Reconstruction in the time of near-universal insolvency

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It fell to Elgin City chairman Graham Tatters to call out Hearts chairwoman, Ann Budge:

“We go and put the two teams who are bottom of the league in charge of the reconstruction talks.

“I just feel all of this is being done just to find a way to stop teams going down.

“We’ve lost out on the chance of promotion but when the resolution was put out to end
 the season it was a no-brainer for us.

“I’ve got no problem with Neil Doncaster and the SPFL. They are
 doing what they can and have been fantastic at getting
 information to all the clubs. Someone had to make the decision – there was no point fannying about.”

Tatters moved on from not fannying about to the crux of football’s problem:

“People are scared to say it but we might not be playing until Christmas, or even until they have a vaccine.

“Forget about playing behind closed doors. We have a real problem here. Reconstruction talk is a bit of a joke – it’s a total red herring.”

It is impossible to decide how many teams should occupy each league on a temporary two-year basis (which Budge hopes will give her enough time to avoid relegation) if you do not know how many games it will be possible to play next season, what cash flow there will be in the game or how many professional clubs will remain in business.

If Motherwell and Kilmarnock cannot sell a match ticket until January, and then only for around a dozen home games, will they want the league’s commercial income distributed 14 ways instead of 12?

With so many clubs sitting precariously on the edge of insolvency, do you expect them to vote to reduce their share of the pie?  I think Ann Budge will meet resistance in her plans to reconstruct Scottish football on a temporary basis to allow Hearts to avoid relegation.

Reconstruction is in the wind, but will look different to what many imagine.  Pretty much all of the community clubs, occupying the bottom two leagues in the SPFL can cut their cash burn to near zero and survive, the same is true for some in the Championship, with Alloa  and Arbroath.

The vast majority of the rest will have to go into administration, make relatively high-earners redundant, in order to survive.  How else can Aberdeen get through a £1m per month cash burn?  There will be a Bonfire of the Vanities, from Edinburgh, to Aberdeen, Dundee and, of course, Govan.   The same is true across Europe, most particularly, in the English Championship.

There is an almighty reconstruction ahead, but I don’t think anyone can imagine what it will look like yet.  Dare we hope for the biggest change of all?  I’m not sure.

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283 Comments

  1. whitedoghunch on

    Auldheid

     

     

    treat yourself to lunch at Cail Bruich when over

     

    Chris owner and chef did some time in Noma so some Danish in Glasgow’s west end

     

    don’t ‘mind mentioning them as he has given for us or Kano before

  2. THE BATTERED BUNNET on 21ST APRIL 2020 12:34 PM

     

     

    I should bloody hope so as a club who have been on the wrong end of TV and UEFA fueled player wage inflation for years.

     

     

    Although football without fans is nothing, football without competition is also nothing.

  3. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Greenpinata,

     

    Of course you are, your told to.

     

     

    However, prior to the full on propaganda war, RT was sweeping up the awards for news channels because all of their articles and programs where fact checked with sources all identified, that has not changed, the only thing that has changed is the overt change in policy of the west who are trying to resume the cold war mentality.

     

     

    The US senate investigation I referred to can be found online, when a US senator’s main objection to RT, is that they tell the truth, then there’s not a lot else needs to be said.

  4. glendalystonsils on

    As to the best films debate ,it’s quite simple really . Almost anything with Jack Nicholson or Gene Hackman in it

  5. whitedoghunch on

    Just spoke to Oldtim

     

    he was knackered from gardening all day

     

    And prepping to paint his hut tomorrow

     

    in good form

  6. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Russia Today – Russia’s version of the BBC, difference is they don’t do the “sources said” or “inside sources revealed” routine, if they can’t quote they don’t publish.

     

    There’s your main difference, nothing expected to be taken on trust.

  7. Who said the guidance isn’t clear

     

     

    Living Life Our Way

     

     

    As we enter the next 3 weeks of lockdown here is a summary of the advice:

     

     

    You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house.

     

     

    Shops are closed, except those shops that are open.

     

     

    You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work.

     

     

    Gloves won’t help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not.

     

     

    STAY HOME, but it’s important to go out.

     

     

    There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some.

     

     

    The virus has no effect on children except those children it effects.

     

     

    Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there.

     

     

    Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point above).

     

     

    You will have many symptoms if you get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms.

     

     

    To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it’s better not to go out shopping.

