Sports retailing and spending what you earn

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You get the sense that the Sword of Damocles is hanging over Newco Rangers.  Some wondered about the sense in Mike Ashley controversially renaming Ibrox as the rumoured ‘Sports Direct Outlet Village’ but having bought the rights to do so for £1, he is now able to leverage this detail in his earlier loan.

He has the retail and stadium naming rights but ownership of the club badge, details of which it appears the Newco board leaked to the Daily Record yesterday, would allow him to control the strips, novelty ducks and other tat, no matter where it’s sold.  Any future shirt deal would need his authority, as it would require use of ‘his’ logo.  Which would inevitably lead to shirt deals being concluded by one of Ashley’s in-house brands.

All this makes sense if you are a retailer with notions of monopoly status.  ‘Rangers’ branded pencil cases, alarm clocks and shirts will continue to sell, no matter in which league Newco inhabit.  It’s a straight merchandise play from the retailer, who is the only person in the UK in a position to exploit clubs going through a hard time, like Newco.

Ashley is thick-enough skinned after sitting through all that Newcastle fans could throw in his direction for years.  He doesn’t need to be liked, and with control over intellectual property like the badge, he doesn’t even need to be the retailer to make money every time club merchandise is sold.  Newco wouldn’t even be able to put the badge on their tickets without his agreement.

In many ways this proposed deal is an inevitable step.  Clubs are enormous merchandising opportunities, the people who can profit most from this are the retailers.  It is, of course, only inevitable because of the state Sir David Murray left oldco in.  As soon as he handed the keys to a liquidation specialist the game was over.

News in today’s Herald that an S&P study makes Celtic the least likely publicly listed football club in Europe to default is likely to sound a little hollow to some who watched us against Accies on Sunday. There are many ways to build a sustainable and successful football team, but none of them involve spending more than you earn.

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648 Comments

  1. I see that our own Wee Ernie Lynch has again been cruely overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize.

     

     

    Honestly. What more does this guy need to do?

  2. jinkyredstar cuts it back for Neil Lennon on

    Brilliant news Gordon BlantyreTim is fit again and might be playing next weekend- or have I missed something :-)

  3. Looks a lot like Che Guevara on

    Mike Ashley is a very clever non conformist. The Sevco pantomine has only one winner and thats MA. He has the cash, the courage and the influence to play a long game if he wishes. The merchandise revenue is only part of the story. Within 18 months he will have sold NUFC with strings attached regarding his brand and intellectuall property and will exit with minimum break even and loans repaid over a period. The zombies he will have tied up and packaged for maximum revenue for him. He will though invest, that investment will be pocket change to him, and in EPL terms will be miniscule but in SPL terms will be significant enough to challenge for the title and that investment will be indirectly paid for by the hordes and not by the creditors this time. Never mind Minty burgers everything for sale will be MA provided.

     

    And whats all the furore about the badge? Brilliant article in the DR, half of it untruths and the rest of it lies.Who actually owns the rights to the hallowed crest? It doesnt say. Could it be our Charlie?

  4. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Gordon_j and Jinkyredstar

     

     

    Don’t know if I’ll be quite ready for next week. Probably back before both Jamesie and Derk though…

  5. jinkyredstar cuts it back for Neil Lennon on

    Gordon – if Ronnie stuck the 3 of us on at least he couldn’t be accused of downsizing!

  6. Richie.

     

     

    What are you doing tomorrow are you making tracks for Musselburgh,Text me what your thinking about doing.

  7. jinkyredstar cuts it back for Neil Lennon on

    Major CQN Veterans page this morning – Gordon, BT, OT and JRS – what a midfield!

  8. blantyretim.

     

     

    Are you fit enough for Musselburgh tomorrow,If your getting considered for the back line in Celtic’s defence you could come to Musselburgh for a wee drink with TNT.

  9. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Oldtim

     

    Twisty was on this morning. He is going to be at mussleburgh over the weekend.

  10. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    lionroars67

     

    09:51 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    But everybody who has seen an actual UKIP campaign knows that their grassroots appeal is simply racist – they promote the idea that it is not the billionaires and ultra-wealthy who are sucking the resources from society, but rather the poor of a different colour.

     

    ————————————

     

    As I said.

     

     

    You`ve posted it.(or perhaps reposted it)

     

     

    Best you can justify a serious accusation with evidence.

  11. blantyretim.

     

     

    (Twisty was on this morning).

     

     

    I know,and Richie has a horse running tomorrow at the same meeting.If he’s going I’ll get on the same train as him and head for the races and meet up with tnt. I’ll have to find out what that Ayr lawyers doing tomorrow.

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Half time.

     

    Melbourne 3 V Western Sydney 1

     

     

    Oz domestic fitba starting to look impressive.

  13. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    ryecatcher

     

    10:42 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    Lest we forget.

     

     

    Ian Archer R.I.P.…”A day out with the People.”

     

     

    We used to share a pint with Ian in the ” Rock.”

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan. The Vow – Critically Rebuked by 45% of this fine nation.

     

    10:56 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

    macjay1

     

     

    Grassroots UKIP and UKIP in it’s entirity is a Racist party. I don’t need to back that up. It is fact.

     

     

    take me to court if you like.

     

     

    MWD said AYE

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————

     

     

    God has spoken.

  15. macjay1 for Neil Lennon @ 10.58hrs.

     

     

    “God has spoken”

     

    ————————————

     

     

    Doubtful,

     

    ” God never ends on a negative, God always ends on a positive ” Ed Cole.

     

     

    HH.

  16. MWD

     

     

    You going to the Hootenanny tomorrow?

     

     

    Would be great to catch up and get that “manly” hug!

     

     

    Hope you and yours are great!

  17. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    twists n turns

     

     

    Hi There, £10 e/w on, hope you have a profitable time in Mussleborough

     

     

    HH

  18. lennon's passion on

    Not long to another article on Rangers. Just don’t mention DEILA is a dud and the crowds are WALKING AWAY.

  19. lennon’s passion

     

     

    If you are not enjoying this blog, why don’t you go somewhere that will appreciate you?

     

     

    I could mention one or two if you’re stuck.

  20. From twitter

     

     

    Some shocking admissions at the Hillsbourgh inquest.

     

     

     

    Hillsborough Inquests have begun for what is set to be another intensive day of questioning. Live coverage here: http://bit.ly/1EC6TvK

  21. Just remember folks the UKIP MP is only the first one.

     

     

    Remember when YES people warned what was coming with a no vote?

     

     

    Everything we predicted has so far come true.

     

     

    Be afraid.