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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oh the celtic are solvent
oh the celtic are solvent
oh the sevco are fupped
oh the celtic are solvent
sipsini
20:36
What about hiring a plane with a trailing banner wishing thems a happy first birthday, circling ibrokes…I’d donate to that as would many.
***
We could drop 1000s of propaganda leaflets:
– Swally must stay
– Will the cardigan walk
– Never hurry a Murray
– Long live Mr Whyte
– Whur’s ra deeds
The list is endless…
seen on TSFM site
———
david grier responds to claims that he had a “conflict of interest” in his role in Craig Whyte’s takeover of the club. 24/5/2012
http://m.local.stv.tv/glasgow/news/103109-interview-with-rangers-administrator-over-conflict-of-interest-claims/
Looks like MrGrier could be doing some porrage soon, did he no tell lord hodge he wasn’t involved.
HT,
Back in August for a wee break then back, maybe if I feel like coming back.
Charlotte is now churning out some documentation. Makes me believe that the original Chuck letter, where he discussed slashing Sally’s wages and labeled Broadfoot as useless is probably genuine. In latest stuff there is clear evidence that Duff & Duffer knew all about the Ticketus deal. With the volume of stuff coming out I am afraid there will be an info overload to the extent that it will become tiresome and the sensational impact of the revelations will be lost.
But CF
posted
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 54m Someone was in the process of compiling Duff and Phelps info. Note Paul Clark is aware that it’s a 3 year ticket deal http://www.scribd.com/doc/142089135/Duff-and-Phelps-Advice …
Looks to me like Armageddon time is here, I think I love Charlotte
The original CQN/Facebook…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/307379026542/?fref=ts
apologies if that link was already posted
sixtaeseven
Propaganda leaflets?
– You were ra’ peepul;
– Bomber’s an alky, but he was right;
– This is like a new signing says Mark Hateley;
………
HH!!
Cork
And all the time, the mainstream and the judges will ignore.
Just like all them days ago, when they let a team limp to the end of the season.
And they will do it again.
Players will be signed. Business will be allowed to go on as usual – that, meaning corrupt.
There are no white flags being raised, and I have seen far more giddy tweets and twitters from Phil and RTC etc in the past only to see them convert to the electronic equivalent of tumbleweed.
Is there a new new nadir we’ll all embrace whilst allowing The The The Peepil to get away with it all and maintain their ignorance?
U
Charlotte found fine work!
Quiz tonight?
sixtaeseven
20:49 on 17 May, 201.
I remember being in celtic park at the reserve game when the plane buzzed over us after doing ibrokes.
It has lived with me eternally how much it hurt the huns.
It’s due for a repeat showing as I think it would drive home our opinion of what we think of where they are.HH
Celtic Bhoy
No need to delete your profile to change user name. Sign in and click your username at the top should take you to your profile where you can change user name.
Ulysses..,
I’m thinking this stuff has a bit more substance, this is evidence of organised crime
Ridiculous decision not to book Ronaldo….
rrc:
20:53 on 17 May, 2013
The original CQN/Facebook…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/307379026542/?fref=ts
Cheers
The quiz tonight is taking place on Facebook – clique members only!
:-))
HH!!
Paul67
I reckon this to be the best article you have penned.
Well played sir.
Cana
Aye, but who’s going to actually run with it? Make it manifest?
That’s my fear.
U
Big Stuart 1888
@white_italy
Sevco interim CEO Craig Mather is also a football agent ssm.uk.com/ management/ Which is in breach of FIFA & SFA rule Clause 7. 1. (i)
Charlotte might be a lot cleverer than first seems – beware of Trojans bearing gifts (copyright the Greeks).
Mass dump of incriminating info on the internet may = less/ or no jail time (admissible evidence in court cases – lawyers will tear apart info that’s in the public domain).
Hmmmmm!!
Bombers Brainy Brogues
The most intelligent Brown matter to ever explain what is coming out from the dark place.
Whatever happened to the Ng guys I think they were called?
Or were they duped as well?
How quaint. The manager of the EPL champions awarded manager of the year. It’ll never catch on up here.
praecepta
21:03 on 17 May, 2013
Charlotte might be a lot cleverer than first seems – beware of Trojans bearing gifts (copyright the Greeks).
——-/-
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, I think?
Pedanticcsc
Always watch bears gifting Greeks.
1-1 Diego Costa, great finish
Gol Athletico
Costa 1 each
ASOD
So was Duffield – he pretended to wash his hands of the business – but didn’t.
Hey presto – CEO SFA
U
GOOOALLLL ….. ATLETICO
Quick question. Have any CQN’ers in the last 2 years had any luck with getting any players, backroom staff or members of the board to attend an event at their club ?
DJBEE
21:03 on
17 May, 2013
Whatever happened to the Ng guys I think they were called?
He left in search of a vowel!!
Ulysses…,
Don’t care about the meeja, this is now a criminal investigation and all the main players are involved, there will be no one left to run them, maybe blighty will run them from his cell
praecepta
21:03 on 17 May, 2013
Charlotte might be a lot cleverer than first seems – beware of Trojans bearing gifts (copyright the Greeks).
——-/-
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, I think?
Pedanticcsc
Always watch bears gifting Greeks.
I will gladly take a gift from our Greek next Sunday.
Friday, May 17, 2013 at 17:16
…
Celtic Collectibles @CollectCelticFC 35m
ASonOfDan
Seen this earlier
Craig Mather the new Sevco CEO is also an agent.This breaches FIFA and SFA rules
===================================
Is that why Mather’s title is ‘interim CEO’ then ?
He’s not ‘CEO’, so not breaking the rules ?
Stringer Bell
My warped wording – Trojan as in a malicious download!
:-)
praecepta
21:03 on 17 May, 2013
So who has an interest in these leaks?
Craigy??