A Question of Trust (Updated)

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by Auldheid for the Scottish Football Monitor

On these pages at least there is a mounting lack of trust that the Scottish Football Association can or will govern our game in a fair and honest manner that recognises the principle of sporting integrity as paramount.

This mistrust is equalled only by the frustration at being unable to do anything to change the attitude and action of those at the SFA (and Leagues) responsible for that governance, a frustration compounded by the reluctance of the mainstream media to focus on the very issues of trust and integrity that concern us.

Back in early 2010 Celtic supporters represented by the Celtic Trust, various Association groups and individuals felt the same frustration and found a way to make their voices heard at the SFA – by using their club as a channel of communication to articulate their concerns.

A resolution was agreed and passed to Celtic to convey to the SFA and it was heeded by the club. There is no reason in why a similar conduit cannot be used by supporters groups of all clubs.

The enormity of the task, to get the majority of trusts and associations of all clubs to support this approach and give it sufficient weight, should not be underestimated, but in the interests of amplifying our voice, it is worth the effort.

Based on that 2010 experience, and on the discussion that has taken place on TSFM we have arrived at a (now amended) resolution below under the auspices of TSFM and which has been sent to all representative club supporters groups.

We believe one of the reasons the SFA and SPL were able to mislead (or simply fail to provide leadership) was because of the lack of clarity surrounding who should take provide that leadership and what principles should have been paramount.

The SFA were as tied to the commercial impact of Rangers demise as the SPL and indeed had to be reminded by the supporters of the importance of that sporting integrity. In the aftermath of the Rangers implosion, both the SFA and Leagues on the face of it appear still too commercially oriented to act in a way that balances commercialism and sporting principles.

We have attempted to address this in the resolution below. It also contains additional points raised already on TSFM and elsewhere. It is designed to assist in the widening of accountability in the sport.

We are not wed to the draft or the language. It is there to be revised but we hope it contains enough food for thought to be acceptable to the supporters groups and the clubs.

As recently as today, the SFA has published a Fans Charter. We welcome this development, and although it does not address our specific concerns with respect to governance it is a step in the right direction (http://www.fanscharter.com/).

Some of the principles published are;

  • Challenge is to make a National Fans Charter known, accepted and influential
  • Getting fan involvement in drafting charter important to acceptance,  influence and growing awareness.

We think our resolution is an even bigger step in the direction of those principles.

DRAFT Proposal for Representative Supporter Groups e.g. Trusts or Associations to send to their club to convey to the SFA/SPL/SFL Boards.

We [Insert Association/Trust name here] and in association with fans’ groups of other clubs, ask [Insert Club name here] to convey the following to the Scottish Football Association, SPL and SFL on our behalf.

1         We believe that the commercial viability of Scottish football at the professional level depends absolutely on the belief by supporters that sporting integrity is at the heart of all competition, and that those governing them and the rules by which they exercise governance, must hold sporting integrity as paramount above ALL other concerns. This belief can be summed up in the one word “trust” Without trust in those responsible for governing Scottish Football, commercial viability will suffer, to eventual ruin of our game.

2         There is a perception (accompanied by some dismay and anger) among football supporters throughout Scotland that those who were charged with upholding the rules of the SFA and SPL/SFL, only did so partially – and even then only because of the threat of supporter action if they did not.
3         There appears to be no distinction or order of hierarchy between those governing the game (the SFA) for whom we believe preservation of sporting integrity should be the prime purpose, and the leagues (SPL/SFL) for whom commercial aspects are (understandably) uppermost. As a result sporting integrity lost its primacy and it was left to supporters to insist on it.

4         Consequently many Scottish football supporters have lost confidence that the Scottish Football Association will fulfil their purpose of safeguarding the sport. Indeed their silence following the revelation of a 5 way agreement last summer on the future of the liquidated Glasgow Rangers has exacerbated this loss of confidence in the SFA’s ability to administer professional football in Scotland in a manner that reflects their duty of care to all aspects of the game and everyone who takes part in it.

5         Decisions and deals have been taken by the SFA, SPL, and SFL without any public scrutiny. The operations and decisions of those bodies lack transparency and they are not accountable in any recognisable form to the football supporters throughout the land, without whom there is no professional association.


6         In our view this loss of trust can only begin to be restored by the SFA publically committing  itself to:

(i)                  The production of an unequivocal “mission” statement of purpose/intent which will state (in whatever form they may exist) that maintaining sporting integrity is and will always be their prime goal. The statement will also describe how they intend to ensure this principle is followed in their interactions with Leagues and Clubs, particularly when commercial decisions that might undermine sporting integrity are implemented by the Leagues. (e.g. In the case of TV contracts, sponsorship or any significant league reconstruction).

(ii)                Further: in recognition of the inability of some individuals to provide leadership during the past year simply because of conflicts of interest, take steps to remove any such conflict, and in doing so enable the organisation and its office bearers to function unhindered.

(iii)               In the interests of transparency, publish the “five point agreement” that allowed The Rangers entry into SFL and SFA, provide a supporting rationale for entering into the agreement, and confirm that the terms have been or are being complied with.

Along with other trust restoring measures (see attached Annex) these steps should mark the end of the continuing lack of trust in the authorities.

7.         We appreciate that it may be the start of next season before there is any visible evidence of our concerns being addressed although the statement of purpose/intent by the SFA (i) and action at (ii) can be readily put in place – would be a welcome early development.

8.         All club’s supporters groups will be watching closely for signs of progress before advising our members and our other supporters if we feel the necessary trust restoring steps are being taken and advise that they can purchase their season books for 2013/14 knowing that sporting integrity is once more absolutely paramount in Scottish football to the betterment of our game.

Signed __________________________ on behalf of

[Insert supporter trust/association name here]

Date ______________

Annex to resolution.

The following is a list of other measures that the SFA should take in order to satisfy supporters that they should be entrusted with the job of governing Scottish football.

