Since October last year, when I first predicted the SPL would vote to gift a Newco-Rangers into the league, some people ‘close to Celtic’ have cynically held to the view that our club would be the only ones to vote against the proposal.
Plenty has happened since then, most notably fan pressure has been brought to bear on our SPL colleagues, so much so that a majority of them have publicly declared their intention to vote against admitting Newco. This should be a forgone conclusion.
There remains some unforeseen dynamics, however. We now know that the SPL were preparing the ground to present a fait accompli for the Scottish Football League to admit Newco directly into the First Division as far back as the first week in April, long before clubs lined up to reject Newco’s entrance to the SPL.
In short, you were sold a story of clubs choosing sport over money when, in fact, they planned to choose money with an accommodation they believed they could sell to their fans.
There remains plenty of uncertainty. Media reports from yesterday’s SFL meeting indicated that Newco would receive support to be placed into the First Division, however, media reports have often missed the target on this issue. The chance that SFL clubs will reject Newco is real enough, so much so that as recently as yesterday some of well-informed cynics remained to be convinced that there would be more than one vote against putting Newco into the SPL, despite public pronouncements.
I don’t believe any of the clubs who have publicly stated their intentions to vote No honestly believed they were consigning Newco to the Third Division, but none are now able to vote against the wishes of their fans. You can understand why some have briefed journalists that today’s vote might not happen.
If you are looking for some grand plan behind this, don’t bother, there isn’t one. Our game looks like a shambles because it is a shambles. Scottish football’s 768-game season is, in fact, a grand indulgence, paid for by just four games.
This fact is now inescapable and will ultimately be brought to bear on whatever cobbled-together accommodation emerges in the next few weeks. Let’s acknowledge our domestic sport is no longer viable and start asking the proper question: what next?
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Double bluff. Like it. Is the Donkey listening?
How do nations with smaller footballing leagues than our own ( Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria etc) and who are absent of the boon of having a club as big as Celtic manage to function so well?
I’m off to spend an afternoon disco dancing.
Pantalonio – you could listen to some ole Patti Smith.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS – Yes, I was a bit ginger with him, wasn’t I?
Long version:
I usually don’t mind PF Ayr’s legal theories as – hey, it’s the internet.
However, sometimes Philvis feels a little bit grumpier than usual, and sometimes it is a little bit annoying to see people say things that are blatantly untrue, while passing themselves off as an expert. Sort of like listening to Real Radio’s football phone in.
Despite all that, I would have held my tongue had it not been for the fact that the bold PF Ayr was unwise enough, when I once mentioned the subject of defamation, to immediately jump down ol’ Philvis’ throat and demand that I shouldn’t discuss legal matters on CQN because only lawyers such as himself (ahem) are qualified to discuss the law. That’s what first brought CQN’s answer to Rumpole of the Bailey to my attention.
Unfortunately for him, he picked an internet fight with somebody who’s actually qualified to point out his lack of even elementary legal knowledge.
NB we’re not talking about abstruse, academic, points of law here. I mean screamingly blatant basic errors the likes of which would never be tolerated in any law firm this side of Lionel Hutz’ “I Can’t Believe It’s A Law Firm”. I mean the legal equivalent of somebody purporting to be a doctor advising that you should try sticking a screwdriver into an electrical socket to cure your sciatica.
Short version: He’s a big stinky pants-on-fire poopy fibber, and he started it. (thumbsup)
hamiltontim – This isn’t like you, my friend in Celtic, and you’re better than simply tossing around personal insults without due considerarion to facts and individual’s feelings.
HT, it pains me to be so frank with my learned friend PF Ayr, but for an explanation of why I was so curmudgeonly, please see above.
To be fair though, I’ve faced far worse criticism on CQN myself than anything I dished out to our Ayrshire compadre. He’s a big boy and not one for flouncing.
(thumbsup)
Elegantly stated Paul. Why does a country with a population of 5m have 42 professional football clubs? Its long been known, but rarely vocalised, that there are too many clubs and for at least a generation too few supporters. What next indeed…
Paul67,is it the grimy weather,the Celt’s famous melancholy,or something else you’re not telling us?
You seem very down in the last few articles. Fire can be cleansing,and if a blaze is set under the spl,then so be it.
Celtic F.C. will prevail.
It looks more and more likely that, apart from anything else, sevco and its rivals will tear themselves apart with internecine squabbling. The sfa/spl is imploding.
We need to remain united and look to ourselves. Hasn’t this always been our lot? Ourselves alone…..isn’t that how it goes?
KTF.
Spartans will have the lawyers ready and waiting
Isnt it funny when you hear a security guard at a DIY store say to a prospective customer ” No football colours mate, and includes DEAD football teams”
Listenin’ to Patti more worthwhile than listenin’ to Walter.
or Gordon D.
Paul67
What’s next?
I suspect 2 things will dominate Scottish football:
1) right sizing league structure – inevitably 2 larger leagues with casualties as clubs fight for a place in the top 28. Hunco must be placed at the bottom
Of the pile, in my opinion out with the 28. I suspect mechanisms will be created to ensure there is entry and exit from 2 league set up – almost inevitable they will reappear in due course but they shouldn’t be bothering Celtic any time in the next 5 years.
