Humiliate your rivals in the Cup Final by putting five goals past them and, if you don’t pay the piper, you pay the consequences. Winning trophies while running up debts you cannot afford to pay is not a viable strategy. The consequences, if you are fortunate enough to survive, has to be painful, otherwise football removes the moral hazard of failure, making Hearts recent experience more likely to happen to other clubs.
Hearts season at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership is the cost of pouring millions of pounds creditors will not receive onto the Hampden Park pitch to hit five goals past a Hibs team, who live within their means. Many other teams were denied progress in the cups, or higher prize money in the league, while the fantasists were building to their 5-1 glory.
Billy Brown’s nonsense about rescinding a punishment for a club who are still in administration is yet another fantasy, but it was fostered in 2012, by the notion that Scottish football can change insolvency rules on the hoof to accommodate a failed club. If you want to change insolvency rules, knock yourself out, but there is near-uniform agreement that you cannot change rules when a favoured club falls foul, in order to benefit them.
This notion that because the rules were not changed to help Newco Rangers into top flight football, Scotland’s reigning Third Division champions would be outraged, is hardly news. The 11 top flight clubs, most of whom appear to be enjoying a competitive ‘Best of the Rest’ league race, and a whole clutch of lower league clubs, would also be outraged if Hearts were advantaged.
In October 2011, when Rangers fate was privately acknowledged, Craig Whyte, Neil Doncaster and SPL chairman, Ralph Topping, discussed this rule change ruse. It should have been a 30 second conversation; declined when first proposed. Instead, Scottish football was put through the real trauma of a fantasy fear of Armageddon. Now everyone who can’t pay their bills think they have the same entitlement to campaign for a rule change – and why shouldn’t they, the tabloids told everyone that changing the rules on the hoof was acceptable.
Hearts fans know this. They are heading for relegation, those I have spoken to have accepted the situation. For them, it’s all about ensuring the club survives and sorting things out for the long term, SPFL results don’t even register. I don’t know any who want to see their club go cap in hand for rule changes, the way Whyte, then Green, did. It’s demeaning and lacks dignity.
This is turning into my favourite domestic season yet. All the ‘They’ve suffered enough’ merchants better get their strategies sorted for the next episode.
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CultsBhoy:
That is a true story. On my childrens lives.
the long wait
Dont agree. They are contaminating Paradise in my eyes!! They can boak ootside.
Kitalba
I fully believe you so he can F-off…any player who doesn’t respect the fans who pay their wages need punted imo…
Jude 2005
Fair point and made me laugh out loud!
HH
I liked Willo Flood. True Celt just didnt work out for him. So please stop giving him grieve on here!!
Interesting to note the seemingly relentless slide to worthless of shares in RIFC plc, now trading at 26p, from 70p at ipo 13 months ago.
David Low a few weeks ago, when it became apparent that the company would need an additional £10M of capital, reckoned their shares to be worth 25p, having factored the need for more cash.
Pretty soon, a matter of days, the shares will likely be trading at below the 25p Low suggested, at which point, if Low is on the money, it becomes an undervalued stock.
In such circumstances, you would expect the volume of trades to increase as the price settles at a more appropriate valuation.
Watch the volumes for a steer. If £10M is considered insufficient to refloat the company, there’s a way to go yet before it bottoms out.
Gordon, the very best of luck with the book.
Which is better for you financially, a purchase of a paper copy or an “e” copy? Does it matter?
You are correct about Allan McGraw. He was a goal machine for Morton in the sixties and they couldn’t do without him…. so much so, that he was cortisone’d up to the hilt on many occasions. Years ago, he was interviewed about it and said that if he had to have another operation on either leg, it would almost certainly mean amputation.
After leaving Morton, he played for Hibs…at left half (go figure, as the Americans say).
justafan
13:43 on
I see posters stating they want the youth given a chance, some of these same posters then go on to say punt Forrest. WTF, I personally think James has the potential to go all the way in the game, when he was in full flight yesterday he was a joy to watch. A great player who sadly isn’t appreciated by a section of our support.
This isn’t something new though, we also had those who derided McGeady saying he wasn’t the real deal. Someone posted over the weekend that he had no end product and invariable lost the ball. All I can say is look at the amount of money we got for him, people in this business don’t usually spend fortunes on players with no end product. He’s now signed for a top 6 EPL side, again not bad for someone who some on here say isn’t good enough to wear the hoops.
It’s like the stick dished out to Pukki and Baldi week in week out, it drives me mad. I’m all for opinions but some of those who have written both off haven’t even seen them play in the flesh.
I’ll wait till end of season before making my judement on either, in the case of Baldi I am prepared to wait till next season as I feel Lenny is using this season to get him used to the SPFL.
Whatever happens I’ll continue to give both my support while they wear the hoops, that’s just the way I was brought up, support the team on the park. Others maybe weren’t brought up that way.
justafan
13:43 on 13 January, 2014OK here goes….James Forrest is the best Celtic ‘developee’ in the past 20 years.
