It could be said that Mr Let’s Go has received something of a large Filip with the arrival of his new defender.
I understand that the acquisition of the lad Helander from Bologna was a direct result of some pram kicking by the ex-Liverpool U18 coach.
Apparently, he pointed to the fact that Celtic could spend £7m on one player while he was making do with what the Director of Fantasy could find the bargain bins of the lower leagues of England.
The fee for…. was originally reported as £4.2m then it fell to £3.2m.
Finally, I noticed the telling phrase “undisclosed fee”.
So, make that closer to £2.5m dear reader and it will be paid over four transfer windows.
In fairness, the lad’s agent was canny enough and I’m told that the signing on fee was paid up front as per industry standard.
I’m told that the Bologna defender was also offered to Celtic, but instead, the champions opted for Christopher Jullien from Toulouse.
The bottom line is regardless of Filip Helander’s ability a footballer it is an outlay that Sevco cannot afford to sustain.
I am sure that there were few among the Stenography Corps in June 2017 who thought that two years after Mr King’s great victory over Sports Direct that they would be witnessing a pop-up shop outside of the Louden Tavern on a match day.
Yes, a pop-up shop…
I’m told that this hilarious episode of the Sevco sitcom was as a direct consequence of the folks at Hummel HQ getting onto the Sevco High Command.
Apparently, the Denmark based sportswear manufacturer was lee than Zen-like about the stock that was piling up.
My information is that the Hummel UK chap has already been summoned to the Scandinavian HQ to have his Aarhus felt over the entire shambles.
I’m told that their complaint to the chaps in the Blue Room was along the lines of:
“You told us that all of this was sorted!”
For the avoidance of doubt, it isn’t…
A well-placed source has told me that the folks in Denmark are seriously dischuffed with the entire shitshow.
So much so that this year there will be no bonus payments and Sevco will be charged for storage for unsold stock.
Moreover, he told me that the club was not getting all of the kit for the team that they had expected.
Now, I don’t know if that is true but would explain the embarrassing chevron mishaps that have been spotted recently.
I will be interested to see is General Ashley tests the wafer-thin legal defence that this al fresco retail outlet had no connection to the Ibrox club.
I would not be surprised if he had deployed some of his close reconnaissance troops to purchase from said pop-up emporium.
This undercover chap might even have skilfully blended in swigging a can of some fortified beverage so as not to appear an Out Cider…
What is not a matter of speculation is that the supply chain to the pop-up shop will become evidential if General Ashley decided to become litigious over this embarrassing episode.
Consider this dear reader, is there another football club in Europe which claims to be a major outfit in such a situation apropos the sale of branded merchandise?
Quite…
I’m told that this very point was recently put to the Conveyancing Consigliere at a dignified sit-down.
The word “demeaning” was used to characterise the optics of selling club kit from a pop-up show adjacent to a pub.
Sevco’s legal eagle tried to soothe the crowd by saying that there would be two “marquee signings” very soon, but they had to keep it all very hush hush so not to tip their hand to competitors.
Oh dear…
Of course, all of this should be subjected to forensic journalistic scrutiny.
However, because it pertains to Ibrox then that will not happen.
Which why I have to take time out from my next novel to provide this free Samizdat service to the citizenry of Planet Fitba.
In the meantime, I do harbour a faint hope that, at some point, the Fitba Fourth estate will finally get round to some journalism down Ibrox way.
Then I can get back to what I really enjoy doing.
The sequel to The Squad is about halfway there so the last week wasn’t entirely wasted.
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West Ham and Newcastle are both linked today with big money striker buys from the Bundesliga whilst the ‘reported’ interest for Morelos from Crystal Palace has wained, if it was ever there in the first place.
Despite the MSSM attempts to create a bidding war for the Colombian man/child it’s not materialised. Piss poor PR at the end of the day.
Monthly running costs reported in the last annual audited accounts were £3.3m per month.
With the new management team in place, wholesale additions to the squad, with no real movement the other way, that number can only have increased.
Has there been a significant rise in revenues via ST’s, merchandising, sponsorship and a Europa Cup run to counter the increase in costs? We will soon find out when the latest audited accounts are filed.
The previous 2 years annual accounts reported a combined operating loss just north of £20m, £14m and £6m respectively.
Only significant incoming transfer fees can turn those numbers around or CL group stage qualification which if achieved would still be 18 months down the road before the real money rolled in.
