Celtic’s Champions League windfall is a bonus for Scottish football, not a handicap

 

It’s what everyone has been talking about of late, and it may well have a strong bearing on the headlines in Scottish football over the course of the season to come. Celtic are back amongst the big boys in the Champions League for the 2017/18 campaign. But opinions are divided on whether the implications of their qualification are positive or negative for the wider game in Scotland. Celtic’s coffers will be positively overflowing when the Champions League money comes in, but there are important financial considerations for the rest of the league too.

Cash coming in

The Hoops will bank €30million for their participation in Champions League Group B alongside Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and Anderlecht. Celtic receive a €12.7million bonus for qualification alone, which will be supplemented by €1.5million for each win they pick up and €500k for every draw. Should they match their best Champions League-era finish by reaching the last 16, which they are 10/1 to do with Betway Sports, they will receive an additional €6million. If Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles go one better, they will see another €6.5million in revenue.

Fans of other clubs seem to be underestimating the benefits of the fact that every other team in the top flight will receive €401,000 (£365,000) to spend on youth development as a result of Celtic’s qualification – with the added bonus that the money is delivered in one lump sum. With unearthing and nurturing new talent to take Scottish football onto new heights being the expressed aim of the funds, it seems hard to argue that this is not a good thing. With Scottish football enjoying some much-needed financial positivity in light of Begbies Traynor’s April report revealing that only one of the country’s top 42 clubs is in financial distress, this is an extra boost to build on that buoyancy. With every football club in the Premiership benefiting financially as a result of Celtic’s success, there appears to be little room for bitterness.

Scotland in Europe’s premier competition

The likes of Gianluigi Buffon saying before the Group Stage draw that he wanted one final chance to experience the ‘electric’ atmosphere of Parkhead is also surely only a positive for the reputation of the league as a whole. Whatever your allegiances, a team representing Scotland in the continent’s premier competition is something to be supported rather than undermined. And Celtic being able to attract and indeed keep the calibre of player that demands to be playing at this very top level is no bad thing for Scottish football either.

On the pitch, there seems to be equally little reason to grumble. If Celtic are getting the chance to stretch themselves by doing battle with Europe’s elite, the quality of their football can only improve. They will bring their learnings back to the domestic scene and in turn, they will bring the standard up in the league as a whole.

The rivals’ view

Motherwell CEO Alan Burrows was fairly unequivocal in his assessment of the debate.

“Brendan Rodgers was right to say that every Scottish club should be behind them. People go on about how that will just widen the gap between Celtic and the rest but anyone who says that Celtic reaching the Champions League is bad for Scottish football is off their heads.

“It’s important for the prestige of our game that our teams are competing at the highest level and I just wish Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone had done better in the Europa League,” he said.

Aberdeen could be forgiven for being fairly damning on the payments Celtic are to receive as it was they who came closest to knocking the Hoops off their perch in last season’s table, but in fact chairman Stewart Milne was positive about the whole affair.

“We all really want to see Celtic doing well and it would be fantastic if they could get beyond the group stage and hopefully they can if they get a decent group,” he said.

Scottish football has had its fair share of issues in recent times, but the success of one of its teams shouldn’t really be one. Thankfully the game is in the best place that it has been for a while on the pitch, and that’s something that should be celebrated.

 

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123 thoughts on “Celtic’s Champions League windfall is a bonus for Scottish football, not a handicap


  1. Why are parents charged more than the kids when thety take them to an event. it costs a parent more to watch a shitty cartoon or movie they do not want to see, but have to go or their kid does not get in.

    Scotland international games parents are more advanced 20 years of not qualifying and know the product is pish and they do not want to go out on a pishy Monday night, therfore, why do they have to pay more than the kid who is not aware Regan is a knobend and the games are crap.11


  2. Jean,

    I hope you have more luck than me in posting something, anything, when things are desperately quiet on here.  I understand the main thrust of this site.  But deviate from it slightly in a respectful way and you will be slaughtered on occasion.

