Rebus wonders about this Oxford- Celtic merger, and its maybe not as far fetched as you think…
Is Celtic going to Oxford, or is Oxford coming to Celtic? Or is it all a load of nonsense?
Here are some thoughts on the recent rumour that Celtic may be looking at entry into the English leagues via a buyout of an existing club, namely Oxford United.
First of all, here are a few facts about the potential target. The estimated market value of the club is just under three million euros. This is made up mainly of playing staff since the club does not own its own ground……..a point that we shall return to later. United have a first team squad of 27 with two players that stand out…..a left midfielder, Calum O’Dowda and a right winger, Kemar Roofe who scores goals. So Oxford has some desirable assets that could be sold or retained by our club.
The club has had a variety of owners over the last twenty years which indicates how unstable it has been. However, it does show that a licence to play in the league has been transferred through a purchase. Last weekend OU made the final of the Johnstone Paint cup at Wembley, where they lost narrowly to Barnsley, a team one division higher than them. Currently, the team plays in League 2, occupying second position which if they hold that position, would see them promoted to League 1, two divisions below the Holy Grail of the EPL.
The OU coach appears to share many of the ideas of our current coach, namely, the importance of developing players and controlling players’ lifestyle to improve fitness. This would qualify him for youth coach at Celtic.
In the last six months, there has been a bit of a boardroom shuffle at OU. The CEO has left for Bristol City and Daryll Eales has assumed both the Chairmanship and the job of CEO. Eales is also the majority shareholder in the club. His background is in private equity with skills in mergers. Eales may be attracted by a conversion of his shares in OU into investment in Celtic. It is certainly a world that would be familiar to him. Would Eales be interested in selling the club, knowing that it would be merged with Celtic, and moved out of Oxford? Who knows! Average gates run between 6-7000. So there will be quite a few disappointed supporters that will make a lot of noise over losing their club. Would that influence the OU board against the option of being part of a larger club that plays in Europe? On the other hand, there is certainly a financial argument for the OU board to welcome interest from Celtic. The latest financial data is due out later this month, but the three years prior to that all show significant losses with the last of these losses totally 1.4 million. The previous owner of the club, Firoz Kassam used the SEVCO manoeuvre when he purchased the club which was 9 million in debt at that time. He put the club into administration and offered a CVA that paid 10p in the pound. Acceptance of this CVA meant that he cleared himself of a 9 million debt at a cost of only 900,000. So it is not just Scottish businesses that get ripped off by this ploy!
Now let’s return to who owns OU’s stadium because it ain’t OU. Firoz Kassam owns the stadium which he values at 15 million pounds, something that is hardly feasible for OU to pay, assuming that Kassam would be willing to sell. Mr Kassam has plans to develop the area around the stadium by putting in a hotel and 2-300 houses. This plan includes building houses right up to the stadium and will take away part of the car park. Are you beginning to get a picture of what might be in his mind? Of course any development such as the latter requires approval of the local council and I have no inkling of where it stands, but I suspect that Mr Kassam does.
Right, time to sum up. All of this is just conjecture on my part, but OU seems to be a good target for Celtic for a number of reasons. Firstly, it would be inexpensive to buy because it does not own its ground. The last twice that it was sold, it went for a pound! The financial position of the club is precarious and, consequently the board may find Celtic’s approach attractive. Thirdly, there is a precedent for English leagues to contain clubs playing in grounds outside of England. Fourthly, the major shareholder is a venture capitalist and may find Celtic’s approach fits with his business philosophy.
On the negative side, the local council may be concerned with the votes that it might lose from disgruntled fans and may attempt to block a move. In addition, there will be a variety of approvals needed from football associations, perhaps including UEFA. All of this will take time. Currently, OU leases their stadium from Kassam. It may be difficult to get out of this lease. Finally, Celtic would need to ensure that there would be no impediment to its progression all the way through to the EPL.
Depending on how OU fair this season, it will take a number of years to gain access to the EPL by this route. Celtic may have to maintain a team in Oxford for a year or two since the implementation of a Celtic entry into an English league could only happen at the beginning of a season, and the licence will have to be kept alive. Also, the current team would not be a shoe-in to gain promotion from the Championship. Substantial investment would be required to get Celtic out of the Championship and to maintain its presence in the Premier League. Does our board have the stamina for that? A number of managerial and structural changes would be needed within the club, not least of which will be the recruitment process. Still nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Rebus
I thought April Fool’s day was on the 1st of the month.
