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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TBJ – How ye doing young fella???? Glass raised tae yer guid self.
slainte
tony
YO,ALL.
Still a few howlers around,thankfully.
Just spent a coupla hours catching up on the blog.
Wouldnae normally take that long,but a delightful babe called Charlotte kept distracting me!
Firstly congrats to all concerned on getting this out,but particularly to OG RAFFERTY who has been largely vindicated.
Secondly congrats to Scotland’s new police force on the large amounts of overtime and big-name collars to come.
Now that I have stopped my jaw bouncing of the floor,I’m gonna crack one open and raise a glass to…..
Charlotte
HH
ACGR @ 03:05
Away mhan, you did a good job of keeping 16 Roads behaviour in check, and I’m just glad to have been a part of that :)))
ACGR/FFM/PETEC/JINKS/TORONTONY
Get tae yir beds ya fekn eejits……………night night :O)
BMCUWP
YOU TAE
petec @ 03:08
Well said amigo. As usual, well ahead.
The Ole British Empire and its role in everthing that went wrong in the world. Including the birth of the USA,
This is why we should worship the ole head of state in this God-forsaken land.
voguepunter
03:25 on 18 May, 2013
ACGR/FFM/PETEC/JINKS/TORONTONY
Get tae yir beds ya fekn eejits……………night night :O)
_____________________________________________
Good Call, and Hello to ye Big Chap and BOBBY.
NN&HH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QC1IvOSOfA
GLENFARCLAS 105 was the first over strength dram I ever tasted,thirty years ago.
Bought it from the landlord of The Leslie Arms for a tenner,yes,the whole bottle!
I still feel guilty-not!-and can remember every drop as my mate Neil and I gave it the send-off it deserved.
Not a patch on THREE ELEMENTS,mind….
BMCUWP – Hola muchacho…..aye wit about that wee charlota, i mean jeezo she’s gemme fura laugh is she no???? My kinda a wummin if she’s a wummin:)this wiskey gear can keep ye up at nicht eh???
slainte
tony
petec
Hope the Celtic choir ,have lost their Stone Roses song sheets :O)
BMCUW,
“Secondly congrats to Scotland’s new police force on the large amounts of overtime and big-name collars to come. ”
:))
Aye. They’ve earned it, God love em. Feckin “public” always getting in their way.
Rozzers Rule CSC!!!
Torontony 03:20 on 18 May, 2013
ACGR – I lived in Toonhead, St Mungo’s avenue and walked past yer rottenrow monument often; actually it was still open for a while when i lived there:0).
……………………….
And you called me young fella, I’ll take that.
Ma auld maw used to say I was a rotten product. Is it any wonder I turned oot bad:-)
rottnenkids.co.uk
VP,
I KNEW IT!!!
Yer a rozzer, int ye!?!
Acgr
If … and its a BIG IF.. I get an extra … its yours.
Toronto tony
It was a pleasure meeting you ;)
VP
Been in bed since 9pm … sober… slept 3 hrs .. wide awake now
VP – It’s only hauf ten oor here:) it’s the wiskey mate, terrible stuff so don’t ever try it:)
slainte
tony
VP do you not have a cat to rescue fae a tall tree or summit?
Can’t understand this whisky fuelled whiskey talk myself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKIqNTJ-yus
FFM….That’s a slur …cop? I haven’t a bad bone in my body.
Jinks …did you pay for that big poster ootside yir windae? Its a cracker.
TORONTONY
Don’t listen to VOGUEPUNTER,he is only an interloper during moon howler sessions,haha!
Aye,wee Charlotte’s my favourite doll at the mo,and welcome to anything she wants from me.
Except for my few remaining fluid ounces of 3 Elements-had you all worried there,eh?
How is life back in yer adopted city?
TBJ, Thanks I appreciate that. I’ll keep my fingers, toes legs and everything else crossed.
Hail Hail.
VP
We had a dispute with the ad agency when they wanted to put that electronic board there.
Last Friday when I picked sipsini up to go to blantyre… I drove past it… said to sipsini .. hows that for a poster outside my house… magic
BTW,
All my exes have said the exact same thing as Mrs JB Keane. “Drink!”.
I don’t understand it. I have no estate to offer, no wordly goods.
Only my personality.
ACGR ..Bada Bing is the ghuy who spent all his working life on a cot being a hero.
Ttony you’re excused.
VOGUEPUNTER 0336
PMSL.
You working late or has yer better half locked you out?
N
The Boy Jinky, Been in bed since 9pm … sober… slept 3 hrs .. wide awake now.
……………………..
TBJ, stay up all night and work on getting voguepunter to hand over his ticket / sources. Its good to have a mission in life.
looooook into my bleary eyes, your getting sleeeeepy. Gies yer ticket. :–))
VP,
I concur. It was clearly in jest. You were actually quite charming on the way to the men’s toilets, and I won’t forget that, or my hasty escape.
Acgr
The bhoy who has promised me the spare is a wee dodgy guy… to be fair… he got me a few goodies. . 2 barca… 2 spartak (vip) … last cup final v murderwell.
But hes a real last minute charlie who leaves me worried right up until the day of the matches.
I will try again.
Night Bhoys …I’ve put a half shift in and I’m knacked.
Hail hail ya bampots, luv vp.
VP, I’ve almost wet ma breeks there.
Ha hahhhhhh. Funny……………………………………ha ha and ha again.
VP
Night pal ;)
BMCUWP – Cheers mate, great to be back here and the good weather is already upon us. I do love Scotland and Glasgow in particular; i had a great time and i really needed a lift so i’m even more homesick than normal. The blazing sun and golfing in my shorts tomorrow will ease my pain. How ye in Swindon?
slainte
tony
The Boy Jinky, I’ll be near Glasgow next sunday so last minute is not a problem. If it happens I’ll be ecstatic. If it doesn’t, I’ll get up the road and watch the match with my boy.
Either way I’ll be a happy hoopy so It’ll be cool bananas for me either way.
HH and a big thanks from me for marking me on yer dance card:-)
ACGR
Some of VP’s less-than-complimentary remarks on BADA BING’s career have been outstanding. Thing is,if that is what he says about his friends……
Goodnicht amigos – my kip is calling with promises of morning birdies; i’ll be right there charlota;)
slainte
tony
VP,
G’nite amigo. All jokin aside, was a pleasure to meet you.
I think I’ll buy a Celtic onesie just in case though:-)
http://celticsuperstore.co.uk/stores/celtic/products/product_details.aspx?pid=133458
A must have for the average, discreet, aff his rocker, Celtic heidcase.
A second outing at the CQN sclaffbaw aberdour day will make it financially viable. Take me home to paradise mamma…….I like the plan in ma heid.:_)))
Am I the only one that reckons O’Neills could do with investing in some head height cushioned pads above the urinals?