I know many of us are annoyed that a Celtic player, who didn’t appeal for a foul, is not being charged for inappropriately looking for one, is headline news today. This is all a consequence of Sky Sports pundit Neil McCann’s insistence that John Guidetti cheated, while he simultaneously acknowledged Guidetti didn’t actually claim for a penalty.
TV analysis can enrich viewers’ appreciation of the game, but it has to carry a degree of responsibility too.
Those of us from Scotland will be familiar with the summertime noise of a scramble – pennies dropping all around you. It’s a wedding-day tradition, when the father of the bride throws coins into the street for kids to collect as he and the bride leave for the ceremony.
Today’s story in the Record, lifted from a fans’ group, that newco Rangers receive approximately 75p for every £10 spent with Rangers Retail, the joint-venture between the football club and Mike Ashley, must have had pennies dropping everywhere.
These figures are for last season, so predate whatever new arrangement Ashley was able to negotiate for the return of stadium naming rights. We’ve covered this point before, but it’s worth reiterating:
Football clubs are in fact a series of business units. Few make a profit over any business cycle but there are profitable business units inside every club, including retail, trackside advertising, media rights and kit deals.
Football operations almost always lose money. The considerable cost of operating a stadium, recruiting and employing footballers (and occasionally a manager on an onerous contract) isn’t met by ticket sales, even at community football level.
The club accounts detail how much financial control Ashley has over newco’s profitable revenue streams, from retail, to kit supply to trackside advertising. The true consequences of forming the with investors looking for a financial return, as newco did in 2012, should now be apparent.
If the club has a future it will have to survive pretty much on ticket sales alone. As we’ve covered before, when you need to pay circa £17m p.a. to open the doors at a club which will occasionally house 50,000 spectators, and your gate receipts and hospitality sales totalled £12.3m last season, you have a chronic problem.
Even if ticket sales doubled in value, there would still leave only around £7m to pay for football operations, a figure the likes of Kilmarnock can survive on, but you have to wonder if a ‘Rangers’ brand is viable at that level?
Does this sound like a viable football club to you? If so, let’s see how it looks after Ashley has his pound of flesh for financing the second half of the season. No wonder fans are so keen to stop him.
I see newco have appointed WH Ireland as their nominated advisers, a name you may be familiar with. Back in May 2012, Kitalba, with an astonishing degree of understatement (“It couldn’t be clearer”), noted here in the comments section the breadcrumb trail between Craig Whyte, a whole series of his companies and associates, and the aforementioned WH Ireland. It’s worth a 15 minute read.
It’s the big Glasgow derby tomorrow and Celtic sponsor Magners have offered us two premium seats in the Jock Stein Stand. All you need to do to win the seats is to email me the name of our opponents, at celticquicknews@gmail.com
Competition closes at 22:00 tonight, so check your email thereafter. Tickets can be collected from the ticket office before the game.
Planning is underway for Mary’s Meals to build a kitchen Chibwata Primary School, Dowa, Malawi, which we in the CQN community have committed to paying for. We have already built three school kitchens in Malawi this year, so I am sure we will complete this one sometime over the coming months.
Sorry, the MyDonate page is now open for business!!
Many thanks.
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Weet-Roddy Dhus at 4pm on Tuesday,CD going too,see if JF can make it HH
bournesouprecipe
14:45 on
2 December, 2014
That awkward moment when there’s a man on your train wearing a Christmas jumper.
******
……especially when it is the same that you are wearing!
OT Hebcelt is partial to the odd Rioja. Do you have a contact for some good stuff including the white? I,d be interested. Hail Hail Hebcelt
kikinthenakas.
Not going to the game tomorrow, been a bit yuchy since Saturday,I’ll arrive in Queens St around?????? 1.45pm just to get my bag into the hotel,if you fancy a taste of Rioja meet me at the Millenium or when I get of the train, I could handle 4 diners, I think there are 4 glasses in my room.
mike in toronto
17:03 on
2 December, 2014
Doesn’t matter – I posted earlier that if they ever want to see a profit they’ll need to get into the CL Group at 1st time of asking and for another 4 season after. They need £40-50M input to get that. It’s never happening. (That figure doesn’t include the rumored stadium work that’s required but it does include the total of £11M required to get to the end of this season)
OT
Will ring you when I get my arrangements sorted later in the week.
Bhoys
Have a spare for the investors tomorrow if anyone would like a change..might also be able to organise transport if around Motherwell area.
Kikinthenakas
Sevco are a busted flush. This phrase got me thinking about where the “busted flush” idiom comes from…
Of course, it is from poker, however in this scenario I feel it would be more apt if it had its origin in the lavatory:
“This flush is busted, and I can’t flush away this little beige jobby…because of the busted flush”
You see, the Zombies are the jobby and the holding company that is Sevco is the flush. Sevco hasn’t flushed away the jobby because it is busted. Replace the flush and then one can de-jobby the ceramic bowl that is Scottish football.
