Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson’s comments to yesterdays’ Herald are worthy of attention. During the summer, when United received a £1m bid from Rangers for David Goodwillie and Blackburn Rovers were hovering, Bank of Scotland, took an active part in the deliberations. Thompson told the Herald, “The bank wanted me to take £1.2m for him, but I said no to that. I had to stand up against the bank.”
Thompson more than doubled the money on offer for Goodwillie, allowing him to shave over £2m off their bank debt, but this exchange took place only a few months after the same bank told former Rangers chairman, Alastair Johnston, to accept the bid for the club from Motherwell born thousandaire Craig Whyte or the bank would demand same-day repayment of Rangers borrowings.
Bank of Scotland, part of Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), are significantly exposed to Scottish football and required a taxpayer bail-out two years ago, so although their interference in the running of clubs could seem overbearing, we shouldn’t be surprised at it. It’s business, and if you are employed at LBG with a responsibility to your taxpayer-shareholder, it’s necessary business.
Fortunately, Celtic are free from such interference, as are Rangers, thanks to their aforementioned benefactor, but if a liquidation event at a large club threatened income streams to the league I would be amazed if the Bank didn’t use the ‘Vote Newo FC into the SPL or repay your borrowings immediately’ line.
Stephen Thompson, who sits on the SPL board, might not have a choice on whether or not to vote a Newco FC into the SPL ahead of 30 Scottish Football League clubs, but he and his fellow board members will be able to set the tariff on any exceptional league entry to what would become a financially privileged football franchise.
12 seasons of cumulative benefit from financial mis-dealings should result in 12 seasons of penury at whatever points rate the league calculate benefit was accrued. For one scenario I have in mind, around 15 points per season sounds fair, with an expunging from the records of any trophies ‘won’ by Financial Doping.
This is measured, deliverable, is in the power of the SPL board to impose, and sets a minimum moral hazard to inhibit future mis-deeds.
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twists n turns,
No hassle mate.As long as you despise Duran Duran you’re alright in my book.
If you haven’t already,check out Fleet Foxes.I reckon you might like them.
FOREVERANDEVER!!!
@BABA
If i may. I suggest yer granda heard first hand
what is bein regurgitated{is that a word} right this moment in musical time.
I know if i had heard wee richard and his roknroll i would have wet my flannelette
nappies at first time of discovering heaven.
fromclassicstolastweeks H.H
Celtic_First says:
12 January, 2012 at 23:03
Defo my last post tonight – Grianne’s just fainted after trying to escape Kraal Reach – so I’ll keep it short.
Totally agreed. I posted earlier (this afternoon??) that any currently existing amateur team has more of a right even for a place in the 3rd division than a NewCo would.
And to follow from what I posted earlier: does anyone else recall the doomed attempt by a group of businessmen with a fronted £4m kitty to enter a Dublin City team into the Scottish Football League back in 1985/86/87-ish?
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. Twists and Turns.
Gled ye Agree.. Pally.
That tells me that Ye a Man of Distinction.. wan who
.. well.. Agrees wi’ me..
Fur there urnae too Miny of Them. aboot!
Jist read this Lyric.. taken frum a Auld Song..
and it is Accompanied by a wonderfu Tune,tae.
written..
Circa.. NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TEN..
“Ah wiz raised oan CUCUMBER..
and oan Ma Wedding Day,
When the fun wiz over..and the Guests hid Gone Away..
Ma Old Darling Said tae Me..
“You Must be Hungry, Joe,
Is there Anything Ye Fancy?”
And Ah said..
” Fancy? Don’t Ye Know?”
( All Taegether Noo… wi’ Gusto!)
Ah like Pickled Onions..
Ah like Picallilli..
Pickled Cabbage is Alright…
Wi’ a Little Cold Beef
Oan A Sunday Night..
Oh..
Ah kin go .. Tomatoes..
But
Whit A Dae Prefer..
is..
