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As an investor and fan of the club, i don't want to make the same mistakes that the old rangers and their fans did. Namely, live on the never never and hide their heads in the sand. My case is now proven that we have exceptionally poor attendances. Arguing this point with me is now futile. So - what to be done?. in my opinion - there is little to be done by the club, barr a few things - 10 match season tickets, half season tickets etc. The club have done their bit, given us a great team - made us one of the most profitable british clubs last year etc. Its the fans who have to look at themselves. Sevco, granted - lower prices, are attracting more and I believe that celtic attendances have dropped out of the top 30 in Britain. Now - I said attendances - bums on seats. thats the key. Selling 40k season tickets is scant comfort when Ledley et al look up at 30k crowds on a wet winters evening. so - this is the clubs greatest threat. My solutions 1 - The fans must look at themselves. If there is no 60k fans in scotland and ireland every 2nd week - then celticc is not a well endough "supported club". 2 - The plc stop lying about numbers and let the fans know that all must question this "greatest fans in the world" nonsense.Outwith the GB, Celtic fans are no better than the next club.The word "spoilt"comes to mind. 3 - The board come up with an incentive/stick approach to season tickets - say if a season ticket is used for 90% of the season, a voucher for a cash sum to be used in the Store is given to the holder. Or a cash back scheme is put in place. Basically, if you have a season ticket and don't use it - (you can always give it to a friend for a game) - you either get punished or dont benefit. 4 - The board and fans sort out their distrust issues. The board have played a v v dangerous game with the GB. It needs sorting. On this point i would lay the blame at the boards door. If celtic face up to these problems - things will be fine. If they don't - we will not progress any further.
Regarding finances - "attendances, bums on seats" is not neccessarily the key. Ask the club and they will tell you season tickets are guaranteed income - THAT is the key. On your wet winters evening example, which is better for the club? 30k in the stadium @ 30k's money or 30k in the stadium @ 40k's money? After all if the season book holders can't get along for what is in effect a game they have already paid for, why would they do so if it involves payment also? In answer to your points: 1) Celtic fans come from outwith Scotland and Ireland. Celtic are plenty well supported and there is no doubt about that - look at the global CSCs for example - I have had tghe pleaseure of drinking with the HK, Bangkik, SingTims, the CSC in Tokyo, in Luxembourg in Brussls and Paris. NY too - these guys are buying Celtic TV & merchandise - they are supporters of Celtic. 2) It's not lying - that's the tickets sold amnd that's what's reported to the taxman. That's standard in most sports. As a Celtic fan I do feel we are better than most clubs - so do UEFA, Juventus, Villareal and so many teams we play against. Gerrard, Giggs, God, even Shearer wanted to play Celtic for their testimonials because of our fans, not "the club". 3) I live in London, had a season ticket for the past few years why should I be penalised based on my travel issues with getting "less" than a local supporter who pays the same as I do? 4) Give me some proof regarding the board's "dangerous game" re Green Brigade and I'll consider it. Until then it's just smoke and mirrors (where ave we heard that before). Reading the interim financials from last month, Football and stadium operations - so season tickets and pies - are UP from £18,598,000 to £16,446,000 - that's up 13% to end December. Patently we weren't in the Champs League past Christmas previously tso that will be an additional benefit to the final figures and should offset some of the shortfall from "walk-ins" which are dependent on everything from weather to the economy to cup-runs. And sure, playing against Rangers has lost us a wee bit of revenue, but that's a small price for the consequent light being shone on their decade long tax evasion and misreporting of contractual statements to the governing bodies. I don't see the same "doom & gloom" regarding attendances you do - and equally I don't think CCP should enter into some sort of volume comparison with a club charging half the price of a season ticket compared to Celtic. That's a pointless exercise.