Well folks, just a few more weeks and we can finally restore the natural order of the universe, as the Scottish football season kicks off again on 8th August.
For many of us the start of the season can’t come soon enough. Personally I couldnae give a fart in a Tesco's bag that England finally beat Australia at cricket for this first time since 1732 or whatever. I just want the football to start so that my week can return to some degree of regularity - the build-up to the game, listing to the radio bringing reports from around the grounds, the Saturday evening staying up late to watch the highlights, reading the sports back pages on the Monday, then getting ready again for the next game.
As I'm writing this word has filtered through that Hamilton's James McCarthy, another of Scotland's fine young talent is heading south to the bright lights and the big pay cheques of the EPL. He's only gone and joined Wigan for a whole bunch of money (about £1.2m, rising to £3m, including all the Clearasil he'll ever need). The reason he went with Wigan and not Wolves? Because they guaranteed him first team football, that’s why, so there will be none of this being bought by some diddy Old Firm team only to spend the rest of your career warming the bench for the likes of Bobo Balde.
I'm glad for James that he's finally got his move. Wigan are not a big club by EPL standards, but they're pretty established in the league and probably wont go down again any time soon, unlike Wolves, one of the many yo-yo teams we've seen down south of late (a list which includes West Brom, a team formerly managed and relegated by Celtic's Tony Mowbray).
I guess there are still plenty of resources out there for big-money transfers: recession be damned I say. Unless ... you're an employee of Livingston Football Club plc, in which case you're probably quite anxious about the future. At this near-terminal stage, you'd be thinking that most Livi players are taking their kit home with them after a training session, in case the club goes tits-up and they'll be able to sell it off as 'memorabilia' on Ebay for some much needed money. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to do this before the club goes to the wall, because reports came through today that the club asked its players to come to the friendly game against Plymouth in their own car, as the club had canceled the team bus due to 'being short a few quid'. Yes, the embarrassment seems to know no boundaries down at the Almondvale.
It is all very desperate really, but to get an idea of the costs involved, I rang up the Sixt office in Edinburgh for a quote.
I asked them for a minibus large enough to take 17 people - plus some luggage and a crate of Stella - from Livingston to Bathgate. If anyone from Livingston FC is reading this, Sixt in Edinburgh will do you a nice 17-seater bus for only £164.14 (excluding taxes and other assorted extras such as kiddie seats), picking up and dropping off at Edinburgh Airport. Not bad eh?
So why Bathgate you're wondering, and not Livingston? Well, the game had to be played at Junior side Bathgate Thistle's ground after a failed safety inspection at the Almondvale (another nail in the Livi coffin). Yet, somewhat amazingly given all the setbacks of late, Livi managed to record a rather splendid 2-1 win against Plymouth, a team managed by Dundee United legend Paul Sturrock. Anthony McParland got himself on the score sheet after Plymouth conceded an own goal through Krizstian Timar.
And speaking of Dundee United, Livingston where not the only side on friendly duty last night. Dundee United are currently enjoying a pre-season tour of Ireland and last night they took on Irish Premier League side Drogheda United. The Irish season is well under way (20 games played so far). Drogheda are currently 3rd bottom, but they've at least been playing, so should be match-fit. That extra sharpness showed as United found themselves 2-0 down to the part-timers from up the coast from Dublin just after halftime. But a spirited fight-back from Craig Levein's men restored honour: Danny Cadamateri scored his first goal for the Terrors. Mihael Kovacevic then leveled the scores with 11 minutes left on the clock.
United next play two more Irish sides - Dublin based UCD, followed by Kildare County. They return to the UK for friendlies against two relegated sides from last season, Inverness Caley and Newcastle United. A week before the open the season at home against Hearts, they'll welcome Blackburn Rovers to Tannadice.
Later on this week we've got Motherwell and Falkirk trying to get into the next round of the Europa League. It's hard to say which team has the harder task here: Falkirk for having to go away to Liechtenstein to defend a narrow 1-0 lead, or Motherwell for trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit to a pacey Albanian side. Actually, Motherwell might be in with a chance of getting through by default as the British Embassy in Tirana are being a little tardy in issuing visa's to the Albanians.
Lastly: it's got nothing to do with Scottish football, but worthy of note (and perhaps a measure of the quality of the Irish league) is that another team where playing a friendly in the Republic yesterday. The Galacticos of Real Madrid - Spain’s most successful team - took the opportunity of a game against Shamrock Rovers - Ireland's most successful team - to show off their new signings.
