For a while, before, during and after the General Election of 1997, I was a volunteer at Scottish Labour HQ as the party first prepared for, and then entered, government. I learned a lot, particularly from the guys who worked in the media teams, partly on rebuttal and on correcting the record as it appeared at that time in the mainstream press.
It was there I learned how easily those in power, or soon to have it, can bend the media to their will. I also saw how the media plays favourites and picks sides in a way I had never appreciated before.
I saw how easily a negative story could be removed from the national discourse, after a little pressure was applied to the right people. I’ve never forgotten that, witnessing McLeish and others (Jack McConnell was Scottish General Secretary at the time and was always around) working the phones and hammering those on the other end for anything they even perceived as being wrong or biased or just something they didn’t particularly like.
Years later, when I first heard the term “succulent lamb journalism” I knew what it meant without needing to wait for the big explanation.
The phrase may have originated with Jim Traynor’s notorious sucking-up to David Murray but I knew how it all worked before that. I am not in the least bit surprised by anything I find out about the press and its cosy relationships with certain instructions and individuals.
But the press isn’t supposed to tolerate being lied to.
Even the Daily Mail and the Telegraph get pissed off when Boris Johnson makes a mug of them. This is why I am surprised that the press doesn’t get more pissed off about the way Ibrox leads them a merry dance.
You don’t have to look much further for an example of that than with Joe Aribo as he enters into the last year of his contract.
For a long time now the media has been punting the idea that he would cost potential suitors in excess of £20 million … this is clearly a figure fed to them by those inside the walls of that club. And it might have been revealed to be a lie.
Because now the press is talking about a £10 million release clause in his contract.
That’s clearly a strategic leak to the media itself, advertising his availability to any club that might have previously been scared off by the lunatic fees all involved were promoting.
If the £10 million clause exists, then the press was lied to all this time or went along with the lie. If it doesn’t exist they are being lied to right now, or helping prop a lie up. The objective is the same either way; to lead the Ibrox fans up the garden path and convince them that they are on the verge of great riches even when this is not the case.
But now, with the clock ticking down, the crazy valuations are one by one being dumped overboard as the reality of their position becomes clear.
They need to get rid of these soon-to-be out of contract players, and they have to do it before this window shuts … and having spent years telling their fans that they would get megabucks for them the reckoning has arrived.
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It there was a release clause his agent would have leaked it a while ago.
James, any knowledge of the court case between Parks of Hamilton V the *rangers last week. ??
Celtic sell loadsa players on the last year of their contract for actual money. Sevco have a Baldrick cunning plan to do likewise. Celtic make several millions, Sevco still waiting.
If Joe Aribo has a £10 million release clause, I have the crown jewels. This is an attempt to get people to pay £10 million now for him, rather than £2 million that they might value him at, or get him for free on a pre contract in January. Unfortunately for Ibrox, a lot of their players have been there for a year less than their contract. Nobody has wanted them before now when they would’ve had to pay more…why would they be expected to want them now?
I can see 3 players signing pre contracts in January…the agent has probably already set up the options for them and this season will be a damp squib for them as they systematically avoid getting injured. This is indeed a nightmare scenario for the ibrox club…unless they get through to the CL group stages, which will probably offset this.
I can’t think of any Club that just couldn’t wait six months to negotiate an immediate release of any of these players in January and literally save millions.
Read somewhere recently that the Mighty Sevco have, including the OAPs retained this season, as many as 18 Squad players whose contracts are up at the end of season 22/23.
This included a couple of nobodies and returning loanees. However the bulk were First Team regulars.
If this is the case and they fail to qualify for CL Group Stages and can’t emulate their sensational (sic) EL form, I.e. 6 wins in 21 games, come January 23 they are in a hopeless situation. If the squad down tools to run down contracts or manage to get pre contract signings elsewhere then Newco are well and truly fooked.
They will be in an even worse situation than we were last summer. At least we had money from the sales of Édouard, Christie and Big Kris.
How in hell’s name are they going to be able to offer contracts to outgoing players or source new signings.
If this scenario comes to pass I can see a Debt dumping Admin event occurring. Gets rid of the debts and player’s contracts, takes their in season points hit and fine for not completing their scheduled run of games but they live to fight another day.
In short, they require a lengthy run in CL or EL and / or win the League guaranteeing access to 23/24 Group stages to try and fund a rebuild. Oh, New FFP rules to follow and VAR this Season. Could get quite tasty
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