Jeanette and David from the Celtic Trust join More than 90 Minutes Editor, Andrew Milne on Talk from the Terrace on Celtic Fanzine TV to discuss the state of play at Celtic and the position of the Celtic Trust after the recent Trustees Meeting and the long game plan to increase Celtic Fans Shareholding in OUR club
Editor of the Alternative View, Matt McGlone joins More than 90 Minutes, Andrew Milne to talk about the current state of play at Celtic.
Matt was Editor of Once A Tim, Celtic Fanzine and was the founder of Celts for Change who helped overthrow the old board when Fergus McCann heralded a new era at Celtic when the rebels won. What followed was a stadium rebuild and a team was built to stop Rangers doing 10IAR.
He worked at Celtic for a number of years during the McCann era before leaving to start the Alternative View Celtic Fanzine.
Japanese based Football reporter with the Japan Times, Dan Orlowitz chats to Andrew Milne about Celtic managerial target Ange Postecoglou and the impact he has had in the J League and why he is the No.1 manager in the League.
Eddie Toner joins More than 90 Minutes, Editor Andrew Milne on the latest Talk from the Terrace to discuss Celtic’s recent season book announcement and the reaction throughout the Celtic Support since.
Eddie was born in the shadow of Celtic Park and has never lived more than walking distance away from Paradise. His family are steeped in the history of Celtic, his grandfather was the Celtic Park groundsman and he spent many a day in and around the old ground meeting the likes of Jock Stein and Billy McNeill as he played around the stadium.
Match day is a family affair where generations gather in the Main Stand where he sits in between his Mam and Sister. He is the former General Secretary of the Celtic Supporters Association and ever present at home and away games following Celtic but he has come to a cross roads in his Celtic supporting life and is wrestling with the unthinkable idea of giving up his season book as he feels so disconnected with those running OUR club.
Having witnessed two 9IAR’s and a Quadruple Treble along with the bad times in the 1990’s this is a sad state of affairs when those running the club are driving a wedge not only between themselves and the average Celtic fan on the street but a quick look on social media will tell you that they continue to divide the Celtic Support. At the moment the club we all love sadly does not resemble the community club it was set up for.
Editor of the Alternative View, Matt McGlone joins More than 90 Minutes, Andrew Milne to talk about the current state of play at Celtic.
Matt was Editor of Once A Tim, Celtic Fanzine and was the founder of Celts for Change who helped overthrow the old board when Fergus McCann heralded a new era at Celtic when the rebels won. What followed was a stadium rebuild and a team was built to stop Rangers doing 10IAR.
He worked at Celtic for a number of years during the McCann era before leaving to start the Alternative View Celtic Fanzine.
Following on from Mick Kane’s article yesterday in which he wrote about speaking to Japanese based journalist Dan Orlowitz about Celtic managerial target Ange Postecoglou it was interesting to get Australian based Celtic Fan, Jim Reilly’s take on Ange. Jim was born in Coatbridge and is the President of the Sydney City Supporters Club.
Some of our readers and listeners will have bumped into Jim in Las Vegas at the NAFCSC or in Pattaya at the LOSCSF. Jim also was our guest on episode 44 of the Celtic Soul Podcast and the man I can thank for introducing me to Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace.
As always we try to get as many views as possible on the state of play at Celtic and most importantly through he eyes of the Celtic support so I asked Jim for his thoughts on Celtic’s latest managerial target who has spent the majority of his footballing life in Australian football.
“He’s a decent manager who won a few things in Australia, he won the Asian cup and got Australia to the 2018 World Cup but being a manager in Australia and Japan would be a cakewalk compared to the goldfish bowl of Glasgow and dealing with a media that is biased against Celtic”
The Celtic board dropped the ball with Eddie Howe who’s wife could not settle in Burnley so she was hardly going to go further North from her cosy life in the sunny south coast.
We all know the deal should have been signed sooner than the 10 weeks or so it dragged out for as we hung in there watching the team under perform week in week out. We all hoped that Eddie was secretly working behind the scenes with a new director of football to identify what players he wanted to bring in and who was staying from the current squad.
