This week’s Economist has a most curious article on the football business, entitled “Welcome to the beautiful game. Football clubs can easily be used as stealing machines. Here is an instruction manual. The stories are real, but most details are concealed”.
They assert, “It is a good time to enter the football racket. Banks are less generous and sentimental about loans. Tax officials are less lenient, too, as Rangers, a big Glasgow club, discovered”.
“Set up a holding company (or a nest of them) in a discreet jurisdiction, as many owners do, and you have a money-laundering and embezzlement machine at your disposal.
“Exaggerating the attendance at matches lets you run some of the dirty takings from your previous career through the turnstiles, turning them into legitimate income (this particular ruse works best if you buy a middling club, where games are not routinely sold out).”
They conclude, “Some national associations do a spot of due diligence on new owners, but this is unlikely to interfere with your plans.”
Brazil, Balkans, Russia, Serbia and Bulgaria all get a mention but there was only the one club got a name check.
Nest of holding companies in discreet jurisdictions, money-laundering, embezzlement, exaggerated attendances, dirty previous businesses!! Read it and weep, football fans, just don’t expect the blazers to watch out for your best interests.
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BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
05:37 on
15 July, 2013
Unquestionably external forces have been responsible for the failure of left wing govts.
Chile `74 is the prime example.Nicaragua in the `50s.
Nevertheless,it did happen the other way round as well.
Chinese and Soviet assistance to N.Vietnam.
Currently we have Weiner going for Mayor, and Spitzer (and I liked his actions going after the banks) going for Comptroller…
Now I know, Rupert Murdoch has his own views on this, and the journalist who wrote this works for him…
But still…
Compelling piece on where we are, and where we were, not so long ago…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324425204578600230806506440.html
Nero plays a great fiddle….
pjbhoynyc
05:58 on 15 July, 2013
Currently we have Weiner going for Mayor, and Spitzer (and I liked his actions going after the banks) going for Comptroller…
You cannae wack a Weiner story on the front page.
Good night all. Strong Rx and sleep call.
Aw Shite….. Paywall
Basically Profumo was a beast of a different era…Who was the personification of dignity after his political disgrace. Not like now…
G’Night
And Man Up Tony Watt…For yourself and Scottish Fitba.
Good morning Timland.
The real stuff starts on Wednesday,lets stay
positive……..too much doom and gloom about
hopefully we’ll hit the ground running.
A third night of violence in Belfast…..the amount
of injured polis tae arrest’s made disnae add up
……I wonder why.
Valentines day
I was in an area of scotland at the weekend where I struggled to get a signal on my phone. Heard there had been trouble in Belfast and calls for military support.
On my way home last night I bought a sunday mail .. first time in yonks.. to catch up with weekends news.
Found a very small article on the troubles … hidden away about 10 pages in.
Good Morning or Bonjour from a Sunny Calais — where last night there was a huge fireworks display to celebrate Bastille Day.
Ah the stuff of revolution in times past.
Good article from Paul, I have said for a long time that certain people are involved in football purely as a means of moving money about from A to B, to launder it and to make it disappear without trace when it suits or to make it appear as a legitimate business asset when the need arises.
The Romanov appearance at Tynecastle was looked at very closely be the legal authorities for a very long time with cash sums held until their provenance checked out — pretty standard practice for large sums coming from jurisdictions where the transparency and veracity of banking practices are apparently not up to the rigorous standards expected in this country (hic)!
I have always felt that Romanov would use Tyncastle as a good way of getting money out of Lithuania. Constantly increase the bank debt over there, and keep the cash through the door here — we will see if that particular practice appears to have been implemented and how well in due course perhaps.
Re Banking here, well the banking authorities or should I say Institutions in Scotland have proven to be pathetic over the last 15 -20 years and you can clearly see that many of our financial bricks were in fact fake and incapable of supporting any real business structure.
The economist article shows some of the ways to simply wash money through football but make no mistake it does not cover all the bases or anywhere near all of them. The tax deals, agents commissions from both parties, conflicts of interests, related property transactions and so on are all there for both use and abuse– and the football authorities are neither up to the job nor capable of adequately running checks and balances.
