The Last Few Months Should Leave Some Celtic Fans Queasy About Their Reaction.
When the dust finally settles on this particular transfer window, there are one or two people – not a big number by any means, but a few and they know who they are – who should take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves exactly who they are, who they have become and what in God’s name goes on in their heads.
The other day, one blogger branded fans who have raised concerns about the window so far “bedwetters”, and not for the first time this window.
He’s apparently amongst the last people to realise that this window hasn’t been great, that it so far hasn’t delivered and that even now people are talking about a mad scramble to get business done in the final days. He’s entitled to his opinion of course, and to keep his head jammed firmly in the sand, but where I draw the line is in his scandalous intolerance for the views of fellow fans.
As I said in an earlier piece, we may disagree on policy but we’re all supposed to recognise one another as essentially being in the same camp. This smug sneering at other Celtic supporters, many of whom have spent small fortunes, many of whom cannot afford it, and many of who have good reasons for not trusting the geniuses on the Celtic board and their so called “strategy” is contemptible.
And he’s not the only one either, and I have a message for all of those whose intolerance of any criticism of the club, its board or the way it is run now borders on pathological and who on a daily basis pour their scorn on the rest of us; wind your necks in and dissuade yourselves of any notions that you are better than the rest of us.
Your behaviour borders on the Hunnic, and I don’t have to explain the connotations of that word, do I? I get enough bile and stick from the other side of the city; that’s part of the job, they are supposed to hate my guts. But from fellow Celtic fans? For sharing and expressing the legitimate concerns many of us have?
No, that’s too much. That’s a step too far.
When this window closes, a lot of people are not going to look back on it with any pride. I suspect some of them will be people working inside the club, that handful of folks inside the walls who do know that this window has been a shambles and that if it ends on a damp squib that there will be a great many questions to ask and which require answers. As this window creeps towards its end the excuses and evasions they have offered up are just about out of road.
If this club wants to cool the temperature amongst fans I suggest it works harder, faster and better at getting its business done. Because that’s the only thing that is going to change the mood and dampen the frustration.
To those fans who want to take shots at the rest of us for that, I say they can do themselves a favour by remembering whose side we’re on, and if they can’t do that then maybe they should ask themselves what side they are on.
Because my motivation, I have no difficulty sharing; love Celtic. That’s why I do this. And I’m going to be doing it whether they like it or not.
James the bedwetting comment, is similar to when anyone comments on referees or rangers when they don’t want to face facts , paranoid on refereeing matters , and obsessed when rangers are mentioned
I find it amazing that the “wait to the window closes and we’ll see then” community haven’t learned from the previous two windows.
What did they discover from the last two windows and can they see any parallels from this one?
“Wait to the window closes and we’ll see then” is the ONLY thing anyone can do, what is the point in lambasting the board when there is still time to act? I know full well what happened in the last two windows but I’m fully sure that Rodgers has told them that if it happens again he won’t put up with it. OF course we’d all be happy if we had our transfer business done already but as everyone knows there will be a mad scramble towards the end of the window and that is the same for all clubs….’not suggesting this scenario is the best for Celtic, far from it, my prediction is the Idah deal will get done maybe another couple of permanent signings and a couple of loans, not perfect but enough for us in Scotland, not nearly enough for Europe but when you consider Chelsea have spent over three times what we have in the bank on virtual unknowns surely this proves that we just cannot compete at that level. If or when the board makes a bolloc*s of it, then by all means give it to them both barrels but UNTIL then lets keep our powder dry and all this name calling and vitriol aimed at those that don’t agree with our opinions is nothing short of embarrassing and childish. I agree with an awful lot of what you write James but certainly not all of it, I read it to get an alternative view and sometimes I change my mind, if I agreed with everything you said I might as well write my own blog.
There’s an idea, write your own blog!
You can guarantee backing from the Celtic board as you’re just what they want us to be like. But most of us are NOT, we can see the writing on the wall which you obviously cannot. Oh and CQN (is that your favourite blog?) You’ll get a fair amount of backing there too! I don’t really like calling Celtic fans morons but you come very close.
Have a nice day, Stephen!
Yup, sadly seen many bedwetter comments and more green on green insults. As things stand we most likely will be worse off than last year but possibly a better ‘team’ due to large scale changes at almost all clubs except ours! I’m almost resigned to this charade from the board of sheisters that defraud us of our ST & Euro package money on the neverending lie spun to US & apparently BR of investment to make a mark on Europe! Matty not being sold is as much as we can hope & maybe Idah but if CCV gets injured we’re going in to Europe with Walsh & Scales! Then there’s Taylor & no backup plus after today seeing Scales was like watching Bambi on ice & I dread seeing him play against Bayern or Barça! The Board need their arse kicked NOW not August 31st!
Three transfer windows has produced Khun and Bernardo, an embarrassment of a board, get them to f#*k out !!!
Completely aligned with your perspective James. Keep up the good work providing insightful narrative, all aimed at how we can and need to be better.
I’m amazed at how some fans are saying “there’s still time” “wait till the window closes then judge”, as if we’re going to sign 4 or 5 quality players in the next few weeks! It’s not going to happen, and even a blind man can see that, but they talk as though you’re not a real supporter if you criticise the board and the transfer inactivity. I’ve said since the window opened that I didn’t trust this board to get it right, and said so on this site. I’m frustrated as hell about this shambles, and with every day of further inactivity it’s turning to anger!!
