I know many of us are annoyed that a Celtic player, who didn’t appeal for a foul, is not being charged for inappropriately looking for one, is headline news today. This is all a consequence of Sky Sports pundit Neil McCann’s insistence that John Guidetti cheated, while he simultaneously acknowledged Guidetti didn’t actually claim for a penalty.
TV analysis can enrich viewers’ appreciation of the game, but it has to carry a degree of responsibility too.
Those of us from Scotland will be familiar with the summertime noise of a scramble – pennies dropping all around you. It’s a wedding-day tradition, when the father of the bride throws coins into the street for kids to collect as he and the bride leave for the ceremony.
Today’s story in the Record, lifted from a fans’ group, that newco Rangers receive approximately 75p for every £10 spent with Rangers Retail, the joint-venture between the football club and Mike Ashley, must have had pennies dropping everywhere.
These figures are for last season, so predate whatever new arrangement Ashley was able to negotiate for the return of stadium naming rights. We’ve covered this point before, but it’s worth reiterating:
Football clubs are in fact a series of business units. Few make a profit over any business cycle but there are profitable business units inside every club, including retail, trackside advertising, media rights and kit deals.
Football operations almost always lose money. The considerable cost of operating a stadium, recruiting and employing footballers (and occasionally a manager on an onerous contract) isn’t met by ticket sales, even at community football level.
The club accounts detail how much financial control Ashley has over newco’s profitable revenue streams, from retail, to kit supply to trackside advertising. The true consequences of forming the with investors looking for a financial return, as newco did in 2012, should now be apparent.
If the club has a future it will have to survive pretty much on ticket sales alone. As we’ve covered before, when you need to pay circa £17m p.a. to open the doors at a club which will occasionally house 50,000 spectators, and your gate receipts and hospitality sales totalled £12.3m last season, you have a chronic problem.
Even if ticket sales doubled in value, there would still leave only around £7m to pay for football operations, a figure the likes of Kilmarnock can survive on, but you have to wonder if a ‘Rangers’ brand is viable at that level?
Does this sound like a viable football club to you? If so, let’s see how it looks after Ashley has his pound of flesh for financing the second half of the season. No wonder fans are so keen to stop him.
I see newco have appointed WH Ireland as their nominated advisers, a name you may be familiar with. Back in May 2012, Kitalba, with an astonishing degree of understatement (“It couldn’t be clearer”), noted here in the comments section the breadcrumb trail between Craig Whyte, a whole series of his companies and associates, and the aforementioned WH Ireland. It’s worth a 15 minute read.
It’s the big Glasgow derby tomorrow and Celtic sponsor Magners have offered us two premium seats in the Jock Stein Stand. All you need to do to win the seats is to email me the name of our opponents, at celticquicknews@gmail.com
Competition closes at 22:00 tonight, so check your email thereafter. Tickets can be collected from the ticket office before the game.
Planning is underway for Mary’s Meals to build a kitchen Chibwata Primary School, Dowa, Malawi, which we in the CQN community have committed to paying for. We have already built three school kitchens in Malawi this year, so I am sure we will complete this one sometime over the coming months.
Sorry, the MyDonate page is now open for business!!
Many thanks.
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bournesouprecipe:
do you have an e-mail address for DBBIA?
starry
Wonder who’ll do the ole Sevco Christmas message this year?
Kit
Yes email me bournesouprecipe@gmail.com and I’ll reply with it tonight when I get home.
bournesouprecipe
I haven’t an earthly but BFSDJ is a stick on as Santa at the face painted weans perty….
We used to have a programme over here called Soccer Saturday coast to coast……it was hosted by a former Sheep and Fulham international winger.
Wee bassa couldnae say Celtic….it was all “bonnie prince ally” week in week out….he even called up the beast just after we lost to them wanting to know if the treble was still on…..FFS it was only September….souness actually laughed at him…..he also called Archie Haircut up when bader bought them.
At this time we got an English game live and highlights of the previous weeks games…..nae Scottish though as it was deemed too expensive………even though they admitted that it was mostly Scots who watched it……..one Saturday he went straight to Fir Park at half time as it was duries debut…..nae concern there with expenses
He also had another show on a Thursday evening and for a spell he travelled across the country stopping in at various ethnic clubs and pubs interviewing punters on their favourite club team
On his last trip he stopped in at the office of the “Scottish Banner” down in Niagara Falls……this publication which could be picked up free in Scottish theme shops and pubs was owned by Jim Cairney….brother of “This Man Craig” fame.
