{"id":15555,"date":"2020-04-18T08:29:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T07:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=15555"},"modified":"2020-04-18T08:29:02","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T07:29:02","slug":"celtic-diary-saturday-april-18-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=15555","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Saturday April 18: It’s Not All Doom And Gloom"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Aesop got that wrong. The misfortune of certain others is what keeps me going these days.<\/p>\n

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After a week or two of moaning, there was delight yesterday among the supporters of Scotland’s newest club\/company “rangers “.<\/p>\n

Although they’ve never quite managed to make the leap into winning a major trophy themselves, they’ve latched on to Celtic as being their biggest rivals, and the news yesterday that Bet 365, the online gambling company based in Stoke, are not going to pay out on ante post football betting, that is, they’re not going to pay out if Celtic are awarded the title next week, will have cheered them immensely.<\/p>\n

Not as much as it has pleased the Record, though. In a beautifully constructed headline, they announced…<\/p>\n

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World’s biggest bookies declare Celtic title null and void as they make decisive payout decision<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n

Bets placed on nine-in-a-row will not be valid if the season is ended early.<\/p>\n

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Because its up to bookies who wins the title, of course, especially the biggest one in the world.<\/p>\n

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Well, they may be the biggest in the world, but they won’t be if they stiff customers the way that this story suggests.<\/p>\n

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The story, however, reflects the desire to give the dark side something to cheer about, and to take their mnd off the impending financial disaster that is hurtling towards Ibrox. It also means that the hacks don;t have to mention it yet either, and not one has mentioned the obvious dilemma down on Edmiston Drive that must be tearing apart an already shattered boardroom.<\/p>\n

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The accounts said they needed money, they haven;t got any, and there is no way they can get any. Even the shrewder amongst the directors who popped a wedge on Celtic to win the league as a form of insurance will not get paid now either, and so they are left with a difficult choice.<\/p>\n

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They have only until the league is declared over to announce an insolvency event for it to mean they lose their fifteen points this season, when it doesn;t matter, but also potentially lose any European income next season, or they can wait unti next season and give Celtic a fifteen point lead in the race to ten, which would, of course, not make it much of a race, more a sort of procession.<\/p>\n

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We await with interest a statement that announces and explains their decision, which no doubt will blame separate schools, papal intervention and Irish immigration.<\/p>\n

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You thought it was difficult to get hand sanitizer and toilet roll ?<\/p>\n

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Wait till you try to buy jelly and ice cream.<\/p>\n

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The end is near, but the Ibrox board are unable to choose between a firing squad or the more traditional gallows as they look for a way to pass into the next world….<\/p>\n

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Though I’ll wager no one chooses green peppperami for their last meal, alhough whatever it is will be washed down with a glass of bitter orange.<\/p>\n

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So, away from all that as delightful as it is, which in itself points to a national media narrative of avoidance, lets have a look at whats been going on with Celtic, who have maintained a dignified silence on everything of late.<\/p>\n

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\"Tumbleweed<\/p>\n

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There’s very little happening, because there is very little that can happen. Lists of players wanted are drawn up, then thrown away as they cannot be approached or watched, and everything is on hold.<\/p>\n

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Celtic will perhaps extend a few contracts, but there is little to no chance of spending money on new players when a new level of prudency has to be engaged.<\/p>\n

Doubt over season book refunds, re-issues and even the amount available has removed one certain income stream, and even the new kit deal is on hold, although not in doubt.<\/p>\n

Adidas will expect maximum publicity and sales when it’s launched, and as no one can put a date on that happening, there is unlikely to be an advance commission from that quarter.<\/p>\n

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Television money isn’t great, but it will have been factored into income and expenditure projections, and even the new Sky contract could be in doubt as they will want four Glasgow derbies, and there might not even be two Glasgow teams in the Premiership.<\/p>\n

For this reason, reconstruction will be a nightmare, and chances of a sensible outcome that suits all were further damaged when Ann Budge is factored into the equation.<\/p>\n

A fourteen team league sounds good, but unless there’s a split, it’s 52 games.<\/p>\n

A first round of 26 before a split sounds feasible, and two groups of seven gives 38 games, but anything else means a league where the teams don’t all play the same amount of games, which kind of lacks credibility.<\/p>\n

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Oh, hang on, it’s Scottish football , so credibility probably isn’t that big an issue.<\/p>\n

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Fourteen in the Premiership is almost certain.<\/p>\n

After that, it’s anybody’s guess, but that will depend on if we’ve got another new club\/company to cater for.<\/p>\n

If so, expect two divisions of fourteen making up the Senior league, and about fifty regional leagues below, to freshen things up, but mainly to avoid that lot having to undergo another\u00a0 five year mission seeking out new lands and new civilisations, before pissing on their doorsteps and vomiting in their gardens.<\/p>\n

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Again.<\/p>\n

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Nine in a row will be announced soon, and had the season continued as normal, we’d probably have won it by now anyway, and have a cup final and quadruple treble to look forward to.<\/p>\n

And they think we wanted the season to end…quite possibly the a greater rewrite of history than anything it together by Empire spin doctors….when in fact we’ve all been robbed of at least two memorable days out celebrating another landmark in this clubs great history.<\/p>\n

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Whilst the hordes are proclaiming the title is tainted or whatever,<\/p>\n

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\"Image\"<\/p>\n

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Note one is in green, and one in orange…coincidence ?<\/p>\n

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….and the ones won when they weren’t in the league-thats all of them since 2012…don’t count, Celtic fans have overlooked our own disappointment and not really spoken about how we feel about missing out on a refreshing light ale and perhaps a singalong or two.<\/p>\n

Mind you with the money saved we could probably all buy an extra house or two, and no doubt we’ll just get on with it.<\/p>\n

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And I suppose that will make 10 in a row the first title celebration where the club fits a defibrillator to every seat in the ground.<\/p>\n

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That reminds me…if you are out and about this weekend, watch out for this guy…and anyone he’s got to help him….<\/p>\n

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ddb1893<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
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@ddb1893<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A personal favourite. The thought of hunners of wee huns running around Govan…. covering stones<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Though some of them are getting better at constructing thought provoking and interesting tweets…<\/p>\n

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Though one could argue perhaps they are right, perhaps there really is an unseen fenian hand at work….<\/p>\n

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This guy thinks there is, although admittedly the word think is used in the loosest possible meaning of the word.<\/p>\n

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\"Image\"<\/p>\n

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Anyone would think there’s some sort of underhand dealings going on.<\/p>\n

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Underhand dealings, the very thought…<\/p>\n

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Truth is though, as one of them outlined…<\/p>\n

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On Thursday, we had this…<\/p>\n

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henkesdreadlocks<\/em><\/div>\n