{"id":6574,"date":"2015-02-11T10:12:58","date_gmt":"2015-02-11T10:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=6574"},"modified":"2015-02-11T10:12:58","modified_gmt":"2015-02-11T10:12:58","slug":"celtic-diary-wednesday-february-11-time-to-switch-off-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=6574","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Wednesday February 11: Time To Switch Off Sky ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tonights game with Partick Thistle is live on Sky TV, meaning that Celtic will be fulfilling their obligations of the contract the broadcasters hold with the SPFL. Of course, we all want to see the action as it happens, and its not always practical for us to attend the game, so its without doubt a welcome addition to the viewing schedule.<\/p>\n

The coverage, commentators apart, is of a high standard, and in fact, if you watch it on one of those new smart tvs, its extremely realistic. During the recent League cup semi final, I swore at referee Craig Thompson, and he sent me upstairs to watch the rest of the game.<\/p>\n

But despite having all the away games available in the comfort of our own homes, or in the local over a couple of beers, enough is finally enough.<\/p>\n

\u00a35.136 billion pounds are going into the EPL coffers as a result of the new deal concluded yesterday. It doesn’t make any sense, unless Murdoch is just spending the money in order to have less profit, and consequently pay less tax. There can be no way they will recoup that money, bearing in mind the record audience for a SKy tv game is only around four million.<\/p>\n

But thats up to them. Whats not up to them is if we, as Celtic and Scottish football supporters, continue to pay our monthly subs only to see the cash ploughed into a league which in turn plunders our own of its better \u00a0players, which, of course, weakens our own hand when it comes to negotiations. Sky obviously won’t pay good money for two leagues, so far better to run one into the ground, before announcing a plan that will save the weaker one via assimilation. In the real world, its pretty much how a government acts before privatising a nationalised industry. ( See NHS ).<\/p>\n

Combine that with piss poor administrators who have zero negoitiating skills, and its little wonder that Celtic would take fifty years to earn what , in this example, Liverpool earn in just one.<\/p>\n

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The new deal means that each televised game costs Sky \u00a310m. Two games cost them more than what they pay the Scottish league in a year. Which , of course, is why our games get moved around to suit them.<\/p>\n

So, Scottish football, is it worth it for Sky ?<\/p>\n

More than you’d believe. Over \u00a3600m goes into their bank from Scottish subscribers every year.<\/p>\n

Is Sky \u00a0worth it for Scottish football ?<\/p>\n

We get \u00a315m a year for the clubs. And ridiculous kick off times.<\/p>\n

So, I think the answer is in the question<\/p>\n

There’d be little point in phoning them this afternoon, or this week, to cancel. The time to do that is when the parties sit down to negotiate the next deal. Those who are chosen to represent the game when Sky come to the table must be prepared to walk away if its not right. The money they pay isn’t worth it.<\/p>\n

We can hardly say it will affect sponsors, there aren’t any. Which is probably why someone else should do the negotiations. It would, for once, be money well spent if they hired professionals, who are on a commission which improves with the deal they secure.<\/p>\n

If Sky baulk at an increased offer, there is always BT. Or even the prospect of setting up a channel devoted to Scottish football. Remember, the trump card is the threat of cancelled subscriptions. No company wants to see a massive drop in customers, but its come to the stage where it has to be done.<\/p>\n

I’m going to cancel anyway, theres other ways to catch the game.<\/p>\n

And I’m not prepared to pay money to a corporation that is damaging Celtic.<\/p>\n

Its that simple.<\/p>\n

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Back to tonights game, and manager Ronny Deila says that it might be some time before he can call on Mikael Lustig and Kris commons again;<\/p>\n

\u2018Kris has a grade one pulled muscle on the back of his thigh It will take one to two weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018We think he has a hope that he could reach the Inter game, but we will see.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018It will be about treatment, training and rest. He is in very good hands here. Everything on the medical side is going the right way, we work in a totally different way than we had done before. I\u2019m very happy that we have that.\u2019\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Another Ronny improvement ? Well, it has to be better than how Commons was treated when he cut himself shaving \u00a0under the old regime.<\/p>\n

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And Lustig ?<\/p>\n

\u2018It will be a little bit more for him than Kris But you never know with a twisted ankle, it could go quicker or very slow. We have monitor it over the days and weeks to see how it is going.\u2018It is very unfortunate because he had returned to playing and everything is good with his groin. Now there is another injury.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018He and Kris are two of our more experienced players, but we are looking forward to the two games against Inter. We have everything to win when we go into them.\u2019\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The big Swede does seem to be a little accident prone, and as a result was told to go home and go straight \u00a0to bed and rest.<\/p>\n