Patrick,
Good one! Short and pithy! Nae content, tho’
Rebus
Rebus,if the epl wanted us in their league we would be there already.pie in the sky on your part,not up to your usual standard,must improve.HH
John,
It would be difficult and onerous for the epl to actively work for our inclusion. Why should they it’s working fine for them as it is.
The above scenario may or may not happen but the onus is on us to find a way in, using the existing system. The l will not change for us.
Rebus
I mean in the last sentence, the league/football association will not change for us. Sorry! Need to get some beakfast so I am offski for a while. Some may think I should not come back!
Rebus
Rebus, very good article,with food for thought,it seems unlikely IMHO,for a variety of reasons.
There would be a number of obstacles to overcome,including acceptance into the League,Supporters unrest,Council Politics,but it has to be said that it is dooable.
If this is true then it shows someone is thinking outside the box and we are all aware that the Boards Leaders would imagine this to be the Holy Grail.
With everything going on around the club and with our mistrust of the ruling bodies,could it happen who knows,only time will tell.
Mike,
Out of the box thinking is required.
Rebus
I thought following the fall out from the deed rangers to the new one it was outlined how you can not transfer player registrations from one club to another.
Cant see how it would grow legs.
Is this a wee non-story being ‘leaked’ by those within the corridors of Celtic Park to give a false impression they are actually trying to do something proactive?
Danny,
Not sure about this….good point. However, this situation would differ from SEVCO in that Celtic would be buying an existing and functioning club. When Kassam bought the club he acquired the playing staff. So, I do not see the two situations as the same. The more immediate issue may be would Celtic want OU players?
Thiis is why we employ lawyers!
Rebus
Celtic need to concentrate on the biggest prizes, winning our domestic league and becoming a regular fixture in the Champions league groups!
These are the only two things that should dominate the Celtic board’s attitude to on field success!
Oxford? England? Both can fuck off!
disagree on this occasion bud… the sooner we get away from the corrupt sfa the better
as long as we retain our history etc im all for it
Bgbhoy,
I hear what you’re saying and it’s fine to disagree, however if we did find ourselves in England (spit) and we didn’t get treated in a balanced and even way, where to next, France?
dont think we would have as much of an issue with there fa than ours
probably never happen though
Monti,
We could talk about this for ages. Basically, it comes down to whether Celtic want to compete on a bigger stage or whether we feel we can thrive in a smaller market with the odd flurry into the CL.
In the majority of cases, it is the richer leagues that supply the teams that make it through to the group stages and, especially beyond. There are some exceptions but by and large, that is the case.
In case you have misinterpreted my piece, Celtic would play at Parkhead not Oxford.
It made you think, tho’?
Rebus
Rebus
Rebus,
Celtic are a Scottish club, the biggest Scottish club, we have a responsibility to the Scottish game.
Celtic playing in any English leagues will never happen and neither should it, they can stick their money up their English arses.
Celtic have shown up well against the best England can offer in Europe, we will do so once again.
I would rather Celtic built a homeless complex, got people off the fucking streets, something which i’m passionate about.
Forget England and let’s get back to our roots and foundations, these are the fucking things that really matter.
Celtic should be loud and clear about what we are doing for the poorest people in our community, the government are a disgrace on these issues, Celtic need to get back to what we are, and that was a thing that gave people who had nothing, hope!
I want to do a thread on this in the future, I would love to see a building being built by Celtic that took people off the streets, fed and clothed them, that means more to me than any Champions league night!
Hail Hail!
Monti,
Do the thread. Have you approached Celtic on this?
My immediate reaction is that, as you say, Celtic are a Scottish football club, and not a social service. However, that is not to say that they cannot be involved in charitible causes, but their primary function is to deliver entertainment and at the highest possible level.
There are many worthy causes and Celtic cannot, nor should they be involved in all of them. If I were to offer advice to the club, it would be pick a cause and focus on that cause. The club cannot be a substitute for government agencies.
However, if the majority of our fanbase do not wish a move into England, then, I agree, it should not happen.
Rebus
Now there is a Celtic worth shouting about.
Well said Monti HH
Cheers Charlie S!
Great post Monti.
