You and I have been discussing football finances here since 2004. In our early years Celtic lost several million pounds each year, CQN’s call was ‘we must breakeven over any business cycle’, an incredibly controversial view in those times of indulgent bling.
By 2004 Celtic hadn’t added a player who held down a sustained first team place for three years (since John Hartson in 2001). We also lost a talisman that summer. The pressure was on to spend, from the stands and the dug-out, but Brian Quinn, our chairman, had concerns about running at a permanent loss. In the face of considerable criticism from the bling-brigade he stood firm.
Celtic won three of the next four league titles while reaching new territory in the Champions League as others continued to spent beyond their means and exploit unconventional taxation policies, which ultimately saw them liquidated, but while the end game was predictable, most didn’t predict it. This resulted in strife at our club.
Finance was a focus of CQN in the early years when we produced granular analysis of accounts and budgetary forecasting. As we became less of a basket-case the time spent debating money reduced.
We can all talk about strikers and defending, policing and political influences, good corporate governance and the SFA, but if you scratch below the surface of those with many years of CQN behind them, I suspect you’ll find people who can’t resist a football club’s cost and revenue breakdown spreadsheet….
The document which appeared on the internet yesterday on a former football club [let’s call them ExCo] was a joy. To me, anyway. It provided many small details which add up to one or two enormous conclusions.
ExCo forecast current year spend for 2011-12 on cleaning costs to be £380k, electricity at £455k, insurance at £374k, postage and carriage at £146k, IT at £261k, professional fees at £613k and telephone costs at £149k. Stewarding was £593k, policing, £343k, match day ambulance, £89k. They spent £160k on finance salaries and £176 on press office salaries while ticket operation salaries cost £268k. The list is exhaustive, 10 pages of costs detailed.
Operating costs, before items like our old friend, amortisation, and tax (don’t laugh), were predicted to come in just shy of £37m, but the key message in all of this detail, is that if you want to operate a football club which can accommodate circa 40,000 spectators you need an infrastructure which costs around £20m.
The police, building maintenance, insurances, grass seed and everything else has to be budgeted for before you can look at player wages, not to mention transfer fees. £268k might sound like a lot to pay for ticket office staff but if you need to issue tens of thousands of tickets you need fulfilment staff. All those assets: enormous properties, thousands of fans, blanket media attention, can feel like liabilities to the guy with the responsibility to pay for them.
On reading this the overwhelming memory I had was of former Rangers director, Paul Murray, who a year ago told the world that Newco Rangers would not be viable, and he was hoping a Newco would have SPL football back then. New clubs cannot qualify in European competition until after they have completed three years trading (a minimum of four years without Europe).
With no European revenue for four years, Newco would be unable to pay all those ‘fixed’ costs and put a competitive team on the field. A big club can’t survive trapped in a small league with no European revenue.
This is reality. Scotland has one healthy large club and has a dozen or more potentially healthy small ones, but nothing will ever be the same again.
Thanks to everyone who has bought Willie Wallace autobiography. Orders in from Belfast, Blackpool, Bonnybridge, Burntisland and Blackrock. If you order now you will receive a copy signed by the man himself….
Email me if you have an article for CQN Magazine inside of you waiting to get out; celticquicknews@gmail.com.
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Soal
Ive managed to get both boobs and bum on my fb profile cos im a contortionist ….
Che
You complaining ?
Btw is joko gets on fb im offski
che,
Stop taking it so seriously :o)
Bt aka sdm
No jigging
SonsOfErin
19:17 on 17 May, 2013
If I ever get repetitive strain injury in my “scroll on by” finger I’m gonna be hitting Kojo wi’…….a LAWSUIT!
_______________________________
I don’t know your age or even the amount of time you spend at a keyboard. My left pinky is dying on moi.
Can I claim Kojo too?
Hypocrisy is not exclusive.
TBJ
He’s already on your list.
Anyroadup,
I’m in an exclusive clique and none of you can join, the mughalina CSC#1
Weefra
Mrs BT is a great lassie … mini BT also …. BT !!!!! Ach hes my pal so I better agree with you ;)
Pros…
I can post videos on fb from my phone…
Although that might be an alfie to most people
Che
If im gonna guess … im going for one of the adult pages I subscribe to ;)
Just on as BT is just off.