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Commons absence and the lack of form shown by Anthony Stokes and James Forrest means that there might yet be a starting slot for the two newcomers Armstrong and Mackay Steven, and there is a little bit of excitement as supporters wait to see how they will slot in. This makes a bit of a change, because usually when a signing is made, we just want to see if he’s any good, and can survive an hour or so without a) making an arse of himself, or b) picking up another of those injuries that caused his original club to sell him in the first place.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0We know that these two are capable. We just want to see them do it in the hoops.<\/p>\n

\u00a0So, don’t be surprised if the line up is;<\/p>\n

\u00a0Gordon,<\/p>\n

\u00a0Matthews, Van Dijk, Denaayer, Izaguerre<\/p>\n

\u00a0Brown Bitton<\/p>\n

Johansen Armstrong, Mackay Steven<\/p>\n

\u00a0Griffiths.<\/p>\n

\u00a0I’d like to see that, because it would be a very mobile side, and difficult for Partick to deal with.<\/p>\n

\u00a0There have been criticisms that Deila is focussing a bit too much on the upcoming Inter game, and he didn’t help himself yesterday.<\/p>\n

“We can beat Inter Milan. We have a chance. We are in good shape. We have a very good squad and we look forward to the game.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mancini has not been that long in the club, it takes time to adapt and get together.<\/em><\/p>\n

“You can see that they are not getting 100 per cent out of the players they have at this time.<\/em><\/p>\n

“The results in the league haven’t been what they expected. The fans weren’t against them but it was quiet.<\/em><\/p>\n

But still they are a good team. However, we have done it before and we can do it again.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Look, I know Celtic fans have a tendency to harp on about the 2-1 game, but it was nearly fifty years ago, and its highly unlikely any of the Inter players from that day will be playing.<\/p>\n

But , as with talk of the treble, is it so wrong to give the players a target, something to aim for ?<\/p>\n

Not necessarily, because the simple truth is, if you don’t have a target to aim at, you won’t hit anything.<\/p>\n

But, like most of us, I’d prefer it if he concentrated on one game at a time.<\/p>\n

Over at Ibrox, the shennanigans continue, and Barry Ferguson, who phones Keith Jackson every week to offer his thoughts on events, so that the hack can try to make sense of them and put them in the paper, is wondering if he will be allowed into the ground , as he works for the Record, and their staff are all banned .<\/p>\n

Never mind that, but surely at some point the chairman of Clyde, where he is somewhat incredibly, the manager, should take him to one side and remind him who he actually does work for.<\/p>\n

Oh, and by the way, if the club and company are separate entities, as some would have you believe, why is the word “limited ” abbreviated and included in this picture ?<\/p>\n

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The loyal and staunch fans of the club have decided that they aren’t going to London after all, after appeals from various “legends “, and no wonder. They didn’t moan about decisions being made in London when the referendum took place, so it would be a tad hypocritical of them to start now. Although we can’t help wondering why bus tycoons the Easdales didn’t jump at the chance of hiring a few buses out to them.<\/p>\n

You really wouldn’t employ them as business advisers, as Etims colleague Desi Mond notes, when they can’t spot an opportunity for their own company.<\/p>\n

To be honest, theres only one place they should hold their meeting anyway, especially if they want to come out of it in a better state.<\/p>\n

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But there has been a development on the recent attacks by Lee McCulloch on innocent bystanders. The delicate , ball playing defender has been offered a two match ban for his recent assault on a Raith Rovers player. Nothing for his elbowing of Leigh Griffiths, or stamp on john Guidetti, but then again, they were provoking him by wearing an inflammatory green and white hooped shirt.<\/p>\n

Perhaps we should get rid of the powers that be before we start on Sky.<\/p>\n

Which is where we came in.<\/p>\n

Yesterdays little teaser was a little more difficult than usual, as we published a picture of a vet, and asked you to name the player we thought we had published a picture of. ( You’ll notice that when we make an arse of it, we use the plural, and when its something I’ve done right, the singular personal pronoun.<\/p>\n

Incredibly, some of you got it right. We thought it was Alan Sneddon, who famously crossed for Johnny Doyle to head home<\/p>\n

Right. Who’s the odd one out, and why ?<\/p>\n

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Clue ? Nothing to do with Motherwell. Not this time.<\/p>\n

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