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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So, it’s in everybody’s interest (referees included) to ensure that Rangers AND Celtic never finish lower than 6th in the league regardless of any transgressions they make?
Carte blanche then for financial doping, fielding ineligible players, breaking stadium rules etc. In fact it means they can get away with anything and the other clubs will allow it as it would affect their existence if they complain.
Well, that’s it then. What is the point?
Tell Sky/ESPN to stuff their money.
Paul67
The bravest thing you’ve ever written.
THE EXILED TIM says:
22 November, 2011 at 10:53
Logic tells me that if a weakened hun/newco team are struggling to make the top 6 the referees will step up to the plate.
This deal is a CHARTER TO CHEAT.
………………………..
Actually it makes cheating legally required
The Exiled Tim
Just as Newco FC, if it succeeds in convincing the world it isn’t really Rangers (for fearing of having to pick up a few of the defunct club’s bills), will have no claim on the hearts of Rangers fans, it may find it has no claim on the hearts of the SFA high heid yins.
How about that, eh? A level playing field. Everything that is wrong with Scottish football can be wiped out at a stroke here with the demise of Rangers. It’s fantastic.
Full Scottish Cup draw.
Ross County v Stenhousemuir
Livingston v Ayr/Montrose
Raith v Morton
Hearts v Auchinleck Talbot
Cowdenbeath v Hibs
St Johnstone v Brechin City
Stranraer/Forfar v Aberdeen
Culter/Partick v QoS
Inverness v Dunfermline
Falkirk v East Fife
Motherwell v Elgin/Queens Park
Arbroath v Rangers
Peterhead v Celtic
Airdrie Utd v Dundee Utd
Dundee v Kilmarnock
St Mirren v Hamilton
LB
The Honest Mistake (Sickened)
Actually we have more power then we thought, why don’t we tell the SPL that we’ll refuse to play ball unless they ensure we win the league every other season. We will play badly deliberatly and end up outside the top six just to destroy their precious Gers and their TV deal.
Why pretend it’s even football anymore?
Anybody get any ideas what to do with a spare £1000 and free weekends?
If Rangers are allowed back in if they go under then it is an absolute joke. However is there other forms of punishment available? i.e. 3, 5, 10 year ban from playing in Europe?
The more I think about it, the more I reach the conclusion that it (the clause) is simply a statement that SKY get to broadcast CelticvRangers games in the SPL and ESPN do not and at worst it allows SKY to renegotiate the match payments for the final part of the season should Rangers finish outside the top six.
Any other conclusion is unworkable.
LiviBhoy says:
22 November, 2011 at 10:57
Come on Arbroath
Peterhead away? What’s the capacity of their ground?
Does Doncaster have a twitter account?
This deal could not have been agreed without the consent of the Cetic board, old firm, Stand firm together, only loosers, the Celtic support, but thats ok, this board know how to keep you in your place, just ask the Green Brigade.
greenjedi says:
22 November, 2011 at 10:56
It has just rubber stamped the cheating to be allowed to continue.
Does this carve up pertain to this season if it is a new deal which hasn’t started yet?
The thing is it is unlikely they will be allowed to disappear and I think we knew that. We cannot change their cheating history but we can lobby to have every trophy they won while operating the EBT scheme should be made null and void.
Beyond that I am more concerned that they get their penalty THIS season of 10 points. They won’t finish outside the top 6 this season with that deduction.
Given how poor the SPL clubs are on and off the park with a couple of notable exceptions Rangers minus their expensive players would probably still compete well enough against the other sides to be top six anyway and I for one would enjoy them finishing 4th or 5th and struggling for a few years. What is the point in us winning the titles if we cannot lord it over them?
Besides, Sky and ESPN don’t give out UEFA licences so they are bereft of that money for 4 years. Their downsizing has not yet begun.
I want them dropped down to division 3 but that only comes into play if they go out of business and become Newco. Administration just means the 10 points. We must wait and see how this pans out before condemning BUT if the Celtic board have voted to save them, I for one am doing something else with my weekends and midweeks.
