I have a recurring complaint whenever a politician talks about the economy. We have millions unemployed with no shortage of policies, from back-to-work schemes to aggressive incentive-isation of the unemployed, offered as a solution.
Back-to-work schemes are all right, as far as they go, especially for people who need retrained, but they do not address the clear and glaring problem – millions are unemployed because there are not enough jobs available due to a collapse in demand across major economies. Get demand back on trend and jobs will follow. Whether your back-to-work schemes are effective or not, unemployment will drop and the latest Phantom Menace, the budget deficit, will revert to the surplus it was a few years ago. Our political thinking appears to be limited to dealing with the consequences of the economic crisis, not its causes.
The same is glaringly true of Scottish football’s latest suggestions to reorganise the league structure. We have many problems:
At least 40 of the 42 clubs have no chance of ever becoming Scottish champions
Large SPL clubs (like Aberdeen) cannot convince teenagers to sign new contracts reducing the rewards and incentive to develop talent
Wealthier, more competitive, English football dominates our TV screens and culture
Financially, most clubs are either surviving hand-to-mouth or depending on scarce benefactors
A new 12-12-18 league structure will not change how many teams will be able to become Scottish champions. It will not make it easier to Aberdeen to retain teenage talent, it will not halt the process of English football increasingly dominating our cultural and it will not bring an extra £1 into the game.
So why, when there is an appetite to actually do something, are we wasting the opportunity by putting a structure in place which will only serve to re-enforce the current decline?
I expect this arrangement will give lower league clubs a modest increase in the money handed down from selling tickets and TV subscriptions to SPL games. Modest, but not environment changing. The question Scottish football should be addressing is, if they are going to survive on solidarity payments trickling down from clubs at the top, how do you fatten those clubs sufficiently to make the trickle-down as large as possible?
The Aberdeens of our game need to have a reward and incentive to continue developing youth talent. The likes of Inverness and St Johnstone, who run excellent clubs, need to be able to see-off badly-run English clubs chipping away at their foundations. Community clubs, like Alloa and Albion Rovers, could be transformed by a secure stream of income that pays for a modern sports infrastructure.
Yesterday the Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, promised that fans would be consulted before decisions were taken. If we are the most important people in the game, let’s open this one out, before we resign ourselves to managing decline.
Every now and then we read a comment on Celtic Quick News urging the club to publicly get stuck into someone or other, let them have it, show the fans how much they care. Somehow I think anyone coming away with this nonsense in future will be referred back to an article from yesterday.
You don’t achieve anything by playing to the galleries. You don’t build influence and you don’t win support for your position, all that happens is people laugh at you. It is too easy to sound like an old jakey, ranting aimlessly while squelching along in lace-less, urine-soiled, shoes. “”Dear God”, squelch”.
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Cabbageandbacon – How do you know they will be getting sponsored by the same company for the 2013 season?
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
15:12 on
9 January, 2013
Are Magners also sponsoring Sevco?
******************************************
No, both Tennents and Magners owned by C&C though.
If Dark Forces FC get Magners as their sponsor does that mean both clubs will be a Magners Pear?
I’ll get my coat
HH
Cabbageandbacon
Cheers ( clinking Magners).. Good to be differentiated from the nastys….
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/truth-is-stranger-than-fiction/
Jim Traynor’s bizarre ranting was worth a blog … Gavin and I collaborated on this one!
Magners eah? The news just keeps getting better!
No info on value?
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
15:18 on
9 January, 2013
Cabbageandbacon
Cheers ( clinking Magners).. Good to be differentiated from the nastys….
********************************************************************************
True mate, but it’s only on the surface.
Yet another drinks company sponsoring the Hoops?
As Declan McManus used to sing, “It’s been a Good Year for Cirrhosis”!
T4
cultsbhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
15:12 on
9 January, 2013
Are Magners also sponsoring Sevco?
You know that they will never sign up
anything Irish.
