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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THINK THE BLOG BROKE OK NOW I THINK
blog broke again…
There was a great disturbance in the force, Master Paul.
What next? Well for me that’s it done. 4 wwf Celtic rangers games I won’t even bother with. The game has been ruined by the very people tasked with looking after it.
Anyway…
Roddie McDonald was a great centre hauf…
HH
We’er back
Awe naw @ 12. 51
Spoke to a hibbee yesterday who said if that were true, there would be no hiding place for him.
Teuchter
Dutch guy in my work, asked how Scotland has a third division. When I explained that the third is actually the fourth, he laughed even more, and asked how many clubs in total. When I told him – he laughed even more still. Countries like France and germany don’t even have 4 national divisions – and they have 10 times our population.
The statement from Clyde is incredible, the behaviour of these people an outrage and the whole situation a scandal from which the game in this country will struggle to emerge from ever, with any credibility at all.
I had already made my mind up not to attend another Scottish football match should the huns be higher than Division 3, and I will stick to that, utterly.
(Why shouldn’t I? CelticTV is all paid up for another year. I will get by, and having made a minor financial contribution to my own club, and I’ll buy the new jersey and whatever else, to do more … )
But I amend it. I won’t return to a Scottish football match until, at the very least, Neil Doncaster is removed from post. Regan, he has been outrageously bad this past few weeks, but Doncaster’s position can’t be sustained.
He needs to go. A disgraceful, disgraceful period in the history of our game, led by a man who’s career should terminate with immediate effect.
So they have crawed it again.
Seem to remember Quonno being lambasted, quite sarcastically by some, for suggesting last week that a lot of SPL were chairmen talking a good game and that votes are never truly in the bag until they are in the box.
Even worse. Still a stunning silence from PL.
But that’s OK. After all, without drawing any adverse comment, a supposedly Celtic supporting poster on this site asked why Celtic should speak out while others were fighting the battle for them.
just read the clyde statement. incredible and disgusting.
regan and doncaster come across as nothing more than common bully boys, unwilling to consider any other alternative; so much for these guys being the great “innovators” that scottish football needs.
both need to go. beyond disgraceful.
I’ve read the Clyde statement and in my opinion Celtic must now make a statement disassociating themselves with the behaviour and rhetoric of Doncaster and Regan.
Silence implies complicity in this dreadful chain of events.
I’ve agreed with people about the silence so far but now it’s beginning to look like Celtic are perfectly happy with the way Newcohuns into the SFL1 is being presented.
That Clyde statement blows it all apart. The game in Scotland is at death’s door.
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.
Surely this cannot be right ?
This is putting the cart before the horse ?
Hail Hail
This post is in Mod on RTC. As mentioned there, the source was Follow* 2 and as I rarely post, I expect the cynicism that comes with that as well. It is allegedly a discussion with the board at Clyde FC.
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.
Newco to Division 3 – “Huge Financial Damage” or Huge Financial Gain?
I’m meant to be on holiday this week.
A time to relax and tend to the garden (Campbell Ogilvy doesn’t have one), but between the rain and this, now utterly ridiculous farce we call football in Scotland, I have been unable to do either.
I awoke this morning to see – beacon of truth, integrity and man of the people – Neil Doncaster on Sky Sports News discussing how to deal with Newco. The only problem was, he must have left his truths, integrity and empathy towards football fans at home…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfjlOIGvEvY&feature=youtu.be
Doncaster tells us that “Rangers need a berth, they need a division to play in this season” and that there are 3 options when dealing with them:
1. – Newco enter SPL
2. – Newco enter Division 1
3. – Newco enter Division 3
You will notice that he talks about what “Rangers need” and goes on to remove ”option” 3 from choice:
“The option that a lot of people have talked about (you mean what the fans want, Neil?), with Rangers in the bottom of the pyramid, in division 3, the fourth tier! Ultimately that would wreak huge financial damage on the whole of the game in Scotland” “It ‘s difficult to see why 41 clubs should pay the price for the misdeeds of 1″ ”I think there are, really, 2 viable options in play at the moment”.
So clearly, it is about what Rangers need and the fans don’t matter because it’s all about money. However, his assertion is based on a bare-faced lie…
– Would Newco’s large travelling support “wreak huge financial damage” on the other clubs in Division 1 when they come to visit?
– Would potential TV coverage of Newco’s games “wreak huge financial damage” on the other 9 teams in league?
– Would increased publicity and potential sponsorship “wreak huge financial damage“?
