Of Lisbon and Glasgow

The last day of the Web Summit is today.

As ever, it has been impossible to take in everything that I wanted to see.

It is a veritable smorgasbord of Third Wave happenings.

Yesterday at lunch, a Spanish colleague informed me that my questions to the La Liga president on the new UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations had been picked up by the national media in Madrid.

If you’re in a presser and you don’t have a well-prepared and difficult question to ask, then you shouldn’t be there.

Today, in an entirely unconnected development, I’m sitting in on a discussion on money laundering in the digital age.

Looking back over the week, this was probably my favourite one.

This is the third time that I have had the pleasure of listening to Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas at the Web Summit.

He’s always good value.

Top fella.

Meanwhile, on Planet Fitba, it is the Celtic AGM today.

These events are as stage-managed as the top table can make them.

However, occasionally there is an interesting question or two from the floor.

Celtic are in a good place right now.

However, I do not discount their ability to mess things up.

Across the city, I haven’t noticed when the RIFC AGM is.

Perhaps they’re still chatting with their auditors.

In another part of the Sevco multiverse, I can imagine those financial guardians actually asking directors for proof of funds.

Whereas in previous years, a written guarantee was good enough, now they actually want to see money in an account for the twelve months going forward.

Rugger Guy had mentioned to me some time ago that there was a general tightening of procedures by auditors in the UK.

Of course, Giovanni has spelt out the reality in several Champions League pressers:

The money just isn’t there.

Now, unlike your humble correspondent with the President of La Liga, that should have prompted at least one of the Stenography Corps to ask a question.

It is a simple one:

Where has the money from last season gone?

There is no doubt that Sevco has had its best ever twelve months for revenue.

Yet their relative lack of investment in the squad does suggest that there must have been a substantial outgoing that they have not told their delightful klanbase about.

I can’t think what it is.

No, seriously…

The details of the Ashley settlement with Sevco still elude me.

My Shirebrook guy would only concede that  Big Mike was “very very happy” with the conclusion to the court case.

Was it simply a cash payment and a big one at that?

Or does he also have them by the Castores?

Now, some of that SHOULD be answered in RIFC accounts.

Rugger Guy and several other serious financial heads that I have consulted have all spoken with one voice.

The reason for the apparent hold-up in the RIFC accounts is discussions around a Going Concern Warning.

That, dear reader, is about the twelve months going forward and not the previous year covered by the accounts.

This site continues to Follow Follow the money at Ibrox.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Stenography Corps are forbidden from deploying such basic journalistic scrutiny on the basket of assets.

This beautiful city and the one on the Clyde will forever be connected by that iconic moment, that day in May 1967 when immortals were made.

It was that historical achievement that propelled Celtic’s rivals to self-destruction in 2012.

Now we are all in the post-Rangers age with Sevco trying to find their way as a tribute act.

The brethren in the Blue Room have to do so in the knowledge that Celtic have in-built financial advantages thanks to the foresight of the Bunnet.

After the money laundering talk, I’m going to where Cesar lifted the cup.

Have a good one wherever you are.