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.
803 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 22
- »
Weeron apolgies for the ‘m’
EDB
I travel on the train and TBH I find men reading a kindle rather poofish..
sorry if I offend people but that is my opinion…
BobbyRussell
Being a Hun means….
Never having to say you are sorry
What concerns me in this situation is the response of the “blind sheep” who will follow their clubs no matter how obscene the corruption gets- the sort who say: “No matter what happens its about following MY team”. These people need to be hit with a hard slap to the face. These are the faithful stooges amongst our own support who still turned up when Celtic were on the verge of being wound up forever. They will follow their team over a cliff, into an abyss…singing & clapping as they vanish into the jaws of the beasts…these suckers would turn up for a match they knew was fixed…they have no imagination; poor stunted creatures of habit, who see no alternative to turning up for matchdays, no matter how tainted or doctored the final score.
GL2
not saying you are a big plooofter btw… o))
theglasgowcelticway on 6 May, 2012 at 19:48 said
you’re right, I’ll be minted. Average cost of away game is say £20 petrol and £25 ticket. So say 15 games,since I never get a ticket for Paisley or ICT, that’s about 700+ notes!
How can this section below punish a new club ?
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.
BlantyreT
Tut…tut..
Oh dear !
BT
I am offended.Reading indeed, huh!
someone posted on here this morning about cheating and the hun said its becaue I an a Rankers fan..
they have no shame…we need spirit…
wonkyradar
The radar you have for Celtic fans is wonky. Poor show.
sorry bhoys…/ghirls
ElDiegoBhoy on 6 May, 2012 at 19:51:
I most certainly haven’t not fallen out with you mate, just not had any worthwhile texts to send of late…:)
Don’t worry your still on the list.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
1-0 Inter
HH
blantyretim
You been at the Communion wine again?
od dear Milito the tim shouldn’t be on the park never mind scoring…
blantyretim on 6 May, 2012 at 19:54 said:
Being from Blantyre, you’d probably think men who brush their teeth are a bit dodgy as well Oh, hang on! They’d probably be Huns so that’s true.
Celtic til we die….and that ain’t July!!!
Celtic mac..
needs to be that wine as no Port on its way from the oldtim…
eh, hun…
What an absolutely spot on piece from AT.
What I would like to see is the police take the appropriate action against the “man” who instigated the witch hunt (copyright G. Spiers), their manager McCoist. That won’t really address the institutional bias and rampant corruption but it might go to way to make the likes of him and Jardine be careful before stirring up the baser instincts of their “support”.
If it was seen that there was proper action taken by the police for such intimidation, the decision makers might feel free to act as they should.
I messed that up. I blame Inter’s goal for distracting me.
silver city
?
blantyretim
Now you’re talking!
Derek Adams PFA Manager of the Year.
Pathetic.
BT
I think you should consider other possibilities.
I was an avid book reader until I had an operation on my detached retina. Despite a successful operation, I found my vision further impaired and the print in many cheap paperbacks was a bit fuzzy for me.
My wife bought me a kindle and that allows me to adjust the print size setting. It has been a godsend to me.
Craig Burley says “Miller should copy Fergus’ model for saving club”
Sorry Craig but the Bunnet paid his bills and did not run away owing millions to every man and his dug!!
blantyretim on 6 May, 2012 at 19:52 said:
jimbhoy
Charlie?
Thanks – It’s usually Charlie or Joe but it would be good to know for certain – anyone as I have my reason (just a theory, really )
SFTB
do you still look like a poofter on the train? o))
I am at the stage now that I can’t read print due to my reliance on laptop..
Well fair play to Hugh Keevins, he said there is an attitude in Scotland where people will not accept Neil Lennon getting ANYTHING.
Predictable from the best little country in the world.
…………sell Stokes. Play Watts.
Bloke109:
I would never co-operate with corruption wherever it manifests itself. I refused to attend Paradise whilst the old dynasty’s were still sitting at the top table. I will refuse to go if der hun is wheeled back to the top table, wearing a new costume, a wee bit of plastic surgery, but with all their debts/crimes written off…expecting us to pretend nothing has changed.
Suppose there must be something wrong with me…but if you don’t like my principles I have other ones…
If the SPL contains a rangers next season it will be the football equivalent of weekend at Bernies. Rangers are dead and no amount of pretence is going to change that.
Rangers lived in a false position and everyone else lived of the scraps bar us. The press made a living from the succulent lamb and now bleat at the thought of the apocalyptic effect on thier unique profession.
What could a Newco realistically hope to achieve next season? Bottom six? What does that do to the Sky deal? The refereeing decisions would need to be up there with the Mowbray season to come close to getting them out of the relegation zone. It will be poor decisions in games against Newcos new rivals that should worry the likes of Thomson but more so Yorkston et al. Mind you, Dundee United have been a graphic victim of ‘honest mistakes’. They should know that listless detached and cheated feeling very well.
Newco will also face the absolute afront of travelling to every Scottish football ground carrying the debt of cheating on their backs. what players will want to be associated with this. What manager will have the gumption to take on steering such a loathsome team?How could you turn up at someone elses door and ask for a fair game knowing what you have been up to for years behind your rivals back. How could you ever be trusted again? If you were prepared to cheat with tax payers money with no intention of ever paying it back, What else could you get up to if you had never shown remorse or acknowledged your deceit. Mind you, there was no apology for years of sectarian employment. A policy which cheated only Rangers and its support.
Sent an e-mail to Stephen Thompson earlier today. For Sky subscribers who want to say no to NEWCO please e-mail skysaynotonewco2012@gmail.com
URGENT FAO Mr Stephen Thompson
Dear Mr Thompson
I was pointed towards two items today.
One was your interview with Jim Spence.
I was pleased to hear it in that it is much more useful to get a sense of the difficulties you are grappling with when you can hear your voice as opposed to the sometimes truncated written word.
I do believe that this issue needs to be decided by the full membership. It’s completely unreasonable to place the burden solely on the few.
I felt it sickening to hear that you were having to have police protection though no doubt it will give some more of a sense of what Neil Lennon has had to endure.
Let me say I have great sympathy with the issues you face and the decisions you will have to make.
I was also pointed to an article the contents of which I felt were chilling and should give all SPL Chairmen pause for thought.
http://henryclarson.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/commercial-benefits-outweigh-sporting-integrity-official/
Without integrity at its core you don’t have a sport.
Coincidentally I spoke with someone at Sky yesterday regarding this issue. They supported St Mirren
They felt cheating needed to be punished else what was the point in having a competition.
Why was I ringing? Simply to establish timelines for those of us who intend to cancel our subscriptions if there is a Newco admitted to the SPL.
E-mails with subscription details are being sent to
Skysaynotonewco2012@gmail.com so that cancelations can be co-ordinated.
Please understand Mr Thompson it will not only be the paying customer through the gate that you will lose. It will also be the TV deal if no-one wants to subscribe to watch a dishonest competition.
I do hope you make the right choice noting that whilst both may be lose lose one at least has a guarantee of retained integrity.
The other is a gamble with the odds stacked against the disreputable.
Good luck
if the scumbag McCall won manager of the year we really know what countery we live in…scum..
Listen, we know who this seasons best manager has been. Feck the rest.
blantyretim
What does poofish mean? Innocent question.