Congratulations to Fraser Forster on his international call-up, I am absolutely delighted for him. It occurred to me that he left Sports Direct and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley’s clutches on the cheap early this summer, while Ashley had other matters in Glasgow under consideration – partnering with Sevco.
It was with customary bombast that Sir David Murray announced the deal Rangers struck with JJB Sports in 2006 to offload the club’s retail and merchandise operations to the sports retailer. At a stroke the club banked £18m although subsequent dilapidation and redundancy costs ate into this figure. Celtic had previously rejected a similar deal, believing that securitising future revenue streams in this manner would only swap short-term for long-term problems.
That deal perished when Rangers liquidation was announced but the Newco acquired only one retail store (outside Ibrox) and no infrastructure in place. Instead, six weeks ago, Newco handed over retail operations to Sports Direct, who now operate its retail company, Rangers Retail Limited, and its online operation at rangersdirect.co.uk.
This deal was covered in local and retail press but lacked the bombast Murray would have brought to the occasion, perhaps because Ashley was aware that Celtic fans no longer felt comfortable spending their cash with JJB after the 2006 link-up. Better to keep this one low-profile so as not to cannibalise sales to Celtic fans.
Whether Ashley is part-owner of Newco or just their merchandising partner is moot, Sports Direct’s interests in the Scottish market are significantly entwined with The Rangers F.C.
It is unlikely the retailer had to pay as much as £18m up front to secure his new rights but their support will be absolutely critical in quickly building their partner club into a successful force. If they can do this while continuing to milk Celtic supporters they have knocked it off.
Chances of me buying the 125th Anniversary Kit from Sevco’s partner company are approaching zero. My Celtic budget is for the benefit of one club only, it will not help build The Rangers.
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HT is a tall for a midget……
A Night Out in The Louden Tavern
Allegedly CSC
I’m wracking my brains trying to think of any ex-Celts who work for but dont tow the media line. Even Big Billy (true great) has been known to come out with some stuff which makes you wonder. Compare the input of Walker Nicholas Provan and McLeod to that of Hateley Johnstone Goram and Gough, and you get an idea of what we’re up against.
I can think of three of our own who quit phone-ins because they wouldn’t pander, Jim Craig, Tom Boyd and Tosh McKinley.
Ever ask yourself why Bertie Auld, Danny McGrain, Paul McStay and Bobby Lennox rarely do media work in Scotland? All true Celtic greats who will never say a bad word.
One example of an ex player who is not scared to call it is big Sutton, but its usually on SKY or ESPN.
hh
RogueLeader
Where’s ye bin? :)
I had a bit of a smile at getting into the CL but avoiding the SPL myself.
Their wages figures are intrguing. Just how are they going to get the calibre of player to mount a consistent challenge to Celtic on that level of wages (assuming they will stop using ebts of course?)
It takes time to set up the scouting and development infrastructure we have and whilst the SFL half price honeymoon is keeping numbers up will they ever rise well above the rest (us apart) or just become the best of the rest in a good season?
Marrakesh
Kenny Dalglish?
Always remember his comments before a game a against them, when asked about
how Sevco would play, and how well they’d done to get to a semi ( I think it was) his reply
“They’ve no played Celtic yet”
HeWasn’tInvitedBack CSC
Marrakesh Express
Add Gordon Strachan ,to your pro Celts list,though he doesn’t get much work
in the masonic stronghold of scotchland.
Auldheid
I don’t believe the no. of kits sold via Celtic Stores makes a blind bit of diff to the clubs profit accept that the overall tot. of Kit sold will trigger bonus payments from sponsor.
Happy to bow to your knowledge if this is not correct.
MWD
bournesouprecipe
16:38 on 5 October, 2012
aha, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Shes a cutie to the hordes. ;))
BSR- Nigella’s let herself go a bit.
A global fan base for the zombies of 500 million?!!
The current population of this planet is c7 billion.
500 million is c7% of 7 billion.
If we take that 7% to be a worldwide average then the huns have the following support in various continents/countries/regions:
– Europe (including Russia) – 59 million,
– Asia – 265 million,
– Africa – 70 million
– North America and the Caribbean – 39 million,
– United Kingdom – 4.4 million.
I’ll stop there!
Green is a complete and utter fantasist!
HH!!
miki67
15:49
Shocking, and indeed, horrific story in this day and age. I would have expected Channel 4 News to pick up on this kinda story actually and surprised that they haven’t.
