I suppose it is all about levels.
Today Sevco launched their new kit by sportswear minnows Castore.
It is probably a good brand match of Espanyol Glasgow.
Of course, the basket of assets must keep up the pretence that they’re a big outfit.
The last thing they can afford to do is to be truthful to the Ibrox klanbase.
It is not a controversial observation to point out that the side that usually prevails in military conflicts is the one with the greatest resources.
Celtic continue to have the biggest football budget in Scotland.
Given my incurable interest in history, it had not slipped my attention that today is the anniversary of the commencement of the battle of the Somme.
By the end of this day in 1916, the British Army suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 killed.
This bought the Brits just three square miles of muddy real estate in France.
Yesterday Celtic announced that their retail partner in the coming season would be JD Sports.
They will combine with the German sportswear giant ADIDAS.
Our gallant allies in Europe…
This is the Parkhead outfit bringing up the big commercial guns.
Levels…
Oh, agus aon rud eile:
I did mention some time back that my guy at Shirebrook had laughed like a drain when I told him that, according to the Stenography Corps, Big Mike had been defeated by the Sevco High Command.
Now this today from Sports Direct.
You can read about it here.
“Be prepared for the biggest season in a decade. New Rangers Kit lands exclusively at Sports Direct August 1st.”
Now, that one word tells a tale:
“Exclusively”?
Oh, dear…
I think it is fair to say that The People are not taking this news well.
If only some journalist somewhere had warned them.
For the avoidance of doubt, this site is fully searchable, and I stand by my reporting.
Here is mine from May 2nd this year on yet another glorious Sevco victory.
You will note dear reader that your humble correspondent was delivering a very different narrative to the gushing push in the mainstream.
I expressed the view that we should wait to find out ALL of the details of the new retail deal with Castore.
Moreover, I was unwilling to simply accept at face value that Big Mike had walked away from a lengthy and expensive litigation when he seemed to be in such a strong legal position.
Now, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that someone in the Blue Room has a cunning plan.
At times like this, I truly feel for the Serious Professional.
Stay safe.
This will be a severe kick in the goolies to their fan base who were triumphant with the news that, according to the Scottish Media, Sports Direct had been removed from all things Rangers once and for all.
No doubt this was kept well under wraps whilst ST were being punted.
Stand by for an official Rangers statement promoting Sports Direct and bigging up a new distribution deal with them that brings in buckets more to Rangers than the previous claimed pennies in the pound contract.
Our media, not for the first time, has been made to look fools as they fell over themselves to push the bye, bye Ashley line being fed to them from Ibrox.
This follows, unlike Hearts and Thistle, weeks of threatening legal action against the SPFL for calling the league early, then doing absolutely hee haw when push came to shove.
Hey Phil,
I see that the news of the “exclusive deal” with Sports Direct to sell the new Ran*ers replica kit was met with 1.1k comments on the SD Facebook Page.
That breaks down as:
35 x ❤️
140 x LIKES
868 x “Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha-Ha Ha’s”
50,000 strips my arse.
Hail and Hail again !
Sort socks, sport socks 2 for a pouuund
The non-denial denial is as interesting of a case of linguistic gymnastics as I’ve seen in a while.
Apparently, we’re to believe that (1) the club and its supplier will be distributing to all sorts of retailers – competitors to Castore! – (2) that it is a good thing for Rangers supporters that Sports Direct will be among those getting an allocation, and (3) that it wasn’t even worth mentioning until after SD publicly claimed to have ‘exclusive’ distribution rights beginning a month from now.
Anyone who believes this at face value should contact me, as I have a very old and valuable bridge that I’m willing to sell at a steep discount.
But in all seriousness, it’s almost as if SD/Ashley are working under the assumption that they won their court case last year and have legal claim to exclusively make and distribute the kits for the 3rd year under the original 3 year deal with Hummel/Elite.
What I’m most curious about is which other retailers will be sharing in the ‘exclusive’ distribution arrangement that SD are claiming for next season. Surely Rangers would at this point want to let their supporters know where all they will be able to purchase the kits! Will they be available at JD? How about Amazon? Will Elite get any allocation?
Absolutely nothing on the Sports Direct website regarding The Rangers or Castore. Strange if they’re selling The Rangers kit. They list all the other football teams the sell kit for.
Oh ma sides..stop it.
Castore and Bollux?
Surely, “gishing push”
The bears simply have to shut up and hand over a hefty wedge to SD for their TRFC tops.
I’m sure there must be a joke there linking SD, Castor(e) and the gullible bears having to take their medicine – regardless of how awful it tastes! 🙂
Shouldn’t laugh,
too much.
Check out Castore (J Carter Sporting Club Ltd) on Companies House. Both brothers removed as persons of significant control on 15th January. Wonder who has had the control since then…
Shouldn’t companies house list who has significant control now?
Interesting to note that el guffalo is not in the new marketing
No shorts to fit him yet.
Just when they thought Magic Mike had done walking away. Oh ma sides!!!!!! HH
Does this mean Sports Direct will drop the court case? Forego the damages?
This is the only way they’ll get the money, selling them at premium and passing on minimal profits to Sevco, say, 1%…?
Bang on the money again Phil,everything they touch ends up totally FUQT,that karma IS a bastard😂
Blue bear outrage will be at an all time high✅
Thanks Phil,bad news travels faster than light😇
Phil
Any word on the wages due at mordor…..
They should be grateful SD let them sell 40k season tickets before they announced it 😂
No a happy Klan over at the bears den, worth a visit if you are in need of a laugh. Castore has at least one store in London but no mention of stocking sevco kit. However you cant get a pair of shorts from them for any less than £65 so when the price of the shirt comes out too it will be a riot. I’d suggest £95 a tap. Quality gear though !!
They will be 2 for a quid soon enough
The castore gear only goes up to a XL, so they won’t be selling much anyway
Did Sevco forget to inform their fans who would be the exclusive distributor of their new kit or were they just trying to come up with the most positive narrative to go along with the announcement? Or maybe they just hoped that the fans wouldn’t notice!
Brilliant. I wonder how deep into thie big Mike is. Now that King is allegedly gone maybe he is ok to work with sevco. However I wouldn’t bet against big Mike calling on the existing contract to match the shirt deal. Give it a few months of sales at SDI profit and then go back to sevco once the present court case is settled and take them again on the same breach of contract.. That would be terribly funny..!!
This is just one of those MASSIVE COINCIDENCES isn’t it? You know, where Sevco pulled off a miracle in ditching Ashley and then teamed up with a very small outfit which the bampot community quickly noted lacked any meaningful distribution and retail infrastructure…. only for this gap to then be plugged by err… Mike Ashley.