Celtic & Coronavirus and competitions!

Anxious Premiership clubs will hold a Covid-19 crisis summit next week.

It comes amid fears of an ‘existential threat’ to the professional game.




One top-flight big hitter fears the season is unlikely to be completed if the turnstiles remain locked for six more months.

A Record Sport special investigation revealed growing concerns of an imminent catastrophic financial collapse following the introduction of a new raft of coronavirus restrictions.


English clubs are hopeful of a £500million bailout after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned fans could be locked out of grounds until April 2021.


But we revealed that some of the biggest clubs in Scotland face being pushed to the wall before Christmas unless they receive urgent bailouts from our government.



Our startling research sparked crunch talks between Holyrood and Hampden on Wednesday – as all 12 Premiership clubs rallied together in a bid to avert a potential disaster.



As the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at Westminster backed the fight for special funding for English clubs, Holyrood chiefs told Record Sport they will hold urgent discussions with Downing Street over securing a financial lifeline for Scotland.




Premiership clubs will formalise their position during the talks early next week as football scrambles to save itself from a death by a thousand cuts.

One senior club chief executive told us: “The special investigation by the Daily Record hit the nail on the head.

“We are now facing an existential threat to the future of the professional game in this country.

“As a result, today all 12 Premiership clubs will attend an emergency meeting early next week to discuss the best way forward. All of the major investors in the game will take part as we are aware of what is now at stake.




Obviously, part of the agenda will centre around the possibility of a safe return of fans. But this is now looking more and more remote.

“If it is the case that no fans can return to our stadia then we will need urgent intervention.

“Some of the biggest clubs in the country are now in a perilous financial position and in desperate need of assistance from the government.”



Our investigation also raised fears that Scotland’s three lower leagues may not kick-off as planned on October 17 with one Championship CEO warning that, even if the second tier does get up and running on schedule, a raft of clubs would be unable to survive without help from Holyrood.

But another Premiership chief outlined his fears over the top flight being completed.

He said: “We’re looking at a crisis situation in the top flight, never mind the lower divisions.

“Without the return of fans or financial help from the government there is little to no chance that all 12 Premiership clubs will be in a position to see out the season.

“In fact, there is a danger some of us won’t make it to the end of this year. That’s how critical the whole issue has become.



We have to shout for help as loudly as we can because if we don’t do it now then very soon it may be too late.”

Holyrood chiefs are eager to help.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We recognise this has been an enormously challenging time for football and we don’t want supporters to be delayed in returning to stadiums for any longer than absolutely necessary.

“However, as the First Minister said, the virus has not gone away. Minister for Sport Joe FitzPatrick has written to his UK counterpart Nigel Huddlestone seeking an urgent meeting to discuss financial recovery support for sport, and the Scottish government will continue to work closely with the governing bodies of
football to ensure its long-term sustainability.”



SFA president Rod Petrie, said: “It’s incumbent on us to safeguard the futures of our clubs.”

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster added: “We welcome the Scottish government’s intervention in seeking urgent discussions about a package of financial recovery for Scottish

 

Premier league teams get a minimum £100m from tv/prize money plus any sponsors. They have been happy to spend money this season. They really shouldn't get government help.
Everton £42m on 2 players with no sales of note, Arsenal £30 on 2 players with other frees with large salaries and signing on fees, Liverpool £73m on 3 players, Spurs £12m on a loan, Man City £70m on 3 players (but sold about £60m of players), Villa 76m on 4 players, Leeds £26m on 1 player, Chelsea £160m on 3 players, Newcastle £35m on 2 players, Manchester United £35m on 1 player.
While on the grand scheme of things it is a tuppence compared to previous years but the big transfer fees and high salaries are down to the clubs and if its down to high Street firms to plan for a second wave then clubs like this should too.

 

Not to mention your in the fresh air at football but stuck indoors at a pub.

 

Lenny comments tried to be made out to be about us heading for some serious issues we are losing £400k per match day at home in additional revenue.
Have we took a hit aye but we also have sold out season books, Celtic tv subscription up or similar and also Adidas deal trying to justify punting someone before a week on Monday imo with no replacement!

 

Did spurs pay real 12m for the loan of Bale? That's * mental.

 

Dirt rags have said 12 to 18m, could be bollocks. But the wages that come with him will be massive too.

 

You could argue the thousands together or the use of public transport. I don't think either should be open right now to be honest.

To be honest laws for years have made football fans to be bell ends. The laws on drinking alcohol at matches. I'm a football fan so I must be someone who gets * and starts fights. Any other sport it's okay?

