Former Bolton Wanderers chairman, Phil Gartside, lost his battle with cancer yesterday. During Bolton’s 18 year Premier League tenure, Gartside wanted Celtic and Rangers in the league, as part of a reorganisation which would have seen a second tier Premier League created.
His motivation was the realisation that English football’s model was inherently dysfunctional. Teams like Bolton would over-commit to the player contracts necessary to keep them in the league, but with everyone else doing the same thing, it was only a matter of time before they finished in the bottom three. Less than 3 years since relegation Bolton face a winding-up order this month over a £2.2m debt to HMRC.
‘The Gartside Plan’ for league reorganisation found little support among his Premier League peers. Each passing TV deal poured ever-more money into the Premier League but the model remains dysfunctional. Those relegated regularly face dire consequences – and that’s before the bubble bursts.
As English and Welsh clubs who have dropped out of the Premier League continue to deal with the consequences, Europe’s mega-rich clubs are unhappy with their return from Champions League football. The relative democratisation of Champions League qualification, introduced by Michel Platini, which sees more clubs from smaller countries reach the group stage, is seen as a problem to some of Europe’s richest.
They want games against Manchester United, not Dinamo Zagreb. So do TV companies and sponsors. The football industry in Europe operates a series of EU sanctioned cartels. These sanctioned exceptions were granted on the basis that football is a sport, not a conventional business. The more top clubs act like businesses, not sporting institutions, the more reason to tear down the walls of these carters.
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Celtic will get their wish to compete in the EPL and ECL when Rangers are topping the league and swashbuckling in Europe again, if not next year then the year after, for sure. The WORLD will take notice about how they have returned from hundle beginnings to being back at the top, and will (justifiably) want to engage with them. They will say, yes, but we demand Celtic come along as well, cos they can sometimes be good in Europe. All in my honest opinion.
“Humble’
Acgr
Can you see round corners
This place stinks
BILLYBEAR
Ah…completely lost the plot now.
Unless you are a Timposter:)
You’re Harry Potteresque view of Scottish Football is a delight.
Sevco wouldnt be welcome in Syria, never mind European Football.
Manchester will never forget you…Thats for sure.
Oh thats right…It was Chelsea fans that caused the aggro:)
HH
Happy Birthday, Cowiebhoy.
Happy Birthday ACGR Mum and wee sister.
CRC, aye, sure.
Sipsini, I know, and painting all done.
ACGR. Think I’ll pass on asking Mrs. Corky about big rubber wobbly things but good to hear from you pal.
Hope you are keeping your handicap down. Talking about golf handicaps I saw earlier that our esteemed Mr. Desmond is partnering Padraig Harrington in the big Pro Am, I think at Pebble Beach playing off a handicap of 10. You should challenge him to a round at Carnoustie.
Billy Bear, thanks for sharing that, I needed a laugh.
Please explain, how can your team return to somewhere they have never been?
I’m planning on robbing a Dutch newsagents.
If anyone wants to help me hold Yohan’s up.
billy whats the rangers european co-efficient ?
do you think you get to inherit the old clubs numbers ?
are you eligeble to compete ?
no signed off accounts ya dafty.
remember when souness changed the width of the pitch after the turks had trained on it.
old cheats, new cheats, cheats forever.
ps, thats the old clubs cup runners up cup. its not yours
Oh, and the explanation must stay within the confines of the SFA’s articles of association and the Law of the land.
No Metaphysical explanations are acceptable.
If Chuckles bought the History he bought it all, so pay the tax, and the face painter et al what they are owed.
CORKCELT on 11TH FEBRUARY 2016 9:02 PM
ACGR. Think I’ll pass on asking Mrs. Corky about big rubber wobbly things but good to hear from you pal.
Hope you are keeping your handicap down. Talking about golf handicaps I saw earlier that our esteemed Mr. Desmond is partnering Padraig Harrington in the big Pro Am, I think at Pebble Beach playing off a handicap of 10. You should challenge him to a round at Carnoustie.
000000000
this guy ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nntGV-Pe3pM
I fancy being Wimbledon Champion, think I’ll buy Andy Murray’s history.
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY Birthday
Cowiebhoy ya roaster :))))))))))))
No? I can’t do that?
Of course I can’t, but you knew that Silly Billy.
Corky. naebody beats me on my home turf, not even Celtic leg ends like KK;s pal Mr Boyd. Itsa godforsaken place……………so it iz
Hope to see you in fun city soon, if not sooner.
smsp
Hello again all you young rebels.