A Little bit lof Cucum.. Cucum.. Cucum..
A Little Bit o’ CUCUMBER!!”
Noo that’s Lyric writing at it’s Finest..
Agree?
Lady Gaga.. eat yer hert oot!
Kojo
yer pal.. who likes ye aloater
setting free the bears says:
12 January, 2012 at 22:38
Just to clarify, my own repayment scenario envisaged a draconian repayment schedule over as short a period as the the viable business being run under it could support.
£15M to £20M up front from player sales and £10M a year thereafter.
HMRC get £20M back they will not get other wise and the Rangers support can show just how good a support they are by turning out in sufficient numbers to watch a team of around Hearts/Aberdeen quality for a couple of seasons and pay the back tax. If they do not after one season HMRC wind them up £20M up.
Good movie the Devils Double, Reminded me of Rangers. That Uday Hussein got away with absolutely everything….then he died.
Celtic First
newco have no right practically and definately no right morally to get into the SPL….
i cannot see HMRC wearing this and i feel they may claim against them ……if they don`t it would set a very dangerous precedent
clubs don`t pay their tax …liquidate themselves …start again debt free in the same stadium ,in the same league
in such circs why would any club pay their tax
And we complain abt the weather???!!! This is horrific!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQqmp9OOE1E
BABASONCOS71
Thanks for your kind words. HH
Auldheid
huns don`t support bad hun teams
if they had to sell all their good players and became SPL also rans ….they`d be lucky to break even such would be the paucity of matchday support
twists n turns,Drambowiecelt,
I love and miss all my Grandparents every day but there’s only so much Ink Spots and Mario Lanza a person can take. ;-)
Here’s another potential unfairness in the Vote Newco back in on a soft landing campaign.
Let us imagine that the current First Division ends in a tie between Ross County and either Falkirk or Dundee, both teams with the same goals scored and conceded. After a play-off decides which team gets the place vacated by the relegated team, do we then offer the place vacated by Bankrupt Rangers to newco or the deserving First Division co-champions?
Let’s not vote for Barabas again
Baba
I’ll be sure to check that out and my revered review will be forthcoming…..BUT… and I am sure you will agree, they will need to be very special to compete with the lyrical miracle that Kojo has just gifted us. I’m humming my own tune to the lyrics now…..cucum cucum cucumber dee da lee dee
Gnight CQN – gowfing at 8am…….
sleep well.
Philvis Look-A-Likee , Al Bowlly……
Britain’s first-ever Rock Star ..he sang with tears in his eyes…
Eat you’re heart out,Bowie and Ferry..!
He died in The Blitz,you know…..
A very young Jobo Baldie tinkling the ivories on this particular number…
Al Bowlly-Love Is The Sweetest Thing
….PFayr says:
12 January, 2012 at 23:17
Aye, it’d be grand though, eh?
:-)
Crap, why am I still posting?
Right, that’s it. Goodnight.
Again.
@baba
Good man all our efforts to divert the conversation from yawn newco
for a short time are being challenged lol.
did you know the first number one in the charts was al martino???
here in my heart?? no? well ma faither reminds me every weekend
and you think youve got it hard.
So, I’ve been reading the article on The Away End tonight, and the “Two moments which changed the season” and I have to say, I disagree with both of them, although the article itself isn’t half bad. The writer argues that the turning points were Celtic coming back against Kilmarnock, and the Steven Naismith injury. She’s wrong, on both counts.
Why do I disagree? Cause the incidents she’s talking about both came in Oct…ober, and Rangers moved to their 15 point lead in early November, so neither the Naismith injury or our comeback at Killie mattered all that much in my eyes. Rangers continued to win after that injury, and we went on to drop more points against Hibs. Those weren’t the crucial moments.
So what two were?