Better than McGeady mate ? HH
Oops there go the Sevco shares again. 15000 sold at 26p. Bit of a shame really. Where will it all end? :-))
THE BATTERED BUNNET
£10m refloat only keeps them going for a year.
They have to waken up to the realities of life,and accept that they have to rebuild from scratch.
Honestly,who in their right mind would hand over the dosh to finance the garbage that is on display,knowing full well it is money down the drain?
The fans won’t. And the institutions seem to be either running out of patience,or circling like vultures.
Which is nice…..
Battered Bunnet
I’m no finance whizzkid but there was a RIFC 2012 supporter on Snyde the other night bleating on about rumours of a ‘Dave King 25p’ clause…. he made no sense whatsoever and was talking in riddles about 25p/£ and al lsorts.
I think what he was trying to say in his deluded madness is that Dave King would step in if the share price fell to 25p.
Obviously Dave King or any other ‘philanthropic’ RIFC 2012 supporter with half a brain will wait until they go bust and buy them for peanuts/ £1 as others have done.
At what point (share price) does the alarm bell start (if it isn’t already) rininging with the sound of Admin 2?
Gordon_J
Great news – all the very best- I hope to be be there if possible
Just a thought – with a hero who does this-
‘The story begins when a local journalist receives an anonymous e-mail telling him to look into a death that the police have ruled as a suicide. Initially there doesn’t seem to be a story … but like any good journalist he keeps digging.’
Shouldn’t your book have a wee subtitle along the lines of –
‘Not lazy Journalism’
It’ll be on my kindle for when my eyeball settles down after the op and a wee signed hard copy might be in order as well
Cheers
CULTSBHOY
At what point (share price) does the alarm bell start (if it isn’t already) rininging with the sound of Admin 2?
Disnae matter,bud.
They all have their fingers in their ears,shouting ” canny hear ye,ya f….. B……”
And do you know? That makes me so happy. They have been warned yet again and choose to ignore it.
HellmendthemCSC
CultsBhoy:
I quite like Kayal, I never really got swamped by the hype but I was disappointed by he vanity. Can you imagine Bertie Auld refusing to have his photograph taken because some hun had just broken his nose.
I did neglect to tell Beram that I had had my nose broken six times over the years that I’d played football and nobody once asked me to pose for a photo with their kids… maybe there was a reason for that.
But bottom line, I’d keep Kayal, I’d just give him an afternoon with MWD booting his arse.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
14.02
I take it that ‘runt’ is your predictive text letting you down again>)
Kit,
not sure what you mean by “…there are era’s and there are times, don’t live in the past.”
If you mean my KD comment that was just because Sean Fallon sold Celtic, not the club itself. I used it to illustrate how the “selling person” can change a player and his family’s mind. You must have heard umpteen stories about a youngster being swayed towards Man Utd when Fergie showed up at their door to get them to sign as opposed to one of the club scouts etc. I heard it of TB also when he was manager of Celtic.
It wasnt about “back then” or the past etc.
And the £30m I stated was only for players sold in the last 10 years or so. Aiden McGeady being chief amongst them, but other guys like Stephen McManus, Simon Lynch, Darren O’Dea (cant mind if Shaun Maloney was there too).
As to the costs of running the respective academy’s, what do you expect mate?
You want a state of the art training facility, it costs money to do that (incidentally £1.5m a year for Lennoxtown!).
Or would you rather we still had Barrowfield?
I honestly dont know where I would go, or more pertinently where I would want my son to go. I know where you are coming from in terms of getting a shot at first team football, but how many actually come through the ranks at Aberdeen, Motherwell even Dundee Utd for that matter?
At least at Celtic you’ll get the most of a fantastic training and coaching set-up, if nothing else. After that its all about your ability and drive.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
eddie I love your post and I totally agree with it. Now I’m not having a go at you but recently you were the one poster I noticed going over the top having a go at Derk. You even went to the trouble of posting an image of an empty space on a football pitch and headed it up as “an action picture of Derk.” I am in total agreement with your recent post but Derk deserves the same respect and patience as anyone else.
CultsBhoy
Is Diddling Dave King not banned from doing business in the UK, I’m sure somewhere in the annuls of Sevconia this is written..
BMCUW
hope you are well sir.
I was with young Bobby Murdoch at the weekend for our Friday night pint had not seen him in a couple of months, as always a pleasure to catch up with him a real gent.
CultsBhoy:
A pertinent question, did you ever play football, at any level, whether it be backyard football, street football, amateur football, junior football or whatever?
The Token Tim:
I recall all that you allude to, and I remember those days fondly, when Celtic were a giant in football, unfortunately then there was SKY.
Paul 67 –
Hearts have already won their biggest battle in avoiding liquidation, just like Dunfermline have.
Relegation is a small price to pay when the alternative is the end to on the pitch history, and having to form a new club to start in the fourth tier.
