A spectre is haunting Scottish Football

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From the TSFM Manifesto 🙂

A spectre is haunting Scottish Football — the spectre of Sporting Integrity. All the powers of the old firms have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Billy and Dan, Blazer and Cassock, Record and Sun, Balance Sheet and P&L.
Where is the football fan in opposition to these that has not been decried as a “sporting integrity bampot” by his opponents in power?

Two things result from this fact:

I. Sporting Integrity is already widely acknowledged to be itself a power for good.

II. It is high time that Lovers of Sport should openly, in the face of the whole world, publish their views, their aims, and meet this nursery tale of the Spectre of Sporting Integrity with a manifesto of fair play.

To this end, Lovers of Sport of various partisanship have assembled on TSFM and sketched their manifesto, to be published on tsfm.scot.

Those who love sport though are challenged not just by the taunts of the monosyllabic automatons in the MSM, but by the owners of our football clubs who have displayed an almost total disregard to our wish to have a fair competition played out in the spirit of friendly rivalry. In fact the clubs, who speak those fine words, are not nearly as outraged as we are by the damage done to the integrity of the sport in the past few years .

In fact the term Sporting Integrity has become, since the latter stages of the Rangers era, a term of abuse; a mocking soubriquet attached to those who want sport to be just that – sport.

Sporting integrity now lives in the same media pigeon-hole as words like Islam, left-wing, militant, Muslim – and a host of others; words which are threats to the established order now set up as in-jokes, in order to reduce the effectiveness of the idea.

In fact, a new terminology has evolved in the reporting of football by both club officials and The Succulent Lamb Chapel alike;

“.. Sporting Integrity but …”.

For example

“We all want sporting integrity, but finance is more important”

Says who exactly?

Stated in such a matter of fact way that the obvious question is headed off at the pass, it is sometimes difficult to re-frame the discussion – perhaps because crayon is so hard to erase?

This is the backdrop to The Scottish Football Monitor and the world in which we live. Often the levels of scrutiny employed by our contributors are far in excess of any scrutiny employed by the MSM. Indeed our ideas and theories are regularly plagiarised by those very same lazy journalists who lurk here, and cherry-pick material to suit their own agendas; regularly claiming exclusives for stories that TSFM and RTC before us had placed in the public domain weeks earlier.

This was going to lead into a discourse about the love of money versus the love of sport – of how the sacred cows of acquisitiveness, gate- retention and turnstile spinning is far more important to the heads of our football clubs (the Billys, Dans and Blazers of the intro) than maintaining the traditions of our sport.

However events of Friday 14th November have given me cause to leave that for another day. The biggest squirrel of all in this sorry saga has always been the sleight of hand employed instil a siege mentality in the Rangers fans. The press have time and again assisted people (with no love of football in general or Rangers in particular) to enrich themselves – legally or otherwise – and feed on the loyalty of Rangers fans.

A matter for Rangers fans may also be the identity of some of those who had their trust, but who also assisted the Whytes and Greens by their public statements of support.

Our contention has been that rules have been bent twisted or broken to accommodate those people, the real enemies of the Rangers fans – and fans everywhere.

Through our collective research and group-analysis of events, we have also wondered out loud about the legality of many aspects of the operating style of some of the main players in the affair. That suspicion has been shared most notably by Mark Daly and Alex Thompson, but crucially now appears to be shared by Law Enforcement.

I confess I am fed up with the self-styled “bampot” epithet. For the avoidance of doubt, the “bampots” in this affair are those who have greater resources than us, and access to the truth, but who have lacked either the will or the courage or the imagination to follow it through.

We are anything but bampots. Rather, we have demonstrated that the wisdom of the crowd is more effective by far than any remnants of wisdom in the press.

I have no doubt that the police investigation into this matter is proceeding in spite of great opposition in the MSM and the Scottish Football Authorities – all of whom conspired to expose Rangers to the custodianship of those for whom football is a foreign language.

I have no doubt that the constant exposition of wrong-doing on this blog, in particular the questions we have constantly raised, and anomalies we have pointed out, has assisted and enabled the law enforcement agencies in this process.

If we are to be consistent in this, our enabling of the authorities, we MUST show restraint at all times as this process is followed through. People who are charged with a crime deserve to be given a fair trial in the absence of rumour or innuendo. We must also, if we are to continue as the spectre which haunts the avaricious – and the real bampots – be seen to be better than they, and give them no cause to accuse us of irresponsibility.

This affair has now evolved way beyond one club gaining unfair advantage over others. For all the understandable Schadenfreude of many among us, the real enemy is not Rangers, it is about those who enabled and continue to enable the farce at Ibrox.

This is now about systematic cheating at the heart of the Scottish game (in the name of cash and in spite of lip service to sporting integrity), and how the greed of a bunch of ethically challenged officials allowed another group of ethically challenged businessmen free rein to enrich themselves at the expense of the fans.

