Ian Livingstone
Stephen Boyd of the STUC (writing here in a personal capacity) gives us his take on the recent activities of one member of the Celtic PLC Board…..you know that group of people who want Celtic fans to leave their politics at the door…..
Although the individual stories will vary enormously, I guess there are three fundamental reasons why supporters give up their season tickets: financial pressures, family/childcare issues or general dissatisfaction with the way the team is playing/team is being managed/direction club is heading. Undoubtedly there has been growing frustration with events on and off the field over the past few years. Even when titles were being won under Gordon Strachan, the quality and style of football came in for legitimate criticism. Losing the League in the last two seasons to an average if consistent Rangers side has exacerbated these concerns.
But in my own experience, it is financial pressures that usually tip the balance; and with unemployment increasing by over 100% in Scotland since the start of the recession in spring 2008, there is no shortage of skint Celtic fans. The situation in Ireland is even worse with unemployment currently running at a rate of 14%.
Season tickets are expensive. Many working people can’t afford one. To many committed supporters who have lost their job, or at risk of losing their job, they can quickly become a luxury. Those with savings (and let’s face it, saving has not been possible for most workers in a time of stagnating real wages) might struggle to convince their families that it is appropriate to invest a substantial proportion of the family nest egg in a new season ticket.
It is against this background of high and rising unemployment, growing economic insecurity and falling season ticket sales that we find Ian Livingstone, Celtic Director and Chief Executive of BT adding his name to a letter sent to the daily Telegraph by 35 ‘business leaders’ in support of George Osborne’s budget plans. The letter, published on 18 October, three days before the spending review, urged the Chancellor not to dilute the spending cuts announced in his June 2010 emergency Budget.
The letter was organised by Tory peer Lord Wolfson. Therefore it will hardly surprise anyone that it is as is unflinching as it is shameless in its support for government policy. The economics of the letter are absurd and the implications of the policy it espouses for the economy are hugely negative for working people. The impact on society’s most vulnerable citizens will be severe.
I think this letter throws up three key questions for Mr Livingstone which I’ll address in turn:
- Why was he prepared to put his name to a letter which was blatantly party political in nature and expressed resolute support for a dangerously ideological economic strategy based on, to put it politely, discredited economic theory?
The letter is an obnoxious assemblage of every myth used to justify Osborne’s spending cuts. It assumes, as does Osborne and his ConDem colleagues, that cutting public spending will necessarily improve the public finances. It suggests, quite outrageously, that Britain is in danger/was in danger of a full-scale fiscal crisis akin to that facing Greece and Ireland unless deep and immediate cuts are pursued. It confirms Osborne’s ‘analysis’ that employment growth in the private sector will more than offset job losses in the public sector. It repeats the oft-stated prejudice that private sector jobs are by definition ‘more productive’ than those in the public sector. I’ve already spent much time interrogating the substance of these arguments and have no wish to do so again. But anyone interested can read the STUC analysis here and here.
The adherence of the letter’s signatories to discredited populist economics is encapsulated in the statement that, “everyone knows that when you have a debt problem, delaying the necessary action will make it worse not better.” Everyone does not know this. Indeed, many people, Nobel Prize winning economists amongst them, think this is undiluted nonsense. Pre-Keynesian Treasury view nonsense to be precise.
The economy is running around 10% below pre-crisis output levels, unemployment is close to 9% and rising (in Scotland at least), the medium-term risk is deflation not inflation and interest rates are already close to zero. In these circumstances, both macroeconomic theory and more importantly the lessons of history suggest that the government should be engaging in fiscal expansion i.e. increasing spending (preferably in areas such as infrastructure and education which will boost long-term growth prospects) to create employment. Savaging public spending at this time is highly likely to condemn the UK to a prolonged period of economic stagnation and high unemployment.
Mr Livingstone is obviously content to be associated with this highly ideological and self-serving (for those who’ve been itching for years to ‘shrink the state’) agenda. Of course, Mr Livingstone doesn’t have to rely on public services. Like the other signatories, I imagine he uses his vast wealth to pay for private education and health services and those with access to chauffeur driven cars don’t have to worry about public transport. His vast and growing wealth cocoons him from the economic insecurity afflicting workers across the economy.
What we have to remember is that people who have been successful at running a company, are very, very rarely well placed to advise on the economy of a nation. The proof is in the letter to the Telegraph. On the question of business people expounding on economic issues, Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman concludes thus: ‘Economics and business are not the same subject, and mastery of one does not ensure comprehension, let alone mastery of the other. A successful business person is no more likely to be an expert on economics than on military strategy’. The pamphlet he wrote on the subject is to be recommended; particularly for those politicians unable or unwilling to accept his premise.
By signing up to the puerile economics of this letter, Mr Livingstone may have suffered some damage to his reputation. But, I’m sure he only worries about the views of his FTSE 100 CEO peers. He probably assumes that most will endorse the letter’s position. Which brings us onto question 2…
- Is the signing of this letter compatible with his role as CEO of BT?
I have been told by BT contacts that Mr Livingstone signed the letter in a personal capacity. And yet the letter clearly shows that it was signed by Ian Livingstone, CEO, BT Group. Does he sign all his personal correspondence in this way?
The bulk of the letter’s signatories can reasonably be described as ‘usual suspects’:
- Tory supporters/donors e,g. Wolfson, Paul Walsh of Diageo and Ian Chesire of Kingfisher;
- minimum wage retailers who have long subscribed to a very British low-pay, low-skills, low regulation business model; and,
- outsourcing firms who spy an opportunity in spending cuts.