With no one officially in charge and with no reply to my emails to Celtic regarding who is in charge of all football matters at OUR club one can only presume that caretaker manager John Kennedy is involved with the suits in planning the upcoming pre-season, transfer targets and the upcoming tough Champions League qualification that is only around the corner and on top of that we don’t know what players are staying or going.
The state of play at Celtic is worrying to the vast majority of fans who are emotionally tied to the club for better or worse and deserve better from those running the club. I long to return to when I get to sit down and type something positive about OUR club but for now a dark cloud remains over the club we love.
Andrew Milne started More than 90 Minutes in 2001. He has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic. He is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of the Celtic Soul Podcast & Celtic AM pre-match events in Glasgow on match days and follows Celtic Home & Away. He is a season ticket holder for Celtic FC and the Republic of Ireland. He is also P.R.O. of St. Margaret’s CSC, a member of the Celtic Trust and the Celtic Graves Association.
Unfortunately, Martin O’Neill never played football for Celtic. Teams like Nottingham Forest and their perpetually controversial manager Brian Clough enjoyed that privilege, and, like Celtic themselves, he had won the European Cup. When he came to Celtic in 2000, he had already established himself as manager of Leicester City, winning two English League Cups and losing another final, so it would be fair to describe him as a “winner”.
But Celtic on June 1 2000 were still, to a large extent, losers. This was the fourth summer in a row that they had had to appoint a new manager – Jansen n 1997 turned out to be good but found life at Parkhead difficult, Venglos was old and unlucky, Barnes was just awful and when O’Neill came along, we simply did not know where we were. It was all very confusing, but oh! how we needed a boost!
O’Neill had that intense, concentrated, academic look about him. There was a certain steely determination. He had grown up in Ireland supporting Celtic in Scotland (and Sunderland in England) and made it clear that there was no limit to his ambition for the club. Fortunately at this time in history the Board were ambitious as well and were prepared to release some money, notably for Chris Sutton, an acerbic character who had shown plenty of potential with Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea, but had as yet to find consistency. Other buys followed, but Sutton was O’Neill’s master stroke.
One would need superhuman intelligence to answer the question of what makes a good manager – but one can point out four criteria, namely good judgement in the transfer market, good man-management skills to bring out the best in players, the backing of the Board and a certain amount of good luck. O’Neill, at least in his first season had all four. Occasionally his judgement let him down in future years, but even then, he was more good than bad, and never did the supporters turn against him, something that is always possible with the fickle wearers of the green and white scarves.
The first game in 2000/01 was won at Dundee United, but the public proclamation of the new Celtic came at Parkhead in late August in what became known as “the demolition derby” made famous by the supporters mocking the Rangers sectarian song “and the cry was no defenders”. Celtic won 6-2 and it set the tone for the season. Rangers never recovered, and Celtic won the treble in 2001, winning the League with games to spare and the two Cups with impressive performances in the finals against Kilmarnock and Hibs.
O’Neill was fortunate in that he had Henrik Larsson on song, but there were other great players as well – Neil Lennon, Johan Mjallby, Paul Lambert, Stilian Petrov, but perhaps the game that showed the real depth of that new O’Neill side was the League Cup final against Kilmarnock when injuries, suspensions and player being cup-tied compelled O’Neill to play youngsters like Colin Healy, Jamie Smith and Stephen Crainey, and Celtic still won 3-0, even after Sutton had been sent off! Mind you, with a player like Henrik Larsson, you can afford to give the opposition a chance, and still win!
Seldom have Celtic supporters taken to a manager so quickly, and very soon songs were composed in his honour. Next season failed to repeat the treble, for Rangers got the better of him in both Cups (narrowly) but the standard of football was possibly better with some really devastating performances to win the League. The Scottish Cup final was, as we have said, narrow with Rangers scoring the winner in injury time, but Celtic fans felt that perhaps had O’Neill deployed Moravcik, it might have been a different story. It was possibly his first blemish.
O’Neill made no secret that he wanted to perform on the European stage, and 2003 was his year. Beating teams like Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and particularly Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool on the way, Celtic reached a European final for the first time since 1970. The end result was disappointment, but it was a great experience for the Celtic fans who did themselves and their country proud. A bigger disappointment was the fact that this success was achieved at the cost of Rangers winning a domestic treble with Celtic and O’Neill possibly guilty of taking their eye off the ball at key moments, never more so than in underestimating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup quarter final when O’Neill’s team selection baffled supporters and journalists alike.
