In light of today’s SPFL press release and increasing media speculation, Celtic has just released an incendiary statement regarding the Ibrox ticket standoff. It may be the most astonishing missive issued from Celtic Park in a long time.
Over the past few days, it has been hinted that one of Celtic’s concerns, beyond the absence of the security arrangements that were supposed to be in place at Ibrox, was whether the match would even take place at Ibrox at all.
And a short time ago, Celtic gave those concerns substance and form.
In a curious way, they have done more to alert the Ibrox fans to the potential for a long-term absence from their ground than any other source has so far.
For months now, the media and the Ibrox club have been telling their supporters that this matter would be resolved by the end of September at the latest.
Celtic has just blown that claim to smithereens.
Clearly, Celtic is operating with far more information than the media has been given by the Ibrox club, and vastly more information than the Ibrox club is giving its own supporters.
It appears that Celtic asked for an assurance that the game would actually take place at Ibrox as scheduled, and that assurance has not been forthcoming—either because the Ibrox board is unsure of its own timeline, or because it is sure of its timeline but doesn’t want to disclose that to the fans.
Celtic could have released a statement pointing out the facts as revealed in the Celts Are Here article from last night, which stated that Celtic has already done the necessary work, whereas Ibrox hasn’t even begun—despite being obliged to do so.
Instead, Celtic chose to highlight this particular concern. You can call that petty, vindictive, or an escalation if you like, and I’m sure there are people in the media who will call it all of those things. But this is the most honest assessment of the mess at Ibrox that anyone in an official capacity has so far given to supporters, either ours or theirs. As humorous as all of us undoubtedly find this, for their fans, it should be a cause for the gravest concern.
Whatever assurances they are being given, whatever hopeful, optimistic pictures are appearing online, the Ibrox club is not giving them complete information. Now, Celtic has had to do that instead—and what a bombshell that has dropped on a support already shell-shocked from one of the worst weeks in their short and turbulent history.
Is that the flood gates opening now. Are our board going to issue a statement telling us whats actually going on at our own club. Eh maybe not!
The only thing going on at our club is the transfer business being slow and that’s what concerns most of the support, we don’t need to know every little thing going on.
In what respect sunshine ?
Not sure why reading this it has made me think of it but it just crossed my mind that they have ecured themselves another season of excuses to defend the managers position also if they are indeed going to stick with him.
Hired in October – failed to win the league because it’s not his squad (even though they got top & threw it away but we won’t address that)
Promised funds for singings – Stadium repairs stopped this being possible. Now working with a depleted squad & sell to buy model but can’t get who he wants.
Knocked out of Champions League – Still hasn’t had a full season with the team, lets judge him once he’s had a full season.
When they don’t have any success this season – It’s been a challenging season for the manager without having the fortress that is Ibrox for home games. Next season we will return there with increased capacity.
I think they have probably got excuses lined up for 2 seasons with this one off-season. I doubt the supports of that club will allow PC to stick around that long though inspite of what their board are saying.
On the actual article, I’m glad to see Celtic push back on the narrative but wish they had went further & confirmed they had met all required obligations on their part then continued with the statement about the prospect of Ibrox not being available.
Go and read the statement, it’s the first thing they said!
Should have went & read the statement before commenting. Glad they pointed out all work is complete ?
I certainly wouldn’t call Celtic’s statement petty in any way. In fact it’s quite clever as it effectively boxes their club, the media and the SPFL into a corner of their own making.
If they want to respond or refute Celtic’s stance, then they will have to come up with some tangible explanation or proposed solution to the problem.
They can’t claim with any certainty that ibrox will be ready or that they’ll have the required safety measures in place, so they’re only response short of more waffle is to start seeking the truth, as there appear to be a few hidden factors here.
About time Celtic said something and I for one applaud them, in the absence of any real guidance from the SPFL( COWARDS) Celtic have opened a can of worms and I can’t wait for statement o’clock from Greyskull.
They will be thinking up the lies as we speak.