Yes?
Yes.
hebcelt.
Wine is the easiest drink to get, I’m a member of the Naked Wine club and they sent me a mail about an hour ago asking if I fancied a Magnum of prosecca for free?,with a wee rider that you must purchase a case of wine,well I was going to order a case for Christmas so took advantage of the free bottle.
And they said it would be delivered tomorrow,not bad service.
Weeminger ….
I really, really, really, really hope you are right… but I fear that I may be right. What you say makes sense, but as I said earlier, all logic and reason seem to be suspended when it comes to them.
Speaking of naked wines use this link to get £40 off your first case Cheers! (hic)
mike in toronto
17:03 on 2 December, 2014
Don’t stress about them mate, Rangers are dead, sevco will follow them to hell, a third team will play out of ibrox but will be no competion to Celtic.
The Huns are a financial basket case because the orcs demand it only a sugar daddy can give them what they want and mike Ashley is not it, he will own the lot and the third club will pay him rent on everything HH
davidopoulos,
Sevco flush…. I thought thems were skint :))
davidopoulos
That was sheer poetry mate.
Beautifully put!!!
A finer analogy u couldn’t find!
HH
sipsini
17:33 on 2 December, 2014
davidopoulos,
Sevco flush…. I thought thems were skint :))
———————————————————–
Only Ally’s cheeks are flushed as he makes his way from the dressing room to the press room…
“Who put these stairs here?” said Ally whilst projecting bits of pie on the tea lady.
Just watched the highlights V Hearts. The commentator said, four or five times, that it wasn`t a penalty.
Commons `scored` later on. The closest the same commentator came to saying the decision was wrong was something like ` This time he has given it to Hearts`.
I am often told that things are much better in Scotland now. In certain areas, they most certainly are not. BBC commentary is one of those areas.
JJ
Burghbhoy
17:33 on 2 December, 2014
davidopoulos
That was sheer poetry mate.
Beautifully put!!!
A finer analogy u couldn’t find!
HH
——————————————
Why, thank you! Jobby and Sevco, they go hand to hand in verse…
OT
What kind of Rioja is it? I bought a case of Lagunilla Reserva ( 2008) from Tesco Online for under £ 5 per bottle. It costs between £9 and £12 per bottle in Morrisons.
JJ
Young Bhoys line up to play Sevco Kicked off 18:01
0-0 Latest
: Fasan; Fisher, O’Connell, Findlay, Waters; Lindsay, Twardzik; Thomson, Henderson, Tierney; McMullan
subs: Breslin, Hart, Kelleher, George, McCart, Nesbitt.
Heb Celt
You should check out San jamon on line. I may even have a £40 voucher for 12 somewhere
As I can’t be bothered googling it does anyone know the KO time tomorrow
Stairheedrammy
19;45
Stairheedrammy
6pm KO mate. The cops fear violence at the big Glasgow derby…
lct
Where??
Awright, its 7.45
Young bhoys 1 down after dominating game
21mins
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
What game ?:)))
Well done Rony sticking up for Tonev and Guidetti saying it is unbelievable and the Tonev punishment wouldnt stand up in a court of law. H.H.
Meanwhile on Planet Shortbread a 20 minute discussion on Jim Goodwin. Why?????
Under 20s game being played behind closed doors, apparently.
Broonie on the sidelines too.
HH!!
Under 20s updates
Still 1 down but getting caught on the break
https://twitter.com/celticfc
33 GOAL!!! Twardzik levels the match with a stunning strike.
34 GOAL!!! Tierney completes a quick-fire turnaround!!!
Jungle Jim.
These are the bottles I bought.
Carlos Rodriguez X4 Garnacha. Reserva. Crianza. and Graciano.
Hacianda Don Hernan,X42009. 2006 Winemakers choice. and crianza.
Vilasilos Angels Crianza.X1.
simon Joseph syrahX1.
Embiosa Rioja X1.
Morum Rioja.X1.
Free Magnum Sacchetto Prosecco col de luita.
Sorry post is a bit long but you wanted the names of the wines.
Tallybhoy
18:26 on 2 December, 2014
Under 20s game being played behind closed doors, apparently.
Broonie on the sidelines too.
HH!!
—————
In a coaching capacity?
Sons Of Strewth guy – we need to re-negotiate with a new partner.
Aye – Mike will just stand aside there!
Old Tim
A list of Riojas can never be considered long!
Thanks. Take notes as you imbibe and give me your top three verdict.
JJ
mike in toronto.
I buy wine for my own consumption. I don’t deliver (:.
Davidopoulos
Celtic Football Club@celticfc · 49 mins49 minutes ago
Scott Brown, who is helping to coach the young Celts, watches on along with Tommy McIntyre at Murray Park. (MH)