BT does not fit neatly into any of these categories. This is a private sector company which has promoted a distinct corporate ethos; an ethos which builds on the public service values ingrained in the organisation and its people since the days when it was a publicly owned and accountable utility. This is a company which (hitherto?) valued its relationship with its workforce in whose skills it has invested. This is a company which does an awful lot of business with the public sector.
On what grounds does Mr Livingstone justify tarnishing his company’s name through association with the feral vanguard of British shareholder capitalism? He has certainly ingratiated himself with some powerful people. Surely he wouldn’t be trying to set himself up for even higher rewards at another firm where stakeholders are able to exert even less restraint on the ability of executives to extract profit as ‘reward’?
It is notable that only 35 ‘leaders’ agreed to sign up. Mr Livingstone should have exercised the judgement and discretion shown by the majority of his peers.
- Is the signing of this letter compatible with his role as a director of Celtic?
I’m guessing that any potential conflict with his role as Celtic Director didn’t weigh heavily in Mr Livingstone’s decision to sign the letter. This I can’t know for sure. I’m only guessing.
The strategy proposed in the letter will, by the Government’s own figures, lead to around 500,000 job losses in the public sector. PWC estimate that another 500,000 will be lost in the private sector. Only this week, the CIPD forecast that combined job losses in both sectors would reach 1.6 million. The Government’s forecast that the private sector will create 2.5 million jobs over the period of fiscal consolidation appears literally incredible.
The problem is that there is no offsetting mechanism available in our current circumstances. The Bank of England cannot slash interest rates when they are already at 0.5%. Over the course of the crisis the pound has already devalued by around 25-30% (which is a good thing) but any competitive advantage will be slight as the world prepares for a period of managed devaluations. There is no global boom to piggy back on.
Many Celtic supporters are on the verge of losing their jobs because of the ConDem Government’s irresponsible and ideological economic strategy. Season ticket and merchandise sales are likely to fall again. Did this even impinge on Mr Livingstone’s thinking? By the way, he receives £25k a year from Celtic for doing…well, what exactly? It’s worth reminding Mr Livingstone that the UK median wage is around £25k. Yep, half of all Celtic supporters (potentially much more) are likely to earn less in from a full year’s work than Mr Livingstone earns for showing his face at a few meetings.
The direct impact on club revenues is likely to be dire but there are bigger issues. I think it’s unacceptable that a Director of our club is publicly associating himself with an economic strategy that will have a huge negative impact on the Celtic community; a strategy that has deliberately targeted cuts on the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society in order to facilitate the scoring of cheap political points. I’m sure it’s not a concern to Mr Livingstone but I do wonder how he would reconcile UK Government strategy with Celtic’s ‘social mission statement’s’ commitment to promote ‘health, well being and social integration’?
I’ve no idea why Mr Livingstone was appointed to the Celtic Board but suspect that others imagined having the CEO of such a massive UK company would in some way add to Celtic’s prestige. What guff. Experience in other countries suggests that long-term performance is improved when the board of an organisation better reflects its wider community of stakeholders. Following the banking crisis, improving the quality and range of directors should be a policy priority as should the ending of the cosy culture of remuneration committees which enables executives to extract massive and undeserved pay and bonuses.
I find it appalling that Celtic should seek to replicate a failed corporate culture. It is worse that directors should act in such a brazen way against the interests of the vast majority of fans. And yes, this is a political statement and one that will not find favour with all Celtic fans – what political statement would? But I cannot leave my politics at the door of Celtic Park or any other door; particularly at a time when the well-being of my fellow supporters (of this and all other clubs) is being targeted by the Government and its corporate cheerleaders for purely ideological reasons.
Mr Livingstone’s decision to sign this letter does not reflect well on him as an individual or the organisation’s with which he’s involved. Is it too much to expect an explanation on why he thought it was appropriate?
Celtic PLC AGM – Use your vote!
Yes, dear reader, it is that time of the year again. You know the one? Where the Celtic Trust dutifully stand up and ask why Celtic, unlike an increasing number of football clubs throughout the UK, can’t have a direct line from the support, straight to the boardroom, so that the board actually have some idea what the impact of their decisions is likely to be on their ‘customers’ before they actually make them. And then, just as dutifully, the Board tell us that a) everyone on the Board is a fan and b) the Companies Act would not allow a Board member to represent a specific interest. We then point out that the members of the Board are well aware that being a fan and representing the fans are not the same thing and that there are already a number of people on the Board who are there to represent specific interests, as well as listing the number of poor decisions made during the year which might not have been made had they consulted the fans first. Then the vote is taken and the Soviet-style 98+ percentage votes against are returned and the Board issue a press release telling us all that the majority of shareholders rejected the Trust resolution. Then we issue a press release saying that, in fact, less than 2000 of the 29000 shareholders actually voted and it was, in fact, largely, those votes controlled directly by the Board (including those of the majority shareholder) who voted against our resolution. Then we all wait till next year and do the same again.
Well, last year, we at the Trust thought ‘why not do something different for 2010?’ So, we decided to put a resolution which would help us to discuss the substantive issue (ie making the Board more responsive and accountable to the fans who are, in that overused but nevertheless accurate phrase, the lifeblood of the club). So we decided to ask the Board to engage in a process of discussion with the wider support, through all the organisations, on how we best go about this. If that discussion were to come to pass, it may turn out that a fan’s representative on the Board is not the way forward in the eyes of most supporters. There may well be other, more imaginative ways of achieving the ends discussed above (which are surely not opposed by any supporter). This would allow us to have a proper and full discussion outwith the confines of a formal AGM with its staged format and necessarily legally-restricted procedures. Who could argue against the idea of a broad and open discussion on any issue of interest to all supporters of Celtic? Even if we are wrong and there are many supporters out there who are not interested in discussing this matter, then that fact would also become apparent as a result of this resolution being passed. Then we can all go back to our homes people, because there is nothing to see here.
