HMRC’s case against St Mirren, raised because they allegedly failed to pay Kieran Doran the National Minimum Wage, has brought the professionalism of our professional game under analysis. Doran’s first contract as a 16-year-old was for £1 a week, which was apparently never paid. The player subsequently wanted to give up the game for a trade (to study medicine) but St Mirren refused to release him from his contract.
By any reasonable measure this is amateur football. There’s nothing wrong with amateur football, in fact it has great potential, but NOT paying someone £1 a week cannot be described in any other way. St Mirren will not be alone.
I made no comment last month on Newco’s reluctance to pay holiday pay as I thought this was something of an open secret. Holiday pay as been a legal right in the UK since 1871, but at the periphery of our game some clubs just don’t pay it. I’ve spoken to an SPL chairman who openly admitted to the ‘ruse’ (not Celtic, before you ask).
Newco are far from alone on this matter, indeed, I would be amazed if top flight clubs were not guilty. The keenness to contract players from July to May is substantial, I reckon lowering some clubs payroll by 8%, while leaving no time in the calendar for players to take paid holidays.
We should stop pretending there are two distinct groups of clubs in Scotland: the amateurs and semi-pros of the ‘non-leagues’, and the 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs. St Mirren are one of the biggest and best community clubs we have, they have enormous potential to thrive as such, but I seriously doubt their credentials as an economically viable professional club.
More than 30 other Professional League clubs would also be better served trading with a Community League mentality. Developing the potential of local kids and engaging with their community, without the burden of trying to compete in a worldwide talent pool.
The majority of Scottish football clubs were founded in the 19th Century. It seems like no one has subsequently asked: what is our purpose, why are we here, what will our future look like? Without considerable change, the best future 30 clubs can hope for a decade from now will be suffocating indifference, at worst there will be lots of all-seated follies wasting away.
Reminder for tomorrow:
There are new season tickets issued, if your old ticket is still in your wallet, swap it out or you’ll not get in to see the Mighty Celtic tomorrow evening. If you don’t have your new ticket, better get along early to sort it out.
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PCS
No idea. Don’t think players where told they would feature
Parkheadcumsalford and KevJungle , belated Happy Birthday
Lennos passion
Do you know what Age ?
Was told by a dad in work whos boy plays pro youth about u14 or u15
that best player in league by country mile was a HIbs striker.
Celtic were offering all sorts of money but I am sure
he said the likes of REAL MADRID were interested.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
lennon’s passion
16:57 on
14 July, 2015
Celtic with another signing Kieran McGrath was on hibs books. Young striker
SoT …
haters gonna hate, hate, hate …
shake it off! shake it off!
(if you could see me, dancing around my office, doing my best Taylor Swift moves as I sing this to you…. trust me, you’d be dying of laughter!)
:)
jc2
17:30 on 14 July, 2015
The boy is 15. Seems to be a star for hibs.
Mike in Toronto….
I believe that CTV will have this and the next round.
The final qualifier – called the Play Off – is, I believe, owned by Uefa and will probably be on Sportsnet over here.
I understand the challenges of fitting in work around a very fluid Celtic schedule. I found a solution.
I retired….:)
Owen
You cant be serious about that job advert in Ulster Scots Whahey
or can you
Weeron …
If you can convince the lovely KT that she needs to keep working (or perhaps, work even harder) as I need to retire so that I can spend MORE time watching Celtic …. well, I will buy you all the beer you can drink when we come for our visit in September! deal? :)
PS… can I be there when you explain this to her?: This should be fun! :)
That sounds about right age.
The Dad said he was by far the best player he had seen
through youth ranks
unless Hibs have sold us his partner { : > ))
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
lennon’s passion
17:34 on
14 July, 2015
jc2
17:30 on 14 July, 2015
The boy is 15. Seems to be a star for hibs.
test
The Taylor Swift CSC kno how to deal with criticism- we just shake it off.
We are never ever getting back together with ole South of Tunis.
Testing
Hibs must have been complaining about Dundee Utd supplying Celtic with all their good players, as that is historically A Hibs chore. That’s why Celtic took Kieran McGrath off of them. True story. In fact, FACT
So there
mike in toronto @18:06 on 14 July, 2015
“Test “made it as far as Houston!
HH
TC45
DBBIA
For a moment there, I was worried that it was the image of me dancing a la Taylor Swift that had crashed the blog.
KimKardashianCSC
oops! I did it again!
… although that wasn’t TS, was it? I think that was Britney Spears….
PoptartsCSC
MikeinT- if the ole bhlog had more images of excellent CQNers dancing a la wee Taylzie it would be a much happier place.
MikeinT- we’re savin’ wee Britney for the ole Poppy debate.
Congratulations to wee CQN lurker for her Second year at Uni finishing again, with a distinction.
A chip off her beautiful brainy maw.
Funny thing is though every time I see wee Taylor Swift I can’t help but think of Miss Piggy from The Muppets…
Pep Guardiola – translation – Joseph Piggy Bank
Taylor Swift was named after James Taylor.
Allegedly.
HH!!
billybear
18:11 on 14 July, 2015
—————————————
Aye. Celtic practically paid for the construction of Hibs stadium.
We put Dundee United FC safely in the black, also doing our utmost to ensure the survival of other SPFL clubs like St.Mirren.
Your dead club on the other hand defrauded Scottish football out of tens of millions of pounds and then attempted to kill football when yous were in the process of killing yourselves.
Good riddance to the parasitical frauds,cheats and blaggards.
Yous aren’t missed.
HH.
starry ….
Ms. Piggy was actually based on (and a homage to) Miss Peggy (Lee) …. true story.
Who or what is Taylor Swift?
Jimbo67
Ms Piggy,?
This is great -( IMO )
Is That All There Is ? : The Strange Life of Peggy Lee . – James Gavin ( Atria Books ).
Same guy’ s biog of Lena Horne – Stormy Weather – is well worth one of your book tokens.
starry plough
18:24 on 14 July, 2015
Funny thing is though every time I see wee Taylor Swift I can’t help but think of Miss Piggy from The Muppets…
——
I can assure you I don’t!
HH jamesgang
I think wee Harper Lee has played a blinder, interesting to hear what the ole CQN book club reckon.
mike in toronto
CQN a place where you learn knew stuff every day..
I never knew that about Peggy and Piggy:))
I’m thinking of taking up spelling sometime soon:))
SoT …. Lena Horne was lovely!
Jamesgang @ 18:39 ….. nearly spat my drink on my computer there!
Peggy Lee was from Jamestown, sadly not the one in the Vale whose [as far as I kno] only claim to musical fame is that the mighty Nazareth recorded one of their LPs in the Lennox Scout Hall.
several of the muppets were based on real people ….. Dr. Teeth was Dr. John, Animal was Keith Moon, Janice was Joni Mitchell …I’m sure there are others, but I cant recall them …
bsr … congrats!
MiT
Ach there’s life in this auld dug yet!!!
HH jamesgang
Kermit the frog was based on pat Nevin.
Fact
I notice Weeron didn’t take up my offer to tell KT that she should be working harder so that I can retire…..
ah, well, I guess I have to go to work tomorrow.
Anto Stokesy leaving? Only his most devoted of followers will be upset. Thank goodness. Only problem is that we haven’t secured/invested in a better striker. Still, there is time I suppose.
Bronx bear was based on broxi bear,
Both unfortunately were mad insane bigots.
Chew backa in turn was a Tim and a member of the rebel alliance CSC which flew out of the saltmarket