Go on write an article on it and we’ll publish here….Celtic is about history, community and helping those who need support. It’s far, far bigger than a game of football.
Hector,
Thanks.
Monti
What responsability do we owe to Scottish football ????.
A Scottish football who’s authorities have at every chance hammered Celtic FC,while doing everthing in their power for TRIFC.
The authorities bent,twisted,altered,and invented rules all to avail and abet TRIFC,and all to the detriment of the other 41 clubs,and you think we owe them.Wake up and smell the coffee Monti,we will be going back to barbarian supporters running all over us again next season,and the SFA/SPFL,referee’s giving us a fair crack of the whip,don’t think so mate HH
Interesting read … well done
Stranger things have happened!
Interesting .
I think there are some similarities with the MK Dons move of buying a club in Wimbeldon , renaming them and moving them to Milton Keynes.
This might be shite but it would be exciting if it could be done. There would be no shortage of investors for a Celtic in the EPL .
Hugh,
Buy your shares now!
Rebus
Rebus credit to you for your input.
I remember having a chat with Willie MStay,at Celtic park a couple of years ago,when he was in charge of Celtic nation at Carlisle.I put it to him if Celtic could use it as a stepping stone into English football,Willie thought it was what might happen if things worked out.
Sadly the venture was short lived and not finished. I see Oxford as very plausible,but I wouldn’t like my club to rid a club of its own identity.We are a Scottish club,and should concentrate on being the best.
The other problem I see,is that we wouldn’t really be welcome,our fans singing of the ira,wouldn’t sit well with the people of England and nor should it.It doesn’t sit well with people anywhere.
They have suffered bombings and killings on their streets from various groups,and the brutal killing of lee rugby has changed all outlook for them.
When the Irish go to the Euros you will not here an ira song you will here the fields etc but boys of the old brigade,bobby sands,Sean south,not on your nelly.
We need to get our fans away from the rebels,to a more Irish Celtic way. It isn’t hard,we have great songs and stories to sing.We don’t need the Ira ones.
Champions league is our main priority,give us that you don’t need anything else.
Jimmybee,
When I heard this rumour I initially thought…no way. So I decided to take a look at the situation more closely. By the way, and not to toot my own horn, this is the type of article that should appear in the SMSM. A wee bit of research, a wee bit of crystal ball gazing, and a discussion generator……sells newspapers. The fact that we don’t see this kind of thing goes some way to explaining the decline of that industry.
I think a strong Celtic would be welcomed in the English leagues. Certainly, that would be true in the lower leagues. In the epl, we would generate instant atmosphere…..there would be an added dimension for the English teams, i.e. Beating the best of Scotland.
When you look at the situation that OU faces, it is not something that should be dismissed out of hand.
Rebus
Rebus,
The SMSM don’t want to know because it involves Celtic.
If there was even the slightest hint of it from ibrokes they would be all over it like a rash
I have to disagree with you though on Celtic being welcomed.
If Celtic got the same money from the expl or championship teams then we would be a real threat to their game.
Players who they can beat us too now,would sign for Celtic.
We would be undermining their positions in top flight football.
Celtic would be too big for them to handle.
It isn’t going to happen,though I would love to see it,but not at the expense of another clubs hardship.
hmmm. the current celtic board wont spend 10 million to get us into champions but they are going to spend the many multiples of that that it will take to get us from div 4 of english football to the premiership… Not buying it to be honest. it would be a big risk and risk takers they are not. plus, the english championship is one of the most comptetitive leagues anywhere. it could take years and a hell of a lot of money to get out of it. i would not like to see this happen. look at the number of clubs in england that have gone tits up a la our friends in govan in recent years..
Kkbhoy,
Cannot disagree with much of what you say. Yep, risky for sure, but that is always the case when the rewards are high. I do not know how risk averse the bosrd is. I do hope that someone has looked at the feasibility of something like this. Because that is the only way that the board will understand what is involved in moving into the English leagues. Remember, even if we were invited straight into the epl, we could be relegated…..I think the current team would be candidates for that!
You are correct, if it happened, it would require a whole different level of spend.
Rebus
The thought of ending another club and all that it means to its supporters and local community is appalling and everything that’s totally wrong with the shysters involved in modern fitba.
Forget Oxford fans, our own supporters would chase the current board out of Celtic if they ever tried anything ridiculous like this.
