Scottish independence is something that has been a hot topic of discussion for a while now.
And while it has been ruled out previously, it continues to be something that many feel should at least be given strong consideration.
There should be an open discussion because there are pros and cons, some of which will have a knock-on effect where football clubs such as Celtic are concerned.
It’s certainly right what people say; there are upsides and downsides to everything.
And Scottish independence is no different.
One of the immediate drawbacks would be the weakening of the native currency, which would be the Scottish pound after independence. Naturally, this would mean that if Celtic were to shop abroad for players, which they do so regularly, the cost of doing so would increase, which wouldn’t be ideal.
But thankfully, there could be ways around this that would work in line with independence.
If Celtic happen to be in a position where what they must pay out increases, it means that they will have to bring in more revenue to compensate. And, when you consider how big of a football club Celtic is, sponsorship could be the way to go with it being an excellent commercial opportunity.
Entain, which owns prominent sites like PartyCasino, could be interested in sponsorship relationships, for example, especially as a club like Celtic is not only active in Scotland but in Europe too. So you can see how some of the cons can be balanced off by the pros.
And, talking of Europe, there’s more good news on that front should Scotland declare independence.
Celtic, who have competed in both the Champions League and the Europa League in recent times, will continue to do so based on their successes in the Scottish Premier League.
And this wouldn’t change if independence came because UEFA, who run these competitions, have invariably recognised Scotland as a separate entity from England. FIFA also see Scotland, and therefore the teams from the country, such as Celtic, in the same way.
So, in reality, you could say that there would be some initial turbulence if Scottish independence was voted in because it would be a big move for the country, and there would be a lot of things to resolve in the short term. Football and, as a result, Celtic would feel the knock-on effects of it too. It’d be impossible for it not to be the case when such a monumental decision is made, and new rules come into force.
However, as detailed above, where there is potential upheaval and downsides, there are also upsides, while some things may simply remain the same. And let’s face it, Scottish independence isn’t going to prevent Celtic from challenging for titles season in, season out, which also means they will then head on another European adventure as their own country, which has always been the case, regardless of ties to England.
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