Whether laws were broken or not, the players at Rangers have come and gone and are variables, but the malignant constant at the SFA and SPFL are still there. Last night, even after the news that four men had been arrested in connection with the takeover at Ibrox in 2011, they were gathered together at Celtic Park with their Irish counterparts, tucking into succulent lamb (perhaps) and fine wines, doing some back slapping, making jokes about the vulgarities of their fans, bragging about the ST money they have banked.

The revolution won’t be over until they are gone, and if they remain, it is Scottish Football that will be over.

 

 

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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.

4,164 thoughts on “A spectre is haunting Scottish Football”


  2. To be fair to all (apart from the DR who deserve nothing and even that’s too generous) the Daily Record version was far removed from the STV version (obviously too far, eh Stewart 😉 ) but from what I can gather from the ensuing
    ‘dialogue’ even the written version on the STV website which I did go to, was significantly different to the televised interview (all the Norn Irish stuff, which appears to be genuine, for instance). I don’t think the blog is entirely at fault tbh, but a lesson to be learnt for sure. Wee man, your off the naughty step!

    And Regan needs to pick and choose when, where and how he breaks cover also!


  3. neepheid says:

    November 26, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    ———————————-
    No apology necessary though I very much appreciate the sentiment. I will reply further when I have more time.


  4. ecobhoy says:

    November 26, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    cavansam says:
    November 26, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    echobhoy

    It seems the ‘winning ways’ quote has now turned out to be Daily Record spin or wishful thinking, and they have edited their article accordingly. Whether this was under pressure from Regan we’ll never know I guess.
    ==================
    I think it came from CQN not Regan. There is a CQN poster who does humorous additions to articles. When I say humorous I mean as fun to fool folk.

    He is well known on CQN for it and I think his reconstructed post took legs and was taken as the truth.

    In the recorded interview I watched there was no mention of winning ways. Regan would not be that daft.


  6. It appears that a trade of +/- ÂŁ90ish in Rangers (IL) shares can cause a +/- 2% fluctuation of company value (last 2 days)………yet…..in the recent past trades of hundreds of thousands makes not one bit of difference. 😕 How does that work? 😕


  7. Smugas says:

    November 26, 2014 at 1:15 pm
    ——————————

    This is exactly why I do not post very often (among other reasons) you get caught up and 5 minutes becomes 30 and then I am on the real naughty step – the Wife’s!!

    P. S. Thanks for setting me straight the other night with your reply on King/Ashley talks claim.


  8. Smugas says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    And Regan needs to pick and choose when, where and how he breaks cover also!
    —————————————————
    I nearly made it outta here then your last sentence resonated.

    I don’t think he did pick and choose. In the video he looks caught off guard, sweating like a Tangerine and precisely because he is in Northern Ireland (guest in a foreign country syndrome)and the interviewer employed such a brilliant sotto voce, almost pleading style he probably started and then felt he had to finish.
    I think in Scotland the PR would have been controlled, the MSM more compliant and the answers brusque.

    Right I’m outta here – no looking back.


  9. I’ve found the secret is to discretely locate the laptop/tablet within arms reach of the naughty step. Wi fi is a wonderful thing! (As long as you’ve an 8yo techie on hand to set it up for you.


  10. weeman says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:12 pm
    0 0 Rate This

    Will the carollers make a Xmas video?
    ——–
    If so,it won’t be on sale in the Rangers Shop in Belfast which,according to info and pics today,is closing down.


  11. torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:49 pm
    0 0 Rate This

    weeman says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:12 pm
    0 0 Rate This

    Will the carollers make a Xmas video?
    ——–
    If so,it won’t be on sale in the Rangers Shop in Belfast which,according to info and pics today,is closing down.
    ___________
    and the glasgow airport shop


  12. weeman says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:12 pm
    2 0 Rate This

    Will the carollers make a Xmas video?
    ———-

    Hope so. We need part II to give us all a laugh again. Mind you, part I is still hilarious: ‘T’twas t’night before Christmas…’

    Cost cutting in Belfast? All the better for SD online sales.


  13. Good Afternoon

    Ten shares traded this morning at 24p.

    No notice of AGM posted on AIM.

    If it’s not on AIM it’s not happening


  14. We live in a world where the media want a headline and will get it regardless of the actual content of the interview. I know this will shock most of you 😉 but even the BBC do it!

    Here’s the latest. A BBC headline on their website

    “Hearts could exit Tynecastle – Budge.”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/scottish/

    Leads to this posted on the Hearts website just hours later:

    “Hearts could exit Tynecastle” : Budge

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there are no plans to exit Tynecastle. Firstly, there is no money either to develop the stadium or to build a new stadium. Secondly, any decision regarding the future of our stadium will be taken, not by me, but by the supporters.

