Where Are The Fans?

So why are you so apathetic now when we are winning things and gracing the CL?

Did you attend in the 90s when it was a foregone conclusion we would lose the league and were being pumped out of Europe before October?

 

Of course they are.

Or are my eyes deceiving me and they are just walking about the park with their fingers up their arses whilst the ball magically goes into the opposition's net?

 

Of course the players on the park have to be better than the players they are playing against. As I said, from a player perspective there will no doubt be a sense of achievement.

The problem is the, through no fault of celtic or the team they are playing, the set up of football and finance makes in near impossible for any team to win the league regardless of how much effort any other team puts in. It is like your local corner shop owner trying to compete with Tesco. There is little value in winning something when the set up of the competition makes it so tough for you not to.

 

* me we're a bunch of self hating pessimestic *.

 

I did SD, though granted I was a child. But I share a similar sentiment to Daibhi when it comes to the scottish league.

 

Do you not think at any points last season the players saved themselves for European games? We dropped points on 14 occasions and still won it by 16 points. The players knew there's more than enough room for error to still win the league by a huge margin and that showed, I certainly don't think they gave 100% all the time in SPL.

 

Maybe for you mate, but certainly not for me - and imo the majority of the Celtic supporting fanbase.

I've yet to see any cornershops beating the likes of Tesco on individual prices - a wee metaphor for celtic being beaten in certain games.

 

Absolutely.

Yes, there were games where they thought they could turn up and win - hence why many a person (including management, fans etc) were angry.

This does not take away from the fact that serious effort is required to win a league championship - anyone who suggests otherwise needs to seek professional help.

 

Yeah, I did. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, but I remember the Scottish football scene being more competitive back in the 90's. We were competing closely with Aberdeen, Hearts, Motherwell & Hibs at various point through that period.

Also, I don't recall it being a foregone conclusion that we wouldn't win the league back then. We were always competing until late into the season, and even after the league was gone we were fighting with the teams above for a European slot.

I remember Aberdeen spent half a million quid on Duncan Shearer during that era, which is unthinkable now.

 

I know. It is just a matter of opinion I guess.

As regards pricing in the cornershop, that is exactly my point. The system does not allow the cornershop to beat Tesco. It is impossible without the cornershop being run badly. The modern day finance of football makes it a near formality that we win the league.

 

:smiley-laughing002: you must understand, even if you disagree, where some people are coming from though.

The feeling of achievement of winning the league has been diluted since we have no serious competitor. I genuinely do still like watching us in domestic games and still cheer when we score and get a buzz off seeing the team win game by game. But on a season basis I know the outcome - us lifting the league trophy. Strange, I think I get more of a buzz from winning game by game than eventually seeing us win the title these days, if you get me? Don't think I'm wording it well at all.

I do still enjoy seeing us lift it, and with a sense of pride just think, "another title added to my clubs honours."

I don't even think it's debatable that the downfall of the scum has contributed to falling attendances to be honest. I acknowledge it's not the entire reason, but it definitely has contributed. I hear it over here myself, it does cost a pretty penny to travel over and see watch us frequently, and often you will hear people planning a certain game rather than trying to get to as much as possible because they don't think they are getting value for money. This, I think, has a lot to do with the fact competition breeds interest. I don't believe people are emotionally losing an attachment to Celtic, they'll still love the club deep down, but I think they're watching their finances more because they think their money is better spent on something that isn't a foregone conclusion.

Though I don't think many clubs would be filling massive stadiums in the Scottish Premiership in the current climate if they were in our position.

At the end of the day, it could also be worse. Benfica and Porto (two huge clubs) can't fill their stadiums for CL matches - I'm sure finance is a big factor and possibly there is other factors - but that will never be the case with us I'd imagine.

 

There was no complaining when we romping home with the title by 20 points when Rangers were in the league yet people are whinging about the same thing here. Its an obsession with Rangers more than anything else

People aren't showing up because the football is * atrocious to watch and because a lot of people simply can't afford it. I've been saying it for ages now that Lennon needs to get this team playing decent football or something will have to be done. I wanted Gordon Strachan sacked for the same reason. We're winning aye but its just not enjoyable to watch us play. If I knew we were going to be play good, attacking football I would spend more money getting to a few more games a year but its just not worth it imo

 

Not sure why people are so concentrated on the competition. It hasn't really existed since Larsson showed up. I've felt we've been the better team in the country, by a long way, for most of my lifetime (born in '87). Sure, the Orcs managed to pick up a few titles in that time, but it was usually by hood or trick.

 

2nd spot was more competitive. That was the era where Murray killed Scottish football.

 

Right, serious question:

Would those people who are complaining about the lack of competition still: go to, watch and or support the club if we were relegated from the league?

 

Remember the football we played in Lennon's first proper season? It was fantastic to watch at times and I had mates, who for years had seen us as an average SPL team who occasionally punched above our weight in Europe (Strachan's time), who were suddenly saying we looked a great side and began to enjoy watching us. They were EPL fans too but of course all had a leaning towards Celtic anyway. Though being from here, like me, you must know if we get any credit from EPL fanboys we must be doing something * right.

We just don't play with the same intensity of flair as we used to under the same manager. Still love the guy though :smiley-laughing002:

 

I'm not complaining about lack of competition, we play who we play.

But yes, I still would.

 

It would really depend as far as I'm concerned.

 

Well played

Such as?

 

Well, if I were still living overseas then I would find it difficult to get to games (as I do now), but I'd likely still watch games on CelticTV (as I do now) for the most part.

No doubt I'd not be cancelling any dinner plans to park my * in front of my laptop to watch us play in the league though, which is also the case now.

I tend to consider our cup and Champions League games as our "must see" games these days.