But no…the Board, in its time-honoured fashion of voting down any idea put forward by the Trust (even the ones they subsequently adopt and take the credit for), give us the following reasons for opposing the Resolution……eh, let me see now, a) the Companies Act would not allow a Board member to represent a specific interest and b) everyone on the Board is a fan. They are nothing if not flexible! However, to be fair, buried in their response, which is itself buried in Page 63 of the Annual Report, they do let us in on a little secret.
“The Board wishes to ensure that the rights of the Company’s shareholders, in their capacity as shareholders, are respected and applied and is concerned that the resolution, if passed, would create a requirement for a formal dialogue having an objective which could run contrary to this principle”
Or, to paraphrase it for the purposes of clarity, the Board wishes to point out that we are not one big Celtic family, we are not all in this together, we don’t all have the same objectives and when it comes right down to it, the objective of the PLC ie to make money for its owners is more important than the overall objectives of the supporters ie to have a team competing successfully in Scotland and in Europe; and to do so while respecting the history and traditions of the Club. Well, I suppose it wasn’t much of a secret but it’s nice to have it stated in black and white for the record.
In fact, there is no legal impediment to having this discussion, there is nothing in the Companies Act (weighty as it is) which prevents a broad discussion of how the objective might be achieved of improving the supporters’ role in the governance of the Club. It might have to take a specific format; it might mean just having someone there to feed in our views without having a vote (an idea which I understand our principal shareholder is not opposed to!), it might mean using our collective imagination to achieve what we all want and coming up with ideas which neither the Trust not the Board have thought of yet. But no, we can’t discuss it because it might cut across the rights of shareholders (most of whom having very small bundles of shares which they did not buy to make money from) to expect a return from their shares.
To say that we can’t discuss something because it might lead to something happening that we don’t want, doesn’t say very much for their confidence in their own position, but as long as they hold the majority of the shares then we won’t be having that discussion.
However, what we can do at this AGM is to send them a clear message that a refusal to discuss something is not acceptable to most people. As I pointed out earlier, less than 2000 of the 29000 shareholders in Celtic actually use their vote. This year, even if you cannot get the time off to attend the AGM itself and use your vote, please resolve to use the few minutes that it takes to proxy your vote and make sure it is used.
How to use your vote:
On the back of your attendance card (which came with your AGM pack recently) you will see the form of proxy. You can either proxy your vote by leaving the box directly underneath the words “I/We hereby appoint the Chairman of the Meeting OR the following person” blank and then ticking the boxes to show how you want to vote. You don’t have to vote in every resolution but we are asking you to vote FOR Resolution 11.
Or you can put in the box, the words “The Secretary, Celtic Trust”.
In the first case you are instructing the Chairman to vote as you have indicated and in the second case you are instructing the Trust to cast your vote (you can also indicate how you wish us to cast your votes on the other 10 resolutions if you wish).
Then sign the form, date it and return it to:
Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY
By 17 November 2010 at 2.30pm.
This will take you no more than 10 minutes from start to finish and you have over a month and a half to do it.
Please use your vote.
Henry McLeish and that Report….
Marie McCusker reports on a meeting between Henry McLeish and the Celtic Trust.
Now that Henry McLeish has finished the first part of his enquiry into Scottish football and published his findings on the state of the grass roots of the game in this country, he has turned his attention to the senior game. Speaking at last year’s Supporters Direct Conference he said that he was interested in and willing to meet any group which might wish to have any input into his research. Taking up this offer, officers of the Celtic Trust, contacted Henry who true to his word was very willing to meet with us. That meeting took place last week, appropriately enough, close to the place where Celtic came into being in St Mary’s in the Calton Glasgow.
We had decided that we would put three items on the agenda
• Kick-off times and how these exemplify the way in which supporters are treated.
• Refereeing in Scotland…with all that that entails
• Fans relationships with Clubs including representation at decision making level and the implications of Plc status on this.
The meeting lasted almost 90 minutes (something significant there?!) and the discussion was very full cordial and constructive. Our first point was the sometimes weird and wonderful kick-off times those of us who attend away games, in particular, have to endure throughout the season. We met just two days before Celtic’s opening fixture which was Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Inverness with at kick-off of 12.15pm, making it essential that those attending from Glasgow had to be on the road by 8am at the latest. This is not even mentioning all those who travel from further afield and for whom every game is an away game. For supporters coming from Ireland, England and the like these kick-off times often involve an overnight stay with all the additional expense that that entails. We discussed the reasons behind these start times and how the game seems to be enslaved to television coverage and the money it brings in. We also touched on the regular shifting of games from Saturday to Sunday to again accommodate TV coverage and the affect this can have on the family lives of supporters. Henry was very interested in all of this as it had not been something which had previously been raised in meetings.
We then moved on to the vexed question of refereeing standards in Scotland. The Trust has been in correspondence with the SFA on the subject of disciplinary procedures and the multitude of ‘honest mistakes’ which always seem to favour just one team! In their reply the SFA had chosen to concentrate on the changes to the disciplinary procedures, and to ask for our comments on these while completely ignoring the wider issues. Our initial letter to Gordon Smith coincided with his resignation from the SFA and as it appears that his successor will not take up his post until October, we have time to consider and formulate any response we may wish to make. So if you are reading this and would like to give us your thoughts feel free to do so. You can email the Trust Secretary at celtictrust@hotmail.com
On the wider issue of referee’s (in)competence/bias /whatever, we touched on some of the more glaring examples of this from last season and gave Henry a copy of the 40 Honest Mistakes which someone had drawn up…thanks to whoever it was! We did remind him of the old cliché “just because we’re paranoid disnae mean they’re no oot tae get us”! I’m sure it will make interesting reading for Henry and yes, I am confident that he will read it as at no point did he seem to discount anything we were saying.
