Textbook case of successful football club

285

In years to come, football fans will refer to the Matt O’Riley episode at Celtic as a textbook case of how a football club should conduct its business.  An English-born player, playing for an English club, was signed for £1.5m and sold for £26m, with add-ons hopefully to come.

Celtic have the luxury of being able to recruit and develop young talent without risking their business model.  Signings will not all be as successful as Matt, but they don’t need to be.  Look at any of the great teams from smaller countries who go deep into European competition, they have things in common.

They recruit lots of young talent, loan them out or play them in their first team.  They develop all of these players, very few will not improve and appreciate in value.  Those not good enough for the first team are sold, more often than not at a profit.  The successes are usually sold quickly, with ever-more invested in the recruitment process.

Salzburg won 10 Austrian titles in a row before losing out to Sturm Graz last season.  Even with one of the most respected operations in the business, football can be unpredictable, but you can hardly get a bet on them winning this term (a winning bet would earn a 20% return, more than a high interest account, but not much more).

As you and I discussed recently, clubs should always be ready to trade.  It’s easier to love the model than to get too attached to the players (except Kyogo).  Best wishes to Matt on the south coast.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

285 Comments

  1. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-wanted-150m-takeover-american-33548204

     

     

    Takeover talk at Ibrox.

     

     

    There’s no way any investor is interested in the glory – we’ve got a massive unassailable advantage over them, far more success on and off the pitch and our owners still get very little praise and glory. Anyone buying them knows they’ll be unpopular whatever happens

     

     

    It’ll be all about a return and anyone with half a brain knows chasing Celtic is like chasing a snake.

  2. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Posters quite rightly referring to Brendan’s observation that the recruitment team needs improving.

     

     

    Why isn’t this getting down NOW?

     

     

    Priorities all wrong.

     

     

    Brendan should hand first team to JK and set about overhauling the structure, redefiniroles and responsibilities, overhauling the processes and then recruiting the right people.

     

     

    Could easily get this done by 02 September … then turn his attention to buying players.

     

     

    Oh wait ……

  3. Paul The Spark on

    CELTIC40ME

     

     

    It looks more like moonbeams to give the hun support a lift for the weekend. As you say, there is no return on an investment in them. They have a structural deficit.

  4. CELTIC40ME

     

     

    Regards takeover plans at Rangers.

     

     

    Another girlfriend /boyfriend analogy .

     

     

    Bad boy getting changed by the newest girlfriend…..ultimately she fails .

     

     

    If there is another takeover at Rangers ultimately they will fail too

     

    I hope ……..

  5. BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 27TH AUGUST 2024 6:03 PM

     

     

    It’s the halo effect on steroids. An anti-Lawwell super hero here to deliver us from the evil lawyers and accountants

     

     

    If Brendan were to do everything people think he’s going to we’d have a super human polymath in our midst.

     

     

    He’s clearly a very capable person with a big brain but he is just human being.

  6. PAUL THE SPARK on 27TH AUGUST 2024 6:04 PM

     

     

    I think I that’s also a distinct possibility, but I reckon they’ve been looking for a way out for a while imo and all the messaging recently has been about long term plans and sustainability.

     

     

    Maybe a defection from the doing they’ll get at the weekend

     

     

    Maybe it’s putting them in the the shop window

  7. MARSPAPA on 27TH AUGUST 2024 6:08 PM

     

     

    If it’s not rrrreal Rrrrrangers men I think we could be in for a lot of fun

  8. Burnley78 et al,re Refs.

     

     

    As you point out we have always had refs of highly dubious distinctionwe just don’t seem to get the rub of the knuckle(thank god)

     

     

    I think it was Brendan or maybe wee Gordon,said,we prepare for all eventualities. including their poor reffing,interrupting and slowing play,constant nipping and 5 min var waits which like Sunday will go against us.

     

    We are a better team.

     

     

    HH

  9. bournesouprecipe on

    That awkward moment when Charles Green said he’d seen the email about the Dallas Cowboy’s Sevco takeover. .

  10. JIMMY @ 8:38 AM,

     

     

    It’s a great song…

     

     

    Brilliant story about you as a “nipper”, how the world’s changed

     

     

    Bought “Living In The Material World” a few years later… interestingly one of my most played Albums for some reason.

     

     

    Hope you are getting there big man…

     

     

     

    TAURANGABHOY @ 10:15 AM

     

     

    “Chairbhoy love your opTIMism hope we do have another euro run and final. Hail Hail

     

     

    Well obviously the format has changed multiple times since Celtic were last in a European final

     

     

    However runs in Europa were far from beyond us as our ugly sister has shown

     

     

    We can no longer drop down to Europa so winning and drawing some games in the UCL and a high profile, high value last sixteen playoff place will be awesome…

     

     

    An opTIMists view of our Season

     

     

    Before the year end – League Cup Final

     

     

    February 2025 – Last sixteen playoffs

     

     

    April 2025 – Champions of Scotland

     

     

    June 2025 – The Scottish Cup comes home to Paradise

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. Who would win a fight between…

     

     

    No Trust in Austy and Cameron Carthorse Vickers

     

     

    Hail Hail

  12. This transfer window is doing my head in, can’t keep count of number of names linked at this stage & now some reports are linking, French Eddie & Jota.

