The "do they mean us?" thread pt 2

[Goober]

5 minutes ago, Foxy_Bear said:

Rangers and Celtic have the fanbase that they do in scotland based on religion..... Pure and simple. 

Doubt many of the fans these days give a toss about the religious aspect

[Scotch]

20 minutes ago, Goober said:

Doubt many of the fans these days give a toss about the religious aspect

Maybe so. Most fans become fans of clubs based on who their dad/granda/uncle support but if you track it back far enough (and it's not that far) you have to start questioning why so many folk in Kilmarnock, Dundee, Motherwell, Paisley etc choose to support Rangers or Celtic and the hard fact is..... Religion. If it was based purely on success, Aberdeen and Dundee utd would atleast have the odd fan scattered around the country but they dont. 

 

Also, I fear that religion has a much bigger influence in today's game up here than you would think. 

[peach0000]

1 hour ago, MrsJohnMurphy said:

 

I surely can’t be the only one that can’t understand the hype with the Liverpool full backs. Robertson always seems pretty good but Alexander-Arnold to me always seems to have a mistake in him. I just don’t see how they are the best in the world.

[KingsX]

2 hours ago, Heathrow fox said:

I think in terms of fanbase WHU are considerably ahead of us tbh.They have most of Essex behind them and that big swathe of East Greater London.Like Romford and Becton.Their fans have even moved South of the river as London becomes impossible to live in.They have a lot of thinking mans glory fans aswell.The sort who are prepared to do the hard yards.Knowing that one day they might get some glory.If you want to support a proper cockney London club,with a bit of grit and under dog reputation then West Ham’s that club.

 

Club for yobbos, with and without yabbos

 

[CosbehFox]

12 hours ago, Webbo said:

If you imagine Welsh teams had never been allowed to join our league then Swansea and Cardiff would be their old firm, with Wrexham winning the cup on the odd occasion.People would be saying if they were in the Prem Cardiff would be top 6 and Swansea would be a top side too. Obviously that hasn't happened.  Celtic and Rangers have built up their support over the last 100 odd years by consistently winning things, if they'd been average teams in our league all this while who knows if they'd have kept that support?

I don’t think it’s comparable. Wales has always had rugby union pulling in support.

 

I do agree with the notion that the Old Firm’s size is part down to success. 

[mozartfox]

Interesting fact (well I think so) - Celtic have (according to a Social Sports Survey carried out by Redhotpenny.com) have 2,781,377 followers combined on the IG/FB/TW platforms. 

 

Little old pathetic and small time Leicester City only have 10,290,000 (including Sean from Enderby x 10).

 

According to Chris Strapon, Celtic's reserves have 20,000,000 followers, so know your place Foxes.

 

All this Big Club - Small Club garbage can be spun so many different ways.

Edited 23 May 2020 by mozartfox

[Jacnah]

14 hours ago, Goober said:

Doubt many of the fans these days give a toss about the religious aspect

I think you are mistaken. Its not a question of being a "person of faith", but more the historical and still perpetuated rooting in religious bigotry 

[lcfc81]

A lot of this debate is about perception surely. We need to focus on building the perception of a big and growing club. This will help us in terms of attracting players, mangers etc. We are currently on the up in terms of perception of our 'size' and this has the obvious problems of putting teams who perceive themselves as bigger than us at odds with us, it's part of our growth. At some point I have no doubt the perception of us will wain and the perception of clubs like Leeds etc will grow. Clubs who are in a period of being less successful (in comparison to their previous success) try to retain their perception of greatness based on their history, fanbase etc, and they would be foolish not to. This helps make them more attractive to future growth and success. Our job is to grow so the perception of us is that of a large club (something a long the lines that forest, Wednesday etc seem to enjoy). By doing so we increase the sustainability of our success into the future, and when we are in a period of being less successful, we can increase our chances of future success by engaging in, what seem to be inane 'banter', but is in fact self preserving rhetoric to preserve the position we perceive we have. That's my take anyway. 

