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Celtic Diary Thursday January 15: A Wee Virus Did It And Ran Away

Sometimes, in life, love and business, we have to hold our hands up and say we fucked up.

 

We are, after all, only human, and we all make mistakes. What is important is how we deal with those mistakes, and overwhelmingly, we find that until we admit them, and accept responsibility, we aren’t going to be able to deal with them.

 

Peter Lawwell went on Celtic TV yesterday, to issue an apology for the decision to make the trip to Dubai that has more or less put the tin lid on a season that couldn’t have gone more badly wrong if we had put David Murray in charge of the finances.

 

And let’s face it, it was a disaster.

 

A tired looking CEO sat behind a desk in what looked like a cupboard deep in the bowels of Celtic Park, to answer the questions he wanted to in front of an interviewer, Gerry McCulloch, who played the part of Laura to Peter’s Boris.

 

Lawwell, sounding like he had electricals attached to his testicles, said;

“It has been an extremely difficult few days.

“On reflection, looking back and with hindsight and looking at the outcome of the trip, clearly it was a mistake and for that I profoundly apologise to our supporters.  

 

He should have left it there…but instead, tried , somewhat lamely, to justify things…

“We left here and the rationale for the camp was very much with the best intentions.  

“Things haven’t gone the way we wanted to and the outcome is clearly very regrettable.” 

“If you look back over the last four years, going to the camp in Dubai has been extremely successful. 

 

“And the decisions we made in entirely for the best interests of the team and the best interests of the club.

“What we planned to do was take them to these facilities again, which are world-class, after a very hectic programme in November and December. which has in the past proven to be a great benefit in terms of performance after January, to get to that performance level again.”  

 

 

The flimsiest of excuses, though perhaps there is merit in them, though it’s hard to see. Living in a bubble may well have lessened the seriousness of the world wide effects of the virus, and maybe, just maybe, had he said that, we could have accepted it.

 

However, the argument kind of falls flat when you factor in the remarkable strides in sports science, diet , training and all round professionalism , which bought the club so much success have been abandoned since Neil Lennon took the job, so much so that it has affected performances on the pitch.

 

It’s not that “rangers ” are so good, it’s that Celtic have been so bad we now face the unthinkable prospect of a trophyless season.

 

 

And by casting aside the philosophy that made Celtic so dominant, he’s left himself wide open to a charge of neglect.

 

 

But he still refuses to admit that, and until he does, and lays down a plan to rectify the problem, there will be criticism, and there will be demands for his resignation.

 

As i said, we all make mistakes, and we all deserve a chance to put things right.

 

 

Lawwell has the look of a man who is just hoping it all goes away.

 

 

He will, along with the current manager, be remembered as one of the men who stopped the ten, a damning indictment for both considering the long and loyal service both have given.

 

 

Does it have to end like this ?

 

No.

 

But there are several things that Lawwell, and Lennon, need to embrace in order to begin to gain the respect of the support.

 

 

This won’t happen until they stop blaming everything and anything they can think of. A glance in the mirror will show them the problem.

 

One major concern for the CEO is that there is a perception, with a not inconsiderable amount of evidence, that he welcomes the return of a rival from Ibrox.

 

The Old Firm brand which some would argue is the major selling point of Scottish football. Yet at the same time sponsorship and investment from outside the game, including tv money, is pitiful.

Lawwell needs the Old Firm, and something that he has admitted which has a bearing on that is the real fear that the other clubs in Scotland will demand a share of the gate money at Celtic Park, which from the outside looks like a reasonable way of ensuring that Celtic have a league to play in.

 

Would it not be a better idea to share league revenue with a dozen clubs than share champions League revenue with one ?  

 

At least it would be honest…..

 

 

The pandemic may yet lead to real change in football, all over Europe, and we need someone at the helm who is prepared to do a wee bit of thinking outside the box, instead of going along with the notion that we need to tolerate and forget what actually happened at Ibrox and the SFA around a decade ago.

 

If we gloss over it, and try to continue in the same vein that brought about the liquidation of a major Scottish club, then we are as guilty as those who committed that crime.

