Newco cannon fodder plans

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While I was busy telling one of my first bosses how much money we were going to make in a year or two, he made a comment which has remained with me since, “If you don’t make some sales next month, we’ll not be around to find out if you’re right.”

Plans for 2022 don’t mean a fart to a company which is haemorrhaging cash, billionaire funders, nomads and auditors, all the consequence of a two year war of attrition as newco Rangers tried to fight off an insurrection.

There are literally thousands of metrics you can use to compare the prospects of football clubs but let me draw your eye to a couple, which will give you real insight into the future.

Last season Celtic had 475 “full time equivalents” in employment, 318 people in non-football roles and a further 157 in football operations (players, coaches etc.).  If the average pay of those 318 non-football full-time staff was £25k (I doubt it’s this low), their combined wage bill would be just below £8m.  Celtic’s total annual wage bill was £37.766m, total operating expenses were £59.885m.

If you want to win the Scottish Premiership, this is what you’re competing against.

Newco Rangers announced operating expenses (before amortisation) of £15.684m for the six months to 31 December, which included £6.7m wages, covering both football and non-football staff.  If the figures for the second half of the year are consistent with the first that would give them around £31m income and a £13.4m spend wages.  Income is around half Celtic’s expenses and wages a fraction of Celtic’s

What newco need is tens of millions of pounds of investor cash, the £50m Dave King spoke about ‘when in opposition’ is not an overestimate.

Anything they say before “Here is the £50m investment we need” is there to take attention away from the fact that they haven’t said “Here is the £50m investment we need”.  When they say that, they’re in the game, until then, they’re cannon fodder.  When they stop talking about the £50m needed, they know it’s not coming.

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804 Comments

  1. Captain Beefheart

     

    10:57 on

     

    1 April, 2015

     

    Out of interest Neganon,

     

     

    Were Celtic to endorse Irish Republicanism, how do you think that would play out? Would Celtic have to defend the Birmingham pub bombings for example? Would victims of such violence speak out about Celtic?

     

     

    It could be argued that regardless of what Celtic do or say, the Scottish media will always seek to report it in a negative fashion.

     

     

    That being the case Celtic has nothing to lose in speaking out against corruption etc. However, regarding the less savoury aspects of the SFA etc. Celtic, by its membership of that body is up to its neck in it.

  2. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    TBB,

     

     

    Thanks for the concise post on the self inflicted suffering in Govan.

     

     

    What is it about them, armed with the information that you have laid out, that they can create a successful new club, based on the practices of the old one?

     

     

    We have to assume that in spite of contrary evidence, they are not stupid people.

     

    Only their fans fall into that category.

     

     

    To have any chance of success, they will need a heavy cash injection, plus guarantees that they will permanently win the League and also qualify for the group stages of the CL.

     

     

    We know that every assistance will be forthcoming for the former, but, I’m not sure that UEFA will be as compliant.

     

    So, what’s their game?

     

     

     

    PS.

     

    Can I take it that Big Kyle will not be joining us?

  3. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family

     

     

     

    10:53 on 1 April, 2015

     

     

     

    Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr says there is no financial pressure to sell right-back Nathaniel Clyne, 23, or midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, 25, after lending the club another £20m

     

     

    what are these clubs spending their millions on?

     

    —–

     

    I think Boltons debt was over £168million as of last year

     

    shakes head fae side to side CSC

  4. Geordie Munro on

    “CL humiliations and a half empty stadium certainly won’t entice them.”

     

     

    Beefy,

     

     

    You haven’t seen much epl in the cl recently have you?

     

     

    HH

  5. Tom McLaughlin

     

    11:48 on

     

    1 April, 2015

     

    Neganon2 said:

     

    So a straight question Tom – do you believe celtic have participated in the corruption in scottish football?

     

     

    No.

     

     

    By being members of the SFA and not speaking out, Celtic are participating. That is, if there is indeed corruption in Scottish Football.

  6. GlassTwoThirdsFull

     

    11:39 on

     

    1 April, 2015

     

    Battered Bunnet 10:59

     

    Absolutely spot on. They (and the MSM) go on about getting back to their “rightful place”, seemingly forgetting that all the success was built on a completely unsustainable business model.

     

    None of them have yet said how they would have ran the club in 2011-12 with no CL money. Maybe an award-winning journalist might ask:-)

     

     

    Maybe an award winning journalist might ask.

     

    I very much doubt it.

     

    Not one of them has the guts to lay the blame where it belongs.

     

    Right at David Murray’s door.

  7. mea culpa

     

    03:51 on 1 April, 2015

     

    The Saga of Govania:

     

    ————–

     

    A tour de force

     

    A great way to start the day.

  8. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    You know it’s April Fools Day when you see a headline – “Blatter ready to change” ……

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    TBB & Mea Culpa

     

     

    Great work both of you.

     

    Two great posts for entirely different reasons.

  10. I believe Sevco are in their rightful place as also rans in Scotland’s second tier.

     

     

    EC67

  11. Tom McLaughlin

     

     

    11:48 on 1 April, 2015

     

     

    Neganon2 said:

     

    So a straight question Tom – do you believe celtic have participated in the corruption in scottish football?

     

     

    No.