[Scotch]

1 hour ago, Jacnah said:

I think you are mistaken. Its not a question of being a "person of faith", but more the historical and still perpetuated rooting in religious bigotry 

You're exactly right my friend. I think this was perfectly demonstrated earlier in the season when Celtic played down at Kilmarnock. The Kilmarnock fans rolled out a banner stating "Ayrshire is protestant". What was so laughable about this particular occasion was that this game happened to take place early on a sunday afternoon. If the knuckle dragger holding the sign was so religiously inclined, they would have been at church as opposed to the Football. 

[les-tah]

15 hours ago, peach0000 said:

I surely can’t be the only one that can’t understand the hype with the Liverpool full backs. Robertson always seems pretty good but Alexander-Arnold to me always seems to have a mistake in him. I just don’t see how they are the best in the world.

TAA obviously a good player but he wouldn't be ahead of Ricardo in my team in a million years. Robertson over Chilwell is a no brainer tho.

[Yes]

1 hour ago, lcfc81 said:

A lot of this debate is about perception surely. We need to focus on building the perception of a big and growing club. This will help us in terms of attracting players, mangers etc. We are currently on the up in terms of perception of our 'size' and this has the obvious problems of putting teams who perceive themselves as bigger than us at odds with us, it's part of our growth. At some point I have no doubt the perception of us will wain and the perception of clubs like Leeds etc will grow. Clubs who are in a period of being less successful (in comparison to their previous success) try to retain their perception of greatness based on their history, fanbase etc, and they would be foolish not to. This helps make them more attractive to future growth and success. Our job is to grow so the perception of us is that of a large club (something a long the lines that forest, Wednesday etc seem to enjoy). By doing so we increase the sustainability of our success into the future, and when we are in a period of being less successful, we can increase our chances of future success by engaging in, what seem to be inane 'banter', but is in fact self preserving rhetoric to preserve the position we perceive we have. That's my take anyway. 

Spot on, perception is probably more important than the facts sometimes, Leeds aren’t bigger than Everton/Villa/Newcastle by pretty much any metric yet some people still see them as bigger because of the perception of them being this massive club.

[Paninistickers]

2 hours ago, lcfc81 said:

A lot of this debate is about perception surely. We need to focus on building the perception of a big and growing club. This will help us in terms of attracting players, mangers etc. We are currently on the up in terms of perception of our 'size' and this has the obvious problems of putting teams who perceive themselves as bigger than us at odds with us, it's part of our growth. At some point I have no doubt the perception of us will wain and the perception of clubs like Leeds etc will grow. Clubs who are in a period of being less successful (in comparison to their previous success) try to retain their perception of greatness based on their history, fanbase etc, and they would be foolish not to. This helps make them more attractive to future growth and success. Our job is to grow so the perception of us is that of a large club (something a long the lines that forest, Wednesday etc seem to enjoy). By doing so we increase the sustainability of our success into the future, and when we are in a period of being less successful, we can increase our chances of future success by engaging in, what seem to be inane 'banter', but is in fact self preserving rhetoric to preserve the position we perceive we have. That's my take anyway. 

Great post.

 

We need a USP to do so. We need an identity - currently it is slowly developing....a progressive club that unearths diamonds from (seemingly) nowhere. Not dissimilar to the format Dortmund have, though they have a support and fanbase to add to it.

