Celtic Diary Friday October 15: Careless Whispers ?

After a week of ignoring football, largely because there hasn’t been any, and hoping that no one else gets injured as we approach the pivotal point of this season, there have been a few stories-or non stories, that have caught the attention.

The first , and one that seems to have split the Celtic support down the middle, is the ranch originating claim that Red Bull, the manufacturers of a fizzy cough medicine flavoured energy drink , are looking to add Celtic to their portfolio of football clubs.

It could be worse. Look at who has taken over Newcastle United. Amazingly, everyone seems happy with the guy who was behind the murder of a dissdent journalist running a football club, though that’s not entirely surprising when you consider he was behind the murder of a dissdent journalist.

Celtic , when viewed in a purely business sense, are ripe for takeover. During a global downturn caused by a pandemic, they’ve kept house financially extraordinarily well, down to a loyal and faithful customer base who paid in advance for a product they never got to have.

That sort of thing turns heads in the corporate world.

There is considerable room for growth with investment, and the brand is known worldwide.

According to the introduction at the beginning of the documentary “Three Kings “, a film about the careers of three influential football managers, Jock Stein. Bill Shankly and Matt Busby, around two billion people claim either Celtic , Manchester United or Liverpool as their favourite team.

Two of those already have huge investment and returns,

The other one is obviously a target for similar investors.

Celtic have stalled under Desmond, adopting a conservative outlook which encouraged the return of the Old Firm brand , and although supporters refuse to recognise the same club myth, their interest in the new Glasgow Derby has allowed the media to perpetuate the myth of the brand.

A wider outlook in a global market isn’t something this board are interested in, this seems to have died at the same time Desmond’s dream of joining the EPL bit the dust, yet no one on Celtic’s board seems ready to face the reality that England doesn’t want or need the Old Firm brand simply because of it’s toxicity.

Scottish football, therefore, remains at the mercy of the Old Firm, having failed to clean it up and move forward  when the brand expired back in 2012.

Ominously, bookmakers will soon be removed from shirt sponsorship, following their comrades in arms in the alcohol and tobacco industries, and frankly that leaves very few firms willing to associate themselves with a set up that includes one club/comapny that appeals to it’s customer base with a video such as this one…..

“We were here before everyone else, Glasgow is our city”
As the tune to the Famine Song plays

They’ve outdone themselves this time. pic.twitter.com/7JVCbruu1y

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) October 14, 2021

The subliminal message here is anti immigration, the purity of the nation and all the usual bollocks that comes with the brand that our current board feels it depends on for income.

Supporters aren’t helping with their attitude of ignoring what went on back then, and until Celtic and other clubs remind the world that it isn’t Rangers, they’re not 150 years old and they haven’t won 55 titles, those in charge now will carry on as they have for the last decade, and one could reasonably argue they are simply going along with the demands of their customer base.

So, get involved with the Celtic Trust, they’re not perfect but at the moment they’re our best shot at getting our voices heard.

Outside investment, either a full takeover or a massive sponsorship, such as stadium naming, shirts and other gimmicks , is almost certainly on the cards to some degree. Desmond and the board have claimed recently that there will be changes, without going into much detail, and we still don;t know exactly what went on with Dominic McKay.

One theory is that he would have upset the status quo and with investors eyes on Celtic Park that wouldn’t do, as exposing previous shennanigans may well have put off external investors.

By the way, there was no mention that Red Bull are interested in whichever entity will be operating out of Ibrox when the time comes, and given their current stricken plight over there, it looks like no one else is either.

For Celtic fans, the investment is attractive in that both Liepzig and Salzburg, recent opponents at Celtic Park, have both improved vastly as football teams, and it;s the product on the park we want, although they have sacrificed a part of themselves with the name change, and I’m fairly certain that won’t wash with the world of Timdom.

But it’s worth noting that Dermot Desmond won’t be around forever, and sooner or later someone somewhere will have their own vision and money to open a new chapter in our history.

Whilst others may claim to be big clubs, they are big only because of the money they generate in their own environment, and Celtic can be classed , quite rightly, as a sleeping giant.

In the corporate world, that hasn’t gone unnoticed, and sooner or later someone will make their move.

It might not be Red Bull, but it will be someone.

Which reminds me of a story concerning a previous owner, Fergus McCann, who was a bit over the top with managers, and exercised quite a degree of control.

He once gave instructions to sign a well known English international to sognal his intent to fans and media alike, and as he had to return to the US to tidy a few things up, he left the details to others.

When he got back, he asked about the player . He was shocked when he was told the man in question merely did a little tap dance, blew a few notes on his saxophone and collapsed dead after a bout of coughing.

McCann exploded.. “I said fucking Rocastle, Rocastle you fucking idiot. ”