His 2 guests were the obligatory big wullie and the other was a motherwell supporter…..nae Tim.
However the straw that broke the Tim’s back was when he criticised our support on air for the poison letters and e-mails he was receiving….called us cowards.
The station that broadcast his show was owned by Rogers…. the biggest cable tv company in the land…..they also own the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto….no a mickey moose company……..it was also part of a package that had to be purchased separate from the normal cable bill.
Cue for irate Tims contacting them and threaten…..this is the key word here….threaten to cancel their package if he didn’t lighten up regarding the Celtic….nae calling for his head though.
A change was noted thereafter and although not necessarily Celtic friendly….the venom was gone.
So it can be done bhoys…….it’s all about money.
BTW I couldnae figure out his hatred for us….might have been because he played in a losing cup final against us….the Sean Fallon game.
The Charlie Telfer transfer fee Tribunal will hopefully deliver the last blow on their denial of the truth and will be the ultimate Christmas message for all those on planet Sevconia delivered by Mr Thompson from DU. Merry Christmas you’re 2012 years younger than Jesus.
bournesouprecipe
14:15 on 2 December, 2014
That’s a good thing in my book mate, Arbroath ( draw) Aberdeen (defeat) we play better away from home in the cup HH
PS Jesus supports Celtic and St Pauli.
67heaven … i am neil lennon ….the angels are with wee oscar in heaven.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
14:16 on 2 December, 2014
–
Im a pretty happy celtic fan aswel.. glad ronnie is getting the results since iv spoken out in support of him . Only doubted him when he continued to play mulgrew in midfield but hopefully we have seen the end of that.
The problems celtic have are that the people who run the club refuse to speak out and support are team and fans when they need it.
Also not happy that the living wage hasnt been implemented in full like hearts have done.
Cqner son up on charges for supposedly singing a song.
More claims at agm from our ceo about investing in the squad.
Some of the problems of our own that dont get discussed in any lead articles.
What happens in the darkside will happen..we were always told the board silence is because they are doing things in background or that they are playing it cool.
Can we start to play it cool here aswel.
Celtic first.celtic last and celtic overall
hun skelper
We do, in recent times
Hugh Adam – can’t say they weren’t warned
13:48 on
2 December, 2014
The referee in question after a brief encounter with davidopolous in a toilet.
http://www.tff.org/Resources/TFF/Auto/a49739a3f4ee45f796382ec47dfaa1ea.jpg
++++++
Constipation, perhaps.
It fails to bring out the worst in people.
Martim1980
15:20 on
2 December, 2014
After consultation with the SFA the tribunal will come down in favour of them being the same club so DU will be liable to pay more compensation. The question will then be does Stephen Thompson have the stomach for a court battle to win his case and get a legal view of the status of Rangers/Sevco/possibly Third Rangers by the time it happens.
The Charlie Telfer transfer fee Tribunal will hopefully deliver the last blow on their denial of the truth and will be the ultimate Christmas message for all those on planet Sevconia delivered by Mr Thompson from DU. Merry Christmas you’re 2012 years younger than Jesus.
________________________________________________________________________
What odds on there being a ‘door of the court’ settlement and the Tribunal not being involved?
letskeepthonlawyersootofitCSC
Gary67 + stevenagebhoy
Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking from me. Would be a great Christmas gift after what’s been a terrible year. Just received another lovely gift from my hugely incompetent employer- they love to protect failure too…….
It’s been ages since I had a drink
Hugh Adam
was he not a Blantyre man ?
Not a football man loved his Rugby
WDH
behave yourself, he was from Hamilton. ….
If the DDU tribunal decides that themshingamyjiggerypokery team are the same club then themshingamyjiggerypokery team run the risk of a 25 point deduction if the go into administration which would leave them bottom of the championship with a severly delapadated squad after a proper administrator tore the team a new one.
So me’s thinking that DDU will win the tribunal, they will be deemed a new club for the purpose of the tribunal and admin and the zombies and sports media will continue to write out this from history for ever more.