    What I do believe is necessary is that a full and comprehensive study should be carried out within the next 12-18 months to explore the different options open to us for the ongoing development of our club, given the limitations of our current stadium. In terms of any long-term business plan for the club, it would be madness not to look at options. Do I want to move from Tynecastle? Personally speaking, absolutely not!”
    http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/3995

    Disappointing that Brian McLauchlin chose to spin what Ann said to generate that headline, especially when watching the interview on line I see some far more interesting comments from her, like the owners of other clubs come across as too self interested and not looking at the greater good of the game. Pity that wasn’t more fully explored.

    From what I’ve seen and heard of Ann Budge I like the cut of her jib!


  15. Auldheid says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    I think it came from CQN not Regan. There is a CQN poster who does humorous additions to articles. When I say humorous I mean as fun to fool folk.

    He is well known on CQN for it and I think his reconstructed post took legs and was taken as the truth.

    In the recorded interview I watched there was no mention of winning ways. Regan would not be that daft.
    ============================================
    As to the state of sanity that Regan inhabits I would hesitate to comment.

    Wherever the Record’s story emanated from is immaterial IMO in that if wrong it was a serious blunder and I simply don’t understand why a full apology and retraction wasn’t demanded and published. That is the mystery in my mind. The fact that it wasn’t leaves me in serious doubt as to what the whole story actually is.

    I also pointed out I simply don’t accept the Reganomics theory as to what Rangers has contributed to the Scottish Economy in recent decades.

    Just as I would like PL to give a detailed breakdown on the alleged ÂŁ10 million loss caused by the loss of what now appears to be an economic power house I would love Regan to explain in detail what Rangers has brought to the Scottish and National economy and also what it has cost those economies.

    I noticed another poster referring to Regan’s demeanour whilst being interviewed yesterday and I confess that I don’t think I have ever seen him as twitchy before although I accept he and his employer are currently between a rock and a hard place.


  16. Bawsman says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:21 pm

    It appears that a trade of +/- £90ish in Rangers (IL) shares can cause a +/- 2% fluctuation of company value (last 2 days)………yet…..in the recent past trades of hundreds of thousands makes not one bit of difference. 😕 How does that work? 😕
    =================================================
    Anyone that knows the answer to that won’t tell you because they’ll be too busy making money out of the mugs gambling in the AIM Casino 😈


  17. Was kinda expecting a follow up on AGM and Accounts to be signed off recent `revelation`
    Still waiting
    Either it`s accurate – or it`s not
    Let`s see
    tp


  18. I wondered where the info wrt to closure of Rangers shops at Glasgow Airport and Belfast is coming from.

    IIRC they both opened in June/July 2013 and I would assume were both leased although I have no idea what the contract length would be so don’t know if there is any cost to Rangers Retail Ltd/TRFCL in breaking the leases if the info is accurate.


  19. ecobhoy says:
    November 26, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    There was a Phil Mac retweet earlier today (see below) that included a picture of the Belfast store with the windows papered out but it looks like some wag has painted closing down on the outside face of the window.

    Could just be a SD refit/rebrand

    StMatthews CSC @StMatthewsCSC ¡ 4h 4 hours ago
    The Rangers Shop in Belfast this morning @Pmacgiollabhain @AngelaHaggerty


  20. @ecobhoy 2.45p.m.

    Regarding PL and the ÂŁ10M shortfall.

    A couple of months ago PL referred to this figure as the loss of income to Celtic since the liquidation of RFC. It was accounted for by the board’s own decision to reduce season ticket prices by ÂŁ100 each of the last two seasons in conjunction with the loss of the guaranteed full houses at the league fixtures at Celtic Park. That’s approximately ÂŁ4M per year season tickets, ÂŁ2M for the loss of those full houses (at increased prices!).

    I didn’t make the AGM, however in the interview I did see from before, the figure was not ‘per season’.


  21. Bawsman says:
    November 26, 2014 at 1:21 pm

    It appears that a trade of +/- £90ish in Rangers (IL) shares can cause a +/- 2% fluctuation of company value (last 2 days)………yet…..in the recent past trades of hundreds of thousands makes not one bit of difference. 😕 How does that work? 😕
    ……………………………………………………….From its inception this share has been traded on a “period auction call” basis. This tends to happen where there is little demand to buy or sell the company’s shares. Hence the shares are not open to buy anytime like bigger more commonly traded shares where you can go onto a trading website and buy a company’s shares at a live price.

    A period auction call, means the shares are only available for trading at certain times during the day. Any offer (buy) prices will then be matched by corresponding bid (sell) prices and providing the “offer or bid” contracts are not fill or kill, (where the full number of shares need to be met by the other side), the transaction can go ahead.

    There could be literally millions of shares on offer at every auction but only where the price someone is willing to pay matches the sellers expectation, will a sale take place. Hence if the price is listed at 24p with a bid price of 23p and an offer price of 25p. The difference is known as the bid/offer spread and along with the dealing charges is seen as the cost of buying, e.g. you buy at 25p but they are only worth 23p if you want to sell. Just like buying and selling foreign currency for your holidays. In the case of RIFC the bid/offer spread is 8.33% which is typically high for low value shares. Compare that with a commonly traded share like Tesco where the spread is only 0.05%.