Now, on paper you'd be forgiven for wondering if the scoreboard at the Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, could deal with double-digit score lines. I mean, you've got yer Kaka, you've got yer Ronaldo, Benzema, van der Vaart, Sneijder and Raul. And consider the fact that Real made 10 changes at halftime and still where able to field a side with quite a few internationals. It was all the more surprising therefore that it was only a Benzema goal that separated the sides after 90 minutes. Ronaldo had a go at one of his trademark free kicks, but from the left of the 18-yard area the ball bobbled harmlessly towards the corner flag. Ok, so it was pishing down, but still, that's £80m worth of free-kicking talent you’ve got there.
I reckon Charlie Mulgrew would have put it away.
20/07/2009
17/07/2009
The deal of the century?
The ink has only just dried on the contract, but already the fall-out from the deal that will save quite a few of the SPL clubs is starting to accumulate.
At a meeting held at Hampden yesterday afternoon, the 12 clubs that make up the SPL voted to accept a combined ESPN/Sky TV deal worth £65m which will see the broadcasters show 60 games between now and the end of the 2011/12 season. The deal also included an option to extend the contract for a further 2 years after that.
On the surface, it would be easy to think that all parties to the negotiations walked away from the table with broad smiles on their faces. In what looks like a win-win situation, member clubs get the security of a fixed income for the next few years, while ESPN/Sky adds more product to their already expansive portfolio of football goodness. And for the fans and the clubs, this means transfer money and the prospect of new signings, together with the ability to view their teams in glorious HD-O-vision.
But as the day wore on details started to emerge from the meeting - and it would appear that not everyone was overjoyed at the decision.
Quite simply, the SPL faced a tricky situation. Caught on the back foot and dealt a weak hand going into the negotiations - especially as Rangers and Celtic, the aces in the pack, where busy putting together their own deal - the league and its member teams had no alternative. Finding themselves looking for a deal that would assure the clubs of at least some income (reduced as it would be by some £60m), the league acquiesced.
The vote that required an 8-4 majority was carried in favour of acceptance, but according to St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour, it was not carried unanimously. Although the exact nature of the vote will not be released it is safe to assume that both halves of the Old Firm voted against the deal, with the rest voting in favour.
Lex Gold, chairman of the SPL, said: "We are pleased that in just over three weeks we have been able to strike this deal".
The statement would imply that furious behind-the-scenes negotiations where taking place to secure an even better deal for the SPL, but the harsh reality is that ESPN/Sky where holding all the cards. The league had been under pressure for some weeks now to secure funding for the upcoming season, in a climate in which Scottish sport generally has been taking a battering from all sides. Earlier on this month, the kit suppliers to the Scottish national side, Diadora, went into liquidation, as did Canterbury, a New Zealand company that supplied kits to the Scottish Rugby Union.
The biggest critics of this new TV deal have been the Old Firm. Both clubs have issued statements in the last few hours voicing their opposition to the deal, but have agreed to go along with the wishes of the other teams. The question though is for how long they're prepared to continue letting the tail wag the dog.
Both Rangers and Celtic, along with Aberdeen, had been against signing up with Setanta in the first place, citing their concern over the future financial viability of Setanta. The three teams preferred to enter into the deal offered by BSkyB, which, though worth less money, they felt provided more security. The other nine SPL teams however thought the risk was worth it, especially when taking into account the enormous sums of money on offer at the time. And so, the SPL entered into the now infamous deal with Setanta, valued at approximately £31 million a season, and which is to this date still the most lucrative TV contract in Scottish football history.
We all know what happened next. Setanta overstretched themselves with the various packages they purchased and failed to meet already ambitious subscriber targets, targets which looked even more unrealistic when Setanta won only 1 of the 6 big EPL football packages on offer. The Irish broadcaster went into liquidation at the beginning of June, an outstanding payment of £3m to the SPL being paid by the SPL themselves in order - it has been reported - to save some senior clubs from financial ruin.
It emerged in recent days that both Rangers and Celtic had been in private negotiations to launch a bid to purchase the TV rights themselves, given the combined ESPN/Sky deal was very low (£60m less than the previous Setanta deal). But whether the Old Firm would have been able to put together not just the financial package but also the infrastructure to broadcast the games was remains doubtful.
Some saw the move as an attempt to force ESPN/Sky into increasing their offer, using the four Old Firm games as leverage, as these are undoubtedly the biggest draw to any broadcaster looking to show Scottish games. If this was indeed the strategy behind the Old Firm move, then it was one always doomed to fail: both ESPN/Sky make enough money from the EPL rights they have picked up followin Setanta's demise that the additional SPL revenue would be a mere drop in the ocean.
Simply put, ESPN/Sky could take it, or they could leave it.