MWD said AYE cause he’s no daft ya NO numpties
According to the list they owe D U £70’000
BT
must have picked my dad up wrong, you should ask him about his dealings with Hugh adam when you see him next he thought highly of him
MWD
Your logic is sound, but you seem to forget …. logic has nothing to do with it.
They, and the SFA/SFPL, will bend over backwards to help them…. logic, fairness and common sense be damned.
I dont recall the particulars well, but as I recall the discussion at the time, their argument will be something like the rules re: first/second administration were changed at the time, and cannot be retrospectively applied. … or something like that.
And if not that argument, it will be some other such nonsense as suits their (Sevco, SFA, and SFPL’s) agenda, as they all seem to have the same desire – to pretend that R****s didn’t die, and get Sevco into the top flight and pretend that it is a ‘return’.
oops
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/rangers-administration-full-list-of-creditors-1-2325870
HH
Weet-you ok for Tuesday beers wi Jimmi Krankie?
WDH
Just saw you online … was rather busy with bday celebrations on the weekend, so didn’t get a chance to drop you a line. Apologies.
However, I would still enjoy that chat, so if its okay with you, I will send Paul an email and ask him to forward my email address to you.
Thanks.
!!bada bing!!
Yes mate,where and wit time
HH
mike
will look out for it
WDH
i only read it in his obituary, Your dad is a good judge of character.. 8))
Kit Alba 15:01
follow up interview in the herald.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/interview-hugh-adam-seven-years-after-sounding-a-dire-warning-over-rangers-future-1.928796
could someone post article as I sometimes cant get in to Herald(ta) :-)
HH
An Tearmann
Here is the article. Hope that helps.
Interview: Hugh Adam – seven years after sounding a dire warning over Rangers’ future
Darryl Broadfoot
Tuesday 27 October 2009
HE is the prophet who was depicted as a pariah.
Yesterday, as the extent of Rangers’ financial frailties and boardroom politics were graphically exposed in these pages, the warnings of Hugh Adam, the former chairman and managing director of Rangers Development, were re-released for public consumption.
The man who brought £18m of new investment to the club through the Rangers Pools since 1971 – that equates to around £70m in today’s money – has been a consistent, if reluctant, critic of Sir David Murray’s bold business strategy. Seven years ago, Adam sounded a dire warning that raised questions over the very existence of one of Scottish football’s – and Scottish society’s – apparently indestructible institutions.
He did so while unloading his 59,000 shares in the club, on the basis that, under Murray’s methods, they were heading towards worthlessness. As Rangers’ debts mounted at the height of the excess of the Dick Advocaat era, Adam described bankruptcy as “the logical conclusion” for a team in financial free-fall.
“The banks are well-known for being a bit more tolerant of companies whose core business is a popular pursuit like football but there is a limit to how far backwards they can bend to accommodate you,” he said back then, not quite to universal approval.
His stance was ridiculed by some within Ibrox as the haverings of a bitter and doddery former director, while his decision to sell his shares and spill the beans in public was regarded as treasonable among Murray’s most fervent supporters.
Seven years on, and in spite of Murray dipping in to his funds to take a massive bite out of the club’s debts a few years ago, Adam’s predictions have gained a new-found credibility since Lloyds Banking Group began to exert significantly greater pressure on the club to recoup the current £30m overdraft.
Yesterday, from his home in Burnbank, Lanarkshire, the 84-year-old stressed that he derived no satisfaction from this belated vindication and instead spoke with sadness at Rangers’, and Murray’s, plight. He remained adamant, though, that Rangers’ perilous position is not simply as a consequence of the depressed football climate.
“When I made those comments seven years ago I was ridiculed by some,” said Adam. “We [David Murray and he] got on fine in the beginning, but, with David, it gets to the stage that if you do not agree with him he casts you aside.
“I did not agree with the way he operated and I told him that. It doesn’t give me any satisfaction to see the situation as it is but I did raise concerns at the time and was ridiculed for raising them.”
Yesterday, the Lloyds Banking Group released a statement stressing they were not in control of the club, despite Walter Smith, the increasingly exasperated manager, stating categorically that they were. Adam believes the entrepreneurial instincts that served Murray well, both in the salad days of his steel empire and as the driving force of the Rangers revolution, ultimately became his undoing.
