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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gordybhoy64
Nearly forgot, Have a special weekend and future life with your new boss :))
Have a great
YESdearcsc
a light insanity,
Sincere condolences on the recent loss of your Dad
AR
Starry
Hook line and sinker
Livibhoy…as I said before, Blog-saver :-)
Charlie mac 12 .53
When the word “investment” is used by football supporters it means “we want someone else to pay for our pleasure.”
When someone else does that he is not “investing” he is giving his money away to some guys who can play football.
So the “investor” is but a gift bearer and those asking are beggars.
Such a culture never matures, never learns to stand on its own feet.
Is it any surprise it keeps falling over?
Paul,
Check out self professed hun Richard Wilson latest King manifesto over on the BBC!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26732707
Strange that a propaganda article sanctioned by the state broadcaster! punting the line that you have to spend to get the revenue streams as opposed to plan prudently and live by your means
Do they ever learn!
gordybhoy64
Congratulations mate
Ur you havin a scrammel
HH
Rock Tree bhoy
Your podium post needs some amendment:-
“Colours – Red, white and blue in the same tradition as the former Glasgow Rangers”
needs to have added to it – “although some of their most ardent and proactive supporters are known to wear black during games…”
:-)
Tlwio
LiviBhoy – God bless wee Oscar
Wonderful post and wonderful story thank you for sharing it.
gordybhoy64, I’m off to Tenerife a week today for a week – Hoops Bar or the Irish Fiddler for the Dundee United game??? All the best to both of you on your big day.
Hail! Hail!
DavieL
DontPatmadug
Indeed. Sillars was articulate when not being shouted down by the ego-maniac on his right.
Galloway for me lost ALL credibility when he ran away from the point about Trident and him being an ENGLISH MP which he is geographically while trying to turn it into some point about nationality – funny how it is always the British Nationalists who go on and on about their nationality, ethnicity, immigration, borders and the like but I digress.
The man is a complete hypocrite – he spends most of his time IN London on the BBC and Russia Today telling everyone who’ll listen that Labour is no longer Labour but he comes to a Scottish studio and tells us Labour will fix all the ills. What a shame they didn’t have 13 years of power with huge majorities to do so eh?
As for his nonsense about Trident – we can still be blown up even if you move them south – all very true but if you think you can get rid of Nuclear weapons worldwide you might as well sit waiting for Godot because nothing will be done. We can get them out of Scotland but only with a YES vote. That is a certainty as is them never being taken away if we remain in the British state of whichever Tory government we get – red, yellow, blue and purple.
He was a slabbering loudmouthed playground bully in a magician’s hand me downs minus the top hat and bow tie masquerading as a voice of reason while spewing out self aggrandizing proclamations about the size of the audience he would bring to the BBC and how many thousands of people are paying to listen to them.
Mr 3% himself.
If Carlsberg did delusional men who would be cats………
Sillars was bang on when he said that there are groups out there getting thousands of people registered to vote from the poorer areas of Scotland through Radical Independence and they have substantive numbers and the facebook pics to back up their claims. Their halls were fuller than the hatefest that was the Labour party conference last week (where would be First Ministers can make underhand snide digs at the current First minister for never having been blessed with children with minimal media backlash at such disgusting behaviour) and there is photographic evidence on that as well.
Sillars knows as do RI that to win this the vote of those with most to gain in lifting them out of the hopeless system they are stuck in is where this will be won and lost.
Galloway prefers to talk about how important he is from his ENGLISH constituency – YES it IS an English constituency so in effect you are or will be an English MP just as the English and French born MSPs in the Scottish Parliament are still Scottish – geographical not your nationality.
Well the only good thing he said for me is this – he was confident of winning the EU referendum.
This means two things –
1. Galloway believes like any sensible person who has seen or heard Miliband speak that the Tories are going to win the next election in 2015 (probably with good old Nigel as Kingmaker).
2. That he is not confident of winning THIS referendum.
Those are the only things I agreed with.