    For instance, heaven forbid you should support a Scottish team in Europe.  Like Aberdeen or Hearts or St. J.  like I did.  Because I omitted ‘The Rangers’.  People forget this blog was set up on the back of RTC.  And for years now we have discussed how Rangers cheated.  Left a trail of debt.  Bought players they could not otherwise afford.  All aided and abetted by the crooks at Hampden and the media.

    Does any poster on here think for one minute I have any respect for a club out of Ibrox?  To wish them well? 

    And don’t support your National Team like I did on Friday night, have a look at the thumbs down.  Supporting (or not) Scotland is not a single club issue.

    Recently I posted about plastic pitches in Scotland and how they are hated by most Pros. Again not a single club issue.  Went down like a brick.

    Disabled access to stadia?  Forget it.  A lot of posters on here would rather look at a blank page than join in with a discussion. Snobs! 

    The new thumbs up/down system has highlighted it more than the ‘scale’ did.  I can’t understand the immediate TDs for innocuous posts.

    I’m getting fed up with it. 


  3. ps, Check BigBoab’s post above,  5 TDs.  WHY?  Come on here and discuss it.


  4. I have just seen an email (on my secondary email address) received today at 05.11.

    This email  refers to a five-year old tweet made by a BBC Radio Scotland sports journalist in June 2012 [tweeting with the @BBC tag]

    “Bill Miller: ”We have worked hard to ensure that there is no loss of history no loss of tradition and no liquidation of RFC.”6:38 AM – 3 May 2012 ”

    Can anyone practised Tweeter tell me what that’s all about? Is it a spoof, or evidence that at least one journo at the BBC was doing her/his best on the BIG LIE front?

    I am a novice in the world of Twitter, finding it hard to know who is the original tweeter and what are re-tweets and what the running order is.

    But, by the lord Harry, if there was a journalist on the BBC tweeting that the BBC were indeed actively working to create the lie, or support it by news manipulation, I want her guts for garters, and the head of the Head of Radio Scotland stuck on a spike on Pacific Quay.
    I jump to no conclusions, of course, but I am reaching for my pen.


  5. Being a grumpy old git I don’t do Twitter, but could the ” Bill Miller” comment be a quote from the American Bill Miller who was looking to purchase the assets of old co?


  6. John

    its a retweet – someone reposting another tweet. 
    The person doing the retweeting is well known for pulling up comments from several years ago. 
    Jane Lewis did actually complain that it was from 5 years ago. By which I think she no longer believes the original tweet any more. 


  7. neebs67September 5, 2017 at 21:31
    ‘..could the ” Bill Miller” comment be a quote from the American Bill Miller..’
    __________
    Ach, of course! The way I was reading it I took it to be addressed to Bill Miller! Ha, ha, I had myself going!

    dom16 September 5, 2017 at 21:40
    ‘..Jane Lewis did actually complain that it was from 5 years ago. By which I think she no longer believes the original tweet any more.’
    ____

    Yes,dom16, I saw what I took to be her reply. But I took her use of a “two hands clapping” emoticon as a sarcastic put-down!

    Thank you both.
    I must really get into this Twitter stuff. If Air Force Numpty Trumpty One  can do it…


  8. JIMBOSEPTEMBER 5, 2017 at 20:58 9 3  Rate This 
    Jean,
    ———
    I for my part have been busy of late and just catching bits here and there, so not wanting to reply to anything on the hop just incase it does not come across as i wish.
    The TD/TU when did that start, is 
    This the wee test of a new revenue stream for the blog;-).
    On the Bill miller thing i was reading some clippings at a glance from April 2012 or13. will have a look again tomorrow see if anything catches my eye.
    Hope everyone is ok


  9. jimboSeptember 5, 2017 at 20:58
    ‘… A lot of posters on here would rather look at a blank page than join in with a discussion. Snobs! ‘
    _______________
    There are three points, jimbo, that I think I can make fairly.

