhood club was being formed in Glasgow
They donated towards the expenses and anything else Celtic required they would help.
Hibernians continued blissfully unaware that the founding of Celtic might cause them even the slightest problem, after all did every Irish Catholic not see football as they did, as a means of doing some good for their communities? More important at this time for Hibernians was their first ever tour of Ireland; at last the men of Little Ireland were to visit the homeland of the fathers.
One month later, Hibernians travelled to Glasgow to fulfil a promise Canon Hannan had made to Brother Walfrid. Hibernians formally opened Celtic Park with a game against Cowlairs. The match ended in a 0-0 draw but was a highly entertaining one. The new Glasgow club also benefited greatly from gate receipts, with Hibernians paying their own expenses.
On 28th May 1888, Celtic played their own first game against Rangers. However, as they still did not have a full team they leaned heavily on their friends from Edinburgh and seven of the players who turned out for Celtic had past connections with Hibs.
In the following weeks, Celtic played several games and each time used players borrowed from Hibernians. There were rumours doing the rounds of course about the intentions of the new Glasgow club, but these were dismissed by the Hibernians committee who simply would not believe that their close friends and brothers would mean them any harm.
Celtic businessman John Glass and his partners were already making their own plans, including financial inducements being offered to the best players in the Hibernians side that might join Glasgow Celtic for the following season.
By August 1888, the Hibernians committee men had learned that the rumours were in fact true, and the cream of the best football side in Scotland would not be turning out for Hibernians, but rather had defected to Celtic with the riches being promised. Just as shocked as the Hibernians men were most of the Celtic committee who had not been aware of what John Glass and his supporters were doing. Even if Hibernians had wished to take Celtic on like for like, they could not do so, the very being of Hibernians was that every penny earned went to charitable causes. Celtic had undertaking no such principles.
John Glass had recognised the massive financial rewards that would ensue from professional football. The game had gone professional in England sometime before and Scotland was about to follow. Using the loyalties of the Irish immigrant population left a sour taste in many a mouth. Celtic were seeking to have the best of both worlds, they would sign any players they wished while still retaining an appeal to the Irish community. Business had, not for the first time, trampled over idealism,and of course we still see that today at our club.
Of course Hibs have had many great players over the seasons but they had a very famous ball boy and supporter.
None other than James Connolly.
HH
Donegal branch?
Where abouts?
I thought your surname was arsehole?
7 out of 7 donkey boy!
” he halted this bhoys progress “?
Oh did he?
Strange that most if not all of the players who played under Brendan, said he improved them as players.
…..anyway.
‘ We combine biometrics such as face, voice and fingerprint with device-binding, geolocation, and other factors to establish the highest levels of trust.’
They mean, ‘If you look shady we’ll pull you off the street without charge and torture you for fun.’
Just like the old Glasgow Police used to do to us back in the good old days but at least they’d let us go home to our families when it was over.
https://www.daon.com/