     

    _______________________________________________________________________

     

    Tom – Neil Lennon was made Celtic manager and was – initially – allowed to bark at the establisment-rattle the cages-go toe to toe with the hun-then….he was reigned-in….the ‘boreds’ erses collapsed…they then, allowed themselves to be coerced into attending a gov-summit coz…Neils team got….’3’…players booked…since then…the establishment have been given the ‘nod’ from PL-etc…to pursue Celtic supporters to curry favor with the establishment…the ‘bored’…brought in Paul McBride QC(RIP) to…publicly…fight Neil Lennon’s battles….but, privately…PM / PL etc were spelling out the end of the Green Brigade on the oiuja-board inside the Celtic ‘bored’ room…Celtic FC are run by serpents…funded by brain-washed-sheep…who probably think the ole Jungle was in a scene from Jurassic Park…who have the nickers kidded-off them by a couple of ‘cheap’ Rory Bremner jokes from ole piss-ripper-pete-the-bonus-king.

     

    The Govt-Summit was the cue for the Celtic Board to demonstrate to the football world that….Celtic are club who stands alone…not one which is easily bullied by the pygmies of ‘lord’ it over Timdom coz they know the Celtic ‘bored’ are afraid of civil-unrest from the peepul.

     

     

    Aye….ye couldny make it up…..

     

     

    …..oot.

  12. Neganon2

     

     

    Great post, which a couple of the usual suspects have made a half hearted and rather feeble attempt to rebuke.

     

    The facts are Celtic are up to their necks in it. Peter Lawell, Dermot Desmond and i hate to say it Neil Lennon hang your heads in shame.

     

    Just at the time of DD Rangers are great interview Neil Lennon performed an amazing u turn from saying they should be stripped of titles to we need Rangers back.

     

    Your points are irrefutable and when listed together really does shame the football club.

  13. Cathedral View on

    TBB,

     

     

    Excellent post.

     

     

    You’re right to point out the same business model was continued under Whyte but I’m not sure he had sufficient time to implement adequate change to prevent the wheels from coming off (If he ever intended to).

     

    Whyte took control in May and their manager had them out of the CL in July and the EL by August.

     

     

    After that, it was about keeping the doors open for the rest of the season for them. So I guess you could say it was a success. :-)

     

     

    cv

  14. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    I have been thinking about the love we Celtic fans have for MON who has for me done nothing of note in management since he left Celtic. Has any ex-Celtic manager improved his management CV since they left Celtic ? I cant think of one it seems to be the pinnacle of there management career has been at Celtic maybe something for Ronny to think about or perhaps he has already sussed it out.H.H.

  15. Well between TBB and mea culpa, my early rude awakening was worth it.

     

    I would have hated to have missed both when I normally awake to the new thread.

     

    Thank you guys.

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JOEFILIPPISHAIRCUT

     

     

    Martin O’NEILL and Gordon Strachan are the fourth ex-managers to manage at international level,so they can’t all have been rotten!

  17. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    I have to agree with Neg Anon 2 and Kev Jungle that Celtic are culpable in there silence of helping the Rangers to struggle on.We the supporters may not want the Rangers back in the SPL but that is not what our board want and they are comfortable ignoring the views of the Celtic support who they regard as a cash cow.H.H.

  18. FourGreenFields on

    TBB

     

     

    Excellent piece , saved for future reference or to slag the Huns with :-))

  19. I see the HUNS and succulent lamb nut snacks are all pizzed of about THEMS getting f….d for £500,000,well! now they will know how 276 creditors felt when they F….d them for Millions, Karma a wonderful thing.

  20. Delaneys Dunky on

    JFH

     

     

    Good point. Jock Stein and Gordon Strachan (if Scotland qualify for the Euros) are the closest any Celtic manager has had to success after leaving us. Ronny is here for the long haul, hopefully.

  21. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Bobby Murdoch. I didnt say anyone was rotten I said the peak of there managerial career was at Parkhead.I dont see managing Ireland or Scotland a step up from managing Celtic.H.H.

  22. West End of East End on

    Not read back, just in from the ticket office, 1 & 1/2 hour wait this morning…

  23. NegAnon2

     

    10:45 on

     

    1 April, 2015,

     

     

    Same old,same old.Get a life.Try and post,just once about RD,Broony,Nir,VVD,Denayer.The possible treble.Is that beyond you?.

     

    What I do know about the Board is they will do anything that helps Celtic.If that includes wanting the Huns back in the league,so be it.It might be unpopular with most on here,myself included,but none of us run the finances.The story so far is the Huns would need something in excess of £70 million,just to catch us if we stand still.They are doing something right in this era of austerity.

  24. TBB,,

     

     

    A superb post.So far removed from the guff from,Jackson,Lindsay,etc.And they are paid to write their drivel.

  25. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JOEFILIPPISHAIRCUT

     

     

    And I didn’t say they were great,haha!

     

     

    Can you name the other three?

  26. FourGreenFields on

    west end of east end

     

     

    Check out TBB AT 11:48 and Mea Culpa at 03:51 . Both well worth a read for different reasons .

  27. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family

     

     

     

    10:07 on 1 April, 2015

     

     

     

    Sporting Lisbon game was probably the best game I watched from the Jungle

     

    —————————————————

     

    It’s a contender…but best ever from jungle was ten men won the league game.