SENTINELCELTS

There’s only one team in Scotland would have the desire and capacity to take the entire group abroad to take advantage of the above. Only one club that could actually make that claim and carry through with it. Many would say that very same club should have invested in their own by now.

By all accounts the Dubai facilities are excellent, top of the line. I’ve seen a quarter million mentioned to hire them for that length of time with the trimmings, including award winning chefs at some of the eleven restaurants.

Climate watchers and those concerned with carbon footprints would be abhorred by chartered flights adding to the planets woes, while human rights watch groups would undoubtedly advocate against spending large amounts within a nation that repeatedly flaunts the rights of migrant workers for one.

As we have now discovered, it’s best for the group to do their form of relaxing away from prying eyes given everyone has a camera in their pocket these days.

This before the virus is taken into account.

I think it’s fair to say the annual Dubai jaunt should be cancelled, or will be called off limits anyway by government.
I also think that’s an incentive to finally sort out our own at home.

We were told at the ZoomGM we are a Champions League Club, yet here we are seeking to hire top level facilities, the travel to and forth possibly harmful to athletes anyway, along with contact risks.
How many Champions league Clubs don’t have top facilities would be the easier count I believe.
Us for a start.
The reason why is simple, because you can’t have one without the other.
To be a CL team consistently one needs proper training facilities that wont be left behind if the game moves on.

The Champions League is the elite, and elite teams don’t hire or be forced to travel seeking top notch in the industry, they design and build the best themselves.
It then becomes part of their calling card, an ace in the hole, a huge part of the lure of joining because the player is looking at improvement plain and simple.
A step up, a different gear, the big leagues, that’s what a Champions League teams training facilities should shout upon inspection.
Do ours?
Seeing how we hire others it seems not.

Within the last few years the support have been tantalized with tidbits regarding a hotel, a museum, and a Barrowfield rebuild incorporating a full size indoor training pitch with some supporter seating and facilities. This hybrid grass was to be fed by a new roof installed lighting system.

We had accumulated some forty million in the bank plus were owed transfer fees, add in the Adidas money and we looked well positioned to break ground on some of the above infrastructure projects
It was extremely frustrating having zero hint of where the savings would be spent, but if pushed most would have guessed funding the above somehow.
And then Covid hit.

I’m far from a numbers man but the next set of accounts holds a lot of interest given that I can’t see where we lose the absolute fortune some have predicted.
Full VST take up, mega take up on the admittedly eye catching Adidas line which may or may not meet bonus clauses, much less staff at the Park also supplies on hand, much less bills at the park given we can now turn the hot water off to the toilets plus no half time pies. On the transfers, given that KT brought in 25 and Brendan 9, all our poor buys were covered by incoming payments, the club actually released several stalwarts such as Jozo and Craig, Neil hired for much less wages than an England bound Brendan.
The TV money stayed the same of course, if anything viewing figures have ballooned during the pandemic.
Given the above, I would love to know why some feel we will lose a fortune this season.

I believe it’s very safe to say the clubs infrastructure will be seeing zero of the assembled piggy pig now given that many have already declared their intentions not to renew as usual. The numbers will vary sometimes by the hour, but I’m expecting a sizeable amount opt out this time with the aim of making a statement.

That will force the PLC to use the bank balance to finance the operation, the reserves dipped into and then sucked dry.
And so the next level training ground gets pushed to the bottom of the pile, back where we started, renting others nice gaff but boasting Champions League Club as if hiring a Ferrari qualifies you to bluster ‘Billionaire’ baby!

Some readers would question our entire reason for investing in next level training facilities, given the nature of the game up north, our current lack of interest in the modern science of the game, not to mention the MIBs could halt any attempt to play real proper flowing football.
I can sense a bit a chicken and egg argument here,,why build it if we dont use it,,build it and they will come,,repeat.

Truth is I believe youth should be the way, the nation produces cracking players, some considered good enough by Bayern, and that’s a huge compliment by the way. There’s a ton of Scottish talent scattered throughout England, a certain Villa player said to be bossing the league whilst our old left back is showing what desire really means plus how good value can be found in Alba.

In order to not only capture, but sufficiently nurture those talented bhoys we need the proper facilities around them. Done correctly it’s a money spinner, one that does take large initial startup capital but the skies the limit regards long term returns.
Either way, it’s a step into that modern world we all demand our club join.

Whether the Covid training trip forces us to reassess our travel plans remains to be seen, but hopefully it hammers home the fact we are best with our own camp full stop. Handing Dubai the guts of a million yearly doesn’t make good business sense in the current climate,,might be off the cards anyway.

For a club seeking a direction, maximizing potential through coaching at all levels not only makes sense but would keep the support excited,,it’s a path we would all get behind.
At some stage someone surely will make that leap and (again) set in place plans on that front.
World class training facilities must move from something we rent occasionally, to something we are proud to show off, the spine of our operation.
The regime that actually delivers it should get plaudits as after all, actions speak louder than words.

Above by Mahe. We would love to print your views as an article. Just email your thoughts to sentinelcelts@gmail.com