Rangers dropping points the weekend after they opened the gap was vital. We had beaten Motherwell to close it to 12 points, and we needed that, but we also had to take an early psychological scalp, and the following weekend they dropped 2 at home to St Johnstone. That, for me, was critical and it was made more acute by our victory over Inverness, away, in what has typically been a tough game. Our team could have been haunted by their last visit to the ground, but they grafted, and got a result.
That weekend, as a turning point, is hard to argue with. The other …. People think I am mad.
The other turning point was Kris Commons turning up for training in a neck brace. Yes, that’s right. A banal act, something which seemed insignificant to most, but to me carried great psychological weight. Watch the body language of Neil Lennon in the press conference where he talked about it. It was as if a psychological weight had been lifted off his shoulders. At the time our club was mired in doom and gloom. That incident lifted the darkness. It seemed a light-hearted stab at the press, and it certainly was, but it was also a great unifying gesture. Whatever had happened between manager and player, and maybe split the dressing room, was put on ice. Commons, laughing it off, was saying it was all forgotten about and forgiven. And we have not looked back.
I felt, watching him on the news that night, as if something magical had happened; that’s the best way I can describe it, like it was a gesture that lightened the whole mood of gloom I was feeling. I guess I wasn’t the only one, as we have won every domestic game since, and in the process turned out some good performances in Europe.
Call me a romantic, call me a fool … but that was the moment, mark my words, which changed the mood at Celtic. That result at Inverness, along with Rangers dropping points at home, altered the psychology at Ibrox. For the first time since the season began we had momentum. It’s carried us to the top of the SPL.
Oops…should have been “The Very Thought Of You”.
Sorry,Jobo !
When in season 1951/52 Celtic were told to stop flying the flag of the men who founded our club, or be expelled, Bob Kelly told the SFA that Celtic would not surrender to this kind of bullying.
He stated clearly that he would NEVER bow to such a threat, no matter the consequences.
That he would choose extinction to surrender.
That he would sooner play Gaelic football than be bullied by bigots.
I only hope that today’s custodians of our club have some vestige of Bob Kelly’s courage & integrity.
Celtic MUST NOT allow our corrupt rivals to go unpunished for the blatant cheating that has allowed them to so shamelessly accumulate so many tarnished prizes.
We truly are at a crucial crossroad in our history.
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective
The Mills Brothers?
Heavenly. they wur.. pure Rhapsodoohickeycal.!
Wull never be a Better singing Group..
and.
Whit aboot those Andews Sisters..??
Could they no Jive and Jump..?
Gosh..we wull never see thur Likes Again..
If ye goat a chance.. Go oan tae Youtube..and get them singing..
“The Boogie Woogie Bugler Bhoy Far Company “B””
That’s Ma Kinda Entertainment…
And .. Finally..
How aboot..
Ma All Time Favorite Lassie Singer..
“Dinah”????
Miss Dinah WASHINGTON”
Hmmmm Hmmmmmmmm Hm Mmmmmmmm
“September ,in the Rain.. Whit a difference a Day Makes…
Those are songs tae Die fur..
..
Gotto Go.. Pally..
Nice chatting..
Kojo
yer pal. who thinks ye are swell.
Good Night Scotland
Good Night Ireland
Good Night Wales
Good Night England
Good Night Canada
Good Night New Zealand
Good Night Australia
And
Good Night.. Bill Binnie, wherever you are.
Kojo
PF Ayr
I like the moral debate. I feel at home with it.
I like the other ones too, that you legal chaps and the accountant types and the football administration experts are having. I like them all.
Morality. Oooh. It’s a bit special. I am going to have to sign off until tomorrow, but I am looking forward to continuing this.
In discussion yesterday with another of South Ayrshire’s very finest legal minds, we agreed that there has been a real change in the mood music since we gubbed Rangers, or since new year. Lots of people who insisted the insolvency event would not happen now seem to accept the inevitability of it. Naturally, the discussions have turned to what happens next, and it’s brilliant.
Mrs First knows I’ve been trying to follow this story as closely as I can since 2003. She just shook her head tonight when I told her things were just beginning to get interesting. I haven’t heard the front door slam, so I think she’s still here.