 

 

A new way for the game is needed, one that accepts and encourages all clubs to be the best that they can.

 

There is football outside Glasgow, and in order to have a truly competitive and truly marketable league, that needs to be realised and supported.

 

Change is almost certainly coming, is there a chance we can make it real and lasting ?

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Monti
3 years ago

Morning Ralph,
I noted with interest this morning that Celtic has placed our youth players on the furlough scheme?
So we can afford to travel to Dubai with the squad at a cost reported to be £200,000 yet we can’t afford to pay the youth players?

The guy that does the PR at Celtic, i take it he doesn’t particularly like Celtic?

desdamoaner
3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

he’s a Jambo

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

The fat turd that is Lawwell will simply be protecting his bonus. These fvckers need to be chased.

portpower
3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Were all reservations payments non-refundable?
I wouldnt put it past clandestine Peters capabilities that cancelation was defiantly a no go.

Mike
3 years ago

No wanting to be pedan- Tic, but surely its the 14th.unless your using the Gregorian calendar?

Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Celtic furloughed their non- playing staff months ago. The club gets 80% of the staff’s wages covered, unlike other clubs Celtic said that they would make up the other 20% of the non playing staffs wages. They would be stupid not to take up the governments job retention scheme. All other clubs like Kilmarnock who also have their players on furlough are taking advantage of the scheme, Hearts reduced ALL of their employees wages including players by 50%. Last years accounts show that Celtic made a £100,000 profit after selling KT for £24.00 million, with £18.00 million in the bank. Some clubs and I include the Huns have had a good Covid year, placing players and staff on furlough, think about it, winning the league with the taxpayer picking up the tab at minimum cost to themselves, that’s not new for them. Why should Celtic risk becoming bankrupt when some huge companies are utilising the furlough scheme. I predict that after Lawwell’s eff up on spending big on sub standard players that Celtic will have very little left in the biscuit tin. In the summer at least two of our best players will need to be sold to balance the books and what is left will be minimal. Covid has dealt a big blow to many successful companies and that unfortunately includes Celtic plc.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

That’s correct Mike, but most companies didn’t take 50 of their employees and swan off to the sun.

Mike
3 years ago

No, they don’t henke, that decision was absurd and wrong on many levels. I don’t think that any Celtic supporter would like the business to make a gigantic loss either. They did the right thing with the staff by paying their top up salaries by 20%. The thing that I find reprehensible is Lawwell’s involvement in player purchasing. If you look at the stats, his choices have been utter garbage and have cost the club much more than Covid ever will, that can only change when he effs off, or leaves it to the right manager. Big Jock demanded Kelly kept his nose out of team affairs and he was right to do so. Horses for courses.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Again you are absolutely on the money. If you take the money on the dross that he’s pished away over the last decade, the CL failures and his over inflated salary you’re talking around and this is a conservative estimate, £200m and yet some of the deluded think he’s a good CEO. With those types of criminal figures, he’s not even a good accountant.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I sent a reply but again it has disappeared into oblivion.

Cortes
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

It is the 14th. In the Gregorian Calendar.

Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Cortes

Cortes, you must be the one in a million that could know that, or else you have too much time on your hands.

Cortes
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I blame the schools.

Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Cortes

Cortes,I think that you are a priest, posting from your local Seminary, if you are? I have a confession due, do you have a whole afternoon free by any chance?

Cortes
3 years ago
Reply to  Cortes

“Let them eat cakes” (the wee misshapen tasteless wans mix) by Dermot and His Beancounters

3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Yes as Julian is out injured.

Monti
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

What’s a gregorian calendar?

Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Pope Gregory the X111, he died before 2012. He too was a Celtic supporter, his favourite chant was KTF.

Cortes
3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

It’s one modelled by Claire Grogan.

3 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Its so you can keep track of how many steak bakes you have.

Big Don Gazpachio
3 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

It’s 2013 in the Ethiopian calendar.

Same amount a pies Monti’s ate this week.

