At some point on Tuesday someone deep inside the Daily Record gave the go ahead.
‘Aye, aw right. Run with your Financial Sustainability Regulations story.’
Scott Burns isn’t a dafty, he knows his stuff, he is a transfer specialist, he is in regular contact with football agents about their business rather than surfing social media to create feel-good stories for Record readers.
Financial Sustainability wasn’t invented on Tuesday afternoon, it is real and has been around a while, for any bears unsure about it take a look at Newcastle United.
They may have the richest owners in the world of football but they operate within the Regulations, they buy and sell, tough decisions are taken.
Newcastle could afford to buy up most of the players involved in the Champions League semi-finals- plus Mbappe, Sallah and Raskin but FSR won’t allow it.
FSR are in place to retain an element of competition and to prevent clubs going into liquidation when their wealthy Sugar Daddy loses interest.
In Scottish football no-one cares about FSR or Financial Fair Play. Whatever it takes to get a team on the park in blue at Ibrox will get the approval of the SFA and SPFL with all member clubs in agreement.
That relaxed attitude led to the deaths of Gretna, Airdrie and Rangers, reassuringly Ian Maxwell, the CEO of the SFA told the Scottish Parliament that a football regulator wasn’t required.
This season Dumbarton and Inverness Caley Thistle went into administration, Hamilton Accies were docked 12 points for delayed player wages and not paying ground rental.
Internet Bampots and others are all aware of these issues but with Celtic powering towards another treble the Record and others need to pump feel-good stories into the depressing lives of their Army of Readers.
Jose Mourinho, Marcus Rose, Steven Gerrard and Carlos Ancelotti have all been linked with the manager’s job at Ibrox, lured by a massive war-chest and a unique club and fan base.
Late on Tuesday the Record broke the bad news. After more than 10 weeks of exciting transfer developments the words prudent, free transfers and cheaper deals appeared on their website.
This is neither “breaking” or a “hammer blow”. It’s been obvious to anyone with even a passing interest in football since this story started.
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) May 6, 2025
But nobody tellt us?
Oh yes they did but comforting news is always better to hear than reality.
There were clues for bears during January. The club didn’t have the £200,000 needed to sign Lyall Cameron from Dundee, he will arrive in the summer with the SFA working out a fee. Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille was the only January arrival, even with a place in the last 16 of the Europa League secured.
New CEO Paddy Stewart is driving a hard line in austerity.
Last summer £13m was spend on Robin Propper, Jefte, Hamza Igamane, Nedim Bajrami and Mohamed Diomande. A commitment for £4m was made to buy Oscar Cortes this summer.
While Tom Lawrence, Ianis Hagi, Vaclav Cerny and Leon Balogun will move on in two weeks time the wage bill remains frightening.
Danilo has three years left on his deal, Jack Butland and Cyriel Dessers will be around until at least May 2027 while others like James Tavernier, Rabbi Matondo, Ridvan Yilmaz and Ben Davies have a year left on the gravy train.
Fortunately the bad news (reality) has been released after the Season Ticket Renewal campaign ended.
Season Ticket money will be used to pay wages, not funding transfer fees. It is unlikely that the current directors will provide further loans that are converted into worthless shares.
If the San Francisco 49GERS decide to walk away things could become very bleak at Ibrox unless you have invested in the ice cream and jelly industry.
RELATED READING
🤣🤣🤣
The warchest is empty
— We welcome the chase 120 🏆 (@Hahahasevco1) May 6, 2025
Just here for all the huns who claimed ffp wasn’t an issue 😂😂😂
This was announced just after season ticket deadline am I right? 😂 pic.twitter.com/SCe1NUjJMr
— Hun-Occhio (@Hun_Occhio) May 6, 2025
raskin to Leeds for 300 million 😂😂 with add ons
— mark gallacher (@gallachermark5) May 6, 2025
Stevie wonder seen that one coming 😂
— Celtic🍀Glasgow🍀💚🍀🏴🇪🇺 (@lesley27171) May 6, 2025
A sevco fan pic.twitter.com/XfFgsgojMR
— bornacelt (@bornacelt) May 6, 2025
Really well who would have thought is this it’s unfolding
— kate dunbar (@katedunbar61) May 6, 2025
😂FFS I went thru FSR on the first day of “takeover” talk & said that a splurge of cash was not possible only to be told there was a round it & they could circumnavigate the rules by “ways & means”…..just like the original Rangers used to do….thats cheating to u & me!! 😂😂
— HallingsaLegend (@hallingsalegend) May 6, 2025
Was only a matter of time until one of the succulent lamb brigade took a few minutes to read a single paragraph in the UEFA rules.
— Joe (@JGS1888) May 7, 2025
They 49ers guys must be absholootly gutted!!
Sitting there with all those lovely big bags of lolly just ready to hand it over, then they get this dreadful news.
Wokeness gone mad!Just heartbreaking.
— GreenTic (@Vaulter67) May 6, 2025
Did a tarrier write this? 7 year contracts NEXT
— Blair Mulgrew (@MulgrewBlair) May 6, 2025
Bears transfer bubble well and truly burst. So much for catching Celtic, they’ll never catch us
— Dominic Toye (@djcrtoye) May 6, 2025
Could be a couple a years before they can spend 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/3r4rCHtg7n
— Martin Rodgers (@todger112) May 6, 2025
are you sure? i was told Mbappe was going to Ibrox
— No Comment 🏴🍀 (@TheDjOfChoice) May 6, 2025
2 Comments
by Valentine's day massacre
Not only that , who would want to ‘ give and invest ‘ money into a clumpany which produces abject failure …every season ? Which company or sponsor worth its salt would want to be associated with a football entity famed for massive losses and serious lack of winning silverware each term ?
Would you if you owned a thriving business ? I wouldn’t ! It’s not quantum computing . When you are winning and successful , all kinds of people and companies will be desperate to give you money and invest in success …insisting on being part of your winning ways ! ” Please , take our money ! ” But , when you are continually playing second fiddle and experts at losing , on and off the pitch , then who in their right mind would want to be in partnership with such dismal failures and losses .
That’s another of the many , many hurdles theRangers have to overcome , just to try to stay as second best , never mind triumphing.
by Auldheid
Well at least the article gives a reason why R2ngers cannot pump money into improving the playing squad even if the article is inaccurate from the outset.
FFS its FSR not FFP.
For a start FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules have been replaced by FSR (Financial Sustainability Regulations).
As I have posted the relevant part here on occasion the main hurdle is the limitation on spend on the playing squad, which is defined, to 70% next season of football earnings also clearly defined.
Since Celtic’s football earnings greatly exceed R2ngers because of our greater ground capacity, CL income, player trading and maybe marketing, then Celtic should be operating in a higher wage market and in theory recruit better players than R2ngers can.
So FSR hobbles R2ngers and provides Celtic with an advantage which they have to use to remain dominant.
Will they?
We’ll see.
Footnote I have not checked the role that debt plays in the UEFA Licencing process under FSR but the relevant regulations affecting spend on players focus on well defined football earnings.
Celtic, having claimed involvement in FSR should know this and be planning accordingly.
Will they?
We’ll see.