It is small compensation that the FA Premier League TV deal for 2019-2022, announced yesterday, wasn’t another 71% increase, like the last time. With two of the smaller packages still to be decided, this contract is roughly comparable with the current deal.
The encouraging sign, for those of us with our noses pressed against the window, is that Sky, who won four of the five packages awarded so far, reduced their price per game to £9.3m, down from £10.8m, committing a total of £3.579bn over three years.
BT, who paid less per game for the current deal than Sky, upped their price for their one successful package to £9.22m per game from £7.6m, committing a total of £885m.
The remaining two packages are to broadcast the entire league programme across two match days each, three of which will be midweek and one bank holiday fixture list. The Premier League hope to entice additional competition from Amazon and Facebook into this space, but it is far from certain these rights will attract significant value. Will 10 games broadcast simultaneously attract significantly more armchair fans than one major game? I’m not convinced.
My expectation is for the final domestic rights figure to slightly underperform the current deal. What the Premier League has in its favour is the value of the pound compared to the euro, dollar and pretty much any other currency of note.
Since the last international rights were agreed, the pound depreciated following the Brexit vote, so foreign TV companies get far more £s for their domestic currency. While this will support GBP denominated TV revenues, it could mask a softening of the underlying value.
It should be noted that Celtic also ‘win’ from the flag waving act of economic illiteracy that is Brexit, due to their Champions League euro denominated remits. One small ray of sunshine in a very overcast ‘sky’.
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DAVID17 on 14TH FEBRUARY 2018 5:19 PM
“I have never had any problems with racism in my career before. This was new for me. I can’t play for a team whose supporters are giving me racist comments.”
Esmael Goncalves opens up on the racial abuse that played a part in his decision to quit Hearts.
—————————————————-
Was gonna comment on that when I read it a wee while ago. Hearts apparently have offered their apologies to his family for the treatment received, which they certainly should. I could be wrong, but I don’t recall any apology offered to NFL when he was punched in the face by one of their fans? Another racist incident. I do wonder if Anne Budge simply does not understand the demographic of the Hearts support. They are huns. Simples.
Catman- can’t see anything on website, Kerrydale not usually open on Euro nights…
HAIL HAIL
CATMAN on 14TH FEBRUARY 2018 5:40 PM
Not advertised as being open on the official site, next game is St. Johnstone on Sunday they are promoting.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
https://stv.tv/sport/football/1408319-hearts-to-apologise-to-isma-goncalves-over-racist-abuse/
Natknow ( same thought occurred to me )
The original statement from Hearts read: “Heart of Midlothian FC can confirm that a full investigation into the events which took place in the second half of tonight’s game against Celtic is underway.
“Hearts is a club which prides itself on its “football for all” policy and these sorts of actions have no place in the game of football.
“We will give our full support to the stewards and the police authorities in the ensuing investigation into the events at tonight’s match.”
With SFA President in waiting Campbell Ogilvie on the Tynecastle board of directors an apology and condemnation of the incident would go a small way to recognising the problem.
While the eyes of the world looked on in horror and shame at last night’s events it appears to be business as usual at Tynecastle with the club boasting of a £39,000 profit for the year to 30 July 2010.
Hearts indifference to the attack on Lennon was matched by the bland statement issued by First Minister Alex Salmond who is himself a Hearts fan.
Before the Scottish election Salmond called a sectarian summit after three Rangers players were sent off against Celtic with the SNP leader believing that that soundbite will help cure some of the evils that that are part of the fabric of Scottish football.
Refusing to name Lennon or Hearts Salmond said: “This sort of behaviour is utterly unacceptable.
“The Joint Action Group formed after the recent football summit is developing the eight-point plan to present to ministers before the start of the new season to tackle all issues of violence and bigotry in relation to football, because we cannot have the safety of individuals endangered by such mindless incidents, and our national game.”
With the indifference of Hearts and the First Minister the international reputation of the self proclaimed best wee country in the world continues to plummet.
Not only was there never an apology, just like Motherwell they never mentioned the Celtic employees name,
– maybe that’s a masonic code?
They did the same with Scott Sinclair and Mikael Lustig who were both abused in different games, at Tynecastle.
