I was reminded of some Fergus McCann wisdom today from 1993.
It came up in conversation as I was chatting with someone who knows the wee man very well.
It was in response to the numbers published yesterday.
For anyone across the city who is paying attention, these accounts make awful reading.
Essentially Celtic’s financials mean that the current operators of the Ibrox franchise cannot compete if fairness is imposed upon them.
Their fate now is to be Simply The Second Best.
Celtic have an in-built financial advantage over anyone in the domestic scene, including Sevco.
Clearly, this is an appalling vista for the Ibrox klanbase and they have had to find solace in the promise of better days.
The breaking news today around the Celtic Boys Club case suggests that there has been some U-Turn by the club in relation to this matter.
This is incorrect.
Despite the interest from the mainstream media in this story, no one has pointed to the fact that there has never been a contingent liability in the notes in Celtic’s accounts regarding this matter.
The reason is simple, it is an insured risk.
That’s why the club’s insurance company has been calling the shots since the case emerged.
Consequently, there was never a threat to the Parkhead club itself.
Insurers indemnify their clients if the terms and conditions of the policy are adhered to.
This was an inconvenient fact for those who had weaponized this legacy issue from the pre-McCann days into an imagined existential threat to Celtic FC.
Now that is demonstrably not the case then perhaps the child protection heroes at Ibrox might look closer to home.
Dear reader, always believe people when they reveal themselves.
Anyone who would gleefully weaponize the horror of child abuse fails as a human being.
Today, my thoughts are with the victims of all such predators wherever they operate.
Meanwhile, the McCann legacy endures.
There WAS an existential threat to Celtic in early 1994.
The Bunnet stepped up and put money down on the table.
Apparently, there were minutes left until the bank moved in.
He had the vision and the minerals to re-imagine Celtic with a 60,000-seater stadium full of season ticket holders.
His business acumen was the hinge factor that forced Rangers into a spiral of self-destruction that ended with their death in 2012.
Maybe the people who operate Celtic are hoarding money for cl next season, now more games and more revenue means….. maybe with brendan they will increase the wage structure and spend knowing it can be recovered as each year passes, but winning the league is the 1st, cl money is guaranteed as we are in the group stages but just think of next year, we will have a bank balance ready to… who knows.
You are kidding yourself if you think this Board is interested in strengthening the team….. they just want to improve their financial position
Huge flaw in your theory Phil,
It would seem the current rangers can compete because competing is done on the pitch and Celtic provided their manager with less of a budget than the current rangers did, less in fact because they spent money, we earned it.
Unless of course competing is about whose you know what is biggest around the table.
A swollen bank balance means nothing if it is being hoarded and not reinvested
Powerful conclusion, love it and Fergus.
Good cash in the bank indeed…
Hopefully Celtic will be out of sight from Sevco by the time that the next Glasgow Derby comes around near Hogmanay…
But if not (referees, VAR operators, Fixture ‘Planners’ ) we’re in a very fine position to blow them to pieces in The January transfer window for sure…
I’m old enough to remember going SIX bloody full season without even winning The ‘Mickey Mouse’ League Cup…
So what a great time it to be alive and be a Hoops fan for sure !!!
If Rangers don’t win the league cup, their fans will go into meltdown. The only cheer they get is our failure in Europe.
Celtic need to invest in player who can hit the ground running for European games.
Any club in the group stages with us say yip 6 points, worst case scenario 4.
We sign Project players galour, and we still cannot win with comfort in the lowland league. Yip time for a radical rethink on the signing policy.
Just finished your new book Phil last week, was sent a signed copy, A lot of the travel arrangements struck a cord along with place names. Having traveled in the old Derry boat, to getting the bus at the Gorbals back in the day.
My granny was from Falcarragh, many a week spent in a carvan at Marbel Hill. A wee break from Derry.
Are you planning a follow up in the future? Or a new venture?
I’m glad that you enjoyed Native Shore.
Who was your favourite character?
Got to be Gerry, always thinking ahead. Organising and pulling the intelligence together to find the source.