Celtic is Celtic and based in the east end of Glasgow.
Hector,
I cannot argue with your morality and I won’t. Clubs do die, though and OU is a candidate to do that. A few years ago it fell out of the English leagues into Conference football, and this is a club that won the League Cup in 1986, I think.
They are in a dilemma over their ground……they do not own it, and the owner sees a development opportunity for it.
Rebus
Clubs do die but Celtic should never be involved in ending a team from a league that has nothing to do with us.
We are a Scottish club with a wonderful Irish heritage. We should be doing all we can to improve Celtic and the Scottish game and get us back into the Champions League, ideally with a group of home grown players.
Hector
How do you propose we achieve all this with the SFA/SPFL,and sevco running Scottish football ???.HH
What makes you think that OU are in any sort of ‘hardship’ or at risk of dying? A quick Google search shows that they are very sound financially and can draw 35k to big games (always take a minimum of 1k to away matches, how many SPL clubs can boast that?!?!).
April Fools was last week! Stay off the drugs Rebus!!!!
Rubbish you have no proof or facts to support your statements.
Totally agree Hector!
Did Fergus McCann not float this idea about 20 years ago, saying he would buy Wimbledon and use their English league licence to allow Celtic to move to England?
I’ve seen stranger things happen but seems unlikely. If this was allowed by UEFA, FA and SFA then throughout Europe big clubs in small leagues would buy small clubs in big leagues next to them and use that to move countries (e.g. Ajax would buy a small German club, Benfica would buy a small Spanish club). I think UEFA would come to conclusion it would be less messy to organise a European super league involving the likes of Celtic, Benfica and Ajax, rather than have lots of cross border purchases of football clubs.
There is no precedent of Dutch clubs playing in German, nor Portuguese playing in Spain. The same cannot be said of Welsh clubs playing in England and unless I am mistaken much of our law is set on precedent.
Much of it will come down to appetite from the English FA and associated bodies such as the Football League etc. Unless Celtic have actually found a way to get in legally then they would really need the blessing of all of the authorities south of the border.
Celtic have to tread carefully here, overtly attempting to leave the Scottish leagues will leave a sour taste just about everywhere but logically I think a lot of clubs would be open to the idea especially if Celtic left a 2nd team who were punished and were relegated to the third tier of Scottish football.
It is pie in the Sky, clearly, but still a very good article which with my extensive legal training (7 minutes on Wikipedia) it is feasible to do but how many legal impediments would Dermot’s billions meet at the altar of Murdoch’s Billions?
This is one of the ways that Celtic will get out of playing in Scotland. A priority of any Celtic board must be to get out of Scotland, and the death of the Old Firm. However, it will need to be a new and more ambitious board than the corrupt tories currently in charge. The current lot are as shameful as anything that has worked at Ibrox. They have ripped Celtic supporters off for years and have colluded with the SFA to usher the Newco into the SPL. Just wait and see Lawwell strike an agreement for Celtic and Rangers to be exempt from relegation in the future. That is a guarantee. The Old Firm is more important to them than Celtic. If Celtic were the priority, there would be no Newco. Lawwell has breathed life into a corpse. They are a disgrace. Boycott the semi-final. Refuse to recognise the Newco and corruption on scottish football.
John,
The death of Rangers (IL) has killed off the ‘ Old firm ‘ tag, they are gone, Amen!
The priority for any Celtic board should echo that of Walfrid’s mission and the strength and quality of the team on the park!
What a load of utter utter shyte. If we are to gain entry into the English League ( or any other League ) it should be done under our own steam , only when invited. Buying out another club is absolutely the wrong way to go about it . Shows smithing but contempt for Oxford Utd fans . If the wheels were put in motion for this nonsense to take place , i would hope the Oxford fans would fight it with every bone in their body. They’d have the backing of this Tim
Richie,
It is fun spending time creating an article for you to read. Your reaction makes it all worthwhile!
Hector expressed your view a lot better. See my response to him.
Rebus
Monti,you make an interesting point about our responsibility to the Scottish game but it is not reciprocated.the majority of clubs don’t give two hoots about Celtic and would have been still celebrating if fergus had not rescued us.there is no love outwith our own community for the bhoys.we would have been fortunate to be playing in the amateurs if it was up to the ‘scottish game’.
I know that but we will rise above their perception of our club!