    First, I am not authorised in any way to speak for or on behalf of the SFM, but can only express my understanding of its nature.

    Secondly, that understanding is that the blog is not a one-club supporters blog.

    Since it’s about football, of course, the folk who read it and contribute to it will be football lovers.

    Chances are, though, that their love will not be the chaste, abstract, love of a student of the beautiful game, but the down and dirty love of  passionate supporters of particular clubs!!

    Accordingly, and by common consent, ‘triumphalism’ of a kind to be found on club blogs , is not really relevant, and, unlike an honest defence against unfounded and unjustified attack, is not really welcome, because it’s a distraction.

    Thirdly, not everyone who either agrees or disagrees with the substance of someone’s post might feel comfortable in putting his/her disagreement in writing.

    I myself discovered this afternoon, when I started to respond to Stevie BC’s post about the deficiencies of Scottish Football,that I actually don’t know enough  about the state of affairs immediately before the Henry McLeish report, and Stewart Regan’s appointment.

    I remember, of course, that many in the SMSM had been very critical of the SFA, and that Regan’s appointment as CEO had been hailed as an opportunity for dramatic revivification of the game.

    But I realised that I could not say anything of significance.

    Except that everybody’s energies were diverted by the early revelations about the plight of the cheating Rangers, and the later information that there was dirty work afoot even before the Liquidation.

    So I did not complete the post, because I could not meaningfully add to the discussion about the malaise that was affecting Scottish Football before the Administration and Liquidation of RFC.

    Be of good cheer!

    ( And wasn’t Darryl very good this evening in his PR attempt to woo the supporters of the club that you (I think?) support, with his fulsome praise of ‘Brendan’ in developing players who helped restore some hope to the national team?)

    God forgive me, but I immediately thought : a) the SFA strategy is to make ( as a certain university professor tried to tell foreign students was the case!) the charges against the Football Authorities of deceit and complicity in wrongdoing  no more than  a trifling little matter of inter-club  west of scotland sporting rivalry, ha ha, all good fun;

    and b) that the said Football authorities are getting quite frightened.

    Nemesis is a girl I like!


  10. jimboSeptember 5, 2017 at 21:05 
    ps, Check BigBoab’s post above,  5 TDs.  WHY?  Come on here and discuss it.

    Jimbo, who cares mate hail hail the SFA two R and D are scumbags and i could not give a shit about Scotland whilst they run the show. I am a proud Scotsman but to be proud and true you have to have morals and be prepared to stand by them.Whilst they are in the nest there is a smell of shite and i do not want to be tainted with the smell.We are watching tax dodgers and complicit organisations destroy our game and people are wishing these two to get a free holiday in Russia all expenses paid from over priced corruption, nah mate i’ll stick to Celtic and wait till these two farts are hosed away.
    Anyway my wee rant was why should the parents pay more than the weans to watch the same pish that if they had the choice would not entertain.


  11. ps.
    I , John Clark(e), occasional poster on the blog known as The Scottish Football Monitor, assert my rights under the relevant international convention, to exclusive ownership of and title to the use of the title ” Nemesis is a girl I like” as the author-to-be of a book of that title.
    PmcG-don’t even think of using that title! Or anyone else.19


  12. I lurk. A lot. To be fair, I’ve contributed little and next to nothing of late. Mostly a consequence of the staleness of the debate. In my humble opinion, the new club, old club, past club, present club, future wellbeing of the new club and stewardship of it is lost. That’s not to say we should adopt a laissez-faire approach. On the contrary, some fresh impetus may fuel the debate, freshen the focus and excite the opression. I’m aware this is not all about one club (or two) or an association or organisation. I get that. The reliable hard work of the John Clark’s and Jimbo’s (et al) is truly appreciated. I’d like to see an opinion piece from a Gerry ‘the number 8’ McNee or someone of his ilk, entitled Back to the Future! Dig someone up. Approach them and get their measurement of the whole debacle. Dig up some graves if need be! Find someone we all loved to hate but loved to debate. Open up the debate. Get Craig White round for tea, or Charles for some Chateau Cheval.
    on that note, I’m going for 55…..thumbs down. ?


