David Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 An article on the Record website regarding our budget for next season; Herograms in the dressing room, budget cuts in the boardroom. The ultimate summer reality check. Stuart McCall probably thought guiding Motherwell into the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history would earn him eternal gratitude. Instead it got him £200,000 slashed from his wages pot – because he didn’t sell a star along the way while he was getting them there. But you won’t find the Fir Park boss whingeing. Because he knew the rules the day he set foot in the dugout – and he’s happy to live with the consequences. McCall is taking the briefest of breaks from preparing pre-season for his daughter’s wedding in Yorkshire tomorrow, but the rest of the close season has been spent plotting and planning. That included a trip to Holland last weekend for the Den Haag youth tournament as part of his Pro Licence course. And as he looked ahead to their July 31 date with destiny, he spoke to MailSport about the dilemmas. He said: “I was lucky last year because getting to the Scottish Cup Final enabled us to keep the same budget. “We lost John Sutton but replaced him quite early with Michael Higdon, and we lost a few who were on loan, but then brought Nicky Law in. “I think the successful season we’ve just had was borne from the fact we had the same nucleus and got off to a good start. That and being fortunate with injuries. “Now? We got told with two months of the season to go that the budget would be cut. You accept that. “When I met with John Boyle for the interview, there were only two prerequisites. Get in the top six, and sell a player a season. I should be getting sacked because I haven’t done one of them! “Clubs like Motherwell survive on that though and they budgeted for a player to go. Mark Reynolds went the previous year, and last season Jamie Murphy had the opportunity but didn’t go. “So we haven’t sold, hence the budget is cut. It’s 200 grand, four grand a week.” Factor in the loss of Stephen Craigan and Tim Clancy from the centre-half roles and suddenly replacing them looks onerous. But McCall shrugged: “Everyone is in the same boat so I’m not whingeing about it. It’s a fact of life. “The difficult part is that some of the players had their best seasons ever and we got more points than ever before, so it’s hard on me then saying to lads ‘We want to re-sign you... but you’ll have to take a cut.’ “We had to wheel and deal a little but we’ve signed the two senior lads in Stevie Hammell and Keith Lasley and we hope Steve Jennings signs soon. Then we’ll be back to near enough the same core. “But it’s always nice to bring a couple of fresh faces in for the fans as well as the players, and we need to replace what we’ve lost. “We might go down the loan route because it’s cheaper but that means you’re getting a younger one from England, like a Gavin Gunning. “To get an experienced one, he won’t come for a year, it would have to be two, you need to pay their relocation, and all the rest, and we don’t have that money. “So unless we get someone from Scotland, we’ll go down the loan route.” With a planned trip to play John Spencer’s Portland Timbers in the USA now cancelled, McCall is hopeful of a short break in Portugal to prepare his troops for the game of their lives at the start of the season. The July 20 draw will throw Well in against either Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Dynamo Kiev or Copenhagen – all teams who have made it past the group stages of Europe’s elite tournament. His expectations are realistic – and his hopes are simple. He laughed: “Anywhere that’s not too hot for me. But I’m told that’s all four of them! Seriously, we were always going to be the tiddler. “I’d love a home tie first though. The good thing is, no matter who the seed is, that element of it still gets drawn so we can still get one of them at Fir Park first. We had 10,000 there for Odense. If we got a Panathinaikos or a Fenerbahce, could we sell the place out? “If you go away first though, and the result doesn’t go your way, without being negative about it, then it wouldn’t help. “I’d just love to see Fir Park rocking and full for the first game of the season.” As the Champions League enters it’s 21st season, McCall will taste it for the first time in management after being in the vanguard of the competition as a Rangers player. Again, however, he prefers to deal with realities than fantasies and his bigger concern is that the burden of the big time doesn’t do for them domestically. He said: “People keep saying there’s money to be made, but only from the group stages. “I spoke to a guy at Den Haag last week and he said they didn’t even make 100,000 euros after getting into Europe for the first time in 30 years. “Our campaign was built on a good start last season. Four clean sheets and three wins out of four. “This time we’ve the Champions League on July 31, the SPL starts on the Saturday, we play Champions League again the midweek after that and then the SPL again. “Then if we went into the Europa League it’s the week after that. “I was speaking to Ricky Sbragia over the weekend in Holland and he was saying when he was at Bolton, they could have two different teams from 30-odd players to cope with that kind of schedule. We will have a squad of 18! “There will come a stage when you are out of Europe and people will start looking at your league position and as a manager I’ve got to stay focused on the SPL.