So straight away, the 41 clubs Doncaster states will suffer unless Newco is teleported into Division 1 – has been cut down to 32. Remember also, that if Newco should fail to achieve instant promotion, Division 3 would get another season of huge financial benefit. If they do achieve promotion, then the 9 clubs that accompany them in Division 2 will also reap the huge financial benefits outlined above and the same goes for Division 1.
So you could be in a situation where 29 SFL clubs will benefit from Newco starting in Division 3; a stark contrast to “huge financial damage on the whole of the game in Scotland” don’t you think?
I’m sure that this scenario has been played out to the SFL clubs in order for them to weigh up all the options and form a balanced view? Aye right!
Then there’s the SPL clubs:
Ok, we will assume that TV income will be somewhat reduced and remove Rangers traveling support from our income, but what about the flip-side? The side that is never to be discussed by the majority of the MSM:
With a realistic chance of European football for +-5 clubs to play for, attendances will surely rise. One or two clubs like Motherwell (for example) may even be playing regular European football.
That doesn’t sound like the “huge financial damage on the whole of the game” that Doncaster is trying to spook us with.
Doncaster was also quizzed by the reporter on what additional sanctions would apply to Newco should they be voted into the SPL today, Doncaster states:
“Well, bearing in mind Rangers have ALREADY taken a 10-point penalty from ourselves; they are ALREADY subject to a 3-year ban from European competition; they’ve already got a transfer embargo from the SFA and a six-figure fine etc etc….”
So basically, Neil, you have decided that ”Rangers” have been punished enough “ALREADY” despite the fact this is another assertion founded on a lie! Newco have not been banned from European competition. They simply fail to qualify as they have no license to play football and no audited accounts, but I’m quite sure such trivial requirements wont prevent them from playing football in Scotland!
Here’s one final thought to ponder…
Could it be the case that The SPL and The SFA have been either so complicit or negligent in dealing with Rangers’ cheating and fraud, that they are being blackmailed? Along the lines of: “put us in Division 3, and we will go public and bring the entire game down with us”?
It would certainly explain why Doncaster and co. are attempting to blackmail, bully and railroad the SFL into accepting Newco in the first Division.
Perhaps Traynor knows this?
Just a thought…
@Vandalgrease
This is a belter…Lubo & Larsson…memories are made of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu37E3WhX_g&feature=youtube_gdata_player
OK then…
Football League of Scotland anyone?
Why not?
HH
tomtheleedstim on 4 July, 2012 at 13:48 said:
I’ve read the Clyde statement and in my opinion Celtic must now make a statement disassociating themselves with the behaviour and rhetoric of Doncaster and Regan.
Silence implies complicity in this dreadful chain of events.
I’ve agreed with people about the silence so far but now it’s beginning to look like Celtic are perfectly happy with the way Newcohuns into the SFL1 is being presented.
That Clyde statement blows it all apart. The game in Scotland is at death’s door.
Agreed. If you stand with the crows, you will be shot with the crows.
Time for a bit of leadership from DD and PL.
Is Ian Black not a painter and decorator to trade?(Remember something about him earning money whilst not getting paid by hertz).
Have Sevco found a cunning way around the ban? Sign them as craftsmen and register them as players “just in case”. Start of the signing talks “Are you in the Craft?” (Masonic watchers will know the inference).
“Scottish football’s 768-game season is, in fact, a grand indulgence, paid for by just four games”… so how can Rangers be expelled from the SPL without killing the game?
Stop Press!
The SPL are believed to be about to relegate Celtic from the SPL to Division 3 as a belated punishment for Neil Lennon’s questioning of Hearts’ late penalty award in the Scottish Cup semi final. The SFA will use the announcement of this sanction to confirm Rangers’ similar punishment for corrupting Scottish football for at least two decades. Representatives of Sky and ESPN are expected to confirm that they will transfer their existing contracts for coverage of SPL matches to Division 3 with effect from next season.
What next?
I would have thought that obvious:
Time for Celtic to take centre stage, smack a few heads and tell those incompetent, procrastinating filibusterers exactly what the deal will be and remind them exactly who is the power in their insipid little backwater.
Over to you, PL…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-18706453
4 July 2012 Last updated at 13:38
MPs to conduct inquiry into state of Scottish footballA Westminster committee is to hold an inquiry into the state of Scottish football.
The move comes after Rangers, one of the country’s biggest teams, was placed into liquidation.
The situation at the club, and the potential knock-on effects for other Scottish sides, has sparked fears for the future of the professional game.