Maybe if we spoke out like Esmaël Gonçalves has, we’d get support the only time they lift a Celtic name is when they are getting abuse ( Oh wait that was Craig Levein )
I do not think Ms Budge will be ignorant of the demographic of her support, what puzzles me is the praise from our players and manager about the atmosphere at that ground, recently Sinclair punch thrown at him, Lustig at least twice the ball thrown at him with excessive force when he went to get the ball and the TV companies turning the volume down when it gets noisy, never did like going there ever remember someone firing a pellet gun at the Celtic support in the 80’s when we had the other end, and a lengthy walk to a cattle market where the bus was parked.
voguepunter on 14th February 2018 4:28 pm
Half an hour of Larsson memories…..where’s they hankies?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmZyZyxLuNQ
=====================================
13 min 26 seconds- Henrik in abject agony after his horror leg-break, being carried off the Lyon pitch on a stretcher, and who’s that walking alongside, holding Henrik’s hand by way of comfort, concern writ all over his face? Harald Brattback. What a lovely human being that fella is.
hey bhoys, good evening murder polis, the wifes not talking to me, why because for one thing i had to pay a vet bill on monday for 280 pounds when, frankie and benny got attacked by the 2 pitbulls,now i was not annoyed about paying the bill, but last night the wife took a phone call from cheshire police survey unit, asking about the incident with the dogs and if we were satisfied with the response, i shouts what bloody response you didnt even come out it took 3 phone calls before you even answered, according to you it was dog on dog 2 pit bulls against 2 westies, plus 4 stitches in my arm trying to fend them off, i said to her tell him to shove it were the sun dont shine, was i wrong, any help would be appreciated, in the doghouse.com.
SANDMAN
I agree mhate,that injury knocked the stuffing out of our support that night ,horrible.
Embdae else think Brendan is behind Caulker’s move to Dundee?
Get him fit, see if he fits into Scottish football, sign him in summer for about 250k? He will have an agreed fee in his deal i’m sure…
Bada
No
BP
Wife not talking – I’ll have some of that
:))
Hands Can’t t Hit
£10m is the headline figure. The point of the article is that spend above say the £4m on Ntcham up to £10m does not mean getting a better quality player than we have.
SFTB uses the £7m price tag on Edouard as an example. So far he has shown nothing to justify spending that money on him. And that is the point. You don’t get an increase in quality per million spent. The steps are £10m increments at least.
We could up the spend but not necessarily the quality.
As regards Anderlecht we horsed them as I recall but did so because they were unsettled at the time, supporting my argument that the real challenge will not be met by spend but by having a settled team on the park.
Someone asked why sign Compere? To guard against going into a qualifying game with an Effe at CB is the answer ,and having a player with UEFA competition experience at the heart of the squad.
That he is unfit is worrying in that respect as we run out of games were he can learn to fit in.
As SFTB says the spend more to reduce risk of not qualifying is too simplistic.
Sorry if posted already.
From @sitonfence
The Punishment Fitting The Crime
As a preface to this article I enclose a link – https://t.co/1VPV0NyNTV – to details on the provision of Edmiston House and The Albion Road Car Park as security to a loan from Close Leasing Ltd to The Rangers Football Club Limited(TRFCL) The latter owns the assets. One assumes that TRFCL also owns Ibrox and Auchenhowie or are these still subject to dispute. Liquidating RIFC PLC would be child’s play for the rogue board.
It is not an overdraft. Stewart Robertson was lying through his back teeth when presenting it as such. He was lying through his back teeth when asserting that it was a vote of confidence in the rogue board. One might contend that he is made of the right stuff, a penchant for mendacity, that is high on the list of criteria for the position of Chief Executive at the SFA. Quite incredibly his hat is in the ring. Those who desire a level playing field in Scottish football might as well pack up their tent if someone as compromised as Robertson was selected. Will we return to the revolving door policy that ushered David Murray’s men Gordon Smith and Campbell Ogilvie into executive office at the SFA? The best interests of Rangers Lite will continue to be served by Andrew Dickson, who is the signatory to the loan document. One notes that Dickson had to change the date. Can he not even get this salient detail right? Surely he is destined for a long and fulfilling career at Hampden, unless -horror of horrors – he engaged in crooked submissions to the SFA’s UEFA licence committee of which he was a member. Did Dickson correspond to himself in writing, viz:
Andrew Dickson – TRFCL Director : “I hereby certify that all The Rangers social taxes have been met as they fell due, with the exception of an invoice for two million and eight hundred thousand pounds which is the subject of discussions with HMRC and has not crystallised.”