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Reality Bites ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderpig Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Small squads are better, they are more focused, with no room for passengers or dead wood...we are a lean mean football machine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snap19 Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Passengers, dead wood- Omar Daley? I think actually Daley is a prime example of 'experienced' player needing a 2 year deal to come here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Gonna be worse if Rangers aren't in next year too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Gonna be better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Better in terms of enjoyment. Worse in terms of budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 based on suppositions guesses and brain farts things might be better as well nae c**t knows for sure Things wont be the same so you cant base the sums on what things currently are. Things will be different. Who knows a brave rallying cry from 11 other clubs might generate some interest in the game again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Maybe aye. What is certain tho is a negotiated down TV deal and a lower sponsorship deal with one of the two most popular teams out the league. Maybe this could be clawed back by fans regaining interest or managing to change the financial spread by a change of voting rights, but it would be financial suicide to count on this therefore slashed budgets in the short to medium term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Why is that 'certain' - I've heard it 100 times. has anybody heard sky mention this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Fair enough let's just wait and see. The problem with this whole situation is that people are so desperate for Rangers to be heavily punished that they optimisitically think the financial ramifications on the smaller clubs won't be too bad, or grasp at hopeful speculation like 500 new fans per game and all will be well...well we'll be able to change the voting rights = ££££ etc. It's far from certain that any of the hopeful speculation will come to pass (voting rights aside), and more than likely (imo) that there will be considerable financial pain if they're (rightly) got tae. In the short to medium term, if we get what we want, we're going to be seeing poorer players in a smaller squad playing worse football for less prize-money - hardly the kind of fare that's going to be bringing lapsed fans back in their droves. Considering we've just had our budget fucked by 4k a week when Rangers are actually in the league, and we've done relatively well last season, I think we can safely say there's going to be quite a lot of pain we'll have to go through to if they're pumped out, especially if we're fucked out the cups early and bottom 6 - I think we all know as well fans that we go through peaks and troughs. This is one of the all time peaks yet we're making cutbacks because we didn't accept 200k for what should be one of our most saleable assets. There's not enough realism about this issue, and I say that as someone who emailed the club to remind them of their obligations in terms of fan ownership when considering how they would vote on a newco vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 The worrying thing is that every c**t is so desperate for Rangers not to be punished because of the financial implications they are committing one of the most fundamental flaws in business by not planning for the scenario that they do disappear for a year or two. Time one or two folk got their heads around the table and started to plan how they would MARKET their clubs and Scottish football as a whole minus Rainjurs. The first thing would be a fucking rallying call to stay away fans Would it not? Lets grab the fuckin bull by the horns people!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well_Jaggy Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 The worrying thing is that every c**t is so desperate for Rangers not to be punished because of the financial implications they are committing one of the most fundamental flaws in business by not planning for the scenario that they do disappear for a year or two. Time one or two folk got their heads around the table and started to plan how they would MARKET their clubs and Scottish football as a whole minus Rainjurs. The first thing would be a fucking rallying call to stay away fans Would it not? Lets grab the fuckin bull by the horns people!! Wheres the feckin re-tweet button when you need it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellfan1984 Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 The worrying thing is that every c**t is so desperate for Rangers not to be punished because of the financial implications they are committing one of the most fundamental flaws in business by not planning for the scenario that they do disappear for a year or two. Time one or two folk got their heads around the table and started to plan how they would MARKET their clubs and Scottish football as a whole minus Rainjurs. The first thing would be a fucking rallying call to stay away fans Would it not? Lets grab the fuckin bull by the horns people!! Agreed. Sad thing is those the cunts that run the SPL failed to do this when Rangers were in the SPL, not much chance of them having the ability to do it with them out it. The SPL is not fit for