Like I say, we need to concentrate on the things that make Celtic ‘ more than a club ‘ because we are!
I can understand why you’d be interested…if Oxford fielded their first XI north of the border, we’d be celebrating the treble by March.
BigCrompy, I thought they already had,are they not playing in Govan.
Rebus,
Thanks for this. I was completely in the dark on any of this Oxford United stuff.
Uralius,
I am not saying this is happening, merely that it is a rumour as reported in the Diary a little while ago. So, I thought I would run with it and see if it was clearly a non-starter, or whether it could grow legs.
Should it be pursued? I think it is a feasible idea that should be explored in more depth. However, I think Hector makes a good point about the ethics of it. Still I think there are signs that OU are in trouble financially. Their accumulated debt is at the level that it was when it went into administration after being purchased by Kassam. Arguably it was in a stronger position then, than it is now because it did own its ground. That was sold off by Kassam and he built the new stadium for them, while retaining ownership of it. I am not a finance person but it looks to me like a business that has been stripped of its major asset and is continuously in a loss making situation. UNless someone is prepared to carry it, it will fold. Then what? Celtic step in?
Rebus
Oxford have just signed a 3 year contract with the same ticketing software supplier as Celtic, Celtic are one of their biggest customers. What next, will they be playing in a new balance kit sponsored by CR Smith?
Team for tonight:
Gordon
Listing
Sviatchenko
Mulgrew
Tierney
Brown
Bitton
Roberts
Johansen
Mackay-Steven
Griffiths.
Must win!
Dundee 1 Celtic 3
Lustig!
have we got a new player called listing,never heard of him
Glasgow Celtic, thats Glasgow in Scotland, a Scottish football club that shall always remain a Scottish club.
Apart from the absolute cuntishness of wanting to destroy another football club for ever, apart from the fact its another fucking country and it wouldn’t be allowed (the Welsh clubs joined the english league when clubs were needed to make up the leagues, this was recognized by fifa/uefa and is a one off exception), apart from the fact that after the MK Dons/Wimbledon deal the English F.A said it will never be allowed to happen again, apart from the fact all the other clubs in the English leagues would be taking legal action, i would say the idea has legs just like Oscar Pistorius has i.e fucking none.
Ian,
So you are supportive of the idea, right? You might be correct about UEFA…i simply do not know and I suspect you don’t either. You are expressing what you think is the case.
Why would the other clubs in the leagues take action against us? Do you know that as fact or is it, again, just your opinion?
I’d like to see the basis for these points, not because I deny them, but because I believe you are stating opinion as fact. Convince me….I am open to it.
Rebus
Hilarious. I suspect OUFC would give Celtic a pretty good game and fairly comfortably hold their own in the SPL. Yellows! Yellows!
Werthers original,
Celtic would play with Oxford like a Lion plays with a three legged Wildebeest.
Oxford? There seems to be a lot of murders there, there seems to be a murder every week on Inspector Morse?
If Celtic buy OU they would then have to give up their SFA and SPFL memberships to use OU’s one. When that happens they lose any claim on any of the trophies won. Isn’t that one of the reasons the 5-way agreement went to such efforts to ensure Sevco got RFC’s SFA membership, even though their first game was played under a temporary one?
A new Celtic? Trophyless and without history? What would bind us? How would that be any different to Rangers the Second?
Wisnae,
Great pen name. A couple of your shots had me on the ropes but I am bobbing and weaving out of my defensive position. Are you ready?
First point on giving up membership of the SPFL and the SFA, is that not the whole point. If Celtic want to compete in the EPL then they want out of both of these organisations. So, assuming they are accepted by the FA and the appropriate league association….either League 1 or 2, why would the club want to retain membership of Scottish associations? They could not compete in both an English league and the SPL.
For your second re the loss of our history, it could be a knockout blow but why do you think we would lose our history? We would not be a phoenix club like SEVCO, arising from liquidation, but at worst, a merged entity…..quite distinct from a brand new corporate entity such as SEVGERS. If there is something I am missing, feel free to take another swing.
By the way, in spite of your pen name, I know is was you that made the points!!!
Wisnae me, indeed.