  1. To increase transparency and accountability in a meaningful way – possibly via creation of an active supporter’s liaison group drawn from representative supporter groups of each club. Its remit, using an agreed consultative mechanism to generate dialogue, to hear supporters’ concerns and consider them before key decisions are made. In an industry that is totally interdependent it is folly to exclude a major stakeholder from key decision making.
  2. A tightening of and an annual and independent audit of the process for granting UEFA Club (FFP) and National Club licensing reporting to the representative supporter liaison group as well as other SFA members to ensure all clubs are living within their means.
  3. Introduction of a rule requiring all Scottish football club directors to declare any financial interest/shareholding in any club other than their own and to rule that disposition of those shares/interest should be a part of a fit and proper assessment of a person’s qualification to hold office at an association club.
  4. A feasibility review of Scottish refereeing to assess the potential for creating a professional service that the SFA provide to the leagues by recruiting and training referees, but where the leagues monitor and reward consistently good performances to an agreed standard. Given the sums dependent on referee decisions, the current system must change for everyone’s sake including the referees.
  5. A full explanation about the circumstances (including dates) surrounding the award of a UEFA Club licence to Rangers in spring/summer of 2011 when there was unpaid social tax that prime facie did not meet the conditions for deeming the granting of a licence acceptable under the UEFA FFP rules on unpaid tax (the wee tax bill).

The [Insert Club Name here] Trust/Supporters Association asks [Insert Club Name here] to convey our concerns above with their provenance to the appropriate authorities as they see fit viz:

    • Football Authority in Scotland (The SFA)
    • Europe (UEFA)
    • Scottish Government (on the issue of accountability to supporters and       proper checks and balance governance.)
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About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

1,893 thoughts on “A Question of Trust (Updated)”


  1. Lord Wobbly says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 19:38

    Douglas Fraser may have hit on something with their website being hacked.
    Maybe someone has got hold of Charlie’s PIN number and emptied ‘The Rangers’ bank account.

    The story was buried deep back on BBC Scotland radio news at five and although at least they are reporting it they should still be giving it more prominance. Last year the administration, despite being a done deal from November onwards, seemed like a bolt from the blue.

    However think back to the way Kilmarnock were treated a few weeks ago for £16K and yet here we have an organisation, with a track record of fiscal malfeasance, having the same type of story almost completely ignored.


  2. Been away for a few days. Caught a brief whiff about potential WUO on the radio, and arrive home to read JT’s official club statement.

    In short … it is beyond belief that a professional organisation could release such a statement.


  3. troubledfan says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 20:03
    0 0 Rate This
    lord wobbly..
    spooning viagra into my coffee n snorting it thru the cardboad
    bog roll centre..
    unfortunately its not helping my internet server lag.. ..
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I think, maybe, that you’ve misunderstood the purpose of viagra. 😀


  4. By writing that piece maybe Mr Traynor is offering himself up as a sacrificial (succulent) lamb to the media in order to deflect attention away from his employers deficiencies. Taking one for the team.


  5. Sunderland fans get it.

    It’s very confusing. Apparently there’s Rangers FC, which are owned by Sevco Scotland, but Sevco is owned by something called Rangers International?

    So it’s like three different things but they’re actually (sort-of ) the same? So… three separate things and one single thing at the same time? It’s beyond me, like


  6. An update to the earlier Rangers Rumours comments. I dont think we need do anything to be honest the reasonble types have caught on

    07 Feb 2013 02:05:50
    But a Rangers spokesman said last night: “The sums sought are insignificant. An agreement has been reached subject to the necessary paperwork.
    “Rangers Football Club is capable of meeting any debts presented legitimately. We would like to stress to supporters there is no threat to the club. ”

    That puts that scaremongering to bed

    (16)

    (28)

    So there was a debt, they did threaten to wind up, the club considers it an insignificant amount and it will be paid in due course.

    No explanation why the debt wasn’t paid and a creditor felt they had to wind up the company to get paid.

    Not exactly transparent, bearing in mind we need to be bridge building with creditors after last year.

    ——————————————————————————–

    I think it’s an insult to anyone’s intelligence to make a comment that 400 thousand pounds is an insignificant amount of money. 400k is a significant amount of money to anyone, in any walk of life, especially to a team who are claiming to be the same team who went into administration around this time last year. Why not just say it will be paid? Why the arrogance?

    Another slap in the face for any of the creditors who lost out.

    Seriously can’t stand the lack of humility shown at times by people who represent my club.

    And I can assure you if it turns out to be a front and there is problems and we end up in another bad situation, the people acting in this manner will have they’re heads in theyr’e hands. That’s a promise.

    My gut instinct is that it’s nothing to worry about. I hope I’m right.

    ——————————————————————————–

    OP; You do realise the damage this does to any credit facility? The facts are, there was a debt. it was for attracting investors to purchase the club, meaning green did not use his cash. If the debt was insignificant why was it not paid? Green seems to be looking shadier with every day.

    ——————————————————————————–

    £400,000 is an insignificant sum of money to Rangers?

    And here’s me and a load of other fans doing everything they can to spend money on the club’s merchandise etc to make them as secure financially as they can be.

    The whole episode is another farce and reflects badly on Charles Green. Basically it’s giving ammunition to our enemies and that’s the last thing we need at the moment.

    ——————————————————————————–

    As far as putting the scaremongering to bed,, this “orit” or whatever they are called, have this morning stated that a deal has NOT been agreed over the £400000 bill. So that will be the ex daily record and now rangers media chief blatantly telling porkies then? Or a company in Singapore (who I can’t see gaining anything by) telling porkies? The truth is out there! Somewhere!

    ——————————————————————————–

    Well let’s put it into prospectus. some one who owes maybe £4000 to a bank and scrapping by to make the payments might think £400,000 is an extortionate amount of money but from the clubs point of view who may have borrowed around 20 million to buy the club only sold maybe 20,000 season tickets at a reduced cost having gave away another 30,000 free to falsify the accounts as a marketing ploy to attract investors and has since lost sponsors and spl money tv money and no chance of any euro money add to that the running costs second highest wage bill in scotland match day running costs the same as it was in the spl interest in that loan growing every day and the club running at huge losses on top of the fact that all the assets and deeds are in the hands of the loan sharks making it impossible to get any credit now realistically that club could be in debt of around 50 million so. compared to that 400,000 is insignificant

    ——————————————————————————–

    Bbc stating that there is no agreement regarding the 400k. when is this misinformation from cg going to end. I feel like giving up.