He also needs to read the polls – the latest few have been seeing a steady move to YES with a big undecided vote out there and as Sillars said – the water level of the think tanks is rather shallow – who are the pollsters polling? Because I don’t think it is getting polls from the poorer areas and remember, they’re the ones who’ll win it if they turn out.
Haven’t read the article yet, but a comment on the article TD67 posted on the last one.
Having mentioned the cost of policing as the reason, it went on to say that actually, due to violence and the seatectomy, the U20 game would be played behind closed doors.
Using that logic, then any future games against Newclub, would also have to be played without spectators.
Therefore, why does football need them?
Libertadores Rnd 5 Review
++++++++++++++++++++
Bom dia.
There’s ten, fifth round games this week (remainder next) and oddly enough all six of next week’s games involve Brasilian teams. Whether that’s to do with the fact that five out of the six of them (exception is Botafogo) are involved in State semi final games or not, is anybody’s guess. It is a CONMEBOL organized tournament, after all.
Anyway, tonight’s games (ko times are UK) are:-
23:30 Zamora (Ven) v Nacional (Par)
Zamora have (unexpectedly) collected four points from their last two games and have strikers, Falcon finding fine form. With no game last weekend, they are fully rested and hoping for big things in this “all or nothing” game. However, despite their recent goal scoring prowess they have yet to return a clean sheet in this competition.
Nacional rode their luck in their last two games against mis-firing tournament favourites Atletico-MG and tend to have a defensive/counter attacking style of play. They travel to this one without injured striker, Fredy Bareiro. Will be interesting to see whether he is directly replaced by Julio Santa Cruz, or the more defensive minded, Nicolas Martinez?
Prediction : DRAW (but I wouldn’t bet on it)
01:30 Santos (Mex) v Penarol (Urg)
Santos are already guaranteed a place in the next round, but will be looking to consolidate their standing in the seedings (in the next stage the group winners are seeded 1 thru 8, runners up seeded, 9 thru 16. Teams then play – 1 v’s 16, 2 v’s 15, etc, etc)
Penarol finally managed to stop their Libertadores rot with a shaky 2-1 win at home to Arsenal last week. However, they lost their weekend derby against Cerro Porteño 1-0 in a hard fought match and this will be the eighth game in twenty four days for a lot of their players.
Prediction – HOME WIN (80%)
Moonbeams WD. Kano 2000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 29.9%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.
12:45 on
25 March, 2014
This is a ‘BOLD’ move by Dave King.
If he ‘Hey Perso’s’ £50M then it will be DAZling.
MWD
===============================================
Are you being hOMOphobic? Let me warn you, the Tide is turning. Surf the net, you`ll see.
Paul67
Nice article
Some observations
” but in the intervening 20 years Celtic lost far more than they would have, ”
True. But…lost some titles ? Meh.
What we didn’t lose, though was our unbroken history nor our ,ahem , dignity.
Nor did we lose our shirts, literally or metaphorically.
“It’s not always popular, there will often be calls to speculate a little more, but it will ensure the club survives.”
I genuinely believe that the events of the last few years tell us them’s fans are simply incapable of escaping from the fantasy that all will be better when a big man comes riding over the hill with pots of cash to fill the war-chest and instantly return them to “where they belong”.
They can’t help themselves. It’s quite touching in its own way…
billy bhoy 05
13:15 on 25 March, 2014
setting free the bears supports res. 12 & oscar knox
14:38 on 24 March, 2014
Billy Bhoy 05
As promised please see below my response to your post of yesterday afternoon. I understand your position and this is not an attempt to get you to change your mind, but is an appeal to other potential No voters to consider their position.
Although I disagree with you I remain a fellow Tim and I appreciate your, at times, excellent contributions to this site. Also I wish you all the best.
I would ask that we don’t go down the tit for tat route and I would rather determine this posting as a response. However if you or any other poster requires clarification I would be delighted to attempt an answer.
