So what did you make of Dave King’s “compete with some of the bigger clubs, particularly Celtic” news conference?
He’s hoping to make a managerial appointment “within a week” which, despite the need to rebuild the squad, is a little ahead of where I expected him to be based on the feedback I know he received from those who were sounded out.
Punters and media seem convinced Warburton will be appointed. I know nothing about the man, but I’ve assumed Stuart McCall would get the job due to all other candidates having a real job, or better prospects. As McCall said in his TV interview following his Fir Park capitulation, he knows what is required and has experience at shopping for free transfers in the English lower leagues. Anyone else is an unnecessary risk so I’m still inclined to think McCall will get it.
A 5% increase in season ticket costs is on the lower end of what I expected, but there’s a subtext with this one (there often is). A key aim of whoever has been in charge at Ibrox over the last three years is to get season ticket prices back to the level they were when Ticketus “over-invested” (caveat over-investors).
Charles Green planned to do this from the off. The script was to read: “I’ve saved your club. Now I’m going to put a £50k p.a. pay cap on and I need you to buy 40,000 season tickets at full price, to ensure we glide up the leagues with ease and arrive in the SPL with money in the bank”. The players and manager would have had a choice, show you’re here for the badge, not the money, or move on.
But, within a week, King and the Blue Knights wanted the assets off Green. McCoist and others were mobilised into destabilising Charlie, who was forced to cut prices, over-promise and ultimately under-deliver.
If I was King yesterday, I’d have looked the camera in the eye and told fans “This is your time, your club needs every last one of you to step forward and pay £600 per ticket”. I’m sure he wanted to do this, but he seemed riddled self-doubt, contrasting starkly with the effusive confidence he radiated before the last EGM. It made me think of the Woody Allen line, “Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem”.
One thing I am sure of is, if he was about to splash the kind of cash he talked about while trying to remove the old board, he would have put his money on the table and asked fans to do the same.
The trade-off King referred to: the more money fans put in the less he (and other investors) need to put in, is not actually a trade-off at all. In reality, the more money he puts in now, the more fans will buy season tickets; the less he invests, the less fans will spend. Momentum, or the lack thereof, is at play.
This matter was King’s biggest failure. Charles Green and the master, David Murray, knew how to use show-biz to put bums on seats at Ibrox. Yesterday the stage was set for a bit of showmanship: “Here’s the colour of my money, now roll-up, roll-up, get your tickets before they’re all gone”. Say it confidently, convince the thousands desperate to be convinced, and you give yourself the best chance of success.
My focus would have been different from King’s too. Forget about catching Celtic, fans know this is a pipe dream. What they want most of all is a solvent, top-flight, football team. Don’t even reference football targets, instead, talk about filling the stadium, paying the bills, building a trading history good enough to earn proper facilities, and never again signing-off an unsustainable business plan. The fans are Not. All. Daft. Educate them the value of living within your means and they would buy into the project.
Talk about catching Celtic with an unsustainable business plan is astonishing, after all these people have come through, simply astonishing.
I could never quite figure how, for years, Rangers directors knew HMRC were contesting their EBTs, knew a legal challenge lay ahead, but made no provisions whatsoever for that challenge. Win or lose the case, they needed a plan to cope with each scenario. It turned out they didn’t even have a plan to cope with a partial win.
King’s ‘someone will step in and pay if we over-invest’ outlook on life explains a lot. It will be for others to judge his contribution to the lives of Rangers Football Clubs, as far as I’m concerned, it’s impossible to overestimate what he’s done to them. You could say, it’s off the radar!
Spirit of Compassion – Whisky Tasting
On the 25th April, Nepal was rocked by a destructive earthquake which has claimed the lives of over 8,000 people. Many of those affected by death and destruction are children. Glasgow the Caring City is our city’s charity for children in crisis, in times of disaster. Together with House With A Heart, Nepal, we will bring stability and comfort to children left orphaned by this tragedy.
On Thursday 18th June Glasgow the Caring City are hosting a Whisky Tasting event, fun and educational, at the Trades Hall of Glasgow. Tickets are £30 and can be bought here.
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Will there be complaints from the Safe Standers about those who insist on sitting when the game is on?
And will everyone sit down when a goal is scored?
Is there a `fit and proper’ test for the safe-standing area?
Celtic should get a sponsor for it and charge them a fortune for the privilege.
Trying to think of a suitable sponsor now…….Durex maybe!!!
BSR- help!!!!!!