That leads me to
2) Celtic must surely be engineering an exit from Scottish football. The new league system in Scotland will become a feeder league for EPL – I can see US style college basketball model emerging. SPL teams being sponsored by EPL teams.
Celtic are too big to be sponsored.
I’m still confident Celtic are playing this right. I’d expect PL to come out and explain the Clubs silence. Making it clear that Celtic declaring voting intention helps nobody. If CFC were to indicate No vote it would potentially influence other clubs to vote Yes. If CFC indicate Yes it would galvanise the already strong anti-OF sentiments of smaller clubs. Democracy in the SPL is best served by Celtic silence.
DBBIA – not a bad suggestion, but I think I’m in more of a Neil Young frame of mind just now.
Doncaster” to put Sevco into Div 3 would wreak financial havoc across Scottish Football..” Sorry,what have they just done ya halfwit!
I work in Greenock. Thought I have to asked the staff, about 20 of them, if anyone wanted time off to see the Queen go passed literally 70 yards from my office.
The answer was a resounding Naw …I love working here.
What next ?
OK I am going to get laughed at as their is obviously something that I am missing when I need to ask this question.
What would be wrong with just applying all the statutes just as they are presently ?
Hail Hail
Gordon_J
had a chuckle at your post re Ian Black, but what part of “transfer ban for a year for players over 18” does Charles Green not understand????
They are obviously in good hands what with him and bomber at loggerheads…..
HH
CTTC says send SEVCO to Div 3
According to Twitter, so it must be right, SPL chairmen have said NO…….
.
.
To chocolate digestives for tea and instead have chosen caramel wafers.
FPLG has demanded a second plate.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon on 4 July, 2012 at 12:32 said:
Ian Black to sign for Sevco – if they get into a league.
So Whyte runs them into the ground and Green starts a new company. Brown objects and the newco signs Black.
What’s next?
*******************
They’re snookered!
HH
wonkyradar on 4 July, 2012 at 12:37 said:
Swiss football is in chaos mate four premier league teams refused licenses for financial mismanagement, and worse than that Klye Laughatme free to roam around in the country where my wife sleeps and my children play with their toys!!
Paul
What next?
One thing for sure….it doesn’t have to be about 4 games a season anymore. Everyone apart from Doncaster/Regan can see this and I think it can still end up in a win win situation for ALL clubs in Scotland, some people just need to stand tall and not blink.
Keep the faith
If there is no mechanism for us to escape, how do we make one? We’ve been trying for years with little or no joy.
HH
Paul67
I detect a wee bit o’despondancy – are you saying that Celtic have been aware of this since April?
Teuchter
jungle jam67 on 4 July, 2012 at 12:00 said:
Spot on….
FWIW-I think PL would be happy to see Sevco in Div 1,with sanctions for about 3 seasons when they get promoted,whenever that may be.
After two days of being as sick as a very sick dog I’m up for anything…
Bingo anyone? Nudist carpet bowls? Bungee jumping on acid? Bear-baiting?
A Scotsman plays a Spaniard at Wimbleton today.Do I care who wins?Not in the least.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 4 July, 2012 at 12:44 said:
The greatest of ideas are the simplest..
The teams who want integrity ask for the rules to be applied simply and without drama.
The financial Armegeddon is a smokescreen to keep the gravy train running..
greenjedi – “Spartans will have the lawyers ready and waiting”
Hope for their sake, it’s not PF and Philvis! (thumbs up)
T4
Dontbrattbakkinanger on 4 July, 2012 at 12:41
New album is superb
brimmer
Pantalonio- have you heard his version of GSTQ? I’m not sure Sandy Jardine has it on his iPod when he’s a marchin up and a marchin’ down.
Hypothetically
the SPL Clubs say no, the SPL Clubs follow the Thistle line and bat it back to the SFA to resolve,
where does that leave Costcuttingco or the SFA for that matter?
whats the odds on a delayed start to the season?
Celtic_to_the_core,
Ah but the transfer ban was on Rangers not Sevco.
Sevco is not Rangers, well except when it suits them to pretend that it is
sorry don not ton
One thing is clear is that one of the architects of the “only one year without sevco” initiative is Rod Petrie.
If he is playing the integrity card publicly but behind closed doors is trying to help broker such a deal I dont think he will be forgiven by the Hibees.
Hail Hail
What next?
Paul67 is it now time to inform us of the options Peter Lawwell has to take us on away from the SPL.
Hail Hail
ZKS
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 4 July, 2012 at 12:51 said:
One thing is clear is that one of the architects of the “only one year without sevco” initiative is Rod Petrie.
If he is playing the integrity card publicly but behind closed doors is trying to help broker such a deal I dont think he will be forgiven by the Hibees.
Hail Hail
………….
Do they not hate him anyway?
Non sequitor: the game is too reliant on TV money therefore we compromise and allow Newco into one of the top two divisions. A better (an ethical) solution: Newco sent to apply for Div 3 while SPL clubs seek a new TV deal and cut their cloth to suit the new reality.
