Congratulations to SPL chief executive, Neil Doncaster, who delivered a remarkable increase in the league’s TV deal with Sky and ESPN; £80m for five years until 2017. The one concession he had to trade, was the possibility that he had to subjugate the link between sporting meritocracy and the commercial imperative.
When news of the deal broke yesterday a Rangers fan was quick to suggest that Sky and ESPN would not have bid on such terms if they had any doubt Rangers would survive in the league, however, later details emerged to prove the exact opposite. The entire deal is dependent on a clause assuring Celtic play Rangers four times each season. If Rangers were eliminated from the league, or even if they failed to earn enough points after an administration penalty to finish in the top six after 33 games, the TV deal becomes invalid.
While this clause was crucial in Doncaster getting his deal it does nothing for the sporting integrity of the competition. It has been five years since Rangers finished outside the top two in the league but if they go into administration, or worse, a fire sale of assets and a point deduction is likely.
The league has now introduced a contractual ceiling on whatever penalty would be applied to a financially deviant club, irrespective of the offense. Doncaster will now also set off to find a sponsor to replace Clydesdale Bank, promising the TV exposure his deal with Sky and ESPN provides. By extension, not only will TV income be dependent on four Celtic-Rangers games per season, so too will league sponsorship income.
Can you imagine the goings-on if Rangers enter next season in administration, with a 10-point deduction and a skeleton squad? Beating Rangers, making it less likely for them to reach the top six, could cost each team in the league millions. Clubs have a clear incentive to ensure Rangers are in no danger of finishing outside the top six.
Neil Doncaster, who is likely to be financially incentivised to deliver TV money, is a member of the SPL board who would decide whether or not to admit a prepack company into the league in the event of an existing club failure. His partiality would be compromised by this deal, so too would other board members from clubs without the liquidity to cope without TV or sponsor income.
While TV broadcasters have a clear financial incentive to lobby for whatever it takes to keep Rangers buoyant, the financial incentives will touch everyone with their snout in the trough, and that includes non-TV media and referees.
This is a dreadful deal as it inserts a clause which compromises the sporting integrity of the competition. Can you imagine giving the team talk to a club, safe from relegation, about to face a Rangers team needing a win on game 33? What about the referee who makes a mistake in Rangers favour, late in the season, under similar circumstances? How would Sky, ESPN and others frame the debate in the event of Rangers going into administration?
I can understand why Sky and ESPN want clause, but the rest of us might as well chuck it.
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overseasbhoy says:
23 November, 2011 at 08:31
‘Papers now saying Brown off to Newcastle for nothing In the summer.’
Good luck to him then.
Who’s his agent?
Brown’s new deal including the agents fee would cost the club £5m minimum
Is he really worth that kind of outlay considering he can only play on the right wing?
Not in my eyes
If this rain keeps up The ole Gazebo will be full to the rafters tonight; we may need to employ bouncers on the doors tonight.
Margaret McGill:
Also from that era…
“He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool – shun him. He who knows not and knows he knows not: he is simple – teach him. He who knows and knows not he knows: he is asleep – wake him. He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise – follow him.”
quack
kitalba says:
23 November, 2011 at 08:50
Margaret McGill:
‘Also from that era…’
That’s a paraphrase of the words of 12th century Persian poet Ibn Yamin
One who knows and knows that he knows… His horse of wisdom will reach the skies.
One who knows, but doesn’t know that he knows… He is fast asleep, so you should wake him up!
One who doesn’t know, but knows that he doesn’t know… His limping mule will eventually get him home.
One who doesn’t know and doesn’t know that he doesn’t know… He will be eternally lost in his hopeless oblivion!
If there is even anything remotely true in the Herald report about WGS and Lenny being happy with Gordpn coming back to us as a consultant I have only one comment.
Mr Lawwell, if money was the issue, get it sorted. Would love the wee man’s knowledge and enthusiasm plus, I believe, love for our club back at CP.
I know he may not have been “loved” by us ins the same was as MON when he was here but I thing the vast majority of us have reflected very positively on WGS since his departure.
Thoughts?