What is criminal however, is when the same authorities have information, have access to information, and are capable of dealing with information but refuse to do so for their own reasons and purposes.
Many clubs are run properly by good people in a difficult financial time, but they are not being helped by those who want to abuse football by owning clubs for nefarious purposes, or by those who tolerate such owners for fear of ………… well for fear of what?
In any event, far greater scrutiny from all quarters will come in the future….. and that includes scrutiny of the level of business and financial journalism…… with the sports pages forced to follow on whether they like it or not!!!!
Re Tony Watt — this kid looked to me to have the ability to kick on. However, I here reports around Glasgow that as soon as he had scored against Barcelona he or others began talking about a big money move to the EPL to the likes of WBA or elsewhere with his pockets jingling!!!!
Now, I don’t know where those stories came from but I was told that more then once with the clear implication that the “head” attitude was not good and not correct.
If that is so, then unless the boy wisens up he will not make it anywhere at all.
I hope, for his sake, that is not so and that his career flourishes wherever he goes!
Right– off for the Ferry and the long drive home!
Good morning CQNers,
Reading Phil Macgiollabhain’s latest blog about the orange lodge in the North of Ireland the word machismo popped into me head and watching the links of rioters confirmed the word describes them perfectly.
An exaggerated sense or display of masculinity, emphasizing characteristics that are conventionally regarded as male, usually physical strength and courage, aggressiveness, and lack of emotional response
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/grieving-for-a-lost-supremacism/
Ulster_Celt and 16 Roads posted of a party atmosphere in North Belfast whilst Houl yer wheest rightly warned about wearing football tops in prohibited by some pubs. I fear the loss of machismo in certain elements of the loyalist population (flags, Ardoyne,etc) could lead some of them to misguiding believe they could gain some restoration of their wounded pride by some form of attack on their Celtic visitors. I don’t want to enter into hyperbole but I would suggest those visiting Belfast for the 1st time to do some preparatory work and know exactly where you are going during your stay.
Someone mentioned St Mary’s, Chapel Lane and it took me back to a time when I’d travel across Belfast for the 11.00 mass there. I’ve seen the grandeur of many cathedrals around the world but no church has ever given the sense of peace that I enjoyed there. Definitely somewhere to visit if you get the opportunity.
Long time no post ( or lurk).. Been caught up in my sons football,my own football and my new found passion for golf ( why did I wait until the age of 45 to play this great game??)…
Anyhow lying about in Calahonda watching events at Celtic from afar over the Internet. Can’t quite work out what the club’s strategy is here. I do see a major challenge for the Board in positioning itself both as Champions League participants ( we aren’t realistic contenders) and SPL dominators – entirely different resource requirements for these polarised challenges.
Doesn’t make me think we need Rangers but does make me believe even more that we need a new league. I worry about attendances next year.
Must get up and soak up some sun…
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
05:10 on
15 July, 2013
‘There was a need to provide material assistance
to the needy of the East End of Glasgow.’
###
Why was there a need to provide material assistance?
Kalimera my friends in Celtic, I hope you are well.
May I firstly blame BMCUW for part of what follows as he enquired if some of what I whitter on about may be chemically enhanced. It does not but it does serve to address the issue given that my favourite Scandinavian couple, since Henrik and Magdalena, have arrived on the island.
I have no truck with drugs, never have, never been my thing. Indeed I recall in the early 70’s Bournesouprecipe and myself wandering down Almada Street when accosted outside the County bar by a wannabe refugee from Woodstock, a bag of pills in hand, asking if we “want to score some acid, man”. We nearly kacked ourselves, that’s how Rock and Roll we were.
No but drugs can be difficult to avoid at some very strange times. Today though I had intended addressing the fact that my sojourn, takes place in the home of democracy, Greece. Now I know that ancient Tribes in India had a sort of democratic republic like Sanbghas and Ginas and some Sumerian epic tales allude to a form of democracy in Mesopotamia, but it is largely conceded that 6 th century BC Greece invented the concept of democracy, one man, one vote and therefore the proliferation of political outlooks. It stands to reason that if all men are equal then all men have the right to their views, even those who we habitually scroll past on CQN. You know you all do.
