The looming challenge of FSR

Harry H continues his ponderings on the financial considerations for the board

I have spent quite a bit of digital ink imploring the board to spend on infrastructure.  The finances were explained at yesterday’s AGM and they are a mighty fine piece of work - it’s always better to have the figures at the bottom of the column in black than red. I know we have a predominantly left wing support who want taxes paid, but I would rather we spent £7m on bricks and mortar than giving £7m to the tax man for corporation tax. I have written previously about how the internal challenge is, in part, an ingrained conservative culture at Celtic and I have set out the reasons for this.  There is one further new challenge on the horizon – new financial guidance that is headlined to be there to prevent rogues like David Murray continually overspending for short-term success and long-term destruction, but in reality it is a process that bakes-in the status quo and will freeze in time the current financial positions.  That is UEFA’S Financial Sustainability Rules.

Financial fair play rules have been brought in to play two main roles

1)     To prevent clubs from overspending and encountering financial issues

2)     To ensure that clubs can't simply outspend their competitors just because they have the resources to do so.