Marti
Apologies for my bitterness earlier…..I can’t help but be distraught at the news I read. And I checked the source. The story would’ve been kept under wraps if not for the fact that a report had to be made and someone leaked it out.
A big part of football attendances being down is poverty. And it is going to get a lot worse as the rich require their bloated greedy standards to be maintained at the expense of the disadvantaged; and if that means people starving, then so be it, they say.
I say this as I prepare to go out to see a film. Then off for a meal in a Turkish restaurant.
Guilt free? Nope. I am a lucky survivor. I always get by. I manage. Not everyone can.
This saddens me.
Auldheid – been in lurking mode as been so busy these days, no time for anything!
They are heading for another iceberg as the only way to keep their customer base onside will be to go back down the road that caused all of this. We are so far ahead of them the only way to catch us will be selling assets / securitising future revenues. if they don’t do that, their fans will not hang about watching them finish miles behind us for years.
Charles Green will be long gone with a big bag of orange pounds before that happens though….
PTBarnumLoyal
HH
Alex Thommo yet again shows the succulent Scottish MSM how to ask questions…
Cannot wait to play the Edinburgh Sevcovians.. Ever since Jeffferies and Brown my contempt for them has been massive..
HH
From a poster on deadclub media :)))
Theres still something about CG..
that doesnt sit right. he seems to have all the answers and says exactly what we want to hear exactly when we want to hear them.
keep vigilant bears.
AND A REPLY :)))
Id rather die on my feet than live on my knees……. he’s from Yorkshire, renowned for sticking by their word. You don’t get more loyal/honest than a Yorkshire-man. We’ll be fine mark my words.
I KID YOU NOT :)))))))))))
Tallybhoy, Does CG know the difference between millions and thousands…or hundreds for that? Yorkshire arithmetic teaching not what it once was.
Sky reporting Mathews and Forrest have signed extensions
Get in there!
Adam Matthews signs new deal
leftclicktic
16:52 on
Ha ha! The second post is hilarious. That guy obviously has not talked to any Sheffield Utd fans :-)
Marti
Miki67. 1549
You’re a fine man. Our club was founded on charitable causes. More power to you..
Everyone on here will know there are more important issues.. Thank you for that contribution..
I see this every day in my own profession. In our city, in Glasgow..
Celtic Football Club never forgets the greater causes..
That s why the Sevco tax etc is so disgusting!!!
The arrogance of not realising taxes are there for a reason . One of them being to feed and protect our most vulnerable..
HH
Matthews and Forrest also sign new deals
By: Joe Sullivan on 05 Oct, 2012 16:45
HOT on the heels of Charlie Mulgrew signing a new contract extension with the club today, there is even more great news for Celtic fans as both Adam Matthews and James Forrest have also penned new deals.
Welsh defender, Matthews will now be a Celt until May 2016 and Forrest put his name to a contract that keeps him in Paradise until December 2016.
The capture of signing all three young players for at least the next four years is a mark of the serious intent of Celtic to maintain the challenge on both the domestic and European fronts.
Maybe C.Green is including zombies in the 500million!
SPF
‘You don’t get more loyal/honest than a Yorkshire-man.’
-I’ve just read the Frd Trueman biography, which goes in some depth into the interminable back -stabbing machinations at Yorkshire CCC.
No comfort there for the ole Hillbillies.
Kerrydale Street@kerrydalestreet
Adam Matthews and James Forrest also announce new deal
Che
16:57 on 5 October, 2012
Sky reporting Mathews and Forrest have signed extensions
Get in there!
_________________________________________________
This is fantastic news, especially as they are the youngest of our young Legends.
Superb Friday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzlpTRNIAvc
Gave my son 45 quid to get a pair of shoes this morning.
He’s come home wae a a pair of what the older bhoys on the site would call black marias.
I give up.
From Buns Media – apologies if already posted.
just side splitting! – ready now – to the tune of Dont Stop Believin’
Fans Meeting With Charles Green At Ibrox
Details Published on Friday, 05 October 2012 02:16 Written by croatianbicycles
CHARLES Green, Brian Stockbridge and Imran Ahmad last night met several Scottish-based representatives from the Rangers community at Ibrox. The trio gave a presentation to the assembled delegates.
GREEN discussed several issues, including how he came about being involved in the consortium.
