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. 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.

     

    11:21 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    My fellow Tim.

     

    I can go along with all of that.

     

     

    However,accusations of Party or Group racism, have to be justified.

     

    If that`s o.k. with you ,god.

  2. 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.

     

    11:30 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    Disappointing,God.

     

    You just copped out.

  3. Snake Plissken

     

     

    11:25 on 10 October, 2014

     

     

    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.

     

     

     

    ###########

     

     

     

    Yes people predicted a yes vote.

     

     

    How did that work out?

  4. Snake Plissken

     

     

    11:34 on 10 October, 2014

     

     

    ernie Lynch

     

     

    Hope you enjoy losing your human rights.

     

     

     

     

    ####

     

     

    I recall Salmond (remember him?) on Newsnight arguing that Scotland didn’t need the ECHR because, wait for it, the guy who drafted it was Scottish. The implication was that Scots were somehow genetically disposed to not require any such protection, being by nature unlikely to do anything which might breach the Convention.

     

     

    This was at the time big daft Kenny was decrying the Supreme Court for daring to interfere with Scottish justice by imposing the terms of the Human Rights Act on Scotland.

  5. The Battered Bunnet on

    Geordie

     

     

    Bingo. Knew there was another full back (stretching it with Chris Morris…)

  6. Ernie Lynch

     

     

    You made your bed, you got what you wanted now you must take the consequences.

     

     

    Everything we said would happen with A NO has come true.

     

     

    It will continue to do so.

     

     

    You won’t be thanked or forgiven in years to come and those who were fooled into thinking something better was coming will be reminded every time they see the tears of their children and Grandchildren.

     

     

    Suck it up pal.

     

     

    It’s your fault.

  7. Ernie Lynch

     

     

    I believe I did not predict a Yes victory and was in fact spot on with regards my prediction.

     

     

    I believe you were way out with your prediction.

     

     

    there is no surprise thought eh!

     

     

    i also believe you suggested anything less than a 60\40 was not a mandate either way.

     

     

    or have you changwed your mind on that now that your arse aint squeaking anymore.

     

     

     

    MWD said AYE

  8. Tbb,

     

     

    Camara shares a birthday with lenny and broony. One day after naka uninterestingly enough.

  9. The Battered Bunnet on

    OK

     

     

    So can we settle on the Five (Celtic) Guys Named Mo as…

     

     

    Johnston

     

    Sylla

     

    Camera

     

    Donati

     

    Bangura

     

     

    (Would prefer to relegate the first one. Any suggestions?)

     

     

    LouisJordanCSC

  10. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Still got my stockings on, no tubagrip yet..o))

     

     

    Just had Michael in from virgin media sorting my hub, new one given ..

     

     

    great service.

  11. 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.

     

    11:42 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    Arrogance.

     

    A close associate of racism.

  12. I don’t understand what ‘brand’ is but I sure as hell know that Ashley couldn’t be a better fit to the toxics

  13. I see the nats have handed the job of compiling GP patient records to an American pharmaceutical company.

     

     

    I don’t recall any of the yes mob predicting that.

  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.

     

    12:09 on

     

    10 October, 2014

     

     

    Just for the record macjay1. in case you missed it.

     

     

    UKIP are a RACIST party.

     

     

    MWD said AYE

     

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

     

    Opinion expressed as fact.

     

     

    Nothing more to be said.

     

    Sadly.