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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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26723731
what a difference a league association makes ?
Q) what’s the collective word for a group of convicted criminals?
A) An edmiston.
Come on guys, prayers for the wee mhan………
@Wee_Oscar: Oscar has been v ill recently, getting worse each day. Starting new chemo drug tonight, everything crossed that it eases his pain #TeamOscar
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
Parkheadcumsalford – couldn’t agree more – win and then celebrate on a stress free day at our spiritual home
Although having suffered the ole 69 Leagu Cup Final I’m not counting my chickens :-)
Give me sport.
Football News 24/7
This seems to be a story that repeatedly does the rounds but the calls for Scottish giants Celtic to be allowed entrance to this prestigious league has recently become ever so loud.
Fergus McCann, the man who saved the club back in the 1990s from the brink of administration, has thrown his hat into the ring with his belief that the club should be allowed to enter the league south of the border, as a result Gianni Infantino General Secretary of UEFA has given Celtic and their fans a glimpse of hope declaring that his organisation is ‘ open
to discussing everything ‘.
This has come after a three-year experiment was set up where the top teams from the women’s league from Holland and Belgium respectively are competing in a newly-formed championship, as reported in the Daily Mail.
This appeal has gathered its support from a very well known and respected manager of the Premier League, this manager being Jose Mourinho who has been reported as saying in the
Sun that Celtic ‘ would bring something special to the league ‘.
The “Special One” went on to say: “They are a big club, with a big support and a famous history. When I have been in England I have asked my colleagues why Celtic are not playing in the Premier League”.
He added: “Would I manage them? You never know what can happen in football” And that is
something for Celtic fans to certainly reflect on.
With the current Celtic manager Neil Lennon welcoming Mourinho’s comments, and confessing that his dream scenario would be to manage Celtic in the Premier League.
And recently former Manchester United full back and esteemed Sky Sports football pundit Gary Neville has expressed his view that he believes that Celtic could finish as far up as 8th in the Premier League taking into consideration of the financial strength of the Premier League.
However for now only time will whether this dream will become a reality for a club who in
recent years have shown their worth against the heavyweights of the European stage with their fans now feeling that they, perhaps, have out grown the SPFL and want a slice of the hundreds of millions that would be available in the Premier League.
Guys any info , looking for 2/3 tickets for tomorrow ( firhill )
I know I know , just asking you never know , anyhow let’s hope
For a champion winning performance , the atmosphere will be
Brilliant , come on you boys in green !!!
PFayr – You are top of the pops now comrade.
Eleven winners tells it’s own story.
Well done and good luck for the remainder of the competition,ye deserve to win it.
HH.
gordybhoy64
21:49 on
25 March, 2014
Magnificentseven,i had a trawl back,it was indeed DD I should be posting to
To those discussing winning the league I would prefer Saturday as I have a few friends up from England for their first game,including a wee 5 year old who is Celtic daft
tomorrow or Saturday your friends will be celebrating a title, not a bad first game to go to
sevco letting huns know govan stand being withheld until they get further clarification from SFA but expect majority of it, and having to remind deady bears its not on season ticket? thick or what.
Ain’t no party like Maryhill party!
Jackie Mac, a “glib and shameless liar” will fit right in with the SFA, no reason for one to be disbarred in Scotland.
The English have this funny thing about sticking by their own rules, won’t catch on up here.
BankieBhoy1, Sevco Board?
Picked up 3 tickets today for Firhill tomorrow night. Drive or bevvy celebrations?
PC67, if you’re lurking, would you drop me off after match tomorrow night?
We could also play wee Jamesie and Sammi wide and snatch a draw…..
16roads
Haven’t had a sniff since winning with my nap a week last Saturday
My luck at the moment is dreadful
The racing was difficult last Saturday …my original nap was a non runner ….my second choice awful
Your luck runs in cycles……need a new cycle …soon :-))
NatKnow,
I know I shouldn’t be too bothered but I have suffered too, too many let downs in my young days, to take anything for granted, where Celtic are concerned.
Weefrathetim
Did’nt realise the wee fella was so poorly again
Ditto what you’ve said , new drugs are hard to predict
How his wee body will react , hopes and prayers for the
Wee man ;))
Sannabhoy
Ah so i have to stop heading the ball…
That puts an end to my impersonation of henrik rising like a salmon every saturday afternoon!!!
Thanks bud
B-)
Geordie Munro
I never said our back five were better than both Barca’s and Real’s, cos they ain’t >}
HH
Weefra
Dreadful depressing news
marsapa
Thanks, just a bit surprised it took so long for a response. Cheers.
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
natknow – supporting wee oscar
Uncanny I am in Tashkent ;)
Evening , champions party tomorrow , plenty of tickets for Thistle areas available to by online at PTFC web pick up their at ticket office , if anyone is interested
bankiebhoy
Not bad, but SFTB entry made me laugh out loud earlier.
Was gonna be all quiet and noble about it, but
up_over_goal
18:16 on
25 March, 2014
Evening CQNers.
Aberdeen will drop points tonight. Celtic will win the league tomorrow.
And lo, it came to pass. A big Jo Swanson “All right!! Yeah!!! I friggin RUUULE!!!”
No class whatsoever.
pf
You wonder how much this wee giant can take. Praying like mad for him.
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
up_over
At 22.01 – I thought how quiet and noble you were.
Marspapa
There is always the vantage from the nally ?
jinkyredstar said:
Parkheadcumsalford – couldn’t agree more – win and then celebrate on a stress free day at our spiritual home
Although having suffered the ole 69 Leagu Cup Final I’m not counting my chickens :-)
Celtic played in 2 League Cup Finals in 1969. In April we beat Hibernian 6-2, then in October we enjoyed a tight 1-0 victory over St Johnstone.
I suspect you meant the 1971 final when Partick Thistle were 4-0 up at half-time and it finished 4-1.
BTW the 1968 League Cup Final scheduled for October was postponed due to a fire at Hampden a few days before the game and it was April 69 before it was played, which explains why Celtic played 2 finals in 1969.
For someone who has had the worst press the SMSM could ever dish out,Lenny loves to give them ammunition to wind up the Celtic fans.Once again we are being regaled with stories about Notts Forest,etc.Someone at Celtic Park should gag him.Please nobody tell me he is being taken out of context.Just dont answer any questions concerning it.If he wants to go,come out and say it..If anyone should know what these scumbags are like it should be Lenny.
WeeFra
I’ve been out and just came in to read your post about Wee Oscar.
Folks, the wee fella REALLY needs all your prayers, thoughts and best wishes just now!!
HT, WeeFra, he has them.
WeeFra,
I had thought the wee fella had been doing well,
prayers said for him this evening
bournesouprecipe
I did not sense your thought, and have ruined all.
The sense of shame I feel will be consolatory and instructive.
Back to back 3-0 defeats against deadly rivals Liverpool then Citeh ….
No wonder Moyes looks haunted
Weefra
I’m not religious but I will pray for the wee (BIG) man
B-C-W
The nally !!!
Weefra
Horrible news about wee Oscar.
Puts everything into perspective.
Tlwio
WeeFra
Sorry to hear that, after his Mum and Dad were so upbeat at CQTen, prayers
offered.