We then moved on to discuss the relationships Clubs have with their supporters. There is no doubt that Michel Platini and UEFA officials are very concerned about what is happening in England where some Clubs are becoming the playthings of people with more money than they know what to do with. Of course this money can disappear as easily as it arrives, so it is essential that some system to ensure that those who have real interest of the Club at heart i.e. the supporters have a say in what happens at their Club. How all of this will pan out and whether the status of the individual Club e.g. those which are PLC’s would impact on the structure remains to be seen.
Of course as usually happens in meetings there were times discussion went off at a tangent and Henry shared with us some of the ideas he was considering. For example he is very interested in encouraging Clubs to consider going along the European model and becoming sports rather than just football clubs. Anyone who has been to Barcelona could not fail to be struck by the various stadiums around the Camp Neu itself, housing facilities for basketball, hockey and various other sports all under the umbrella of Barcelona itself. He is considering suggesting this model to our lower league clubs initially. Another topic concerned the development of the game in this country. Henry is firmly of the view that there is talent in Scotland so what is preventing the development of that talent as happened in the past? One aspect is the lack of appropriate facilities. No longer are children able to kick a ball about in the street and Scotland lags behind countries like Iceland, Lithuania and Croatia in the provision of facilities which could replace this. While government has a part to play in providing these facilities we should also be encouraging a culture of self-help with clubs and other relevant groups getting involved. He was also concerned that the competitive element is introduced into the game much too early and that young children are being discarded before they have a chance to develop and hone their skills. He mentioned in particular the Spanish team who recently won the World Cup and how noted comfortable they all are on the ball so much so that it becomes literally an extension of the foot. These skills need to be learned and practised until they are second nature before any competitive element is introduced. In other words just let the weans have fun!!!
Henry McLeish is himself a former professional footballer who played for his local Club East Fife, the Club he still supports. He enquired about Barrowfield and recalled playing there against Celtic Reserves. He also shared his memories of Jock Stein whom he described as ‘a giant of a man in every sense.’
The tone of the meeting was open, warm and constructive. We did feel that our views were being listened to and taken on board. We now await the Report which Henry will produce and then we will have to see what the SFA and others of that ilk do with it.
A steep hill to climb
The Companies Act? Celtic Supporters? Jeanette Findlay discusses the link between the two:
Now not a lot of people know this, but the Companies Act is the largest single piece of legislation ever passed by the British Parliament. At the risk of sounding a bit Michael Caine-like, I thought I would pass this little bit of information to you. You may well now be saying, ‘what has that to do with the price of fish or, for that matter, following the Celtic?’ Well, I’ll tell you. Changes in the Companies Act, have made it not only the largest piece of legislation, but also one of the most complicated. I am assured by Celtic PLC’s Company Secretary, no less, that there are lawyers who don’t understand this. So what chance has this small band of Celtic supporters who regularly use the PLC AGM to put forward their ideas, of consistently complying with its regulations? Discussions with the said Company Secretary and the Trust have now brought us up to date (we think!) with all the requirements but there are some of them that we simply cannot check prior to submission.
Those of you who follow such things will know that the Celtic Trust decided last year to pull back from submitting a resolution for the 2009 AGM and organise for the 2010 instead. This was an attempt to pull the annual cycle of collecting and checking resolution requisition forms round to a more manageable timescale. We had already collected signatures for 2009 and, after discussions with the Company Secretary, we (wrongly as it turned out) were under the impression that these could be used this year. So we submitted our 100 forms in June (well ahead of our usual schedule) only to be told on 11 August that the forms signed last year would have to be resigned and dated. We don’t know how long we have to do this (another little trick in the Companies Act which states that the Company is required to give shareholders 4 weeks’ notice of an AGM but shareholders are required to give the Company 6 weeks notice of submitting a resolution – neat eh?). So, we might have two or three weeks it seems but nobody knows how long exactly. We are currently writing out to all those who supported us to re-sign and re-date their forms. However, it would make the job much easier, and allow for any slippage, if any shareholders out there could support this year’s resolution (see below) by downloading it from www.celtictrust.net (one the Home Page under the heading 2010 Celtic PLC AGM), signing it and either posting it back to us or scanning it and emailing it back. The resolution itself reads:
‘This AGM requests that the Board set in place a series of discussions with the various bodies which represent Celtic supporters on the advantages and disadvantages of direct representation from these bodies on the PLC Board.’
The plan this year is not to repeat the annual tea dance around the same arguments and counter-arguments about fan representation on the PLC Board but to set in place a process which would allow Celtic to discuss with a wide range of fans the broad principle of greater representation, and to do it away from the strictures of a formal AGM. It fits in nicely with some of the discussions at the series of Open Meetings which the Trust initiated last season about improving communication between the Club and the fans.
So, to get back to the Companies Act! Football fans are not the only people who are affected by this unwieldy and tricky set of requirements. Environmentalists and other groups are also prevented from using company AGMs to put forward their views. We discussed this recently with Henry McLeish, who is currently writing his review of the professional game in Scotland (a report for another time). Among other things (such as the small matter of refereeing standards in Scotland) the Trust discussed with him the idea that some other piece of legislation might be necessary to make it easier for small shareholders to be able to have their say at Company AGMs. It may seem a far cry from the concerns of the average football supporter, but as long as clubs are owned by the big money men then we need to arm and equip ourselves with the knowledge to be able to put our point of view. A steep hill to climb indeed!