  13. Oh, the devil that’s in me!
    Under my other email identity I am on ‘linked line’.

    And literally just two minutes ago I accessed the email address that I must have used to sign up, and lo and behold there is this from linked line ” Do you know Sevim Cesim?”

    Sadly,I do,but not personally.
    And , sighingly, if I were maybe forty years or so younger I would have made it my business to get to know her!

    But I know who she is, and I emailed her a few years ago.

    Emdy else remember?


  14. Did anyone hear the guy from the Pie & Bovril Website on Sportsound on Tuesday night? On Monday night he was involved in a Twitter spat with Stewart Regan over ticket prices for the Scotland v Malta game. He made a number of points about how disengaged the SFA are with ordinary fans, including that he knows a number of Scotland fans no longer attend games because of the way the SFA handled the Rangers affair, because they (the fans) want to punish the SFA. Darryl Broadfoot, who no longer works for the SFA, defended them and Regan to the hilt, but said there ‘isn’t time to do justice to the Rangers thing’. What a surprise! Kenny McIntyre, who normally loves saying ‘but does he have a point’ sat in silence. What a surprise!

    I honestly don’t know why Rangers don’t try and field 12 players every game, because I reckon the SFA and media would be fine with it. 


  15. There’s a lengthy article on Rangers Media just now which attempts to discredit Hearts and everyone involved in their successful exit from administration in 2014.

    I gave up reading about half way through when I grew weary of the Rangers-facing author’s complete lack of self awareness, allied to several examples of rank hypocrisy.

    For example, and it’s one of many, he becries BDO for securing the purchase of Tynecastle on behalf of Ann Budge’s BIDCO for a little over £2m when it had recently been valued at £13.75m, whilst conveniently forgetting the pittance paid by Charles Green for Ibrox not long after it was valued at £100m+ in the Rangers accounts!

    They really do think the rules should be applied differently to themselves. 


  16. upthehoopsSeptember 6, 2017 at 07:15 “I honestly don’t know why Rangers don’t try and field 12 players every game, because I reckon the SFA and media would be fine with it.”
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
    They already do UTH, it’s just in the pretence of neutrality, one of them has to wear black;-) 


  17. normanbatesmumfcSeptember 6, 2017 at 09:15   
    upthehoopsSeptember 6, 2017 at 07:15 “I honestly don’t know why Rangers don’t try and field 12 players every game, because I reckon the SFA and media would be fine with it.”……………………………………………………………………………………………….They already do UTH, it’s just in the pretence of neutrality, one of them has to wear black;-) 
    ____________________________

    You also have to remember that where ‘Rangers’ play their football now (in the memory of their individual supporters) they can make up the rules as they go along, and there’s nothing the rest of us can do about it15

    Of course, the only difference with that is we don’t get ‘paranoid’ over it either17

    PS It must be sh*te only having Gretna, Airdrie, Third Lanark and a few others there to cheat!


  18. HIGHLANDER
    SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 08:05
    =================================

    It is worth pointing out again that the value placed on Ibrox, or any football stadium in the accounts is not a sale value, or anything like it. It is (effectively) a re-build cost (with the usual apologies to the cognoscenti). 

    The thing that interests me more, but along the same lines, is the “negative goodwill” which was released in the RIFC PLC accounts.

    Being simplistic here, goodwill is basically the difference between what someone pays for something and the net value of the assets it had. So if you want to buy a business with £100 net assets but have to pay £1,000 for it then that is because the business is worth more than the assets it holds. You have judged that the entire worth is say it’s location, it’s good name (which you get to keep), the fact that is has good staff who are willing to stay with the business, etc. 