BJF
3 years ago

So Celtic finally got round to apologising. A bit of a PR disaster because it gives ammunition to those that don’t like us anyway. Celtic took Scottish Govt’s advice. As things worsened in December they should have pulled out. The Scottish Govt’s. knew the new variant was becoming rampant but didn’t introduce a Lockdown as they should have in mid December. Worse they even gave an amnesty on Christmas Day knowing the NHS wound be hammered because of their decision to do this snd their failure to combat the new variant by introducing the Lockdown. It is all very contrived and Celtic were the fall guys. We should have seen this but Govt. must be delighted. The decision about the young players is very poor, time for a change but don’t find yourself in the ranks of the anti Celtic usual suspects.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  BJF

Wow. Deluded much? You conveniently forget that there was going to be a five day Christmas amnesty while pretty much at that time the country was in lockdown in most areas prior to Christmas and then placed into the highest level on St Stephens day, more than a week before the jolly to Dubai. The fact that this was then reduced to ONE day seems to have been overlooked by you and I would suggest anyone with a semblance of social conscience would have abandoned all thoughts of a trip to a rich mans playground. Our custodians and manager (debatable title) have been the source of all our ills and no amount of deflection from those facts and by apportioning blame elsewhere sums up the shortsightedness of some in our support, it also suggests people such as yourself are happy with this chaotic organisation that currently oversee operations. As long as you can blame something or someone else we will never progress.

3 years ago
Reply to  BJF

This PR disaster was all of the club’s making and its right that fans are totally angered by the sheer amateur hour operation run by Lawwell et al.

Incidentally, the MSM have reacted favourably to Lawwell’s apologia (see screenshots in bbc.co .uk/sport/football/55659025) in contrast to, what I imagine, the vast majority of fans have.

Personally, I’d imagine that “the ranks of the anti Celtic usual suspects” would be happy for us to continue unapologetically in the mire and with a manager long past his sell-by date.

Unless that’s a reference to Celtic supporters like myself who will continue to point out our failings both on and off the pitch, as this is the best way to get them corrected.

DGC
3 years ago

I didn’t think it was possible for the club to make this situation any more of a mess than it already is but then I watched that video.

It was like apologising to your wife because you think she’s being mental but you want some peace and quiet and can’t be @rsed with the agro – ‘Honey; I’m sorry…..but here are all the reasons I was right and that you’ve failed to consider properly…..’

And this nonsense about being impacted by Covid more than any other club just needs to stop. It’s complete an utter garbage.

The thing I find most depressing is that Marcus Rashford is out there day in day doing the sort of work that Brother Walfrid and Tommy Burns would have been applauding while we as a club are swanning about acting like vacuous Instagram influencers or reality tv show twats. We’ve truly lost our way

CalledByCthulhu
3 years ago

Those under 18s are supposed to represent our future on the pitch. If they’re on furlough then they’re not being coached. Another shambles.

Cartvale88
3 years ago

Lawell a genius in his own reckoning with a kiddy on apology, trying to look meek as he sits in the cleaners cupboard. His fixation with all things at Castle Greyskull, like some of our support has dragged Celtic down, there is a bigger world out there. It’s like meeting the local floozy and not realising there are better choices in life
Hysterical articles by journos claiming yet again the Wankers will be the be the best team in Europe according to Ernie the super computer, as they ignore Ashley and the court case.

R.St.Parsley
3 years ago

The Celtic (Board) Song

Hail, hail the covid’s here
What the hell do we care?
What the hell do we care?
Hail, hail the covid’s here
What the hell do we care now?

Sure it was a grand wee trip to go on
Sun and as much beer as you pleased
And if you were on crutches
You still came and then went home diseased (and spread it)
We don’t care what the entitled say
What the hell do we care?
For we only know
Thanks to our fat CEO
That the ‘Glasgow Rangers’ will be there.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  R.St.Parsley

Superb.