Before I address your points I would argue the the Referendum is the greatest event in public affairs in Scotland for 300 years.
It is not about £10 on your mortgage or £10 off your mortgage. We should not be afraid to trust our people with unpleasant facts: on the economy in particular. For a nation that us too feart to let it’s people know the truth is a nation that’s feart of it’s people. By nurturing self-respect, democratic empowerment and chasing the aspirations of our own and fellow Scots then Scotland will flourish.
Human rights, human freedom and human dignity can be beyond perception, but as of now it is almost palpable to my fellow Yes voters and me.
Now that the question has been framed without any “when did you stop beating your wife?” overtones, I am happy to repeat my position.
I will vote no because producing another nation state will, I believe, make no material benefit to my life or the lives of those who live here. It will be a deckchair re-arrangement which will have little effect on global market forces where I live. It will just produce uncertainty and cost with neither an oil-rich paradise nor an impoverished small country at the end of it.
I am happy to see countries make alliances, Unionism if you like, at the level of Common Markets, without us breaking down into smaller and smaller units with Cornwall seeking to depart England and Shetland & Orkney seeking to depart Scotland so they could get the LIberal Democrat Government that the rest of the country denies to them.
The current referendum offers me a Scotland in Europe rather than the 4 statelets being in Europe. It offers me a Scottish monarchy with an English Queen or Quine instead of a UK monarchy. It offers some the pig in a poke hope that we will be a left leaning republic after we achieve our SNP run first monarchical government.
It does not offer me any attractions other than a change for change’s sake, the kind of thinking I hate in regards to football subs.
But, regardless of the outcome, I am staying here in a place where I grew up. A Glaswegian more than a Scot, I am willing to share my nationality with anyone who’ll have me. I worry about being asked to justify my identity to blood and soil nationalist thinking anywhere.
In essence, if it was, like Ireland, about freeing ourselves from English tyranny, then I’d be for it. But we have not been oppressed since Flodden and the Darien Scheme so I have nothing to shake off.
None of these views are new or earth shattering. I have stated them, in parts, at various times here. Today I have told you nothing new.
Your position appears to be based on flawed ‘logic’.
You say you will vote ‘No’ because independence would “make no material benefit to my life or the lives of those who live here”. Taking control of Scotland’s economy, taxation and social security would clearly offer huge scope to do things very differently than is currently the case within the British Union. The government of an independent Scotland would be elected by the people of Scotland, based on a manifesto presented at an election. Any political party offering a continuation of the austerity and cuts agenda of the British unionist parties is extremely unlikely to be elected to government in an independent Scotland.
If independence makes no difference then presumably you would argue that Ireland should give up its independence and return to control from London. Good luck suggesting that to the people of Ireland. I suspect you would receive a two word response, the second of which would be “off”.
You also say “The current referendum offers me a Scotland in Europe rather than the 4 statelets being in Europe. It offers me a Scottish monarchy with an English Queen or Quine instead of a UK monarchy. It offers some the pig in a poke hope that we will be a left-leaning republic after we achieve our SNP run first monarchical government.”
The referendum does not offer you any of those things. The referendum asks one very simple question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” That’s it, nothing else. We will answer ‘YES’ or ‘No’.
Membership of the European Union, whether we are a monarchy or a republic and what political direction we take will be for the people of Scotland to decide at subsequent elections in an independent Scotland.
Independence doesn’t offer “change for change’s sake”, as you argue, but change because it is essential if we are to create a country where everyone has a decent standard of living and quality of life. Within the British Union we have a generation of young people living without hope. Have a look at the UK Government’s Universal Jobmatch site and see the thousands of ‘jobs’ that offer zero-hours contracts, minimum wage (some offer no wage – commission only). Independence gives us the chance to restore dignity to those seeking work and those on benefits for various reasons. Independence gives us the chance to restore hope and opportunity to our children. Certainly, if we remain in the British Union there will be no change and thousands of our fellow citizens will remain dependent on foodbanks to stave-off starvation.