He learned from that, though, bouncing back in 2004 with a League and Cup double as well as a tolerable run of success in Europe. Once again, the League was won with games to spare, and the Scottish Cup in a final when, with the team 0-1 down at half time to a spirited Dunfermline side, things did not look too rosy, until Henrik Larsson got going.
It was a shame that the O’Neill quinquennium finished on a low note in 2005. His wife was ill (happily she recovered) and this may have affected O’Neill’s judgement. The tragic events of Black Sunday are well known, and O’Neill cannot really be blamed for that one game. Where perhaps one can question his judgement was in the leading up to that game when the team went stale and manged to lose at home to both Hearts and Hibs (a rare combination for both Edinburgh teams to win at Parkhead!) and little was done to freshen up the side, when he had a few talented youngsters available to give a breather to obviously tired players like John Hartson. The League lost, and Martin having announced that he was leaving on compassionate grounds, he nevertheless gave us something to smile about when he won the Scottish Cup on a rainy day against Dundee United at Hampden.
O’Neill remains a difficult, complex sort of character. If Maley and Stein both had Golden Ages in Celtic’s history, O’Neill would qualify for a Silver Age Award. He picked Celtic up from where they were in 2000 (basically rudderless and looking good for a return to the horrors of 1993) to being a European force once again. It is a shame that this European dimension has not been sustained. Perhaps if Martin had stayed around, it might have been.
Celtic seems also to have been the apogee of his career. His career subsequently has been disappointing with Aston Villa, Sunderland (both of these teams traditional graveyards for managers, and Martin proved no exception) and the Republic of Ireland, where he has been a tolerable but not a total success.
Born in 1948, David Potter first saw Celtic at Dens Park, Dundee in March 29. It was a 3-5 defeat, which equipped him admirably for the horrors of the early 1960’s. He had “followed” Celtic for a few years before that and recalls having been called upon to impersonate Jock Stein and receive the family silver teapot which had to do for the Scottish Cup as it was presented on April 24 1954, after he and his father had spent a nerve wracking afternoon listening to the radio! Since then, he has “followed” every Celtic game with bated breath, and has written extensively about the club in magazines and books. His favorite team was that of 1969 (which he rates marginally better than 1967) and his favorite player was Henrik Larsson.
His ambition for Celtic is for them to keep on winning silver in Scotland and to be something in Europe once again. His other interests are cricket and drama. He is 70, a retired teacher of Classical Languages, married with three children and five grandchildren. He now travels on the Joseph Rafferty bus from Kirkcaldy. He also loves Forfar Athletic.
Further Listening
Steve Walford, Martin’s first team coach joined on us on the Celtic Soul Podcast a few months back to talk about life with O’Neill at Celtic
Celtic Soul Podcast Episode 74 with More than 90 Minutes, Editor Andrew Milne chatting to David Potter
Celtic Football Club Historian and Author David joins Andrew to chat about Celtic’s Cult Heroes. David wrote the book by the same name and the bhoys discuss the players who make it into the book including Dan Doyle, Charlie Tully, John Hughes, Charlie Nicholas, Henrik Larsson and many more.
More than 90 Minutes Issue 115 is now available to buy in Print or Digital format. Inside you will find another packed issue of articles, opinion pieces, historical look backs and reviews.
Scott Brown graces the cover as a Celtic player for the last time as his time comes to an end in the Green and White. Inside he features in the Editors Desk, Andrew looks back to when he captained Celtic in his home town Drogheda and the few pints of black that followed that night in a local hotel.
Broony is remembered in poem, pictures and words as David Potter looks back at his time at Celtic and recounts his many winners medals while Erin Boyle pays tribute in poem. More poems follow in A Paradise Anthology Review while David also pays tribute to former Celtic player, Frank Brogan who sadly passed away recently.
Former Celtic Players, Darren O Dea and Simon Donnelly join us in Conversation. We also find out about Celtic Shared and the original Holy Goalie is back with his regular take on all things Celtic. In All Our Yesterdays features John Tomson and his memorial service in Glasgow.
