10 years ago today Jimmy Calderwood was manager of Aberdeen. If a nostalgic journalist troubled the Tanned One on what his old club could do to prevent Celtic disappearing further over the horizon, can you imagine him saying: “The board need to bridge the gap with Celtic, spend big and put Aberdeen back where they belong”?
It would be a ridiculous suggestion. Celtic turnover circa £65m more than Aberdeen, trying to match the champions in any meaningful way would jeopardise the club’s 112 year history.
Calderwood, isn’t so daft. But Walter Smith, who 10 years ago was Rangers manager, now advises Newco to spend big in order to catch and stop Celtic. Newco will turnover around £50m less than Celtic.
Football clubs who are engaged in a competitive struggle, either cut their cloth to suit their circumstances, or are destined for insolvency. Of the tens of thousands of registered football clubs in the world, Newco, more than any, should be wedded to a strategy of matching expenditure to income. They should know better.
Live within your means, pay your bills, build up a track record of responsible trading. Develop youth talent to the best of your ability, plan seasons in advance, and you have an excellent chance of improving as a football team year-on-year. Whip up unreasonable expectations, become a serial loss-maker, crave short-term hits like an out of control addict, and your chances of sustained development are zero.
It beggars belief that in 2017, not five years since the shadow of liquidation walked up Ibrox’ marble staircase listing every asset in the building for sale, that a hugely experienced authority is putting a futile trophy hunt before the financial security of the club.
The ball is rolling on this now. The vast majority of fans only hear “Spend, spend, spend”. Responsible voices suggesting Newco spend what they earn, irrespective of the consequences on the league table, will be abused as heretics (been there).
David Murray’s ‘speculate to accumulate’ narrative needed Rangers to be competitive at the top end of an inflating market. It worked while these conditions were in place but fell apart when the market in England softened in 2001. Rangers could no longer sell their duds at a profit and the game was over. It’s not been a viable strategy in Scotland for 15 years. The subsequent crash and burn was inevitable (although liquidation wasn’t).
Any team wedded to a strategy which requires them to spend money they can ill afford, to achieve an outcome which is beyond their reach, is destined for insolvency.
Is competing for second place really that bad that you need to risk it all to ‘stop Celtic reaching 10’? Aberdeen, Hearts and Motherwell seem to enjoy their football in this reality, most fans pitch up week-after-week despite lesser ambitions. I haven’t heard a single voice of reason on the financial strategy across the city from within their own ranks.
You know how this story ends.
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Cananalar
Yes, but I mean 9 months since we decided on ‘proper’ investment.
The years and years of flawed strategy have been exposed by the evidence of the last 9 months. CL football, title in bag, and only a referee standing between ourselves and a treble.
Record turnover on the cards. Season books will be sold out again.
I reckon we are one step away from accelerating so far out of sight , that the league title will be a one horse race for the next 10 years. That step is CL qualification.
If it happens, only a new investor prepared to come in and throw £100m plus, into a rival club, will threaten our ambitions. Even that amount would only provide a level playing field.
Our only threats now are:
Referees
Complacency
The return of the biscuit tin strategy
This domination will hurt the Hun hordes a whole lot more than anything that’s gone before. Celtic……here’s to 55 and beyond.
…and he pops back in….
No news on Eboue or nobody talking to me ?
I’m going for both :)
JC2 on 10TH JANUARY 2017 3:19 PM
Highly Rated why not a starlet
MAybe if you read link you find out he has
been part of Rangers U20 Development squad since summer
___________________________________________________
SO GOOD they signed him twice
Big Wavy
All quiet on the Eboue situation , getting close to 8pm in Dubai now, dont know if that would effect the timing of any announcement
Economics- infinite choices bout scarce resources
Walterenomics- if ra peepil want it yi jist get it regardless of whit the bookeepers say
As Auldheid points oot they had a choice in 2007
Taxman at the door they chose the self harm path that let their club die.
Not bad fortune
Mismanagement on an industrial scale.
He knew.
Little wonder he wished the noo kkklub every good fortune, a statement that arose due to frauding her majesty of a fortune.
Dignity my arse.
To be laughed at,with bitterness to be loved and smiled at for the rest of time.
HH
Twisty…,
The return to biscuit tin is known now as an acceptable option, plenty of supporters and fans that will accept there is no other option when they are told to accept it, we seen that work.
They could go back to it next season and there would be plenty on here telling us it’s the only option that won’t lead to liquidation as they told us over the last ten years.
Whether by accident or design it seems that we have to use a horse racing parlance ‘idled in front’ this gave the Sevconians the thought that if they could push the boat out a little further than they could really afford they might catch us and have a shot at the CL riches.
Hence the investment in Barton in particular.
We’ve seen where that got them, meanwhile we’ve ‘kicked on’ and they risk blowing up before the finish.
Happy days!
Cheers Dessybhoy
My need for both news and attention n have been satisfied.
Thank you :)
Big Wavy
p.s dragging on a bit though ain’t it ?
Canamalar
I am very worried about possible liquidation this season if we keep up this investment in the team.
MWD scary stuff
MWD..,
And you’ve every right to be worried, that is what we e been conditioned to believe over the last ten years, it can only end in tears.
Moonbeams. sorry for the late reply .
Thanks for that , I will give it a try.
Let them spend spend spend in Brendan we trust HH
Canamalar
I cried the day we signed Brendan as I just knew it was the beginning of the end for our club.
you can’t invest in the main product of the business and expect to survive.
MWD
The zombs are an irrelevance and should be treated as such. I’d love for us to go there next time in our away strip.
And for it to be orange.
MWD @1.40pm
Thumps up
Franny
Brendan is the proof that when you pay top dollar, for something that’s worth too dollar, you get your rewards.
