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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bbb
Naw, I’m too busy wi the footie. :-))))
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
Lennybhoy
Geordies money is on this fancy pants new thingy of both teams to score and city to win.
I had a wee bit of success on Sunday night so I’ll try it again.
Game could go any way though.
WLTM
Celtic fans to share tall tales and drink strong ales.
GSOH preferred.
Anyone interested head into Glasgow Merchant City on Saturday for post match celebrations with middle aged Gazebo Gang members like BSR, Jobo and Goldstar.
No obligations, shared taxi costs and/or timetables to miss trains.
HH
EC67
Neustadt-Braw
19:40 on 25 March, 2014
“abolishing the need for food banks” …now that sounds like a credible goal ….braw
####
Would you say that should be a greater priority than reducing corporation tax?
Thanks Weeman67 – no probs.
!!Bada Bing!! 19:49 on 25 March, 2014
“That is another way of looking at it,but IMO disrespectful to talk openly about other jobs in other leagues,so any discussion on his position,abilities or replacements are fair game as far as i’m concerned.HH”
That’s always been the way anyhow. That’s the case with fans at every club.
HH
Dreadful challenge by Wellbeck.
Substitution:
Off:
Manchester derby
On:
Nigella Lawson
Should have been 2-0.
Geordie Munro 19:51:
Good luck Mhate…I’ll keep my powder dry for the time being but I have a wee interest…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
hoopy-do 20:01 on 25 March, 2014
“On Nigella Lawson”
Wishful thinking?
Srs
Plus 1.
Bebawbabbity 19.47
A programmes about Dykes?
TT
why is Ross county, 29th March , the only home match on available on the website ?
Steinreignedsupreme
20:04 on
25 March, 2014
hoopy-do 20:01 on 25 March, 2014
“On Nigella Lawson”
Wishful thinking?
=====================
is she not single these days?
i bet she spends all her time wishing she could meet a skint west of scotlander for romantic encounters!
Man Yoo fans – “hello, hello”
Got to be Citeh then.
Cos it’s the only home game left before the split jack mac.
Brendan’s Liverpool would batter both of these on the same park at the same time.
YNWA
hoopy do.. it says thats what she is looking for on her cookswilooks.com profile.. allegedly :)
Livi
No I flew from Glasgow on the day. Lucky though managed to cadge a flight back on team flight which was pretty special after that result.
Young Jordan Larsson was showing everyone a wee min football signed by the great Ronaldinho. I told him his dad was even better than him.
A point proven a year later when Barca played Arsenal in the CL Final.
Great times. Our times. We played 14 games in Europe that season from Kaunus to Villareal. And then Seville in the Larsson testimonial at CP too !
Evening bhoys,
thanks for all the kind messages regarding my wedding this Friday,
still think I am more excited at the idea of winning the league on Saturday
hopethewifetobedisnaeseethisCSC
ernie lynch
19:52 on
25 March, 2014
Neustadt-Braw
19:40 on 25 March, 2014
“abolishing the need for food banks” …now that sounds like a credible goal ….braw
####
Would you say that should be a greater priority than reducing corporation tax?
………………………………..
priority number 1 is controlling income and expenditure…..so there is a hoop we can all jump through together ……braw
Gordybhoy
I’ve heard of having your dinner through a straw after stuff like that being said. I fear you may end up WATCHING it thro a straw mhate!!!
HH jamesgang
PS but you right!!
Anyone know why Dundee have banned BBC pundits Commenting live
From Dens Park .
Fellaini is feckin mince.
How much did Moyes pay for him? 25 million?
And we sold VW for 12 million.
Jeezoh!
HH!!
gordybhoy64 20:17:
Never mind the wedding, you and your mucker for Firhill tomorrow night?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Both Kompany and Fellaini booked for elbows which a thug gets away with in Scotland.
1-0 ross
1-0 Ross County
Goal for Ross County
Ross County 1 up. According to BBC Scotland, it should be at least 1 more.
marspapa-must be the intrepid Spencie asking all the right questions again….
Could Aberdeen still be hungover from the cup celebrations ?
“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”
I would add to Paul67 s article you need a good manager who can work well within a budget. Strachan & Lennon both excelled whereas other manager blow their budgets and then some to mask their shortcomings.
Mowbray however is a reminder that selecting the wrong manager can play havoc with budgets. I wouldn’t trust PL to ever pick us a manager again – he was lucky Lennon bailed him out. NL deserves a long term contract.
Reflecting on the season we enjoyed 10 years ago and the shambles of a season after it.
It is easy to see the energy which HL gave the place and how lucky the coaching team were to have him.
Alan McDonald our CEO is much maligned for his Murrayesque spending but he has to be applauded for extending the King of Kings contract and giving us such a talisman.
should have been 2-0 sebo like
What is going on with sevco’s audited accounts…..they were due by end Feb, at the latest
John O’Neil
Man Yoo fans – “hello, hello”
Got to be Citeh then.
—————-
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.
Now that FACT was told to me by someone else so probably isn’t true :o)