    ——————————————————————————–

    400k is what is owed – what is already been paid to ‘Orlit’? There was nothing about investors fees in the share prospectus? This is very fishy indeed.

    ——————————————————————————–

    In the grand scheme of things the wages the mob in 1-11 get for playing guff football, it is insignificant. however I bet its not insignificant compared with our current cash flow! if we don’t have that which all clubs normally struggle with at this time of year we are in trouble and and if we are CG has to be taken to task. its almost a year to the day of administration and in my eyes green has done no better than whyte with this news now in the public domain

    ——————————————————————————–

    Is he craig rubbish in disguise? thought we had 22 million in the bank? something really dodgy about this. Just pay the debt ffs

    ——————————————————————————–

    Anyone who thinks there is £22m in the bank is deluded. The money from the share issue was all accounted for and no mention of this being one of the things it was to cover, hence why it hasn’t been paid. Why is there no transparency, it feels like throwing good hard earned money after bad to me right now.

    ——————————————————————————–

    “puts the scaremongering to bed” – Not even for one second! Mr Green came out last week and declared we had no debt, now the official statement says that we DO have debt but can deal with it.

    If this was your friend coming out with these statements in the pub, you would be thinking he was at it and secretly skint!

    We are fed up of being told a tissue of lies about our club Mr Green – Play the game fairly and tell us the truth!

    ——————————————————————————–

    Yesterday traynor said agreement has been reached subject to the necessary paperwork. today cg says there was no contract it was a gentlemans agreement wewill not be blackmailed help.

    ——————————————————————————–

    Surely the £22 million that was raised in January can pay off the £400,000 debt, but Charles Green and the Scottish MSM have all of a sudden went quiet over that whole thing, the mind ponders. {The Ed039’s Note – There has just been a huge statement released about the whole thing, and as I said earlier, the amount is being disputed)

    ——————————————————————————–

    07 Feb 2013 19:56:02
    Last night Traynor said in a statement that ” it wasn’t worth comment. ” Now he puts out a statement commenting on it! Why are we paying this clown? Yet another bad signing sucking life from the club! Get some decent pr people in for gods sake Charles that will keep Traynor & yourself quiet for a while. Concentrate on business instead of fighting stupid battles that help no one! Start by getting a manager that can spot a player & motivate! {The Ed039’s Note – It wasnt worth comment if the front pages hadnt run with a doomsday scenario, another Ibrox scandal, somebody has to defend the clubs position, because folk havent in the past and look what happened)

    ——————————————————————————–


  7. Welcome back slim.

    FFS JT, have a word wae yersel, you’ve changed so ye huv.

    Sorry, semiliterate outburst.


  8. the fans are deeply divided with the decent fans unable to influence those on websites who have damaged this club beyond repair. There are now calls to boycott all media. If they boycott all media and boycott almost all clubs, why play football, why not just become a movement ?

    Football is a sport, not a political vehicle.


  11. On the evidence of Traynor’s latest rant, I have to concede that Rangers FC is indeed an institution.

    “Of course, Rangers fans want to know what the club intend doing about this almost constant barrage of abuse.” – Right, Jim, because none of them want to know why a cash rich club isn’t paying an insignificant bill. And any that did would be disloyal.

    “But while it would be undignified to bawl and shout..” – Hmm. Less dignified than a club-sanctioned boycott of a fellow club? Less dignified than calling for the names of an independent panel to be released, even though the club knew who they were? Less dignified than calling fellow clubs bigots? Less dignified than accusing the governing bodies of theft? Less dignified than shedding tens of millions of debt to companies and the public purse, including emergency services, and emerging with an SPL squad and SPL wage bill to compete in the third division?

    I could go on but I suspect there will be more to follow from what, apparently, passes as communication from Ibrox. A bit like when you’re being sick. You think you’re finished but there’s always a bit more.


  12. ianagain says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 20:37
    0 0 Rate This
    Unfortunate but next!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21376866
    =================
    The difference there is that the Pompey supporters are actually doing something about it, instead of playing the victim, blaming everyone else, and sitting around waiting for their next messiah to turn up. I lived in Portsmouth for 6 years, and watched them a lot. The fans were a good bunch, and I really hope they succeed. They deserve to, having put in a lot of effort- unlike another bunch I could mention, who simply think the world owes them a living.


  13. So, in sum, the winding up order told us nothing, but the reaction tells us a great deal? And continues to do so?


  14. ianagain says: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 20:24

    400k is what is owed – what is already been paid to ‘Orlit’? There was nothing about investors fees in the share prospectus? This is very fishy indeed.
    ===================================
    The Prospectus did make a single line reference to pre-acquisition costs of £1.25M (page 62). I would assume that Orlit’s fees would be included in this figure.


  15. allyjambo says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 19:16
    —————————–
    Yes in a lot of ways AJ, but the fact is that Arsenal is very lightly capitalised and those shares are actually critical for Usmanov in his bid to take control of the club.

    That bid is viewed with a great deal of suspicion by the Gooners and they were dismayed to say the least when Craigy sold them off to the highest bidder.

    They look on with typical north London disdain at Chelski and their Russian owner with his revolving door for managers – though that club has still had more trophies than managers in the past 8 years, whilst Arsenal, managed by Arsene Wenger throughout that time, has had more managers than trophies in the same period. 🙂

    There is more chance of Orlit sponsoring Sevco next season than there is of Arsenal playing a friendly at Ibrox and/or handing over some shares.

    The delusion of the poor bears gets greater with every passing day.