Ten Men @ 8.44
The SB saga is turning into a train wreck.
I fear your blinkered attitude is all too prevalent in PL’s office.
We cannot afford to have a third instalment of the Great Celtic Waste of Money game.
MO’N cost us millions with his now proven inability to work the squad / asset manage 2003-05.
PL cost us millions with his inability to asset manage 2008-09.
Now we are looking at our one major buy of the last 5 years walk out the door for nothing.
If that happens then PL needs to follow him out.
SB has a Market value and we need to realise this.
PL and SB are both playing games over the agents fee.
I fear that SB is working his ticket out the door and the fee issue helps his position.
Consequently his attitude needs to be tested.
If SB leaves on a Bosman then we know the type of guy he is.
If SB is allowed to leave on a Bosman then we know the calibre of PL.
An under contract and performing SB is worth £3mil+.
We cannot afford to lose this kind of money.
You have to ask if he is not worth the effort now to keep him now why did we ever buy him in the first place.
As a buy he is rapidly turning into the CFC version of another SB – the 1970’s version who destroyed MC’s title hopes when he turned up at MR.
Five years ago – relative value – CA vs SB.
One moved away from the OF and made his career.
Another moved to the OF and gradually evaporated.
Who would be a scout? – discuss.
Finally any thoughts on another OF reject rebuilding his career as a creative / CM.
I put forward PMcG – looked off the pace as a CF but has come onto a game at StM.
Not the old mentor debate again.
WGS said on Saturday that he talks to Neil Lennon regularly. The manager also phones Martin O’Neill, we have been told, and I’m sure he takes advice from others too. Isn’t that enough?
Top of the morning to you all from a bright, blustery Fife.
James Forrest is Lennon says:
23 November, 2011 at 00:57
………………………………………………………………………..
The amendments as you say are truly appalling.
Without wishing to go into politics–I voted SNP–I cannot believe how badly handled the SNP have managed this affair.
Incompetent doesn’t do it.
Big Nan says:
23 November, 2011 at 09:15
In a way they’ve done us a favour by letting people see just what their priorities are.
It’s a warning.
Saint Stivs says:
23 November, 2011 at 09:04
So it isn’t true! It’s just a very slow echo.
SB with 8 months left on his contract is not worth anywhere near £3m, lucky to get near £1m in Jan.
The player and his agent hold all the aces.
MadMitch
The fee that SBs agent is looking for is a considerable sum of money. It is my opinion that he should not even be getting a new contract in any case. He has serially underperformed throughout the duration of his tenure at Celtic
Nobody has came in for SB during his time at Celtic despite what the tabloids may say. So we should give him a new 4 year deal at £25k a week just in case someone comes in for him?
ernie lynch says:
23 November, 2011 at 09:06
I knew you knew that, knowing me, knowing you… :-)
Had a wee swatch at the European results last night. Remarkable how run of the mill the results have been for English clubs in the Big Cup.
In our EL group, we can still finish top of the group if we win our 2 remaining matches – home to Atletico and away to Udinese – can finish second if we beat either of Atletico or Udinese, and either of them lose to Rennes. Will finish 3rd if we beat either of Atletico or Udinese and they in turn each beat Rennes, and will finish bottom if Rennes win their remaining games and we fail to get a win.
All of which adds up to….
If we want to be playing in the competition next year, we must beat Atletico at Celtic Park next week and take it from there.
In the meantime, we need 6 points from Dunfermline and St Mirren to keep the SPL interesting.
November could yet turn out to be a heck of a month for Lenny and his pups.
MadMitch
I meant to add i will catch your reply later on today as i have to pop out now
Last minute t-shirt shopping in advance of 2 weeks on the Red Sea :)
Ten Men Won The League says:
23 November, 2011 at 09:26
Red sea???????????
Mind and buy extra pants.
RUNRUNRUNRUNAWAY C.S.C
Celtic 6 Hibs 0
ernie lynch —–
Wind -borne foot-and-mouth disease ?
Yes -remember reading that in Nature . That and coral reefs in the Caribbean being destroyed by a wind -borne fungus originating in those giant logging camps in the Amazon.