Days of Hope
Ah well, the season has now started in earnest and Vincent Doherty gives us a personal account of his first day back for league action
It had been quite an eventful morning so it was no surprise that I slept contentedly for most of the journey back to Glasgow from the Highlands despite all the wonderful scenery I had witnessed on the way up north. Andy was glad I’d slept too. Despite having flown into Prestwick on Friday night I still nearly didn’t make it. A mix up on Saturday morning meant I was still standing in Shettleston at 8.00am when the Dennison No.1 was pulling out from the ‘Wee Mans’ for the journey to Inverness. Not for the first time, in fact not even for the first time this season, Rosie D saved the day, and got me on my way in time to meet the bus just out the road a bit. Paul and Amy who had been on the same flight from Dublin were having ticketing problems of their own which meant a taxi was trying to catch the bus with their tickets. I kid you not. The lengths we go to. After waiting by the roadside for 10 minutes it became clear that the taxi had taken a wrong turn off and we would have to proceed. Another round of frantic phone calls plucked a rabbit out of the hat in the form of two tickets to be collected from the box office at the stadium, and now everybody was aboard the bus and fully ticketed. The only thing that stood in our way were the long delays along the way due to the ubiquitous roadworks.
Pre match nerves
The anxiety around our estimated time of arrival contributed to a sense of edginess. Given that it was the first domestic away day there was a palpable sense of anticipation. We discussed the new Manager, the new signings, the departures, the pre season, the Braga fiasco and much else besides, before getting down to the nitty gritty. Who would start today? What formation would we play? How would the defence cope? Most importantly, would we be coming back down the road through some of Scotland’s most majestic scenery, with the first three points tucked securely in the bag. Andy and myself like long lost brothers agreed on most things, with one exception. Paddy Mc Court. Andy reckoned Paddy mightn’t up to it as a Celtic player, a statement I’ve heard before many times. But as I’ve said before, a statement made without much evidence to back it up. It’s more of a hunch. Don’t get me wrong here, hunches are important. Paddy’s lack of fitness, his anonymity for long periods of a game, his apparent lack of urgency was cited. I countered with my usual defence.
He had been treated poorly by successive Managers, and despite performing with panache on the occasions when he was given a chance, it seemed as if he was never given the opportunity to start consecutive games. I personally think that the tactic employed occasionally by Strachan but perfected by Mowbray, of throwing McCourt on at the point where panic turns to desperation was an awful burden on the player as indeed it would be on any player. More often than not he brightened things up, but how a player can be expected to change things instantly after warming the bench for 80 or 85 minutes is a mystery to me. So my point to Andy was simple, give him a run out for half a dozen consecutive games. Let’s see what he looks like then. God knows there are others further up the pecking order that have been given chance after chance, while Paddy has sat frustrated on the bench. I was delighted therefore when upon arrival at Inverness, with a few minutes to spare before kick off, to hear the news that my man was in the starting eleven.
Paddy McCourt’s Fenian Army
The game itself saw us under the cosh for the first 20 minutes. Our defence again looking vulnerable and the midfield unable to string two passes together. Yet from the point in the 21st minute, when a pass from Samaras put Shaun Maloney in the clear with a perfect opportunity to open the scoring, we never looked like we would be beaten, even as Shaun’s strike cannoned back off the woodwork. We stepped up a gear after that and the gulf in class which had become apparent by half time, had widened into a chasm by the time Maloney fed a simple ball to McCourt on the left wing in the 55th minute. There appeared to be no immediate danger. However as McCourt picked up the ball and began to dribble he had clearly spotted an opportunity. So began another of those characteristic ‘mazy runs’ of his, whereby everyone thinks at least twice as he passes defender after defender, that he may have carried it too far this time, before unleashing a sublime shot back across the keeper into the bottom right hand corner. Cue the usual celebrations, with those in the know having witnessed the conversation in the bus nodding and winking in my direction and trying to get in on the glory. Never mind. It was such a glorious goal that there was glory enough in it for all of us. “Paddy McCourt’s Fenian Army” which had begun its days as a chant in the Green Brigade section or during reserve games, had now entered the general consciousness and was chanted with gusto. Maybe it’s the Derry connection, maybe just a way of celebrating difference. Whatever it was we simply battered them after that, as well as winding up Terry Butcher about his former shady associations. We celebrated Maradonna and Argentina’s recent victory in the World Cup. After all 1986 is not that long ago. In fact it’s a full 20 years on from England’s much heralded victory which they still go on about. I sure Terry being the good sport that he is, was suitably amused by ‘the banter.’
The old singing on the bus trick
After feasting on Marie and Chic’s soup and sandwiches Andy pretended to be alternatively busy or asleep every time I looked in his direction for a post match comment. In fact at one stage he took the mike to sing if you don’t mind. Rather than own up to the fact that he had been way off the mark. I had underestimated the man again; the singing was a ruse, ‘a cunning plan’. It worked a treat; Andy knew the effect his singing had on people. I was asleep by the second refrain only coming to as we reached the Wee Man’s. He was off the bus faster than any of the Celtic wingers had been during the game. I’m sure he’s forgotten about it by now and as we head out on the bus to Motherwell in a few weeks he’ll be hoping I have too. Some chance. C’mon the Derry Bhoys!