    By contrast negative good will is the opposite, the net value of the assets minus what you paid for them. So in effect what you bought has assets in excess of what you paid for it. In Rangers case they “released” negative good will of around £20m in the first accounts. They basically declared that they had paid £20m less than the net value of the assets, never mind anything else like having a loyal support to maximise income, having a compliant media to do your PR, knowing the association you were in were willing to turn a blind eye to anything you did. The last two are tongue in cheek, but only just.

    With regards the article, if it’s the one I’m thinking of that bloke could not be more discredited. It’s the same one who went on about state assistance for Celtic. It would appear he has now turned his attention on Hearts. The only people even remotely interested in what he says are the element of the Rangers support who would clutch at any tu quoque straw if it gave them some semblance of comfort. 


  19. I note that as the T’Rangers / Walker saga now peters out the assumed position is that the lad will sign a pre-contract with T’Rangers come January.

    That may well be the case, however nobody seems to have considered that others, possibly abroad and down south, may have just been biding their time and be willing to offer Walker a decent wage come the point in January when he next has to make a decision about his future.

    If the likes of Barrie McKay continues to do well at Forrest, others in the English Championship may well be willing to take a punt on someone like Walker.

    The lad would certainly be on more of a sure thing regarding financial security by steering clear of Govan.

    On the subject of financials I note the 2016 accounts for RIFC were signed late October.

    The clock will be ticking. I can see the ship having been steadied but it will be the 2017/2018 ones that will be of most interest (if they get that far).


  20. Interesting online poll in the Daily Record
    ” Should Rangers have caved to Hearts demands on Jamie Walker ?” Loaded question or what ? There were only 2 options Yes or No – hardly adequate .


  21. WOTTPI
    SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 12:50
    =============================

    You make a good point, if come January the player has been doing well then why should his only option be Rangers. I know nothing about the lad, and that could well be his dream move. However all else being equal, come January an on form player would surely bring more interest than one club. 

    Could i also suggest that he may even agree improved terms with hearts prior to that.

    The media appear to have decided he will sign a pre-contract with Rangers in January. Is it really that clear cut. 


  22. PARADISEBHOY
    SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 12:55
    =================================

    Interesting wording “…caved to Hearts demand…”

    That’s a bit different from something like “…paid the asking price…”

    One would almost suspect they were leading respondents down a specific path by using emotive terminology. Heaven forfend. 


  23. HomunculusSeptember 6, 2017 at 13:04
    What about ” Should Hearts have caved to Ranger’s demand for a WATP discount ? “


  24. HOMUNCULUSSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 12:58
    Indeed.
    The background is that Hearts offered Walker a new three year contract in February that would have made him the highest player at the club. It initially looked like he was going to sign but then changed his mind.
    At present he needs to get his head down and put some work in as, on recent showings,  no-one (including any potential contract renewal from Hearts) will come calling in the new year!!!!


  25. PARADISEBHOYSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 13:12

    How about the question being:-
    Should Hearts have taken the risk of possibly getting stiffed in an installment deal, where a club in administration/liquidation may have trouble paying up in the future? 🙂


  26. It all beggars belief, doesn’t it? A club doesn’t sell a player it doesn’t want to sell. A club wants to buy the player at a price most onlookers would see as ridiculous. Yet the club that didn’t want to sell is now accused of ‘demanding’ TRFC pay a higher price, as though the whole fiasco was down to Hearts! Some sections of the media seem to be painting Hearts as some sort of villain.

    It would still be ludicrous if Hearts had actually been touting Walker to TRFC, for they would still be within their rights to offer him at a set price and not be prepared to accept a penny less, though such an action might suggest they were open to negotiation, and so TRFC (or whatever club they’d offered him to) could then, rightly, have offered a low-ball price, at which point proper negotiations would take place, ending, say, half way between the offered and bid price! But still, through it all, Hearts would be doing no wrong by sticking to their price, and extremely stupid to have accepted the deal that was actually offered!

