Billy Connolly used to tell a joke where he questioned how anyone could possibly own Scotland’s lochs, mountains and forests. It’s doubtful that many UEFA delegates have given much thought to the ‘Big Yin’ – but they perhaps should do…
And many of these same issues have been of great relevance to Celtic, both in the club’s foundational years and also in the modern era too
Following plans announced by FIFA to effectively sell off the World Cup, European nations have threatened to boycott future World Cups. This raises numerous questions about who owns not just football but also football teams.
Opposition to FIFA plans exists for numerous reasons. Some of it is based on fears that individuals will make themselves rich by doing this. Others have a self-interest which worries what happens to European contests if FIFA events come under private control.
And – shock! – there are even some people who give thoughts to supporters.
The recent World Cup showed what American influence can do to football, whether it was ‘quarters’ rather than halves, extended half-time shows and, worst of all, hugely inflated ticket prices.
It’s not even the first fight on this type of issue. The attempts in recent years to establish a European Super League were eventually defeated, due to fears that it would see top sides take even more wealth and power at the expense of all other sides.
But it could be argued that this is what already happens. Looking at the differing prize money available in UEFA’s three competitions – Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – shows a clear bias in this regard.
Historically, the issue of money and ownership in football has always existed, not least in Celtic’s early days.
Famously, the club was founded to provide charity to the poor of Glasgow’s east end. But the Bhoys’ maiden years were riven by fights concerning this. Many people believed the Celts began to focus too much on the business side of the club, at the expense of good causes.
There were various attempts to move Celtic away from being a member-owned organisation to a private company. These efforts were rejected at first but by 1897, Celtic had moved to become a limited company, with 5000 shares being issued.
One reason that many people opposed this was the question of who actually owns Celtic.
The club was established by volunteers, albeit some made a financial commitment to the club through membership. So on what basis could they sell the club?
If numerous people start something, then by what rights can some of them choose to sell it off? And how does this affect the wider community? The renowned Celtic writers Pat Woods and Tom Campbell described this as being the ‘battle for Celtic’s soul’, one you might argue continues to rage in more modern times.
When Fergus McCann attempted to take control of Celtic in the 1990s, it was many of the families who had gained shares in 1897 that stood in his way of doing so.
McCann’s plan for a major share issue intended to stop this happening again. The idea was that if the fans owned the club, never again would it be allowed to fall into a state of disrepair where only a few people held sway.
Given recent arguments between fans and the Celtic Board, it is debatable if this was a success.
Although Celtic currently have no majority shareholder, in practice, Dermot Desmond has such an extent of control of the club that he is effectively in this position.
Despite how well last season ended for Celtic, for much of the year relations between the club’s custodians and supporters were past rock bottom. Protests, anti-Board songs, general anger – and apparent contempt for fans – seemed to be the order of the day for so many people, including of course the disgraceful and cowardly ban on Celtic fan media.
Rumblings in the past few months suggest Celtic have belatedly recognised a need for change. The launch of the new Celtic Connect initiative may improve things, although that remains to be seen. The Celtic Fans Collective has issued a statement on this and this will be covered next on Celtic Shorts.
But this is not just a Celtic issue. The question of ownership – and often how it is achieved – haunts football.
For instance, whilst Manchester City and Newcastle United fans can celebrate their sides’ growth since getting outside investment, what happens to people who believe the source of that funding taints their club?
Manchester United are equally compromised. In a twist of financial absurdity, the Glazers were given loans to buy the Red Devils based on a promise that the club itself would then repay these loans. In other words, Manchester United fans have paid to give away ownership of their club.
This same pattern is repeated in countries and continents across the globe.
Football is the world’s number one sport for the simple reason that it is truly the ‘people’s game’. Since its rise in the 1800s, it has grown to be the top sport on Earth, whether evidenced through Champions League Finals or local Sunday football.
Selling off the sport in the manner that FIFA propose leaves football open to the same problems which already exist. Who will then own football? What will private companies demand? And what will this mean for the game, rules and much else in future?
At what point do we see match results overturned because investors do not like it? This may seem an extreme point, but we saw in the World Cup a red card decision being changed because the US President did not like it.
The presence of venture capital firms is never a positive one.
The presence of venture capital firms is never a positive one. These organisations do not exist to develop and improve companies; instead, vulture-like, they swoop in to steal what they want and leave behind often-ruined shells.
In terms of football as we know it, that is the real danger of the FIFA plans. Whatever future World Cups will look like once sold, they won’t be part of the sport that we currently know. And if that kills football in the long-run, it will be of little concern to those growing rich now.
UEFA’s actions will hopefully stop FIFA.
A World Cup without Spain, France, Germany or numerous other sides would be diminished to the extent of ruining the competition. Of the 23 contests to date, 13 have been won by European teams, including five of the past six.
Celtic need to pay heed to this
But Celtic also need to pay heed to this. A divide between an organisation and its main backers – whether this is FIFA and countries or Celtic and the fans – will only ever end in failure for all concerned. Genuine changes are needed to fix recent divides.
The isolation of supporters from control of the sport that they have made the world’s top pastime is one that must be rejected, whether at international or Scottish level. In fact, as Billy Connolly himself sang, anyone attempting this needs a D.I.V.O.R.C.E. from football.
Matthew Marr
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