Hi James, I was very surprised to read that statement from our club and pleased that at last the issue of safety is being taken seriously. To have fans from both teams at a derby would be good but not at the expense of anyone’s safety. The MSM will say what they want to, regardless of the truth, but our club doing this is a statement of intent that they are not going to be fobbed off anymore by the Ibrox board.
Long may that stance continue. HH
About time too ! When is someone at Celtic FC with heft going to tell everyone how it is ? How it is perpetually in wee Scotland ! Like questioning why the SMSM pick and choose the stories of public interest coming from Ibroxland ? The stories which can be spun in a pro theRangers advantage . Expose those tabloids and their biased scoops to the rest of the world as being unfit for purpose as they undoubtedly are. Bring to light the sheer lack of integrity which is endemic throughout Scottish sporting journalists
If the shoe was on the other foot our media, press, bunch of shit shoveler,s , you know, whatever you want to call them, would have buried us instead, they have buried their heads in their own cesspit.
What a bunch of shit bags, and hell mend them, grow a pair. Hail Hail.
It’s about time Celtic have come out and told the truth. The rangers keep bringing Celtic into this and all the press have been lapping it up blaming Celtic. I am glad that we have made the statement. It will show those idiot fans that we are a professional club, but they still won’t believe it, they forget it was them that caused all this.
The work required would be separate to the ongoing screwed up mess so why couldn’t they fulfill the agreed. MONEY !
Great timing for the story to break as they get pumped out the CL.
Wonder when Bennett’s next update on the banana boats up the Clyde.
Looking forward to the rangers reply. Gonna be like it’s in the planning but priorities first I bet.. easy get out..
The only feeble reply sevco can maybe tell their SMSM poodles
is that they were not, in fact, asked ‘to give a guarantee’ that the
January game would be at ibrox?
And that sevco had given ‘full assurances’ to Celtic, or some such semantics nonsense…?
I welcome the statement but it could have went further, much further. Not only would I have enjoyed them to rightfully criticise the club from the midden regarding the fact that there has not yet even been a planning application submitted as revealed by the Celts Are Us article. But also of the SFA for their passive reaction to this lack of effort and consequences from the R2 for failure to follow the agreement and the lack of league sponsorship on their badly stitched shirts.
I’m leaving any verbal assault on our board until after the transfer window closes to actually see what there actually is to complain about. I don’t buy into talk of a last minute deal when he was actually a Norwich player and they were in charge of not selling their player too soon or too cheaply. Same with Bernardo where it appears we actually saved a few bob. I simply can’t see any sense in fans wanting the club to tell us and therefore advertise to every other club who our targets are and what our offer if any is. It is interesting though to see, if reported truly, that we knocked back a £21.5m offer for MOR today. I’d love us to keep this guy & of course add players to strengthen the back line
Agree with you here Birdman. A lot of water to flow under the bridge yet on transfers. I see Liverpool, with a new manager and new playing style have sold a number of players and have yet to sign any…
On MO’R – I would call him in tomorrow and give him a significant bump up in his pay with immediate effect. No strings attached, just reflecting what we think of him. He might still be sold, but we would have done the right thing.
I wish I shared your optimism in this James.
Ok a was wrong. Brendan stuck it to them well and truly. No ambiguity in his remarks. Its down to “rangers” not us and talk of good faith re that lot and thats were I contradict myself. What brendan was actually saying was we dont believe for a minute you were going to honour that pledge to sort the safety issue at your ground out.
It feels more and more like there will be no games at Ibrox this year so they could accommodate our fans easily in January at Hampden and sort out the Ibrox issue prior to the Ibrox game after the split assuming they actually are in the top six.
Why was this left to Rogers, to make this statement !
Should have been made by the chairman or CEO, to stick their heads above the parapets, to show they are still alive and not in hibernation.
Good ! – Well done Celtic… About time we put Sevco and The Scummy Scottish Football Media in their place regarding obfuscation (Sevco) and Pathological Lies (Scummy Scottish Football Media) !