In a former life I was political. Attended conferences, wrote motions made impassioned speeches, you know the sort of thing. I recall being inadvertently involved in a drug induced soirée due to my political views. Nothing sinister and all ended well but serious hash smoking was the order of the day. I had penned a motion, equal pay for young, job sharing teachers, mainly child bearing females. My impassioned speech gained resounding applause. Motion passed a mere bagatelle. But no it fell. I was distraught. I recall the entire Fife delegation congratulating me on my performance. I asked if they voted for my motion, they replied, no. You see in an almost Pyhonesque scenario, my second ers and consequent speakers in support of my motion were the People’s Front of Judea, while the Fife delegation were the Judean People’s Front. Everyone agreed with motion only they could allow themselves to concur with the opposition. They were Trotskyist instead of Marxist – Leninists. The concrete Marxist dogma could never align itself with the abstract Trot viewpoint. To do such a thing would inevitably lead to the exploitation of the masses in a bourgeois Imperalist Capitalist state. I only wanted to get some young lassies a pay rise FFS.
Anyway they Peoples Front of Judea were having a party that evening and I was invited. This dear reader is when research is vitally important. I did not know that the PFJ were all dope heads and I would be expected to be Splifftastic. This was major league Reeferville and I don’t even smoke!
So what has this to do with anything to do with Greece. My favourite Viking playmate has arrived. Erik the Viking is a seventies throwback who would have been quite at home in Toketown. I myself am not. But each to his own. If my reading of Marx and Engels gave me anything by way of the concepts enshrined in their musings on Dialectical Materialism put simply would be the the only constant is change. If you have the power and strength to make something happen, you may. However it won’t necessarily make it right and it won’t make it work.
Erik hails from a town north east of Helsinki. He is an office worker. He has long shoulder length hair, wears khaki coloured shorts and vest. Always. He loves Grateful Dead and the Doors. He is in a time warp. Undoubtedly chemically enhanced euphoria is an essential part of his being. I really,really like him. He says little, grunts indeciph
Morning all. Grey, cool day down here.
Hope the mood is better on CQN than it has been lately.
I hope all those going to the game are safe.
Indecipherablely and drinks heavily. Large beers. I only have small beer as in this heat it warms too quickly. Eric’s beer never gets warm. Eric’s partner is Christina, a petite primary school teacher with a very serious WOW factor. She is a perfectly formed Scandinavian blonde. Her Lycra clad curves flow gracefully, she glides as she floats across the sand. She only wears gossamer thin bikinis and does that head tilting thing swinging her beautifully coiffed hair around her shoulders. WOW.
Now I also love the word WOW. It is palindromic and can be taken to mean Wow in a good way or wow in a not so pleasant way. You may have noted I have not mentioned Christina’s facial features. Lets just be kind and say WOW I understand why Erik is so fond of hallucinogenic drugs.
Yassas,
EC67
Sorry for pressing the wrong button earlier
Morning from dull Ayrshire..
Just heading to Centre Parcs, Sherwood Forest… with my boys for five days. Now will I be able to catch the game on Wednesday…
Robbing the rich to give to the poor, you spend a fiver, we’ll spend a tenner.
And a note to a friend, sorry for putting you off Jeremy…!
HH
Morning,
Do we have a big game this week? Laptop Loyal full of negativity and scaremongering today.
Found this little bit from Graeme Macpherson in the Herald interesting.
‘It will be a major ask of Neil Lennon’s side to then reach the last 16, as they did last season, but at least they are continuing to make a positive contribution to the ailing Scottish co-efficient. How they could do with some help. With Rangers not likely to return to the European forum for another four seasons at least, it has fallen to the others to try to bolster our sinking reputation.’
Four years?
SOUTHAMPTON striker Billy Sharp is on Neil Lennon’s hitlist as Gary Hooper edges towards the Parkhead exit door.