ADD BROADWOOD TO THE GROUNDS TO GO TO NEXT YEAR
Clyde FC statement in full.
Club Statement: SFL Meeting
Wed, 4th Jul 2012 12:34pm
The club sent two directors to attend the meeting of the SFL clubs yesterday and they have reported back to the Board. The meeting and conversations covered the best part of 5 hours but there were only a few overarching themes.
The clear message portrayed is that Scottish Football is in a very dark place indeed and there is simply no good solution to what is now a structural problem that has gone beyond a one dimensional issue of where Rangers should play next season. No matter what happens now there is going to be enormous fallout across the Scottish game. Whether some good can be extracted from the impending mess will depend entirely on the SPL clubs, guided by the currently absent leadership of the SFA.
Neil Doncaster wanted only one thing from the meeting, to get a steer from the SFL clubs whether they would allow Rangers into SFL1. He talked the clubs through a detailed explanation of where the SPL clubs would lose £16m next season if Rangers were not entered to the top division of the SFL. This was delivered as a matter of fact, it was a “reality”. It seems that most, if not all, major sponsors of the SPL have exit clauses if either of the ‘Old Firm’ are not within the SPL. The total figure was not new, but the detail behind the number and its impact on individual clubs in the SPL was set out clearly. There were challenges made regarding the flip side of saving the central income from sponsors and media, the obvious impact of loss of supporters to the game who have strongly voiced their intent. Supporter reaction has not been factored in, again there are realities, the SPL clubs are waiting on their Sky cheques in August and clearly that was more important. Nowhere in the presentation was account taken on the impact to the finances of clubs, and more importantly the relevance of the game, should supporters stay at home.
The consequential impact on the SFL from the presentation was that the SFL would lose its entitlement to circa £2m per annum from the Settlement Agreement put together to compensate the SFL for the SPL breakaway, this was made very clear by Neil Doncaster. He told the clubs that if the SPL didn’t have the money then they could not pay the SFL. The reality however, which was clear from the detailed figures, is that the SPL, whilst losing an enormous amount of funding, would have the cash to make payment; it is just that the SPL would not meet the legal obligation to the SFL as the cash would be used to finance the SPL teams.
The undeniable statement made on behalf of the SPL is commercially understandable. The SPL would not allow £16m to flow out of their coffers, the impact would be too catastrophic for the SPL clubs to contemplate and as such the only options are that Rangers enter SFL1 or, as a less attractive backstop, a breakaway SPL2 will be formed. There is no prospect, from an SPL point of view, that SFL3 can be allowed to happen.
Neil Doncaster was delivering a very unpalatable proposition and he did it clearly and effectively, hence the representatives of Clyde Football Club understood that the only thing that mattered was the impact on SPL clubs from the loss of money from media and sponsors.
It was to the credit of every SFL club, and probably to the surprise of Neil Doncaster, that nobody asked him to improve on the £1m offer.
The SFL clubs were given a steer for themselves by Neil Doncaster, if the SFL could not tell him how they might vote, then he would expect the SPL clubs not to vote at their meeting either.
There were a few new things learned in the meeting, not least that the rules of the SFL would allow any club accepted into the SFL, by a simple majority, to be placed in any division. The rules do not state, nor imply, that they must join at the bottom tier, only custom and practice around good governance and integrity has seen teams join in the bottom tier. In addition, the attendees at the meeting were left in absolutely no doubt whatsoever by Stewart Regan that if the SPL clubs voted to allow a Newco into the SPL then it would be blocked by the SFA refusing to transfer the SFA membership. It was however caveated well enough to make it less than an absolute statement. The meeting was full of implied actions and outcomes, the use of clever language when delivering the speeches allows anyone to defend with ‘that is not what I said’. However, nobody will have left the meeting with anything other than the very clear messages being put across. Denials of the substance of the message being delivered do not assist anyone in this absolutely dreadful situation.
There will be no winners. Any level of integrity for the sport will be lost by one outcome and financial collapse, we are told, will fall upon the SPL with the other. Sadly, the SFA and SPL have decided that whilst they say they are looking for a collaborative solution, they have very clearly made sure that by their own inaction that the blame will sit with the SFL – no matter what the outcome. The Board of the SFL are being put under intolerable pressure by the other bodies looking to avoid the implications of properly applying their own governance procedures.
In summary, the SFA implication is that there will be no entry to the SPL. The SPL implication is that it therefore has to be SFL1 with a bit of restructure, or an SPL2 with the rest of the SFL cut adrift. There were no other options. Whilst Stewart Regan said that the SFA did not favour an SPL2, there was no equivalent abhorrence of that proposal as was attached to the proposal for a Newco in the SPL, leaving the implication that the door remains wide open for the SPL to secure their £16m with or without the SFL.
The Board of the club will consider the feedback from its representatives and also the outcomes of the next few days and will keep its supporters fully appraised, but in the meantime see no reason to amend any previous comment.
http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2012/07/04/4137/
Helloooooo…. anybody there?
DONCASTER
OUT
REGAN
OUT