Many of those involved in Scottish football think that it will take a bigger hit from the credit crunch than the game south of the border. Charles Barnett, the author of PFK’s annual report on football club finances, thinks that with the exception of Celtic and Rangers, crowds will suffer. ‘The Old Firm have sold out their stadia through season ticket sales,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t affect them so much. It will impact more on the clubs who rely on ticket sales.’ St.
Many of those involved in Scottish football think that it will take a bigger hit from the credit crunch than the game south of the border. Charles Barnett, the author of PFK’s annual report on football club finances, thinks that with the exception of Celtic and Rangers, crowds will suffer. ‘The Old Firm have sold out their stadia through season ticket sales,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t affect them so much. It will impact more on the clubs who rely on ticket sales.’ St. Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour confirmed that supporters had already started tightening their belts. ‘We have seen a drop in crowds of between 7 and 9 per cent since September.’ Ronnie MacDonald, the Hamilton Accies chairman, has noted a bigger impact on away support. Charles Barnett thinks that there will be a particular impact on retail: ‘All clubs have some form of merchandising income in terms of supporters buying kit for Christmas. With retail spending going down, people are cutting back and supporters will think twice about buying the second and third kits.’
Corporate hospitality is often sold on a seasonal basis, although there could already be problems this season when it hasn’t been paid for up front. At Hamilton hospitality is holding up quite well because of the novelty value of a first season in the Premier League. However, Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock have reported a downturn in corporate hospitality. Kilmarnock FC chairman Michael Johnston notes, ‘One or two of the banks have cancelled their tables. They obviously don’t want to be seen out on jollies when the government is pumping in millions.’ Barnett thinks that there could be an impact on players when it is time for contract renewals: ‘They might find their contracts are renewed on the same money. Down south, the TV money is rock solid, but it is not quite the same in Scotland. With greater dependency on supporters, a prolonged period of recession could ultimately lead to a downturn in renewals.’