Perhaps in a move to save the deal before ESPN/Sky walked away, the SPL met at Hampden and held a vote on accepting the deal, foregoing its own rule that member clubs must be given two weeks advance notice ahead of any vote on such issues. This didn't go down well with the Old Firm who felt they where not given enough time to put together an alternative offer. But while both clubs have stated that they'll comply with the wishes of the SPL (they have little choice), Celtic chairman John Reid has said he's bitter at having been locked into a deal that will cost his club some £70m over the terms of the contract.
The armchair fans can now look forward to watching 60 games a season, split between Sky and ESPN. For those lucky enough to already have Sky, the games will be free, but those games shown on ESPN, they'll have to pay an extra £9 (if already a Sky subscriber) or £12.99 on a pay-per-view basis.
That neither Rangers or Celtic are happy with the new deal means that while peace reigns for now, don't expect this to continue. John Reid has said that both his club Celtic and Rangers would "continue to consider alternative plans for the future", meaning that at the end of 2011/12 season, another debate will no doubt rage the future of televised Scottish football and who owns it, and who is going to be showing it.
And they're right to force the discussion.
We have already seen that putting all your eggs in one commercial basket, no matter how large that basket may be carries with it a big risk. We've seen in the days and weeks following the collapse of Setanta just how many clubs counted their chickens before they hatched. We are currently in the middle of an global recession the world had not seen for a long time, and while ESPN and Sky are both thriving now, what guarantee is there that this state of affairs will continue into the future?
Both ESPN and Sky have bet heavily on the continuing appeal of the EPL, but the balance of power seems to be shifting away from the English leagues, and over to La Ligua. Spain, reigning European Champions and tipped by many for a glittering World Cup 2010 campaign would appear to be the place to be. With Real Madrid spending more money on three players than the entire Setanta deal would have paid out over the duration of their deal with the SPL had they survived, and with Barcelona the current Champions League winners, it is to Spain that the big guns are heading, lured by big money, a lovely climate and away from the top clubs in England, with its 50% tax rate and overly physical play, if Andrey Arshavin and Ronaldo are to be believed.
If the appeal of the EPL is indeed declining (evidenced by the lack of activity in the transfer window of players coming to play in the EPL), it's not unreasonable to expect both ESPN and Sky to be looking to renegotiate their deals in years to come. And if that happens, you only need to look at the debacle in Scotland to see what that would mean.
Perhaps the SPL should have given the Old Firm more time to put together an alternative. Perhaps this alternative could have seen the clubs take ownership of their own TV rights, removing the dangers of tying themselves to deals with companies as much at risk as any other in this fragile economic climate. We'll never know.
In the boardrooms of the clubs outside of Glasgow, sighs of relief can be heard. In the medium-to-short term, Scottish football can continue. Perhaps not with the grand plans it had a year ago when the Setanta deal was signed, but continue it will.
For now.
this post was also published on our sister site, Some People Are On The Pitch
At a meeting held at Hampden yesterday afternoon, the 12 clubs that make up the SPL voted to accept a combined ESPN/Sky TV deal worth £65m which will see the broadcasters show 60 games between now and the end of the 2011/12 season. The deal also included an option to extend the contract for a further 2 years after that.
On the surface, it would be easy to think that all parties to the negotiations walked away from the table with broad smiles on their faces. In what looks like a win-win situation, member clubs get the security of a fixed income for the next few years, while ESPN/Sky adds more product to their already expansive portfolio of football goodness. And for the fans and the clubs, this means transfer money and the prospect of new signings, together with the ability to view their teams in glorious HD-O-vision.
But as the day wore on details started to emerge from the meeting - and it would appear that not everyone was overjoyed at the decision.
Quite simply, the SPL faced a tricky situation. Caught on the back foot and dealt a weak hand going into the negotiations - especially as Rangers and Celtic, the aces in the pack, where busy putting together their own deal - the league and its member teams had no alternative. Finding themselves looking for a deal that would assure the clubs of at least some income (reduced as it would be by some £60m), the league acquiesced.
The vote that required an 8-4 majority was carried in favour of acceptance, but according to St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour, it was not carried unanimously. Although the exact nature of the vote will not be released it is safe to assume that both halves of the Old Firm voted against the deal, with the rest voting in favour.
Lex Gold, chairman of the SPL, said: "We are pleased that in just over three weeks we have been able to strike this deal".
The statement would imply that furious behind-the-scenes negotiations where taking place to secure an even better deal for the SPL, but the harsh reality is that ESPN/Sky where holding all the cards. The league had been under pressure for some weeks now to secure funding for the upcoming season, in a climate in which Scottish sport generally has been taking a battering from all sides. Earlier on this month, the kit suppliers to the Scottish national side, Diadora, went into liquidation, as did Canterbury, a New Zealand company that supplied kits to the Scottish Rugby Union.
The biggest critics of this new TV deal have been the Old Firm. Both clubs have issued statements in the last few hours voicing their opposition to the deal, but have agreed to go along with the wishes of the other teams. The question though is for how long they're prepared to continue letting the tail wag the dog.
