Well, as you’ll all know Celtic has moved today’s pre-match press conference to the stadium, rather than holding it at Lennoxtown, which is the norm. They have told the press it is because they want to make a “major announcement” at the same time.
There’s a lot of speculation, but one concrete story has emerged.
The Sun claims that Brendan Rodgers has signed a new, long term, contract.
It’s unclear of the details, but it will not be a “one year rolling deal” like he’s presently on.
A deal running four years or more would commit him to the club up to the end of the ten in a row campaign.
Now that’s what I call a legacy.
In a way, it had to be this, or something about the stadium.
We weren’t talking about a major “investment.” That would require share purchases which would need to be declared to the Stock Exchange first. Yes, we could technically do that with a minute to go, but that wouldn’t be in keeping with how we do things.
Stadium naming rights? I’d think that was something the club would run by the fans first, and I know of no such consultation or discussion.
It was highly unlikely that this was about a signing, or announcement of one, and not just because we’re no longer in the window. If we’d agreed a major deal for next season I feel like that story would have broken, somewhere, before now. As good as we might be at keeping things under wraps, I doubt we’re that good. And it’s not going to be a contract extension for Armstrong as that would be handled with a straightforward press release as per others.
I thought the venue for the presser might be the giveaway, I thought it had to be related to Celtic Park, perhaps with some visual aids. But Brendan signing a new contract makes good sense. It ends any uncertainty – not that there was any of that in the first place.
The news out of Celtic right now is only positive.
This is a huge move for us, tying up the manager on an improved deal.
That gives everyone the security they require.
Next season’s planning can now begin in earnest.