Onto football matters, Andre Blackman must be a cracking wee footballer to have passed the Celtic park trial. This is a trial that in the recent past (since Jan 2010) has seen the following come, try out and fail to be awarded a contract:
Mohamadou Idrissou
Milos Lacny
Katlego Mphela
Stipe Pletikosa
Gianvito Plasmati
Julien Baudet
Dwayne De Rosario (MLS MVP for past season)
Pascal Feindouno (Ineligible Sion player)
Simon Dawkins
Shahdon Winchester
Adrian Ruelas
Mannaseh Ishiaku
Jacobo Sanz
Peter Luccin
Liam Boyce
Ibrahima Camara
Slaven Stjepanovic
Dubi Ogbonna
David Boysen
Adriano Pellegrino
Only Freddie Ljungberg and Tony Watt have successfully passed this trial since the start of 2010. Welcome Andre, If he can play left back, could he be a contender for a place in the team tomorrow night?
Mort
Celtic_First says:
22 November, 2011 at 10:57
I know you are an intelligent bloke, but I do not believe that you really believe what you just wrote there, they are huns and always will be whatever they morph into, and the hun is in the DNA of everything that is not Irish/Catholic/Celtic.
A level playing field will never happen in scotland, the powers will NEVER allow Celtic to dominate scottish football.
Just me being logical :>)
Mort -Bolo Zenden?
Was he on a trial?
I was hoping it would be his bigger, tougher gruntcrushin’ centre half brther, Dianbolo Zenden.
weeminger at 10:58
I agree 100%.
I don’t think Sky care one iota about the SPL and its games with the exception of the derby matches. The only reason they are interested in the SPL is because of these derby games and they pay lip service (at best) to any other games they show.
Mort
The TV deal most probably rules out them being relegated to SFL Div 3, but they could still be given massive points deductions while still ensuring 4 derbies per season
Even if ‘newco’ Rangers were given 30,25, + 20 points deductions in successive seasons, they would still make the top six. Although their squad would be lacking in any quality for a couple of seasons, their crowds would still be more than double that of Hearts, Hibs Aberdeen etc.
The amount of times they appear ‘live’ on Sky/ESPN will not change either, which means more income than their closest challengers, Celtic aside. Sponsorship money will also give them a massive head start over any challengers bar Celtic
But, the SPL will be dead in the water if newco only receive a 10 point deduction for 1 season
Whatever part of my club is dependent on Rangers I am willing to lose – formerly known as Malone19
3 year ban is a UEFA rule for new entrants.
However something has been nagging me about the supposed 3 year ban from UEFA competition.
Sporting Fingal in Ireland were founded in late 2007 but only started playing league football in the 2008 season they then won the FAI cup in 2009 and played in the EUROPA league qualifiers in 2010.
Effectively they had only played top level football for 2 years but they were allowed to enter the EUROPA league in 2010 so does the league have a hand in enforcing the supposed ban?
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
22 November, 2011 at 11:01
Ground Balmoor, Peterhead
(Capacity: 4,000 (1,000 seated))
Ex Celt Jim McInally is the current manager.
LB
THE EXILED TIM says:
22 November, 2011 at 11:07
We did dominate in Jock Stein’s time and the powers could do nothing about it.
DBBIA
Forgot about him as I only had trialists up to August 2011. So another one who failed to impress.
If nothing else, it shows a willingness on our staff to give trials to so many players, even if very few are successful.
Mort
a few thoughts, just playing devils advocate –
why not scrap the split, which is a terrible idea anyway and in my view undermines ‘sporting integrity’ as it is. That way the hun will have their four doings at our hands per season guaranteed.
Even if you keep the split, the only way skulduggery would take place if huns are in danger of finishing outside the tops six. So skullduggery gives them fifth or sixth place at the split, rather than seventh or eight. Considering cheating has delivered them first place instead of second plenty of times, who really cares?