    Large transactions for shares in these type of auctions are usually predetermined, i.e. the buyer and seller have already agreed to transfer the shares at an agreed price and because they both know the number of shares in question, they can both operate on a kill or fill basis in the knowledge that no one else is likely to get involved in their transaction.

    Therefore some auctions will have no trades, some very small numbers may match and others where large tranches of shares change hands.
    Apologies for the long winded lecture.


  22. Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain ¡ 8 hrs 8 hours ago

    Remembering my friend Paul McConville today on his first anniversary. He is sadly missed. RIP
    ===============================================================

    And fondly remembered


  24. wildly OT – but if you think Save the Children have got it dreadfully wrong, the petition against it is here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-save-the-children-charity-from-giving-tony-blair-their-annual-global-legacy-award?bucket=blast

    I don’t twitter myself so someone may want to twitter this

    If you think Save the Childern have got it right – you can start your own petition at the same link – there isn’t one yet.

    Either way this may be good practce for when you need to sign a “YES / NO to league reconstruction petition


  25. MCFC @ 5.24

    How could someone give you a TD for fondly remembering Paul McConville?
    Whoever it was should have a serious word with themselves.


  26. ecobhoy says:
    November 26, 2014 at 3:12 pm
    9 1 Rate This

    I wondered where the info wrt to closure of Rangers shops at Glasgow Airport and Belfast is coming from.
    ______________
    from a rangers fans website
    ______________________

    on my way home from work today ( after nightshift ) i noticed a massve “closing down sale all stock must go” poster in the belfast store window…

    i called in to the store to see why this was the case, apparently both the belfast store and glasgow airport were told last night before they closed that they will be closing for good in january and they must put a closing down sale on!

    staff were left confused and they dont know if they will be transfered to a sports direct store or made redundant.

    ___
    a reply was

    Both stores are already run by Sports Direct so the staff will already be Sports Direct staff.


  27. mungoboy says:
    November 26, 2014 at 5:48 pm
    MCFC @ 5.24

    How could someone give you a TD for fondly remembering Paul McConville?
    Whoever it was should have a serious word with themselves.
    —————————————————–
    Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they’ve got hand / eye coordination issues – the alternative is too sad to dwell on.


  29. Silent Partner says:
    November 26, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    @ecobhoy 2.45p.m.

    Regarding PL and the ÂŁ10M shortfall.

    A couple of months ago PL referred to this figure as the loss of income to Celtic since the liquidation of RFC. It was accounted for by the board’s own decision to reduce season ticket prices by £100 each of the last two seasons in conjunction with the loss of the guaranteed full houses at the league fixtures at Celtic Park. That’s approximately £4M per year season tickets, £2M for the loss of those full houses (at increased prices!).

    I didn’t make the AGM, however in the interview I did see from before, the figure was not ‘per season’.
    ===========================================================
    Well that makes more sense now! A few days ago when this issue re-appeared following the agm I also came up with ÂŁ4 million in terms of the ÂŁ100 ST discount and mentioned a few other things but I struggled to reach ÂŁ10 million.

    I confess that it had escaped me that the ÂŁ10 million wasn’t per season but from liquidation 😳

    I had sussed that it wasn’t a loss to profit but turnover. However: Note to self – pay more attention in class in future 🙄

    I’m sure Mr Regan will detail just how Rangers have helped the Scottish economy!


  30. Whispers and rumours, more ‘owls on the bog*’ ?

    @FrankRyan1936: Friends, this Fridays #RBSBoard meeting should be interesting given the Deloitte letter today. The #RBSBoard is now at war with its auditors

    * ugler i mosen


  31. mcfc says:
    November 26, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    Is Lewis McLeod the security for Mike’s next loan or does TRFC now stand for The Rangers Feeder Club

    http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/11/26/newcastle-interested-in-signing-rangers-prodigy-lewis-macleod/
    =======================================================
    No doubt a declared interest from NU might push the selling price up and Heaven forfend it would price NU out of the race 😆

    Still it could be WIN WIN – as usual – for Ashley as even if he doesn’t get his man he might get the money 😉


  32. mungoboy says:
    November 26, 2014 at 5:48 pm
    8 0 Rate This
    —————————————–
    Indeed.

    I spoke with Paul’s brother Mark today.
    He told me that it had been a great comfort to the family that Paul was so well regarded and fondly remembered in the online fitba world.
    He asked me to pass that on.


  33. Eco @ 6.24

    Phew. Thank goodness there’s no issues with dual ownership of clubs across territories. You could see how your situation could be very em ‘imaginative’ if that was the case. Thank goodness we’ve got that very efficient Mr Regan on the ball.


