SCOTTISH football has been left underwhelmed after the 200 page dossier arrived in inboxes at the 42 clubs this morning. The SPFL EGM scheduled to take place on 12 May will see them routed in the vote. They need 75% of the clubs to support them in order to succeed and that is not going to happen.
They have about as much chance of winning that as they have of winning the Scottish Premiership – which incidentally could be called next week. It’s embarrassing stuff and we’ll not concentrate too much on it today as it’s been done to death elsewhere.
Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today that the lockdown is to continue in Scotland for at least another three weeks so that is the latest indication that we are far from being out of the woods. And that means that football remains out of commission and impossible to play – for now.
Gut feeling? The SPFL Board was waiting for this Dossier to play itself out before making a decision on whether to call the league. And while a minority of clubs – including Celtic – wish the games to go ahead and the season to be played to a conclusion – the majority would rather concentrate on survival and making realistic plans for the new reality that needs to kick in for next season.
Behind closed doors football (BCD) is going to be the new reality for a while and it is probable that it will be NEXT YEAR before we are back watching Celtic at Paradise.
The implications in all of this are huge for football and it is fair to say that we’ll never get back to the way things were. Clubs are going to go under. League reconstruction will happen. Broadcasters are going to look at their own business model and see payments to certain leagues and certain clubs to be money poorly spent. National borders are going to weaken in football as strong clubs group together to form their own enterprises and scoop up the remaining broadcasting revenues.
While the English Premier League has numerous global football brands they also have their fair share of local clubs punching well above their weight in terms of what they bring to the broadcaster. Burnley, Bournemouth, Sheffield Utd, Brighton and the like – with all due respect do not offer the global reach that comes with Celtic.
It’s likely that the English Championship, with the best second their TV deal in the world, is going to be an early casualty. As is the Scottish Premiership – with all its infighting – and relatively low audience reach – and plastic pitches – and empty stands in the home end.
At least the English understand the need to put on a spectacle.
There could be openings for the likes of the Edinburgh clubs and Aberdeen to provide Celtic with company in an expanded Phoenix football scenario as we look down a road that is going to see casualty after casualty as football clubs go under. Celtic in the top league and the others in a reconstructed second tier.
Clubs with high levels of debt, those making large losses, those with no cash at hand or wealthy individuals with the means and the willingness to support the club will be in trouble and might not make it through to Phoenix Football.
Someone said to me the other day that they think Celtic will be fine but the worry is we will have no-one left to play. Probably wrong on both counts was my response.
Celtic won’t be fine unless we get our heads around what we need to do as a support. Those who can due to their own financial circumstances, need to buy-in to the short term investment in the club via perhaps part virtual/ part actual season ticket purchase – 50,000 of them.
Let’s say next season looks something like this…
First half of season played Behind Closed Doors and available on Celtic TV.
Second half played in from of crowds of 20,000 in a 60,000 stadium and available on Celtic TV.
Season after that – back to 60,000 at Paradise.
Dutch Minister Hugo de Jonge has said fans will only be allowed back in stadiums once there is a vaccine.
"Nobody knows how long it will take. Of course we hope for soon, but a year or more is very real. ”
— Dutch Football (@FootballOranje_) May 7, 2020
For that first season Celtic really need to maintain the revenue levels within the club as much as possible. That means season ticket holders (where possible) renewing and accepting that you’ll probably only get to a handful of games.
Bigger grounds like Celtic Park, Ibrox and Hampden could be used to play home games for the likes of Motherwell, Hamilton and Kilmarnock – to get more people into the ground within the social distancing rules that are likely to be in place. So Motherwell could play their home game against Celtic at Ibrox and their home game against the Rangers at Celtic Park.
Celtic are more likely to win the league next season that they were this campaign. With the support proving that we are ‘Faithful Through and Through’ we can secure the Ten and then we might be saying our goodbyes and joining a broadcaster led Phoenix Football League with the English and perhaps even Dutch sides joining.
Season ticket renewal extension, a refund dilemma and Celtic TV preparing for BCD football…https://t.co/ZC7zlQWFwl @CelticFCSLO
— The Celtic Star Editor – INVINCIBLE (@CelticStarMag) May 7, 2020