Andrew Dickson – SFA UEFA Licence Committee Member : “Thank you Andrew. It will be my pleasure to confirm to committee Chair Rod Petrie that all is ticketyboo at Ibrox. Don’t be a stranger at Hotel Du Vin. There’s a very agreeable claret with your name on it.”
One is fully aware that the SFA is an old boys’ club of blazers and brown brogues, but surely corresponding with oneself is beyond the pale? Or is self-certification the name of the game as is the case when submitting the name of a new director? If he’s good enough for Rangers then who are we at the SFA to stand in his way?
My interest was piqued by an article written by Keith Jackson. He was comparing and contrasting the SFA with the SPFL and making a case for Neil Doncaster to not be damned by osmosis to the dysfunctional SFA, despite being a member of the SFA’s Professional Game Board. Jackson highlighted the fact that Doncaster’s 13 strong team yielded a similar quantum of revenue to that of the 180 strong SFA. I’m sure Mr. Jackson will forgive me if I demur as I look at Mr Doncaster and the SPL/SPFL through an extract from the minutes of an interim board meeting which I gleaned from one of my sources. This exclusive was published in jj passim as The Discredited LNS Commission. It can be found in my archive or via a quick search on Google.
Prior to doing so it would be instructive to look at the following SPL rule:
SPL Rule D1.13, in effect from and including 23 May 2005 states:
“A Club must, as a condition of Registration and for a Player to be eligible to Play in Official Matches, deliver the executed originals of all Contracts of Service and amendments and/or extensions to Contracts of Service and all other agreements providing for payment, other than for reimbursement of expenses actually incurred, between that Club and Player, to the Secretary [of the SPL, within fourteen days of such Contract of Service or other agreement being entered into, amended and/or, as the case may be, extended.”
The Rangers players in receipt of EBT were not eligible to play in official matches from that date. There was nothing imperfect yet eligible as the SFA’s Sandy Bryson might have us believe. This SPL rule is unequivocal.
A fine of 250,000 pounds for numerous transgressions of this rule is a travesty. A travesty not lost on Duncan Fraser who remitted the following to a number of individuals, including Mr. Doncaster:
From: Duncan Fraser Sent: 07 March 2013 16:26 To: Ralph Topping; Iain Blair; Neil Doncaster; Stephen Thompson; Eric Riley Cc: Rod McKenzie
RE: Appeal to SFA
Gentlemen, I wish to put on record to you all my position.
The circumstances we find ourselves in is that we have been unable to get together to discuss the outcome of the commission findings face to face, which is most unfortunate as we would all have benefitted from that. I am and never would pretend to understand the way the law works let alone pass comment. Ralph “Clapham Bus” being as far as I would go.
I am at pains to point out that I, like Ralph, find the size of the fine and therefore the punishment to be disproportionate to the scale of the actions undertaken.
Although the EBT Tax case has been appealed it would be fair to assume that the somewhat surprising Tax Tribunal outcome, that these undeclared payments fell out with PAYE and NIC and therefore were “legal” had an effect on the Commission. It seems that they viewed the use of the EBT as resulting in no sporting advantage that Rangers would have received if they had been declared. In which case why were they not declared? I truly struggle to understand that outcome but cannot see how that can be appealed. In summary the Tax Tribunal outcome has affected the outcome here to a huge extent.
Rod’s point that we did not suggest a sanction and were clear in leaving it to the Commission rules out any appeal on the grounds of “the punishment fitting the crime”.
In summary, I do not believe that the Commission came to the correct decision in terms of sporting advantage and we have no grounds for an appeal based on the punishment being too lenient or it appears sporting advantage given the narrow line they pursued. Therefore reluctantly I have to draw the conclusion that the process is at an end.