  34. Oh why oh why does it always fall to me to link to stories on the Torygraph…. 🙁

    Anyway seems that the SFA are still after Craig Whyte….like Mounties in blazers….at least the quote below suggests they realise that there’s a queue…

    “It may be that Scottish football will not see the money owed to it by Mr Whyte but we believe that if he was brought to justice then it would confirm that we were right not to give up on this matter,” a senior Hampden source said.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish-football/11255326/SFA-to-go-after-former-Rangers-owner-Craig-Whyte-for-over-200000-of-unpaid-fines.html


  35. As an avid listener of several football podcasts, including the Guardian’s Football Weekly and Sky’s Sunday Supplement, I’m always astonished at the lack of knowledge displayed when it comes to the musings of their scribes on Mike Ashley and the club they are pleased to call “Rangers”.

    They seem to think the Rangers of which they speak is a giant of football with a worldwide fanbase — a fantasy which even a former director of the original club, Hugh Adam, dismissed — rather than the locust-infested, hollowed-out husk of a dead club that it actually is.

    If that view is widespread in England rather than, as I suspect, a desire on their part not to offend Scottish listeners, then who knows, maybe Mike Ashley will be fooled too. Rangersitis is catching, they tell me, though I have managed to remain immune for more years than I care to remember now!


  37. PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
    November 26, 2014 at 6:46 pm
    ——————————————-
    Another TD for a PcM comment – maybe it’s a Roman gladiator re-enactment pedant who thinks TU is bad and TD is good. That’s the most plausible reason I can come up with.

    Phil, thanks for passing on our regards to Paul’s familiy.


  38. SFA Sponsors
    ================
    I watched an interesting TV piece this morning about Sony pulling out as one of the 6 main FIFA sponsors. OK, Sony has being performing dismally in recent years, and their current deal was due to expire at the end of the year anyway. But it was worth c.$300M to FIFA. And Emirates Airline had also announced it was pulling out of FIFA sponsorship.

    But the depressing indication was that as the World Cup is a rare, globally watched event – like the Olympics – then FIFA should not have too much difficulty in replacing these sponsors. So maybe no pressure to change then…

    Which brings us back to the SFA.
    They recently announced a new deal with Mars.
    No pressure from sponsors seems to be forthcoming at Hampden either ?

    http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1961&newsID=14026&newsCategoryID=1


  39. Torquemada says:
    November 26, 2014 at 7:11 pm
    3 0 Rate This
    ———-

    The Guardian’s is pure dead brill. James Richarson is peerless, imo. Subtle humour throughout. His French and German pundits are also top class. Poor old Barry Glendenning is the joker of group. He’s not averse to ridiculing Scottish fitba but James is a bit more respectful since he’s got the BT slot on telly. A couple of their pundits are also quite honest in their dislike of modern money-obsessed PLC football.


  40. Commenter “ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON” is on target for a double first in Critical Thinking at the University of Delusion, Glasgow Campus. Hope he gets the support he needs when the cognitive dissonance gets too much.

    http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/sfa-chief-stewart-regan-demands-mike-ashley-talks-1-3616328

    ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON

    6:00 PM on 26/11/2014

    OK, the facts. Rangers were undone by criminal acts with sporting integrity shamed by those in power. Scottish football admit it needs Rangers back at the top, according to Lawwell and Regan, because otherwise Scottish football is bust. One of the wealthiest people in the UK is prepared to back Rangers and get them back in the top division.

    Given all that, why the hell should there be any doubts that the SFA should welcome Ashley with open arms. This man has the ability to rescue Scottish league football single handedly. However the recent history of the SFA shows that they are more likely to kick this gift horse in the teeth and preside over the collapse of Scottish football such is their hatred for everything Rangers.


  41. mcfc says:
    November 26, 2014 at 7:20 pm
    ———————————————————————-
    I will do that the next time I chat with Mark.
    Happy to do that.


  43. As Appropriate

    It looks like Stewart is edging towards another Armageddon warning – but Stewie – if you use Armageddon again people may not take you seriously because the last Armageggon you predicted turn out pretty well for most fans and clubs – life’s a bitch, isn’t it!

    Anyway, here are a few words that might come in useful soon:

    catastrophe
    devastation
    extermination
    annihilation
    extinction
    apocalypse

    Most can be paired up for double barrel emphasis:
    “an annihilation catastrophe”
    “a devastating extermination”

    no worries, glad to help


  44. StevieBC says:

    November 26, 2014 at 7:34
    SFA Sponsors
    ================
    I watched an interesting TV piece this morning about Sony pulling out as one of the 6 main FIFA sponsors. OK, Sony has being performing dismally in recent years, and their current deal was due to expire at the end of the year anyway. But it was worth c.$300M to FIFA. And Emirates Airline had also announced it was pulling out of FIFA sponsorship.

    But the depressing indication was that as the World Cup is a rare, globally watched event – like the Olympics – then FIFA should not have too much difficulty in replacing these sponsors. So maybe no pressure to change then…

    Which brings us back to the SFA.
    They recently announced a new deal with Mars.

    ————————————————————

    Don’t be so bigotted, StevieBC.

