BLUEDIGNITY 33,610 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 SCOTTISH football is staring at a staggering £80MILLION loss in TV cash if the SFL send Rangers plunging into the Third Division. SunSport can reveal that’s the stunning financial black hole our game will face if Friday’s crunch vote sees stricken Gers banished to the basement league. The core TV contracts for SPL coverage with Sky and ESPN remain unsigned — with the next five years of football on the box mired in uncertainty until TV chiefs know where Gers will be playing. Yet SunSport understands the stark truth if Rangers are dumped into Division Three is this: OUT: Will go ESPN, who as our game’s second biggest TV supporters are crucial as they prepare to shell out £30m for their coverage in the deal. OUT: Will go SportFive who plough in £2.75m a season currently to export pictures of the SPL action. Much of their commitment to our game is based around the guaranteed broadcasts of four Old Firm games a season. OUT: Go a host of top SPL sponsors who will pull out if Rangers are taken out of the mix for at least three years. Sky Sports will not abandon the Scottish game completely if the SFL elect to tell Gers to start again at the bottom. Sky will, however, drastically renegotiate the terms of their coverage. And it’s believed the income will then be pegged at around just £3m a season. The hit on the scrapping of the new TV deal is a crippling £65m — plus the loss of the overseas SportFive rights at £15m. This is neither scaremongering or rumours, these are the figures those in the Hampden hierarchy are staring at through the cracks in their fingers. An £80m deficit from now until the summer of 2017 — and what would be left of the game by then? These are the haunting questions facing the SFL chairmen who have had this whole sorry mess dumped in their laps. When SunSport polled the men with the future of Scottish football in their hands last Friday the vote stood at 14-2 AGAINST Gers with 14 clubs undecided. Airdrie — who lost the First Division play-off to Dumbarton — will abstain as they would benefit by being moved up a league. Dundee will be barred from voting as they look set to take Gers’ slot in the SPL, so there will only be 28 votes. That could be reduced further if Stranraer, who lost the Second Division play-off to Albion Rovers, also elect to abstain as they have the same conflict of interest as Airdrie. With the count down to 27 it would require the picture over the next 48 hours to change drastically from where it stood last week. Gers need a vote of 14-13 to win their place in the Scottish Football League and if that is achieved then the SFL board is certain to rubber-stamp their entry into the First Division. Yesterday the SFA and the SPL even took a hammering in the House of Commons. English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore stuck the knife into the SFA and the SPL over their handling of the Rangers crisis. Scudamore told MPs their rules lacked the ‘rigour’ to deal with clubs who run out of cash. He insisted the English game had tightened up its own procedures after Portsmouth went into administration in 2010. Giving evidence to the Commons culture, media and sport committee, he said: “There is a huge raft of changes that we have made in the last five years. “I can’t comment specifically on the Rangers situation — but I feel very sorry for what is going on in Scottish football. “But I know the SPL and SFA don’t have the same level of rigour we have adopted in the last five years. “I don’t think their rules currently have the same processes we’ve got. If they do now, they didn’t at the time of the HMRC situation.” Labour MP Jim Sheridan added: “The SPL and SFA should have amended their rules, but failed to do so. Questions have to be asked why they didn’t.” It is estimated that admitting Rangers into Division One will put an extra £2m into SFL coffers. A sweetener of £1m has already been negotiated as the TV companies see an appeal in the novelty of covering Ally McCoist’s new-look squad in a lower league for the first time in their 140-year history. A further £1m will come in through the gates as Gers roll into town in places like Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton as they bid to return to the top flight at the first time of asking. The benefits are there for those who rule in the First Division boardrooms and throughout the SFL to ponder. Sporting integrity has become the buzz phrase of the last few weeks. Yesterday the chilling toll of what that will cost became all too apparent for a game teetering on the brink. SunSport understands it is a stick-on that if the SFL vote Gers into the Third Division then plans for the formation of SPL 2 will kick in immediately. That will cause chaos for a sport on its knees and leave long-suffering fans angry and bewildered. Hard as it may be for some to stomach, there is surely now clarity ahead of Friday the 13th. The vote to save our game will be one that places shamed Rangers into the First Division. Anything else and we can stand outside the crime scene tape and count the bodies.Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/feeds/smartphone/scotland/4422381/The-true-cost-of-Rangers-relegation.html#ixzz20J8ExLJX Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Blue their hatred for our club is that bad that they do not look at the bigger picture. Hope it is Division 3 and you can call in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smile 26,592 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Their bile and Bigotry against the big club never ends, inferiority complex has also played its part. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Proddie1690 132 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Yep Div3 and then watch Rome burn! Fuck them all, every last one of them. I will NEVER forget what these bastards have done and how they've treated our Club.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksen_da_best 2,034 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I still find it funny, Aberdeen fans in particular as that's who I've heard it all from that, they all think their going to come out of this the bigger clubs. Laughable that they think Scottish football is anything more than Rangers and Celtic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHammer 10 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 This is what they asked for, so give them it.The true cost of listening to blog vigilantes and timmy propaganda.WATP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambyloyal 20 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Yep Div3 and then watch Rome burn! Fuck them all, every last one of them. I will NEVER forget what these bastards have done and how they've treated our Club..This Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Hammer 160 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Yep Div3 and then watch Rome burn! Fuck them all, every last one of them. I will NEVER forget what these bastards have done and how they've treated our Club..Fucking spot on......shower of bastards will reap what they have sown. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
