A sledgehammer to crack a nut comes to mind when we’re talking of Boycotts. I don’t discount the consideration further down the line but to talk of it now is ludicrous. We need change we don’t need to implode on ourselves. We need to be vocal, we need to be visual, we need to express our feelings and we need to let the board know we’re doing just that. We are miles off a boycott.
The Celtic Star and the Celtic Underground, (at last) Video Celts, The Celtic Blog, 90 minute Cynics, Homebhoys podcasts and even some of the mainstream media like the Daily Mail and ex-players like Chris Sutton are taking the sort of approach that is required. Attention is paid.
Send the information out there, put out what may have been buried for whatever reasons in the public domain. Bring all the voices together and show the fans feeling the hurt and disdain with how the club is starting to unravel what is actually happening.
Ask as I said in a previous article that our militant wing of the Green Brigade step up at some point and paint this discontent in large letters across the North Curve. Fire the shots across the bough and keep the rest of your powder dry for stormier waters.
To talk also of sacking a manager we thought of as late as 7pm on Tuesday night as a man who’d brought free flowing football back to Celtic. Where the heavily quoted tippy tappy, death by a thousand passes football was gone and we were all glad of it is the actions of the spoilt and of agendas. Four day ago we were pigs in the proverbial. Lennon has messed up once. There are others far more culpable and those trying to connect the two know this.
We need rid of one man and we don’t even have to have him leave the club. We need him back in his profit and loss box and with some real accountability. If he doesn’t like that or his ego won’t allow that then the internal workings have to deal with that first.
Before we compare to the White’s and the Kelly’s we need to take stock and look around ourselves. Domestically we remain in a position of strength. Financially we remain strong over our competitors.
Peter Lawwell is the problem, a board who pander to his whim is the problem and the man who can whip Lawwell into shape is a problem. He’s far too comfortable. Make the others around him feel the discomfort and he’ll feel more pressure than he’d ever feel from us. Build it up slowly on our side and we might not even need full on direct action.
The fact there is a chasm between Chief Executive and Manager is an issue. A Director of Football independent to football matters alone, and Lawwell independent of the football matters but setting a budget is needed. Not root and branch reform.
We need a man who stays in post beyond the manager, who works within our budgets and whose decision on footballing incomings and outgoings is budgeted but without any other interference. His remit should involve recruitment from grass roots to first team and the manager should feed in as Lawwell feeds down. They should meet, they should discuss and debate but their own responsibilities should be clear and outlined as not to be blurred.
The manager isn’t the issue. He messed up massively in one game. He failed and he won’t admit it publicly. If he did I’d have a bigger issue with his governance than I do now. We have another game. Several more coming thick and fast including the start of the treble defence, a European qualifier to get past and the no small matter of a visit to the other side of the City.
To talk of boycotts now is to cut our own throats. For him to show outwardly he messed up helps no-one. If he hasn’t done that internally then we may have an issue. Only the next few weeks will clear up if there’s even the beginnings of a problem there.
Lennon can’t afford to look back, he can’t afford to invite more pressure on his own shoulders and that of the players. He needs to look into the horizon and set a course. Don’t for a minute think the players haven’t told him what they think, that he hasn’t held his hands up to some errors from himself to them and pointed out their own inadequacies. To think we’d publicise that would be naïve in the extreme.
Lawwell and the board are rattled already the silence tells you that. Two consecutive years without Champions league income will do that. 2 years out of six in with the big boys is enough for the questions to start without the need for empty green seats.
The money men will now be asking the same questions as us but of course with their own slant.
How many times can this happen without it hurting my shareholding? How often can we sell a £20 million player before we run out of them? How do we expect to even follow that business model when we’ve mothballed a scouting system in the middle of a 9 in a row campaign? Are we now to be worried about our domestic dominance as well as European failure?
Lawwell will be asked all these questions without the need for supporters to leave it all behind. In fact for now it’s far more important we stay and let our voices be heard and our banners seen. The rank and file are discontented. Let it be seen for now however that the baby stay in with the bathwater.
I’ve seen this film before. I was a union rep in London in frontline homelessness as the Conservative austerity programme kicked in. One thing I know you don’t do is ever go straight to even the threat of strike action when you can isolate a problem and make the others closer to them question what they have to lose. Think of the action as a staircase for you, taking it step by step, and a turning of the screw for them.
The swell of support for Celtic websites action now seeping into mainstream media and supported by ex-players and fans for now is enough.
If I could throw you a bone. This is likely to be a difficult process but today I saw the first sign of a wilt. Celtic have taken a vow of silence. Their first utterings is to ask us all for money for the AIK game like a misbehaving schoolboy asking for an advance on his weekly allowance.
As they flexed their muscles they showed their weakness. The price for that ticket should be £30/35. It’s being sold as £20. To deride even that fee is fair enough but look at the bigger picture. They are already moving towards the fans. It’s time to turns the screw some more. To now go to strike action would open up the divide again.
Visualise and vocalise it by all means. Bide our time for the rest.
Niall J
Also on The Celtic Star…
Four Celtic Men – Common Denominator and further Ferocious Feedback…see HERE.
League Cup Joy as Celtic take first step to a Double Treble…see HERE.
‘Neil Lennon needs to show he has full control over team selection,’ Niall J…see HERE.
‘Neil Lennon needs to show he has full control over team selection,’ Niall J…see HERE.
‘The board have been absolutely top class with me,’ says Lenny – No FF return as Bain back next week…see HERE.
Yellow means AIK’s 17 goal striker Elyounoussi is suspended for trip to Celtic…see HERE.
Celtic v AIK – ‘Better look out the banners for the upper tiers,’ Celtic stung by massive fan Backlash…see HERE.
Ajer Calf Fattening – What happens when we run out of £20million plus players to sell?…see HERE.
Four Celtic Men – More Supporters’ Feedback, but is Lawwell Listening?…see HERE.
The time for change at Celtic has come…see HERE.