The previous soft loans have been exchanged for equity in the loss making company.
Are those who have already taken a bath with regards to their hard earned cash going to dig deep again? Not according to Mr Bennett.
Of course the blue facing audience can take comfort from the breaking news that Rangers have been placed way above Celtic in a world soccer table report, part of which is based on financial stability, squad value and the strength of the league they participate in.
Not bad for the new/old club/company/thingy who have won none of the 3 major Scottish trophies for near to 10 seasons!
Can’t wait to see the next set of the Ibrox club’s audited accounts and compare with the very rosy picture painted by the fag packet calculations previously released by sources unknown.
Chris Jack perhaps? Though no doubt he has enough problems with putting words together without getting himself in a fizz with pesky numbers.
Will last season’s Europa run revenue be enough to change the numbers from red to black for the first time in the club’s history or will the auditors attach the usual trading warning as another operating loss is wracked up?
Can anyone fill us in as to what the outcome of the recent Ashley v King court case? Haven’t heard anything since the judge apparently stated Ashley is legally correct on all 4 counts…..any news bhoys?
The new sevconian has made 52 club appearances in all competitions in the last two seasons. Kristoffer Ajer has made 67. Stretch to three seasons (including Ajer’s loan spell at Kilmarnock) and the appearances become 63 and 85 respectively. Helander is 26 years old and Ajer is 21.
The sevconian has been a full time pro for eight seasons and has yet to amass 200 club appearances.
On the same topic, ie game time. KT, plagued with injury over the last two seasons still played 95 first team club games. 135 over three seasons.
Calmac posts 114 and 155. In fact, in the four seasons since fully establishing himself as a first team regular, he’s made as many appearances as Helander has made in his eight year career.
In terms of European experience both Celtic guys are miles ahead.
Why are we surprised at a Pop-up Shop down Ibrokes way ? The way their finances are being (mis)handled it will only be a matter of time before The Close Bros Charity forecloses – then King will have to resort to a Pop-up stadium for future fixtures – in the 3rd Division !
Oh come on. The Scottish Sun is taking as gospel a Global Soccer world ranking report that puts Rangers above Celtic.
Eh? One of the measurement criteria is squad value, another is financial stability.
Someone’s at it.
Tierney alone is valued by Arsenal at more than the entire Rangers squad.
Has Jack from the ET moved to the Sun? Would be no surprise following his latest howler.
No Scottish Cup trophy for 11 seasons no league title nor League Cup for 9 seasons.
It’s a complete piece of piss.
I’m surprised that claiming to be the most successful club in the world hasn’t taken them to number one on the list!
I don’t know if a name is attached claiming the article for themselves but it’s so so wrong in every way.
In fact it’s laughable.
Thanks Phil,your time away from the word mines is greatly appreciated.
As far as hoping for journalism to suddenly awaken and burst into life in Scotland;well,I’m definitely not holding my breathe…
There’s more chance of me sprouting feathers and fartin’ oot dmorra’s breakfast 🍳
HH🍀
Many thanks.
However, my voluntary effort should not be needed.
There is a rich vein of stories at Ibrox for any sports journalist in Glasgow.
Sadly, they appear to be out of bounds to the local media.
Yes,correct,it shouldn’t,sadly yourself and other bloggers are doing their jobs for them.Although,I doubt there’s many among them that’d remember what exactly their ‘job’ entails.
Isn’t there some union laws they are breaking by deliberately misleading joe public?
Having turned Bet365 onto perpetuating the L-5 PR continuation myth,it makes me think…WTF?
Just how far is the cabals reach?
That’s ALL major bookies on the ‘follow follow’ now.
Grand job Phil🍀
Dodgy kit sales, via a dodgy sales channel…from a dodgy club.
Why would anyone, [i.e. Scottish football administrators], expect that the current, dodgy Ibrox club…
would be any different from the previous, dodgy Ibrox club?
Poor new sevco are caught between a rock and a hard place, long may it continue. HH
Be interesting to know if any of this retail “activity” actually shows up anywhere in accounts or is simply pocketed along the way. In that same light, wonder if VAT is being collected AND paid????
I wonder if this pop-up shop has the blessing of Glasgow City Council? There is also the pertinent question of the logistics provider being contracted by whom, to move the merchandise from its storage facility to the pop-up shop.