    There can be only one reason for this ‘propaganda’ to continue, and that’s to further disrupt the player and his club, whether or not TRFC do still want to sign him, leaving Hearts with an option of playing a player who’s mind is elsewhere (and if his form continues, they will have to drop him), or to drop him now, if he refuses a new contract, and let him rot, turning him, perhaps, into another David Templeton! 

    Another probable reason for this ‘propaganda’ just struck me. A continuing squirrel to keep the bears blindsided to the fact that their club could only offer a Mickey Mouse sum paid over a number of years! An offer that smacked of no genuine desire to see it accepted; and perhaps a more genuine fear that it might be! But more than that, a direct rival was able to reject their offer, and stand up to their media based bullying, another indication that TRFC is not the Rangers they grew up supporting!


  27. UPTHEHOOPS SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 07:15
    I didn’t hear Sportsound on Tuesday night but I didn’t have to to know what stance Darryl Broadfoot would take.
    Anyone who has read John Clark Meets “The SFA” (and if you haven’t you should) would know.
    It wouldn’t matter how much time there was the one thing Mr Broadfoot would not have done to “the Rangers thing” is justice.
    I don’t think it’s nitpicking to quibble with “who no longer works for the SFA”.
    Mr Broadfoot left the SFA in January to become a Partner of Frame, a Marketing and Public Relations agency from March. In June Frame announced a couple of new clients. One was the SFA.
    So, previously Mr Broadfoot worked for the SFA (mostly defending/promoting “the Rangers thing”) and he got a salary. Now Mr Broadfoot works at Frame for the SFA (mostly defending/promoting “the Rangers thing”) and he sends the SFA Fee Notes.
    A cynic might say Mr Broadfoot got the idea from a guy who did work for the Daily Record (mostly defending/promoting “the Rangers thing”) for a salary; then did work for an Ibrox club (mostly defending/promoting “the Rangers thing”) for a salary and then set up his own PR agency which works for an Ibrox club (mostly defending/promoting “the Rangers thing”) and which sends the Ibrox club Fee Notes.
    The difference is that the Ibrox club (and the Daily Record for that matter) can spend their money on whatever they like. The money the SFA are spending comes from us. As does the money Sportsound spends. I don’t know on what basis Sportsound pays Mr Broadfoot a licence funded fee but the very least I would expect is a declaration of a potential conflict of interest.
    Darryl I Used To Be The SFA Broadfoot may have left the building but he hasn’t gone far.


  28. wottpiSeptember 6, 2017 at 13:38  
    PARADISEBHOYSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 13:12How about the question being:-Should Hearts have taken the risk of possibly getting stiffed in an installment deal, where a club in administration/liquidation may have trouble paying up in the future?
    ________________

    Or: should Hearts have accepted a deal where the upfront payment would not have been enough to sign a comparable player, while allowing a direct rival to sign a quality player at a knockdown price with very little of this year’s income spent (regardless of how much they have left)?

    Alternatively, they could have acted like true journalists and not asked any such questions and, instead, have written an article questioning TRFCs failed attempt to sign a player with only one year left on his contract. And maybe, heaven forbid, done a little research and asked questions not handed to them by whoever is running the Ibrox PR these days!


  29. LUGOSISeptember 6, 2017 at 14:53

    And it all seems to be such a cosy arrangement, doesn’t it? Almost as though there was a plan…and maybe a plan not yet set in motion! First getting everyone in the right place, some with a veneer of neutrality or distance, perhaps; ready for a storm ahead!