purpose, the clubs running it are not fit for purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Fair enough let's just wait and see. In the short to medium term, if we get what we want, we're going to be seeing poorer players in a smaller squad playing worse football for less prize-money - hardly the kind of fare that's going to be bringing lapsed fans back in their droves.........There's not enough realism about this issue, and I say that as someone who emailed the club to remind them of their obligations in terms of fan ownership when considering how they would vote on a newco vote. Great post Wullie. I still have not made my mind up and won't until I'm in possession of far more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texanwellfan Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 I am in the camp of punish the crime appropriately and live with the consequences whatever they may be. I think that view has been stated in several different fashions. No one can predict the future so any scenarios from the "keep rangers in SPL" to " banish them forever" are all merely opinions. Most people will feel justice has been done as long as Rangers are given the appropriate punishement for anythign they are proved to have done wrong. Whatever happens after that people will be able to deal with however it turns out. What angers people is the thought of Rangers getting off lightly, just because they are rangers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 Is this turning into another Rangers thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted June 5, 2012 Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 To be fair that's what McCall was talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 To be fair that's what McCall was talking about. I thought he was talking about the Champions League & the cut to his budget because he didn't sell a player last season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star sail Posted June 5, 2012 Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 Fair enough let's just wait and see. The problem with this whole situation is that people are so desperate for Rangers to be heavily punished that they optimisitically think the financial ramifications on the smaller clubs won't be too bad, or grasp at hopeful speculation like 500 new fans per game and all will be well...well we'll be able to change the voting rights = ££££ etc. It's far from certain that any of the hopeful speculation will come to pass (voting rights aside), and more than likely (imo) that there will be considerable financial pain if they're (rightly) got tae. In the short to medium term, if we get what we want, we're going to be seeing poorer players in a smaller squad playing worse football for less prize-money - hardly the kind of fare that's going to be bringing lapsed fans back in their droves. Considering we've just had our budget fucked by 4k a week when Rangers are actually in the league, and we've done relatively well last season, I think we can safely say there's going to be quite a lot of pain we'll have to go through to if they're pumped out, especially if we're fucked out the cups early and bottom 6 - I think we all know as well fans that we go through peaks and troughs. This is one of the all time peaks yet we're making cutbacks because we didn't accept 200k for what should be one of our most saleable assets. There's not enough realism about this issue, and I say that as someone who emailed the club to remind them of their obligations in terms of fan ownership when considering how they would vote on a newco vote. Here's the pain the way that I see it. Motherwell finish 3rd in a league that saw them lose on aggregate 8-1 to the team fininishing second (over the 4 SPL games of 2011-2012) and 10-1 to the team that finished first. If we were to take those results over the last two seasons it would look even worse. This is why the SPL has so many lapsed fans.Not the standard of the football, not because Motherwell can't attract Lionel Messi to the club. This is the chance to level the playing field. It is a great opportunity in the history of Scottish Football. I support Motherwell because my Dad supports the team. I have a nostalgia for Fir Park and the history of the club. I don't support Motherwell so that I can watch Lionel Messi every week.I fuck'n hate it when we get pumped by a team of overpaid cheats 4 times a season. I want something that I can buy into and believe in. A newco Rangers or Rangers in any form gives me the pain. It is time to bite the bullet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlukemurray Posted June 6, 2012 Report Share Posted June 6, 2012 The budget cut is worrying but realistic and I applaud Motherwell and McCall for their continued honesty and transparency about the way things are at the Football Club. The playing squad was pretty bare last season and McCall rightly highlights how fortunate we were not to gain many/any serious injuries to the key players. With several players leaving through end of contract/retirement, the playing squad is down to the bare bones, although thankfully we look like retaining the nucleus of the first team. We could do with adding a defender or two, one with experience. Hopefully there is some room in the wages budget to get someone in who is on a free. By in large, McCall has performed pretty well in the transfer market with next to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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