Banks and bums

796

I hear there are rumours in the old media today that David Longmuir prepared a plan with Charles Green and Peter Lawwell before briefing Scottish Football League clubs this week.  I suppose the rumours are half right.  No one from Celtic was involved in this nonsense.

Special mention to Gavin Masterton, owner of 94% of Dunfermline shares, who last month told the BBC “The football club is debt-free. There is no bank debt. The debt is to myself and the other directors.”

This new kind of “debt-free”, talked about by Dunfermline and one other lower league club is more dangerous than it seems as just three weeks later Dunfermline admit they expect HMRC to apply for a winding up order.

Fans have raised around £250k, enough to pay HMRC in full, but they are asking Masterton to value his shares at a level they would reach if an administrator was appointed, which will happen if the fans don’t pay.  Masterton’s recovery plan was to issue £500k of shares for around 25% of the club.  Nice, for him.

Nine years ago Masterton and Dunfermline director John Yorkston were embroiled in the financial calamity which afflicted Livingston.  This tale of woe is worth reading, as is the story about the downfall of Bank of Scotland by Iain Fraser, who writes, “The rot set at Bank of Scotland in when the likes of Gavin Masterton and Peter Cummings started handing millions of pounds to their pals, without doing much in the way of due diligence.

Fraser also speculates “Foolishly, Cummings and his predecessor Gavin Masterton handed [Sir David] Murray a total of £760m on a “no questions asked, handshake only” basis and, in the current environment … realised he hasn’t much chance of paying this back”, in an interesting article on the Bank and the liquidated football club.

Mr Masterton is clearly the only qualified candidate as the next president of the Scottish Football Association.  After Mr Peat (former director of liquidated club Airdrieoneans) and incumbent Mr Ogilvie (former director of liquidated club Rangers) the bar has been set at an astonishing level.

“Utterly astonishing”, as our old friend used to say.

Be wary of people to say they are debt free when what they mean is they have no bank debt. Be very wary of bums who try to convince you that them being denied bank lending is a good thing.

If company credit rating equals zero, credibility rating equals (I’m away to find out if a whole number is required here).

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796 Comments

  1. tommysbhoy

     

     

    I think there is a limit to how much the ticket office can be criticised for a season when, I predict, the stadium will generate more revenue for the club than it ever has before. I think they deserve particular praise for the cost of the 3 game group stage package for the CL. I think, to be honest, that those tickets were tremendous value. I paid £28 to see Messi, Xavi, Iniesta. And Tony Watt, Victor Wanyama and Fraser Forster :-).

     

     

    We have had more than 325,000 at our European games this year, to expect high attendances for LC games expects, I think, a bit too much from the support. The support, don’t forget, are also neither daft nor of inexhaustible disposable income; they will pick the games which are value for money, over those which, perhaps, are not. Market economies were ever thus…

     

     

    I think there is also a limit to the demand from the support for league cup games. Bluntly, the competition is a low priority for the club and the support, and this is reflected in the scheduling of matches (mid-week in Autumn) and the side selected for these games, by and large, as well as the attendances. Could we boost attendances for league cup games? Perhaps, but only I think by including games in the season ticket. Could we increase attendances by convincing more people to actually pay to attend these games such that the higher attendance would lead to higher profitability from the league cup tickets in cumulo? Not as easy. The low attendance at league cup games is a bit of a red neck for the board, but not a particularly high priority when we’ve got more than half a million people through the door for the time of year when LC games are played.

     

     

    The League Cup, understandably in my opinion, is a bridge too far for all but the most fanatical.

  2. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MIKI67

     

     

    GREAT NEWS,FELLA!

     

     

    Seeing Larrybhoy would be good enough for one day,but that is excellent news. Does that mean I need to order up some extra skwerr?

     

     

    Enjoy the weekend,mate. Enjoy EVERY minute.

  3. Re ticketing

     

     

    CFC have to use more ingenuity re this

     

     

    Eg it was foolish to do away with the half season books

     

     

    When we quailfied for the last sixteen ….they could have offered a package for league games inc the CL game and any others should we have qualified …..instead existing ST holders were able to buy additional tickets as a result there were quite a number of regular nonST fans who didnt get and by contrast a number of folk at the game who would scarcely know the road to CP

     

     

    Qualification to the CL is essential and can be used to tie in the purchase of domestic games

     

     

    Also it’s too dear for the quality of the domestic football

  4. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    THE EXILED TIM

     

     

    Leggat blackballed?

     

     

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha………….

     

     

    He’ll have to buy his own swally now,shame really.

  5. celticrollercoaster loves Wee Oscar, our Celtic Warrior on

    HH Ramie, you take care of Kano. Had the privilege of meeting some of the family from Oz today, at a very difficult time.

     

     

    Safe journey and passage to the Wee Oscar cyclists. Will see u bhoys and ghirls tomorrow.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  6. Leggat.

     

     

    “Following an Ethics Council investigation of a Rule 24 complaint, the NEC upheld the ruling that David Leggat had breached the union’s code of conduct and agreed that the former NUJ member will be subject to the maximum fine specified in the Rule Book which at the 2013 rate is £1,000. It was also agreed that a note shall be placed upon his previous membership record to the effect that he is not considered by the union to be a fit and proper person in respect of his eligibility for membership. However, should David Leggat wish to make an application to re-join the NUJ at some future date, the matter should be put before the NEC for consideration.”

  7. celticrollercoaster loves Wee Oscar, our Celtic Warrior on

    Miki67

     

     

    Can only imagine what you must be going through. Today sounds a good day for you.

     

     

    Take care

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  8. Ramie

     

     

    Please pass my deepest condolences to Martin and family. I often keep the fighter in my thoughts. This time must be difficult for Kano.

  9. Miki67,

     

    Glad to see you had some good news, I admire your strength to post as openly as you do, and I will pray that you have many more good news days, god bless

  10. Gerryguk7

     

     

    It wasnt so much a critisism of the ticket office but merely an observation to the point on who we aim to attract to our ground to watch celtic..i feel as pf ayr as just said .mistakes were made on half season tickets and who they gave the extra available c.l tickets to..people out queuing at 2-7am is unecceptable in this day and age..and to give the s.b holders extra was wrong..why not the guys who paid £110 for the three match package? What a slap they got..we should be trying to get fans back and new supporters in..i agree with your other points too..league cup since no euro place and spreading it out till the following year?maybe thats where our colts should play??

     

    Our product is not up to the price…more deals and offers to get kuds an families…the john kennedy game where henki an lubo came back must show some ideas how pricing can attract crowds..i know it wasnt a league game..but even the semis for l.cup and scot.cup have been reduced in recent years to try and fill hampdump

  11. CQN Saturday Naps Competition

     

     

    Lads, for those who are in the CQN Saturday Naps competition, please post your selections here (Sat 16th March)

     

     

    Cheers, fleagle1888

  12. morning bhoys today’s dunkey is….

     

    Ffos las 15:05

     

    GRAN TORINO

     

     

    Cheers FLEAGLE and thanks for the Cheltenham comp really enjoyed it

  13. Valentine's Day on

    Cool Operator 3:50 Uttoxeter.

     

     

    Once again thank’s for all your

     

    hard work fleagle.

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    Hoarding 255 Lingfield

     

     

    Adding my grateful thanks for the Cheltenham compy.

     

     

    Star man,oor Fleagle……