Celtic Graves Society launched
We will put the wishes of families first and with those families of the former Celts our aim is to identify, locate and honour the final resting places of their loved ones.
We have already found the resting places of the first ever Celtic team which beat Rangers 5-2 on 28th May 1888 thanks to the efforts of Celtic fans across the globe. Legendary figures such as Jimmy McGrory, Jimmy Quinn, Patsy Gallacher, Willie Maley, Jimmy Delaney, Dan Doyle, Sandy McMahon as well as the club’s Founding Fathers have all had their graves located – visit our forum for information and photos: www.celticgraves.com.
We are featured in this weeks Celtic View as well as the 100th Celtic Underground podcast where we tell the stories of some of our legends (www.celticunderground.net)
Join today and become part of an amazing and rewarding project which brings The Celtic Story to life. The more supporters who are involved, the easier it will be to achieve our objectives. We need funds to make that happen and the best way you can help is to join and get involved or make a donation in the form of membership.
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Barney Battles lies at rest in St Peters Cemetery, Dalbeth
The story of his life and his tragic early death can be found here
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Battles,+Barney
“Here we go again, we’re on the road again.”
I was driving through the Liberties in Dublin just after the game last night when a puffed and fluffy moon peeked through the night cloud looking symbolically like a giant busted football. Which just about summed up my feelings at the time. Just the other day I had written that this time each year we are ‘full of beans and great expectations when we are about to embark on a European adventure. More often than not in recent years we return full of holes and crushed expectations.’ It wasn’t meant as prophecy, nor even as a serious warning, for I could not foresee such a disaster as unfolded in Braga unfolding. Sure, “easy up” I hear you say “nobodies dead or seriously injured are they?” No, that’s true, but it our chances of progressing to the next qualifying round of the Champions League if not dead, are on a life support machine, and there’s no argument whatever that our pride has been seriously injured. Is there anything positive we can say about last night’s horror show in Portugal? That it can’t possibly get any worse? God knows we’ve said that often enough before. Then up pops Glenn Loovens or not in his case, or Scott Brown or Samaras to remind us, that when Celtic engage in critical European ties, what we think of as the bottom, turns out to be a trapdoor in a bottomless pit.
Neil Lennon Nightmare’s
I have been very public in my absolute support for the appointment of Neil Lennon as Manager. Having said that I think last night he made his first serious error in terms of team selection and compounded it with very poor substitutions. Why Paddy Mc Court had to endure another 90 minutes of gut wrenching frustration on the bench, whilst Daryl Murphy and James Forrest were brought on is absolutely incomprehensible. Whatever the reason, and on a night when we didn’t have a single meaningful effort on target, it was a serious blunder by the new Manager. The tour of North America demonstrated how since Naka’s departure and Aiden’s absence how diminished we are in the creative department. Only one player consistently made chances for the team on the US tour. In the game against Sporting Lisbon last week, Mc Court opened up the Portuguese defence like a tin of beans on at least four separate occasions. His reward? Another night of torment the bench. If I was Paddy Mc Court I’d be wondering what I had to do to get a start, and maybe reluctantly beginning to look elsewhere for an even break. The player has every right to feel both frustration and a litle anger. Lennon needs to take responsibility for his selection on the night. Otherwise people start grasping at straws.
“Are you happy Mr. Dermot Desmond?”
This was the headline on an erstwhile serious Celtic website after the game. Someone in their wisdom had put the blame for the humiliation in Braga on Dermot Desmond. I kid you not. Dermot Desmond. People know, or if they don’t they do now , that I have never been an big supporter of either Dermot Desmond or John Reid. But how anybody could blame either of them for last night’s debacle beggars belief. We have been very active in the transfer window and brought in what we hoped were some important signings to the club. That may still prove to be the case. But the blame for the failure last night is down to 14 people The Manager Neil Lennon is principally to blame for his team selection and substitutions. Then the responsibility needs to be allocated directly too and too various degrees, to the 13 players who took to the field on the night and managed not to create a signal meaningful chance in the entire 90 minutes. Scott Brown as Captain needs to shoulder a bigger chunk of responsibility than most for what was largely a ‘no show’ on his part. Likewise Glenn Loovens, who was principal amongst the defenders posted absent yet again for the second goal. Lukasz Zaluska shares at least some of the blame for the third goal. One could go on an on. Charlie Mulgrew squandered any number of dead ball opportunities. Sammy was back to just being Sammy. And so on. Off course its true that their first goal was never a penalty and there was nothing we could do about that. There was no excuse for the other 2 goals. No excuse. Just standard piss poor defending from players who have to take some responsibility before we make complete buffoons of ourselves blaming Dermot Desmond and others.
The rising of the moon?
I’m sure Lenny must be hurting desperately. How did we manage such a complete and utter fiasco. What a sickening way to begin your career as the full time Manager of the club you love. He really has to pick himself up and pick up the pieces. The players will again look to him to steady the ship and accept responsibility for his errors. His room for manoeuvre may be narrower than he thinks, if one considers the impatience of some sections of the Celtic support in alliance with a media which is already in feeding frenzy. I said I’d back Lenny’s appointment come what may for a full season and so I will. He deserves our loyalty and needs our full support at this difficult moment. This was Lenny’s Artmedia. He needs to hold his hands up and take responsibility, and then we can move on.