“David was a salesman, a super-salesman. I have enormous respect for him for the adversity he overcame but when I would express my concerns to him – as I did various times – he would nod, but I knew he wasn’t listening to me. He was entitled to ignore me but I wasn’t for sitting about like a dummy.”
Adam is keen to ensure that his updated remarks are not viewed as a gleeful ‘I told you so’ at a vulnerable former chairman. If anything, he believes that Murray deserves to leave with a fanfare and not a whimper after 20 years in control and having financed the nine in a row era and a bold – if, in retrospect, ill-advised – assault on sustained Champions League credibility.
Rangers’ new challenge – along with the bank – is to attract a new buyer. Adam is not convinced that Dave King, the South Africa-based businessmen, is a certainty to throw his undisclosed wealth down Scottish football’s black hole.
“Even if I had the money I wouldn’t buy Rangers just now. Would you?” he asks. “If anything, I would rather buy Celtic now because they are run more prudently by good, strong people. Television revenue is not going to increase, fans are not buying into it any more and there is no prospect of England on the horizon. For guys like Abramovich at Chelsea, the television money is there, while his own commitment is relatively loose change.”
“I am 84, so it is a bit late in the day for me to come up with a business plan but what I would do is lobby the Dutch, Portuguese and Scandinavians regularly to champion the cause for an Atlantic League.”
Adam’s warnings from seven years ago now command greater credibility than that fabled competition.
The Huns are living in cloud cuckoo cuckoo land, there taking about Alex ferguson taking over from comical ally and using his contacts to bring in out of contract players hahahahahahaha
They are living off the football equivalent of a provie loan from week to week and still wanting to buy players, they will never wake up and that’s why they will never challenge us again.
We are singing about 10 in a row, we could double that with ease HH
For all those who still harbour some nagging doubt that somehow Sevco will get to the top flight and be a threat to us……. They are beyond help now. Only a massive altruistic funding by some non existent sugar daddy or mummy could do it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Only humility would have brought them in a healthy state to the top flight. That would have meant mothballing Ibrox, admitting they are a new club, renting hampden or sharing a ground with someone if that was too expensive, letting all expensive players go, imposing a strict wage cap and so on.
But they couldn’t do it. They couldn’t accept it and their arrogance coupled with ignorance let the spivs walk in and rob them blind.
Rangers are dead. Sevco are a pale shadow of a tribute act. In fact they are not even a tribute act they are a guy in a crappy bar pretending to play the greatest hits on a guitar but it’s really just backing tracks and glorified karaoke. The punters are slowlying realising but the act has his money and a,water tight contract – it’s pony up or stick it out.
I for one have not the remotest sympathy. To hell with them.
RobertTressell
I agree with your last 2 sentences. And I wish I could agree with the rest of your post… but I still think there will be bit of, lets call it what it is, cheating to get them into the top flight and competitive ….
They died, but the league acts like they didn’t. They died because they were financially mismanaged, but, the events of the last few years show (i) the Zombears are doing the same thing again, and (iI) once again, the league seems to have little appetite for making them face realities.
I expect this newco to go into administration shortly, but I also expect more cheating by the authorities to help newco out.
And, as far as players go, there is a loyalty to them by some players in Scotland that I dont quite understand…. increasingly, it is about money, but even that little rate Weiss was tweeting about them, and there is little or no chance he will ever darken Scotland’s door again, so there is no reason for him to keep playing to their crowd …. but they do seem to be able to get people to buy into their bs in some way.
In the past (and I realize it is a different time economically), less fashionable teams like Aberdeen and DU were able to succeed, and things ebb and flow …
I, for one, am not comfortable predicting 10 games in a row, let alone 10 leagues in a row … I will be happy as hell if it happens, but wont be counting my chickens before they hatch …
blantyretim.
Just bought a dozen Rioja, will bring three to BV on Friday.
Oldtim67
Give you a call in about an hour.
oldtim
I’m partial to a drop (not a lot, but a bit) of Rioja occasionally. Do you deliver to Canadaas well?
Oldtim67
What time are you heading to the BV on Friday?
You going tomorrow ?
Kikinthenakas
Young Bhoys playing Sevco at 6