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
Peter Lawwell: This is a multi million pound deal. It’s confidential but it is an increase to what we had before. (LB)
Expand
Mark hateley saying “not having a new sponsor is like a new signing!”
bye bye Sevco…
Celtic have agreed a new three-
year shirt sponsorship with
Magners, starting from the
2013/14 season.
Dublin-based C&C Group make the drink
and also own Tennent’s who have been
the club’s sponsor since 2010.
“This partnership is magnificent news, not
only for Celtic but also for Scottish
football,” said chief executive Peter
Lawwell.
“We are proud to be successfully leading
Scottish football at home and in Europe.”
The Tennent’s deal was believed to be
worth up to £1.5m a year but no financial
details of the latest arrangement have
been revealed.
Sunny but cold way down south .
Fitba related bit of the 4 PM Radio News said ——-
Drogba / Juve are talking .
Juve offering Drogba 2 million euros [after tax ] for January —-June 2013 and a further 5 million Euros [after tax ] for July 2013 —June 2014.
Magners & Tennets could have had a joint sponsorship.
Headtheball. So Neil Lennon will be wearing tracksuits and other kit with an anagram of gersMan on them. That should cause multiple instances of spontaneous combustion throughout Scotland. I hope the fire brigade are prepared…
Anyone else hoping Sevco release another spiteful statement in response?
Could be fun!
Rangers to hold a major press conference to demand to know why, as Scotland’s biggest club, they were excluded from Magners talks. Jabba the Jakey fizzin.
In a statement today to new shareholders and investors Chuckles Green said ” not having a new sponsor and not wanting to play in the top tier of Scottish football was in line with the clubs long term growth strategy that management were pursuing”
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
Peter Lawwell: I can confirm Rami Gershon has joined us. (LB)
Retweeted by Celtic 67Live
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite
Magners?
Owned by the C&C Group.
who… also… own..
Tennant’s!
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Looks tae me..like.. Celtic, are jist changing the Pocket..
Where they keep thur Pay-Check!
Kojo
Still, Laughin’
obonfanti1888
15:24 on
9 January, 2013
Anyone else hoping Sevco release another spiteful statement in response?
Could be fun!
———————
Along the lines of “we never liked apples anyway!!!!..so there..oh and pepperamis too!”
:)
Must be about £5m+ over 3 years to include shirt sponsorship for european matches.International brand is that Magners
Someone mentioned something about a rangers director saying something out of turn to a c&c executive ?? Is that actually true …
If so could this be why?
What about our stadium name ? Just in time for the commonwealth games?
Welcome, Rami.
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
PL: Previous shared sponsors was down to circumstances but we have our own brand, story and traditions. (LB)
Gershon is an anagram of ‘Gers hon’…only saying. :-)
No announcement of how much cash Magners will give us then? Still,and increase on our past deal is welcome in this financial climate.
Will another brand of cider benefit when The Louden et al stop selling Magners?
Mike Farrell @mikefstv
Lawwell says he ‘doesn’t want to talk about other clubs’ when asked about ‘last ever OF derby’ comment on Celtic website.
————————
Well played Peter, give the zombies nothing.
http://www.candcgroupplc.com/brands
like bt I still prefer strongbow
Headtheball
It’s also an anagram for Snog her
HH
Big G
I certainly won’t be doing that…….although exceptions can always be made. :-)
Apparently SevCo had been offered a ‘substantially reduced’ deal with Tennents for next season but have refused it
As a keen mouth organ player i used to dip my organ in Tennents’ lager to cool it down after a particularly long session. Now i’m going to have to dip my organ in cider!
Did that Gregg’s sponsorship fall through for the Sevco boys ?
Cracked pie graphic.
Steakbakeless.
Ally demands to know something.
The only trophy-less team to have so many World Records.
A record in itself.
2013, I’m liking it so far……….
Now its over to you Jabba………………………………… what you got in response.
PL and Celtic playing a belter by the looks of it .
Headtheball
After a few too many Magners anything is possible :D
HH