    500,000 Martians represent a powerful global audience…
    They’re not to be sniffed at. :mrgreen:


  45. Rumours of an AGM is a strange thing is it not?
    Who would have planted a story like that.
    The big question just now seems to be ‘Will they, won’t they’ regarding Deloites signing off the accounts. If they don’t then there could be a fine and a delisting which is even more bad headlines for a business in, what appears to be, utter turmoil.

    Meanwhile there are stories of the Belfast and Glasgow Airport shops closing. They don’t seem to be transferring these shops to Sports Direct. I personally think the Airport shop was just Charles trying to keep up with Celtic but the Belfast shop must pull in a good amount. The fact that ‘The Rangers’ fans are slowly beginning to boycott SD shops means that the revenue will fall further. Goods that are bought will have a high percentage going to SD. So although costs are saved from the staff in the stores the perception that SD are taking a bigger strangle hold, as well as a bigger percentage, of any sales may result in an overall drop in sales. It also reduces brand exposure in two big areas.

    After seeing Regan in the news last night I was not surprised to hear that the was no deadline to their discussions with Mike Ashley’s lawyers. This will allow the situation to drift further. Putting a deadline on these discussions would at least bring things to a head and we would all know where we stand although having said that I think the SFA already know where they stand.

    If MASH simply ignore the SFA what will they do?
    Points deduction?
    Ensure that his second club are never allowed to enter the Premiership until Newcastle are sold?
    Stand idly by until Newcastle and ‘The Rangers’ end up in the same European competition and ask UEFA to deal with it. Hopefully by that time dear Mr Ogilvie will be in UEFA to ensure that nothing is done.

    The fact that Regan has made it clear that there is such a rule means he cannot go back on that without looking an even bigger imbecile. Is that possible?


  49. andygraham.66 says:
    November 26, 2014 at 8:48 pm
    ‘..Arthur Montford has died’
    ———-
    And, truly, a wave of nostalgia has swept over me on learning of his death. There are many in the SMSM who clearly did not model themselves on his values of objectivity and balance.May he rest in peace.


  50. “My father told me that no matter how poor the game was, whether you were writing it, describing it on radio, or commentating on it, you must look for something worthwhile to talk about and do not be negative. And it was a thought that I always carried with me”.

    Well said Arthur, RIP


  51. justshatered says:
    November 26, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    Meanwhile there are stories of the Belfast and Glasgow Airport shops closing. They don’t seem to be transferring these shops to Sports Direct. I personally think the Airport shop was just Charles trying to keep up with Celtic but the Belfast shop must pull in a good amount.
    ============================================================
    I think both these shops were as a result of fan pressure when Green was doing his whistle-stop tour. The Airport was simply because Celtic had one so they should have? Wot only One – changed days 😆 And the Belfast one was to please a section of the support.

    The Airport shop I always saw as a vanity project and one which I reckoned would be hard to turn a profit in. Belfast IIRC and I’m straining my memory here did have a rangers shop a long time ago – I think it was shared with merchandise from a local club with close links to Rangers.

    But I’m sure it closed possibly before JJB but I really can’t swear to that – so chances are it couldn’t have been that profitable either.

    If they are closing it’s a clear sign that Ashley is serious about cutting costs by ditching loss-making operations. But is that the only rationale?

    It strikes me that if they were closed then that could convert the Belfast sales into online SportsDirect ones. As to Glasgow Airport – well if the turnover consisted mainly of impulse buys from people going on holiday does it really matter?

    Of course perhaps we’ll see a major revamp of both premises 💡


  52. ecobhoy says:
    November 26, 2014 at 6:24 pm
    8 1 Rate This

    mcfc says:
    November 26, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    Is Lewis McLeod the security for Mike’s next loan or does TRFC now stand for The Rangers Feeder Club

    http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/11/26/newcastle-interested-in-signing-rangers-prodigy-lewis-macleod/
    =======================================================
    No doubt a declared interest from NU might push the selling price up and Heaven forfend it would price NU out of the race 😆

    Still it could be WIN WIN – as usual – for Ashley as even if he doesn’t get his man he might get the money 😉

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    There is enough happening down Ibrox way to keep our heads spinning without adding in the complexities of whether any footballing rules are being broken by a player being tapped up by a club whose owner holds sway over the ‘lesser’ club. 😛


  53. Terrific quote @Martin. He was the first face and voice of Scottish football via Scotsport for many us in the black&white era of the ’60s, the late-night treat you hoped you’d be allowed to stay up to see.

    Along with David Francey and Bob Crampsey, Arthur was synonymous with all that was good about fitba. Hope he’d been well enough in his final weeks to see Morton’s recent revival.


  54. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/4163-airport-and-belfast-set-for-shops

    Article date June 2013. A short-lived enterprise, sorry for anyone losing their job.

    RANGERS Football Club will open new shops at Glasgow Airport and in Belfast giving supporters the chance to buy official club merchandise and further enhancing the Light Blues’ global appeal.