Ahmad approached Green in February as Zeus were thinking about putting a deal together. Initially Green said no, but then looked at it and between them and they started putting a team together to takeover Rangers. They asked some investors to put some money in with very little details, and they showed this money to Duff & Phelp who then started to take them seriously. Over the next few months and the consortium paid £250k deposit, a total of £5.5M for the club and gave D&P another £500k to help pay the wages for May.
It was also made clear that the club owns the Ibrox and the training complex at Auchenhowie 100%, again threw out allegations of Whyte’s involvement.
Green mentioned the treatment from other clubs and the Scottish Football Association:
UEFA meeting and no club could believe what had happened to us and treatment by SFA. One club commented that they had been bribing referees and did not get treated that badly.
Green said only 5 clubs wanted to kick us out of SPL, with another 5 wanting to abstain. We asked them to stop passing buck and make a decision, and the other 5 reluctantly voted against.
Green then went onto outline his future plans for the club. These included:
The owners want to get more non-exec directors on board for good governance. No single investor will be allowed more than 10%.
Over 5 million worldwide fan base: wants to include them all much better than before.
Green has agreed a deal to buy Edmiston House from Murray. This will see the Ticket office moving to where superstore is now. The Megastore will move to bottom 2 floors of Edmiston House. The upper floors are to be converted into a sports bar.
The club is committed to ensuring our merchandise is readily available in USA. Former Ibrox favourite Reyna is going to help us create academies in USA, and Bocanegra will join him once he hangs up his boots. The club believes the American market to be massive.
The Asian Market is well known to our investors. This Market is seen as the biggest upcoming market, Rangers are going to get involved in a big way. The club is currently looking at partners to develop brand/ tours etc.
As previously known the JJB deal terminated has been terminated and replaced by Sports Direct. Green wants to get back to 2005 levels of retail sales of £20M and profit of £5.6M per annum. The new deal with Sports Direct will help us do this. The club has been talking to Adidas, Puma and Nike about taking over Umbro deal which has been terminated, an announcement is expected soon! Puma are probably the favourites due to connections with Sports Direct.
The club believes media rights are going to be huge over next decade, i.e TV migrating to web. Rangers are in talks with TV and tech companies. It is expected that media income alone will reach £100M within 10 years. Looks at example of the Champions League final which generated £1.7B.
Green believes there will be a Euro league of sorts within a few years and that RFC will be a part of it, citing that the global fan base is too big to exclude us. Green also alluded to The Champions League which would be worth £20M income to club per season.
The Club are going to revalue property assets at more realistic £30-40M in next balance sheet. The players are worth £2M on the balance sheet.
We have a strong youth player base, in 3 years we will have 6 under 22 players with over 100 appearancess, this experience will stand club in good stead.
In January 2012 the wage bill was £30M per annum. It is now £6M per annum. Policy to bring in players on good wages (£20k pw) but not pay large fees we don’t get back. Looking to bring in 10 players like that between now and top league return, making max wage bill of £16M per annum. Ally McCoist believes title winning squad achievable under that budget.
It seemed to be a very productive meeting for all concerned. A proper, 21st century football business model has been created, in my opinion it will put Rangers light-years ahead of every other Scottish club and closer to the “Global” football brands such as Man United, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Dontbrattbakkinanger, 17:00
‘You don’t get more loyal/honest than a Yorkshire-man.’
Like Jimmy Saville, maybe?
HT count me in mate for Saturday night would be great to meet BMCUW.
Where and when.
HH
Congrats To Jamesie Charlie and Adam on Signing new deals btw.
Recently was in the Nike Barca/Man utd store in Buchanan Street, they also gave prominence to Sevco gear with the Umbro badge on it, it was hard to believe in our home city that we had a major deal with Nike from the displays in their flagship store
miki67
15:00 on 5 October, 2012
This IS the ConDemNation.
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/care/child-starved-to-death-after-benefits-delay/6524052.article
Before you go trying to use the death of a child to promote your own political agenda, you should really make sure of your facts. Child and mother died in March 2010.
Now how about getting Hoops tied up on a new deal !
Marty S – a good cause.
Marrakesh Express
Chris Sutton, Paul Hartley (when available) & John Collins – great Celtic Pundits and speak their minds like a supporter.
Dbbia
Let’s not forget ole Peter Sutcliffe either :)
Teuchter ár lá
Bradford and Bingley, the Halifax…
John Reginald Christie 1898-1953 Serial Killer of 10 Rillington Place