During Gordon Stachan’s reign his first result turned out to be his worst result. The catastrophe of Artmedia Bratislava was soon overcome and
heralded and era of huge success at the club, including ‘three in row’ and back to back progression to the last 16 in the Champions League, a record unlikely to be surpassed in Europe by any of our domestic rivals for a very long time. Let’s hope the same is true of Lenny. Let’s hope that symmetry and providence coalesce in creating Lenny’s very own ‘rising of the moon.’ Beginning next Wednesday we need to once again turn the noise up in Paradise and reconstruct our fortress. Believe me an early goal could change everything . To progress on the night would be nothing short of a miracle. But we have witnessed them before. Our history is littered with them. Just a few years ago we went down to Benfica 3-0 in Lisbon. A few weeks earlier we had beaten them by the same result in our place. A week is a long time in football. We have to believe. We have to turn up with hope in our hearts. I’ll be there. Will you? Yesterday I wrote about ‘an embarrassment of riches.’ If last night was the embarrassment, then lets hope this time next week we’ll be celebrating the riches. Hail Hail! //
An embarrassment of riches
Although Davy Weir is reported from down under as having no concerns over developments at Paradise, its clear such bravado will melt like summer snow when the real business begins and we start doing our talking on the park. Neil Lennon’s recruitment of new players has been a huge triumph for the Manager and the club, with one important proviso. That Lenny and his back room squad can deliver what looks like a formidable squad on paper into something more than the ‘paper tiger’ delivered by Tony Mowbray during his short reign. In this regard the real business begins tomorrow night. Although it’s early days I don’t think there’s any chance of a freak occurrence like that which took place in Bratislava in 2005. Lenny has been much more active in the transfer window at this stage than Strachan had in the same period. He also has the advantage over Strachan of knowing the players intimately both as a player, a coach and latterly as a Manager. His most difficult task tomorrow night will be not who to include but who to leave out.
Only Lukasz Zaluakas and Scott Brown it would appear are guaranteed to start at the 30.000 capacity AXA Estadio Braga tomorrow evening. Picking the rest of Lenny’s first eleven in a European game is the sporting equivalent of picking your way through a minefield whilst walking on eggshells. I have a hunch, no more than that mind you, that Mark Wilson and Charlie Mulgrew might be joined at the back by Glenn Loovens in a back three. If Lenny goes 4-4-2 as expected then there would probably be a place for Josh Hooiveld, preferred, or Darren O’Dea. Scott Brown should be partnered in midfield by at least one newcomer probably Efrain Juarez, or Joe Ledley. Or both. Shaun Maloney if he’s fit and ready to go for one of the six matches that he plays on average every season might be a surprise choice. He’s like a little buzz bomb when he’s new, until he tires himself out. We know he can be deadly when he’s on his game and full of that new season enthusiasm.
Never having played together with Juarez or Ledley in any competitive game might rule out Ki for consideration. I suspect it might be between him and Crosas on the night, and the Catalan‘s defensive qualities might just tilt it in his favour. It is in this area that I feel we have a genuine claim to an embarrassment of riches. And that’s not counting Aiden Mc Geady. The midfield provides the most difficult choice or series of choices for the new Manager and his advisors.
I would play Paddy McCourt , who was exceptional on the US tour, especially against Sporting Lisbon as the creative dynamo at the apex of a midfield four. Whilst creative and Paddy sit easily together, dynamo and Mc Court are rarely used in the same sentence. But at least I know what I mean. Tomorrow night I’d be inclined to go with Paddy playing in what I understand is now called ‘the hole’ – a mysterious space somewhere between the midfield and the striker.
Striker singular would appear to be the wisdom on this occasion. It’s a case of who to go for? Two players who are tried and tested, both exuding talent but lacking consistency in the form of Samaras or Fortune? Given the American tour again and the fact that his confidence is up I’d go with Sammy words I never though again would leave my mouth after Ross County. God forgive me but even after his 100% record in penalties on the tour I’d be inclined to let someone else step up in the event that we get a spot kick. Or maybe not. That’s what you get with an enigma. The alternative would be to surprise them and indeed us with either Daryl Murphy or Gary Hooper. The latter who will be stepping into Scott Mc Donald old kit in terms of size has a definite eye for goal, or big Daryl who would appear more likely as a ‘marker’ for the main striker if we were going with two up front.
So there you are. I’ll email ‘Big Vinny’s Eleven’ to Lenny now, so he can worry about other things or get a good night’s sleep.
This picking a team stuff is not as easy as it seems. Nevertheless whatever eleven take the field in Portugal should do so without fear. ‘I know. I know but what about……’ I hear you say. We are always full of beans and great expectations when we are about to embark on a European adventure. More often than not in recent years we come back full of holes and crushed expectations. But really, hope springs eternal and we should be able to get a result tomorrow night which will set us up nicely next week to get ‘this place rocking again’ as Lenny has promised. Rest assured Davy Weir and company will be keep a close eye on things from down under. He might try to sound like Crocodile Dundee, but a good result in Portugal will make sure his last few days in Oz are concerned with a whole lot more than looking out for Rolf Harris. Away the Bhoys!
Postscript.
By way of a postscript tomorrow should also tell a good deal about Aiden’s future or lack of it at the club. If, as seems evident he wishes to be on his way, then all we can do is wish him well and send him off with our best wishes and blessings. It would be unfair to him and especially to his team mates to consider starting him in Portugal knowing that he is halfway out the door. Still, one never knows?
It goes without saying he may live to regret it, but that’s a chance he and his agent clearly prepared to take. He’ll always be remembered as a Celtic Bhoy, one who brought us moments of sublime beauty and great bravery in the face of the bigots and racists who abused him every time he took to the field. He more than often shut them up with a flash of brilliance or a streak of defiance that left them spitting bile. There’s no doubt but that he will be missed. As was his old team mate Nakamura last season. As was Hartson and Suttton and our beloved Henrik. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles as my Da used to say. Noting is forever except Celtic itself. One thing is for sure wherever he eventually plies his trade, he will never again receive the adoration of 60,000 fans on a regular basis as he did on the big occasions in Paradise, and may find as did Shaun Maloney that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Still we can only wish him well and hope that he goes on to fully develop the great potential we have witnessed for the past 6 years or so in the proud colours of our club.