BR may be expensive but he’s already turned £500k into potentially £30m in the shape of Moussa.
Scott Sinclair will command £8m to £10m.
Stuart Armstrong? £8m
James Forrest? £5m
There’s £50m plus.
CL ? £30m this year alone
Season tickets? Extra 10,000 fans? £5m
In the space of July to June BR’s appointment will have earned Celtic £100m ( should they decide to cash in on their player assets)
We must keep investing in a mix of quality, and potential. BR will see potential realised.
We will be a regular top 16 European side IF we stick with this strategy.
*thats worth top dollar
MWD,
It’s suicide, chasing 9 in a row and a Europa final to boost the ego of a few in boardroom and self entitled supporters to get one over the most successful football club in history. Madness lies that way, I tells yea.
Incidentally I’m NOT suggesting we sell off ALL our players, however, £30m for Moussa would be a no brainier. It’d allow the progress to continue. Indeed it would accelerate progress.
Twisty..,
Have you learned nothing, that way leads to liquidation, it’s the only possible outcome :)
Twisty
Top 16 European side. That’ll get boring after a while.
Need to set our sights higher. The intergalatic league of worlds is where it’s at, SPEND SPEND SPEND!
BT
only stating a fact. A real fact not a CQN one. :@-)))
MWD
I posted news of my brother in laws passing on 29th December.
Maurice O’Donnell, Big Moe.
Many thanks to those who posted condolences, prayers and good wishes.
His remains were brought to Holy Cross, Croy, last night and following requiem mass this morning, the Big Mhan was buried at Eastfield Cemetery in Cumbernauld.
We then returned to the church hall at Holy Cross for a purvey.
There was a fantastic attendance of family and friends this morning to celebrate his life and to comfort those who remain.
Big Moe and my wee sister lost a daughter in 1981, aged 2, from meningitis.
He goes now to hug his baby who we all still love and miss.
Any kind thoughts or prayers for his wife and lovely kids would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Just flicked on the movie channell on Sky
Ha look what I picked
To Have and Have Not….starring Bogie and Bacall
How apt
Mind the Gap
Phil
Sorry I hadn’t read of your bad news . Sincere condolences. God bless
Philbhoy
Very sad
May he rest in peace
Thoughts with you and your family
Philbhoy
Will do big chap, take care
Philbhoy,
Thoughts and prayers with the loved ones of your brother in law.
MWD/Canamalar
Our immediate target should now be to overhaul the 3rd and 4th seeded CL sides.
We CAN do that.
We are bigger than most of them, and we can be better than most of them.
Honestly, it’s going to be so important to our rate of progress to get through these qualifiers in the summer.
If we can do it, it’s exciting to think that I’ll see something in my lifetime that I thought was long gone, the opportunity to be in the latter stages of the European Cup again.
I truly believe we are heading there if we maintain focus, proper investment and carry that wee bit of luck that is always helpful. You know, the luck OTHER big teams always seem to get!
Twists N Turns
I agree wrt Moussa.
The problem that Sevco and the SMSM have with the big man is that he is emblematic- an icon that highlights everything wrong with the Huns and their media flunkeys.
They tried to trash him as an inexperienced dud when he signed for Celtic – yet ever since he first took the field against Sevco, he has highlighted exactly what they are – third rate and miles behind.
They would love to see the back of him – but then again, just think that 30 million from Moussa Dembele could easily fund another 5 or 6 Moussas and Scott Sinclairs – with Brendan Rodgers, given all his experience, influence and contacts, spending that money.
Sevco are screwed any way you look at it…
Big Wavy
Don’t panic. Total confidence in BR to do the right things
Phil-May they rest in peace.HH
MWD-All been warned by Police Scotland about the hun hordes?
Tim
I truly don’t see Sevco as even a minuscule threat anymore.
I was at the 5-1 destruction earlier. Normally I’m ill with nerves when facing that mob, yet pre match, I told my children and grandsons pre match, that in over 50 years, I’d never been so confident that we would destroy them.
Yes, we may lose a cup tie to them, or the odd league game, but as things stand, those defeats will be rare. In the same way, we will drop points to a Caley, St J, Hearts on occasion.
On the whole though, we are simply too good for them all now over a season long.
When you have a good manager, trophies become habit.
I genuinely believe Brendan Rodgers is one of the best managers in world football. Just listening to him, watching the way players play for him, suggests we are very fortunate to have him.
One down to Sevco last game at Ibrox, I wasn’t concerned. Told the family, ” don’t worry, Brendan will fix it at half time”
Didn’t he just .
Finally
( who shouted thank f?)
The SPL
I know most want out. Not me. The SPL which has been touted by many as the reason we couldn’t progress, is actually the main reason we will overhaul those Euro sides above us.
CL football awaits EVERY year. That’s not something we would be certain of as part of an English set up.
The money? Yes we would get plenty. However, I’ll take the SPL, the CL and the opportunity to watch Celtic strut their stuff v Barca etc.
That’s me done:-))
Twisty..,
There’s only a couple of teams (probably German) that are no up to their necks in debt. And you want is to follow their business plans. Have you no seen what happened to “rangers”. And there can be no alternative business plan, investment can only lead to liquidation, that’s what we have been told by the best Plc board in the football industry. Oh wait everything is different now that the most successful club in the world are back. Eh haud oan a minute, deja vu ?
PHILBHOY – Thoughts and Prayers, God Bless.
‘The Game, The Game Is Over….The Souls have been sold!’
Eboue’s a squirrel…..
Watch this space – CSC
…..oot……
Canamalar
Just think. If HZiRFC had not been pipped to promotion by Hearts and then blown it against Murderwell we’d likely be liquidated already.
Saving grace that!!!
Still time to turns us backwards and survive.
MWD