This has left for me a very bad taste in the mouth. The ill informed, vitriolic comments of some suggest that this case was not worth pursuing. Although I was not on the Board at the time but I believe the case absolutely needed to be pursued. Unfortunately I perhaps naively assumed a different, more, in my view, appropriate outcome.
Duncan Fraser
Chief Executive
I wrote at that time:
“This fix, and it was a fix, was an amateur production. Nimmo Smith was an inspired choice as he had previously covered up the Edinburgh Judiciary’s arses from their solicitation of under-age male prostitutes. Briefs down in chambers was his specialty. As Regan’s arse was hanging out the window, Nimmo The Dimmo was the perfect go to guy.
Regan’s attempt to isolate Celtic, implying that they are acting out of vested interests, will be his undoing. To put it bluntly he’s fucked. Lawwell will have this corrupt Lite-facing jobsworth’s head on a platter and present it to Dermot Desmond. Regan’s assertions also does a discredit to Duncan Fraser and Aberdeen supporters.
Let’s turn our attention to the Rangers argument. As Charles Green refused to engage with the LNS commission, did the Incorrigible Campbell Ogilvie, who puts the C in Compromised, present David Murray’s defence? McKenzie’s second e-mail in Appendix 2b is instructive:
“Rangers argued that since the FTT had held that the benefits under the EBT scheme were not taxable emoluments and since the loans paid to Players were paid by the sub-trusts and not by the Club then the EBT details applying to each Player were not required to be disclosed and Rangers had been right to consider them as not being requiring of disclosure.”
Duncan Fraser is correct in his contention that the findings of FTT unduly influenced the LNS Commission. The Supreme Court has ruled that the EBT scheme operated by Rangers was Disguised Remuneration. The Rangers’ argument is fatally flawed.
Nimmo Smith’s finding that EBT did not confer a competitive advantage is an abomination. This conclusion was not his to give. His remit had been narrowed down to registration irregularities.
As Duncan Fraser asserted, the conference call did not allow for detailed arguments to be expounded upon face to face. Doncaster designed this fix with precision. He did not need an MBA to work out that Eric Riley was on vacation and could be excluded from the mix. Riley would have run with Topping’s assertion that other SPL clubs had been materially disadvantaged by Rangers’ cheating. This argument might have held sway.
In summary, Rangers have never been held to account for not paying their social taxes and enjoying a competitive advantage for so doing. In other less compromised associations King, both Murray’s and Johnston would be banned sine die. Rangers would have their licence withdrawn. If Doncaster wishes to push continuation will he do the right thing and suspend Rangers Lite?
Topping gave the impression in his Scotsman article that the SPFL would circle the wagons to protect the findings of the LNS Commission. However one cannot defend a position that is built on sand.
The review, be it led by Celtic, Celtic Quick News or this site, will be far- reaching. Rangers cheated. Titles must be stripped. Regan and Doncaster must also be dismissed.”
Regan has been dismissed. Doncaster now has an enhanced remit as Chief Executive of the SPFL. Doncaster is fully cognizant of SPL rule D1.13. He is fully aware of the Supreme Court findings that EBT were means of disguised remuneration. He must also be aware that if Rangers had disclosed EBT disbursements to the SPL, they would no longer be effective. This was not a misinterpretation. It was not an ‘honest mistake’ if you will. This was a calculated conspiracy to evade tax. There were 53 side letters, sub-contracts, which so fatally compromised Paul Baxendale-Walker’s loophole that they rendered these EBT as unlawful.
As Duncan Fraser points out, and the odious Rod Mackenzie confirms, there was no appeal procedure apropos the severity of imposed sanctions. Many of the recommendations in the 42 page report are predicated on FTT findings that have been superseded by The Supreme Court.
Neil Doncaster is unlikely to do the right thing. He is a deluded Continuation Jihadist. How long will he hide behind the Five Way Agreement and The LNS Commission’s report?
He is not just guilty by association with Regan. His guilt is in a class of its own.
The part about Andrew Dickson. WoW.
If that doesn’t cry out corruption I don’t know what will.
Still working at the corrupt SFA & not a peep mentioned.
Imo, Budge, Salmond and now Levein are playing to their base demographic. Bigots, one and all. They know they cannot criticise the team from Govan but it is always open season in their attacking us.