  16. RE: JT’s most recent piece of inflammatory bluster

    In MGM’s 1939 musical adaptation of the Frank L Baum classic ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, The Wizard himself turns out to be just a regular guy hiding behind a curtain and using a machine to create the loud and powerful smoke and mirrors display of “the mighty Wizard.”

    Dorothy and her friends believed him the first time. After destroying the witch they came back to him, but he tried to deny them their rewards and refused to answer their legitimate questions.
    Dorothy’s dog Toto sniffed him out behind the curtain and started pulling it away.

    When the wizard noticed they could see his ‘real self’ and fearing his ‘game’ was up, he tried commanding them with the classic line,

    “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

    I wonder how that worked out for him.


  17. Humble Pie says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 21:20
    10 0 Rate This
    RE: JT’s most recent piece of inflammatory bluster
    In MGM’s 1939 musical adaptation of the Frank L Baum classic ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, The Wizard himself turns out to be just a regular guy hiding behind a curtain and using a machine to create the loud and powerful smoke and mirrors display of “the mighty Wizard.”
    Dorothy and her friends believed him the first time. After
    destroying the witch they came back to him, but he tried to deny them their rewards and refused to answer their legitimate questions.
    Dorothy’s dog Toto sniffed him out behind the curtain and started pulling it away.
    When the wizard noticed they could see his ‘real self’ and fearing his ‘game’ was up, he tried commanding them with the classicl line, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”
    I wonder how that worked out for him.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Have you seen ‘Zardoz’?


  18. Rangers claim to be the same club as before.

    The club which went out of business owing tens of millions of pounds to other people, including all of us via their non payment of tax. A club which systematically defrauded us all for years, including many millions in the last couple of years, probably about £20m just stolen from the nation.

    They have the audacity to talk about being “… mugged by money grabbers”

    How dare they.


  19. Lord Wobbly says:

    Have you seen ‘Zardoz’?
    _____________________________

    No M’lud, I saw the photos of Sean Connery dressed like a cage-dancer and decided it wasn’t for me. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar and I will defend myself with the full vigour of the law 😉


  21. chipsandblog says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 20:21

    It’s very confusing. Apparently there’s Rangers FC, which are owned by Sevco Scotland, but Sevco is owned by something called Rangers International?

    So it’s like three different things but they’re actually (sort-of ) the same? So… three separate things and one single thing at the same time? It’s beyond me, like
    =========================================

    So will theologians be using this in future to explain the trinity?


  23. Jim Traynor should be ashamed. It reads to me like a warning to his former colleagues in the media to not follow this story, not do their jobs. The man is a disgrace. It is the most blatant, shameful threat from a man who should know better. For his sake, given the dreadful quality of the writing, I hope it was written by someone else.

    Question is, are his former colleagues going to crumple like a cheap shirt? Shame on them if the do. The story will not go away. There are people on this story who have no concerns about the buying (or otherwise) choices of the Rangers fans. The Scottish MSM might as well jump in too and regain some professional pride.

    “You shut up, or else”, from Jim Traynor …. I say chase the story and print with a GIRUY!


  25. Jim may have read the mood wrong. His thinly veiled threat may not result in the usual capitulation. Members of Scotland’s MSM may finally get up on their hind legs and do something.

    Time for change.


  26. To be fair, if you employ a personal Traynor you cannot then run away.

    What is going on in Britain ?

    We have companies openly avoiding taxation and then having the audacity to reform and try to claim they are the same.

    We have spiv directors and leaders who should not be trusted with a market stall.

    We have people rightly charged for their conduct on facebook. But come on authorities. Go and read the football sites , the issues on facebook will pale into insignificance. We need authorities to stamp out some of these sites. Close them down and take action against the perpetrators.


  27. From the KUMB Site [ West Ham United ] New postby York Ham(mer) on Fri Feb 08, 2013 8:09 am

    portline KGV wrote:This is part of Charles Green update to Rangers fans in Perth Australia : 6. Naismith actually signed for West Ham before switching to Everton, Is this true ?

    Loads of b*llocks. We may have talked to him but we certainly didn’t sign him. Charles Green is as delusional as ever.


  28. For Sale

    Clockwork football club

    Only needs wound up once a year


  29. Traynor writes like the No vote with regards to Scottish Independence. No vision, gonnae no dae that, why, just gonnae no.

    Rangers fans accepting green and traynors rants have nothing to complain about if we get liquidation 2 and this time there will be no help into the professional divisions.

    the club will be gone.


  30. Lord Wobbly says:

    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 22:15

    The closure of the Corby Glasgow Rangers Supporters Club due to a falling membership just shows that Hugh Adam’s long held view on the clubs world wide support was not far of the mark.

    i.e. – A load of old Bears trying to keep a hold with their past while their kids and other youngsters focus their interest in local clubs or other sports and activities outwith football.

    500m fans worldwide, my arse!!


  31. Had 5 mins looking to see if this has been posted before — apologies if I should have taken 6

    Latest from JT

    RANGERS are the subject of media reports and speculation which are at best misleading and at worst malicious.

