Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson gave what passes as an unusually honest and frank interview to BBC Radio Scotland before his team beat champions, Celtic, this afternoon. Thompson represents one of the four SPL clubs on the league board who, unless the entire league agrees to change their constitution, will vote on whether a Newco will inherit the void when Rangers die next week.
I’m pretty sure Thompson’s mind was made up weeks ago, he clearly planned to vote Newco into the league, despite misplaced brinksmanship, but he’s been spooked by pressure from his own fans talking about boycotting games if he votes Newco in.
Here’s the dilemma. Gang of 10 clubs have pushed a mantra for years that they have been exploited by a Glasgow duopoly (although clearly they use less accurate phraseology). They complain about “the Glasgow media” and, don’t laugh, referee favouring the “Old Firm”.
Now, if he votes for Newco, he makes a lie of all of this. The power to change one of the key concerns for fans of provincial clubs lies in the collective hands of their chairmen. Can they really pass this up?
It’s decision time. Since Celtic Quick News first raised the alarm on this issue in October last year we predicted that only Celtic would vote against Newco. We are about to find out if we have 12 independent teams in the SPL or 11 Rangers supporters – and if they change the rules to give support to Rangers, this is exactly what they are.
I had a bit of sympathy for Thompson, a first for me. He spoke about the money going into United causing issues in his family and the consequences of losing circa £1m per year in a league without Rangers. Some harsh decisions ahead, if he does the right thing, but the alternative, voting for Newco and having Dundee United fans walk out on the club at the betrayal, gives him what he called a “lose-lose” situation.
I was delighted to hear this. He claimed to be undecided, but at least he is a man who now understands there are huge consequences if he votes for Newco. There are three potential financial hits if he does: some United fans will turn away from the game, Celtic fans will boycott next season and even Rangers fans have threatened to boycott if Newco is subject to penalties associated with their terminal football team. The combined cost of this may be less than £1m but not by much.
There are two extra points for Mr Thompson to consider:
Without Newco in the SPL he and he the Gang of 10 can breeze through their future-revenue-changing plan to alter the voting structure, which should help fill any shortfall. It would be humiliating if they had the chance to deliver what they wanted long-term but couldn’t pass up a chance to help the Rangers.
Also, this is not the end of the road for the terminal football club. Any Newco inheriting Rangers SPL share will also inherit the punishment for the alleged improper Registration of football players for a decade or more. The only appropriate penalty for this would be expulsion from the league.
It’s perhaps best to man up and take the trash out now.
You can buy a hard copy of the new issue of CQN Magazine via Magcloud here.
The graphic below is just for a flick through, to read the magazine go here to it’s dedicated site.
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Celtic have history in taking a stand against wrongdoing.
Bob Kelly – 1952 and 1968.
In both cases, integrity won out.
We cannot condone remaining in a crooked game.
A tough decision awaits.
We have to make a stand.
Notice of resignation will take the story to the World stage, where it can’t be ignored.
I agree with the point that Ernie has been making for months, I.e., as soon as you admit them back into the SPL, because they are “needed”, then they hold all the aces and any so called penalties will be merely cosmetic.
It is still, as it has been from day one, Belfast Celtic or Derry City.
Otherwise, we will be complicit in the corruption.
All the cash strapped scrofulous Newcos could go off and start their own League, based on the WWE,leavin’ the SPL/SFA in the hands of the good ghuys
James_Forrest @ 12:28,
Mr Quinn made the decision some time ago we would not follow an unsustainable fiscal plan.
There was a lot of stick, a lot of frustration since then but we have seen what happened to R@ngers.
Lets get a bit real here RFC spent £250M pounds more than they legitimately could.
The need a further £150M to carry on with business as usual.
Now with that spent and we know the less obvious advantages, transfering out players for a premium, Referees’ honest mistakes, fixing the fixtures.
We kept with them, while building our Academy and matching them on the field.
We are in a better position than every club in the SPL, financially, top to bottom structure and on the pitch. Not only have we got the best squad we are the only club with the wherewithal to sigificantly strenghten next season.
The Board deserve praise for that IMO, the fact that the SPL, SFA, GoT and most of all MSM/RFCia wish to diminish our achievements and drag us down to their level is par for the course.
We know what R@ngers are whether the SPL decide to polish it or flush it away is their concern, we’ll still see it for what it is.
Far too many folk on here are far too quick to use the “i’m the bigger tim than you rubbish”,
we are all on this site because we love our club.I will always love my club,..forever. But if this unfolds the way we think then, I will not renew my ticket and I will not stand by and witness our club being humoured..We are kidding ourselves on.It’d be too painfull.
To think of them lapping it up behind Tommy burns’ back, MON’s back all our efforts all our dreams being cheated from us, year after year and then nothing to come of it after it all comes out?….
The baws burst
˙sʇɹɐʍ ǝɥʇ ǝɹoubı ˙suoıdɯɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ˙ɔɟ ɔıʇןǝɔ ןıǝu /o\ ouɐʞ ˙pʍ sɯɐǝquooɯ on 7 May, 2012 at 08:37 said:
To the ghuy who frequently asked last night re. Who took the captains arm band off \o/? It was indeed Charlie Mulgrew.
MWD
Many thankx Moonbeams. I tried all morning to find it mentioned in ANY of the “newspapers” – it wasn’t , just “brown made way for McGeouch or Mcgeoch came on for Brown. Not even a mention under Charlie Mulgrew in the players ratings. Had all but given up.
HH