last season

I don't think it was set up, We just went threw a bad period, We always do go threw bad periods at some point in the season, but we did pick up again. You have to remember there was alot of players injuried last season (not that, that should be used as an excuse), but it did effect some of the play.. & our away forum more than anything let us down, & with it confidence dropped, alot like whats happening this year, & I don't think there's any match fixing, its just poor play. I do believe the board were smug in not going for Steven Fletcher tho, Like Jim Duffy I agree the board thought they would win the League by a ganter being 7points ahead in January, that was Celtic's downfall.. Celtic's confidence dipped & Rangers confidence picked up. They put more heart into it than we did. They were playing for there careers & for the lively hood of the club, so that would spur any club on..

Story of the season from January:
After the 1-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox. We played Dundee United & threw away a 2-0 lead against United, but we didn't play that well that day atall.. Then came the 4-2 defeat by Aberdeen, A game I was in shock with after it.. Then we wiped the floor 3-1 with Hibs, duno if you remember that 1? We were 2-0 up in the first 10mins.. Then 0-0 at Caley Thistle, think it was the 85th minute before we tested the keeper? Then the 0-0 draw in the Old Firm (Pish game), Then a 1 each draw with Motherwell, we domanted that game.. Then we battered St Mirren 7-0 in the best game of last season.. Then we beat Killie 2-1. Drew 2 each again with United (But there not easy), that was the game Lee Naylor scored that volley at Tannadice.. Then back to back 4-0 wins over Falkirk & Hamilton.. Then the 1 each draw at Tyne Castle that Vennegoor of Hesselink scored in the first 20secs.. Then a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at home..

Into the split.
3-1 win over Aberdeen, A 1-0 defeat by Rangers, A good win over United 2-1, & the game that finished us off a 0-0 with Hibs, but they played so many players behind the ball it was unbelievable. Then the final 0-0 with Hearts, but the players hearts weren't in it (Pardon the pun)..

Results:

3rd Jan 09' Celtic 2-2 Dundee United (Samaras 2)
18th Jan 09' Aberdeen 4-2 Celtic (Brown, McDonald)
24th Jan 09' Celtic 3-1 Hibernian (McDonald 2' McManus)

1st Feb 09' Inverness C.T 0-0 Celtic
15th Feb 09' Celtic 0-0 Rangers
22nd Feb 09' Motherwell 1-1 Celtic (McDonald)
28th Feb 09' Celtic 7-0 St Mirren (Nakamura 3', Brown 2', Crosas, Potter OG)

4th Mar 09' Kilmanock 1-2 Celtic (McDonald 2')
22nd Mar 09' Dundee United 2-2 Celtic (McDonald, Naylor)

4th April 09' Celtic 4-0 Hamilton (Samaras 2', McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink)
8th April 09' Celtic 4-0 Falkirk (Caldwell, Vennegoor of Hesselink, McGeady, O'Dea)
11th April 09' Hearts 1-1 Celtic (Vennegoor of Hesselink)
18th April 09' Celtic 2-0 Aberdeen (Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald)

2nd May 09' Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic (Considine OG, McDonald 2')
9th May 09' Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12th May 09' Celtic 2-1 Dundee United (Loovens, Samaras)
17th May 09' Hibernian 0-0 Celtic
24th May 09' Celtic 0-0 Hearts

You know what? Looking at the run of results you can see where we had bad patches really in January & some of Feb that done it for us, we tripped up a bit at the end, but when the pressure is on you expect that a little, so there is no match fixing there I wouldn't say, just bad luck really..

 

top post.

 

I don't know what to admire more, the brilliantly structured way you've set out your argument, or the relevance of the content.

Are you kidding??! The recent reduced TV deal hit SPL clubs hard. Our own chairman said so. The loss of Rangers FC, which I argued would lower the TV deal considerably more, would be a blow to every club. A lesser blow to Celtic, which is financially healthy, but a crucial blow to your Dundee Uniteds, ABDs, etc.

I am serious. It's my opinion of course. Look at Dundee United and Aberdeen in the 80s. They tried to call themselves the "New Firm" so that they would perhaps receive the financial benefits of a "great rivalry". It's good for marketting. It brings supporters in, gives them a cause to fight against. It unites us against a common enemy.
The second part of your post, concerning most celtic fans you know, Im struggling to find relevance in it.

Edit:

Attendances would fall at a rate tenfold that it is now.

It's shocking I know. Maybe you know it's true, maybe you know but you just can't face up to it. Technically, it's not matchfixing. I don't reckon things would have been done in such an explicit, direct way. Perhaps Strachan wasn't even informed. Perhaps they passive aggressively demotivated him, deriled him, and the pyschological blow was enough to stop 4IAR in its tracks. I'm not saying they went out and said "OK we'll loose against hibs, get a draw against Hearts, and loose against aberdeen". Why, that would have been illegal. Nah, Lawwell and the lads were smarter than that. Do I agree with it? No, I'm on the same page as you. I struggle to come to terms with it, but you have to realise that it was for the best. It's like in Star Wars, when Obi-wan Kenobi allows Vader to kill him, making him "stronger than you can possibly imagine".

Agreed.

 

Another thing, the people posting in this thread just seem to be writing off the theory as *, no discussion, no elaboration. It doesn't make for good discussion, and if it doesn't make for good discussion, why post it in the first place? And yes the irony is not lost of me, just thought I'd throw it out there.

 

I agree. You're actually right there I suppose.

However, I'd say 30mtsC3PO-87's & Dannighirl's posts just about sum up what I think.

No offence, but I do see the theory as too absurd.

 

ur right, its too far fetched. Exactly why they knew theyd get away with it!

 

thanks onion . my eating disorder has vanished and my doomsday theorie has been confirmed. i'm off for a lobotomy at 2 pm now.

 

The theories nonsense if this was the case any manager would have left at this time not even waited to see it out.
But i do agree with the statement if rangers went to the wall, scottish football as much as it hates the old firm needs it, it is the only reason any interest is generated in the league from outside investment, even inside all most of the other teams in the legue care about is can they topple the old firm and trying to finish above them.
For example this season hibs and dundee utd doing well but the talk is not how good they are doing but how bad the old firm are and is this their demise!
Although rangers are in financial problems big ones they may become a weakened team but will not be allowed to go bust they generate to much income to be declared totally bust they also liek celtic are a big part of the scottish economy so will not be allowed to go bust.
Basically celtic didnt deliberatly lose the league were just abject and dismal from xmas last year, nothing to do with politics, (well maybe within the board room regarding transfer budgets) just simply being murder.
On the point of Celtic needing the old firm term it does help and for celtic not to fall further behind the rest of europe it is important.
The last point on Rangers going bust it wont be allowed to happen.