    In an ideal world, for instance, one in which journalism wasn’t at such a damning low it has to be investigated by the highest authorities with culprits facing jail sentences, there would be no need for this Club to respond.
    However, because it has become clear Rangers cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity from enough of the country’s media outlets we must speak for ourselves. We have a duty to our supporters to put the record straight.
    Rangers have been disputing a payment to a foreign company, Orlit, although it should be stressed we have never said there is no bill to be met.
    What we have said and what we are telling our supporters is that not all of the invoices submitted with regard to this bill are legitimate.
    Clearly there has been a lack of understanding within the media about this when all we have done is refuse to be forced into paying sums we do not owe. It is as simple as that.
    Who on earth would pay out when faced with a spurious request for money?
    No matter what anyone else says, Rangers have agreed a figure to settle this issue and it is a figure which, as we have already tried to explain, is significantly less than the initial demand.
    Only the wording, which would put this matter to rest once and for all, has still to be signed off.
    And despite what some over-excited but desperately ill-informed bloggers claim, there is no threat of this Club being closed. That is downright malicious and ludicrous.
    But let’s make one thing clear: If Orlit wish to instruct their lawyers to go to court then we will defend our position vigorously.
    We are absolutely convinced we’d win but we did think it would be better to avoid giving our many detractors another bar with which to beat us over the head.
    That’s why we made an offer to settle but we now find we are still being harassed.
    The thought process seems to be that if we have £22m from the recent IPO we should just pay up. Bizarre. Why should we?
    Of course we can pay the amount demanded – it is, as we’ve already stated, a small amount – but it is ridiculous to hand over more than is due.
    The money belongs to Rangers and we will not give it out to anyone who comes along with invented invoices.
    That would be reckless in the extreme and suggest that nothing has been understood from the past when Rangers were in effect mugged by money grabbers.
    We are here to make sure that does not happen again. We do pay our bills on time and we have always been prepared to pay this one.
    There are many people and journalists who will choose to disbelieve this truth but that is up to them.
    They will continue to attack Rangers no matter what we say but this statement is not for them.
    It is for our supporters. They deserve to know and understand the exact and precise state of play,
    Rangers will not be closed. This Club will never run up crippling debts and we will not pay over-inflated salaries to players.
    However, we will have a sensible pay structure which won’t threaten the club’s existence. That is what we believe the fans want.
    Having said that, Rangers are rising and we will return to the top flight where we will be competitive again.
    We are still very much at the beginning of a long road back and although there will be potholes to be negotiated, nothing will stop us.
    Rangers are no longer soft touches. We will not bow to or run from bullies and we will not be pressured into handing out even £1 if it is not merited.
    We are sorry if this, or the fact that Rangers are financially healthy, isn’t what people want to hear but this is the new reality.
    It is for others to come to terms with that and also our continued revival. It would, however, be a pleasant change if we could be left alone to get on with our business.


  32. ” it has become clear Rangers cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity”

    I’ll fix that for you Jim

    ” it has become clear Rangers creditors cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity”


  33. Is it just me or is anyone else being reminded of Monty Python’s Black Knight as this all unfolds?


  34. From RM

    I don’t buy the papers or give their sites any hits but, we can NOT just ignore the hatred coming from them.
    I get my info on Rangers forums and the occasional look on other fans forums, and listening to RC radio or the bbc online.

    Vigilance should NEVER be neglected.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Balance should NEVER be considered.. (that was my bit)


  36. M8 Dreamer

    As a Hibs supporter since 1962 and an “Internet Bampot”, I must take issue with the latest rantings of James Traynor today who has scaled new heights in suggested paranoia against
    “The Rangers”

    I have attended many Hibs v Rangers matches where I have been subjected to the “99%minority” of Rangers supporters who bring the game into disrepute.

    Prior to the segregation of football supporters in the early 1980’s I always seemed to be standing
    or sitting next to the “99% minority” of Rangers supporters who would verbally threaten you, swear at you, throw beer cans at you or generally just be a pain in the backside.

    I have sat in the Ibrox Main Stand in the 1970’s and had beer cans thrown from the terracing
    into where the Hibs supporters were siitting in the stand, ably assisted by the Glasgow Police who were there in there hundreds and allowed this assault to continue for most of game after Hibs
    had the temerity to take the lead during the first half.

    Since segregation of football supporters in the early 1980’s at least we are no longer physically threatened by the “99% minority” of Rangers supporters, who are now camped at one end of the ground.

    Unfortunately this “99% minority” of Rangers supporters continue to sing inflamtory songs at every game they attend and antaganise all decent football supporters.

    The latest total lack of contriction by “The Rangers” supporters after the death of RFC in 2012
    defies any logic and continues to alienate every other football supporter in Scotland against this
    Institution.

    The SPL this year has been like a breath of fresh air, as football supporters are no longer subjected to the behaviour of this “99% minority” of “The Rangers” supporters. My sympathies
    go out to all other SFL Clubs who are going to be exposed to this “99% minority of “The Rangers” supporters for at least the next two years.

    James Traynor should remove himself from his Ibrox bunker and actually attend any match with “The Rangers” and stand/sit with the opposition supporters, to observe the levels of intimidation and anti social behaviour that the “99% minority” of “The Rangers” supporters create.

    The sooner that this “Institution” disappears from Scottish Football the better for all supporters.


  38. The saddest thing about recent events is that the man with the wee white bricks no longer speaks merely for a rather ugly section of the support, but is now representative of the official view of the club.

    Whatever their other failings, Rangers were a great football club, their descent into meaness apears to be complete. It is all very sad.


  39. scapaflow14 says:
    Whatever their other failings, Rangers were a great football club, their descent into meaness apears to be complete. It is all very sad.
    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
    To what era are you referring to ..when they were a great football club..?


  40. pre Murray shenanigans, they did win the European Cup, and note I’m not taking into account the behaviour of a very large section of the fans, but purely in footballing terms


  45. I just reread on the TRFC website the ‘Club Statement’ and Traynor’s piece.

    I am embarrassed for them: amateurish, ridiculous, wrong, etc…

    Regardless of who is right/wrong, paranoid/victimised or whatever, the only certainty is this:

    TRFC is getting more and more alienated from the rest of Scottish football.

    It’s one thing cultivating a siege mentality to achieve short-term gains – but TRFC have gone way too far.

    The average football fan will soon become desensitised to the threats, tantrums, world records, etc. coming from Govan. I think we now know that remorse, humility is not in the TRFC vocabulary – and probably never will.

    Next time TRFC hits the buffers I don’t think they will get anywhere near the level of help they got last summer from the football administrations.

    The randomness would appeal: if a company in Singapore effectively killed off the club from Govan. (Wishful thinking, I know.)


  46. The truth being..I’m sure we all have mates/punters that we used to enjoy the banter (the non sectarian) RFC-CFC football banter with in our locals.This has almost gone now,can’t mention rfc,trfc,sevco,rifc.This is why I hate TGEF,Murray,Green,Duff & Duffer (c) owned,Ogilvie Regan,Doncaster,etc..as well as the game..they have destroyed the craic.!!