I hear they’re going to have a lying down section at Ibrox ….
thomthethim
Fighting with jungle the ole back garden.
Art of War
13:40 on
9 June, 2015
Is there a `fit and proper’ test for the safe-standing area?
Celtic should get a sponsor for it and charge them a fortune for the privilege.
Trying to think of a suitable sponsor now…….Durex maybe!!!
BSR- help!!!!!!
————————————————————–
The Police should sponsor it in an effort to stop people standing so close together…
(it’s a wee joke – think about it)
Will those in the new safe standing area be known as ‘stauners?!’
HH!!
For every £5 you spend, I will spend £5 less.
Brilliant!
Anyway, better get back to work…….
Having been at the forefront of attempts to introduce a facility that has become increasingly popular in continental Europe, the Scottish champions have announced plans to put rail seats in place for the 2016-17 season.
An initial 2,600 supporters will be accommodated within these areas at Celtic Park after extensive dialogue with relevant authorities for the past five years, and lengthy consultation with supporters.
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: “We have worked tirelessly on this issue and we are delighted that permission has finally been granted.
“Across football globally, the reality is that some supporters are choosing to stand at matches. This is something we must accept and manage and also understand the positive effect which these areas have on atmosphere at matches”.
“The introduction of rail seating at Celtic Park represents an investment in spectator safety. Celtic’s primary objective will always be the safety and comfort of its supporters – and this new system will now allow fans to stand safely at matches.”
Currently, the Football Spectators Act 1989 requires safety authorities to ensure fans attending games in England’s top two divisions are seated.
All-seater stadiums were introduced in the UK following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, but in many European countries football fans are allowed to stand at top-level games, with Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in Germany a prime example of the effective use of rail seating.
Independent Safety and Security expert Dr. Steve Frosdick has been closely involved in Celtic’s work in this area and in the application to the Glasgow city council.
And he said: “This is a great day for the club and its fans. This is a pioneering move by Celtic and one which has spectator safety at its core.
“For the first time in the UK, football fans will be able to stand to watch the game from purpose-built accommodation which is demonstrably safe. The club and its fans are to be congratulated for the way they have worked together to make the case to the authorities.
“Glasgow City Council and the emergency services are also to be commended, firstly for their rigorous scrutiny of the proposal and secondly for having the courage to grant permission.”
LB
Great news on standing section
Start of 16/17 season suits me perfect :-)
Well done to lawell and the board again this summer.
When I’m fed up with board etc I tend to not buy from the club .. Petty probably but back the manager and you deserve the fans to back you .
Too many times they failed with Lennon… Deila has got his pre season wish regarding friendlies .. Centre half brought in quickly and club did their best to bring standing back.
Hopefully season books sell well .. I’ll get online and order something very soon .
The Celtic.. United
Will never be defeated
P.s
Any fans of the wakes (Roy croppie)
They have cover of David Rovics song recorded on Facebook song. Good version
Never watched the presser, but it’s clear they’re going to ‘increase the wage bill’ when they already have a loss of 1m net per month?
SoundsLikeAPlan CSC
Took long enough but great news and well done to the club on the safe standing and showing the persistence required to gain approval.
Will do wonders for the ground and the atmosphere and giving fans the choice to stand will aid in the retention of young fans as other competing issues enter their lives as they get older.
HH
Hanging baskets done .
Lunch scoffed .
Litre of chilled fizzy water downed .
Large espresso for a bit of zip .
Back to work — harvest apricots ( sell 90 %/ scoff the rest ) and then plant 2 pomegranate trees.. That done -get the tired old bones and the insect bites into a still cool sea .
Scorchio -way down south.
so the old Jungle to be named The Kettle….hahaha Siemens make braw kettles or even Meile ….
http://www.miele.co.uk/
braw
prestonpans bhoys
13:36 on 9 June, 2015
That comment Going unchallenged by the media yesterday just sums up or press. Tried to find facts on it last night. Moaning to my mate about it he pointed out they are under selling due to the fact they have 500 million fans worldwide.
Hail hail, over here in fabulous sunny Vegas / Navada, big pool party today, troops all ready for a big Tim feast, last count was 1,200 people, and more coming in by the day, I hear there is a bit of an uproar about the ” ain’t no fun being a Hun ” banner that is on display, they are saying this is North America, they can uproar all the f… They want it’s our party and everyone is welcome, just like the one that was held in George Square last weekend, it’s been a fun Tim fest mad week so far, and still five days to go, and believe me, Vegas IS green and White, all over the place, hail hail everyone.