    The Glasgow Airport unit will open on Wednesday 26 June with the Belfast shop, located at 63 Ann Street in the city, to be opened a week earlier on Wednesday 19 June.
    A full range of Rangers products – including the new Puma kits for Season 2013/14 – will be available at both locations in due course and supporters will have the chance to buy a wide range of merchandise from launch days.
    Interim Chief Executive Craig Mather said: “We are delighted to confirm Rangers shops at Glasgow Airport and in Belfast will open offering a full range of official club merchandise to our supporters.
    “Rangers has a truly global fan base and supporters can now enjoy the benefits of shopping at Glasgow airport ahead of their travels.
    “Feedback from fans is always welcome and I know they have been keen to see us re-open shops at both locations so we are thrilled to offer our supporters the chance to buy a wide range of club products in Belfast and at Glasgow airport once again.”


  55. fishnish says:
    November 26, 2014 at 8:22 pm
    ‘..500,000 Martians represent a powerful global audience…’
    ——-
    Aye, but are they no’ a’ wee Green men 🙂


  56. Arthur Montford
    Major part of our tapestry just passed away
    Decent type


  57. “Look oot,Tam, he’s coming up behind you!” Did Arthur actually scream that while commentating on an England-Scotland game at Wembley when an English forward was descending on Tom Forsyth dwelling on the ball?

    I’ve certainly told the story in a hundred pubs but I’ve no idea if it’s an actual memory or a received one.

    Whatever about that, it deserves to be true about a commentator who gave great enjoyment to his listeners over many years.

    RIP Arthur. You are fondly remembered.


  58. In a brief email exchange with the late Paul McConville I mentioned among other things that ‘life was good’. His response was typical of the man that I came to know through his blog.

    Simply put and at the same time thoughtful, ‘It is great too hear someone say that life is good – too many of us are just happy to mump and moan!’

    Words worth remembering.

    Rest in peace Paul.


  59. Too young for the black and white Saturday nighter but for me,

    5.00 Sunday pm.

    Da da da da da-ra da da-ra da-ra da

    Great memories.


  60. ‘ I’m proud to say i’m a branch o’ the Green Oak Tree’ says the final verse .
    ….tonight a big big branch fell from the tree but this particular tree has never fallen and will never fall ..top of the league when he went..appropriate for a top top gentleman….


  61. Stv 11 tonight looking back at Arthur Montford’s life.


  62. Sorry I meant to add you just have to go on to YouTube and watch the few minutes of Arthur’s summary highlights commentary on Scotland Vs Czechoslovakia when we qualified for 74 World Cup…note his neutral stance as Denis Law is homing in on goal!!


  64. When Ann Budge is done at Hearts she can take over the SFA. Sensible, charming woman.

    Jim Spence stating plainly on Sportsound that there was no straight comparison between Hearts’ and the RFC financial collapse, because they (Hearts) weren’t liquidated but went into administration.

    Thank you, Jim Spence. A BBC journalist who speaks the plain truth. It doesn’t hurt, it isn’t offesive, it’s what happened.


  65. At the time, I never thought Arthur was an outstanding commentator when he was on air. I regarded him as a bloke just doing his job. However, when you compare him to the present bunch of dunces on STV and BBC Scotland it makes you realise how competent and professional he really was.

    Years ago there was an afternoon music programme on BBC radio presented by John Dunne. Each day during it he would play the mystery voice. Listeners would phone in with their answers. The prize of a few quid would roll-over if no one could identify the voice. One particular voice seemed to elude the callers, and so the kitty became quite lucrative. Then one day John Dunne received a call from a chappie in Scotland who was adamant the voice belonged to Sir Alf Ramsey. John asked this listener why he was so sure. The reply was, “Because I’ve interviewed him”. The caller was correct and, yes, it was none other than the Greenock legend with the appalling taste in sports jackets that scooped the pool.

    R.I.P. Arthur.


  66. Danish Pastry says:
    November 26, 2014 at 10:36 pm
    ‘.Thank you, Jim Spence. A BBC journalist who speaks the plain truth….’
    ———-
    I texted 80295 to let Richard Wilson know that there was no ‘takeover’ of RFC ( the expression he used as he compared the Hearts situation with TRFC/RIFC plc).
    He knows damn fine that the assets of a liquidated club were purchased and that the purchaser founded a brand new club, quite distinct in every commercial, legal and sports-identity respect from the liquidated club.
    He therefore is guilty at least of tergiversation.And Spence’s pointed reference to the fact of RFC’s liquidation was indeed well and timely made.
    And if, when he shuffles off this mortal coil, I am (most improbably!) around at the time, I will not be posting words in tribute to HIS objectivity and balance. That’s for sure.
    It is an affront to us all that people like him are given air time at our expense.We know Chick to be a fool. Wilson ( a bit like Speirs) has pretensions to analytical skills and neat turns of grammatical phrase.He has no excuse for departing from the actual truth.
    In my opinion.


  67. Still no official date for the Rangers Int. AGM.

    These things are never straight forward, even at the best of times.