The blogger who labelled us as bed wetters is a standing joke amongst nearly every Celtic fan I know.
Your right in your comments Jamesy but you don’t have to justify yourself either. There’s a question mark over a lot of people who call themselves a Celtic supporter and that includes the board. They lot would quite happily do what their doing now if they were in the west of Glasgow with blue,red and white ties on as long as their lining their pockets as their doing now. So beware because we don’t really know who’s running our club, their certainly not cut from the same cloth as us.
As always James, spot on.Like everyone on this site and the countless Hoops I know, we all agree it is an absolute outrage ( again ) what this Board is doing.
It’s our Club not some balance sheet where they can piss us about and no doubt every club they have transfer dealings with. Keep doing and saying what you do.
Bed wetters- Classic.
I read that piece the other day. I like CQN but I did think “bed wetters” (hyphenated or otherwise) was a bit much. Although as you say, James, we all want the same thing. I’d take that jibe in good humour if I were you. Retorting with Hunnic? Like bed-wetters, it’s a bit much. Let’s keep things civil. And that goes for Mr Brennan as well.
100% agree James. I was so disappointed to read that and commented at the time on CQN. We met with a volley of shit from the disciples of P67 – some of it was moderately light hearted and other nothing of the kind.
I’ve now completely had it with that site, it’s compromised host and some of the blinkered contributors.
Judge when the transfer window is shut. There is plenty of time to still strengthen. Look at the market just now, it’s slow. It’s now only just starting to pick up. There are opportunities for Celtic to strengthen as Premier League clubs finalise their squads. But the constant criticism of the board doesn’t do anything or does anyone any favours. If we are in the same situation come September then by all means criticise but now now.
Bottom line James is we are weaker as a team that the one that finished last season. Good result yesterday but we were up against a really poor Hibs side. Don’t know when the Champions league squad had to be announced but we need 3-4 new players in before that. Miovski would have been a good signing but he is away to Spain I heard. I am not one to get tormented easily but this had to be a concern.
Here’s a wee usual Sunday afternoon story James even though it’s now Monday (Early Am) time…
I was out on the piss big time last nite…
I watched Hibernian v Celtic in bed hungover to fuck and a sick bucket by my bedside (I didn’t need to use it but it was very close)…
I actually pished the bed twice though (Not literally – I’m takin the pish of course) !
But it was when Hibernian hit our woodwork TWICE…
We ain’t always gonna get away with this…
If it goes wrong next Sunday – (Actually when the Fuck do we get a SATURDAY game) – then of course The Pathological Survival Lie Continues…
Might please Poker (Face) – Not Skilled at the game Pete…
Anyway still two weeks to go…
I’m 21 stone but I’m getting breathless already !
Sadly you’ll never SHAME our board. Unforgivable
It blows my mind how any fan can be happy with years of ‘under achievement by design’. Success in Scotland is no great achievement at all. Europe is the measure.
Glad see you calling out those who think that the board are above criticism James. It’s a disgrace the way the board treats us all like mugs. I am just one of many who has spent a lot of money on merchandise to sho? my support for Celtic however I will not be spending any more until I see the board back the manager and the team.
Board apologist and gimp, Paul 67, Monsieur Piss en Lit Pharisee himself, pontificates to his acolytes, a bunch of old angry guys on CQN, who hang on his every word, whilst having their noses wedged firmly in his anus.
Much like he himself has with the board, particularly his Dom, Peter Lawwell.
Brilliant article James and one that 99% of our support wholeheartedly agree with and for any supporter who doesn’t they’re only deluding themselves. First and foremost we’re a football club and without that there is no business and stockpiling cash just isn’t on, not if it’s of detriment to the team which is the case at the moment. This board are abrogating their duty to the support and to the other shareholders and the fact they’re accepting mediocrity in Europe for some parochial success is criminal. We should all boycott the Champions League package and let this board know that we won’t stand for the way they’re running our club but that would affect the players and a lot of our support wouldn’t want to do that, so what’s the answer? To put out a message to the Stock Market and say that our profits will be bigger than they thought is just another kick in the crotch to the support as well. The money we put into this club year after year only to be treated with contempt is pushing a lot of us to the nth degree, for myself I’m not going to buy any more merchandise or buy refreshments at the ground and neither are my two sons and we’re not buying the CL package either. I hate to do this to the club I was born into but barring handing back my season ticket, which would break my heart, it’s getting near desperation stages now
Hi James
Surely everyone will agree we got over the last year thanks to BRs motivation of the players- despite the board. That team is still missing one person that played on 25th May. Kyogo has been injured twice in our last two games. This is like Celtic driving without a seat belt you might get lucky once or twice! So imagine Kyogo is injured against St Mirren and is out for a few weeks? What happens then? We will panic buy at over the odds when this particular position could have been filled way before now -either spending £6m on Idah or on Mitovski. For so-called successful business people they seem to lack the ability to take a risk and at the same time protect assets. Their arrogance and we know best is despairing. Can’t imagine BR taking another year of this