Members of the media and sport committee at the House of Commons will begin taking evidence next week.
TimJim on 4 July, 2012 at 12:48 said:
A Scotsman plays a Spaniard at Wimbleton today.Do I care who wins?Not in the least.
====================
Not a tennis lover then TJ?
Patti Smith .?
Some things are too good to be forgotten .
Went to see her at the Roundhouse in 1976 . Place was crammed . Forced to share space with a couple of coked up dumb assed rich Daddies London girls ——
Patti wanders on , mumbles a few words and one of the dumb ass rich Daddy girls shouts at the other———
” Hey she’s American —- you would think with a name like Smith she would be English “.
For the record , Patti was mighty fine . .
Scorching , searing -way down south
Celticbhoy on 4 July, 2012 at 12:44 said:
“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.”
My fellow Greenockians ignore Mrs Battenberg and Morton say no to newco.
Maybe it’s time I moved back home. (Two posts today and both about Greenock…heavybreestit wummin next).
Here’s tae its toonfolkCSC
i’ve advocated the silent approach and have supported the board’s tactics this far.
However, the statement from Clyde puts a whole new light on things.
If there is a vote or not today, the club need to issue some statement in the next few days. this has now gone beyond a farce.
Vandalgrease
Glad you are not on holiday. That was an excellent summation of the current situation and completely refutes anything Doncaster has had to say on the situation.
Mort
Come on Celtic the time has come to get involved
Paul67 (and anyone else who may be interested)
If Celtic FC are as appalled as most on here seem to be with regard to the blatant threats and blackmail emanating from the supposed custodians of our game to the so called “wee diddy clubs” then can I ask,assuming you feel the idea has merit,you put this to your Celtic FC connections
Celtic offer to play a pre-season game v.an SFL select chosen from the teams who say NO.
All proceeds from the game to be split among the clubs who voted NO.
This could generate in excess of £1m (assuming a full house @ £20 a head).
We could commit to such a game for the Sporting Integrity Cup (SIC for short because that’s what doncaster,regan and co would be) for say 2/3 seasons.
We could also offer to play a number of challenge matches through the year featuring our development squad.Again the proceeds going to those who voted NO.
This would provide opportunities to assess how our youngsters are developing.
At a time where integrity appears to be in short supply,I believe my framework idea would:-
1Help to thwart the plans of people intent on killing our game.
2.Support in a tangible way the stance taken by a number of SFL clubs
3.Greatly enhance the status of Celtic FC in Scotland and beyond
As I say,this is merely a framework idea which hopefully could be built upon.
We would need to make sure we had appropriate clearance to stage such events,but it would be interesting to see who might object and on what grounds.
Can I ask what Paul (and others) think
South Of Tunis on 4 July, 2012 at 14:01 said:
Forced to share space with a couple of coked up dumb assed rich Daddies London girls ——
Not the worst IMO old bhoy. ;)))))
brimmer
Well today is turning out a bit like the last day of the transfer window.
Lots of anticipation and no satisfaction.
I woke up at 6:35 this morning. Well the thunder did it.
Eagerly dialled up CQN on the bedside iPad.
Nada, niente, rien not a sausage.
I have a celebratory BBQ planned for today and tonight’s fireworks display may be for nought.
Come on Peter. Give them the last rites and get on with the season.
(Oh and a good strong CH and a 30 goal a season striker won’t go amiss.)
Just read the Clyde FC Statement.
Given what Celtic FC Club stands for to many of us. I would rather we walked away from any proposal right now that wanted to shaft the lower teams if they did not abide by Doncastor’s proposals. I’m not too confortable with Celtic being involved with any alteration to the structure of the game to suit anyone team especially when lower clubs are going to be shafted for the self indulgence, ignorance and greed of the one club that has caused all this.
Medtim
Yes I agree we should do something.
Definitely using the development squad especially as Maurray killed the reserve league.
Only downside is that it will depend on Celtic fans being asked to bear the burden, again.
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
STV Sport @STVSport
Scottish Premier League clubs have voted no to a newco Rangers in the SPL. More:
It’s NO!!!!!!!!!
Here is a prediction. Celtic will only issue a statement saying how disappointed with how things have turned out and about sporting integrity etc when it’s done and dusted in order to placate the fans. You know, we tried but what could we do etc etc blah blah.
Stv tweet spl vote no to newco
OUT :oD)))))
Meeting still going on then? Wonder if they have taken a vote on whether to take a vote yet?