    A reminder of at least one difficulty which remains on the PLC website and is probably due an update:

    THE Company has in August and September 2013 sent requests under section 793 of the Companies Act 2006 to funds and nominee shareholders of the Company, including Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings asking for details of their shareholdings in the Company.
    These funds and nominees, including Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, have properly responded to these requests.
    Grounds for action to be taken against certain shareholders for non compliance with a section 793 request have not been established and there is no basis for the Company to seek to impose restrictions on the shares held by these shareholders, contrary to recent Press Speculation.
    Accordingly the Company confirms that it respects the rights of all of its shareholders and will not seek to restrict or remove any shareholder rights unless there are legal grounds to do so for a proper purpose.
    The Company notes recent case law (Eclairs Group Limited and Others -v- JKX Oil and Gas plc and Others [2013] EWHC 2631 (Ch)) which provides that shareholder voting rights can not be removed for the purpose of barring a shareholder from voting at a general meeting or annual general meeting.


  68. The Record is reporting that SDM and Waldo will be called to give evidence to the fraud trial of the century.

    WALTER SMITH and Sir David Murray head a list of star witnesses who have received letters from the Procurator Fiscal ahead of the Rangers fraud case against Craig Whyte, Gary Withey and the Duff and Phelps three.

    Record Sport understands ex-manager Smith and former owner Murray are among a number of household names to have been contacted by the Crown Office over the last 48 hours as lawyers prepare cases against the men accused of fraudulent activity following a probe into Whyte’s Ibrox buyout in 2011.

    Former directors Alastair Johnston and Paul Murray – both axed from the board after opposing Whyte’s takeover – are also expected to take to the stand after providing police with written statements.

    Murray has already been notified of his likely involvement while USA-based Johnston awaits confirmation he’ll be needed in Glasgow.

    Martin Bain, axed by Whyte as CEO, could also be part of the prosecution’s line-up.

    Bain has spoken to the cops and anticipates a letter asking him to return from his current post with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv to give evidence.

    London businessman Andrew Ellis, who introduced Whyte to Sir David Murray as a potential buyer, is expected to give evidence when the trial begins sometime
    next year.

    Disgraced Whyte, lawyer Withey and accountants David Grier, David
    Whitehouse and Paul Clark face a host of charges relating to the ill-fated deal.

    A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Whyte.

    It’s understood he is still out of the country.


  69. The Jaiket Deid?

    I’m surprised to be the first.

    “Disaster for Scotland”

    And I mean that very very fondly.


  70. Billy Boyce says:
    November 26, 2014 at 10:45 pm
    ‘.Years ago there was an afternoon music programme on BBC radio presented by John Dunne. ‘
    ——–
    Pile on the nostalgia,Billy Boyce, you’re talking my era!
    I won’t pretend that I heard that particular broadcast, although I first started listening to the programme in the summer of 1963, and it became an almost daily fixture-on steam radio.
    And I can still whistle unerringly the catchy little signature tune.
    And John Dunne was a very, very highly respected BBC presenter.


  71. @easy, with that collection of witnesses you could see it turning into (what the Oxford Dictionary defines as) a bunfight : 😮


  73. John Clark says:
    November 26, 2014 at 11:01 pm
    5 2 Rate This
    ———–

    Bravo JC, you do wonder if there’s an unwritten agreement between journos with loyalties to Ibrox to actually not tell the truth — or at least to avoid stating the facts. The verbal gymnastics used to promote the myth is impressive. It can hardly be by chance.

    Deliberately misleading the public? Been quite a bit of that from the state mouthpiece … er … public service broadcaster, recently.


  74. neepheid says:

    November 26, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    2

    0

    Rate This

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/walter-smith-david-murray-lead-4703261

    Walter and Sir David 🙄 to be star prosecution witnesses. I hope Jackson has cleared this with the lawyers? Seems highly prejudicial to me, but then it’s only Whyte, enemy of the peepil. Do I hear tumbrils rolling in the distance? Or is that Whyte reprising his audio clips?
    ============================================

    Neep

    Same reaction. Think DR pushing this a bit towards “Star witnesses” to prejudice against Whyte.
    I fully expect Craigie however NOT to turn up and the case go ahead without him. Likely IMO. Well you may well believe someone not represented in court to be vulnerable or stupid.

    He may however choose to represent himself (or be represented) in another court in another jurisdiction and tell his tale there (perhaps with a cooler atmosphere pervading proceedings).

    My personal feeling only.


  75. easyJambo says:
    November 26, 2014 at 11:13 pm
    ‘.The Record is reporting that SDM and Waldo will be called to give evidenc..’
    ———–
    I’m intrigued. Does the Crown office make public the names of persons cited to attend as witnesses in a trial for which no date has as yet been fixed?
    I have just emailed the ‘Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’to ask for a copy of the list of witnesses.
    Not that I do not believe our Keef, of course.I just want a bit of paper containing the names of a , what do you call it, some kind of gallery or something?

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