  30. NORMANBATESMUMFC
    SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 09:15 
    upthehoops
    September 6, 2017 at 07:15
    “I honestly don’t know why Rangers don’t try and field 12 players every game, because I reckon the SFA and media would be fine with it. ” ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
    They already do UTH, it’s just in the pretense of neutrality, one of them has to wear black;-) 
    ==========================

    Oooft! That was a low blow NBM. But not totally unbelievable…

    Mibbees to create a ‘level playing field’ for TRFC – I mean for the top league – CFC should be handicapped for the forseeable future ?

    How about each team facing CFC starts with a one or two goal advantage?

    A temporary rule book – I mean guideline book – change by the SFA & SPFL is the least they can do for the Ibrox club…especially when compared to how they have meekly kowtowed to TRFC to date ?

    09 


  31. Extracted from BBC Sport online today;

    “Adrien Silva: Fifa rejects Leicester City’s application for midfielder

    Fifa has rejected Leicester City’s application to register midfielder Adrien Silva after the club missed the deadline by 14 seconds.
    The Foxes agreed to sign the midfielder from Sporting Lisbon for £22m near the close of the summer transfer window on 31 August.
    Silva’s registration was not completed in time with football’s governing body meaning the deal was not finalised.
    Leicester are in the process of trying to appeal against the decision…”
    =================================================

    So “rules is rules”.
    Fair enough.
    But…it’s FIFA who is rigidly standing by its rule book!

    The same FIFA whose senior members ignore the same rule book when inducements in brown paper bags are involved, etc.
     
    Shirley this corrupt organisation will have to relent?


  32. StevieBCSeptember 6, 2017 at 15:45

    I wonder what ‘sporting advantage’ LFC might have gained with that 14 seconds! I mean, if 10 years of ‘imperfect’ registration isn’t considered an advantage, then that must have been some 14 seconds!

    At the same time, there has to be a point in time when the curtain is drawn on the transfer window, and credit to FIFA for ensuring that, at least, Leicester need to appeal the decision, hopefully putting off any club in the future flirting with this heinous action!

    It does give us, though, a perfect example of how even the tiniest of registration errors makes a player ineligible. Hopefully Leicester will appeal, and the full implications of improperly registered players is tackled in the determination.

    But whatever, 14 seconds late in registering a contract versus non-disclosure of full remunerations within the contract: is there even a comparison?


  33. Thank goodness you are all back!  I was beginning to despair.  The guy you might have read of who was missing for a week, Jimmy McGhiee, was a husband of my cousin.  His funeral was this morning.  He was a great Motherwell supporter before they emigrated to S.A.
    Apologies for my rant last night.

    But we still need you folk on a daily basis.  To get us through the daily trials.  And to enjoy our football with each other.  With respect.

    Noticed one or two posters saying they were rare posters.  I was nervy about posting on here for the first time.  There are so many big hitters on here, especially when the sh.it hits the fan.  That’s when I take a step back.  But join in once.
    There are times, when times are quiet,  when we can fill the pages and be respesctful With no harm done nor damage to the site.

    So you will never be Auldheid or JC, AJ, Ej.  BarcaB.  But the site still needs us all.

    With a love for football,  fair and square.


  34. WOTTPISEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 12:50 14 2  Rate This 
    I note that as the T’Rangers / Walker saga now peters out the assumed position is that the lad will sign a pre-contract with T’Rangers come January.
    ———
    To January then. But until january it’s a long time in football.
    If celtic beat Mr pedros team twice comfortably (3 times giving any cup games). The fans will want heads to roll.
    Then.
    Would a new manager at ibrox with his own ideas still want Mr Walker?
    By january could the ibrox club afford his wages(Hearts want to make him their highest paid player, so he knows what he is worth).

    Oh! that brings me to another point. If Mr walker knows what he is worth to hearts,he would expect the same if not more at ibrox. Would the ibrox club pull the same trick with Mr Walker?
    Come January we could be reading.
    online poll in the Daily Record” Should Rangers have caved to Jamie Walker pay  demands? 