BECA987B-231F-44A9-A176-C5C7C5178194.jpeg
R.St.Parsley
3 years ago

I thought it was a picture of what a hot air balloon looks like.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago

Do you truly believe the utter mince you post? Using Juventus as a comparison to Celtic really takes the biscuit. A league that only two teams can contest (only one until the arrival of the puppet) being compared to a league were possibly 40% of clubs have a chance of topping the division. Juventus are currently 7 points behind with a game in hand, not 21 points with three in hand and a goal difference that is lamentable which adds another point to the equation. Lennon should have been booted after Ferencvaros. He is the problem. He has diminished the professionalism that he inherited and the result is there for all to see. For a guy who is a supposed fan (not supporter), I don’t see it that way, I would say you are just a nomark troll who gets some sort of gratification from the endless spewing of shite.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago

Even your hero is struggling with that one.

DCD2B76D-ADA4-4D4E-B5AE-321FD9C2B7F1.gif
3 years ago

Juventus are 7 points behind with a game in hand and recently well beat ‘runaway leaders’ Milan in their own midden, with less than ½ the league played.

I, also seem to recall them coming from behind to beat Napoli and probably others to the title in previous leagues, as you would expect the dominant and experienced team to pull away towards the end.

I think they’re also still favourites whereas our odds are:

Huns 1/33 (sic) Tims 20/1 (sic)

There’s no comparison between our and Juventus situations.

3 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Juventus are as likely to win Serie A as Milan or Inter.

The Huns are 660 times more likely to win the league than us according to the bookies.

That’s an honest comparison between Juve and us and why you would attempt to use it to mitigate our disaster season is incomprehensible.

Take a look at Desi’s excellent “Scunnered” article on here:

25 May 2019 – (circa 16:45pm)
Celtic defeat Hearts 2-1 to win the Scottish Cup and secure the historical Treble Treble.
 
25 May 2019 – (circa 17:30pm)
Most fans are stunned when it is announced that Neil Lennon has just been offered the Celtic job on a permanent basis.

Celtic fans celebrating all over Glasgow after the Treble Treble is won.

45 minutes later all party balloons are bust and the lights have all gone out.

Why, are these spoilt brats?

No, these are the fans who spend a fortune following the team home and away, in Europe and spend lots more on merchandising etc.

They don’t demand the moon just that we are the best we possible can be, recruit the best we can afford etc.

They had just endured 2-3months of turgid football, including 2 0-0s at Parkhead, and saw the Scottish Cup and hence Treble Treble won due to the individual brilliance of Edouard despite managerial incompetence.

The party atmosphere collapsed because they could see what was coming down the pike, whether that be in a few months or a year or 2.

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

.

B4AE25D4-E4C4-4C79-B720-0917ECBC39D3.gif
Frank McGaaaarvey
3 years ago

Who said we have a ‘divine right’ to win every game and competition? No-one. Ever.

What we as paying supporters do have a ‘divine right’ to expect is a high level of professionalism in all aspects of the club. We have a ‘divine right’ to demand that those in charge identify problems and fix them accordingly, not the current ‘wait and see’ policy which has cost us the 10 and put us back 25 years in European terms. We have a ‘divine right’ to expect the custodians of OUR club to headhunt the best possible candidates for all roles, especially the manager, and NOT to give the role to an old pal and puppet in the showers without considering other candidates.

This is NOT a case of acting like spoiled kids or kicking fences because of a few bad results. It’s about not stagnating and doing the bare minimum to keep ahead of the mob across the city. That is our ‘divine right’.

Frank McGaaaarvey
3 years ago

Whit? Are Celtic the only club affected by covid? Every club in world football is. If we are affected worse than others why would that be? Bad luck? Incompetence? Didn’t seem to bother Sparta Prague much did it?

mabozzaRitchie
3 years ago

whit a load a sh!te

bgbhoy
3 years ago

oh dear oh dear

still blaming the virus

the virus didnt stop turnbull or soro being picked for the 2 in 12 sequence your fearless leader had us on. one man to blame for the teams performances this season and one man alone

Monti
3 years ago

Clown^

portpower
3 years ago

Dembele, el ‘Hunskelper’. 🙂

3 years ago
Reply to  portpower

Those were the days my friend.