     

     

    It’s important to get fresh air but don’t go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant or if you’re not old or pregnant but need to sit down. If you do sit down don’t eat your picnic.

     

     

    If you are sick, you can go out when you are better but anyone else in your household can’t go out when you are better unless they need to go out.

     

     

    You can get restaurant food delivered to the house. These deliveries are safe. But groceries you bring back to your house have to be decontaminated outside for 3 hours including Pizza.

     

     

    You are safe if you maintain the safe social distance when out but you can’t go out with friends at the safe social distance.

     

     

    The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours … or four hours… six hours… I mean days, not hours… But it needs a damp environment. Or a cold environment that is warm and dry.

     

     

    Schools are closed so you need to home educate your children, unless you send them to school because you’re not at home.

     

     

    You should stay in locked down until the virus stops infecting people but it will only stop infecting people if we all get infected, so it’s important we get infected and some don’t get infected.

     

     

    You should maintain social distance at all times, but everyone can gather closely on bridges to clap once a week.

  8. UEFA are no different to the big 5 leagues in that they’re desperate to complete their tournaments and meet their contractual obligations.

     

     

    I don’t expect that to change anytime soon although at some point the pretence will have to end.

     

     

    As for us, the special case provision mentioned today and to be fleshed out on Thursday will most likely allow smaller leagues to call it a day.

     

     

    I hope the SPFL wait but I suspect we’ll be 9 in a row champions a week from now.

  9. What is the Stars on

    Casablanca

     

    On The Waterfront

     

    Duck Soup

     

    Unforgiven

     

    Three Billboards

     

    Mystic River

     

    The Day of The Jackal

     

    The Great Escape

     

    The Mission

     

    Easy Rider

  10. Tobago Street on

    SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 21ST APRIL 2020 4:27 PM

     

     

    Excellent post! Well worth the read!

     

     

    Someone posted yesterday that what is happening in the USA is ‘the revenge of the stupid’. I take that to mean the uneducated, cos education is hard, driving a pickup is easy. The behaviour of those Americans can be summed up in the following sentence; I think it was an anti vaccination believer who uttered it. ‘Pffttt, Doctors, what do they know?‘

     

     

    T

  11. Spotlight

     

    The Town

     

    Casino Royale

     

    Erin Brokovich

     

    As good as it gets

     

    Taxi Driver

     

    Margin Call

     

    Dumb and Dumber

     

    The Departed

     

    LA Confidential

  12. SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 21ST APRIL 2020 3:13 PM

     

    Top 3 Horror movies of all time

     

    1. The Davie Dodds video

     

     

    2. Rangers winning a league

     

     

    3. Piers Morgan talking about anything

     

     

    ——-

     

     

    Not generally a fan of Piers Morgan, but he has done a brilliant and vital job holding the Government accountable for their catastrophic handling of the COVID pandemic.

  13. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    ADI_DASSLER

     

    Indeed , they are working flat out trying to administer a shocking benefits system

  14. Canamalar,

     

     

    Thank you

     

    I believe Dominic Cummings would agree wholeheartedly with your endorsement of RT.

     

     

    HH

  15. One theory about this thing is that it hits harder in places where 5g has been installed.

     

    Wuhan is a new 5g city (the first?) and they had the phenomena of people dropping like flies in the street.

     

    No 5g in India and most of Africa and so far not been hit too hard by whatever it is.

     

    In Scotland I think Edinburgh has the most 5g and some now going up in Glasgow.

     

    Hundreds of satellites that are part of the system already been launched .

     

    Of course “they” want it rolled out worldwide and as fast as possible.

  16. To wee me, the answer to the league situation is simple. once the ban is lifted, play the remaining games and if needs be, play only each team twice next season. I mean, we can get a man on the moon ffs!!!!

     

     

    KINGLubO

  17. !!Bada Bing!! on

    D17- agree,Morgan is one of the few interviewers who gets in about these slippery %$#@$,and doesn’t let them off lightly, his hounding of government ministers, is a highlight of these dark days.

  18. Film Noir 🎥

     

     

    The Maltese Falcon

     

    Strangers on a Train

     

    In a Lonely Place

     

    Kiss Me Deadly

     

    Notorious

     

    The Third Man

     

    Touch of Evil

     

    Sunset Boulevard

     

    Double Indemnity

     

    The Big Sleep

  19. Scariest movie I ever saw was-

     

     

    A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

     

     

    mmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!