  47. The latest press releases from Traynor raise a number of questions, however the one that intrigues me is where is Malcolm Murray, Rangers Chairman , in all of this.

    He along with Ian Hart and Walter Smith are 3 of 5 independent voices of the Plc .The other two non executive directors are Phillip Cartmel and Bryan Smart .However whilst Cartmel and Smart have the same legal responsibilities, they are not as exposed to Rangers daily activities and behaviours as Murray , Smith and Hart.

    All non execs are there to monitor executive performance and to ensure that risk is properly monitored and to ensure the integrity of financial information.They have other responsibilities, however lets concentrate on these two for the moment.

    Executive Performance

    The two executive Directors are Green and Stockbridge. However by any definition Traynor is also a key and senior management member. Green and Traynor must surely have raised concerns amongst the Non Execs.

    Green is a walking talking exercise in contradiction and misinformation. A CEO of a Plc should not make the type of claims Green does on a regular basis. The more outrageous ,and based on all evidence, fictitious claims could very easily be construed as an attempt to encourage naive and unsophisticated individuals to invest in Rangers

    The non execs are there , in part, to ensure that shareholders and potential shareholders are protected from outrageous claims of get rich quick. There is a moral and ethical responsibility on Malcolm Murray to ensure that when Green claims to potential investors that deals with Adidas and The Dallas Cowboys are a strong possibility that this is in fact the case , and not just a figment of Greens imagination and silver tongue

    There is a serious element to this. The non execs on David Murray’s board did absolutely nothing to temper his bluster and behavior . The result was that many thousands of shareholders lost their entire investment and many hundreds of suppliers lost £10’s of millions .

    Traynor equally has in very short order started to issue press releases that would be more appropriate for the Chief information officer of a Banana Republic. He has moved on from abusing the media, to suggesting that some of Rangers critics that he disagrees with should be handed down jail sentences . The irony that he himself was saying exactly and precisely the same only a few short months ago is apparently of no concern or embarrassment to him.

    Traynor has also started to less than subtlety implicate that Celtic are the cause of Rangers woes at the same time as suggesting that Celtic are completely paranoid.

    Malcolm Murray and his fellow non execs have made no public attempt to distance themselves from any of the claims and comments of Green and Traynor. The conclusion therefore is that they are aligned in their thinking and actions. In my view that puts Murray and his fellow non execs in dangerous territory

    Risk

    The Rangers prospectus , presumably agreed and endorsed by Murray and his fellow non execs, painted a rosy picture. Opportunity abounded at every corner, and whilst it acknowledged the risks attendant on any start up, it also confirmed the business was off to a flyer.

    £13.8 million profit in the first quarters trading is spectacular by any standards, even though that profit was entirely down to a one off revaluation gain ( where have I heard that before in relation to Rangers ???)

    However Green had stated , in an unusually low key manner for him, both before and subsequent to the flotation , that there would be a loss of approximately £3.5 million for the full year. Unless my Maths are completely off that means a loss of £17.3 million in the final 3 quarters of the year.

    However what would be more serious, would be if the P&L figures produced for the prospectus for Q1 were subsequently restated and didn’t include the one off gain. To produce an annual loss from a very large Q1 profit could only be achieved by either horrendous trading for the rest of the year or by effectively admitting the prospectus information was wrong.

    Either scenario would be worrying for shareholders and should be a concern for the non execs who are legally responsible for the integrity of the financial reporting.

    Time for Malcolm Murray to stop being the invisible man and to start to be seen doing his job


  48. I think Mr Traynor’s real problem is that he hasn’t made the jump from tabloid reporter (I won’t use the word journalist, Alex Thompson is a journalist, Jim Traynor isn’t) to head of media and spokesperson for a small to medium sized business.

    His pieces over the last couple of days really have read like his rabble rousing incitement from the Daily Record, minus any pretence of imparitality. The cheap shots at journalists and reporters, nothing short of confrontational and at other organisations have done his employers no good whatsoever. They were already doing nothing towards conciliation, Mr Traynor has made that even worse with his “come and have a go” attitude.

    Remember, he is speaking for the club now. Official releases on the official web site. Not just Jim Traynor’s own opinion in a tabloid, the official voice of Rangers.

    For a club seeking any pretence of dignity it really has been embarrasing. It’s just the vile ramblings of a tabloid hack with the thin veil of impartiality and reasonableness removed. A poor show all round.


  49. Regarding the statement by TRFC.

    “However, because it has become clear Rangers cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity from enough of the country’s media outlets we must speak for ourselves. We have a duty to our supporters to put the record straight.”

    I am puzzled as to why the statement does not suggest that TRFC are going to seek redress from the media outlets with whom the Club believe they have a dispute with. There is no indication that the Club is looking for a retraction. Neither does the Club indicate that they will seek redress through the Courts.

    The Club appear at this stage to be relying upon speaking for themselves to set the record straight. Does that mean that their statement would not stand up in Court?


  50. I wonder how the Rangers fans see this situation?

    A chap has written a blog concerning the TRFC “PR Question.”

    http://garrycarmody.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/a-grey-area-the-pr-question/

    Warning: it has a photo of Mr Traynor at the top, so finish your breakfast first. And, if you’re expecting it to be approaching sensible, here’s a snippet from the opening paragraph:

    “Traynor has also appeared on various radio shows to discuss the future of the club, and it is widely accepted he speaks with an air of sanity and rationale.”

    Unfortunately for them, the rest of the bears appear to agree entirely with the contents of that blog. Once again they are victims, and I fear will remain so in their own minds as they go down for the last time. They believe that Mr Traynor is sticking it to the haters. They do not seem to realise that he is behaving in a thoroughly unprofessional manner (cf: Dundee Utd statements around the boycott) and is putting greater distance between their new club and the rest of the world on a daily basis.

