“Football without fans is nothing.” Unfortunately, this quote is no longer true.
The modern equivalent of that quote has replaced ‘fans’ with ‘money’. For me, a change of fixtures doesn’t really cause any major problems. If there’s an early home game on a Sunday, I can’t get public transport to it but I can stay with friends or family the night before and make my way to Parkhead on the Sunday morning.
Unfortunately, the same doesn’t apply to a large number of fans. A large number of fans have already made travel arrangements to come to the game versus Kilmarnock which has been moved from a 3pm kick off on Saturday 11th January to a 7.45pm kick off on Wed 29th January.
The original reason for this was that the players had an early start to the season and have had a high number of games to play since the Champions League qualifiers.
This seems fair enough, the league doesn’t have a winter break so why not take a few weeks off to allow the players to re-charge ?
However, this isn’t what is going to happen. Instead the players are travelling to play a friendly game versus Trabzonspor followed by another game against either Galatasary or Ajax.
After the recent events in Amsterdam, how anyone can think of Ajax as a friendly opposition is beyond me, although, that’s a view of the fans but probably not of the club.
So what is the benefit of this tournament? Is it just the case that the players are fed up with the Scottish weather and fancy something that will probably be a bit more pleasant?
I doubt that comes into it but I am pretty certain that the club will benefit financially from it, however, long term will we really see any financial benefit?
The fans who have already booked and paid for accommodation, flights/ transport and match tickets before the re-scheduling of the fixture of the match was announced will lose out.
Being from Glasgow, I don’t have anything against the place but I doubt being able to see some of the tourist sites will be a suitable replacement for going to the Celtic that has already been paid for.
Yes, there’s other things like lack of competition, over zealous stewarding/ policing etc. but if things keep going the way the are, less and less fans will go to the games.
Thereafter, I can’t see that many TV companies will have any interest in covering football matches played at empty stadiums.
The reports regarding the disgusting way many of our fans were treated at the Nou Camp by our own stewards makes me think attending games to watch Celtic is no longer an option. What other entertainment service would treat its customers like criminals? Are supporters an afterthought? In my opinion supporters in our boards minds is a necessary inconvenience. It’s time for fans across all clubs, across all divides, to unite to show that football without fans is indeed nothing.
Well, Peter Lawwell thought it was a good idea to save a few quid by making us play in Europe without a centre forward. And now that we’ve been ingloriously dumped out, his answer to the dwindling crowds that are sure to follow seems to be to sell more of our best players. For me that tells me everything I need to know about his and the boards attitude towards our fans.
It seems obvious to me that PL and the board can’t wait for the ragers mark 2 to appear in the SPFL. Then they can sit on their fat, overpaid arses and do nothing again, knowing the “old firm” games will keep the club afloat (whether we’re in Europe or not).
I agree with a lot of what you’ve said. Im not a ST holder anymore as I work shifts for the ambulance and its not worth while. I do still attend when I can or the stations unofficial csc make a night of it.
The biggest factor for me, cost. However changing days and times also a huge factor as my roster is not flexible. The PLC are losing the fans in huge numbers on a number of fronts. It needs to change.
It wasn’t that long ago that a wee guy in a bunnet knew the value of fans on seats and won us all back, time for PLC to step up and do the same.
What you expect when you got a group of banker’s running the club? These people are nothing more than vultures with their only goal’s being “how much of your hard earned money can they hustle from you?”
Apparently Neil Lennon has closed his Twitter account, would this be due to the fact that its becoming quite obvious that the (so-called) Celtic business model, of buying cheap & selling on for profit, is about as true as the Easter Bunny.
I’m not a big fan of Sammy but surely if you wanted the guy to stick around you wouldn’t be disrespectful enough to offer him a pay-cut, which confirms that both Joe Ledley & Giorgios Samaras are about to be hoisted out the door for less than £2 million between them. Does that fall into line with the business model (Gary Hooper anyone) that Neil Lennon has been championing?
Hope you all got your Umbrella’s at the ready as your gonna need them, for those that are running our beautiful football club are taking one very BIG, steamy dump all over the lot of us. A strong Sevco is more important to them than the accomodation of our fans.
Hail Hail!
Well put.
“A group of bankers”. That’s rhyming slang, yeah? Actually, being called a banker is an even worse insult than being called what rhymes with it.
Got to say how fickle fans are. A month ago PL and the board walked on water. These knee jerk over reaction comments about bankers etc are just that.
.They have been found out, the snake oil salesmen have misjudged big time, now watch the support vote with their feet.
They have been conning us for years, just spending enough to stay in front of the deid mob, sometimes, but fk all serious investment to really go at Europe.
We need a plc that reflect the supporters vision, all we have is a plc with no vision beyond lining their own pockets. I’m sick of what they are doing to the great Celtic.
The plc don’t speak for me.
This really inconveniences all us supporters having long journeys to get to the match, in my case Ireland. I don’t want to slag the board off as part of me wants to believe they are supporters as well. But its getting harder to believe this with these decisions that cause so many of us problems. I will pick my matches more sparingly from now on. I like most of us am totally against the thought of playing ajax so soon, crazy decision PLAN. Enjoy the hols everyone!
Agree with your column, I live in Kent,season book holder,900 miles round trip to Glasgow, for the Kilmarnock game, I have booked the train ,for me and my daughter, and hotel ,so far over £200, I wont be able too go midweek, so I have lost this money.
I’m fed up with this, changing fixtures, and dates, early kick offs on a Sat ,means that you cant travel up to Glasgow, on the Sat morning, 10, 15, years ago, the train from London on a Sat was full of fans now you don’t see anyone, sort it out before its too late..
The Celtic board dont give a rats ars about the supporter i live in Canada they should come and see what the N F L and the C F L do to keep there fans happy on game day A Happy Chritsmas and a good NEW Year J M J
I drive three fellow supporters to all home games but will not make the game on 1st Jan. due to the festivities on Hogmanay. The game should have been planned for the 2nd Jan to give fans a chance of attending – be lucky if the crowd is 10,000.
Keep up the good work,Steven.And all
the best for the festivities.
PARA,
Agree 100 % with your comments re. PL
and board.
Just in from game, not entertainig.First
half pitiful.Livened up with the WEE MAN
in the second half.
3 quality players could have made dfference in CL.
But board’s philosophy is why spend
when group phase is suffice.
Banking on group stage every year, is a
dangerous game to play.
Let’s see if Jan.window opens the cheque
book ?
Today,eerie atmosphere, I looked at the
big flag in LL stand,
Celtic-More than a Club ( when it suits the
board )
ps.Well done GB,foodbank collection.You
are not all bad.