The Ibrox Disaster
As chance would have it the New Year Glasgow Derby at Ibrox is scheduled to take place on the 40th anniversary of what has become known as the Ibrox disaster. Jock Stein was amongst those who attended to the dead and dying on the day and the whole of Glasgow came to a standstill on the day of the funerals. The death toll was truly horrendous, mainly working class men and boys and one women. Five of the victims were primary school friends from a small village in Fife. It was an awful time for the families of those who died and were injured. For whatever reason as far as I know, there has never been any significant campaign of which I am aware to compensate the families of those who died for their terrible loss.
For some such anniversaries are occasions of great sadness, and now as the 40th Anniversary approaches the old wounds will be reopened.That Celtic supporters should observe with dignity and respect any commemorative events which may be organised on the day goes without saying. In fairness there is unlikely to be any equivocation amongst the Celtic support with regard to this issue. However I think we should be proactive in ensuring that we remember appropriately and with respect the families and surviving relatives of those who died should it be in the form of a minute’s silence or any other form of tribute to the those who lost their lives on the day. Such an event could have happened anywhere at the time, I remember how tightly packed stadiums like Hampden, Ibrox and Celtic Park in those days.
The reason why we should commemorate the dead of Ibrox is very simple. It is the right thing to do, it is what we should expect from decent human beings anywhere in the world. We should remember with dignity the terrible tragedy that befell the Rangers fans that awful day the 2nd of January 1971, the day of the Ibrox disaster.
Bobby Murdoch – appeal for stories
My name is Robert Harvey and I live in Glasgow. I am researching stories for a book that I am writing about Bobby Murdoch. He is the best Celtic midfield player that I have ever seen. In the 1960’s I used to save up my school dinner money and use it to go and see the Lisbon Lions play in the great European Cup night games at Celtic Park. He was a fantastic player to watch. Jock Stein once said “ When the name Bobby Murdoch appears on our team sheet, I feel the opposition team get an inferiority complex. “
Every Celtic supporter has a story to tell, and many supporters around the world will have good memories of the great games that he played for Celtic, or the great goals that he scored, or wonderful personal stories if they ever met him. Already I have received wonderful feedback from Celtic fans as far away as South Africa and Thailand ! Billy McNeill once said “ Bobby was such a popular lad and a superb player. A big influence, but more importantly he was just a really decent human being.”
My own favourite quote was from his team mate Jim Brogan: “ When talking about Bobby Murdoch most people talk about his great ability to pass a long ball, coupled with a great capacity to work for his team mates, but for me the outstanding point Bobby had was that he loved Celtic Football Club, and that is why to me Bobby Murdoch will always be a great Celt.”
Last week I was sitting talking to gentleman named Joe McCabe. He grew up with Bobby in the early 1950’s and they both played for the local primary school team, St.Columkilles here in Rutherglen: Joe was outside left and Bobby was inside left. He fondly remembers the long summer days and night when he and Bobby played football non stop for 6 or 7 hours. Bobby practised his passing by trying to hit the bin in the school playground from 20 yards or more.
Many Celtic fans think that the European Cup Final in 1967 in Lisbon was his greatest game. Incredibly he played most of that game using just his left foot. An Inter Milan player stood on his right foot very early in the game and he felt a searing pain. There was no substitute on the bench ( apart from goalkeeper John Fallon) and he had to play on. Bertie Auld remembers looking at Murdoch’s ankle during the first half and could see it swelling up. “ I don’t like the look of that” shouted Bertie to Bobby. “ I am not too chuffed myself “ was the reply from Murdoch. My memory of that game was my Dad rushing home from work to watch the game on telly. Dad passed on his love of Celtic to my brother Gerry and me. We could not get a good picture on our telly and my young brother, who was 7 years old, was told to stand in the corner holding the TV aerial up to make sure we got a good picture on the old four-legged black and white telly! For years I thought that was what wee brothers were for! After the game my Dad went out celebrating and I don’t think he made his work the next day!
My own favourite memory of Bobby was the night Celtic beat Leeds 2-1 at Hampden in the semi final of the European Cup in 1970. I was still a schoolboy then, and remember standing crushed down at the front of the Celtic end. What a crowd (136,505 people), but what a night. And the iconic picture of Murdoch jumping in the air celebrating his winning goal is probably my favourite Celtic photograph. ( If anyone knows who owns the copyright of that picture can you let me now please. I have been unable to contact/trace the owner)
Finally , I would be very grateful if you could send me any favourite stories that you may have about Bobby Murdoch. All stories will be fully acknowledged.
Please pass this note to any of your friends, family, or colleagues who may be interested in contributing a story. I can be contacted at glasgowquotes@yahoo.co.uk.
Thanks for your help, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Robert Harvey
“ Every Celtic supporter has a story to tell “. Celtic Quotes website – sharing Celtic stories with fans around the world.
Robert is the author of 2 Celtic books: “ 1,000 Celtic Quotes, Notes and Anecdotes” and “ 1,000 MORE Celtic Quotes, Notes and Anecdotes”. These are a collection of wonderful quotes and stories throughout the history of Celtic.
p.s. Have a look at story number 7 on the above website: only a Celtic supporter could tell a story like that !!