Celtic women eh! what would we do without them? my own wee
princess never had a lot of time for fitba until the dark side had
their little court battle with the tax people it was like lighting a
fuse on a stick of dynamite, she hates corruption on any level and
god help me if she is shortchanged at the shops, I’ve to stand with
half a dozen bags of groceries for ten minutes till she checks her
receipt,now it’s a case of ” ur you finished on CQN yit tae a see if
they fraudsters ur still at it ” but she loves the hoops strip, just as
well, as the wee mhan gives her tons of washing every week but
she say’s she only does it because i love to see them fluttering on
the line every day.
Memo to myself…. get a valentine card today ( or else )
So happy birthday to ACGR’S women and to Cowiebhoy.
H.H Mick
Happy Birthday Cowiebhoy – bet you don’t look a day older than the last time I saw you? KTF!
ACGR ya Mhadi! Good to see you back posting – the blog needs someone to sort out some of the ‘shereen nanjianis’ on here!
Happy Birthday to your Maw (probably qualifies for sainthood for putting up with you) – and your wee Sis!
H!H!
Celtic are in negotiations with Real Madrid to purchase their 1966 European cup title.
As Celtic are the first British club to win this trophy, they now wish to be the first British Club to retain it!!
Rangers where the first team in Britain to win a European trophy. Barcelona 72 FACT
Cowiebhoy
Two of my favourites on the ol blog.
N, many happy returns sir I hope your girls ruined you.
M, ya peanut heided mental case!! They must be special ladies for you to think so highly of them. I hope they’ve enjoyed their special day.
Many many Thanks to you all for the Birthday wishes, on this special feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes
And
All the Very very best wishes to Mum and Sister ACGR, I take it pedro will need to spoil them, as the real Roaster is stuck in the Dubai desert :-)
Hail Hail
ACGR: For Celtic women
http://youtu.be/tjQP9931NhU
Billybear on 11th February 2016 9:46 pm
Awwww can you stay for a while,you are a funny Hun and one of my favorites
Football talk
I think Celtic should be offering Charlie Mulgrew a new deal
I think he is our best Holding defensive midfielder, in fact probably still our best Central defender
Thoughts ?
Hail Hail
Yep!
The W.C. (sponsored by Armitage Shanks) and presented to an Armitage Shank in bowels of a stadium (toilet rolls were used as ticker-tape).
Cowiebhoy: Breithlá sona dhuit.
Melbourne Mick: I really appreciate your help in getting the flags I was looking for. They have been ordered and are on their way to my son in Melbourne. HH
The original Rangers liberated Barcelona from the fascists and were the first club unable to defend a trophy due to a ban for their fan’s behaviour. “Aye trouble”.
Just in and saw the picks for this week’s LMS.
I hope Token Tim wins. I should probably hope that everyone loses, so the money rolls over for next time, but good character/sticking to your principles should be rewarded.
Shame on the other two of you for picking the zombies! Shocking!
(For the rest of you who weren’t in LMS, I am just joking …. I also picked the Zombies last week, and got papped out as a result! …. I should have known …. you can never trust a zombie!)
So who is going to win in this year’s Last Mason Standing competition?
Cowiebhoy
Re Charlie. I think he had his best season when he was centre half and his best is behind him. I would re-sign Sammi and convert him to an Un- (Greek) Orthodox Centre half Boom Boom
HH
CRC
Look at the top picture.
There’s a complete rebuttal to those that say Dermot Desmond never shows up at Celtic Park.
DD at CP
Cowiebhoy 9:52
Not for me.
I seem to be in a minority on here who can’t overlook his conduct in walking off after Ajax winner at CP.
Several have tried to say he did so with consent of the manager but not from what I saw.
Of course he may be biding his time figuring out he may see off the manager.
I couldn’t understand why – if he was felt worthy enough of selection – RD felt he was fit enough to play as a holding MF v EK on Sunday and wasn’t picked for Aberdeen – unless
1) he made a miraculous recovery in 4 days or
2) RD felt he was making a point playing him v EK.
Looking at the two nearest bike starters it is looking like this bike race was for DD impersonators only.
ALMORE
Glad to help, think i’ll be ordering one myself as it’s stunning.
H.H Mick
BILLYBEAR
You have won a watch today.
It neednt be the end.
Gravitational waves…a wee bit of tweaking to the Space-Time Continuum…and bobs yer uncle, yer back to 1690.
Job Done:)
But Rangers are still deid….nae luck.
HH