Cole Burns
3 years ago

If they wished to train for the second half of a season to be played in wind, rain and snow
plus plastic pitches, then, surely, training in KIlmarnock or Livingston would have been more helpful and a helluva lot cheaper. £200 rather than £200,000.

If Lawwell is so sorrowful he can show it by getting the wallet out immediately, not at 23.55
on the final day of the transfer window.

3 years ago
Reply to  Cole Burns

Another issue is that we don’t have a full sized indoor pitch to practice on in inclement weather.

Rodgers identified this and may partly explain the Dubai jaunts in previous seasons.

Another cheapskating false economy by Lawwell.

Other than CE pay, are we world class in anything?

TicToc
3 years ago

In these awful times, and they ARE awful, exacerbated by the hugely overpaid tit in OUR Boardroom and our ‘mis-management team’, here’s a wee laugh!

Yorkshire response IMG-20210114-WA0000.jpg
henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  TicToc

Hahaha…………’ere, ave a straw mate’

3 years ago

Problem is nobody would have been talking about the virus or if lawwell wanted sevco or not.
A top rate manager would have secured champions league football this season. One off home ties would have seen us through easily.
A top class manager would gave identified where the weakness was and fixed it. The problem for the whole fuck up of a season lies with Lennon no one else.

3 years ago

No excuses lenny has failed.
Celtic endured one of the worst runs of form in the club’s history with just 2 wins in 11 matches at one stage. The Glasgow giants have the largest budget in Scotland and arguably the best players on paper. However, they failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, were one goal away from breaking the record for the most goals conceded in a Europa League group stage, exited the League Cup in the early rounds and trail Rangers by 21 points in the League.
Time for change is now.

Monti
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmybee

YES!

Frank McGaaaarvey
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmybee

Unfortunately Jimmy, the time for change was THEN (on any number of occasions).

henkesdreadlocks
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmybee

McGregor had two saves to make. Forster had about a dozen ffs.

Mike
3 years ago

There’s a new strain of Covid, its the ‘scunnered’ variety. To fight it, you should go back in time and read your Celtic history, it fair perks you up. Delete the present, its mandatory (sorry about the tory bit) do not just wear a face mask but add a thick pair of ear warmers and dark sunglasses. Embrace the past and shut out Mr. Negativity, block out the Celtic present, take a sleeping pill until it passes and you wake up with the new Celtic manager. Welcome Mr. Clop, thanks for bringing back Virgil and Andy Robertson, what’s that you say, KT is returning from London? Well fvck me rigid, cos I’ve just died and gone to heaven. Put ‘Still Game’ on the telly and raise a glass to the new Celtic as Dermot’s son Donald Duck has just invested £100.00 million in a Celtic park upgrade with heated seats and free beer with ‘Tapas’ on tap. He grunts as he has just woken up, ‘awe naw’ same auld Celtic always shooting themselves in the foot, same auld Huns and their cheating, takes another sleeping pill and goes back to sleep, zzzzz.

Monti
3 years ago

Jeez^

3 years ago

“Celtic’s misguided Dubai trip was just the latest symptom of a club in a state of emergency”
inews.co .uk/sport/football/celtic-dubai-covid-19-christopher-jullien-nicola-sturgeon-rangers-scottish-premiership-830164

3 years ago

So the truths are now starting to unravel. No top class manager will work under the restrictions placed on them by Peter.
Ian Banker our chairman was delighted to be part of David Murray and his cronies in 1995. Buying boxes and advertising in the brand.
Time to boot out all the impostors in our club.

SteveNaive
3 years ago

comment image?resize=768%2C270

Thought this was good on Stephen Welsh in CBN

mabozzaRitchie
3 years ago

why don’t celtic know already that it was corbyn who sent bittons missus emails

Big Don Gazpachio
3 years ago
Reply to  mabozzaRitchie

Or Bankier.

Paranoid celt
3 years ago

Celtic fans get what celtic fans deserve.

Paranoid celt
3 years ago
Reply to  Paranoid celt

You have become everything you claim to hate

Big Don Gazpachio
3 years ago
Reply to  Paranoid celt

You mean gullible, self important & impotent, PC?

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