  35. JIMBOSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 17:36
    Hi, Jimbo , I think that a lot of people put their football brain on “snooze” during the International break (permanent setting for me !) as the media coverage of football  is anodyne at best . Friday is a good squirrel day and I’m sure a lot of posters will be back, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed , reacting to the latest drivel from Scotland’s finest media men (and women). 
    Condolences on your family’s loss .


  36. The Bill Miller article i was looking at the other day.
    Bill Miller is close to cutting a deal that would see a newco rangers  hit with limited SPL sanctions.

    Also in the article.
    SPL bosses meet on April 30 2012, when they hope their new hard hitting Financial Fair play plan is rubber stamped.
    ———–
    Was it ever confirmed the new hard hitting plan was ever rubber stamped?


  37. CLUSTER ONESEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 20:31

    Instead, Charles Green’s new club applied to, and joined, the SFL with limited sanctions .


  38. PADDY MALARKEYSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 20:57
    And only the day before the knights were drawing in


  39. Why were Paul Murrays Knights templar trying to save Rangers from liquidation, apparently liquidation does not count in football, from what i have read in our press they were just put down a few divisons, and became debt free, put down for what i do not know or undestand, the media said they never did nothing.
    Sounds like a good bit of business to me if you want rid of debt, i mean they do not have to pay the taxman and nothing has changed. They might have lost a wee bit of ground and had to put their 55 plan on hold but surely it must be worth it. 
    You would think everyone from their granny to the tea lady would want to invest in this debt free, intact history club, and you  would expect them to be challenging again and accumulating debt if they need to as they could simply take another wee vacation if they fell on their arses in debt,cannot see any reason for it not been done again, according to the MSM it never had any impact, nobody was shafted in the football circles all the clubs were paid their debt.
    Funny how a new company had to pay off another companies football debts but not the shareholders or publics debts or the taxmans debts, funny old game this football.


  40. bigboab1916September 6, 2017 at 21:50
    ‘….and you would expect them to be challenging again and accumulating debt if they need to as they could simply take another wee vacation if they fell on their arses in debt,..’
    ________
    Hey, steady,bigboab! less of the ‘again’:the new club has never been liquidated before.19

    But I know what you mean; the personnel in charge of the new club are of pretty much the same stamp as those who had been in charge of the liquidated club, that ceased to exist as a participator in Scottish professional football.

    They would, I think, be quite up for pulling the same kind of ‘get rid of debt’ stunt because there is an excellent precedent to be followed.

    They would happily dump their debt,set up a new club, and with the SPFL’s  and SFA’s blessing and encouragement, which could hardly be withheld, carry on claiming to be a hunnert-and-whatever-year-old club ,laden with sporting honours.

    Trouble is, there’s no evil sod in any bank or other financial institution ready now, as HBOS was in relation to RFC(IL), to put his bank’s money at risk by lending to a new club in financial difficulty.

    TRFC cannot raise a penny by borrowing, except from private individuals.


  41. John ClarkSeptember 6, 2017 at 23:55
    Hey, steady,bigboab! less of the ‘again’:the new club has never been liquidated before.
    Whit am i like,well you can always dream16


  42. NTDEALThe letter leaked to The Times in London is,I think ,a gamechanger.It puts to the sword all the nonsense on here and elsewhere regarding inactivity by Celtic and their supposed collusion on retaining a strong Rangers.Hopefully some posters will admit their error(s)here.

    I am one of those supporters who spouted my disapproval at Celtic for their lack of action.

    I have no hesitation in and am more than happy to humbly offer my apologies to all the SFM community for my lack of faith in Celtic; I certainly should have known better.

    I have already sent my sincere apologies to Celtic via email to John Paul Taylor and would encourage anyone else who may have doubted Peter Lawwell and Celtic to do so; they now need to know without doubt that we very much appreciate and support their undeniable show of courage.

    Well done PL/Celtic.

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