Jozo, Boyata, Compper.
Three experienced centre-backs.
That 2 of 3 are out injured at the time of the big game they were assembled for is hardly Celtic’s fault/lack of foresight. It’s called footballing luck.
Yet some will probably greet that we didn’t have 5…
The bad news is that Branislav Ivanovic is just now in the airplane that is non the way from Sankt Petersburg to Glasgow. He is key defender for them. There was little hope in the Morning he could play against Celtic and he was left in Russia.
Mancini said that Ivanovic won’t play against Celtic. Be careful Celtic.
The Hands That Can’t Hit…………It’s interesting to note that Leicester City’s total spend on the team that won the EPl title was a mere 22 million which included two journeymen elderly central defenders in Wes Morgan and Robert Huth who were outstanding mainstays in the team during that fantastic season. Leicester also got to semi finals of the Champions League although they did get a handy draw and are still doing Ok in the EPL this season.
!!BADA BING!! on 14TH FEBRUARY 2018 6:23 PM
Alan Preston said that a few days back.
Radio Shortbread discussing racism……brassneck and blowtorch required
John Hughes – good grief!
Tell you what, John – hold out for Real Madrid. Zidane is on thin ice.
Adi- he played well last night by all accounts, Preston is an agent too…HH
Twitter.
A Rory Bremner joke and a rangers valentine poem do not make up for over a decade of cheating which has gone unpunished. We hear “rangers died” but did they? They seem to still be playing out of Ibrox claiming the same titles as if nothing happened and all endorsed by the SFA
Bada
Next you’ll be telling me they’re discussing football governance
!!BADA BING!! on 14TH FEBRUARY 2018 6:23 PM
Yes, said it on the day he signed for Dundee. Does well he’ll be playing CL qualifiers for us
Roberto Mancini for official Zenit website now.
Question- You played at Celtic Park. What memories do you have from that place?
Answer-The games at Celtic Park are never easy. Celtic has huge number of people who support them. Their supporters give them additional energy that pulls them forward all 90 minutes of the game. The biggest problem my team may face is that we have not played important game for two months.
Nonetheless,we are going to show quality footbal, bring our best on the pitch.
Question-Celtic has no competition in Scotland for a quite few years.Do you think this might be the problem from Brendan Rodgers?
Answer-This might be a problem for Brendan Rodgers, but what I remember Celtic played good quality football in all times. I remember many talks in the past about possibility of Celtic playing in English Premier League. For a time being they are still playing in Scottish Premier League.
Question-How is Branislav doing? What about his eye?
Answer-He is feeling better but he is not 100 percent fit for the game. We will decide tomorrow what to do?
Question-What result would make you happy tomorrow?
Answer-A win tomorrow would make us very happy. That would be decent result for us. I don’t think Brendan Rodgers would agree with me there. We are going to play attacking football, play forward, score the goal and take the best result we can get from here.
I was wasting some time and decided to look at our shameful Smsm , who is Mark Walker of the DR? Are we to believe he received a phone call out of the blue from the Astana manager to tell us that Craig Gordon is shite and so is Celtic under pressure. Or more likely did this knob phone him up to get a anti Celtic story before tomorrow, Jings you have to weep at their depths of hate towards us.
SANDMAN
They’re all s&77e anyway and didn’t cost £6M a piece.
PB- correct, guys should be looking at motives behind the stories.
HEN1RIK
Aye, they died real deid not just twitter deid
If you don’t comply with the same club notion you’re just a Celtic bigot.
orsotheysay CSC
@HANKRAY on 14TH FEBRUARY 2018 6:36 PM
It’s hardly appropriate to use Leicester as an example. Their season was a beautiful fluke and welcomed by every football fan. They also got to the quarter final of the CL which was still a great achievement.
Real v PSG, despite the moral issues and the rest of it, what a prospect in pure footballing terms. Cannot wait for it.
PB
DR in anti-Celtic story on the eve of a European tie shock
Bada
Aye, he’s some size of a boy.
Bada,
This Astana guy must have thought why has a Scottish journalists phoned me up to encourage a conversation about how shite their last European participating team are!!!
The DR showed what they were about last week with the Liam story
Wouldn’t wipe my posterior on it