Both Rangers and Celtic, along with Aberdeen, had been against signing up with Setanta in the first place, citing their concern over the future financial viability of Setanta. The three teams preferred to enter into the deal offered by BSkyB, which, though worth less money, they felt provided more security. The other nine SPL teams however thought the risk was worth it, especially when taking into account the enormous sums of money on offer at the time. And so, the SPL entered into the now infamous deal with Setanta, valued at approximately £31 million a season, and which is to this date still the most lucrative TV contract in Scottish football history.
We all know what happened next. Setanta overstretched themselves with the various packages they purchased and failed to meet already ambitious subscriber targets, targets which looked even more unrealistic when Setanta won only 1 of the 6 big EPL football packages on offer. The Irish broadcaster went into liquidation at the beginning of June, an outstanding payment of £3m to the SPL being paid by the SPL themselves in order - it has been reported - to save some senior clubs from financial ruin.
It emerged in recent days that both Rangers and Celtic had been in private negotiations to launch a bid to purchase the TV rights themselves, given the combined ESPN/Sky deal was very low (£60m less than the previous Setanta deal). But whether the Old Firm would have been able to put together not just the financial package but also the infrastructure to broadcast the games was remains doubtful.
Some saw the move as an attempt to force ESPN/Sky into increasing their offer, using the four Old Firm games as leverage, as these are undoubtedly the biggest draw to any broadcaster looking to show Scottish games. If this was indeed the strategy behind the Old Firm move, then it was one always doomed to fail: both ESPN/Sky make enough money from the EPL rights they have picked up followin Setanta's demise that the additional SPL revenue would be a mere drop in the ocean.
Simply put, ESPN/Sky could take it, or they could leave it.
Perhaps in a move to save the deal before ESPN/Sky walked away, the SPL met at Hampden and held a vote on accepting the deal, foregoing its own rule that member clubs must be given two weeks advance notice ahead of any vote on such issues. This didn't go down well with the Old Firm who felt they where not given enough time to put together an alternative offer. But while both clubs have stated that they'll comply with the wishes of the SPL (they have little choice), Celtic chairman John Reid has said he's bitter at having been locked into a deal that will cost his club some £70m over the terms of the contract.
The armchair fans can now look forward to watching 60 games a season, split between Sky and ESPN. For those lucky enough to already have Sky, the games will be free, but those games shown on ESPN, they'll have to pay an extra £9 (if already a Sky subscriber) or £12.99 on a pay-per-view basis.
That neither Rangers or Celtic are happy with the new deal means that while peace reigns for now, don't expect this to continue. John Reid has said that both his club Celtic and Rangers would "continue to consider alternative plans for the future", meaning that at the end of 2011/12 season, another debate will no doubt rage the future of televised Scottish football and who owns it, and who is going to be showing it.
And they're right to force the discussion.
We have already seen that putting all your eggs in one commercial basket, no matter how large that basket may be carries with it a big risk. We've seen in the days and weeks following the collapse of Setanta just how many clubs counted their chickens before they hatched. We are currently in the middle of an global recession the world had not seen for a long time, and while ESPN and Sky are both thriving now, what guarantee is there that this state of affairs will continue into the future?
Both ESPN and Sky have bet heavily on the continuing appeal of the EPL, but the balance of power seems to be shifting away from the English leagues, and over to La Ligua. Spain, reigning European Champions and tipped by many for a glittering World Cup 2010 campaign would appear to be the place to be. With Real Madrid spending more money on three players than the entire Setanta deal would have paid out over the duration of their deal with the SPL had they survived, and with Barcelona the current Champions League winners, it is to Spain that the big guns are heading, lured by big money, a lovely climate and away from the top clubs in England, with its 50% tax rate and overly physical play, if Andrey Arshavin and Ronaldo are to be believed.
If the appeal of the EPL is indeed declining (evidenced by the lack of activity in the transfer window of players coming to play in the EPL), it's not unreasonable to expect both ESPN and Sky to be looking to renegotiate their deals in years to come. And if that happens, you only need to look at the debacle in Scotland to see what that would mean.
Perhaps the SPL should have given the Old Firm more time to put together an alternative. Perhaps this alternative could have seen the clubs take ownership of their own TV rights, removing the dangers of tying themselves to deals with companies as much at risk as any other in this fragile economic climate. We'll never know.
In the boardrooms of the clubs outside of Glasgow, sighs of relief can be heard. In the medium-to-short term, Scottish football can continue. Perhaps not with the grand plans it had a year ago when the Setanta deal was signed, but continue it will.
For now.
this post was also published on our sister site, Some People Are On The Pitch
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