    It was mentioned above that Rangers were once a great club. I agree – they undoubtedly were. My granda supported them way back simply because our family was remote from any “local” team. He chose Rangers, my uncle chose Hibs and my Dad was Aberdeen.

    I believe the turning point was when CFC won the European Cup. The inferiority complex in Govan was seeded there and then, and has grown and festered ever since with increasingly desperate attempts to prove that they were and are the better, more famous, more supported, more World Record holding club.


  51. Amongst all of Traynor’s paranoia, which I’ll ignore, here’s the bit of his club statement which stood out for me:

    “This Club will never run up crippling debts and we will not pay over-inflated salaries to players.

    However, we will have a sensible pay structure which won’t threaten the club’s existence. That is what we believe the fans want.”

    I think most observers would note that the Ibrox club is paying huge salaries to players operating in the 4th tier of Scottish football. As an example, a reported £16,000 a week for a bloke who turns 35 this year, on a contract until he turns 37, doesn’t seem to be part of a ‘sensible pay structure’: that’s an ‘over-inflated salary’ surely?

    Meantime, good to see Sandy Jardine return to some sort of normality, for him. He still doesn’t comprehend what happened to his old club last summer: “RANGERS legend Sandy Jardine has been vociferous in his criticism of the players who left Rangers without a penny in the summer given the sacrifices made elsewhere to help the club survive.”

    Sandy, around the same time these players left, the current Ibrox Director of Communications was stating:

    “Rangers FC will slip into liquidation within the next couple of weeks with a new company emerging but 140 years of history, triumph and tears, will have ended. No matter how Charles Green attempts to dress it up, a newco equals a new club. When the CVA was thrown out Rangers as we know them died.”

    Anyway, back to the salaries: surely if these players Jardine is lambasting had TUPE’d over, there was less chance of them leaving Govan, and more over-inflated salaries would have to have been fitted into the ‘sensible pay structure’.


  52. Been reading back a couple of days
    Have seen people talking about rangers £400 grand debt and saying how it is a large fee for services to secure £5.5m Or that with interest rates it works out about right to secure such monies 🙂 What everyone seems to be forgetting or over looking is that this is Only 2 payments 😉 2 other payments have already been made 😉 The real Question should be how much is the total bill and how many other payments ( if any) Are yet to be made 😉


  53. slimshady61 says:

    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 21:20

    allyjambo says:
    Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 19:16
    —————————–
    Yes in a lot of ways AJ, but the fact is that Arsenal is very lightly capitalised and those shares are actually critical for Usmanov in his bid to take control of the club.

    That bid is viewed with a great deal of suspicion by the Gooners and they were dismayed to say the least when Craigy sold them off to the highest bidder.

    They look on with typical north London disdain at Chelski and their Russian owner with his revolving door for managers – though that club has still had more trophies than managers in the past 8 years, whilst Arsenal, managed by Arsene Wenger throughout that time, has had more managers than trophies in the same period.

    There is more chance of Orlit sponsoring Sevco next season than there is of Arsenal playing a friendly at Ibrox and/or handing over some shares.

    The delusion of the poor bears gets greater with every passing day.
    _____________________________________________________

    I doubt very much that Green is in any way concerned with Arsenal’s wellbeing – he merely wants to appear to his own supporters to be getting back something they think is their’s and is a link to ‘old Rangers’. But, of course, it wouldn’t be any link at all because it would be a new certificate, though the name might be similar. There again, that counts as continued history down Govan way 😉

    I suppose, though, that Green could be saying to the Arsenal board that TRFC will play them in a friendly and use TRFC’s share of the gate money to re-buy the shares. But then, if all the shares that aren’t already in friendly hands, are in Usmanov’s, then who’s gonna sell the shares to TRFC? And if you were on the board of Arsenal, would you think it a good move to encourage any existing shareholder to sell their shares to a man like Green?


  54. Just a thought ,if Sevco can claim the defunct clubs 140 year history ,why not also claim the year 1967 as their history also intead of Celtics and we can all live happily ever after,just a thought.


  55. barcabhoy says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 05:38

    “The two executive Directors are Green and Stockbridge. However by any definition Traynor is also a key and senior management member.”

    By the same definition that a corgi is a member of the Royal family?


  56. Talksports Keys and Gray live from Glasgow today.
    Hugh Keevins on soon going through the Scottish papers
    Radio to make your ears bleed I’m sure


  57. bill1903 says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 10:09
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Oh good. More pish.


  59. What are NewGers trying to achieve with this press release? Let’s consider why/when companies issue press releases or public statements?

     To draw attention to a company’s success or a new initititive that the company feels will be of benefit to itself or customers.
     To put forward the company’s stance on matters outwith their control but where the company feels the need because of its relation to those matters.
     Damage limitation when they have been busted doing something they shouldn’t have.
     In direct response to an issue raised where the company feels the need to make its stance available to the broader world.
     It is also a means to deny or deflect accusations or rumours which may be damaging to the company’s reputation or share price.

    This last reason would seem to be the closest to why NewGers felt the need to put finger to keyboard, but they made their stance clear the previous day, with their “not worthy of comment” comment Shirley?

    I will get back to the contradictory nature of the posting on NewGers site but one thing a “head of media” should not be doing is using their professional role to score points, to settle scores and to generally pour gasoline on a smouldering pile of ash that would have burned itself out in only hours. The other thing they should not do is alienate the very “media” they are meant to be working with by suggesting their “customers” should try and kill off media outlets with (yet another) boycott. …

    “Real” journos look down their noses at PRs but the reality is it is a different role than just writing stories about their employers. It is a separate discipline. Someone needsw to tell Traynor that…


  60. It was interesting to hear Doncaster and Regan this week on the radio. They were extremely careful to make sure they did not say TRFC are a new club. They did not deny it but they are obviously not wanting to be asked that very question.

    annoying, Gordon Smith took up half of Doncasters time.


