“If Celtic played in a country that had the media values of the English Premier League, it would be the biggest club in the world.”
This is what Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive claimed recently.
“If you go back 25 years and compare us to Man United before the media and revenue boom, there probably wasn’t much in it. Our story is unique. I think it is rich and it’s the best,” he added.
“I think we have a potential fan base with Scots and Irish diaspora around the world that would support that. And we have strong fundamentals here in Scotland from our fan base. So I don’t see any barrier here in Scotland to Manchester United or Arsenal or top clubs down there if we were getting the same media values they are getting.”
Once again we seem to be going down the avenue of how different Scottish football is to English football. If Celtic had received the same amount of media values of the English Premier League, it wouldn’t be the biggest club in the world. While the Bhoys are a big club in Scotland, receiving the same media attention of the likes of the Red Devils and the Gunners wouldn’t make them a bigger club.
However, they could have become one of the most successful clubs in the world thanks to the media. The money they would have received from the coverage could have allowed the club to purchase better players to perform better in the league and in Europe, leading to more trophies and silverware. This in turn would lead to even better players arriving at the club and more trophies being won. This money from the media could have also gone to their bitter rivals Rangers, and could have possibly helped them avoid administration.
When Lawwell was asked how Celtic would compare to Barcelona and Real Madrid, he said: “Similar. The media values in England will outweigh or be similar to the media values in Spain or Germany. If it was a level playing field, with our strong fundamentals in terms of tradition, history and story to tell I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t be. We are working on it.”
Lawwell isn’t the only person to show support behind strong tradition fundamentals, as Barcelona’s Xavi recently commented on the atmosphere shown at Celtic Park. He told Eurosport: “I don’t think I have seen anything like the Celtic fans in all the stadiums I have played. When you step out at Celtic Park, the atmosphere they create for their team is incredible. It doesn’t matter how many big games you have played in, walking out into that atmosphere is always intense.
“What makes them the best for me is their support when they lose. It is easy to make noise when you win against Barcelona but in Spain we beat them 6-1 and most fans would have left the stadium. However at the end, the fans were making noise like they had just won the Champions League, not like a team that had just conceded six.”
The fan support is there, Celtic just needs the media coverage to show itself regularly to the world. Lawwell said the club were actively exploring the possibility of a regional European league that would give them access to enhanced revenue streams.
“We are plugged into it all. If any opportunities arise – not just for Celtic, but for the Scottish game – we should be there.”
With the fanbase they already have and the media coverage they desperately want, Celtic could of course become a more successful club… just not a bigger club.
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