 

The TV companies should be the ones bailing out Scottish football since they are the * that keep changing times and dates of football matches to suit themselves not the fans.
Its about time these * actually helped Scottish football instead of hindering it.

 

60k people spend £10+ on matchday stuff. Can see them easily loosing that tbh.

 

Yeah that’s why I said £400k say we have £200k operating cost match day

 

Whoever that * at the Sun, David Fowler is he needs chemically neutered.

"Lennon says Hoops on the precipice".

Even the opening paragraph is a disgrace.

Lennons actual words were :
“It’s very dangerous precipices we’re standing on and Celtic aren’t immune to that. A lot of clubs in Scotland are not immune.
It can’t just be closed door and that’s it. There has to be some kind of middle ground or compromise we can find to make things better. And not just for football, it’s for all sports because some could collapse."

Pure *.

 

All these clubs you mention all have a situation where their biggest outlay in terms of their finances is player salaries and transfer fees usually between 80-90% , bar a few honourable examples there’s been absolutely no desire or acceptance by the players and agents to accept they have a part to play in the current overall picture by deciding they can get by on 90k a week rather than 100k a week, until that changes those clubs and worst still their sycophantic followers will demand their clubs continue to chase those players at all costs, all this at a time when said fans are losing their own pre COVID standard of living or certainly know many that are, in the case of Arsenal they binned over 50 staff and bought Willian the next day on a 100k a week, I’ve heard folk on minimum wage type jobs counter this argument on social media with stuff like “well the club gave them that contract so should honour it” completely missing the point and once again giving them a pass, this mindset must change and contributing to why 100m transfers and 300k a week contracts at the time of a furlough system for the rest of us is the current state of play.

On a broader side, just like the big multinationals and massive companies there’s been no change in the demands or earnings of footballers whilst the rest of us see a massive change and in some cases financial ruin, we’ve seen these people are not willing to share the burden in society despite the fact they are the ones best placed to do it with least impact on their own world but sadly they just want to plough on as if nothing has changed in the world, I have not watched one EPL game this season and it will stay that way as irrespective of the dull behind closed doors product on offer, it’s symptomatic of what’s wrong with the world in general and it’s sickening that so many from the poorest sections of society in particular won’t call it out and make their feelings known.

 

Agree with all of this. Former SNP member and still (somewhat reluctantly at times) vote for them in most elections but they have never hid their disdain of Scottish Football.

From the horrificly inconsistent piece of legislation that was the 'Offensive Behaviour At Football Act' and their digging in of heels when it was shown up to be that. To the disparity between alcohol in some sporting stadiums but not others. To the national outcry of the supposed 'shame game' when we won 1-0 and the huns had 3 players sent off for indiscipline, what happened on the touchline that night happens several times a season with no stooshy. To the now differing levels of criticism of Bolingoli/Aberdeen and Rugby.

I'll still vote SNP until Independence is gained but the club and us shouldn't sit back and not call out their errors and hypocrisy.

 

Much more chance of your question being answered by the closure of pubs than getting fans into grounds.

Good post. Not really sure why any government would prioritise the bailing out of an industry that has lived beyond its means for so long with so many other things going on. Of all the clubs in Scotland Celtic are likely in the best position.

I've much more sympathy for the smaller community clubs that probably should be allowed to bow out of the current season to save on costs as opposed to being forced to go through what will undoubtedly be a costly and unpredictable season. That could be done without any government intervention and would just need the Scottish football authorities to take the initiative.

 

Sport minister has spoken

 

If the test events at Aberdeen and Ross County both went by successfully - I think it's safe to presume that as we'd definitely have heard about it if it wasn't - with crowds of 300 people, then I don't see how the Government can arbitrarily decide to stop clubs having fans for an indefinite period, when it is their only way to make money.

As The Prof says, pubs and clubs have been allowed to open for months now. Over 70 Wetherspoons staff have contracted Covid-19 since the pubs opened, yet there's no discussion on shutting them.

If their argument is that it keeps people in jobs then that doesn't differ from a Lower League football club that doesn't have the infrastructure or demand to roll-out virtual streaming of games.

If cinemas, shopping centres, bingos etc. are all allowed to open their doors to hundreds of people indoors then I don't see how they can block football clubs for this whole season, given that their own Scientific advisors state that there is a much lower risk of transmission while outdoors. If they do that then they'll have legal cases being put against it.

 

I wonder if it's possible the westminster government is basing their decisions on football around the EPL, which gets most of its money from TV companies and can presumably survive on that. I wouldn't be surprised if ministers in London have no idea how dependant Scottish clubs and English lower league clubs are on fans through the gates.

 

Can I purchase a one off game from celtic