[TrentFox]

17 hours ago, KingsX said:

 

Club for yobbos, with and without yabbos

 

That picture has ‘caption contest’ written all over it for the bloke in royal blue! 😳

[KingsX]

1 hour ago, TrentFox said:

That picture has ‘caption contest’ written all over it for the bloke in royal blue! 😳

 

Given he’s the majority owner …

 

“Fetch me a lager, Karen love.  And weren’t you the perfect choice for Vice Chairman, the uniform looks smashing on you.  Absolutely massive we are, wink wink”

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, TrentFox said:

That picture has ‘caption contest’ written all over it for the bloke in royal blue! 😳

 

5 minutes ago, KingsX said:

 

Given he’s the majority owner …

 

“Fetch me a lager, Karen love.  And weren’t you the perfect choice for Vice Chairman, the uniform looks smashing on you.  Absolutely massive we are, wink wink”

 

 

Rumours that I heard... and only rumours weren't one of these "having a go" on Karen when she was younger...?

[st albans fox]

27 minutes ago, Ashley said:

 

 

Rumours that I heard... and only rumours weren't one of these "having a go" on Karen when she was younger...?

She can’t be that cheap surely ??  

 

the dildo brothers would never part with enough money to secure that prize .......

[Ashley]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

She can’t be that cheap surely ??  

 

the dildo brothers would never part with enough money to secure that prize .......

Apprently so. All of that led to her getting the job at Birmingham so it didn't come out 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, TrentFox said:

That picture has ‘caption contest’ written all over it for the bloke in royal blue! 😳

As he's the porn king I'm sure he's seen plenty of those, bigger, younger, perkier and naked.

[st albans fox]

3 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Apprently so. All of that led to her getting the job at Birmingham so it didn't come out 

If you’re going back that far then I guess it’s possible .... we’re taking 27 years ago ! 

[The Bear]

2 hours ago, TrentFox said:

That picture has ‘caption contest’ written all over it for the bloke in royal blue! 😳

Two pairs of tits seen at football match. 

[Stadt]

TAA has got 24 assists across last season and this one. Maddison, Chilwell and Ricardo have got 25 assists between them across the same time period. So what if he’s a bit of a ropey defender sometimes, it’s like having a world class playmaker at RB

[Captain...]

Here's my hot take on Celtic vs Leicester:

 

We are a bigger club right now, but historically they have always been bigger and could will be the bigger club again in the future if we make a Peter Taylor style appointment after Brodgers.

 

What I think is interesting is the argument about we are only bigger now because of the league we are in. If Celtic were dropped into the PL next season they would probably be relegated, they don't have the money or draw to compete. If they had joined in 1992 at the start of the premier league era I could see them being top 6 for a good chunk of it with a few cups to their name. They would have ups and downs, but what has left them behind the likes of us and Everton and West Ham is that we have had access to the premier league (and championship) money which massively outstrips anything the SPL can offer.

 

With the support and stature they had in 92 they would easily have been able to compete against the likes of Luton, Coventry, Oldham, QPR the first PL was nothing like it is today with many weak teams. They are too far behind now to ever be able to compete with an EPL club and would struggle to be competitive in the championship.

Edited 26 May 2020 by Captain...

[fuchsntf]

On 24/05/2020 at 17:56, Stadt said:

TAA has got 24 assists across last season and this one. Maddison, Chilwell and Ricardo have got 25 assists between them across the same time period. So what if he’s a bit of a ropey defender sometimes, it’s like having a world class playmaker at RB

I agree,but all players have their individual Strengths ,and Team strengths...TAA seems to be more Dynamic and consistent,but Team tactics and the Quality of Team Mates understanding of each other,also plays a massive role.Plus his Breakthrough was 2016-17,with a few more Top quality Games under bis belt..

Chilli has only really just kicked off last season,Maddison only really started this season,Ricardo has been our Leicester TAA equivilant....

But football is Not for me about comparing individual players,simply because they all carry their own weaknesses and strengths....and a Big big difference,though I will Stay fair und balanced....These 3 Play for my club,TAA Simply doesnt..!!  When he wears the 3 lions,then I will give him that same support...

 

Unlike some,I have enjoyed watching Chilwell now Maddison,  develope and evolve,and sometimes Fall on their ass..!!! That is something that some fans should

also lean towards,instead of Jumping on some blame platform at every opportunity..