Good to talk,
Rebus
Rebus,
Firstly you are correct that shifting leagues does not, in and of itself, mean you give up prior victories in that league, but that is not what is being proposed. The proposal here is to buy OU and continue using their league/FA membership and give up Celtic’s. Regardless of ground, colours and fans, the fact is this would be a reverse takeover, Celtic (assuming the name change was allowed) would be a continuation of OU and Celtic (old co) would be dead. The new Celtic would have a trophy haul of whatever OU have won.
I have tried to contact the SFA regarding Airdie’s (new co) purchase of Clydebank. Did Airdrie (new co) win the Scottish Football League Second Division in 1975-6 (as Clydebank FC)? Does any current club have a legitimate claim on the 1923-4 Scottish cup (won by the original Airdieonians, since deceased)?
I guess it comes down to what is a club? The Sevco basket of assets allows for them to alternately claim it’s the stadium, it’s the shared history (?), it’s the fans etc. The law and FIFA, however, define it as a distinct legal entity, which means Rangers is still being wrung for every last penny the creditors can get, and a Celtic/OU union might be a brand new entity which has absolutely no history, like ICT when formed.
Wisnae,
I checked out Airdriefc.com which is the club website. They have a “History” section and describes triumphs from before the buyout. The 1924 victory over Hibs in the cup is listed there. So,……..
Rebus
PS would be interested in what the SFA say!
what an absolute load of nonsense, the financial figures for the club qouted are incorrect,(600k in tyhe black last year one of only three clubs to have no debt in the uk) the Council and the building of the omes is onb the old Knights Road School for Naughty boys (out of budsiness for a umber of years) There are ample fields around the stadium , with two hotels already built, several commercial ventrures including the club site, and several more planned. The Only Car Park possibly mentioned in the above is the overflow carparkj which is an undeveloped piece of land with a bit of gravel and matting to stop cars sinking into the mud, which backs onto an already excisting housing estate which is normaly used by the Gala Bingo brigade when the footy is on.
Justin,
I am flattered that you saw and read my article. Let me begin by telling you why I wrote it. Firstly, I was not advocating that Celtic should or were interested in buying OU. I wrote the piece as part of an investigation to see if such an action was possible and if it were, what obstacles would need to be overcome in order to make it happen. As you can see the article produced a little debate which is what I wanted.
I understand your loyalty to your club, and frankly, I underestimated the importance of morality in such a merger. For me that is a key factor in any evaluation of this action.. When I say morality, I mean the morality of Celtic’s actions.
However, my view on that might change if your club was in danger of liquidation and ceasing to exist. You say that is not likely and you are the guy on the ground, so I accept that.
Now to your dismissal of the financial data that I quoted. Can I suggest that you look at an article in your own Oxford Mail, dated April 16, 2015. There you will see clear statements that your club returned a loss of 1.4 million for latest financial year available at that time. You will also see a report that that loss was higher than the year previous to that, and that there had been three years of losses. You will also see in that article a statement of the rising accumulated debt to that point.
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the accumulated debt when Kassam took over the club was around 9 million. If you look at the data in the above mentioned Mail article you will see that, at that point in time, the accumulated debt was not at, but approaching the 9 million, which is what I stated in my article.
So, if my data are nonsense, so is the info in the Mail article.
Now having said all of this, I was swayed by the morality issue and this would be a view shared by many Celtic fans. Further, it is unclear what the status of Celtic’s history would be after such a merger. To lose that would be unthinkable.
I can understand that you feel threatened by the content of the article, but, as I said, it was there to cause debate on the issue of buying a way into the English leagues.
Good luck in your run towards promotion. I now have another set of results to check out, and I shall be interested in what happens to Kassam Stadium in the future.
Rebus
If there is any truth in this at all then I can say now I would not support celtic anymore, having been a fan since i was 6. How dare we feel our club is anymore deserving of its history and basically wipe another away. Fecking disgusting.
what an absolute load of nonsense.
The financial figures for the club qouted are incorrect,(600k in tyhe black last year one of only a few clubs to have no debt in the uk) The financial position is strong and growing hence signing championship and p[remier reserve players on loan, as well as several succesful cup runs with TV Rights this season bringing in additional funds to the club not accounted for at the start of the season.
the Council and the building of the homes is on the old Knights Road School for Naughty boys (out of business for a number of years) There are ample fields around the stadium , with two hotels already built, several commercial ventrures including the club site, and several more planned. The Only Car Park possibly mentioned in the above is the overflow carpark which is an undeveloped piece of land with a bit of gravel and matting to stop cars sinking into the mud, which backs onto an already exsisting housing estate which is normally used by the Gala Bingo brigade when the footy is on.