Paddy McMenamin looks back at the life and career of Belfast Celtic and Glasgow Celtic hero, Charlie Tully. All the regulars are there too, Since Last Time, Snap, Reviews, Scoby, Tim Molloy, Rachel Lynch, Liam Kelly, Scotty Alcroft, Eoin Coyne & Ciaran Kenny.
Friday was expected to be the day that Eddie Howe took charge of a new Celtic dawn. It didn’t turn out that way.
Instead rumours started to emerge that the deal was off, confirmed by Celtic when they issued a statement later in the day, a strange move by the club. Celtic’s communication with fans has been criticised this year and then for them to admit the Howe deal is off, meaning anybody who comes in now know they are not the first choice was just a weird thing for Celtic to do.
In the statement they announced that they were in talks with another candidate and expected an appointment soon. Late Friday night and Ange Postecoglou was the front runner with various reports suggesting the Greek born Australian was taking over.
I’ll be honest, I had never heard of Postecoglou and my initial feeling was of dismay and anger, not towards the Australian but towards those running the club. If Postecoglou gets the job it will be a hard sell for most fans and the resentment that has been lingering all year towards the board could worsen.
Instead of just criticising a possible Postecoglou appointment, I went away and researched what I could about him, spoke to a few people and watched some video interviews of his. My dismay has turned to cautious optimism that he could be a good fit.
There has been a lot of hyperbole from the Celtic world to this news, are we being guilty of what we often criticise fans of the EPL of doing, looking down our noses at other leagues and thinking that life revolves around the EPL?
Eddie Howe would have made a good appointment, I believe. Yet he has managed Bournemouth and Burnley, not exactly big clubs, if rumours are to be believed he was happy to take the job but members of his prospective backroom team weren’t, so it took Howe until now to find that out, highly unlikely. I expect to see Howe rolled out as a coach of an EPL team in coming weeks. If he couldn’t talk his trusted backroom team to follow him then was he the man for the job?
Plan B would have originally involved Enzo Maresca, however he has become the Parma head coach. Maresca may have a more recognisable name due to his playing exploits but he has only ever been a number 2 or an U23 coach.
Postecoglou is clearly more experienced than Maresca. He has international experience and has been willing to move abroad from his native Australia, by all reports, Howe was homesick in Burnley.
If you look to the reaction from Japan and Australia, the feeling is that he would be a good appointment.
I spoke with Japan Times journalist, Dan Orlowitz, who believes Postecoglou is a gem.
“I’ve said it to everyone who’s asked me so far but you all are getting a gem and honestly all the hand-wringing and clothes-rending over these reports are making the Celtic fanbase look a little unhinged.” Orlowitz said.
“I understand the pressure that comes with the Celtic post, but he had to beat 17 teams to win the J1, which for my money is one of the most competitive leagues in the world.
“Marinos finished 4 points above relegation in 2018 and the fans stuck with him – and they were rewarded for doing so with an incredible season and their first league title in 15 years.
“Back him and you will be rewarded. It’ll be a bumpy ride in the beginning but it’ll never be boring.”
Australian broadcaster Daniel Garb took to Twitter to say, “Fears around Ange not being given time are understandable but he’s inheriting a squad superior to most in Scotland.
“One presser and fans will know what he’s about. There should be confidence that he wins over the players quickly and therefore no reason to suggest he won’t start well.”
Aussie journalist, Sacha Pisani also took to Twitter to herald our potential new gaffer.
Pisani said, “Celtic could do a lot worse than Ange Postecoglou. A winner wherever he goes, changing the landscape of his teams. Great move if it does happen.”
My main concern, is that a lot of commentators and two of the above have mentioned, give him time and he will come good. Unfortunately for Ange, Celtic need to be winning from the off. Its paramount that we win the league next season with guaranteed entry to the Champions League groups stage up for grabs. It’s clear from reading about Postecoglou that he likes his teams to play attacking football, which will go down well with the fans.
If Postecoglou is appointed we should back him, none of this is of his making and we could be pleasantly surprised.
Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.
He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.