Hope he’s going for a shave!!!
TomHanksCSC
TBJ
That does not really narrow it down much.
Seen BT pic you did a cracking job with those clippers.
Che
Would you REALLY want ME on fb…?………LOL
Aw jeez get rid of one and the educational podium chaser logs on
:-)
67
If you re phrase that ill give it some thought :-)
Che
Missed ya x
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
19:14 on 17 May, 2013
Another clique is exactly what is needed
_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AHibnQq3O4
apologies for the extreme language.
Cliques are very cliquish!
Down with that sort of thing!
HH!!
As Che says a few of us have made contact on Facenook already.
There is probably little reason to change apart from allowing new CqNers on Facebook to choose wether to join a group.
In that respect I am not proposing a clique just the opposite.
HT
You been asleep …. its was on itv news that BT visted sweeney todd the uddy Barber today
My fb has hunners of cqnrs .. its almost a zombie free zone btw
Not been on much the last couple of nights, but just to say is was good to meet the ‘Doc’ the other day. Although looking back, exchanging CF tickets inside white envelopes in the middle of a Morrisons car park seemed a bit Easdale esqe…..
No Huns at Hampden
HH
HT
5 hours he was in there,
30 mins for the clipping
4 hours 30 mins it took for the guy to get the money out of him.
Hamiltontim
19:27 on 17 May, 2013
Just on as BT is just off.
Hope he’s going for a shave!!!
TomHanksCSC
________________________________________________
Here wis me thinkingTamHonks, glad it isnae just moi. :D
Tbj
I wasn’t asleep long enough for that bush to be cut.
Unless shears were used of course!!
Bhun rippin SSB, and oldco, to pieces….hilarious…!!!!!!!!
Che
Young turks cut free tonight
The Boy Jinky
19:32 on
17 May, 2013
My fb has hunners of cqnrs .. its almost a zombie free zone btw
————————————————–
TBJ, Funny that mine has been a Hun free zone since 14/06/12, wonder why?
Stupid zombies.
HH
HT
Rumplestilsken slept through it
Palacio
Im down to one
Just caught a brief glimpse of an old episode of ‘Top Gear’ on the Discovery Channel on Sky Italia – my dad was watching it – and a certain Amy Macdonald made an appearance.
She is – of course – a well known hunette who has been known to make the half-time draw at Mordor on occasions. Very popular in Germany she said.
Has one of the most annoying accents I have ever heard in my life.
….and very little talent.
HH!!
Paul67, I think you want to have a word with yourself, I do not expect to log on to CQN and see a picture of Fernandob Ricketson in an advert.
I will be contacting my lawyer to sue for damages.
the boy jinky
19:25 on 17 May, 2013
You’ll be in the ‘horror’ industry, then……..hehe
Kojo
18:29 on 17 May, 2013
====================
THAT was superb. Very interesting, very informative.
Cheers.
KSC has wi fi ya bunch of chancers..
Contact made with starry plough.
Meeting him sunday for the game.
Palacio67
Njoi, I’m sure ye would love this dude in oor team…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjPZZQtdjTU
Celtic fan on SSB ….. well, he says he’s a Celtic fan……he misses oldco…….hahahahahaha
Never done the Facebook thingy.
Few years ago I was due to attend the engagement of a girl in work. It coincided with a date when we were playing the monkies at Ibrox.
Soooooo being a sensible chap I offered to drive our bus to the game. After the victory I poured the contents of our bus into the Gallowgate and headed home to get ready for the evening doo.
Unfortunately I got ready too quickly and ended up in Bar67 for a few before heading over to Maryhill.
15 bottles of Bud and 8 voddies later the bold HT presents himself to the future happy couple.
I duly fell asleep after a few Guinness at which point the cameras came out. The photos appeared on Facebook that night and the school weans obviously saw them the following morning.
Na that Facebook is no for this cat.
Tally
Half time draw at mordor… whits the first prize = . free season ticket… second prize = 2 free season tickets