Setanta (merged)

[Yngwie]

I'm not sure it's that simple. The money ICT is due comes from the SPL. If the SPL ends up with a huge gaping hole in their finances because Setanta can't make the scheduled payments, then they are going to struggle to meet all of their financial commitments, irrespective of how they budgeted.

[maimie]

that's kinda what i was thinking yngwie

[WYNESS101]

I'm not sure it's that simple. The money ICT is due comes from the SPL. If the SPL ends up with a huge gaping hole in their finances because Setanta can't make the scheduled payments, then they are going to struggle to meet all of their financial commitments, irrespective of how they budgeted.

Remember our first season in the SPL there was no setanta then (well i dont think there was). There was only scotsport if i can remember right. Surely the SPL dont have to rely on the money they would get from setanta? I know it will play a big part theses days with all this credit crunch and that.

[Heilandee]

Look on the bright side folks,Irn Bru seems pretty stable :004:

[Alex MacLeod]

I'm not sure it's that simple. The money ICT is due comes from the SPL. If the SPL ends up with a huge gaping hole in their finances because Setanta can't make the scheduled payments, then they are going to struggle to meet all of their financial commitments, irrespective of how they budgeted.

Remember our first season in the SPL there was no setanta then (well i dont think there was). There was only scotsport if i can remember right. Surely the SPL dont have to rely on the money they would get from setanta? I know it will play a big part theses days with all this credit crunch and that.

Yes there was. I was interviewed by Setanta outside Pittodrie when Brew joined us first time. When we were in div 1 there was also some money from ITV. They showed highlights on their Football First programme. SFL has no tv money this time and the Irn Bru deal is spread over 30 teams. Remember also it wouldn't be just the Setanta money we are losing but the Clydesdale bank as well. They are the SPL sponsors and would have provided us with a bit more than Barr's will.

[Guest Caleylass]

Just to add another twist to this.... I heard on the sports news on Clyde this morning that 3 SPL clubs could go to the wall if Setanta dont pay up !!........ (aledgedly).... if that did happen even to one... we would go straight back up again

[WYNESS101]

Just to add another twist to this.... I heard on the sports news on Clyde this morning that 3 SPL clubs could go to the wall if Setanta dont pay up !!........ (aledgedly).... if that did happen even to one... we would go straight back up again

That could well happen to any club in the bottom six of the table. Killie have had big money worries same with falkirk so if setanta dont pay up its good night kilmarnock and falkirk. I wonder if they would put us back up if this does happen or would they put it to a vote? or make all the teams play each other like a cup?

[FortressICT]

They would just promote two/three teams from the 1st division. We wouldn't get "straight back up" We don't deserve to be there.

[Alex MacLeod]

They would just promote two/three teams from the 1st division. We wouldn't get "straight back up" We don't deserve to be there.

If any team in SPL was to fold before the start of the new season, I believe, we would be re-instated as the first option. It wont happen though cos if it did Perth, Hamilton, St Mirren, Falkirk, Killie and Motherwell would all struggle to maintain the current contract set up they have in place, which is based around the TV money so the league would be fekked.

If Setanta were to go to the wall the whole SPL set up would, IMO, fall into the gutter. Unless, of course, the big two were to take a smaller cut to save the rest or a buyer was found to take over the Setanta committments. Mr Branson??

[cal234ey]

The majority of SPL clubs would be in serious trouble if the deal falls through unless someone emerged and gave the clubs a cash boost.

[Alex MacLeod]

The majority of SPL clubs would be in serious trouble if the deal falls through unless someone emerged and gave the clubs a cash boost.

Hence I said the league would fall into the gutter.

[absent friend]

If any team in SPL was to fold before the start of the new season, I believe, we would be re-instated as the first option. It wont happen though cos if it did Perth, Hamilton, St Mirren, Falkirk, Killie and Motherwell would all struggle to maintain the current contract set up they have in place, which is based around the TV money so the league would be fekked.

If Setanta were to go to the wall the whole SPL set up would, IMO, fall into the gutter. Unless, of course, the big two were to take a smaller cut to save the rest or a buyer was found to take over the Setanta commitments. Mr Branson??

Alex, I got excited there for a moment, I thought Bronson had come into mega cash!!

I would suggest Sky will take Setanta and their contracts over, along with their debts and pay very little.

Sky are very rich at the moment and are able to make such a move but will no doubt wait until the last moment so that the price will be rock bottom. The new football season being in a turmoil may however be the catalyst for an early purchase by Sky and this could help Setanta get a better price.

It is not in their, the producers of the goods for sale , the sport on TV, to have a loss of interest by their clients/potential clients as this would lead to less viewing, less advertising, less income for them - lose, lose all round.

The only problem for Sky is that most Setanta clients are also clients of Sky so they will not get 1.2 million new, new clients whereas Mr Branson would.

.

[Alex MacLeod]

I can see this as being a big chance for Branson. Virgin Media would love to get into the sports side and a company with the infrastructure already in place is the sort of proposition they would seek.

Lest we not yet realise, this could also impact hard on out club. We were paid our share for finishing 12th in April. All bottom clubs were paid that same amount with the shortfall for league placings due to be paid at seasons end from the latest installment. Top half were paid the sixth place amount with the same provisio. It may well be that the cash is not available to pay out the parachute payment and that could be very significant in our quest to rise back up.

