You would be forgiven for thinking Honest Dave King is a bit preoccupied by the C word. Every time he extrapolates where the club he supports (through an accomplished undermining strategy) is heading, the subject returns to knocking Celtic off their lofted perch.
This task could take £30m-£50, King estimates, a burden he is willing to share with others, although he does not appear to put a figure on his own piece of the action. Ploughing £50m into newco Rangers over the next five years would certainly help, but it would still leave them short of Celtic’s projected income over the period, and in this town, success is a zero sum game.
Top dog gets a crack at Champions League income, which is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. For a Scottish club to get into the Champions League in a responsible manner, they need Champions League income more seasons than not. Alternatively, they can gamble recklessly, build up contractual commitments which stretch out for years into the future, in the hope that they out-perform the other would-be top dog.
We’ve seen this movie before, it is the arms race that David Murray bulldozed Scottish football into. It was calamitous for his club, which was sold for £1 to an insolvency specialist before being liquidated.
It had consequences for Celtic too. Fergus McCann build a stadium and left us almost debt free, but in the intervening 20 years Celtic lost far more than they would have, if they had copied the lavish spend (and tax) policies Murray undertook with Rangers.
Things are different now. We have cash in the bank, a winning team on the field, who have qualified for the Champions League group stages twice in succession, and we’re guaranteed to be seeded to qualify again next season. We also have a secure long-term borrowing facility, so in the event of a reversal in qualification, the club would not be put in jeopardy.
Starting an arms war with this Celtic team would be an act of remarkable courage. Observers will also note that the upper limit of King’s expected requirement, £50m, is just a little less than 10 times what the highest bidder for Rangers assets managed to clean up with, when the supporter’s need was greatest.
There is an alternative football development strategy, it’s called sustainability. Budget to spend no more than what you expect to earn, appoint good coaches and scouts, pay your tax and look the world in the eye.
Engage fans in this sustainability model. Tell them the road to the top will have twists and turns, and will take a while, but they can be sure their club will never be liquidated. This is the only way to run a football club, whether your Celtic, Aberdeen or newco Rangers. It’s not always popular, there will often be calls to speculate a little more, but it will ensure the club survives.
King is a smart guy, so he will know this. He’s even lived through all the pain and drama once before, so the sustainability question will be intimately familiar to him. The question, therefore, is why is he attempting to lead strategy into the Clyde, flute in hand, like some latter-day Pied Piper of Govan?
He seems reluctant to underestimate Celtic but I detect a belief that the hedge funds, not to mention the Easdales, can be shoved around. That is courageous.
Keep up the good work, Dave.
Here we Go for 10 In a Row!
The 10th annual CQN charity golf day is set for Aberdour Golf Club on Friday 4th July. As ever it will be oversubscribed so if you’re interested in attending drop an email to BlantyreKev and Taggsy at cqnopen10IAR@gmx.co.uk as soon as you can.
Cost for the full day’s entertainment including golf is £80. There are a very limited number of non golfer evening places at £45.
Further detail will be released nearer the date and when places confirmed.
Seville – The Celtic Movement:
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Kevtic
I think Strachan was the ultimate at working a sustainable strategy. Not only did he do this against a blatantly bloated RFC but he also managed to actually ‘right size’ after the MON era of high spending. Nothing against what MON did at the time btw.
Jamesgang,
I am safe at the minute,she is watching River City :-))
StJonstone 1-0 Lennon next for chop
someone is going to really hurt themselves with that run-off on the pitch at old Trafford
Burnley,
I think that Fergus actually had the deal done for Larsson before Macdonald. He gave the limelight to Macdonald. Might be.wrong though.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
20:28 on
25 March, 2014
What is going on with sevco’s audited accounts…..they were due by end Feb, at the latest
still in the oven at 180, not quite ready yet :-)
Burnley78
I was once told that Dalglish / Barnes were contemplating selling Henrik ,but he broke his leg.
Also that wee Fergus would never have sanctioned the salary that Henrik was given to sign his new contract.
Alan Mac Donald is due immense credit for keeping The Legend at Celtic.
TT
the_huddle
20:30 on
25 March, 2014
John O’Neil
FACT Man U fans sang that back in the 50/60s for Busby, before the huns did, even Celtic fans used to sing it back them.
*I recall while at St Pats some of the Bankie lhads used to sing “hello hello we are the Bisley bhoys”.
arsenal 1 down
Half time still 1-0 county not in the game first 20mins
!! Bada Bing !!
Regarding a Scottish cup win for Rangers , they won’t be allowed into Europe
Place goes to another team , even wee shit oops sorry , wee chick says so .
Man U, Aberdeen and St Mirren all losing 1-0. Everton winning 1-0.
naemidweekcouponforJoboCSC
Ryecatcher
“Less corporation tax…..more investment….more jobs….more PAYE taxes……”
Less corporation tax doesnt necessarily mean more jobs. It may attract more corporation HQ’s, although why they’d do that rather than debunk – say – to Switzerland is questionable.