James Forrest is Lennon,
A very shrewd observation, my friend and I totally concur with your views.
Does anybody think uefa are looking at the goings on here ? I’m sure they are btw.
Will uefa intervine and tell the sfa that integrity will have to come into play here ?
Naw didny think so, the handshake crosses many borders I’m afraid, who else would employ shug after he had been given his jotters ?
The games a bogie.
Kilbowie Kelt says:
12 January, 2012 at 23:26
‘We truly are at a crucial crossroad in our history.’
I agree with that.
The worry is that the Celtic support are in boiling frog mode and by the time they realise what’s happened it will be too late.
Auld Heid
“£15M to £20M up front from player sales and £10M a year thereafter.”
You assume that they could sell enough good players to raise that kind of sum. I am unconvinced that McGregor and Jelavic sold would bring as much as £10m to Ibrox cumulatively. I don’t think any other player in their squad, apart from Davis, would fetch over £1m. Seriously, if they sell all their first team 11, they would not get what you set and their rump reserves would neither be good enough to compete with Aberdeen & Hearts nor generate future sales of £10m.
Do they even have 16 senior players if they sell the first 11?
Unfortunately, in Scotland, natural justice does not always prevail.
Therefore, in the event of any soft landing, or, in the event of a newco, entry to the SPL, Celtic’s position should be clear.
All that is required is to adopt the position taken re Extensiongate 2.
Stand up for the integrity of the competition. Nothing more, nothing less.
We did it then.
We do it now. If not, why not?
Does integrity have a price? Are some issues more honourable than others?
Was the integrity of the competition more important in 2008 than now?
It is easy for me to say, “I’m not going back.”
Like TET, geography is my enemy.
But, if Celtic acquiesce, by that I mean accommodate a newco, then, for the first time in my life, I would be ashamed of my club.
My generation and my father’s generation before me, identified with Celtic’s struggle. It was the same struggle that we encountered in our daily lives.
What sustained us, in many ways, was our connection with Celtic. We stood shoulder to shoulder with people who shared our everyday experiences. Celtic’s experiences were identical to the hostility that we endured.
Should Celtic compromise our integrity, then for me, it is over.
James Forrest
On a daily basis People on here come up with what I’d call a delightful read. That for me was Todays one. HH
Kilbowie Kelt
In your heart of hearts, what do you think the club will do ?
@kilbowie
been down to the crossroads.dont know how crucial
but been there.
robertjohnstoncsc
James F
Fair points.
However, without the comeback at Kilmarnock we may have a different man in charge in the dugout. It was a hugely significant event in the turn around in our season.
Drambowiecelt,
.
That’s me learned my “something new every day” fact.Cheers for that.
My ow man was a Beatles and Zeppelin man so i actually quite enjoyed it when he put his vinyl on.
By the time he moved onto Phill Collins i was old enough to have my own collection so i was able to dodge that torture.
As for Newco,not really my thing.I only like talking or thinking about that mob when they’ve suffered a defeat on the pitch.Apart from that i prefer to leave them out of my daily thoughts.Although i hope they suffer greatly for their sins.
Anywho,i’m off for a cuppa with the Mrs.
“Do you know you’ve been looking at that Celtic site thing since before 7 o’clock?”
You know how it is.
G’night fholks,laters.
FOREVERANDEVER!!!
thomthethim
if they compromise our integrity to all newco in
then CFC will no longer be the team that i have supported all my life
they can get on with me too
“Peter Lawwell appears to be the person who is the head and chairman of the sporting integrity committee for the SPL.”
Who said that?
P.S.
Serge,
No problems bud.
@baba
lol gnite fellow tim.
hamiltontim
if there had not been a comeback aginst Killie then the game was a boagy
Lenny would have jacked it ……he said as much
One for the road! Day over http://youtu.be/FIW98QcdloI