The Celtic family is going to have to come together and support our club…

We often write about Celtic’s history and the supporters throughout the generations that came before us, suffered hardship, lived though World Wars, a General Strike, the Miners Strike, the Troubles for those in the six counties, three day week, the banking crisis and much more. Celtic was always there. And it is our duty as Celtic supporters – forget what others say or don’t say – to make sure that Celtic is there for future generations.

For starters any idea of refunds for the games not played on the current season ticket should be set aside, if supporter finances allows of course. Family first, then Celtic….

Then we are going to have to look at renewing season tickets and possibly watching some of the games on Celtic TV as the new season could start behind closed doors.

Maybe testing could allow this to be less severe – ie you need to have been tested to get into the ground and can therefore prove you are Covid-19 free but make no mistake we need to get our heads around what we as a support are going to have to do to make sure we have Celtic to hand down to future generations of Celtic supporters.

Celtic has been well run and has money in the bank. But unlike the English Premier League clubs our biggest source of revenue comes via match day reviews and that means 50,000 season ticket sales.

In the ten-in-a-row season Celtic – in normal conditions – would easily have sold out the season tickets for next season. The waiting list was getting bigger and plenty renewed as soon as the renewals came out.

Coronavirus has changed all of that. Now as a support we need to do our bit – not just for the club chasing Ten-in-a-Row, but for the long term future of Celtic. If we renew in our tens of thousands and Celtic do their best to get us into the games – maybe rationing the games we get to so we all get to see roughly the same number – and make sure we get full access to Celtic TV for the rest – then the club will be in the best possible position post coronavirus.

You need to do this, I need to do it, we all (finances permitting) need to do it. And while other clubs will struggle to cope, Celtic will be fine. And in twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred years from now Celtic supporters will look back to the sacrifices that the Celtic support in 2020 made to make sure Celtic was safe and well.

The recent row about the SPFL voting is all a sideshow, entertaining though it has been, after Null and Void was defeated it became no more than comedy viewing for the Celtic support.

But for Celtic this crisis is serious and football is unlikely to ever return to the way it was. A media chap I know recently talked to me about the size of the audiences that Celtic has and noted that there in no club in the UK – not Liverpool or Manchester Utd or Arsenal or Chelsea – none of them – that has the size of audience that is out there for Celtic. In the new reality for football size of the audience each club can attract is going to be increasingly important and having Celtic involved is going to interest global media players.

Look at that BT Sport poll that voted the Lisbon Lions as the greatest team ahead of Barcelona – that wasn’t down to anything other than the huge Celtic support getting behind our heroes.

Soon it will be our time as the Celtic support to be the heroes ourselves. Our club needs us – the Celtic family – to stand up for the Champions. You up for it? I certain am. Come on you Bhoys in Green…

LET’S HEAR WHAT YOU THINK…

Please email your comments on this to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we’ll combine them and publish on the site later today.

INVINCIBLE by Matt Corr

The Celtic Star’s very own Matt Corr – who you may also know as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park – publishes his first Celtic book, titled INVINCIBLE – early next month. This beautiful hardback book will be the definitive story of Celtic’s magical2016-17 season – it truly is wonderful, a real joy to read, and brilliantly written by Matt.

If you have been reading Matt’s regular contributions on The Celtic Star or indeed in the Matchday Programme or in the Celtic View you will know just how talented a Celtic writer he is. The book is published by The Celtic Star and you can pre-order below.

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