After Aberdeen Speak Out, Is It Time Celtic Made A Statement On The SPL Deal With Sky?

Aberdeen tonight released a statement on the SPL’s meeting to discuss an extension to the television deal with Sky.

There are several aspects to that statement which I want to go over tomorrow, in no small part because it sought to correct the comments by the Ibrox CEO last week. There are important issues to cover there.

But they are the first club to speak out, other than the one across the city.

It is clear that there is a real chance that this deal is going to break down. In the run up to that meeting as many clubs as possible should put their views on the record.

Communication with the fans is crucial when it comes to something like this. Celtic has remained silent all the way through, with a few journalists briefed privately about our stance.

It would be good if the club now made an official statement.

Aberdeen has grasped the nettle here. They believe that only side of this debate is being heard. Celtic clearly agrees with Aberdeen’s central position. It would be good to hear them clarify it and give the reasons for it.

Fans are interested in this stuff above and beyond the money.

Fans want to know what the future holds for their clubs.

I understand in part why our club has been silent.

These are commercially sensitive deals and they depend on a high degree of secrecy when they are in their early stages. It does no-one any good if the details are leaked and spun, as Aberdeen have suggested is what happened here.

That can only have been the work of one club and we know which one.

Now that two clubs are on the record with their views on it, the usual rules no longer apply.

The details are in the public domain.

One party on either side of the vote has spoken out. Celtic should no longer feel they are bound by silence. Professionalism, yes, but you could now argue that it is in everyone’s interests for the biggest club in the land to weigh in.

Don’t be surprised if we get some clarification out of Parkhead soon.