     

     

    I would settle for Engels,Trustey & the Barca kid as the minimum result but would sincerely hope for better,

     

     

    If we don’t announce 2 before Friday, I’ll self combust.

  13. Prestonpans bhoys on

    What can I say about Steve Clarke’s interview on Reporting Scotland, a PR disaster , with a definite show of arrogance. Must have inherited that from his SFA chums….

  14. bournesouprecipe on

    Thought I’d just check with the Amazon delivery guy there, “ Who would you sign ? “ 🤷‍♂️ he didn’t know either

  15. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Out all day.

     

     

    What’s this takeover lark I hear?

     

     

    Ho ho ho.

     

     

    That circle can’t be squared …

     

     

    … unless the buyers are fools paying 27p or the sellers fall on their financial swords and take 6-9p for their shares.

     

     

    There are only 490,000,000 of the things lying about.

     

     

    Ho ho ho.

     

     

    Whisper it – due diligence.

     

     

    Sshh.

     

     

    You know that cliché in movies where someone takes a phone call and if a key phrase is mentioned they’re in danger and need to scarper?

     

     

    Key phrase in this instance following due diligence?

     

     

    “BOSS – PLACE IS F****D. GET OUT !”

     

     

     

     

    Shout it – “due diligence

  16. Looks like a full house.Think we will get them All.Augsburg WILL sell.

     

    Bogusz desperate to sign.

     

    Trusty.Think a wink and a nod,with Mikey.

     

    Happy Valle ,sorted

     

     

    There ye are.

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    Mr Bennet you own 27% of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr King you own 49% of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Park you own 48 % of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Face Painter you own 9 % of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Bell RIP you own 12% of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Whyte you own 53% of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Green you own 32 % of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mr Minty Moonbeams you own 41% of the Rainjurz

     

     

    Mel Brooks CSC

  18. What is the Starz on

    Despite all the Bogusz stories of takeover/investors for our great rivals, I still Trusty the Celtic Board ..I think they have nothing to lose but their chains and Mr Engels could be the man to bring us to a different class

  19. Not so long ago the gullibillies,were telling the world,Young Hagi was world class,and would be worth £30 million.

     

    More recently,the big fat fee of £20 million was guaranteed in the near future,by the sale of Todders Tik Tok Cantwell.

     

    Seems both will be “Paid off” to leave by Friday.Oh dear.

     

    Moonbeams,wit they like?

  20. After his treatment in Germany. James Forrest should tell Steve Clarke to ram it.

     

     

    James has been there and done it and should resent just there to make up numbers.

     

     

    HH.

  21. If Carlsberg did happiness. Gub the huns, sign quality players and secure Oasis tickets.

  22. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Greenpinata on 27th August 2024 7:45 pm

     

     

    Couldn’t agree more and remember the SMSM blamed Calmac for our defeat against Germany!

  23. Turkeybhoy on @7:32pm

     

    Not so long ago the gullibillies,were telling the world,Young Hagi was world class,and would be worth £30 million.

     

     More recently,the big fat fee of £20 million was guaranteed in the near future,by the sale of Todders Tik Tok Cantwell.

     

     Seems both will be “Paid off” to leave by Friday.Oh dear.

     

     Moonbeams,wit they like?

     

    ………………………………….

     

     

    Remember when Lawwell tried to outdo them all when he said “Every penny will be reinvested back into the team.”?

     

     

    Then…hidden in the Vatican tunnell underneath the directors box cheap punk Lawwell said – “We are a stand alone club” – just before he put Rangers prices onto Sevco tickets to keep the “Old Firm” games afloat just after Sevco got promoted in 2016.

     

     

    But then…. Lawwell got away with ‘that’ deception because big cuddly DD had just appointed Brendan for the first time, driving Tim’s lala some saying – “No negativity now, the board have just proved that they get us, the mineshafters have been Rodgered, the PLC are with us, etc, blah…”

     

     

    Who would win, the Gullibillies or the Dimites?

     

     

    Play a team outside of midgy 2-child cap infested Scotland and reality will be called a troll.

  24. “Then a friend of mine who is a famous Scottish historian said ‘you’d be the most hated person in the UK’. He goes ‘you know nothing about football, you’d be some American idiot over there’ and I was like yeah you’re right. He is like ‘just go to Rangers games, what are you thinking?”

     

     

    Bartlett responded: “There is a pain equation with buying sports teams, because you are buying a tribe and the chances are you won’t win most of the time. Then you have to deal with Dave from Southampton and his entire life is that football club, and he is p*****”.”

  25. Scullybhoy’s films of pivotal games are reminders of the greats and near-greats who passed through Parkhead gates. Roy Aitken features in two or more of today’s collection and rightly so. More than any other player in May 1979 (Ten Men Won The League.) it was Roy who won that trophy. That night Pat Crerand compared Aitken to the greatest of the Busby Babes, Duncan Edwards.

     

    It’s purely a personal opinion but I suspect that Roy’s versatility hindered his development. He was 20 in 1979 and, with proper coaching, he could have been en route to genuine greatness. I’m not sure but I believe that, back then, Celtic coaches would have thought Roy was the finished article and that further finesse was not required for Roy’s job description

  26. Daghim scores a great goal from Salzberg…

     

     

    A young man who watches his Jamsie Forrest YouTube vids…

     

     

    Hail Hail