broxi74 127 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I still find it funny, Aberdeen fans in particular as that's who I've heard it all from that, they all think their going to come out of this the bigger clubs. Laughable that they think Scottish football is anything more than Rangers and Celtic.its a major characteristic of low self esteem... the spl teams think that by pissing on sombody elses bonfire, it will make theres burn brighter... sadly this theme runs right through our society.. basically aberdeens fans and the rest are morons.. hmmm no shit.lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince of Orange 84 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Mostly old and already well publicised news but I like the part where they say "the first time in their 140-year history". Finally some acknowledgement from the press that we are still Rangers. How long before a retraction is printed I wonder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVB 2,560 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Blue their hatred for our club is that bad that they do not look at the bigger picture. Hope it is Division 3 and you can call in. Could be a busy house! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budswiser 196 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I find it beyond belief that all of a sudden there is a terrible fear for Scottish football if we go to Div3. There were apparently no such fears when we were voted out of the SPL.I honestly cannot see them putting us in Div3. It does not suit their agenda. By them I mean Regan and the rest of his lackeys.He will try and block any move to put us there, if that happens then its time that bastard was dragged kicking and screaming out of his office..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruglenrob 22 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The vote to save our game will be one that places shamed Rangers into the First Division. I don't know about the rest of you folk on here, but i for one am sick to the back teeth reading these words.Is it too much to ask that somebody in the media cuts us a bit of slack.Can't believe we as victims keep being portrayed as the bad ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crespie6 334 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I don't know about the rest of you folk on here, but i for one am sick to the back teeth reading these words.Is it too much to ask that somebody in the media cuts us a bit of slack.Can't believe we as victims keep being portrayed as the bad ones.i noticed that too. terrible bit of 'journalism' there - problem is, if this kind of thing keeps being printed, it becomes a soundbite that people regurgitate in their 'own' arguments Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebooler 4,509 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The ironic thing is, if they get us into Div 1 somehow, the fans of other clubs will say they did it to help us!We don't fuckin need, or want, their help.Do the right thing and put us in Division 3. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
glesgabear81 24 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 We have to be careful we don't inherit the paranoia tag, would we have been happy to vote celtic, hearts, aberdeen or motherwell into the SPL/SFL1 if the shoe was on the other foot. I agree that there is a lot of hatred being directed at us but it works both ways. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUEDIGNITY 33,610 Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Blue their hatred for our club is that bad that they do not look at the bigger picture. Hope it is Division 3 and you can call in. I hope they do the right thing Minst, I look forward to it with glee ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beattie72 170 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 For the sake of sporting integrity we must go to division three Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillWard 6 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 £80Million? Even the £16Million is pretty unrealistic. I think anyone expecting the SPL to collapse like a house of cards is in for further disappointment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUEDIGNITY 33,610 Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Can you smell something ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WATPRFC1872. 220 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 They all wanted this, so they can have it....you dirty bastards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Right_To_Censor 1,951 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Can you smell something ? Well you do have a nose for these things, so they say Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delamonty 992 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Excellent post BD -- and all true imho.While the diddy teams see this as an opportunity, they are getting carried away. Now, I admit Scottish football needs a shake, a reorganisation, more play offs, more opportunities for all and so on. And if their ambition & goals are simply that, then fine. But what they have to realise is that no one, can ever replace The Rangers. Our fan base dwarfs almost every club on the planet -- can Aberdeen, Dundee United, St. Johnstone et al say the same?Of course not. Even in Div 3, we will survive....as long as we continue to put our money into the club. It will be hard no doubt, but we will survive. Can the clubs that voted against us say the same?I bear no ill feelings at all to any SFL club. They have been placed in an invidious position here... They did not ask for this. WATP and GSTQ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2daludaludalu 390 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Even though we will be playing in a lesser league, we are still the team everyone wants to see play, and will be taking the limelight from those other fuckwits in the spl. Get it right up the fuckin Lota ye. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruglenrob 22 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Excellent post BD -- and all true imho.While the diddy teams see this as an opportunity, they are getting carried away. Now, I admit Scottish football needs a shake, a reorganisation, more play offs, more opportunities for all and so on. And if their ambition & goals are simply that, then fine. But what they have to realise is that no one, can ever replace The Rangers. Our fan base dwarfs almost every club on the planet -- can Aberdeen, Dundee United, St. Johnstone et al say the same?Of course not. Even in Div 3, we will survive....as long as we continue to put our money into the club. It will be hard no doubt, but we will survive. Can the clubs that voted against us say the same?I bear no ill feelings at all to any SFL club. They have been placed in an invidious position here... They did not ask for this. WATP and GSTQSurely if reconstruction is on the cards we should be looking at amalgamating clubs.Falkirk,East Stirling and Stenhousemuir for a start, that are cannot sustain 3 Pro football clubs.A country our size should have 28 clubs Max in 2 divisions and even then that might be too much. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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