And SunSport can reveal that long-term targets Charlie Austin of Burnley and Wolves’ Kevin Doyle remain high in Hoops boss Lennon’s thinking.
Top scorer Hooper seems likely to be sold soon in a £5million-plus deal, with Norwich City and QPR vying for his signature and both edging closer to Celtic’s valuation.
SunSport understands West Ham are also considering a move for the frontman who cost Celtic £2.4m in 2010.
The striker, 25, has shown no interest in extending a contract that expires in 2014 and has made it clear he wants a return south.
Lennon has worries over the firepower at his disposal going into Wednesday’s Champions League qualifying tie against Cliftonville.
A groin injury has meant Hooper’s barely featured in four warm-up defeats which have produced just three goals.
The £1.5m-rated Sharp, 27, was strongly linked with a move to Celtic in 2007 before joining Sheffield United.
He’s since established himself as a proven scorer at Championship level with Doncaster and Southampton.
Sharp, on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, is not in Saints’ plans and is keen to move. SunSport believes he’d seriously consider a move north.
Austin, 24, saw a £4m move to Hull collapse after he failed a medical over a knee issue but admirer Lennon hasn’t been put off.
Meanwhile, Doyle, 29, is unhappy at the prospect of life in League One with Wolves
No thanks, yes please, dunno.
Doyle – no thanks.
Austin – yes please
Sharp – dunno
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous hillbillies the day?
ernie lynch
08:08 on
15 July, 2013
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
05:10 on
15 July, 2013
‘There was a need to provide material assistance
to the needy of the East End of Glasgow.’
###
Why was there a need to provide material assistance?
Because in the 1880s the country was in the vice-like grip of the capitalist running dogs.
Am I right,Ernie?
:-)
Eurochamps- ole CQN demographic is not interested in pulchritudinous popettes called Christina.
Oh no
We have no time for such fripperies.
Norwich offering us a player and cash, anyone know the player in question?
Anyways, rather than just lie in the ole pre-season doldrums frettin’ about the state of the ole Hoops I decided to do somethin’ about it.
I handed over three of my hard earned pounds to a certain record shop in Byres Road in exchange for the musical masterpiece which is ‘Deep Purple in Rock’.
-it maks sense tae me, and it maks sense tae Mo.
As the currant bun reports on the 146 goals in one game scandal, they list 10 more scandals that they consider equally as bad or worse.
Alain Baxter – Scottish skier – failed drugs test
New Orlean Saints – it emerged players had been paid extra incentives, or bounties, for purposely hurting opposing teams.
Bloodgate Rugby – a faked blood injury in order to facilitate a tactical substitution for Nick Evans to re-enter the field having gone off earlier injured.
Calciopoli – Football – The teams had been accused of rigging games by selecting favourable referees
Doping – Cycling – Lance Armstrong
Robert Hoyzer – Football – Referee Robert Hoyzer was at the centre of one of German football’s most high-profile controversies.
He was suspected of betting on a first-round DFB-Pokal cup match he was officiating between Bundesliga side Hamburg and regional side Paderborn in 2005
Minnesota Vikings – American Football – A number of men were reported to police for urinating in a woman’s garden where it emerged they were on their way to a boat party organised by members of the Vikings team.
According to reports from crew members, a number of explicit sexual acts were committed in public by the party goers
Boozegate – Football
Scotland internationalists Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor came under fire from the SFA after breaching team discipline rules in 2009.
Kieren Fallon – Horse Racing In 2006 he was charged – along with seven other people – for conspiring to defraud internet betting exchange Betfair
Pakistan spot-fixing – Cricket – Pakistan stars Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, as well as sports agent Mazhar Majeed, were all convicted of criminal charges relating to spot-fixing in 2011
———————————————————————————————————-
Some pretty serious stuff I agree, but does it all merit inclusion? I wonder how the Sun would report on a scandal if , for arguments sake, something REALLY bad happened? Imagine if, oh let’s think, I know, imagine a Scottish club was involved in tax evasion over a period of decades, and it was suppressed due to bent media, and to add extra controversy, it all happened under the noses of the sports governing and equally corrupt body?