Finally, the deal doesn’t mention a newco. If the huns are liquidated, Celtic have to ensure that the rules are applied. If Doncaster’s bonus rests upon a newco being readmitted, he can’t be allowed to have any influence on the decision.
The Devil
The devil he sat upon the rock that was the SPL,
Quickly pulled up his trousers, welcome down to hell,
I hope you read the small print? What you have to pay,
Just don’t think I will forget, I always have my day.
Introducing corruption to a league already corrupt,
Sitting down at the table and the poison that was supped,
No one seemed to blink an eye as the fiddle it was played,
The devil had succeeded as Scotland was betrayed.
They had sold their soul and he had bought it cheap,
In their greed to sign the deal, ignored what they would reap,
I hope you will remember? When I eventually come to collect,
Have your payment ready, the price is your respect.
Mort
I suspect Blackman is on minimum wage type money.
So, worth a punt.
tomtheleedstim
Yip, and there were one or two posters, prophesying that Celtic Park was way too big and that was three seasons ago, before atrocity, was heaped into the mix, and we were just seeing regular cheating like ‘honest mistakes’.
The product is too poor to attract a sponsor let alone a TV bonanza, and the GB (what’s left of them) might be there just to make an atmosphere not just for those inside, but those at home listening to Craig Burley, blaming Giorgios Samaras.
Have we heard from Ian Bankier?, has he even taken up office, you’d never know, Michael Kelly is championing communication and PR.
Who’d have thunk it.
Although Huddersfield are getting plenty of plaudits [and well deserved] for beating Forest’s record of league games unbeaten the British record is of course 62 games, held by Willie Maley’s Celtic.
What were ‘the powers’ doing then, to allow this to happen?
Fix the XI.
Anyone know anything about this Lustig bhoy were being constantly linked with? Wikipedia tells me hes 6 ft 3 in a right back and scored 7 goals last season.
Announcement from the SPL,
Next season points will be deduceted from any team whose support are found guilty of singing offensive songs, (except rangers).
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon @ 11:01
Peterhead away? What’s the capacity of their ground?
………….
Don’t go making any travel plans yet.
I understand that the Police are in discussions with the SFA over potential travel problems arising from the draw in light of current medium term weather projections.
It is expected that two of the ties will be adjusted purely in the interest of safety for the travelling fans.
The revised fixtures will be
Peterhead v Arbroath
Rangers v Celtic
This will only leave the tricky issue of which tie the BBC will choose to cover.
LiviBhoy,
Thanks. I was wondering if the tie would be moved but probably not. I’m sure we’ve played at capacities like that before
clanmalirtim says:
22 November, 2011 at 11:09
And they have made bluddy sure it’s never happened again, or have I missed the fraud that has been eminating from the sfa that has allowed them to gain a euro license.
The Exiled Tim
There has never been a situation like this in Scottish football before. It is a brave new world.
As Auldheid has been saying for ages, Celtic have been driving change at the SFA for a couple of years at least. John Reid and Peter Lawwell have made the sporting integrity of the competition the keystone of their argument. George Peat has gone. Hugh Dallas has gone. Rangers are about to go.
Whatever comes in their place, it cannot be as bad as the corrupt, lying, cheating, racist, anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, violent beast that is in the throes of a painful death.
Tomorrow will be better than today.
clanmalirtim says:
22 November, 2011 at 11:13
I watched him in the England v Sweden game last week. Can’t say I was particularly impressed.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
22 November, 2011 at 11:15
Doubt it will be moved but as we are treble chasers I reckon Peterhead may want to cash in at Pittodrie.
I’m sure Rankers are on the blower to Arbroath begging them to have the glamour tie at Ibrox.
LB
Just read the lead article. Another shocker.
Sometimes not being part of the establishment is great.
At other times it just feels like we get kicked in the teeth all of the time.
This is yet another cheats charter, it incentivises yet more lying down to them. Chris Sutton knew it.
We really must now redouble our efforts to win the league. Whatever it takes in January.
They are going to get away with it. Simples.