For the same reason you are wrong to say Scotland has not been “oppressed” since Flodden or Darien. Clearly Scotland has not suffered military or overtly physical oppression, but the economic conditions imposed by British governments over the years have certainly been oppressive for many working class families. Anyone attempting to get by on inadequate state benefits or poverty-level wages would certainly question your assertion that they are not being treated harshly or unjustly.
By the way, Darien resulted in the Scottish aristocracy losing their fortunes. England did not bail-out Scotland, it bailed-out a group of Scottish aristocrats. The Scottish aristocracy sold Scotland into ‘union’ with England in order to have their personal debts cleared. There was no financial benefit to the nation of Scotland. It is also the case that the ordinary people of Scotland rioted in the streets in opposition to union with England.
You also seem to be confused about Scotland’s status as a nation. Even arch-unionists, such as David Cameron, accept Scotland is a nation not a region. At the present time we do not have national status at the United Nations, nor does England. Independence will resolve that issue.
As for the nationality on my passport, I presently have no say in the matter. I am told my nationality is ‘British’ despite there being no such nation. Britain is not, never has been and never will be a nation.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a multi-national state, a union of nations, like the European Union. To say your nationality is ‘British’ is like claiming your nationality is ‘European’.
Scotland is a nation and my nationality is ‘Scottish’. Independence will restore to me the right to have a Scottish passport listing my nationality as ‘Scottish’ and to be a citizen of Scotland, rather than a ‘subject of Her Britannic Majesty’.
Finally: the greatest lesson you can learn from the past is that Freedom is the core of every great nation in the world.
Forgot to say. A few weeks back Celtic FC donated over 200 official “taps” to our CSC to hand out to the local football communities here.
Here’s a wee clip of the handover of the first 80 shirts which we handover to the boys n girls at the Rio Boys FC in Campo Grande, RJ this weekend.
http://youtu.be/J6cj6rc-UNw
Wonder where old Davie King will get this money ; under his ‘tax settlement ‘ he had to move all is offshore money back into South Africa. I am sure they have strict currency controls on taking money out of the country and if he turns up in Scotland with the level of money he is talking about then SARS will be chapping his door again. hmmmm
bazza67
13:15 on 25 March, 2014
Paul,
Check out self professed hun Richard Wilson latest King manifesto over on the BBC!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26732707
Strange that a propaganda article sanctioned by the state broadcaster! punting the line that you have to spend to get the revenue streams as opposed to plan prudently and live by your means
Do they ever learn!
__________________________________
I also noticed at the end of the article on the SARS charge, Wilson struggles with these two words ” Found Guilty” he tip toes a sound it but never uses it, it’s like thems when they talk about administration, the liquidation word never comes up,.
tonydonnelly67
For a wealthy businessman he doesn’t have say some stupid things.
If he has lost £20m in old Rangers and is happy to lose another £30m why didn’t he buy the club for a £1?
LB
gordybhoy64
Best wishes on your forthcoming Nuptuals.
Snake Plissken
“funny how it is always the British Nationalists who go on and on about their nationality, ethnicity, immigration, borders and the like”
I’m sure it was you that said that Glasgow University students voted NO, against your expectations, because there were a lot of non-Scots voting NO. That was an appeal to nationality.
I’m sure it was you that goes on in your last post to emphasise and repeat the emphasis that George Galloway represents an English constituency. Another appeal to nationality.
I think your proposition falls.
If Celtic continue to win the league, what do we ( and other Scottish teams) have to do in Europe for Celtic to get direct qualification into the group stages? Is this 2,4, 10 years away?
Some guy upsetting the hordes on the RIFC Shares Discussion Board today.