I really don’t like Hearts but in all fairness nobody involved in their club is attempting to blame outsiders for their problems.
They are trying it on to a certain extent, but they are not the first club to waste their time going down that route.
the long wait
Waddell. “Lawwell is dragging Lennon around the chapel halls trying to sell him to the Celtic fans” Turd of a man!!
And as for the kids, mate – do the numbers.
gdt
yuppt.
THE BATTERED BUNNET
I honestly don’t see any way they can avoid Admin, they have players on contracts that even if they were to sell 50,000 season tickets at £400 a pop they would still be losing money. The only way out of this is through admin and the spivs no it. Other than that I really don’t see where they are going. I see them reducing costs through admin, maybe even letting Fat Salary go aswell.
For me the spivs are now wanting to free up more cash that they can hoover up in fees etc.
The one thing that puzzle’s me is the roll of the Easdale’s in all this as I really don’t see them as being in toe with the spivs.
WHITEDOGHUNCH
I hope one day to finally make your acquaintance-geography etc being the bugbear.
And I hope that Bobby’s wife and son could make an appearance just so that I can tell them something that I hope they never tire of hearing.
Actually,I’ll let my Dad do that. He saw much more of Bobby than I did. And he is much more eloquent.
A player like that,his reputation demands a better epitaph than the insignificant words that I could provide.
Late April,bud.
corkcelt- SUPPORTING THE DAM 5
14:23 on
You are correct in the 1st game in Turkey I constantly asked what he was doing on the park as he wasn’t contributing, I never(I don’t think I did anyway) questioned his ability or whether he was good enough to wear the hoops. Some times players have off games, we all recognise it. I think we all noticed the other night that Dirk wasn’t up to the task and looked out of sorts. The photo was just a joke to highlight what was a forgettable performance from the big fella.
I think I did praise his contribution yesterday though.
DontPatmadug
14:01 on
13 January, 2014
Stephen Mangan @StephenMangan 8m
Bill going thru Parliament to rename August Bank Holiday “Margaret Thatcher Day”. When you stop throwing up-sign this
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52411
—————————————————–
Do the Tories, really, really want Scotland to beat it ?
That looks like a strategy in play right there.
Nir Biton is the real deal. Better than that, it looks like he takes no crap either. Bulked up a bit, he’ll be better than Wanyama–more football and imagination in him. By the way–if I was Davie Moyes I would be looking at young O’Connell. Another cracker.
The future looks good for the Celts, unlike the Norwegian Blues (Future? What future? We don’t need no stinkin’ future!).
Kitalba
I was a reasonable schoolboy and then gave up through illness but played Junior briefly have played amateur mostly and latterly in my mid 40s competetive 5s in GOALS league . I’m a SFA level 3 youth coach running a fairly successful Boy’s Club… why do you ask?
Wee story abt Homer my daughters dog who was put to sleep cos his back legs had gone.
He was put on a special diet to help loss weight and he loved it. His last meal was to be at 9pm and at dead on 8.45 he wd come and sit in front of my daughter with the big sad eyes looking for his meal.The debate that went on between them was hilarious. But the big sad eyes always won.
Jude2005
those that have lost a dog will understand – those that haven’t will never understand…
DontPatmadug
14:01 on
13 January, 2014
Another 1% added to the Yes vote.
bada bing…
Fair to mention Aiden. I loved him as a player for us.
Not much in it but I’d still vere towards Jimmy. I think he has more goals in him as well!
JUDE2005
That is exactly what happened to my mate’s lass’ lifelong pet.
He was fifteen year old,ffs,and should have been put out of his misery years before,tbh.
I went round for a meal and a swally and Nikki let Muttley out while she started to cook the dinner. I called her through when I saw the difficulties he was having.
I’m no pet-lover,far from it,but the heartbreak she suffered was as much as for any other member of her family.
Eddie
Admin might be used as an expedient if they cannot either cut their cloth or raise new capital. Every day that the stock falls makes it more difficult (expensive) to raise new capital, but there are other ways that the business can be remodelled.
Most straightforward is clearly player sales. They ought to be able to raise a few bob this way, which serves equally to increase cash and decrease costs, provided current contract terms are market rates. If they’re paying over the odds in wages then obviously this becomes more difficult.
But hey! They’ve got financial experts left and right, crunching the numbers as we speak. It’ll be a walk in the park for them I’m sure. With that level of brain power and experience at their disposal, it should only take them… 120 days to figure it out…
Still reckon they’ll hive up the assets to the plc, and have Sevco as tied tenant on suitable terms. A property plc and an operations Ltd co. It makes sense, generating income for investors, and allowing a disposal of the football operation if desired. Admin I’d say is unlikely while this remains a possibility, and in any event, with no creditors of significance, Admin really only lets them deal with player contract related costs, which as I say, they ought to be able to manage internally.
As for the Easdales, they seem to be getting quite a profile in recent months. I’d say there’s your answer.