[Danizen]

 

Just seen this on Facebook. Was expecting to see a lot of complaints about us being up there with Leeds, Newcastle, Wednesday etc.. but there was none. In fact, a neutral even suggested we get moved up to massive. 

 

Now a SportBible Facebook post doesn't define how big we are but it's an interesting gauge on how big we're perceived to be by other fans.

[OntarioFox]

8 minutes ago, Captain... said:

Here's my hot take on Celtic vs Leicester:

 

We are a bigger club right now, but historically they have always been bigger and could will be the bigger club again in the future if we make a Peter Taylor style appointment after Brodgers.

 

What I think is interesting is the argument about we are only bigger now because of the league we are in. If Celtic were dropped into the PL next season they would probably be relegated, they don't have the money or draw to compete. If they had joined in 1992 at the start of the premier league era I could see them being top 6 for a good chunk of it with a few cups to their name. They would have ups and downs, but what has left them behind the likes of us and Everton and West Ham is that we have had access to the premier league (and championship) money which massively outstrips anything the SPL can offer.

 

With the support and stature they had in 92 they would easily have been able to compete against the likes of Luton, Coventry, Oldham, QPR the first PL was nothing like it is today with many weak teams. They are too far behind now to ever be able to compete with an EPL club and would struggle to be competitive in the championship.

Yes and no.

For want of a better word, they and the rest of the Scottish league system has rotted and withered over the past 30 years. It hasn't been a league of any comparable stature to most of Europe since the Premier League era got into its swing in the mid-1990s. That a sizable chunk of the Bhoys fanbase still clings to two wins in 20 years over Barcelona in the UCL as proof that they're still a powerhouse says a lot. It has become an annual procession to laugh at Celtic turn their absolute dominance of their domestic league into an anaemic international performance - for every Glasweigan who brings up those Barca performances as a feather in their team's cap, you may as well remind them that they managed to lose their first qualifying leg away to Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar the other year.

They last made the UCL knockout stage in 2012-13.

They last won a knockout game in... oh, never mind, they never have in the current make-up of the competition.

 

They lost the Europa League final in the mid 2000s I guess? So did Fulham, so make of that what you will. 

In one try, we managed to make the Quarter Final of the UCL, beating the likes of Porto and Sevilla along the way. I don't think there's any question who the more capable team are when it comes to on-field success - if you use the argument of knockout football being a lottery, it starts to wear thin after 20+ years of continued failure. However, what they undoubtedly have is the "allure" of that history and an undeniably huge global fanbase. They're crap, but you can't underestimate the Irish connection. I see more Celtic sh*t in sports bars here in Toronto than I do for any English club.

 

In today's league structure, they would be a Villa or a Newcastle. Undoubtedly a "big club" with a stadium to match, but with neither the squad nor the financial backing to turn that into any sort of on-field success. If they were dropped into today's league, they would be relegation candidates, especially as every other side and their fans would raise their game and intensity if suddenly given a Scottish rival to spar with. They might be able to galvanise with a quality manager, but they lost their last one to you-know-who. And Neil Lennon doesn't strike me as having the same management skills as, say, Chris Wilder.

 

However, as Chelsea and Man City have shown in the past, and as (without counting any chickens) Newcastle may well show once they begin to flex their new blood money, while having a little more cash than your rivals doesn't bring success, having a LOT more does pay with the right management. The reason nobody absolutely loaded has ever bought Celtic is because of the third-rate league they play in. If they ever did start playing in either the EPL, or some sort of unified British league, they would be snapped up before you can say "Brendan Rodgers made the right move". 

 

Problem is, it's chicken and egg. No prospective owner is going to make the investment unless they know for certain that Celtic would be playing in the big-money league within a year or two. If they're dropped straight in as a precursor to a takeover, they face a big risk of dropping down the league structure before it even happens. If they're taken over then the EPL says no to them joining their league structure, that investor is left with a whale in a duckpond.