CH4 a place in the sun
Sitting in the nice wee square in Seville, noticed it right away :-))
Tallybhoy, loved the standers being known as ‘stauners’. Hat doffed.
so, is heping a stander gien’ a stauner haunners!?
easilyamusedcsc
HH
BSR,
Me,too, till the midgies got to me!!
Well done to the board on the safe standing area.
For the likes of DENA29 who might be worried a bout standing for 90 minutes-think I’d struggle anaw,tbh-being a rail seat,you can lean back against it.
Chill oot,relax,enjoy the game. Magic!
Kevjungle
Sounds like the jungle is back .. Well it’s a start anyway.
Raily raily happy at today’s decision…
As long as Ronny trains the team right we will steam roller the league next season like a locomotive.
Hopefully we can make tracks in Europe
B-)
Tallybhoy
13:47 on 9 June, 2015…
A belter mate pmsl :)
Nadir Ciftci knocks back new contract with Dundee United, current deal runs out next summer so will be sold this summer. How long to the link with us re-surfaces?
Bhoylo83
14:21 on
9 June, 2015
Raily raily happy at today’s decision…
As long as Ronny trains the team right we will steam roller the league next season like a locomotive.
Hopefully we can make tracks in Europe
B-)
—————————————————————–
We need to be careful not to get carriaged away here. We need to build up a head of steam to make the most of our ticket into Europe. It’s all about how we conductor ourselves in the close season…
Standing area – nice! Good to see us leading the way yet again.
Gary67
14:25 on 9 June, 2015
Nadir Ciftci knocks back new contract with Dundee United, current deal runs out next summer so will be sold this summer. How long to the link with us re-surfaces?
—–
3 hours ago :))))
Andy Newport
@AndyNewportPA
Dundee Utd say Nadir Ciftci has rejected a contract extension. Celtic will surely take a gamble on him. Well worth it
Paul67 et al
It was interesting to read last week that the report on the collapse of the Bank of Scotland (HBOS) has been further delayed by the Financial Conduct Authority, set up to replace Gordon Brown’s FSA. It is nearly seven years since HBOS crashed and burned, the precise moment David Murray knew the game was up for MIH and, as a result of cross financing, for Rangers FC as was. Murray wasn’t the only borrower of course, nor the biggest by any stretch, but I am pretty sure he was the biggest in Scotland. He didn’t describe himself as the ‘Charlatan from Charlotte Square’ for nothing. (Or was it me who came up with that?). From 2008 onwards Murray knew that RFC would be liquidated by Lloyds Bank, ie under his watch, hence the subsequent sale to Craig Whyte for £1. Murray knew that that was precisely £1 more than it was worth. RFC’s in house debt to MIH was subsequently written off, £109 million, in two tranches, if I remember correctly. For the record, it is my view that the HBOS report will not be published until George Osborne has sold every share of Lloyds Bank back to his friends in the City. What goes around comes around.
BMCUW
I am glad to see the Young Fhella took all your wisdom onboard :)))
Well done to Paddybhoy & all the family with a special mention for the parents
tonydonelly,
enjoyed a couple of Conventions and stayed in the Riviera,where is the Main Event being held this year? got a couple of friends leaving for Vegas today,but they couldnt tell me which Hotel was hosting the Convention.
HH
Alan McRae elected as SFA president at annual meeting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33063657
LEFTCLICKTIC
Indeed,mate. The sod might have left me some!!!!!
Agent green
Sipsini
Some of the ‘stauners’ might only be ‘semi stauners’ ‘tho!
Off oot – appointment with my accountant.
He’s a Sicilian.
Brown envelope in ma pocket.
HH!!
leftclicktic
Meet the new Prez same as the Paul Prez???
Never heard of the man to be honest..
Paul Prez, spellcheck auld Prez:))
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Looked at big jug of surplus Cherry juice in fridge for my “gout”:))))))) and thought what will I do with that wee mhan
Papa can we put
“That (Soda water)
That ( diluting Orange)
That ( ice cream)
And some of that (choc sauce) in it ”
No probs wee mhan
“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm papa thumbs up for my smoothie, I love you this much “:)))))))))))))))))))))))
starry plough
Ogilvie & peat learned him a few tricks I bet :))))
We’ll see
leftclicktic
The Oranges don’t fall far fae the tree:))
Hanging Baskets?