Geez, that WOULD be a story worth printing eh?
From Twitter – Jordan Furniss @jordanfurniss9h
@georgegalloway almost 10 years to the day that Dr David Kelly was found murdered, will the truth one day come to light?
Many people also believe the deaths of Robin Cook and John Smith are also suspicious.
.
I have Just read (Quickly) the Last 3 Pages of CQN.. And the Only thing I understood was Someone giving Tony Watt advice..
Am I that Dumb..?
Summa of SimpletonCSC
ASonOfDan
08:58 on 15 July, 2013
Norwich offering us a player and cash, anyone know the player in question?
Probably Beccio. Never gets a game and we were supposedly interested when he was at Leeds.
Hope PL tells Delia to go and boil an egg with her £4m bid and 5pm deadline
Summa
I have the same trouble when reading the nightshift offerings. I think we must have attended the same school. (or didn’t attend – perhaps?)
Dick, Dora, Fluff and Nip csc. (which probably means nothing to anyone else on here)
kayal33
Becchio and cash is. good deal.
kayal33
Rumour last night LA Galaxy had put a £6M bid in for Hooper.
MACJAY BMCW My opinion Aunty Helen Clark was an outstanding leader of a left wing government although definetely centre left. This farmers daughter looked after the whole economy, farmers, business and workers alike. NZ got through the GFC because we had zero public debt. The new ultra right Nats have mortgaged up the Country in a short time under the guise of bailing out banks and financial investmeny pyramids and a legit earthquake and are currently selling anything not nailed down to their mates. The right wing play a longer and more crooked game of theft.
Looks like we don’t get a new striker until the ink is dry on Hoopers sale. Keep calm Celts it will all happen in its proper place. Anyone going to Belfast look after yersels and each other, the zombie packs will be follow following. Be careful.
Yogiy
Many people also consider David Icke to be a truth seeker. ..
ASonOfDan
I think £6m is what we are holding out for. QPR will match that, but will include add ons. but don’t think the player wants to go back to Championship.
Tauranga bhoy- TV showin’ ‘Top of the Lake’ over here
-only thing more spectacular than the scenery is the tattoos.
Well, it starts again for a real in a couple of days. Will this be our earliest ever competitive game?
The fans pay Peter lawell and Neil Lennon substantial Salarys to make sure that we plan for competive games
We trust them to get it right
Saying we are not planned for game this week is unacceptable
Queue at TO of about 10 if anyone’s looking for Cliftonville away tickets!!
twists n turns @ 08:46,
The problem we have if Mr Hooper goes is who scores the goals*?
The thing is not so much the proven regular goal scorer who is going out the door for a healthy profit.
The thing is the several others that are going out the door having proven they are Not regular goal scorers.
No more please, we need someone who is going to take their chances, okay maybe they don’t always get the service they should – so, even more reason to have a player who is going to convert those nuggets.
Austin for me is the only one who could fit that bill…
BUT
Fitness?
Many will point to BBJ and say – so what!
I would say this – and no dig or malice at the Legend and true bhoy Hartson – Where was he in Seville?
So for me.
Doyle – no thanks.
Austin – dunno
Sharp – no thanks
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Having spent more than 3/4trs of my first half Century in the SE of England, I do find much of the Scottish/Irish Sectarianism/Bigotry stuff head shakingly boggling.
Must say the I find most of the American/NeoCon Racist/Supremicist stuff head spinningly discombobulating.
—————————————————————————————————————-
*Statingthebleedin’obviousCSC
DBBIA don’t know it but guessing it is about Rotovegas. About an hour down the road interior Bay of Plenty , people of the land , Tangata Whenua I am guessing. If not then Queenstown and the Southern Alps and Glacial lakes. NZ scenery is pretty awesome. Big tatoo culture here as well ..,, Maori , Pacifica and more than a few Westies. Seen a few good Celtic inks that match the Maori ones.