[Yngwie]

Administration seems to be drawing closer, which will cause sleepless nights for SPL chairmen throughout the summer and possibly beyond.

In addition to us being due our parachute payment, it's worth pointing out that the SPL gives ?1.5m to the SFL every year, which the SFL distributes amongst all its member clubs. If that money does not materialise then its going to cause problems for clubs that depend on it to make up their deficits.

[RiG]

Their customer service was pretty decent when everything was handled from a single call centre operated by a Scottish company in Fife.

A friend of mine used to work there. As most will know before Setanta games they will try and push their subscription to folk maybe watching it in a pub by showing a message that says "Subscribe no by calling.....". The number of calls my pal took from folk who already had Setanta but phoned to ask if they had to subscribe again to watch the game was unreal. Mainly thick Old Filth fans who thought they had to activate something to be able to watch their team play.

[WYNESS101]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8090633.stm

"Setanta faces administration "within days" unless backers provide more funds to pay ?30m it owes to the English Premier League, reports suggest."

[Yngwie]

From BBC:

Would-be customers who attempted to subscribe to Setanta through its website were on Tuesday told that it was not possible because of "routine maintenance". Meanwhile anybody trying to subscribe by phone receives a recorded message saying that "The service is temporarily out of order".

A spokesman for Setanta declined to comment on the firm's situation.

Sounds to me like the company that provides the customer registration service on behalf of Setanta has got fed up not being paid and has pulled the plug.

[ictchris]

Alex, I got excited there for a moment, I thought Bronson had come into mega cash!!

I would suggest Sky will take Setanta and their contracts over, along with their debts and pay very little.

Sky are very rich at the moment and are able to make such a move but will no doubt wait until the last moment so that the price will be rock bottom. The new football season being in a turmoil may however be the catalyst for an early purchase by Sky and this could help Setanta get a better price.

It is not in their, the producers of the goods for sale , the sport on TV, to have a loss of interest by their clients/potential clients as this would lead to less viewing, less advertising, less income for them - lose, lose all round.

The only problem for Sky is that most Setanta clients are also clients of Sky so they will not get 1.2 million new, new clients whereas Mr Branson would.

.

I'd imagine that Sky taking over Setanta would be kyboshed by the FSA. The FSA ruled that it was uncompetitive to allow Sky to buy all the live Premiership coverage a few years back, hence why Setanta snapped up the 46 games it's had for the last two seasons.

The company who will really be looking at this will be ESPN. They are about as rich as Sky and would happily get a foothold in the European market with some Premiership, SPL, rugby and boxing rights before squaring up during the next rights auction.

[RiG]

The company who will really be looking at this will be ESPN. They are about as rich as Sky and would happily get a foothold in the European market with some Premiership, SPL, rugby and boxing rights before squaring up during the next rights auction.

Even more so given that the rights for the Setanta packages will be going on the cheap (allegedly).

[Yngwie]

Here's what you get when you try to subscribe. Very succinct summary of their business.

https://secure.setantasubscriptions.com/Err...h=/Landing.aspx

[Kingsmills]

I too supect that ESPN are waiting in thw wings. As part of the Disney Corporation they are not short of a bob or two but they are as commercially ruthless as their parent company and will want to cherry pick what they perceive to be Setanta's most attractive assets. I'm far from convinced that will include the rights to the SPL.

[Kylef]

It was MGT in Kirkcaldy that used to deal with Setanta bookings.

Its times like these im glad we are a debt-free club. We have also thought wisely already about our money issues with knowing already we wont be getting Setanta money anymore. There cant be many debt-free clubs in the country.

[Guest birdog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8090633.stm

"Setanta faces administration "within days" unless backers provide more funds to pay ?30m it owes to the English Premier League, reports suggest."

3 SPL clubs possibly forced into administration (possibly out of business totally). Would this force a 10 team SPL? or would we get promotion by finishing in the top 3? I am hoping for the latter. Time to get rid of all these over spending over-the-hill clubs. Football is now a game which is played both on and off the park

[Johnboy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8090633.stm

"Setanta faces administration "within days" unless backers provide more funds to pay ?30m it owes to the English Premier League, reports suggest."

3 SPL clubs possibly forced into administration (possibly out of business totally). Would this force a 10 team SPL? or would we get promotion by finishing in the top 3? I am hoping for the latter. Time to get rid of all these over spending over-the-hill clubs. Football is now a game which is played both on and off the park

Or if Falkirk or St Midden were declared bankrupt before the start of the season, would we be invited straight back into the SPL again?

[Scotty]

It would make for an interesting debate ..... especially if those teams were deducted 10 points for going into administration ... I am guessing they would be deducted 10 from the start of next season though rather than have it applied to their season 08/09 figure even if the problem relates to 08/09.

Equally interesting would be the debate if a club actually did go to the wall ... during the season, a club going to the wall would automatically be deemed the relegated team and no-one would go down. Again I am guessing this would not happen as there is probably some date attached to these things so it would mean two would come up and we would still go down.

Ach well - didnt want to sound like a Partick fan anyway