  61. As for the contradictory nature of the statement – leaving aside the obligatory digs at internet bampots (isn’t Traynor responsible for NewGers NewMedia?), paranoia, victim mentality and the like, let’s just look at the meat of the statement (99% of it is surely horse):

    So why is the fact that Orlit is a “foreign company” worthy of mention? NewGers are surely not pandering their supporters oft-remarked xenophobia are they?

    To cut a long story short – everyone agrees there is a debt – the amount is in dispute, with NewGErs accusing Orlit of submitting illegitimate invoices. The good news is NewGers have agreed a figure to be settled, the bad news is that apparently it wasn’t agreed with the company owed the money, who are still “harassing” NewGers. So it’s not just waiting for the wording to sbe signed of is it? If so why then go into one about going to court? “And if we did, we’d win so yah-boo sucks to you” – ok paraphrased a little there but I think I got the context right.

    “We do pay our bills on time and we have always been prepared to pay this one!” – OK well that separates NewGers from Old who famously didn’t pay so many bills they went into administration and liquidation…. but which bill are NewGers paying? What Orlit say they owe or what NewGers say you owe? If NewGers don’t pay the full bill they will still need to make provision for the rest in their accounts don’t they?

    “Rangers will not be closed. This Club will never run up crippling debts and we will not pay over-inflated salaries to players” – OK so that’s again a clear difference between OldGers and NewGers.

    I’ll leave most of the rest, but feel I need to comment on “Rangers are no longer soft touches. We will not bow to or run from bullies” – WTF? Seriously WTF is that doing in a press release or public statement of a plc? The only people that saw Gers old and new were apparently their own directors, players and employees. No-one else benefited from their existence.

    And who are these bullies that they refer to? My God, they are the least “bullied” team in the country. This isn’t cognitive dissonance, it is a complete contradiction of facts.

    Wow.


  63. No activity on the RFC share price today. According to LSE no trades on periodic auction calls. With an offer price of 84p, (market cap £53.38m…don’t laugh) I can’t understand the reluctance;-) Are the potential buyers beginning to smell the coffee?


  64. I think its bottoming out 80p now expect the next trade to be sub 80p Market cap now = 46Mil due falling prices. Amazing what not paying your bills can do.


  65. Sorry missed this late call

    16:24:30 07-Feb-13 Price 77.00 Qtty 23,000 £17,710.00 Delayed publication


  66. ianagain says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 11:22
    0 0 i
    Rate This

    I think its bottoming out 80p now expect the next trade to be sub 80p Market cap now = 46Mil due falling prices. Amazing what not paying your bills can do.

    =====================================================
    This much vaunted (by Charles Green) Market Capitalisation number is pretty much meaningless, as you know. It’s provided by the LSE which updates it monthly, not in response to day to day share price changes. However if the current trend of the share price continues, albeit the number of trades is tiny, I’d imagine that those who can bail out will. Again, for the business, share price doesn’t mean too much as you’ve (possibly) already got the cash injection from the IPO but it’ll batter the confidence of investors who are locked in. Could be a bumpy ride fro some and interesting viewing for others.


  67. jockybhoy says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 10:34

    What are NewGers trying to achieve with this press release? Let’s consider why/when companies issue press releases or public statements?
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    One thing only.
    To get as many paying punters through the gates this weekend as possible. wind them up to get their “feelings” running high and watch them pour in to vent their hatred at everyone who is supposedly “against them”


  68. 80p is the bid price. 84p offer, (4p spread). The market cap is merely a no. of ordinary x share price calculation, which will alter as the share price moves. As you say not a big issue in the day to day running of the business, but a serious concern for major shareholders.


  70. Watching the shares is fun but the reality is that the club needs hard cash to pay the bills and many are doubtful that they have enough for the long term regardless of any injection of monies through the IPO.

    Surely in PR terms the best thing would be to announce how much has been brought in via the long awaited sponsorship and kit deal.

    Now would be the best time to make an ‘impact’ and you don’t need Charley boy to do it. Wheel out Chairman Murray, McCoist and Lee Wallace dressed to the nines.

    That would be a far more effective retort as opposed to JT’s ramblings.

    Not holding my breath though.

    PS I note that Charles says the deal will be one of the big names in soccer.

    Is that some guy at the Barras with a company called
    ‘GetallyirfitbakithereanI’llthrowinsportssocksthreefirapound”


  72. Daily Record
    13th June 2012, Jim Traynor

    “No matter how Charles Green attempts to dress it up, a newco equals a new club. When the CVA was thrown out Rangers as we know them died. They were closed and a newco must start from scratch although their fans will insist the history will be boxed up with the strips and balls and carried into the future with the new club.

    Rangers Website
    7th February 2013, Jim Traynor.

    But why is it that so many continue to write or broadcast that this club is a new club when it is the owners who are new? Is it a lack of basic intelligence or is it something more sinister?


  73. James Forrest says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 11:56

    http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/living-on-a-prayer/
    —————————————————-
    A very interesting piece, well written, coherent and makes a very good point.

    I’ve never met or had any dealings with either James Forrest or Jim Traynor. But read this then go back and read Mr Traynor’s most recent work on the Rangers website, and contrast and compare what they have to say and the way they say it. Writing and ranting are separate skills (if ranting is a skill).


  74. jockybhoy says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 10:59

    “…let’s just look at the meat of the statement (99% of it is surely horse):”

    …its ‘horse-something‘, but not meat!


  75. ianagain says:
    Friday, February 8, 2013 at 12:17

    Yes, I welcome the guys openness and what could almost be referred to as realism. But his chief concern with Green is renaming Murray Park. Seriously?

    On JT’s piece (again, I thought I’d got him out of my head since the restraining order was taken off:)) My take on his message ignoring his normal bluster, his confrontational style and his glaring inaccuracies was not the call to arms but the call to bearz to not believe everything they’re hearing, in fact to go out of their way to avoid getting an alternative view. Given the history that is an outrageous comment.

    Meanwhile in other news the rumblings you hear across the Oder are not Russian guns but in fact a large firework fuelled garden party. No honest, really it is…

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