The Football Business Is Like No Other Business - Aye Right

THE headline above is: "received wisdom" in the world of Scottish, indeed British football. The last two words are my retort.

Football clubs, at least at the "professional" level (the quote marks are my jaundiced view of the majority of our SPL and SFL clubs, are almost all limited liability companies - subject to the same company laws as haulage contractors, hotels, retail shops, engineering companies - any business you care to name.

They are owned by their shareholders. In the world of commerce, shareholders invest in companies in the hope of receiving a monetary return on their investment, through the company's management's ability to make profits. In football, by and large being a shareholder invests through a desire to belong, perhaps out of loyalty to the team. They do not seek monetary reward, the occasional cup success, a high position in the SPL, promotion through the three SFL divisions to that top-flight is enough reward.

These general rules do not, however, apply to the Old Firm - where nothing less than non-stop, continuous success - and above all finishing above the other half of the OF, is all that is required of the club management.

Look at the players, the work force of the football "business". No five-day, 40-hour weeks for these guys; two hours of "training", four days a week, plus 90 minutes of "work" once or twice per week, for which, even in Scotland, those considered to be the best receive a weekly salary far in excess of that earned by the spectaors on the terraces and in the stands who fund their life-styles.

These men are by and large "full-time professionals"; except, this is a profession which doesn't require a minimum nationally-accepted standard of knowledge of the chosen subject. You don't have to pass examinations to be admitted to this "profession"; there is no requirement to keep abreast of current developments, no refresher courses, or requirement to upgrade your qualifications periodically. Once you are in, you are there until somebody called "a manager" decides to kick you out.

These managers can obtain professional qualifications, which are universally recognised - but there is no requirement to obtain these qualifications prior to taking up a managerial position.

These football clubs do not even have to make money. They are apparently not subject to market forces. Football teams are supposedly part of the entertainment industry, but are allowed to continue operating even when their seat occupancy rates are so low that, were that club a cinema or a theatre, they would be closed down, their premises closed and perhaps knocked-down and re-developed.

So, given these apparent paradoxes, it is no surprise that the likes of John Boyle, who made millions from the holiday business, Sir David Murray, who made billions from steel, hotels, property and service industries, should flop in the world of football.

It has been suggested that businessmen park their business brains in the cap park the moment they take over a football team. I would go further, I could give you examples of otherwise successful businessmen who came a cropper once they crossed the line from sports fans to sports club owner.

Given the masses of proven examples of this, the fact that billionaire venture capitalist Craig Whyte has hardly set the world on fire in the early months of his time as owner of Rangers FC, should surprise nobody. The fact that, already, less than six months into his ownership of this club/Scottish institution, Mr Whyte is under fire is simply further proof of the truth of my heading to this post.

Now, the question is - can Mr Whyte change this seemingly eternal truth? If he can, he might usher-in a new age of better management, of more success and of untold riches for him and Rangers. But already, it looks like being the same old, same old. Rangers and Celtic will continue to rule in Scotland, while being very small fry in Europe and beyond.