In regards to Celtic we wish you all the luck in the world with your ventures, and for the pie in the sky fans why would you bother with a club 400 miles away when there are several lower league clubs with possibly better facilities in the North of England that could easily accommadate your needs (the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead Carlisle are all on your doorstep).
All the Best one mighty very proud Yellow through and through season ticket holder.
Justin and Yellow,
I am retyping an earlier post to you both that seems to have vanished. It may re-appear later so there might be two versions of this. Apologies to all if that happens.
Firstly, thank you for reading my stuff. I am flattered that you did so and then took the trouble to respond. I can understand your reaction as loyal fans.
Let me start by explaining the reasoning for publishing the article. I’d heard a rumour that this was a possibility and I wished to initiate a debate on its feasibility. At the start of writing the article, I had no idea if it was feasible. I merely wished to see what obstacles would need to be overcome in order for a strategy like this to be possible. The debate taught me a lot. For example, I underestimated the value of morality or business ethics in the situation. Several posters pointed out that they wanted no part in killing another club off. I now think this is a key factor and it is something that I perhaps should have realised earlier. However, clubs do die through poor financial performance. Your own club had a CVA in recent history. In the event that your club was near liquidation and likely to cease to exist, I might have a different view of the situation.
There is also the issue of what would happen to Celtic’s history if a merger were to happen. This is something that I shall explore in my own time as it is a hot topic in Scotland, given the demise of Rangers and the emergence of a new corporate entity playing in the same ground. Being stripped of our history would make a merger a non-starter, as far as I am concerned and the majority of the Celtic support.
These topics, and others, arose from the debate caused by my article, and that is what it was intended to do!
Now to your suggestion that my financial data is nonsense. I refer you to your own Oxford Mail, April 16, 2015 and an article by David Pritchard. There you will see that for the year before it is reported that OU lost 1.4 million, and that that loss followed two previous years of losses. So if my data is incorrect, then so is the OU article…..I doubt that they would get away with that, don’t you? I accept that you may know the financial results for the last financial year and that these are in the black. However, to me, that indicates that OU make a profit in one of the last four years. Further, in that article, you will see a statement of the size of accumulated debt of the club. I believe that I am correct that at the time of the Kassam purchase, OU accumulated debt was 9 million. The accumulated debt mentioned in the above OU article is approaching that level. Concern that the club does not own its ground is reported in the Guardian, Friday, 29 Jan., 2016 in statements by Eales. In the Mail on 3 April, 2015, Kassam is reported as applying for approval to build both a hotel and a housing development, using part of the overflow car park of the stadium. These are reported as priorities over building a fouth stand in the stadium. From this, you can see where the priorities of the stadium owner lie, if this report is true. Finally, details of Kassam’s takeover of the club can be found in a Guardian article, 29 March, 2006 by David Conn. Here you will find details of the CVA, the accumulated debt, and the resulting settlement of that debt.
So, assuming all of these articles are not inaccurate, my data is not nonsense.
Both of you are loyal fans and a credit to your club and, again, I thank you for taking the time to talk to me. One thing has emerged from this adventure, I shall follow the performance of OU in the future and hope that you do attain promotion to League 1. I shall also be interested to see what happens to Kassam Stadium.
Rebus
Pretty desperate stuff here.
I’m an Oxford fan and can guarantee our owners have absolutely no intention of franchising the club to Scotland. They’ve invested huge amounts into the backroom staff, marketing, merchandising (including a recent trademark for various OUFC-related stuff), youth development and are pursuing plans for a new training ground (in Oxford — not Glasgow!). Not to mention the huge efforts they’ve gone to to rebrand the club and engage the local community in Oxford.
These are hardly the actions of someone who’s planning to then undo all that work by franchising it to Scotland. They could very easily have just poured that money into the first team to try and get it into the Championship as quickly as possible without needing to invest in other areas of the club.
Besides all that, after the MK debacle the FA tightened up its regulations to prevent any future franchising in English football. It’s a non-starter.
Justin and Yellow,
I posted a reply to Justin quoting a source for the data. As is the way in this blog, sometimes a long reply either disappears or is delayed. If it does not appear later, I shall repost it.
Regards,
Rebus