Priority will still be to keep cost base low and offshore those jobs which can be offshored.
H/t at old trafford. No a bad game.
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
Looking forward to tomorrow night, be good to wrap it up, and then start building for CL qualifiers, which , having watched us on Saturday looks like a big job.
On the subject of lowering corporation tax, having we not already had a company in the football sector already PIONEERING that strategy by not paying any taxes ?
Just seen EPL Goal of the season at Newcastle….Ross Barkley for Toffees. Took it from deep inside Everton’s own half and ran full length of park, before magnificent finish.
A thing of beauty..
Murray wins 40pts in a row on the way to beating big wilf.
Paul Scholes great player.
Pundit ????
Met Paul a few times and is such a quiet man.
Never thought he would try telly.
Celtic Man too.
That Dortmund team are pathetic.
Not a bit of wonder the bookies are rich.
Anybody that gambles on football needs their head examined.
HH.
When will Celtic ever learn?
Just what was NL thinking of getting involved in an interview about THEM spending or not spending?
Old Munchen might have a half-decent team if only they had a strong Rangers in their league…..
Quonno,
what’s happened, haven’t seen anything?
You’d be a mug to be betting on Dortmund this season, they’ve been awful.
Half time entertanment:
Peter Lawell was addressing the crowd in the Coliseum.
‘Friends, Romans Countrymen, lend me your ears.
Tomorrow I take our glorious army to conquer Northern Europe and I shall start with France. We shall kill many Gauls and return victorious.’
The crowd are up on their feet ‘Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, hail mighty Lawell’.
In the background, the Great African Lying King turns to his mate and says ‘Lawell doesn’t half talk some sh&t eh?
He couldn’t fight his way out of a wet parchment bag.’
Six months later, Lawell comes back having conquered France and addresses the crowd in the Coliseum.
‘Friends, Romans and Countrymen, I have returned from our campaign in France and as I promised, we killed 50,000 Gauls’.
The crowd is up on their feet again. ‘Yeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeees, hail mighty Lawell’.
The Great African Lying King once again turns to his mate ‘I’m sick of his bullsh&t. I’m off to France to check this out.’
So the Great African Lying King sets off for France.
Three weeks later he comes back to Rome, just as Lawell is addressing the public in the Coliseum again. Lawell is giving his usual patter to the assembled throng,
‘Friends, Romans Countrymen, tomorrow we set off for Britain and we are going to sort those buggers out!’
The crowd is up on their feet.
‘Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, hail mighty Lawell’
The Great African Lying King jumps up and shouts,
‘Lawell, you are exposed as a liar.
You told us that you had killed 50,000 Gauls in France but I’ve been there to check it out and you only killed 25,000!’
The crowd is stunned and all sit down in silence.
Lawell gets up and looks slowly round the Coliseum then across at the Great African Lying King and says………………….
‘the Great African Lying King, you are forgetting one thing………….
Away Gauls count double in Europe.’
Evening Timland from a wet hun free mountain valley.
A light Insanity.
Sad news about your Da, may he rest in piece.
HH
………………………………..
gordybhoy64
I trust you will have many happy years ahead of you, best of luck mi amigo.
HH
Some absolutely magic posts about the Leeds game today Bhoys, well done to all.
GCT….. Been off the blog for a day or so. Mighty sad to hear about your brother, may he rest in peace.
JimmyQuinnsBits
20:47 on
25 March, 2014
Quonno,
what’s happened, haven’t seen anything?
On BBC News NL was asked whether or not he thought that THEY would be spending big to catch up with us.
His reply was along the lines that he did’t think so.
Leaving aside that question should never have been asked, NL should have body swerved it with a ‘not commenting on financial affairs of other clubs’.
He did not help by alluding to Celtic having plenty of money.
As I posted last week. Celtic’s only contact with media should only be that whichthey are contractually bound by.
Oscar positive thoughts unionbearBhind @ 20.31 hrs
“StJonstone 1-0 Lennon next for chop”
—————————————————
But Lennon will still be the longest serving manager in the top flight.
HH.
BlantyreKev / taggsy
If your lurking , when will the numbers ( posters ) be confirmed for the golf outing .? :))
unlucky Robson would have been a topper hit crossbar
If I recall correctly, the Yorkshire Post reported Elland Road games along the lines of Celtic scored in the first minute and the hung on.
Been in Manchester for 29 yrs.
Still not bothered who wins the Derby.
Hail Hail
sixtaeseven
You’ve some gall yourself posting that up. :-)
magnificentseven supporting oscar all the way
20:33 on 25 March, 201
Hahahahahahaha……dirty cheatin’ bazzas
Glass Two Thirds Full @ 20.46
The Bundesliga clearly needs a strong Kaiserslautern.
Game over at the Theatre of Nightmares
Dreadful defending from a corner ….goal Dzeko ..2-0
City 2-0
Hope they win the league now