No shortage of ” illicit chanting ” at last night’s Napoli – Manchester City game but did like the shouts of ARMADIO ! [ wardrobe ] every time the lumbering , brutish and very Hun like [ in the playing sense ] De Jong was anywhere near the ball ..
Sunny warm [ish ]- not a cloud in the sky -way down south.
Golgstar @ 9.21
Re-read my post.
That is why we have to get him under a new contract.
The issue as described in public seems to be an agents fee.
Against the loss of £2mill+ in his transfer value.
Why Re we in this position?
SB is in the driving seat.
If PL is playing hardball when we are in this position then we have to ask questions of PL’s competency and his motivation for holding out?
Cutting off your nose to spite your face would only be the start.
Does not spending money now and getting back shrapnel in Jan for the player get PL his bonus for 2011/12?
The current SB situation does not make sense.
If it doesn’t make sense. Why doesn’t it make sense?
Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 6
Bucketing down here in North Ayrshire this morning.
Looks like a soaking tonight.
Come on the Bhoys!
Watching Sportscene this morning. It sounded as if Billy Dodds was heavily prompting the SFA to get rid of Steve O’Reilly.
Am I right in saying that the only two top grade refs to have been given the boot ( and I don’t even count Steven Craven) had Irish names?
If so, might not the sacking of O’Reilly begin to look like a pattern?
Or are these people brazen and shame-free?
Celtic 6 ICT 0
Kitalba – what do you think the score will be tonight?
MadMitch 23 November, 2011 at 09:39
The current SB situation does not make sense.
If it doesn’t make sense. Why doesn’t it make sense?
It makes perfect sense to me.
Scott Brown and his agents valuation of the new contract doesn’t match Celtic’s valuation of the new contract.
Negotiations will continue until an agreement is made or time runs out and he’s a free agent or if someone comes in in January who matches Celtic, Scott Brown and his agent’s valuation of a new contract.
kitalba
6 of the best right enough!
Aberdeen 0 Celtic 6
If Lenny is saying our interest in Mikael Lustig is primarily as a right back, does that mean that we will cash in on Adam Matthews (hope not) or not renew Cha or Wilson’s contract at the end of the season, and possibly trying to punt one of them in January?
I know what I’d offer Scott Brown,10 gran p/w,20 gran if you play,that might keep him out of the Tv/treatme room.
Another thing these players on long term contracts,why dont the clubs insist in putting in a clause in the deal that new contract talks must be started and concluded with 3/4 transfer windows remaining.At least then you have a chance of getting your money back..it seems that when these type players are signed,everything is in their favour..
As fir Wee Gordon comin back,there was just something about the jib of him at the weekend,that said he wasn’t that far removed from the club..the way he revered to Celtic as ‘we’,and the thinking he had put into how the title could be clawed back and won..And more than once stated that Lenny was his mate..I think of O’niel and Wee Gordon,the Wee man is the most likely we will ever see back at Celtic park..
Celtic 9 Aberdeen 0
Celtic 6 Rangers 2
As I sit here dreaming of some kind of Utopian future where politicians aren’t self-serving weasels (generally). I wonder if the one way to prove that any anti-sectarian football law is unworkable in practice is to actually put one in place.
kitalba says:
23 November, 2011 at 09:36
cheers for sharing them, oh how I miss Henke, Sutty and Hartson, oh and Lubo, Thommo and Stan.
Seen this one just there , never seen it before, Huns 2 Celtic 3, 1971.
Jimmy J headed winning goal in the last minute.
marvellous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zI1lAdmEo0
We should tell Brown to sling his hook.
He’s world class except for the the fact he can’t pass, shoot, tackle, head the ball or beat a man.
If you combined Sammis talent with Browns heart and energy you’d have a truly outstanding player, so if anybody knows a brain transplant surgeon…..
Di Stefanos testimonial real madrid 0 celtic 1 – 1967
Hamilton 0 Celtic 8
kitalba says:
23 November, 2011 at 10:00
Hamilton 0 Celtic 8
…………
Was that the game in 88 when McAvennie didn’t score?
That was a good day.