If anyone tells you we are about to bid €7m on a guy who scored fewer league goals than Billy McKay last season, and who was signed for €500k last summer, don’t listen to them. Nonsense like this is 180 degrees away from strategy. Where would such a player’s sell-on value increase to? It’s just not going to happen, nor should it, it would be a vanity purchase, the likes of which old Zsa Zsa himself would consider.
The last season we have figures for (season 2011-12), when we had Europa League football, Celtic lost £7m. Since then three significant things have changed:
We’ve sold Wanyama and Hooper for over £17m (before deductions).
We got back into the Champions League and earned an additional £20m.
Season book sales dropped and this season cost £100 less than before.
Cutting £100 off the ticket price will bring in £4m less than last season. All other things being equal (which they will not be), this would give us an £11m deficit before Champions League income and any trading surplus. In short, to retain equilibrium, we need to reach the Champions League group stage more often than not. Money from Uefa is not so much a bonus, it is necessary to push us into the black.
I know we covered this last week, but £17m for Victor and Gary will not, on its own, equate to £17m for new players. Gary and Victor were both on their first Celtic contracts when they left, neither of which was near the top earning position (although both were offered top earning contracts).
We’re not going to spend £17m on transfers and be able to pay the new players from the money saved by not paying Victor and Gary. Instead, the boost to the football budget from these sales will almost certainly disproportionately increase wages, leaving a lesser amount for transfers (if we sign four players for £2.5m each, we’ll probably have to pay each more than the average of Victor and Gary’s wage).
Knowing where they came from, I reckon Victor and Gary cost approximately a combined total of £1m p.a. in wages, the bulk of which would have gone to Gary. If we bring in four players, each costing multiple millions, they could easily cost us an extra £2m per annum in wages, or £8m over their four year contracts.
In short, there is enough money available to buy several good players, for decent money, on high wages (for Celtic). This is a good, sustainable, place to be, but it is not transfer window nirvana. We have moved from a position of carrying a perpetual loss to being able to afford an increase in football budget without splurging into debt to fund it.
This isn’t a detailed budget analysis, there are lots of other variables (McCourt, Rogne etc off the wages, not Murphy, whose wages were off the books already), non-football budget cost inflation, considerable drop in one-off ticket sales (20k seats for £42 each at Rangers games twice a season) and commercial income from 2011-12, variations in season book sales (I hear they are marginally up on same time last year but still down on 2011-12).
The big challenge for the club is to ensure the playing squad is good enough to qualify for the Champions League group stage, and to compete when there, more often than not, without indulging in casino football every year.
We stick to plan, scout and recruit players within budget and with high potential sell-on values. €7m on a striker from Heerenveen? Better stick it on black.
The Kano Foundation have around 40 bucketeers for their annual drive at Celtic Park on Sunday. They could do with a few more. If you can do your bit, get in touch: contactus@thekanofoundation.com.
Check out the 1254125 Great Scottish Run page. I plan to keep this page updated with progress on the event and other resources. When you sign up, let me know and I’ll promote your donations page.
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Only Celtic know how good Sammi is in goals. Gets a game wide left cutting in, because he prefers it.
Celtic set to break the Manhattan Transfer record.
Chanson d’amour CSC
Good to see that Dunfermline have been saved with the agreement of a CVA. Hopefully they will exit administration in time to avoid another points penalty for the new season.
Well half time and Shaktar are 1-0 up
Good to see the holding company agreed a CVA today :))
BSR
Agreed. I also have inside info from CP that Forster will be taking all the short corners tomorrow.
bournesouprecipe
Every team in Europe fears Samaras when we play them. Tells us all what we need to know. I agree with you. Play him where he feels comfortable and let him show his qualities on the pitch. Give him the ball in the right areas and he will score. Europe is his arena and he hasn’t let us down. No wonder he is happy at Celtic!
LB
Gordon J
They have been punished enough already!
Is Leroy Vyrgils grandaddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Sb-D_7Qws
79caps
St Patricks Athletic knocked out Karagandy 2 years ago I wouldn’t worry too much.
Did we find out who was pictured going into Celtic park yesterday as it ain’t the Dutchman.
Samaras must play on the left,can use his pace and he creates so much space for others.
When Mark Wilson Was At Dundee Utd..
He Often Played As A Box-To-Box Midfielder….
And Looked Very Promising In This Role..
He Had The Makings Of Another Roy Keane…
Without The Malevolence….
We Never Used Him In This Role….
And His String Of Injuries With Us Ended What Was A Very Promising Career…
He Played In The Same Glasgow Schools Youth Team As Aidan McGeady…
For Years…
No signing announcements yet?
My suspenders are killing me.
Have we missed anyone yet?
I’m guessing that is is a well known player these guys are speculating about,not the Icelandic bhoy?
Marc O’Hara @marc_ohara
Derk Boerrigter in the foyer of CP before he went in to sign #1stsnap saying he was amazed at the stadium #niceguy
If that was ole Shane Lowry in that picture, then I’m a Dutchman.
http://t.co/QgBwKsuYcC
Californian jail to allow inmates to upgrade cells for $155 per night…..
HotelcaliforniaCSC
It’s important that Samaras has facial hair for this match tomorrow.
#Gettheweethingsright
Looks like it was Schipol to Heathrow – for cover
Kayal33
Is that our guy in the green?
anybody read ‘The dream of the Celt’ – came across it a bookshop today – it’s by a nobel prize winning author from peru – wtf is he doing writing about casement – anyway might pick it up, Robert Tressell – have you come across it ?
Zagreb have been punished for racist chanting with a fine and an order to close part of their stadium for their next European game
http://www.uefa.com/uefa/disciplinary/news/newsid=1977606.html
Judging by that photo, Boerrigter has brought his own youth development prospect with him.
Listening to Hotel California is worse than a prison stretch.
That’s what the Punk Wars were fought for.
#Lestweforget
Malone Bhoy
at 14.32
Hmmmmmmmm
Noo.. Ah am no being funny.. Ah am ,in fact, being dead serious..
when Ah say…
That Ah absolutely Disagree with your stated Assumption,regarding Efe’s Character.
when you say :
“Efe, does not have the Composure or Speed of Thought to play in the Center Mid.”
My assumption of Efe’s Qualities are ..
Diametrically Opposed ,tae whit you hiv Opinioned, concerning those Qualities.
Fur
Ah Declare… that Efe is Exceptionally.. Composed, Cool and Efficient, on the Ball.
and He oozes Confidence,as he goes past His Man with ease and Aplomb.
Nothing, the matter with his Speed of Thought ,eethur.
Opinions, Opinions, Opinions..
It never fails to Amaze me, how ither Folk, canny See things the wey Ah Dae!
Kojo
Still Laughin’
Hope that’s not our double signing in that photie
Celtic Mac
14:58 on 30 July, 2013
Yes, he’s the guy from the photo last night, the £6m+ man. The guy on the left is some Dutch dud who’s taking Paddy’s place on the bench (or treatment table)
I got a letter from my doctor this morning saying I must have daily sex.
.
.
.
I think I must have dyslexia.
cavansam @ 14.49
So St Patricks knocked out Karagandy, who knocked out Bate Borisov, who beat Bayern Munich in a group stage CL match. That St Patricks must be some team!
Embdy got a summary of this Boerrigter? What r his strengths?
BTW. Nowt wrong with Callos. Tripe that disnae taste like tripe – an breid t mop up the juices, whats not t like? A few glasses of vino tinto required beforehand mind you, to gird yer loins as it were
MSM will be distracted for a few days trying to spin how a CVA for Dunfermline, is just the same as Sevco.
Scratching Heads CSC
STEINREIGNEDSUPREME
Hotel California?
Jee-zoh,anytime The Eagles are played on the radio,I hit the mute button for a few minutes.
Same wi Coldplay.
Shudders…..
“We have always wanted a CVA in order to preserve that history.”
– Chortles Verdi
Yorkbhoy @ 10.19 said:
” 16- Any player sold by Celtic will get better the longer he is away.”
Judging by his improvement alread, by Christmas, Gary Hooper will be the greatest striker we have ever had.
“These are the Good ol` days; just you wait and see.”
JJ
Ok bhoys.
Countdown to work starts now.
One thing concerns me though. As soon as I start working from home I am off the sick.I gave full pay for 26 weeks but as I am due back in hospital next april again this sick leave is a rolling year.
I asked my employer to give me my phone and laptop several weeks ago in order that I work from home. If next year goes bad I feel I havw missed iut due to my employers negligence. .
Glass half empty com