“Some background. I was taken to Ibrox as a child when my father supported Rangers. He is a lifelong Rangers fan. I’m not, as you have probably guessed. I’m not a Celtic fan either. I support the club that I formerly played for. My father stopped supporting Rangers when they stopped trading in 2012. He is not a fool. The current team are a phoenix club that are less than two years old. They joined the SPFL (then SFL) as associate members. At a later date, the SFA amended the five year tenure of associate membership. The SFA then went further by allocating the licence of the former club (in the throws of liquidation). These actions by the SFA were contrary to all their rules,so they changed their constitution and rules. The SFA are a corrupt cabal of self-serving fans of the phoenic club. The Rangers Football Club, formed in 29/5/2012 are a new club and company. They were renamed as this from their original name, Sevco Scotland. So the team you are referring to are not the Rangers that my dad and I followed. They have never been to the top tier of Scottish Football. Let me also scotch another myth,peddled by Hugh Keevens in the Daily Rangers (and Darryl King in the Herald Group). The new club were not demoted. Had Rangers CVA been accepted, they would have taken their rightful place in the SPL, with a penalty. The CVA failed. The first team, realising that Rangers were in the hand of receivers BDO ( at that time) all walked away, as new club, no TUPE. Finally, your last resort will be only the company was liquidated. Wrong Again. The club was incorporated in 1899 and became a PLC during Murray’s tenure. This means that the club and company are inseparable in Scots Law, as the BBC QC spelt out to you. When I visited Ibrox, Graham Spiers accompanied my father. Yes that’s right he was a Rangers fan. But he won’t have his intelligence insulted. I expected more from this site, but it would seem that there are blue trolls peddling myths. King bought a stadium. He employed 8 discarded players and management team. That’s all he bought. No history (in accountancy terms.goodwill) was in the original sale document. By all means come back to me with your argument for Rangers continued. I,like Mr Spiers, will quickly disabuse you of this notion. This is a serious site. You strike me as a man who is all hat and no cattle. “
Billy Bhoy 05
Thank you for the kind words and I will not prolong the debate as I do not want political debate on CQN on more than one front at a time.
I will restrict myself to one point re :-
“Independence will restore to me the right to have a Scottish passport listing my nationality as ‘Scottish’ and to be a citizen of Scotland, rather than a ‘subject of Her Britannic Majesty’.”
You will merely become a subject of the new Scottish Queen, with an English numerical title.
One further question, a wee bit tongue in cheek:-
Was Campbell consulted in the framing of your reply? :-)
No offence intended.
DOUG C
Oh well,it will give us something to do on the Saturday!
The lying King has changed his tune from
“we must withold our season ticket money” to
“I dont know why w want to fight because im going to invest 50 million quid to stop the tims”
Now we must ask ourselves what happened that made him decide to be patient and supportive of the current regime?
Dave King’s starting to sound, ahem … obsessed.
‘Whatever you do don’t mention liquidation’
The problem George Galloway had with the Trident question was that he failed to tell us exactly where in England, Wales or Northern Ireland a future rUK government would find enough mugs who would let it be sited on their own doorstep.
Apart from that, I thought the debate was of a higher standard than the yahoo/yaboo stuff we are regularly served up by our politicians.
Gordybhoy64 – Congratulations ! and good luck for Friday
What’s the collective word for convicted criminals?
Problem for me is. Will DD and PL fall for King’s blatant peddling of Old Firm line?
Snake Plissken
13:23 on 25 March, 2014
I take it you were an undecided until you saw the programme.
bournesouprecipe 13:52 on 25 March, 2014
A hive of convicted criminals sounds about right to this reader.
From previous blog.
maestro-number8 & BSR
Best away top, I heard (i think I did) many years ago that that strip was presented to Celtic by Hollywood actor Danny Kaye. Anybody else hear this or is it a figment of my imagination.
Watched DVD interview with Peter Grant. (Proud to be a Celt) “I never exchanged jerseys with anyone as its hard enough to get a Celtic one. Why do I need his top? I’ve got the hoops”
bsr
“What’s the collective word for convicted criminals?”
The Germans have a compound word for it.
It is a Sonsofstruth of convicted criminals.
Bsr
A cell?
howabout a bluster of convicted fraudsters!