Daniel Brigham 0 Posted July 25, 2013 Hello all, here''s my latest blog ...Celtic fans love a bit of history. They can’t stop going on about it. So they probably know all of this already, but here''s a quick history recap. For 242 years St Paul''s Cathedral stood as the tallest building in London, admired and respected throughout Europe. Now it is overshadowed by much of London, no longer looking down on its neighbours but up at glass temples to a changing, commerce-driven world. In comparison, St Paul’s is a rather dumpy relic, its magnificence defined by its past, a monument to memories. Its place in the world and its history is forever established, but time moves on. Celtic fans should take note. Many of them can not accept that they are no longer a big club lauding it above much of Europe, that teams, including Norwich, Southampton and, it appears, even Championship sides, have steadily outgrown them to the extent where they can pluck away their best players. Like Del Boy losing his millions, Celtic’s fall from grace is slightly difficult to watch. But it happens to all teams. In the early 1920s Burnley fans would have mocked their Lancashire rivals Liverpool and Manchester United for being weaker than them. Just four years ago Portsmouth fans would snigger at Southampton’s position. Yet it would be easier to feel sympathy for their fans if so many of them weren''t blindly reliant on the word ‘history’ as a means of justifying their place in the footballing world. You wouldn''t get George Foreman using history as a defense in a fight with Wladimir Klitschko would you? He''d have the crap kicked out of him. History, in terms of grandeur, is relative. Saying Celtic have history in the Scottish Premiership is like saying Norwich have history in the East Anglian derby. It is true that there is a romance about Celtic (served with a large dose of sectarian violence) and it is undeniably an extraordinary place to play football in big games. They have had some wonderful nights – far, far more than Norwich. When Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, Norwich were in Division Two, losing to Carlisle and Rotherham as they finished 11th, still five seasons from reaching the top tier of English football for the first time.But 1967 doesn''t count for anything now and claiming history as a factor for attracting players to a club is nonsense. If you were offered the chance to send a message using a top-of-the-range 1980s fax machine, you''d probably decline and just use email instead. Some of their fans like to assert that most of the European leagues are homogenous, with only a couple of sides competing for the title. It’s an absurd theory. In the last 20 seasons the Premier League has had five different winners, the Bundesliga six, La Liga five, Serie A six, France’s Ligue 1 nine, Holland’s Eredivisie five, Portugal’s Primeira Liga four and the Belgian Pro League five. Scotland, meanwhile, has had two winners. It’s like two whales in a paddling pool. No wonder they’ve gone a little mad up there. When Sky bought the soul of the English top tier in 1991, it marked the beginning of the end of the SPL as a force. Although Paul Gascoigne chose to sign for Rangers rather than a Premier League side when he left Lazio in 1995 it was the last desperate kicks of a long-distance runner who knew they were about to be overtaken. The only way for Celtic – and Rangers – to get out of rather embarrassing state is to do a Swansea and a Cardiff: join the English league. They have such huge fan bases that it wouldn’t take long for them to become major players in the Premiership. But it''s not going to happen. The boards of the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea have enormous influence over the Premier League and wouldn''t let it happen. They have self-interest to protect and want a monopoly on the top five; they know that the two Glasgow clubs would be a very real threat to that and therefore Champions League qualification. Unless money is invested into rival Scottish sides to make the league more competitive and more attractive to players, then those buildings around Celtic will only continue to grow, leaving them further and further behind. It can’t be much fun for their fans, but it’s the reality they face and there’s nothing their history can do to change that. Daniel Brigham is features editor of The Cricketer. You can follow him on Twitter: @cricketer_dan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ABC (A Basingstoke Canary) 26 Posted July 25, 2013 Interesting read - almost reminds me of that club down the A140 constantly harping on about ......... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
im spartacus canary 0 Posted July 25, 2013 i used to think your blogs were crap, and petes constant bigging you up got on my wick... but i have to say i have started to enjoy them particualry the goodbye grant holt one you did last time [:D] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 25, 2013 makes for a good and informative readmy suggestion is that once Rangers get back into the top flight much of that maybe forgotten and the inward looking SPL Or whatever it is now) will continue as before ....................... having less and less meaning by the season Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Chops 7 Posted July 25, 2013 [quote user="City1st"]makes for a good and informative readmy suggestion is that once Rangers get back into the top flight much of that maybe forgotten and the inward looking SPL Or whatever it is now) will continue as before ....................... having less and less meaning by the season[/quote]I''m pretty sure Neil Doncaster has a plan to stop that happening.<cough> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr 4-6-0 0 Posted July 25, 2013 Scotland may have been domintaed by two teams for longer, but, imo its a pattern that is beginning to be replicated in other leagues. Take 2012-13 for exampleIn Germany, 3rd placed team was 36 points behind Bayern.In Spain, 3rd was 24 points behind BarcelonaIn Italy, 3rd was 15 points behind JuventusIn France, 3rd was 12 points behind PSG Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monty13 2,173 Posted July 25, 2013 While I agree with your sentiment I don''t think your analysis of the league domination is particularly valid.England in particular as you say has only had 5 different winners from a league of now 20 teams since the PL''s inception.Once by Blackburn (Showing the new bright future of buying the league!) then the other 4 are of course Man U/Arsenal/Chelsea and as of only just over a year ago Man City.When we have double amount of teams and only 4 different winners in the last 15 plus years are we any less dominated?Considering there was 7 different winners in the preceding 20 years, and 11 different winners in the 20 years proceeding that, is a declining trend not in effect?Without the cash injections received by Chelsea and Man City might not Man U and Arsenal have continued to vye between themselves for the title without the interruption of other clubs? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Brigham 0 Posted July 25, 2013 Hi Monty. Agreed that the PL is guilty of becoming less competitive. It''s a less fun, inclusive competition since the Sky deal. The cash injection point is valid, and I make the point that that''s the only scenario that will save the SPL.Agree that certainly Barca and Madrid are increasingly dominating in Spain. Interesting to see if this trend continues whether or not they''ll become less attractive destinations for players in 10 years'' time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monty13 2,173 Posted July 25, 2013 And that point about the SPL i wholeheartedly agree with, the problem being its Catch-22, I think without massive TV revenue the SPL will struggle to attract investors, yet without a more competitive league they won''t secure a better deal.I don''t think Spain has the same issue as they are still very competitive in the Champions League even if the domestic league suffers from the same dominance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Brigham 0 Posted July 25, 2013 Actually, in 10 years'' time Europe''s biggest clubs will probably have formed a European league. Perhaps then the Premier League, missing Man Utd and Arsenal, will invite Celtic and Rangers to join ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 25, 2013 [quote user="Double Dutch"]Scotland may have been domintaed by two teams for longer, but, imo its a pattern that is beginning to be replicated in other leagues. Take 2012-13 for exampleIn Germany, 3rd placed team was 36 points behind Bayern.In Spain, 3rd was 24 points behind BarcelonaIn Italy, 3rd was 15 points behind JuventusIn France, 3rd was 12 points behind PSG[/quote][quote user="Double Dutch"]Forest don''t harp on about their past?One of the stands is THE BRIAN CLOUGH STAND!I don''t mean to be rude, but, give your brain a chance you inbred f***wit[/quote]the binboy is back Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ncfcstar 287 Posted July 26, 2013 [quote user="Daniel Brigham"]Actually, in 10 years'' time Europe''s biggest clubs will probably have formed a European league. Perhaps then the Premier League, missing Man Utd and Arsenal, will invite Celtic and Rangers to join ...[/quote]Guaranteed someone said exactly the same thing 10 years ago. I can''t see it happening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites